Thursday Evening
I spent the night gaming with Ishigami and Hayasaka.
The new season had just started, so climbing ranks was brutal. Boosters, cheaters—too many to count. I barely made it to Platinum in one night.
Friday — Shuchiin Academy, Second Year Class A
By the window, Sakurai-kun stared into the distance, eyes glassy with morning ennui.
Students trickled in through the classroom door, one after another. His commute from Setagaya Ward to Shuchiin, nestled in Minato Ward, wasn't long—so naturally, he arrived early.
Familiar faces filled the room, but Sakurai-kun's conversations with them rarely went beyond surface-level small talk.
Then—
"Sakura-chan is gazing dramatically out the window, but deep inside, he's dreaming of a fiery romance~ Should he choose Secretary Fujiwara? Or the mysterious Ai-chan? What a tantalizing dilemma~ Or maybe… both~?"
A strange voice echoed in his mind.
Sakurai Saki sighed.
Today's superpower had arrived.
"Tada~! Introducing: your supernatural ability of the day—me, the Bystander! Sodayo~!"
"I can predict what'll happen to you in the next five minutes! Amazing, right? Eh-heh~!"
Great. Just a precognition knockoff.
"Hmph! I'm way better than boring old precognition!"
What even is this supposed to be? Unlocking my inner girl?
All Sakurai wanted was to fast-forward past Friday.
"In five minutes, Ai-chan's going to walk in! Hurry up and give her a hug!"
Ridiculous.
Sakurai-kun clenched his jaw. He wasn't in the mood for nonsense today.
Mornings shouldn't be legally allowed to exist.
"Why are you just sitting there? Don't you like her? Ai-chan totally likes you—she's just a tsundere! Go hug her!"
And there it was.
Every time, this power twisted the narrative into some twisted rom-com.
"Heh! Sakura-chan spends all his cash on games and instant noodles, and he dares to call me embarrassing?"
That's called a long-term investment. What would you know?
"I am you~ Remember? I'm just your awakened power for today."
Ugh. Talking to an imaginary voice in his head like this? Total lunacy.
"Hahaha~ Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"
Please. Shut up.
"Nope! Idiot! Idiot!"
Three minutes passed.
"Ehh~? You're really just sitting there? She's here! You missed your big chance! Confessing to her in the classroom, on the first day of the new term—100% success rate! I'm serious! A full one hundred percent!"
Nothing in this world is 100%… except me.
"Narcissist! You're just like Kaguya Shinomiya with her pouty cat face! Smile more! Charm all the girls and start your harem route already!"
I'm charming enough, thanks.
They're all landmines anyway.
You step on them—boom.
"Step one of our world domination plan!"
"Conquer all the noble ladies of this island nation, and you'll control the nation itself! World conquest is next! Mwahaha~!"
Sakurai ignored Bystander-chan's escalating evil laughter.
Instead, he looked up just as Hayasaka approached.
"Morning, Ai-chan~," he greeted.
"Yoro~ Sakurai-kun~!" she chirped, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind. "We were apart for a whole night. Did you miss me?"
No one in class even flinched. They'd seen this too many times last year.
"She's super happy! Hug her! Or kiss her! Or—hug then kiss! I'm dying over here!"
Why are you the impatient one?
This isn't some daytime drama.
"Waaah~! I'll cry if you don't hug her!! Waaaahhh!!"
So loud. So needlessly loud.
Hayasaka tilted her head. "Did you stay up too late gaming? You look like you've been emotionally destroyed."
"I'm in the middle of an intense internal debate," Sakurai said, deadpan.
Internal struggle. (Physical.)
"Hmm? Diamond tonight. Don't ditch me," Hayasaka Ai said casually.
"Oh my, how adorable. She wants to voice chat and game together, but she frames it like a command. Fufu~ So cute."
Yourmotheris dead!
Wait—no! She's not! She can't be!
Sakurai Saki clutched his heart in silent agony.
I'm sorry, Mother in Kyoto! Your son has spoken disgracefully! Please, forgive my impudence!
The guilt hit him like a katana to the soul.
"Pfft~ That was hilarious. Idiot! Idiot!" Bystander-chan chirped gleefully.
Sakurai spent the entire morning arguing with the voice in his head. As a result, he didn't absorb a single word in class.
In the end, he had no choice but to borrow Ai-chan's notes.
Noon — Student Council Room
Sakurai Saki made his way to the Student Council Room, planning to check in on someone he hadn't seen yesterday—Shirogane Miyuki.
He pushed open the door and spotted him immediately, seated on the sofa with a bento in hand.
Shirogane looked as serious as ever—an island nation's face, slightly golden hair, and a fierce gaze that might intimidate most. But Sakurai knew better.
It wasn't anger. It was nearsightedness. Constant squinting, chronic fatigue, and years of overwork had sculpted that expression.
"Hmm? Sakurai-kun? What brings you here?" Shirogane asked mid-bite.
"Just checking on you," Sakurai replied, taking a seat across from him. Then, with practiced ease, he dialed Fujiwara Chika on his phone.
"Oh~ President Shirogane is so handsome! If Sakura-chan were a girl, he'd definitely fall for him! Wait—boys can too~!"
Get out, fudanshi!
"He's flustered, he's flustered! And Chika-chan has some serious fujoshi potential~ Just sayin'. Nothing deeper. Or is there~?"
Tch. I don't even like Fujiwara. Teasing her is just to test my daily power.
"Oh really~? Was that why you used hypnosis on her last time? Eh heh~ You little pervert~"
That crap hypnosis only lasts a minute. Totally worthless.
"Aww, poor Hypnosis-chan… That's so mean. She tried her best~"
The mental chatter raged on.
On the phone, Fujiwara Chika's bubbly, ever-so-slightly tragic voice came through.
"Sakurai-kun~ I forgot my bento! What do I doooo?"
"Don't worry. I'll give you mine."
"Ehh?! Shouldn't you bring me a bento instead?"
"Heh. No way. This is my prize."
"Ugh~~~" she wailed before he hung up, satisfied.
Shirogane finally looked up and frowned. "You really shouldn't bully Secretary Fujiwara like that. She's... well, she can be a little—"
"Dense? Ridiculous? Out of her depth?" Sakurai offered.
Shirogane: "…"
A long pause. Silence fell between them.
This man is the densest straight man in the universe.