The two of them showed their teacher ID and student ID at the guard post, registered their info, and then entered the girls' school together.
During Tenou Festival, RIzayoiji Girls' Academy was open for tours, but unlike the other schools, you still had to sign in at the gate.
It was a prestigious school, a girls' school, full of daughters of good families, so of course they had to be strict.
If anything happened to one of the girls, it wouldn't just be "a small issue."
There were students everywhere along the paths, all wearing deep navy sailor uniforms, pale-skinned and beautiful, slender figures, and faces that were all well above average.
Of all the participating schools, RIzayoiji had the best "looks deviation value"—this was not a place where you'd randomly find a plain-looking girl.
Basically, any girl you saw here would be enough to make some boy fall in love at first sight.
They were young and radiant, and everything from their movements to their posture carried a refined, noble air. It was the kind of scene that could leave you dizzy, forgetting yourself.
Shichen had once fantasized that if only he could attend a girls' academy as the lone male student, that would be perfect—just imagining it made him feel happy.
After all, if you're together day in and day out, feelings are bound to develop. He had confidence in his looks too—maybe he'd be surrounded by girls, all fighting over him.
Of course, that was only ever a thought—basically a daydream.
But now, he really could pull it off; he could casually pick a woman, tweak reality a bit, and enroll as the only male student surrounded by girls.
He just didn't want to anymore. After crossing into different worlds, his heart and his mind were already full of those familiar girls around him.
Ordinary girls—even very pretty ones—just didn't interest him now.
Unless it was somewhere like a school called "Otonokizaka Academy," with campus idols and a girl named Kosaka Honoka.
But that world wasn't his "main" world.
And in other worlds… well, no point even thinking about it.
He and Origami walked RIzayoiji like a couple, passing all kinds of refined young ladies along the way.
Shichen would give them a glance, then look away.
The girls at his side were peerlessly beautiful and one-of-a-kind; however cute and polished these ojou-sama were, they just couldn't compare.
His standards had long since risen past what normal girls could match.
Even just Origami walking beside him was far more beautiful than any of them.
Still, even if they couldn't catch his eye, he very clearly caught theirs.
It wasn't just the two of them looking at the students; the students were looking back.
Origami's looks made them gasp, but it wasn't as if they'd never seen a stunning beauty before.
Compared to another girl, though, what they really cared about was the guy.
Shichen's face was flawless, and these daughters of good families had spent years in a girls' school with hardly any contact with men. Having a guy like this suddenly appear—it would be weird not to stare.
Most of the students here were perfectly normal; they weren't particularly interested in girl-on-girl "skinship," and their orientation was straight.
The ones who liked clinging to other girls were a small minority.
Shichen's appearance was like a beam of sunshine in the academy, a sudden burst of masculine energy.
Naturally, it made waves—people were already messaging their best friends to come out and look at the guy.
Men this good-looking didn't show up often; he looked like a prince from a fairy tale, like an angel straight out of a dream. To not come see him with your own eyes felt like the kind of thing you'd regret for life.
In no time, Shichen had become famous at RIzayoiji. Photos of him were already on most of the girls' phones.
"Shichen, people are taking secret photos of you," Origami said, lips pursed in annoyance as the sound of shutter clicks kept drifting from all around them.
"It's fine—let them," he replied casually.
"Do you like being photographed by them, Shichen?"
"Not really. It just makes finding someone easier."
"Finding someone?"
"She's here."
"Hm?"
Origami followed his gaze forward, and saw a large group emerging from the school building.
Neat footsteps and a soft murmur of sound drew everyone's attention.
It was a line of girls in deep navy sailor uniforms—the RIzayoiji uniform—clearly all students here.
The group fanned out into two lines from the doorway, forming an aisle leading straight toward Shichen, like a row of reception girls set up to welcome someone important.
Once they were in place, they bowed their heads and fell silent.
Origami frowned, not understanding what was going on—but then she got it.
