A beautiful day begins with waking up in the arms of a beautiful girl.

On Thursday, Kyosuke Hojo woke up an hour early to prepare breakfast before Sakura Yamauchi had even stirred. He wouldn't have bothered if it were just for himself, but for Sakura, it was well worth the extra effort.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

Kyosuke gently pinched Sakura’s small, upturned nose and called out to her softly.

"Good morning, Kyosuke."

Sakura sat up, her eyes heavy with sleep, and rubbed them with her right hand. Then, she broke into a radiant smile. Her pajama top seemed a bit oversized, slipping off her left shoulder and revealing a vast expanse of fair skin.

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and bathed Sakura in a glow so beautiful that Kyosuke felt an impulse to marry her on the spot.

"Go change quickly, breakfast is ready."

After saying this, Kyosuke used every ounce of his willpower to pull his gaze away from her and headed to the kitchen to warm up some milk. Today, he had made her a yam steamed cake—a modified version, naturally, with reduced sugar and added nutritional benefits.

"Wow, yam steamed cake! It’s been so long since I’ve had this."

Sakura finished washing up quickly. Although she was a girl who took great pride in her appearance, she never made Kyosuke wait long. She believed that putting on makeup was meant to show him the best version of herself, and if that process made him wait too long, it would be defeating the purpose. Sakura’s twisted logic always seemed perfectly reasonable to Kyosuke; they both accommodated each other in their own unique ways.

"And here’s your bento; take it to school later."

Kyosuke hadn't just made breakfast; he had prepared some desserts and snacks for Sakura to enjoy at school. According to her, her school was essentially a girl’s prison. The cafeteria staff even monitored their table manners, and any slight relaxation in posture resulted in demerits and additional training sessions.

"Ugh, this is so delicious! The stuff at school is practically inedible," Sakura exclaimed dramatically.

Kyosuke felt relieved, knowing the "inedible" food she referred to was simply healthy, bland fare. He no longer had to worry about her diet. As for the exercise, however...

"I don't know why middle schoolers have to practice yoga every day. Is this school really planning on marrying us off the moment we graduate? Are they trying to raise proper young ladies or something else entirely?"

And so, Sakura’s journey through her boarding school for young ladies was unexpectedly full and cheerful.

After breakfast, Kyosuke rode his Rocket 3 to drop Sakura off before heading to his own school. Having warned his subordinates the day before, the campus was blessedly free of the chorus of "Good morning, Boss" that had plagued him yesterday.

Upon arriving in the classroom, Kyosuke sensed that his classmates were looking at him with even greater trepidation. Takemichi Hanagaki, who sat in front of him, looked like he had been beaten up; his face was bruised and swollen. Every so often, he would sneak a glance at Kyosuke before quickly bowing his head.

During lunch break, Kyosuke headed to his private rooftop as usual. After eating, he didn't nap. Instead, he beckoned Tetta Kisaki over to the railing to chat.

"Kisaki, what’s going on with Hanagaki and his group? Did they get bullied by the Tokyo Manji Gang members?"

"Heh, those guys? They’ve always dreamed of being delinquents. After learning about the existence of the Tokyo Manji Gang, they set their sights on other schools."

At this, Kisaki let out a low chuckle. Seeing Takemichi suffer was, to him, more refreshing than drinking an ice-cold cola in forty-degree heat.

"Kisaki, could you stop with that laugh? You sound like a villain behind the scenes," Kyosuke said, watching Kisaki’s sinister, self-satisfied grin with deadpan indifference.

"Oh, right. So, they targeted the first-years at Shibuya Third Middle School. Takemichi claimed his cousin was the boss there and authorized their duel. As it turned out, his cousin was just a small-time lackey. They got beaten up by the delinquents at Shibuya Third, and now, every day after school, they have to act as 'soldiers' to fight different people. Though, calling it 'fighting' is a stretch; it’s really just them getting pummeled."

Kisaki laughed again.

"Kisaki, while I understand you enjoy seeing Takemichi suffer, could you be more professional when telling a story? Any more of this, and I won't be able to stop myself from punching you."

"Apologies, apologies. But why does the Boss think I enjoy seeing Takemichi suffer?" Kisaki adjusted his glasses and looked at Kyosuke with feigned surprise, as if offended by the accusation.

"Kisaki, don't treat me like an idiot, okay?" Kyosuke looked at him with an expression that suggested he was looking at a fool. "I placed first in the entrance exams, beating you by a full fifty points. The only reason the gap wasn't larger was because a perfect score was the limit."

Kyosuke patted Kisaki on the shoulder, striking at his greatest source of pride.

"Whatever your motives for staying by my side, as long as you don't act against me, I don't care. You should have realized by now that I am a very lazy person—exceptionally lazy. That is the only reason I keep you around. As for your resentment toward Takemichi, I can even guess the reason: it’s because of a girl, right?"

Kisaki’s mouth fell open. Under Kyosuke’s gaze, he felt completely exposed, as if he were standing naked. This leader, who usually seemed uninterested in everything, had seen right through him.

"Ew, Kisaki, what’s with that look? It’s disgusting."

Kisaki ignored the jab. After a brief silence, he decided to confess a part of his inner self to the leader who had seen through his facade.

"I like a girl. She likes Takemichi because he wants to become the greatest delinquent in Japan. So, I, too, must become the greatest delinquent in Japan. If I do that, she will surely love me instead!"

As he spoke, Kisaki glared fiercely in the direction of Takemichi.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Kyosuke burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hey! Even if you are my boss, you can't mock my love and my ideals!" Kisaki protested indignantly. They were close friends now, otherwise he would have already turned hostile. This was a genius plan he had devised to win over Hinata Tachibana, and to have it mocked like this was unbearable.

"Hahaha, sorry, I'm sorry, but—it’s just too funny! Hahahaha..."

Kyosuke laughed until his stomach hurt. So much for his eight-pack abs; clearly, he needed to train more.

"That's enough! I’ve put up with you long enough!"

Kisaki, flushed with embarrassment and anger, lunged forward and put Kyosuke in a headlock, just as they had playfully done the morning before.

"Hahaha, okay, okay, I’ll stop."

Kisaki wasn't actually applying any pressure. Kyosuke remained smiling, though he finally managed to stifle his laughter.