Chapter 165

"Is there something you need?"

Shinjo Akane stopped in her tracks,

Her crimson eyes curiously scanning the two dark-haired girls standing in front of her.

For some reason—

They looked oddly familiar.

Like she had seen them somewhere before.

But when she tried to recall the details—

Her mind drew a blank.

It was as if their faces were obscured by a hazy mist in her memory.

Still—

For reasons unknown,

She felt an odd sense of familiarity with them.

A subconscious kind of closeness.

So naturally,

Her tone softened a little as she asked again,

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah, sorry about that."

Under Akane's curious gaze,

The short-haired girl with slightly round cheeks took the lead.

"Excuse me, but do you happen to know a second-year student—Shouji Minami?"

"Hm?"

Hearing such an unexpected name,

Akane raised an eyebrow.

Her gaze instinctively flicked over their outfits.

Neither of them wore Shuka High uniforms—

Which meant they were likely students from another school…

Or possibly university students from nearby.

She found it a bit surprising—

But still nodded.

"Of course, I know Minami."

With an almost smug expression,

She added proudly,

"In fact, I doubt there's a single student at Shuka High who doesn't know his name."

That confidence—

That slight pride in her voice—

It wasn't just for show.

When talking about Minami,

Even someone as skilled in deception as Akane couldn't fully hide her emotions.

"He's our school's pride, after all.

Last time, he ranked first place in the national mock exams."

Yes.

That was her Minami.

The nation's top student.

A true genius.

"Is that so?"

The two dark-haired girls exchanged subtle glances.

The Shouji family had a natural talent for reading emotions—

Naomi and Yuko were no exceptions.

And from just those few sentences,

They immediately picked up on the subtle shift in Akane's tone.

That hint of pride.

That touch of fondness.

And just like that—

Their alarms went off.

This girl likes Minami.

Which meant—

That was two girls now.

The pink-haired one from earlier—

And this one.

The situation was quickly getting out of control.

But revealing their identities as Minami's sisters now would be a bad move.

Naomi quickly made up her mind.

They needed to hold back for now—

And probe for more information.

Just how deep did this girl's feelings for Minami go?

Seeing that it was time to strike,

Shouji Naomi spoke up:

"My sister and I heard about this so-called 'top student in the national mock exams,' Shouji Minami, so we got a little curious.

But when you think about it, being first in a national exam isn't exactly something to brag about, is it?"

She paused—

Feigned a casual, uninterested tone—

And added,

"After all, when competing with so many students, luck plays a major role. Maybe this Shouji guy is just a decent student who happened to get lucky and snatched first place?"

...What?

For the first time,

The perfect smile on Shinjo Akane's face stiffened.

It was only for a split second—

But a moment of rigidity nonetheless.

However,

Almost immediately,

She returned to her usual, warm expression—

Except—

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

She spoke with a slow, deliberate tone,

"I simply can't agree with that.

Sure, luck might play 'a tiny part' in it.

But make no mistake—Shouji Minami is an elite among elites.

He consistently dominates the top spot in every single test here at Shuka High."

Akane emphasized the phrase "a tiny part"—

Clearly not buying the "luck" excuse.

To Naomi and Yuko—

It was obvious.

This girl was blatantly biased.

Naomi smirked.

Just what kind of spell had her little brother cast on this stunningly beautiful girl?

Still—

She had a game to play.

So she kept pushing.

"If you ask me,

I think it's just the media hyping him up too much.

Minami isn't as amazing as people make him out to be.

I mean... I heard he's from the countryside?"

"Being from a poor background and still securing a place at Tokyo's prestigious Shuka High—doesn't that prove his excellence?"

Akane fired back without hesitation.

At this point,

She didn't even understand why she was debating this—

But one thing was clear:

If someone dared to slander her Minami—

She wouldn't sit idly by.

She could say whatever she wanted about him—

But hearing it from someone else?

Unacceptable.

"Romanticizing hardship is meaningless.

A modest upbringing means he has limited worldview and experience."

"Not necessarily.

From what I know, Minami's knowledge is just as broad, if not broader, than any Tokyo native."

"Aside from his knowledge,

What else does he even have to offer?"

