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479 – That’s Exactly How Hojou Kyousuke Should Be Treated
🕑 Added 2025-08-28 15:00:15 +0000 UTCSo this is what it feels like for a cat when humans keep pestering it.
After shooing away the rowdy classmates in the front row—people who clearly had something wrong with their heads.
Yukinoshita Yukino quietly jotted down another insight into her notebook.
This book was where she recorded all of her observations and reflections about cats.
Once she carefully tucked the notebook away, her mind returned to the question from before:
‘Why hadn’t Hojou and Sakura shown up at school today?’
Normally, if she had just spent time with them at a club activity the day before, she would have prayed not to run into either of them again for at least three days.
She’d need that time to let the mental wounds they inflicted on her gradually fade.
Never would she have felt this strong desire to see them again.
But today was different.
Leaving aside Sakura and Katou’s “requests,” this time Kuroda Kaito’s matter was essentially the Service Club’s first real, proper request.
And when it comes to firsts—whether for men or women there’s always an irrational fixation.
For someone like Yukinoshita, a perfectionist to the bone, that obsession was even stronger.
She had already planned it out:
The moment she arrived at school, she’d track down Hojou Kyousuke and, as club president, demand that he submit a written report of the activity.
After all, the Service Club wasn’t some frivolous club that wasted youth away.
She had founded it with the specific purpose of honing her craft—what she called the “Art of Reading Hearts.”
Take requests, analyze the underlying causes of people’s troubles, and uncover the true root of their worries.
Propose solutions, and through each person’s suggestions and preferences, observe and grasp their hearts.
Finally, review the entire case from beginning to end—evaluate the effectiveness of the solution, and examine the roles played by everyone involved, including herself.
Analysis. Simulation. Deduction.
Words and actions may not always match a person’s true heart, but the nature of their troubles—and how they deal with them always reveals who they really are.
This was Yukinoshita Yukino’s way of training her mastery of the human heart.
She knew very well that to outsiders, she seemed like the difficult type, the kind of person hard to get along with.
If her future were in research, that wouldn’t be a flaw.
But her goal had always been to one day inherit her father’s domain and his business entirely.
To do that, she had to patch up her weakness in social skills—and more than that, she had to learn how to control people’s hearts.
She didn’t want to change herself.
Instead, she chose to master others.
The human heart followed patterns.
Therefore, it could be expressed as a formula.
In one of “Mr. Panda Pan’s” side stories, it was said that the mightiest panda mage in the universe lived in the “Bamboo Mage Tower,” a fortress built entirely of giant bamboo stalks.
From inside that tower, he researched, trained, and amplified his power until he finally achieved his grand dream: planting bamboo across the entire cosmos.
To Yukinoshita, the Service Club was her very own Bamboo Mage Tower.
She was still far from powerful, but by staying within this safe space, offering help to those in need and showing kindness along the way.
She could steadily grow stronger—and eventually change humanity, change the world.
Take, for example, Kuroda Kaito’s request.
The case began with his greed.
He had been so blinded by temptation that he stooped to cross-dressing in order to squeeze money out of his older sister—just so he could buy a new motorcycle.
That alone told Yukino something important:
If you find the right pressure point, a man’s so-called “bottom line” isn’t sturdier than a soap bubble.
By the same logic, if she could identify Hojou Kyousuke’s “motorcycle,” then making him cross-dress would be child’s play.
Of course, while the thought itself was satisfying, such a card was best kept for the right moment.
Then there was Hatake Gorou, who had refused to change his underwear for four entire months over a girl he’d only met once—and showed no signs of stopping.
Yukino still doubted the validity of “love at first sight.” With too few samples, she couldn’t determine whether Gorou’s so-called infatuation was mere lust.
Or if he had simply glimpsed a shadow of his closest friend in Kuroda’s cross-dressed figure and subconsciously clung to it.
If it was the former, then nothing needed to be said.
Lust had always been one of the sharpest tools in politics.
Superiors could manipulate subordinates, the lowly could rise against the highborn—when lust was properly leveraged, the gap in power vanished in an instant.
Still, Yukino held no interest in such base tactics.
She also doubted she’d ever fall prey to a honey trap herself.
But the latter possibility… now that was an intriguing subject for research.
Parents leave deep, lasting imprints on their children.
Kids from happy homes grow up aspiring to be like their mom or dad, and when it comes to choosing partners, they look for someone similar to their parents.
Children from broken families do the opposite: they desperately avoid becoming like their parents and run from anyone who resembles them.
