When Shin arrived at the school gate in the morning, he saw two familiar figures already standing there.
One was Utaha Kasumigaoka, whose expression was calm, wearing only a faint smile. At first glance, she seemed like a refined literary girl, but upon closer inspection, her mischievous nature was unmistakable.
The other was Eriri, standing beside her, glaring fiercely at Utaha Kasumigaoka with a visibly annoyed expression. Yet, she seemed to be restraining herself to maintain her image.
In the works Shin had seen before transmigrating, both Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri were renowned beauties at Private Toyosaki High School. They were even dubbed the "Two Great Beauties of Toyosaki High"—a title that sounded like something straight out of early web novels.
Though this world had blended many other works, resulting in numerous girls at the school who were no less stunning than the two, their popularity remained undeniable. So when they stood at the school gate, seemingly waiting for someone, many passing students couldn't help but wonder who they were waiting for.
When Shin saw this scene, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
He had already guessed who Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri were waiting for—aside from the teachers, he was probably the only one in the school who had contact with both of them.
Sure enough, as Shin approached the gate, Utaha Kasumigaoka's eyes lit up, and she immediately ran toward him.
He even noticed her reaching out, likely intending to mimic the heroines of light novels and grab his arm.
But unexpectedly, Eriri—uncharacteristically sharp—detected Utaha Kasumigaoka's intention the moment she took her first step.
Instinctively, Eriri reached out and yanked Utaha Kasumigaoka's arm, forcibly pulling her back mid-stride.
Halted by Eriri's grip, Utaha Kasumigaoka was forced to stop. She narrowed her eyes at Eriri and said with a forced smile,
"Eriri-san, what are you doing? Isn't it improper to be pulling at someone like this in public?"
Despite having her intentions exposed, Utaha Kasumigaoka showed no embarrassment. Instead, she turned the tables, accusing Eriri first.
"You—don't think I didn't notice! You're the one who wanted to make a scene in public!"
Eriri gritted her teeth, her expression making it clear she had seen through Utaha Kasumigaoka's scheme. She was determined to protect Shin from her clutches.
Utaha Kasumigaoka wanted to say that Eriri, guarding Shin like this, resembled a dragon hoarding treasure.
But considering Eriri's snarling yet utterly non-intimidating expression, she decided comparing her to a loyal pet dog guarding its owner was more fitting.
"I was merely trying to discuss some paranormal findings with the club president, as a member of the Paranormal Research Club. Is there a problem with that?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka, it seemed, had already prepared an excuse. She spoke to Eriri before turning her gaze to Shin, who had now reached them.
"A club member wanting to discuss paranormal research topics with the president shouldn't be an issue, right… President?"
"Just don't cause any trouble for me, you two."
Shin looked at the quarreling Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri with resignation—these two seemed inherently incompatible.
It was likely that Utaha Kasumigaoka had been waiting for him at the gate this morning, and when Eriri arrived, she noticed and guessed her intentions, deciding to stand guard alongside her.
Their presence had drawn considerable attention, and now that Shin had appeared, many students around them saw that the two girls were there for him.
Before long, rumors like "Shin is being pursued by both Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri" would probably spread throughout the school.
Shin didn't care about being talked about—he just disliked trouble. If people wanted to gossip, fine, but if they started pestering him with questions, he'd have to politely decline.
As expected, this rumor spread much faster than previous ones.
After all, Shin's past rumors had involved girls from other schools—even if one was from the prestigious Shuchi'in Academy, it was still an external affair, so the buzz wasn't as intense.
But this time, the girls involved were Eriri and Utaha Kasumigaoka, both from his own school. Naturally, the students' enthusiasm for gossip skyrocketed.
During first period, while Shin and Katou Megumi were slacking off as usual, chatting via phone, Megumi directly asked:
"I heard Kasumigaoka-senpai and Eriri got into an argument over you this morning?"
"...It spread that fast? Even you know about it, Megumi?"
Seeing the message on LINE, Shin was genuinely surprised.
Katou Megumi usually paid little attention to gossip. If even she had heard, it was truly unexpected.
"I overheard some classmates discussing it before class."
Megumi quickly replied—thanks to her low presence, she could practically place her phone on the desk and use it openly without the teacher noticing.
"It was Yuigahama-san and the others talking about it."
"Yuigahama Yui, huh..."
Seeing the name, Shin instinctively glanced at a certain pink-haired girl with a "meatball" hairstyle sitting in the front row.
Yuigahama Yui didn't seem to notice his gaze, listening intently to the teacher's lecture.
Shin had noticed before that Yui would occasionally approach him out of the blue, asking if he wanted to join her and her friends for karaoke or shopping.
He had always declined, and a few months ago, he'd even wondered, "Does Yuigahama Yui have feelings for me?"
But since he never sensed any shyness or romantic tension from her, he dismissed it as his imagination.
As for Miura Yumiko... Shin had genuinely never considered her.
Mainly because their interactions had been minimal, and Miura Yumiko herself never dared to approach him directly, leading to this outcome.
Miura Yumiko's friend—Ebina Hina—had noticed this and had been growing increasingly anxious on her behalf.
She realized Shin seemed completely indifferent to Miura Yumiko. If Yumiko didn't take the initiative soon, she might graduate without exchanging more than a few words with him.
Especially now that Shin seemed to be growing more popular by the day. Ebina Hina watched helplessly, fretting like a mother worried her daughter would never marry.
To be continued…
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