336 Kyousuke Is a Strong Man

Although she'd heard about it from Kasumigaoka-senpai before, even now, Katou Megumi still found it hard to believe.

This girl—standing before her with a bright, radiant smile, like a shrine maiden who had walked out from the thousand-year-old history of Nara—was actually a student at that university.

Ochanomizu University for Women…

'If I got into a school like that, even my family would praise me like they do Keiichi-niisan, right?'

'Even just a tenth as much...?'

Normally, Megumi didn't care about how her family perceived her.

Well, aside from the sisters in the Katou family, the others probably saw her as "the quiet, sensible one," or "the one who always disappears midway through family events."

Of course, she was quiet because no one talked to her.

And she vanished from events because people often forgot to bring her along when changing locations—she didn't mind. In fact, she preferred it that way.

Yes, she enjoyed it.

After all, when everyone praised Keiichi-niisan, no one would casually toss in a cruel comparison like, "Oh, but our little Megumi is hopeless. Completely useless."

To Megumi, that was already a form of happiness.

If no one expects anything from you, no one will be disappointed in you. If you carry no burdens, you don't need to try so hard.

"Don't look. Don't listen. Don't care."

"Be calm. Be agreeable. Let things pass and never leave a mark on your heart. Don't let anyone read your emotions."

That was how Katou Megumi survived.

Not a particularly happy way to live, but it was light—effortless.

She had never joined any clubs, and sometimes, when she watched her classmates pour their hearts into competitions, she would wonder—Have I gotten too complacent?

No competitions meant no failure.

No failure meant no pain.

Good or evil, victory or loss—none of it had anything to do with her.

It was like Megumi had carved out her own little Eden within the MMO called "Earth ONLINE," where no quests, no enemies, and no drama could reach her.

While others experienced turbulent, emotional lives full of highs and lows, hers was like a still pool hidden deep in a cave—no rivers flowed into it, none flowed out. Just serene, undisturbed peace.

Eden.

A girl who never wanted attention. A girl who lived by such beliefs.

And yet.

All it took to shatter that worldview was someone calling her name at the school gate.

Just a single voice—

And she became friends with someone she'd never imagined speaking to.

She began walking a road she'd never dreamed of, carrying a weight so heavy it made her feel... happy.

Even now, Megumi didn't really understand how it happened.

The name "Katou Megumi" wasn't exactly rare.

There were dozens of students with the same name in her grade, even in her own school—let alone across Tokyo or all of Japan.

Following her usual logic, she should have just ignored the voice.

Wait until the second call, then turn around—that way, if it turned out to be a mistake, there'd be no embarrassment, and if it wasn't, she could respond with a pleasant surprise.

That last trick, actually, her sister had taught her—though Megumi never once used it.

So why?

Why had she stopped the moment she heard his voice—Hojou's voice?

Why had her eyes locked with his instantly, even among a crowd?

Was it the clear, refreshing sound of his voice, like a northern wind sweeping across the arctic ice?

Was it his striking looks, which she had noticed before she'd even reached the gate that day?

Or was it the carefree, loud, and joyful energy between him and Yamauchi Sakura—that air of two people who couldn't care less about the world?

Megumi turned her gaze toward Miyamizu Mitsuha—the kind of girl whose very school name was enough to earn her awe.

Even wearing loose loungewear, Mitsuha radiated elegance.

Her graceful dance earlier, like something divine, still lingered in Megumi's mind.

And in that moment, she understood.

Hojou Kyousuke—

He was like a vortex, pulling everyone's gaze toward him.

He was like the sun—impossible not to notice, impossible not to be drawn to.

Even someone like her, who never wanted to stand out, who had built her own quiet little paradise—

Even she had instinctively wanted to step into his light.

Just like Mitsuha.

Even someone as outstanding as her fluttered around Hojou like a firefly, desperately trying to add a little glow to his brilliant flame.

And if Megumi wanted to steal a bit of that sunlight for herself—what was so wrong with that?

The mercy of the sun lies in the fact that even the tiniest speck of dust can bask in its rays.

Hojou wouldn't mind.

And even if he did—too late now.

Yes, that was the reason she gave to her past self.

The Megumi of now no longer needed a reason.

She had already received Hojou's expectations, and like the students who stayed behind to train on Saturdays, she too would work hard—to be worthy of the faith he placed in her.

