Yukinoshita recognized her the moment she saw her.
One of the two most popular girls at Toyonozaki Academy: Kasumigaoka Utaha. The other was the fictional name she had used Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
From what Yukinoshita had read online, these two Toyonozaki beauties had both fallen for the same guy. Right when they were locked in romantic combat, Yukinoshita swooped in and stole him away.
Had her golden-haired alter ego's siren domain now extended to the neighboring school too? How commendable. How terrifying.
Even Yukinoshita herself was a little shocked that she had pulled it off. Was this girl secretly running on some kind of cheat code? Like a "confess-and-dump-to-level-up" system?
Wild speculation [x].
And then, just the very next day, Yukinoshita had dumped that poor guy named Aki-kun.
She really might have a system that lets her grow stronger by confessing and dumping?
Unhinged theorizing [x].
Utaha's smile didn't reach her eyes as she said, "Yuigahama-san, aren't you going to invite me in?"
Is there a cop nearby? I think someone's about to commit premeditated murder!
Yukinoshita had figured that if she gave the real name of the victim Eriri Sawamura Spencer there was no way Eriri herself would show up. So she randomly gave the name Yuigahama Yui instead.
What she hadn't counted on was that the one who showed up would be Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Compared to the open-book personality of Eriri, this senior was a whole different beast cunning, sharp, and dangerous. The very embodiment of a fox with a hundred schemes.
There was no need to guess. This person was absolutely brimming with malice toward her.
Yukinoshita blocked the doorway. "I think you're here to murder me."
Utaha smiled with icy disdain. "I wouldn't risk prison time for scum like you."
"So you actually evaluated whether I was worth going to jail for?!"
"…You do realize your family driver is parked downstairs, right? What exactly am I supposed to be worried about?"
"You even did recon on my driver's position?!"
Kasumigaoka: "…"
In the end, Yukinoshita let her in.
She had been the one to arrange the tutoring session. She had given a fake name. Blocking someone at the door now just felt guilty and petty.
Utaha stepped into the apartment and glanced around the minimalist decor. It was unexpected. She had thought Yukinoshita would be the type to love flashy and ornate things.
In truth, she had been. Just two days ago, Yukinoshita had thrown out an entire wardrobe's worth of gaudy clothes and trinkets. Her mood had been absolutely foul during the purge.
Yukinoshita walked to the fridge. "Mineral water, soda water, or just plain?"
"No thanks. I'm afraid you'll poison me."
Yukinoshita poured herself a glass of water and sat back down, flipping open her first-year math textbook with a thoughtful look.
"You're not exactly hard up for cash. What made you suddenly want to be a tutor?"
"Call me Ms. Sawamura," Utaha said with a tight smile. "Just thought I'd get a head start on some real-world experience."
That was, of course, a lie.
The truth was, Utaha had used Eriri's name partly to do some field research for a new novel. While her identity as a light novel author wasn't exactly top secret, it also wasn't widely known.
The other reason was to avoid running into anyone from Soubu High who might recognize the name "Kasumigaoka" the "victim."
Who would've guessed she wouldn't bump into someone who'd merely heard of the case, but the main culprit herself: Yukinoshita Yukino.
That insufferable girl.
Yukinoshita caught the sharp glint of hostility beneath Utaha's composed facade and couldn't help but voice her suspicion. "You're planning to mess up the lesson, so I flunk even harder next time, aren't you?"
Utaha gave a low chuckle. "From what I hear, you're already near the bottom of your class and the entire school. If you want to score even worse, it might actually take effort."
Yukinoshita: "…"
Damn you, golden-haired Yukinoshita.
Once the session actually began, though, things moved faster than either of them had anticipated.
Yukinoshita, wary of sabotage, found herself surprised by the absence of any mischief. And Utaha, dreading the task of explaining everything to a hopeless dunce, was equally caught off guard.
Yukinoshita absorbed new information with terrifying speed. Her processing and retention were elite. She understood new concepts quickly, remembered them precisely, and adapted them effortlessly.
Even students who had already studied the material couldn't compare to how fast and how well she learned.
Utaha had been top of her year at Toyonozaki for as long as she could remember, but she had rarely encountered someone with this kind of raw mental power.
Her shock deepened with every passing minute.
From the moment she laid eyes on Yukinoshita today, she had already been taken aback.
This girl with the long, straight black hair looked almost too beautiful to be real like something from a dream. Compared to the blonde gyaru mess Yukinoshita used to be, this was another universe entirely. If not for how deeply Utaha despised her, she might not have even recognized her.
She couldn't stop herself from voicing the question. "Why did you throw yourself away back then?"
How should I know?
Yukinoshita propped her chin on one hand and sighed. "Let's move on to the next section, Ms. Sawamura."
Utaha had never seen this version of Yukinoshita before.
The girl she remembered had messy, bleach-blonde hair, heavy makeup, and a cocky sneer. A creature of pure irritation. Everything about her grated on Utaha's nerves.
But this Yukinoshita wore a pale blue cotton dress and a beige knit cardigan. Her jet-black hair flowed gently over her shoulders, framing a slender neck like white jade.
She radiated a kind of softness and purity that was impossible to ignore.
Utaha found herself unable to look too long. It was dangerous. She could feel one-tenth of her hatred dissolving.
Eriri could be an arrogant little gremlin, but she was undeniably pretty. That was probably why Utaha enjoyed fighting with her so much watching her get flustered and furious was its own kind of entertainment.
Yes, Kasumigaoka Utaha was a sucker for a pretty face.
Even the so-called otaku boy she once liked, Aki-kun, turned out to be surprisingly handsome once he took off his glasses.
With one teaching and the other learning at top speed, they not only finished the day's lesson plan, but went beyond it.
Utaha sat on the carpet and leaned back against the sofa with a long exhale. Even she was surprised. Spending time with someone she loathed this much hadn't felt like being trapped in purgatory.
She stretched her arm behind her, only to find her elbow resting on something hard. Curious, she picked it up.
No way. No way. It couldn't be…
She flipped it over. Yep. A light novel. Clearly a favorite too, judging by the worn pages and creased spine.
Clearing her throat, Utaha held it up and gave it a little shake. "You read light novels?"
Yukinoshita, sprawled over the table and nearly blowing bubbles from exhaustion, lifted her eyelids slightly. "Yeah."
It was just a soft "yeah," but something about it made Utaha's face twitch awkwardly.
Printed on the cover in bold font was the title: Love Metronome.
Her debut novel. The one that made her name.