Chapter 4 – Yukinoshita Haruno!
Chiba Municipal Sobu High School was known for its academic prestige. With nine regular classes and one special class known as the International Education Class, it set itself apart from the average high school.
This "Class J" had an average deviation score two to three points higher than the other classes. Only the brightest students made it in.
Yukinoshita Akira was currently enrolled in Class 2-F—the same class that, in the world of Oregairu, housed both the protagonist and the main heroine.
The classroom was already bustling with life. Students were chatting in small groups, the room filled with the casual energy of high school life.
Akira's eyes scanned the room and landed on familiar faces—Hayama Hayato, Miura Yumiko, Ebina Hina, Yuigahama Yui, and of course, the one and only Hikigaya Hachiman.
The scene was so familiar, Akira found himself smiling faintly.
Compared to the other chaotic worlds he had traveled through, this world of everyday school life felt almost surreal. The pace here was slower, calmer… but still challenging in its own way. Unlike the brutal battles of Demon Slayer or the twisted schemes of other dimensions, this world tested one's heart.
For Akira, this peaceful setting was a blessing.
After all, his own high school life back in his original world had been far from vibrant.
He went to a strict boarding school. No phones. Mandatory early wake-ups. Evenings filled with extra study sessions.
Weekends were eaten up by additional classes, and even sleep was considered a luxury.
Life revolved around a single axis: study, grades, exams, and the final test that decided your future.
Back then, his only true happiness came from secretly playing with his phone under the blanket at night.
How different that was from this version of high school—colorful, noisy, filled with laughter.
Akira's seat was located in the back row, by the window on the left side of the room. Naturally.
The classic "Protagonist from Another World" seating position—the corner throne of the classroom kingdom.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya Hachiman sat in the front row, far right.
But in truth, Akira was even more of a loner than Hachiman.
At least Hachiman had Yuigahama Yui, who constantly glanced his way, and the "trap" prince Totsuka Saika, who carried an obvious affection for him.
Akira? He had none of that.
With the Yukinoshita surname on his back, people instinctively kept their distance. That cold aura he inherited from Yukinoshita Yukino didn't help either.
Combine that with his naturally quiet, distant personality, and the nickname was born:
"Ice Prince."
Together with Yukinoshita Yukino—known as the "Snow Queen"—they became the infamous icy duo of Sobu High.
Drrriiinnnggg—
The bell rang. The homeroom teacher entered, and the day's lesson began.
Most of the students paid attention. After all, this school wasn't easy to get into. Academic pressure was high, and the expectations even higher.
But for Akira, this level of education was child's play.
He had once graduated from a university back in his original world. High school content was basic, even if the details had gotten fuzzy with time.
Still, recalling it wasn't hard—especially for a subject like math.
He had once swum through oceans of practice tests. This was nothing.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
The bell rang again, signaling break time. The math teacher exited the room without delay. In Japan, teachers didn't linger after class.
Drrriiinnnggg—
The room exploded into conversation once more.
Then, Akira's phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out and frowned immediately when he saw the caller ID: Yukinoshita Haruno.
The fiancée assigned to him by the Yukinoshita family.
"Helloooo~ Is this Akira-chan~?"
That sweet, exaggeratedly cutesy voice made the muscles in his face twitch.
"Akira-chan"? This woman really had the nerve.
Nearby, Hayama Hayato's ears perked up slightly at the sound of the voice. His eyes briefly flicked toward Akira, then calmly looked away—as if nothing happened.
But in his mind, something had shifted.
"Speak like a normal person," Akira replied flatly, barely suppressing the urge to end the call. "If not, I'm hanging up."
"Ehh~ So cold~ But aren't we an engaged couple~? It's only natural to use pet names~ You can call me Haruno-chan or Haru-chan, okay~?"
Click.
Akira ended the call without a trace of hesitation.
Even from the system's implanted memories and what he knew from the anime, Haruno's cheerful exterior was just a mask. Beneath it lay a manipulative, calculating woman with a sharp mind and a sharper heart.
Drrriiinnnggg—
Another vibration. She was calling again.
He picked it up, albeit reluctantly. If she was being this persistent, there had to be a reason.
"Akira-chan~ Why'd you hang up? If you don't like pet names, just call me Sweetheart, okay?"
Click.
Once again, he ended the call. His expression remained impassive. No frustration. No surprise.
Drrriiinnnggg—
And yet again, she called.
This time, Akira answered first.
"Just get to the point. I'm not in the mood to entertain you."
A brief silence.
Haruno seemed genuinely taken aback by his tone.
"…How interesting. Akira-chan, what's gotten into you? You're actually daring to talk to me like this now?"
Her voice turned cold. That faux sweetness evaporated in an instant. Even through the phone, her displeasure was palpable.
Haruno had always treated Akira like a toy—something to amuse herself with.
When he had been adopted by the Yukinoshita family, it was for one reason: to create a male heir for the bloodline.
Like a cat taken in from the streets.
While he was still interesting, he was fed, pampered, given warmth. But once he became boring, he would be discarded.
To the Yukinoshita family, and especially to Haruno, Akira was nothing more than a stray cat with a nice collar.
And now, that "cat" was baring its fangs.
She didn't like that.
But Akira didn't care.
If this identity came with advantages, he would use it. But if it only brought chains and complications...
He wouldn't hesitate to walk away from it entirely.
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