"But it's fine. If there's anything you don't understand, you can find me at the Student Council office. You're welcome anytime!"
Izuru gave a firm nod, flashed a thumbs-up, and turned on his heel. He strolled away without a backward glance, utterly oblivious to the way Itsuki's smile was becoming more brittle by the second.
Watching Izuru's retreating figure, the smile on Itsuki's face froze completely. Her hand even twitched in the air, as if she were tempted to reach out, grab him by the collar, and force him to stay put.
The students who had been hovering for the spectacle finally looked away, bored, and returned to their own business. They were high schoolers, after all; they had plenty to keep them occupied—endless assignments, never-ending romantic dramas, or... well, you get the idea.
However, whether they were the diligent grinds or the delinquents who only knew how to flaunt their flings, they were all screaming the same thing internally:
{Is being handsome really that big of a deal?! Is it okay to be a total conversation-killer just because you're good-looking?! Can you really just stand there and have a gorgeous girl make the first move because of your face?! Is being attractive some kind of cheat code?! I want to be handsome too! I want that kind of treatment!}
Unfortunately for them, Itsuki was deaf to the cries of the losers. Had she known, she would have only offered a bitter laugh. Because for her...
It wasn't that she didn't mind being called a "meat bun monster" because Izuru was handsome, nor was it his looks that had prompted her to approach him.
As she began to polish off a Deluxe Set meant for several people, Itsuki sank into her thoughts.
She was a Returner. On the very day of her high school graduation, she had leapt through time! She had been flung back two years, landing right in the middle of the opening ceremony of her sophomore year!
Any other student would have coughed up blood in frustration. After fighting tooth and nail through three grueling years of high school, just as they were about to taste freedom, they were kicked back to square one?
Anyone would find that hard to swallow. At first, Itsuki had felt crushed, but once she calmed down and thought it through, her excitement began to grow.
Her dream was to become a teacher. Now, she had been granted a golden ticket to redo her high school years, fix her national exam scores, and get into an even better university. Wasn't that incredible?
Moreover, she had returned at the peak of her academic prowess. With the knowledge she brought back from the future, she wouldn't have to kill herself studying just to see a marginal increase in her grades like she did the first time around.
Now, she only needed to do some light review to stay ahead of her four sisters. With her experience and superior study methods, everything felt effortless—even fun!
But the greatest stroke of luck? She had returned to the exact moment of her first meeting with him.
In her previous life, at the start of her sophomore year, Itsuki had decided to scout the cafeteria early after transferring. She wanted to test the school's culinary standards, and as fate would have it, she ran into Izuru right here.
Originally, because they had both ordered the same Deluxe Set, Itsuki felt a sense of kinship and took an immediate liking to him. She had taken the initiative to say hello and learned he was the Student Council President.
Back then, Itsuki had been thrilled. Befriending the President would surely be a boon for her school life. If her grades slipped, maybe he could help. Plus, their identical taste in food made her think they were soulmates. Driven by that logic, she had enthusiastically invited Izuru to eat with her.
And then, Izuru had made her so angry she nearly detonated. How could a President talk like that? He had called her a "meat bun monster" right to her face! Even when her own sisters called her that, she saw red—let alone a guy she'd known for less than ten minutes.
Needless to say, that lunch had ended in disaster, and the relationship between Itsuki and Izuru had turned incredibly frosty.
And that was just the beginning. It turned out Izuru was to be the private tutor for all five sisters!
But because their relationship had started on such a sour note—and because Izuru's mouth was practically begging for a punch—he was promptly ostracized by the sisters. At the time, they were all "failing students" who loathed studying, so they had zero patience for a genius like Izuru who tried to force them to learn.
It had made Izuru's position as a tutor agonizingly awkward. The friction grew so intense they nearly banded together to demand his firing.
Fortunately, a turning point eventually came. Izuru's relationship with the five of them slowly thawed. The hatred for studying and the envy of his intellect began to fade, replaced by a collective drive to succeed for the sake of their education.
Naturally, as their motivation grew, so did their grades. But alongside those rising scores, their affection for Izuru skyrocketed.
Eventually, it devolved into a quintuplet-sized love triangle (or pentagon). They began to compete openly and in the shadows—Itsuki included.
However, the "past" Itsuki had lost so much ground because of that initial conflict. She had fallen miles behind her sisters. By the time she wanted to catch up, it was already too late.
She had felt utter despair, even praying in her heart for a chance to do it all over again. She wanted a fresh start—no conflict, no grudges—and a chance to be one step ahead of the others.
And then, it actually happened!
On graduation day, she had transmigrated back to the day she met Izuru two years ago.
Her hope had been rekindled. She had to seize this rare second chance!
So, armed with the memories of her past life and the lessons learned from her mistakes, Itsuki had come to the cafeteria to introduce herself. She had put on her most gracious act, cleverly swallowing the insults that would have normally made her blood boil—all to ensure she left a perfect impression on him.
{That's right. I, Nakano Itsuki, have been reincarnated... the Queen has returned!}