"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!"
"Ichika! Get up! Get up immediately!"
In Ichika's room, the alarm rang – the secretly recorded alarm of the Five Sisters [Nakano Yu version].
"Ugh, Yu, let me sleep a little longer…"
Wrapped in a blanket, Ichika turned to the other side, mumbling with her back to the alarm.
"Squeak~"
At that moment, the real Nakano Yu opened the door. Looking at the alarm that kept ringing and Ichika, who, as usual, stubbornly stayed in bed, he sighed helplessly.
"Ichika, it's time to get up."
Entering the room, Nakano Yu first picked up the Sobu High School uniform that had been thrown beside the door, then casually turned off the alarm on the nightstand, and only then called Ichika to get up.
Since the Shuchi'in Academy uniforms hadn't been distributed yet, Nakano Yu and the Five Sisters could only wear their Sobu High School uniforms to school today.
But honestly, Nakano Yu didn't think the Shuchi'in Academy uniforms looked good. The male version was fine, but the female version with such a long skirt… seriously, was it meant to defend against gentlemen?!
It didn't have any youthful energy at all.
"Yu~ let's sleep together~"
Ichika raised her arms, like a purring kitten, and said to Nakano Yu.
Ichika had actually woken up when the alarm first rang, but her innate skill of staying in bed made it take a little time to break free from the bed's seal.
"Get up quickly, we'll be late in thirty minutes."
Nakano Yu didn't listen to Ichika. After checking the time on his phone, he threw the Sobu High School uniform over Ichika's face and said irritably.
Then he turned and left the room.
"Tch, Yu really has no romance at all."
As soon as the boy left, Ichika sat up in bed, covering herself with the cold blanket, sulking.
"Ah~ I don't want to go to school!"
Turning toward the window, the sunlight was blocked by the curtains, but Ichika still felt it was a little dazzling.
Muttering, Ichika still obediently got up and got dressed.
After getting dressed, Ichika hurried down the stairs. As soon as she arrived downstairs, she saw Nino and the others already ready and having breakfast.
"Good morning, everyone."
Cheerfully greeting the Five Sisters, Ichika approached the dining table and was about to take breakfast when Nakano Yu stopped her:
"Ichika, you have to wash your face first."
Hearing this, Ichika nodded and turned toward the bathroom.
After breakfast at home, Nakano Yu and the Five Sisters, as before, were driven by Uncle Edo. It wasn't because Nakano Maruo couldn't afford someone else, but because Edo was the only outsider he trusted the most.
Otherwise, if he had hired a driver with ill intentions who might try to harm Nakano Yu and the Five Sisters, there would have been no room for regret.
Since Nakano Maruo originally planned for Nakano Yu and the Five Sisters to attend Shuchi'in Academy, the luxurious apartment where the Nakano family lived wasn't far from Shuchi'in Academy. In no time, they arrived at the gates of Shuchi'in Academy.
"Is this Shuchi'in Academy? It looks much bigger than Sobu High School!"
As soon as they got out of the car, Yotsuba couldn't help but be amazed.
Although Sobu High School was also a private aristocratic school in Tokyo, it was still far inferior compared to Shuchi'in Academy, which was backed by the Shinomiya Financial Group.
After all, Shuchi'in Academy, in a sense, was a talent selection ground for the four major financial groups in Tokyo, a stage for daughters and sons of various financial families, so naturally it had to be extremely luxurious.
"Really, it's much bigger than Sobu High School."
Ichika also nodded after getting out of the car, sighing.
"All right, don't wait any longer, first find your homeroom teachers."
Nakano Yu smiled and waved his hand. They were exchange students, so there was no need to worry about being late on the first day. By the way, for this Shuchi'in Academy exchange program, Nakano Yu and Itsuki were assigned to the same class, Ichika and Yotsuba to one class, and Miku and Nino to another.
Nakano Yu was quite satisfied with this distribution. After all, when arriving in a new environment with unfamiliar people and places, it was good to have someone to rely on.
Soon, the group of six entered the academy, under the curious gaze of Shuchi'in Academy students.
The academy was truly huge, so much so that the front courtyard was almost half the size of Sobu High School's sports field. And this was only the front courtyard; there was no need to mention how large the sports fields and other facilities were.
Since their classes were different, the floors where they needed to report to their homeroom teachers were also slightly different. After greeting, Nakano Yu led Itsuki to the seventh floor of the academic building.
Their homeroom teacher was on that floor. Soon, according to the exchange form Edo had given them, they found the homeroom office.
Looking at the mahogany doors in front of them, Nakano Yu remembered the sliding doors of Sobu High School and couldn't help but be amazed:
"The financial resources of Shuchi'in Academy are truly abundant."
"Hm? Yu, what's wrong?"
Hearing Nakano Yu suddenly say this, a slightly nervous Itsuki looked up at him and asked.
"Nothing."
Nakano Yu shook his head. Then he reached out and knocked on the office door:
"Knock, knock."
"Come in."
A female voice was heard from inside. Hearing that, Nakano Yu didn't hesitate and opened the door directly to enter.
Seeing this, Itsuki quickly followed him.
Upon entering the office, Nakano Yu noticed there were only two desks inside, also wooden, exuding a sense of wealth.
And sitting in front of the left desk was a girl who looked about the same age as Nakano Yu and Itsuki.
Her pink hair fell over her shoulders, with a small braid woven in. She wore professional clothing, and her pale face showed no expression, appearing very serious and cold.
