The first day of the new semester at Saikai Academy passed in unusual quietness.
With scheduled ships and flights still unable to reach Itogami Island, nearly half the student body—including teachers—was absent, leaving the campus far emptier than usual.
Of course, even with fewer people around, there were still several bursts of commotion throughout the day.
The cause?
Rozen.
From morning until afternoon, waves of students flocked to his classroom to confirm his return, erupting into excited squeals the moment they saw him. Everywhere he went, upper and underclassmen alike were more fervent than ever, keeping him surrounded by chatter all day—ironically dispelling the campus's usual liveliness.
Girls who had feared he'd transferred or graduated early now sighed in relief, turning his comeback into the day's hottest topic.
As a result, Rozen spent the entire day greeting people and responding to endless conversations, his flawless smile stiffening until even the Servant girls inside him couldn't help but marvel at this side of him—one they'd never seen before.
His friends, however, seemed entirely unfazed, as if they'd long since grown accustomed to the spectacle. They watched the chaos unfold around him with practiced indifference.
This continued until the final bell, when Rozen was finally freed.
"I'm exhausted..."
Slumping into the plush seat of his private car, Rozen looked thoroughly drained.
Nagisa, Kanon, and Avrora weren't with him.
With the new semester starting, Nagisa had to report to the cheerleading squad to reorganize club activities, Kanon went to check on the stray cats she cared for off-campus, and Avrora tagged along with Nagisa, leaving only Yukina accompanying Rozen after school.
Watching him, Yukina sighed.
"You brought this on yourself, senpai."
A faint trace of displeasure colored her tone—though Rozen didn't notice, too busy catching his breath.
"I thought with so many people absent, today would be easier. Instead, fewer people just meant more enthusiasm. I could've handled this back then, but now? I'm out of practice."
He rubbed his temples, baffled.
Perhaps it was the long gap since he'd last dealt with such attention, but today had left him utterly spent.
In the past, this routine never fazed him—yet now, it felt overwhelming. Proof that time had dulled his tolerance.
"If it's that tiring, why not drop the act?"
Yukina offered the obvious solution.
"I wish." Rozen groaned. "But if Natsuki-nee found out, she'd just say 'Consider it training' and make me double down on etiquette drills."
Maintaining his "perfect" persona at school had always been Natsuki's idea—not to boost his popularity, nor to encourage pretense, but as a form of discipline.
She wanted him to refine his manners and composure through daily practice.
So if he slipped up, she wouldn't punish him for the lapse itself—but she would drill him harder to "correct" it.
"Having a teacher-slash-instructor for a sister is the worst."
Rozen grumbled bitterly.
"That does sound rough." Yukina sympathized before changing the subject. "So, what now?"
Normally, Rozen would head to various extracurriculars—specialized courses, hobby classes, or tutoring sessions.
But with attendance so low, those programs had been suspended. Natsuki, as his guardian, had already approved his free time until further notice.
Crossing his arms, Rozen considered.
"Kojou went straight home to Yuuma after school. Asagi and Motoki got called away by the Management Cooperative and their families for urgent work. That pretty much leaves just us with time to spare, right?"
After all, while Kojou was a special case, Asagi and Motoki came from influential backgrounds.
One was a programming prodigy even the Management Cooperative relied on for firewall maintenance—not to mention her father's role as a councilman.
The other hailed from a prominent family within the Cooperative itself.
With Itogami Island in crisis, their summons made perfect sense.
"So Natsuki-nee's busy with work, Astarte's assisting her... which really does leave just the two of us free, huh?"
Rozen muttered, eliciting quite the reaction from Yukina.
"J-Just the two of us...?"
Her cheeks flushed pink as she fidgeted slightly.
The sight made even Rozen pause and take notice.
There was no denying it—Yukina was adorable. he mDubbed the princess of her school division, her beauty rivaled any girl her age. Only those with exotic features like Kanon or Avrora could outshine her.
Seeing her blush and squirm like this over being alone with a boy stirred something in Rozen's heart.
Unable to resist, he teased:
"What? Want me to do something fun with you?"
His usual playful jab would've earned him an indignant scolding from Yukina—but today was different.
"...Can we?"
She peeked up at him shyly, her fingers twisting together.
Rozen blinked, then his imagination ran wild.
Wait—is she actually serious about doing something fun together?
Then...
"Will you come with me, senpai?"
Her hesitant invitation made Rozen take a deep breath.
"Where to?"
He asked with utmost seriousness.
And so, the car changed course, heading in a new direction.