The sunlight filtered gently through cream-colored curtains trimmed with gold, casting a warm, luxurious glow on the elegant room. High ceilings and a crystal chandelier gave the space the grandeur of a princess's chamber. A large gaming rig with glowing RGB lights hummed quietly in one corner, facing an ultra-wide monitor surrounded by shelves stacked with limited edition manga volumes and high-grade anime figurines—many still sealed in their collector's boxes.
Sayori Kojima blinked her sleepy orange eyes open, her soft blonde hair spilling wildly over her silk pillow. A cheerful yawn escaped her lips as she rolled onto her back, stretching her limbs like a pampered cat. "Another perfect day to bask in my own brilliance," she muttered dramatically.
The door to her suite opened quietly, revealing a calm woman in her late twenties dressed in a crisp maid uniform. Her name was Mikako, the only full-time staff assigned to care for Sayori personally.
"Good morning, Ojō-sama," Mikako said with a warm, practiced smile. "Shall I open the windows and begin breakfast preparations?"
Sayori sat up, her oversized pastel-pink T-shirt slipping off one shoulder. "Mmhm. Make it fluffy pancakes today. With extra whipped cream. And strawberry jam! Not that boring apple one again."
"As you wish."
While Mikako attended to her morning routine, Sayori climbed out of bed and wandered barefoot to the balcony. From the 30th floor of the Kojima Grand Hotel, she had a panoramic view of downtown Tokyo. Below, cars glided smoothly through clean streets. Some guests walked in the lush rooftop garden, far below her.
After breakfast—delivered to her room on a silver tray—Sayori plopped down into her gaming chair, wiggling with excitement as she fired up her PC. A mountain of unopened messages awaited her, mostly fanmail from gaming fans or students hoping to get closer to her at school. But her focus wasn't on them today.
She clicked open a tab with a familiar cover art—"Crimson Reverie"—a web novel she was hopelessly addicted to. She refreshed the page.
No new chapters.
Her lips puffed into a pout. "Ugh! K.K. Raven, you slowpoke! You left us hanging on that cliffhanger for three days!"
Sayori leaned back, arms crossed. "That mysterious masked swordsman better not die… or I swear I'll write you a strongly worded fan email. Or five."
She picked up a nearby manga—the first volume of "Moonlight Seraphim", the manga adaptation of "Crimson Reverie"—and traced the artist's name: Illustrated by K.K. Raven. She never imagined her favorite novelist and her favorite manga artist were the same person… until she figured it out by comparing the pen names and the art style in one of the author's rare illustrations.
And now? She was determined to find this person in real life.
Sayori's thoughts were interrupted when Mikako returned with a tablet in hand.
"Your schedule for today, Ojō-sama. There are online mock exams this afternoon if you'd like to join."
Sayori rolled her eyes but accepted the tablet. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to remind everyone why I'm the number one."
A couple hours later, Sayori breezed through the mock test interface with ease. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the screen as she calculated, decoded, and solved question after question with surgical precision. Her eyes sharpened, her mouth curled into a smug grin.
She muttered to herself, "These test designers must be severely underestimating my genius. Maybe I should make my own curriculum next time…"
Finishing early—as usual—she spun around in her chair and raised her hands in triumph. "Easy game!"
After submitting the results, she returned to her previous activity. She pulled out her notebook. On the top page, written in her colorful handwriting, was her 'K.K. Raven Suspect List'.
Katsuragi Kokoro – Tall, quiet, suspiciously creative aura. +10 Sus points.
Kubo Haruki – Possible… but unlikely.
Riku – LOL no way.
She scribbled a heart beside Kokoro's name.
"Monday," she whispered to herself, hugging her pillow, "I'm going to find out everything."
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Monday morning arrived with a burst of color and noise that filled the halls of Sakura High. The air buzzed with energy the moment the first-year students stepped into the school. Gone were the usual weekday routines—no lectures, no textbooks. Instead, what greeted them was an explosion of creativity.
A long notice board stood prominently in the entrance hall, surrounded by curious students.
"To all First Year Students: No classes today. Enjoy Club Recruitment Day!"
– Sakura High Student Council
The hallway, once calm and orderly, had transformed into a lively festival. Booths lined both sides of the corridor, each one decorated to reflect the club it represented. Banners hung overhead, bright and bold with hand-painted kanji and illustrations. There was music playing in the background—courtesy of the Light Music Club's portable speakers.
Students, mostly seniors and second years, manned their booths with passionate fervor. They wore matching shirts or themed costumes, calling out to passing first years like street vendors in a busy market.
"Join the Gardening Club! You'll get free herbs and vegetables to take home!"
"The Drama Club is holding live auditions right now! Come show us your talent!"
"Ever dreamed of becoming a star? The Idol Research Club is taking in new members!"
Laughter echoed from one end of the hallway to the other. Some clubs had gone all out—the Kendo Club had set up wooden training dummies and let volunteers try hitting them, while the Astronomy Club darkened a small section of the hall with a tent where you could lie back and look at a digital planetarium they had set up.
Kokoro entered with wide eyes, taking it all in. He stood near the entrance for a moment, stunned by the sheer enthusiasm. A group of first-years passed by him, already holding colorful flyers and treats being handed out by some of the more persuasive booths.
From nearby, he heard someone whisper,
"Wow… this is way better than I thought."
And another respond,
"Are we even in school right now? This feels like a festival."
Somewhere near the middle of the hall, Kokoro spotted Sayori Kojima walking with confident strides. She wore a smug grin, arms crossed behind her head as she eyed the booths like a queen surveying her kingdom.
"Hmm... which club deserves the honor of having me?" she said aloud, to no one in particular.
Two girls nearby giggled. "She's so weird... but kinda cute."
Meanwhile, Kenta Yamaguchi was already in the middle of a noisy crowd, laughing along with his friends Genji and Minoru from Class 1-C.
"Yo, Kokoro!" Kenta waved, holding up a flyer. "Check it out—the Content Creators' Club! We can actually make videos and get credit for it! Isn't that insane?!"
Kokoro blinked. "They allow that?"
"Apparently, if you submit a 'media report,' it counts as club activity. This school is built different!"
As Kokoro followed the stream of students into the hallway, he noticed a familiar face standing near a well-crafted booth with painted stars and models of planets—Kubo Haruki waved excitedly at him. "Kokoro-kun! Astronomy Club is seriously cool, look at this—" he pointed to a telescope someone was letting people try out.
Across the way, Hanabusa Mei browsed quietly by a corner booth surrounded by shelves of books. The Reading & Literature Club had set up a cozy section with beanbags and free bookmarks. She was already deep in conversation with the senior president of the club, her eyes sparkling.
And near the back, Fujimoto Riku was once again being hounded by seniors—this time by the Boxing and Karate Clubs.
"C'mon, kid, with your build you'd be amazing!"
"No, thanks," Riku deadpanned. "I like having my teeth."
And lounging under a tree just outside the hallway exit was Nakajima Rei, eating an ice cream bar he somehow acquired without lifting a finger.
Kokoro smiled to himself as he drifted from booth to booth. He hadn't chosen a club yet—but he had time. The whole day, in fact. As he pocketed a few more flyers, he glanced at the Music Club's setup. Among the crowd, he noticed Watanabe Mika, quietly standing near the edge of the music booth. Her white hair glistened under the soft morning sunlight streaming through the windows. She wasn't trying to recruit anyone—just observing, her gaze thoughtful.
Kokoro's eyes met hers for a second.
She gave him a small smile.
He blinked.
Then she was gone in the crowd.
His heart skipped once.
This school... really is starting to feel like a story waiting to be written.