Noticing someone, the girl turned and, seeing Nakano Yu and Itsuki, slightly furrowed her brows, as if wondering which class these two students were from. But she quickly reacted:
"You are exchange students from Sobu High School, right? Let me see, you are Nakano Yu and… Nakano Itsuki?"
She said this, pulling a folder from the drawer. Inside were the data of Nakano Yu and Itsuki. While speaking, the girl paused, obviously curious about the relationship between Nakano Yu and Nakano Itsuki.
"Yes, from today you are students of Class 1-A. My name is Kirisu Mafuyu, and I am the homeroom teacher of Class A. You can call me Teacher Kirisu."
Nodding, Kirisu Mafuyu maintained her expressionless gaze, a true ice queen. Anyone who saw her like this couldn't help but wonder how beautiful she would be if she smiled.
However, that thought completely vanished when Nakano Yu heard the name Kirisu Mafuyu.
Kirisu Mafuyu, Nakano Yu knew this person!
At school, she was a strict, demanding teacher who only cared about studying, but at home, Kirisu Mafuyu not only was bad at household chores, she didn't do them at all. Moreover, Kirisu Mafuyu was afraid of cockroaches!
Every time she saw a cockroach, she would scream and run around the room.
Nakano Yu could hardly reconcile the image he had imagined with the ice queen in front of him, but it was indeed true. He couldn't help but want to see it with his own eyes, not for anything special, but just to satisfy his mischievous curiosity.
"I always feel like this guy is thinking about something weird."
From Kirisu Mafuyu's side, watching Nakano Yu, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she thought.
Kirisu Mafuyu didn't have the ability to read minds; it was just a woman's sixth sense.
"You are Nakano Yu, right? The one who was first in the entrance exam for freshmen last year… or should I say, originally first. Why didn't you enroll?"
Shaking her head, Kirisu Mafuyu felt she shouldn't speculate about her student in this way. She turned to Nakano Yu and brought up his entrance exam.
"Ah, that? I simply didn't like Shuchi'in Academy, that's all. I just came to see how difficult the Shuchi'in Academy entrance exam is."
Hearing this, Nakano Yu perked up and immediately replied.
In reality, Nakano Yu didn't particularly care which school he went to. In any case, he would be first wherever he went, because the pressure of studying in Japan was far less than in his previous life.
However, his answer sounded like pure provocation to the school, and Kirisu Mafuyu's expression immediately darkened.
"With such an irresponsible attitude, Nakano-kun, your academic performance will surely decline if you attend Sobu High School. You should be responsible for your own life."
Kirisu Mafuyu spoke strictly and seriously.
"Is that so? But I'd rather follow my own ideas than others'."
Seeing Kirisu Mafuyu dictating choices to him, even good-natured Nakano Yu couldn't tolerate it. So what if she was Kirisu Mafuyu? He directly retorted.
"That's irresponsible of you!"
Hearing Nakano Yu contradict her, Kirisu Mafuyu, who already considered Nakano Yu lazy, became even more dissatisfied.
"Yu…"
Seeing that Nakano Yu was about to start an argument with the teacher, Itsuki, who was standing beside him, quickly pulled his sleeve and whispered.
"Don't worry, it's fine."
The boy just slightly nodded to calm Itsuki. Then he turned to Kirisu Mafuyu again, calmed himself, and asked:
"Teacher Kirisu, since you said that, please answer me one question: What is the purpose of studying?"
"Of course, to get a better job and come closer to your dreams."
Kirisu Mafuyu answered without hesitation.
However, hearing her answer, Nakano Yu smiled.
He had heard such a one-sided answer countless times.
"But, Teacher, how do you know that I don't pursue my own dream? Do you judge just by my appearance? Just by a superficial impression?"
As Nakano Yu posed this rhetorical question, Kirisu Mafuyu was taken aback.
She didn't expect Nakano Yu to say this to her.
Indeed, as a teacher, Kirisu Mafuyu was dedicated to being responsible for her students. When she saw that Nakano Yu had an almost perfect result on the entrance exam, yet chose Sobu High School and gave up Shuchi'in Academy, she was already dissatisfied.
And now, seeing his nonchalant attitude, she lost control of her emotions for a moment and reproached him.
"I… no, I just…"
Opening her mouth, Kirisu Mafuyu still wanted to explain, but at that moment she didn't know what to say.
Seeing her like that, Nakano Yu sighed and had no intention to press further, especially since Itsuki was still beside him:
"Teacher Kirisu, you just said studying is for a better job and fulfilling dreams, but… a good job and dreams are not achieved by superficial effort alone. True effort and determination are invisible."
After saying this, Nakano Yu gave Kirisu Mafuyu a significant look, then took Itsuki by the hand and left the office.
As soon as they left the office, Itsuki panicked:
"Yu, shouldn't we go to class with the teacher later? What should we do now?! The teacher looks angry, she won't cause us trouble, right?"
"Don't worry, Teacher Kirisu isn't that petty."
Nakano Yu, on the other hand, acted as if he knew her well, waving his hand while speaking.
Although Kirisu Mafuyu appeared strict, she was really a good teacher who cared about her students; her methods were just a bit wrong.
"Then what shall we do now?"
Itsuki nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Nakano Yu and asked.
"I already called someone; they should be here soon."
Nakano Yu looked at the time on his phone and said.
Hardly had he finished speaking when a figure suddenly jumped into Nakano Yu's arms, while a lively, cheerful voice was heard:
"Yu! Long time no see!"