Right then, a single student stepped out from between the two lines like a queen from her court.
Her long hair was loosely tied back, the strands shimmering with a bluish-violet sheen in the sun; her eyes gleamed like polished silver.
She wore the same sailor uniform as the others, but the overwhelming presence she radiated made her stand apart in an instant.
Those girls weren't welcoming some dignitary; they were setting the stage for her entrance.
"It's Miku-onee-sama!"
"Onee-sama!"
The moment she appeared, the students around them broke into excited cries, losing their usual composure.
Izayoi Miku—in this wealthy-girls' school, she was at the very top of the food chain.
"Shichen, the person you're looking for… it's her, isn't it?" Origami asked quietly.
"Yeah," he nodded, eyes on Izayoi Miku.
Miku waved, smiling brilliantly as she greeted her classmates, all while heading straight toward Shichen and Origami.
No one stepped between them. They just walked toward each other, eyes meeting, and for a second it felt like time stretched.
The students around them also noticed that something was up. Faces went from excited to astonished one by one, as if they'd just realized something huge.
There were no stage lights, no spotlight, but the way Miku walked made it feel like all the light in the world had gathered on her.
Gathering everyone's gaze, she came to a stop right in front of Shichen—though in reality she'd been speeding up the whole time.
"You there, mister—what are you doing in our girls' school?" Miku asked, her tone bright and playful.
"I'm taking advantage of Tenou Festival to tour this famous academy," Shichen replied with a smile.
"Oh? You came to our school to pick up girls?" she tilted her head.
"Not exactly. I'm actually here to find someone."
"So you do have a target." Miku laughed softly.
"Yeah."
"And who is it you're looking for? What's she to you?"
"Well…" Shichen said, thinking a beat. "An old friend?"
"Just an old friend?"
"I don't really know. I'm not sure what she thinks."
"You don't know? And you still came looking for her?"
"I missed her."
"Is that so~" Miku's smile deepened.
"Could I ask you for a favor?" Shichen asked, smile unchanged.
"What kind of favor?"
"Could you help me find her and let me meet her?"
"Most of the students on campus are probably already here. Isn't she among them?" Miku bit back a grin as she asked.
"She is," Shichen said. "But it seems she doesn't want to acknowledge me."
"That might not be true~"
Miku raised a hand and placed her index finger lightly against her lips, smiling impishly.
"As long as you open your arms, she'll come greet you."
"Really? Guess I'll try, then." Shichen let go of Origami, opened his arms wide—
And Miku bounced lightly off the ground and threw herself straight into his chest.
"I finally found you, darling~" Her pretty face was full of excitement as she rubbed her head against his chest, hugging him tightly.
"Uooooh—!"
The way she clung to him, and the way she'd just called him "darling," set the watching girls into a frenzy.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Shichen said, ignoring the squeals around them as he wrapped his arms around her and apologized.
"No need to apologize. As long as I get to see you, darling, that's enough. I'm just glad you didn't lie to me," Miku sighed in relief, closing her eyes, lips curving upward in pure contentment.
"How could I ever lie to you? Though… what's with this 'darling' thing?" Shichen asked, amused.
"Hehe~ you're obviously my darling now~"
"That's a bit sudden…"
"I'm asking if you can let go now," a cool voice cut in, interrupting him.
"Hm? And you are?" Miku opened her eyes and looked at Origami.
"I'm Shichen's woman," Origami said flatly, taking Shichen's other arm and hugging it to her chest.
"His woman?" Miku frowned.
"Of course. My stomach's still full of his 'essence' right now," Origami replied calmly.
"Huh?" Miku blinked, not quite processing what she'd just said.
"Ahem. Let me introduce you properly," Shichen cut in quickly. "This is Origami Tobiichi. Just like you, she's a spirit."
"A spirit like me? Another girl you rescued, darling?" Miku asked.
"More or less…"
~~~
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