Nova_Verse

Ryo Takahashi, a broke high schooler with a silver tongue, thought he had pulled off the perfect scam—conning a Yakuza boss out of a small fortune. Unfortunately, his gambling addiction and a rigged crane game drained his winnings in less than a week. Instead of getting “dealt with,” the boss gave him a new job: hide a runaway ninja princess in his house… or else.

Help! My Fake Cousin is a Ninja Princess

Ryo walked into class, rubbing the sore spots from last night's 'lesson' courtesy of Ayane. He just wanted a normal day.

That hope died instantly when he saw the seating chart.

And now? He was sitting next to Ayane.

Ryo (blinking): "Wait. What?"

Haruka (narrowing eyes): "Wait. WHAT?!"

Misaki (adjusting her hair): "Curious. Very curious."

Ryo (turning to Ayane, suspiciously): "Ayane… did you do something?"

Ayane simply smiled sweetly.

Ayane: "Oh, don't be silly, dear cousin. I just had a friendly chat with the principal."

Ryo: "A friendly chat? What kind of friendly chat makes a principal rearrange the entire classroom?"

Ayane tilted her head, innocence oozing from her expression.

Ayane: "He was very… persuaded by my reasoning."

In the teacher's office, the principal still trembled, recalling the moment cold steel touched his throat.

Principal (whispering to himself): "T-Takahashi-kun is safest next to her… Yes… safest…"

With Haruka and Misaki glaring from across the room, Ayane took her new position as Ryo's guardian very seriously.

First Attack: Haruka's 'Accidental' Brush-Up

Haruka (stretching, leaning toward Ryo): "Oops! My hand slipped—"

Ayane (smiling, but moving Ryo's chair back): "Oh my, be careful, Haruka-chan~"

Haruka (gritting teeth): "You…!"

Second Attack: Misaki's Mysterious Note

A neatly folded letter landed on Ryo's desk.

Misaki (smiling from across the room): "It's a little secret~"

Before Ryo could even unfold it, Ayane had already snatched it and shredded it into tiny pieces.

Ayane (smiling sweetly): "Oops. My hand slipped~"

Ryo: "Can someone explain why I'm the one suffering?!"

At the end of the day, Ryo felt like a hostage being protected by a bodyguard he never asked for.

Haruka (arms crossed): "This is cheating."

Misaki (sipping tea): "Indeed. Highly unsportsmanlike."

Ayane simply smirked and leaned against Ryo's desk.

Ayane: "I just want to make sure dear cousin doesn't fall into bad company."

Ryo (deadpan): "I AM the bad company."

As the girls continued their battle of glares, Ryo slumped forward.

Ryo: "This school isn't big enough for all of us…"

Ayane's Strategic Seating