With that thought, Megumi smiled and opened her mouth to invite Mitsuha to help her study.

As for the fact that the table was already full—so what?

This is obviously the time to kick out the one with the lowest concentration.

Sakura's goal all along had been to prove Hojou's ability through two perfect test scores.

And even though Megumi already trusted Hojou completely, she was happy to accept Sakura's gesture.

"Mitsuha…"

"Haha, I'm with Sakura on this one. The only reason I'm in this school is thanks to Kyousuke," Mitsuha replied with a smile and waved her hand.

She knew her own story well enough.

Coming from a rural school where three grades shared one math teacher, to one of the most elite schools in Japan like Tezukayama—

That leap was only possible because of what Kyousuke had left behind… in her.

Wait, what?

Mitsuha suddenly froze.

Her eyes widened as she looked toward Yamauchi Sakura, her red lips parting.

High concentration... low concentration…

Kyousuke entered my body, leaving behind his brilliance.

I entered Kyousuke's body, taking some of that brilliance with me.

Thinking of Kyousuke's utterly hopeless talent for dancing, Mitsuha realized something shocking:

Sakura's ridiculous "concentration theory"… actually fit perfectly when it came to her and Kyousuke.

As for dancing—ever since she was little, Mitsuha had watched her mother teach her father to dance.

Was her current skill the result of genuine talent?

Or sweat and persistence turned into something like talent?

Countless blisters from footwork drills.

The exhaustion of collapsing during kendo practice.

Reading textbooks even while eating…

"Don't joke like that," Kyousuke suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "Even if it's you, Mitsuha, I'll get mad!"

"Don't just hand over your hard-earned future like it's some gift for me!"

He knew her story better than anyone.

Unlike him—who had grown through the gifts and support of these girls—

Mitsuha had no innate talent that improved just by trying.

Every step she took had to be carved through pure, punishing effort.

Where he could strike once and get stronger next time, she had to pour in everything just to keep what she gained.

He'd seen it—in that vision.

Mitsuha in the sacred Kagura Hall, leaning against a wall, pushing her exhausted body to apply ointment to her swollen feet…

…quietly massaging her own aching muscles through tears of pain.

Back in Nara, when he found Ryoma Mitsuhashi's sister to ask about Mitsuha, what he heard about her study habits had stunned him—

Her dedication was on a level most people couldn't even imagine!

Mitsuha might not have any extraordinary innate talents, but her effort—that was a talent that surpassed all others.

If Kyousuke could be called a protagonist born with a cheat-code destiny, then Mitsuha was the textbook shounen protagonist—growing stronger by pushing past her limits, again and again, through sheer grit and determination.

In the end, neither he nor Yukinoshita—who could master anything quickly thanks to her terrifyingly sharp mind—had any right to look down on Mitsuha from above.

Kyousuke looked straight at Mitsuha, the firm gaze in his eyes conveying everything he wanted to say.

For two people connected in a way deeper than almost anyone else in the world, understanding each other to this extent was nothing at all.

Yukinoshita raised her head, frowning slightly as she looked at Hojou Kyousuke.

'What is wrong with me today?'

Earlier, she felt like Katou-san was subtly mocking her, and now—even though Kyousuke was clearly praising Mitsuha's effort—she couldn't help but feel a little… offended.

Still, she agreed with what he said.

Even if the teacher is brilliant, if the student doesn't put in any work, the result is still failure.

In that regard, Hojou Kyousuke—despite the occasional rebellious streak—was undeniably a good student.

After coming to Ruyi and getting to know everyone, Yukinoshita finally realized:

Taking naps wasn't a sign of laziness for Hojou.

He had simply been taking naps since childhood.

And habits… are terrifying things.

Few people can resist them.

She knew that better than anyone.

Even though she constantly told herself, "Without mastery, knowledge is useless,"

Her own monstrous talent allowed her to reach a decent level in most skills with minimal effort—then she'd promptly lose interest and move on.

That habit had some unfortunate consequences.

For example, her stamina was… abysmal.

Even just teaching Kyousuke how to dance left her flushed and breathless.

If she hadn't been born with such overpowering talent, she'd have to repeat her practice again and again to learn something—and naturally, her stamina would've improved along the way.

