One week after transferring in. The grounds of Kouyou Academy had been buzzing with excitement since morning. The opening ceremony of the sports festival had ended, and students wearing colorful headbands were dispersing to their respective events. Behind the main tent, Yuki clutched a blank pair registration form. (What should I do... do I really have to submit this?) From the perspective of a 37-year-old, pair registration for a sports festival was nothing more than simple paperwork. But in this world, it was different. Especially for male students—who you paired up with could drastically change your school life from that point on. "[excited]Yuki, found you!" Her soft, fluffy brown ponytail swaying, Hina came running over. In her hand was an entry sheet for the cavalry battle. "[scared]Wait, hold on, I haven't registered y—" "[sarcastic]It's totally obvious you haven't. That form is completely blank." Hina snatched the blank form from Yuki's hand and, using her own pen, wrote "Minami Hina" in the name field. "[excited]There, now Yuki's partner is officially me!" "[surprised]Hey, wait just a second." "[sarcastic]Nope, not waiting. You ran away yesterday and the day before, remember? I'm catching you for sure today." With a triumphant grin, Hina tugged firmly on Yuki's sleeve. The whistle signaling the start of the cavalry battle sounded. Four teams had already formed on the grounds, with the girls acting as riders hoisted onto shoulders. "[excited]Yuki, support me properly! If I fall, I'll die, you know!" Hina nimbly jumped onto Yuki's shoulders. She wrapped both arms tightly around his neck and whispered in his ear. "[whispers]If I fall, I'll die, you know." His young body reacted. He could feel his own ears growing hot. Hina's breath brushed against his neck, and the sweet scent of her shampoo tickled his nose. "[scared]I-I get it, so give me a little space." "[laughing]Eh, why? If I let go, I might fall, you know?" Hina wrapped her arms around him even tighter. Seeing Yuki's ears turn bright red, Hina laughed. "[surprised]Whoa, your ears are totally red! Yuki, are you actually pure in that way?" "[angry]Shut up! Focus!" In the end, Hina's team won the cavalry battle by a landslide. Drenched in sweat, Yuki crossed the finish line with Hina still on his shoulders. The next event was the borrow race. Lined up at the starting point, Hina drew a lot and read it aloud. "[surprised]Let's see... 'A mature-looking boy'!?" The surrounding girls all turned around at once and pointed at Yuki. "Hina, it's gotta be Yuki-kun!" "There's no one else!" "[laughing]Yep, Yuki it is!" Hina grabbed Yuki's wrist and started running just like that. "[scared]Is it really okay for the borrowed thing to be a person?" "[sarcastic]It's allowed by the rules! I checked earlier!" The moment the two of them, hand in hand, broke the finish tape, a scream-like cheer erupted from the spectator seats. Watching that scene from a school building window was a single shadow. It was Mio. Her waist-length, straight blonde hair swayed by the window. Her large blue eyes were fixed on the joined hands of the two who had just finished. "[whispers]...I am feeling something terribly unpleasant." Mio pressed her hand tightly against her chest. A warmth spread deep within her. An emotion she had never felt before swelled up intensely. "[whispers]Could this be... what they call jealousy?" A classmate standing nearby noticed the change in Mio. "Mio-san, what's wrong? You look pale..." "[serious]I... shall participate. In the bread-eating race." "[surprised]Huh!? Mio-san, aren't you a little bad at sports..." Mio didn't listen and dashed out to the grounds. Her soft uniform skirt fluttered. Her blonde hair danced in the wind, shining in the sunlight. Just as the announcement calling for participants for the bread-eating race played, Mio stood at the starting line. Hina was already there. "[surprised]Eh, Shiratori-san is joining too? Isn't that unusual?" "[gentle]Minami-san, you've been quite active today. Why don't you take a short rest?" Mio said this with an elegant smile. But deep within her blue eyes, she wasn't smiling. "[sarcastic]No, no, I can still go. More importantly, Shiratori-san, can you even grab the bread?" "[serious]Of course I can. I will not lose." The starting gun sounded. Mio ran with all her might—but it was difficult to catch the hanging bread in her mouth. "[surprised]Mmph... mmphhh...!?" The bread bounced around and wouldn't go into her mouth easily. She choked spectacularly, and the bread flew away. "[laughing]Ahaha! Shiratori-san, you're seriously hilarious!" Hina easily grabbed the bread in her mouth and finished. Having lost, Mio stood frozen, her cheeks bright red. "[serious]That was due to a lack of preparation. I will not lose next time." "[sarcastic]Uh, there is no next time." The surrounding female students began to buzz. "Mio-san definitely joined because of Yuki-kun." "That's totally jealousy." "Scary... but also kind of funny." Lunch break— Behind the gymnasium, against a wall where few people passed by, Yuki finally managed to be alone and let out a sigh of relief. The hustle and bustle of the sports festival could be heard in the distance. (I'm exhausted... those girls are amazing.) He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. —At that moment. "[whispers]U-um... Yuki-kun." Hearing a small voice, Yuki opened his eyes. Standing there was the petite Shizuka. Her black hair in braids, her slender eyes behind black-rimmed glasses were glistening. She held a cloth-wrapped bundle preciously in her hands, which were trembling. "[surprised]Shizuka? What's up?" "[whispers]Um... I woke up early this morning... and made a... a lunchbox..." Shizuka held out the cloth-wrapped