The short-haired girl spoke with unwavering composure.

And somehow—

She struck a nerve.

There was something about her words.

It felt like—

She really knew Minami.

As if she had a deep understanding of him.

Akane was momentarily caught off guard.

But she wasn't about to lose.

With a fiery determination, she blurted out,

"H-His writing!

Minami writes exceptional essays!

His words are simple yet sincere—

He even got published in Shuka's literary magazine!"

Without missing a beat,

Naomi shrugged,

"It's just basic reading and writing.

Not exactly a skill you can make money off of."

Her response was firm.

She even threw in,

"And honestly,

Don't you think it's a little unfair?

The second-place student in your grade must feel so overshadowed."

"They don't feel overshadowed at all!"

Akane finally snapped.

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because I am the second-ranked student in our grade!

And I know Minami better than you ever could!"

Akane was done holding back.

Her face was flushed—

Not just from frustration—

But from the sheer audacity of the girl standing before her.

What the hell?!

Who was this woman?!

She showed up out of nowhere—

And immediately started badmouthing her Minami?!

Akane gritted her teeth.

She had spent years perfecting her mask of calm and poise—

Yet somehow,

This woman managed to completely tear it off within minutes.

Her violet-red eyes glared daggers at the two strangers.

"Oh~? Is that so?"

Naomi raised an eyebrow.

She hadn't expected that.

She only casually mentioned second place in passing—

Not knowing it was actually the girl standing before her.

What a pleasant surprise.

A beautiful girl.

Incredibly smart.

Extremely defensive over her brother.

Naomi had to admit—

She was jealous.

What kind of insane luck did that bastard Minami have?!

Naomi could practically hear her own teeth grinding in envy.

But now was not the time for that.

She had one last thing to confirm.

"Even if you're the same grade,

That doesn't necessarily mean you understand him completely.

It's not enough proof.

Or...

Are you saying you're Shouji Minami's girlfriend?"

She locked eyes with Akane—

Waiting for her reaction.

If this were some typical romance anime,

The heroine would stutter—

Turn beet red—

Wave her hands frantically—

And deny it in a flustered panic.

But Akane?

One of the main heroines from SSSS.Gridman?

She was built differently.

Without the slightest hesitation—

"I am!"

Akane—

Who had already mentally confirmed herself as Minami's girlfriend,

Had absolutely no intention of hiding it.

Sure,

She hadn't technically confessed to him yet—

But—

They already had indirect kisses.

She had spent the night at his place.

To her,

It was only a matter of time before it was made official.

Besides,

It was strategically smart to declare it now.

By asserting her claim,

She could ward off any potential rivals.

So she stood tall—

Brimming with confidence—

And declared,

"Now do you understand?"

Having boldly admitted her relationship,

She had nothing left to hide.

Akane raised her chin slightly,

A smug, victorious smirk tugging at her lips.

"As Minami's girlfriend,

I know him better than the two of you ever could."

"..."

Naomi said nothing.

Seeing the silent reaction,

Akane's confidence soared.

Finally—

She had the upper hand.

It was time to press her advantage.

She stepped forward—

Towering over them with the air of an unstoppable force.

"That's right.

Which is why—

I believe you two should apologize."

She grinned,

Hands on her hips.

"Not just to me—

But to my boyfriend as well."

Just as she finished speaking—

A familiar voice called out from behind.

"Yuko-neesan? Naomi-neesan?"

To Akane—

There was only one person in this world with such a clear, soothing voice.

Shouji Minami.

But—

What were those names he just called out?

"Yuko-neesan?"

"Naomi-neesan?"

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait—

Like a rusty, malfunctioning robot,

Akane stiffly turned her head.

And finally—

The pieces clicked together.

Through fragmented memories from her dream(Simulator),

She had heard of them before.

Though she had never met them directly—

She knew of them.

Shouji Minami's sisters.

Shouji Yuko.

Shouji Naomi.

Akane stood frozen.

Staring at them.

And they stared right back.

Yuko smiled politely.

Naomi grinned mischievously.

"Gulp—"

All the color drained from Akane's face.

Oh. My. God.

She had just—

Boasted about knowing Minami better than his own sisters.