Take herself, for example.
One day, she would seek a husband who, like her father, cherished his wife and adored his children.
She wanted to become a—
Her train of thought faltered.
In her mind appeared the image of her elegant mother in a pale-green kimono, smiling serenely, and her glamorous sister basking in admiration at a party.
Her sister… she hadn’t turned out exactly like their mother.
And yet, their mother was still so pleased with her…
“Yukino-chan, you’re becoming more and more like Mom,” her sister’s voice echoed.
The girl bit gently at her lower lip.
…Anyway.
It wasn’t just parents who influenced one’s choice of partner—friends did, too.
The logic was simple enough.
Friendship itself meant compatibility.
And when it came to a lifelong partner, compatibility was everything.
After being around a friend for so long, if one happened to meet a girl who looked similar, they’d instinctively feel drawn to her.
So if someone ended up dating a girl who resembled his best friend to an uncanny degree—there was no need to be shocked.
It didn’t mean he was secretly gay.
It might simply mean he was faithful, loyal to a certain “type.”
Though Yukino had never witnessed this particular theory confirmed in reality, she felt confident in its validity.
And then, finally, there was the executor of the plan himself—Hojou Kyousuke.
That man…
Lost in thought, Yukino’s hand unconsciously drifted toward the lid of her bento box, the one decorated with a white cat.
Her lips parted, moving instinctively—first mouthing silent meows, then letting a faint sound slip out.
“Meow …meow-oooh …meow-meow~…”
There she goes again! Yukinoshita-san has started up again!
From the front row, Tsuruno Kiyoko practically screamed in her heart.
Still, this time she didn’t dare turn her head.
Instead, she used her compact mirror to sneak glances.
Huh? Yukinoshita-san isn’t even looking at a cat right now… Is she… playing with one in her mind?
Watching Yukino stare blankly into space, Tsuruno frowned.
That dazed look was unmistakable—like someone lost in thoughts of a person.
But no way, no way! Yukinoshita-san would never space out over some guy!
That wasn’t the kind of person she was!
But the truth was she was thinking how Hojou was riddled with contradictions.
The Hojou described by Sakura.
The Hojou described by Shouko.
The Hojou she herself perceived.
Each was completely different.
Then there was the Hojou at Ruyi Dorm versus the Hojou at school.
The Hojou who was a student.
The Hojou who was a writer.
The delinquent Hojou….
Yukinoshita knew: unlike herself, who was the same inside and out, most people wore different masks depending on the setting.
But at their core, their essence never changed.
Hojou, however, was someone who didn’t fit into any predictable pattern.
Take Kuroda Kaito’s request, for example.
Back then, Yukino had suggested the simplest, most logical solution: Kuroda should just apologize directly to Hatake Gorou.
But Hojou had strongly objected, insisting that if the truth came out, it would cause immense harm to both sides.
And yet now, after they had already worked out what seemed like a perfect plan.
Why on earth did the entire class know that Hatake Gorou had fallen for Kuroda’s cross-dressed self?
Just how was Hojou handling things? What was he even thinking?
She couldn’t understand it.
Was this what people meant when they said “a man’s heart is like a needle lost in the sea”?
All Yukino wanted was to see the activity report as soon as possible, to figure out how the Service Club could have managed to fail so spectacularly on their very first request.
But why hadn’t any of them shown up today?!
Hojou, Sakura, the whole cross-dressing trio—none of them were here.
Only the silly, airheaded Shouko had appeared.
When Yukino went to Class 1-F that morning to look for them, all she found was a pink-haired girl with a sweet smile, who clearly knew nothing, and who ended up stuffing her arms full of hot spring buns before sending her on her way.
Not that seeing Shouko early in the morning was unpleasant—if anything, the sight of such an adorable presence had lightened Yukino’s foul mood considerably.
But still…
“Eh? Yukino, why don’t you just message them?” Shouko had asked.
“Information exchanged through messages is always incomplete. I prefer direct, face-to-face conversation,” the black-haired girl had said before beating a hasty retreat.
…Oh. Right. She could send messages.
Not only had she exchanged emails with Hojou and Sakura, she had even downloaded LINE and added them as friends.
She’d collected a whole arsenal of cute cat stickers, too.
Yukino took out her phone.
———————————————————————
[Good morning, Sakura. Did you stay home today because you’re not feeling well?]
———————————————————————
Delete. That sounded like she was cursing them.
———————————————————————
“Good morning, Sakura. Why didn’t you come to school today?”