But she never needed to repeat anything. She could master skills with minimal effort.

A paradox: she had no reason to train her body because she could always "get it" on the first try.

And let's face it—no sane person keeps pouring energy into something they've already mastered.

Thinking that, Yukinoshita suddenly gave her head a sharp shake.

That's the danger of habit.

Even in moments of self-reflection, she defaulted to thinking that "pursuing perfection" was a waste of time.

And yet, right next to her was a clear counterexample:

Hojou Kyousuke.

A genius not inferior to herself—

And in some ways, someone she couldn't even begin to match.

At least in kendo, which she'd seen firsthand, he trained like he intended to cleave the earth itself.

Yamauchi Sakura was the first to mention it, but later, Yukinoshita saw it with her own eyes.

At first, she couldn't understand why someone like him—who clearly had the same kind of genius—didn't just drop kendo after reaching a professional level like she would.

But now she knew.

He was a man strong enough to conquer his own habits.

Not only that—his daily naps even influenced those around him, making them want to nap too.

And yet when she dragged him out during his precious lunch break to practice dance in the kendo club's studio, he never once complained.

He followed her instructions earnestly, with full dedication.

He said Mitsuha's effort was not something even she herself should joke about—

And Yukinoshita agreed.

Yes, Mitsuha's natural talent for dance was… hopeless.

But Kyousuke's effort was no less admirable.

Mitsuha looked at Hojou Kyousuke, into those dark eyes that seemed vast enough to hold all the stars in the sky.

She wasn't shocked by his sudden outburst.

She didn't even flinch.

Instead, her lips curled into a sweet, knowing smile.

"Can't I even be a little modest~?"

She let out a playful laugh, the kind of laugh that felt like they were sharing a secret only the two of them understood—even in front of everyone.

"But I've got something else to take care of right now. If Megumi needs help later, just let me know anytime."

As a new university student, Mitsuha was an exam pro.

In fact, many of her classmates were in high demand on the tutoring circuit.

The pay was good—very good.

But she always declined.

The term "female college student" and "private tutor" combined triggered way too many awful manga panels she'd seen thanks to Eriri.

Terrifying.

The freshly appointed Hojou-family tutor, Miyamizu Mitsuha, shuddered inwardly at the thought.

"Hm? Mitsuha, what do you need to do?" Kyousuke asked casually, showing no concern about privacy.

"It's nothing major," Mitsuha said with a relaxed smile, glancing at Yamauchi Sakura, who was still holding up the perfect-score test paper like a trophy.

"I just remembered—Sakura wasn't the only one holding something for me. I've been keeping a few things for her too. Figured it's about time I gave them back."

"You—how long are you going to keep holding those two test papers?! Enough already!"

Snow finally snapped.

After noticing Mitsuha's gaze, Yukinoshita could no longer endure the sight of Sakura proudly showing off like an idiot.

Sakura blinked at Mitsuha blankly for a moment.

But once she registered Yukinoshita's shout, she suddenly dropped into a crouch and leapt backwards in a dramatic somersault.

"Hmph! So even cool little Yukino can't hide her jealousy anymore! But girl—jealous anger is like a vegetable that tries to sprout roots in water. It's no match for the brilliance of a dazzling troublemaker like me!"

"…What the hell are you even saying? Water-grown vegetables are not some kind of metaphor for emotional instability!"

Yukinoshita snapped again, furious to find herself once more dragged into Sakura's idiocy.

There was a time when she genuinely considered asking Megumi for advice on how to stay calm at all times.

But today, she gave up on that idea—

Because even Megumi, who remained unreadable even to Yukinoshita's "human insight technique," was now visibly reacting to Sakura's chaos.

"Yukino-chan is trying to hide her thoughts behind hydroponic metaphors—but I know what she's thinking.

She's wondering, 'Why didn't Sakura smash her head on the cabinet when she jumped back like that? Why didn't that flowerpot on the shelf fall down and give her some much-needed brain damage?'

But—!

It's pointless! I know every nook and cranny of this house!

Whether I jump or roll, I could navigate every inch with my eyes closed!"

...

"Oooh~ Amazing~"

Megumi gave a small round of applause.

What a completely useless, yet strangely impressive skill.

She never expected Yukinoshita's inner world to be so… colorful.

Is this… what Eriri meant by a "tsundere" type?

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