She had just—

Declared herself as his girlfriend—

Right in front of his family.

I'm dead.

Akane's brain shut down.

Everything was over.

...

Shinjo Akane's Mind Went Completely Blank.

At this moment,

Only one thought echoed in her head:

"I'm doomed."

She had rehearsed this moment countless times in her mind.

Whenever she imagined meeting Minami's family,

She had a plan.

She had a strategy.

She knew exactly what attitude to take,

What kind of expression to wear,

How to win them over.

But now…

Everything—

Everything was ruined.

Just the way she had smugly declared herself as Minami's girlfriend,

Acting all proud and high-and-mighty—

That alone was enough to make her want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Could this first impression be any worse?

Was there any way to make it even more catastrophic?

No.

This was rock bottom.

There was no recovering from this.

If there were a magic potion that could turn back time,

Shinjo Akane would chug it without hesitation.

She would reverse time,

Go back to before she met Shouji Naomi and Shouji Yuko,

And completely change her approach.

She would show them

What a true, proper girlfriend should be like.

She would make them acknowledge her.

She would earn their approval the right way.

But now…

It was too late.

Everything was over.

Inside Akane's head,

The tiny mental version of herself was banging her forehead against the floor.

Meanwhile,

In the real world—

The smug, arrogant aura from earlier had completely vanished.

Now,

She was just a timid, nervous girl.

She hesitated,

Her voice trembling as she asked:

"U-Um… Minami-kun… T-These two are… your sisters?"

"Hm? What's wrong, Shinjo-san?"

Minami looked at her curiously.

This reaction was weird.

Shinjo Akane was always so confident, so composed.

She always had that playful smirk,

Like she was two steps ahead of everyone else.

But right now…

She looked small.

She looked helpless.

Her voice was shaky.

She was even stammering.

Minami found this strange.

But he still nodded and introduced them:

"The one with long hair is my eldest sister, Shouji Yuko.

The one with short hair is my second sister, Shouji Naomi."

"U-Uh… Um… Y-Yuko-nee… Naomi-nee… G-Good morning… I-I'm… Shinjo Akane."

Akane's voice was small.

She forced a smile,

But it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

She was already adorable.

But now,

With that flustered and almost crying expression—

She looked even more precious.

"Hello, Shinjo-san."

Naomi and Yuko both smiled kindly at her.

They never held anything against Akane's attitude from earlier.

In fact,

They actually liked her.

Any girl who stood up for their brother like that?

That was someone worth supporting.

But of course,

Akane didn't know that.

So, for her—

This was the most humiliating moment of her life.

Meanwhile,

Minami watched their interaction with mild curiosity.

He suddenly asked,

"So, Yuko-nee, Naomi-nee—

How come you two are here so early?

Did you arrive in Tokyo yesterday?"

However—

Before he could even finish his sentence,

Yuko interrupted him.

"Minami, you should go take care of your school festival.

Your second sister and I…

Would like to have a little chat with Akane."

"…Akane?"

Minami immediately noticed the change.

Just one conversation,

And they were already calling her by her first name?

Wasn't this a bit too fast?

Even he still called her "Shinjo."

And yet—

His sisters were already acting like they were best friends?

That was suspicious.

But…

"Alright, I'll catch up with you guys later."

Since his sisters wanted to talk to Akane,

Minami didn't interfere.

Minami wasn't dumb.

He wasn't dense.

He wasn't clueless.

It took him one second to figure out—

His sisters probably saw him eating Akane's leftover food.

And now,

They were curious about their relationship.

But unlike some clueless anime protagonists,

Minami didn't overreact.

He didn't panic.

He didn't try to deny anything.

Because—

"Lying about my relationships serves no purpose."

Minami sighed lightly.

Romance wasn't a game.

Hiding things was meaningless.

So whether it was:

Gotoh Hitori.

Yamada Ryo.

Nishikagi Chisato.

Inoue Takina.

Or even Shinjo Akane—

Minami would take all of his relationships seriously.

Being dense?

Being oblivious?

Pretending nothing was happening?

That was the worst thing a guy could do.

"Leading girls on and wasting their time…

Is even worse than having a harem."

Because at least,

The second one is honest. (The harem part)