———————————————————————
Delete. Too harsh, too much like an interrogation.
“Sakura, I…”
Sure enough, she really wasn’t cut out for sending messages.
A faint crease marred Yukino’s flawless face as frustration welled up inside her.
She typed “I,” deleted it, typed it again, deleted it again. Her elegant brows were practically knotted together.
After much agonizing, her sharp mind finally came up with the perfect solution.
———————————————————————
“Good morning, Hojou-kun. Why didn’t you come to school today? Are you feeling unwell? There’s something I’d like to ask you, so please reply when you see this.”
———————————————————————
Once she hit send, the black-haired girl felt instantly refreshed, like a weight had lifted off her chest.
The tight knot between her brows loosened, leaving her looking serene once more.
With her thoughts clear, her fingers moved more smoothly.
She switched to Sakura’s chat window, opened her sticker library, picked one, and sent it.
A wide-eyed cat, looking worried, with the words “Are you okay?” floating above its head.
Perfect.
Looking at the concerned little cat head on her screen, Yukino felt a wave of satisfaction.
If she had stayed home and someone sent her a message like this, she would’ve been so happy that she’d rush straight to school.
She thought for a moment longer, then typed another line:
———————————————————————
“Do you need help? I can come make you lunch.”
———————————————————————
This time, it didn’t sound stiff at all—because she followed it up with a winking cat sticker.
Her thumb twitched unconsciously.
Hesitating for a moment, she switched back to Hojou’s chat window and sent a sticker there, too.
A round, chubby cat, squinting suspiciously at the screen.
No caption, but the meaning was clear: “What are you up to?”
Yes. Even more perfect.
Cats really were amazing—able to rescue even the dullest of social interactions.
Yukino had already decided: if someone ever came to the Service Club asking for advice on how to chat with others, she’d simply share her entire cat-sticker collection with them.
If one set didn’t work, then two! The essence of the universe and the heart of a maiden—was hidden within them.
Unfortunately, even by lunch break, no replies had come.
Yukino stared at the lonely little cat sticker on her screen, her heart aching.
She wanted to send more so it wouldn’t be all alone… but out of maidenly pride, she resisted the temptation.
Were they still sleeping? Hurry up and wake up already! The poor cat was going to cry from loneliness!
With a sigh, Yukino lowered her gaze to the bento she had made.
She had cooked it herself.
People who lived alone either resigned themselves to surviving on convenience store food, or they had confidence in their housekeeping and cooking skills.
Yukinoshita Yukino was clearly the latter.
Just as she lifted her chopsticks to pick up one of the cute sausage-octopuses, she noticed something strange out of the corner of her eye.
“…Tsuruno-san, what exactly are you doing?” she asked tiredly.
“Yes! I’m spying on you, Yukinoshita-san!”
Tsuruno Kiyoko was as honest as ever—so honest that Yukino couldn’t even get angry.
After all, even someone as petty and mean-spirited as Kasumigaoka knew that people’s eyes naturally drifted toward beautiful things.
It was an instinct, not something that could be controlled.
“…I’m about to eat,” Yukino said quietly.
“Yes!”
Through her small mirror, Tsuruno shot her a knowing look.
“…What I meant was, I’m going to eat now. It’s uncomfortable when you stare at me like that.” Yukino could feel her temple throbbing.
“Oh. I understand…”
Without the usual spirited “Yes!” in reply, Yukino felt oddly unsettled.
Watching the girl in front of her put away her mirror with a dejected look, she hesitated.
Then she reached into her desk drawer, where she had stashed the hot spring buns Shouko had given her.
It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the gift—on the contrary, she was grateful.
But with her small appetite, even if she ate buns all day long, she could never finish them before they went bad.
“…Tsuruno-san.”
“Yes!” The girl’s gloomy mood vanished in an instant as she whipped her head around.
“I have a friend who went to Gunma and brought me back some hot spring buns. Would you like one?” Yukino pulled one out of the drawer.
“A friend!?”
Tsuruno’s eyes went wide as she cried out, loud enough for the whole class to turn and stare.
Yukino shot her a sidelong glance, then silently slid the bun back into her drawer.
…Might as well take them home and feed them to her sister.
In the end, Tsuruno Kiyoko still had to accept the harsh yet fantastical reality that Yukinoshita Yukino actually had friends and she even got to eat one of the hot spring buns.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Kyousuke was just waking up to the vibration of his phone.
“Shizuka-chan says she has a lot she wants to talk to you about.”
Yukari’s soft, gentle voice drifted through the receiver.
