Monday morning arrived with a symphony of dull aches across my entire body.
Karla Kure had not held back during our weekend training. My torso, arms, and legs were covered in a patchwork of yellowing bruises, completely hidden beneath my crisp Shuchiin Academy uniform. But despite the soreness, I felt fundamentally different.
My constitution, combined with two days of basic martial arts drilling, had completely rewritten the way I carried myself. My shoulders were pulled back, my spine was perfectly straight, and the lazy, civilian slouch I used to have was entirely gone.
As I walked down the street toward the academy, Raku was trailing half a step behind me, rambling about the syndicate's latest logistics problem. But mid-sentence, he suddenly stopped talking.
I glanced over my shoulder. "What is it?"
Raku was staring at me, his brow furrowed in deep confusion. He stepped up next to me, raising a hand flat over his head and bringing it toward mine.
"Did you... get taller over the weekend?" Raku asked, sounding genuinely bewildered. "I swear we were exactly the same height on Friday. Now you've got like, an inch and a half on me. And your aura... you look way cooler today. What the hell, Aniki?"
I chuckled softly, keeping my hands casually in my pockets. I hadn't magically grown taller; my body had simply uncoiled. The Kure training had forced me to align my center of gravity and eliminate wasted tension. I was finally standing at my true height.
"It's just the result of some intense weekend training," I replied smoothly. "Turns out fixing your posture does wonders for your height."
Raku's eyes widened, shining with immediate, desperate interest. "Wait, seriously? Just training? Teach me! If I get taller, maybe I won't get pushed around by the Bee Hive guys so much—"
"Watch where you're going, beansprout!"
A loud, sharp voice interrupted him, followed immediately by a blur of blonde hair and a violent collision.
A girl had practically vaulted around the corner, slamming directly into Raku. He stumbled backward, barely catching his balance.
"Hey! You bumped into me, gorilla!" Raku shot back instantly, clutching his shoulder.
I stood perfectly still, watching the exchange with mild amusement.
Standing in front of us, dusting off her skirt with a fierce scowl, was Chitoge Kirisaki. With her striking blue eyes and bright blonde hair tied back in a signature red ribbon, she was impossible to miss.
I already knew her. While I had been "bedridden" with my transmigration fever during the first three days of school, the leaders of the Shuei-gumi and the Bee Hive Gang had held a summit at our estate.
To stop an all-out bloodbath between the factions, they had forced Raku and Chitoge into a fake engagement. I had dragged myself out of bed just long enough to sit in on the meeting, formally introducing myself as the sickly older brother before retreating back to my room.
Chitoge glared at Raku, looking like she was ready to throw a right hook. But then her eyes shifted to me. Her aggressive posture immediately softened into something more polite and reserved.
"Oh. Good morning, Ren-san," Chitoge said, offering a stiff but respectful nod. Because I was the sickly, polite guy in her images, she treated me drastically different than she treated Raku. "Are you feeling better? I heard your fever was quite severe."
"Much better, Kirisaki-san, thank you for asking," I replied, offering a warm, older-brother smile.
"Though I see you and Raku are getting along as passionately as ever."
"We are not getting along!" Chitoge and Raku yelled in perfect, terrifying unison.
I suppressed a laugh. Keeping their fake relationship going was the perfect shield to keep the syndicate politics off my back so I could focus on surviving curses.
"Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds to your morning stroll," I said, stepping smoothly around them. "Try not to destroy any public property before first period."
I ignored Raku's betrayed squawks and Chitoge's flustered yelling, picking up my pace toward the school gates.
The entrance to Shuchiin Academy was a bustling hub of Japan's elite. Students in tailored uniforms mingled near the wrought-iron gates, the atmosphere thick with wealth and privilege.
As I approached, a sleek, extended black luxury car pulled up to the curb, tires crunching softly against the pavement. The surrounding students naturally parted, creating a wide, respectful path.
A man in a sharp suit quickly stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the rear door.
Kaguya Shinomiya stepped out.
She looked immaculate. Her raven long black hair flowing from the back and her posture was a masterclass in aristocratic grace. She emitted an aura that practically demanded everyone look at her, while simultaneously forbidding anyone from actually approaching.
By coincidence, our paths intersected perfectly at the center of the main gate.
The students nearby—including Raku and Chitoge, who had just caught up to me—held their breath.
The 'Ice Queen' of the first year was notorious for ignoring everyone who wasn't part of the Shinomiya inner circle.
I didn't stop, and I didn't avert my eyes.
"Good morning, Shinomiya-san," I said, my voice carrying clearly over the quiet whispers of the crowd.
Kaguya paused. Her crimson eyes locked onto me.
The collective student body braced for her to walk right past me, or worse, deliver a freezing reprimand for speaking out of turn. Raku actually winced behind me.
But instead, Kaguya held my gaze.
"Good morning, Ichijou-san," she replied, her voice cool and perfectly level, acknowledging me directly in front of the entire gate.
A collective, silent shockwave rippled through the onlookers. Raku's jaw practically hit the floor, and Chitoge blinked in outright bewilderment. The Ice Queen had just returned a greeting.
Without missing a beat, Kaguya fell into step beside me, and we began walking up the cherry blossom-lined path toward the main building together.
To the outside world, it looked like two top-tier elites sharing a morning walk. But the reality was a suffocating, silent battlefield of academic competitiveness.
Kaguya didn't say another word, but her crimson eyes flicked over me, taking in every detail with terrifying precision.
She noticed immediately.
'He's walking differently,' she thought, her eyes narrowing a fraction of an inch.
On Friday, she had categorized me as a brilliant, slightly annoying academic rival. But today, her sharp instincts picked up on the subtle changes. My footsteps were completely silent on the pavement. My shoulders were relaxed, but my hands hovered naturally near my center of mass. The 'fragile' academic vibe I had projected last week had been replaced by something grounded, solid, and faintly dangerous.
I caught her staring and offered a polite, knowing smirk.
Kaguya quickly looked straight ahead, her lips pressing into a thin line. Her competitive spirit flared to life, burning white-hot behind her icy exterior. She didn't care if I had spent the weekend studying or doing some bizarre physical training.
She had lost to me by one point on Friday. She fully intended to completely crush me on the next exam.