bundle. Her hands were shaking. Her face was bright red up to her ears. "[whispers]I-if you'd like... please eat it..." Yuki took the bundle and opened it. Inside were neatly packed rolled omelet, fried chicken, and broccoli. Pink shredded fish flakes were sprinkled over the white rice. "[gentle]Thank you, I'm happy. You woke up early to make this for me?" "[whispers]...Yes." Shizuka looked down. Behind her glasses, her eyes glistened faintly with tears. At that moment— "[angry]Ah! Yuki, there you are!" From around the corner of the gymnasium, Hina peeked her face out. In her hand was a bread bag from the school store. "[sarcastic]I was looking for you so we could eat lunch together, but..." Hina's gaze was drawn to Shizuka's handmade lunchbox. "[cold]...Wait, Shizuka, is that for Yuki?" "[scared]U-um, this is..." And then another person— "[gentle]Yuki-kun, might I join you for lunch?" Mio appeared from the hallway side. In her hand was a refined three-tier lunch box, and she was smiling sweetly. However, the moment she saw Shizuka's lunchbox, her blue eyes narrowed sharply. The three girls stood in a fan shape around Yuki. A heavy silence lasted for several seconds. "[sarcastic]No, I was looking for him first?" "[gentle]I believe I spoke to Yuki-kun first." "[scared]I-I... already... gave him mine..." The three voices overlapped, and a small argument began around Yuki. Backed against the wall, Yuki had completely lost any means of escape. In the end, Yuki ate Shizuka's lunchbox. "[angry]Why!" "[surprised]Even though I brought my lunch box too..." "[scared]Because she gave it to me first..." At Yuki's fading voice, Hina and Mio began protesting simultaneously. Shizuka kept her head down, her face red to her ears. After school— The sports festival had ended, and the setting sun streamed into the school building. Yuki's smartphone vibrated. A notification from the Uragawa version messaging app "StellaPost"—it was from Mio. "[gentle]Yuki-kun, I would like you to come to the Class 2-C classroom. I have something important to discuss." Breaking out in a cold sweat, Yuki headed to the classroom. When he opened the classroom door, Mio was standing alone in the room, bathed in the sunset. Her long blonde hair shone orange, and her large blue eyes gazed directly at Yuki. "[serious]Yuki-kun... after watching today's sports festival, I have understood it clearly." Mio took a step closer to Yuki. "[serious]I like you, Yuki-kun, more than anyone else. I will not lose to anyone. Therefore—" Mio clasped her hands in front of her chest and took a deep breath. "[serious]I shall submit a Kokuri Notice!" "[surprised]...!" A memory from that day flashed through Yuki's mind—the day Mio declared in public that she would submit a Kokuri Notice. She had been stopped by her mother then, but this time was different. She was serious. "[scared]Mio... but..." The moment Yuki choked on his words— BANG!! "[angry]Hold it right there!!" The classroom door burst open. Hina entered, standing boldly with her arms crossed. Still in her gym clothes, her ponytail swayed. "[angry]After spending that much time together at the sports festival, isn't it ridiculous for Mio to be the one submitting a Kokuri Notice!? I was talking about it first!" "[gentle]Minami-san, a Kokuri Notice is not about first come, first served. It is a matter of feelings." "[angry]Well, when it comes to those feelings, I'm not losing either!" "[gentle]I have felt this way since the very first day Yuki-kun transferred in." "[angry]It's not a matter of days!" Just as the two began an argument with neither willing to back down— "[scared]...I-I also... have something I need to say." With a pale face, Shizuka entered the classroom. In her hands, she clutched a novel with a bookmark inserted. "[surprised]Shizuka...?" "[scared]U-um, I also... about Yuki-kun..." "[angry]Huh!? Wait, Shizuka, you're saying that now!?" "[gentle]Tachibana-san, do you also like Yuki-kun?" "[scared]...Y-yes." Mio furrowed her brow just slightly. Hina held her head. Though trembling, Shizuka joined the circle of three. The three girls stood in a fan shape around Yuki, the setting sun casting their four shadows long. "[angry]I'm submitting my Kokuri Notice first!" "[gentle]I was discussing it first. Besides, I have already prepared a guarantor from my household." "[scared]I... don't want to give up either." Voices overlapped, and the classroom echoed with arguments over who was first, whose feelings were genuine, and who had the right to submit a Kokuri Notice. Yuki was backed against the wall. Every time he tried to say something— "[angry]Yuki, be quiet!" "[serious]Indeed, Yuki-kun, later." "[whispers]...Yuki-kun, just sit down." He was stopped by all of them, his right to speak completely stripped away. Pressed against the wall, Yuki had cold sweat on his forehead. (This is a battlefield... so this is what a battlefield in this world is like.) A 37-year-old man, in the body of a high schooler, surrounded by three girls, completely losing any escape route. A serious love battle unfolding right before his eyes. His young body's heart pounded rapidly, and his mind nearly went blank from confusion. At that moment— "Ding-dong, ding-dong." From the classroom speaker, a school-wide broadcast played. "Shiina Yuki-kun of Class 2-C, please come to the first conference room immediately. I repeat—" The three girls' argument stopped abruptly. "[surprised]...I've been called, so." Yuki slipped through the gap between the three and headed for the classroom door. The moment he stepped into the hallway—Yuki leaned his back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. "[whispers]What am I supposed to do..." His small murmur faded into the twilight corridor.