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411 The Sakura-Scattered Walk to School
🕑 Added 2025-07-28 15:00:18 +0000 UTCWhen Yamauchi Sakura woke up, the first thing she saw was a pair of familiar black eyes staring into hers.
“Aunt Mikiko? Why are you up so early?” she mumbled, yawning.
“Eh? I thought you’d mistake me for Kyousuke,” Mikiko pouted in mock disappointment. “After all, his eyes are almost identical to mine.”
“Yeah... when he smiles, they turn into little crescent moons. So soft and gentle it’s ridiculous,” Sakura replied with a sleepy grin.
She carefully moved the tiny hand that had been clinging tightly to her arm, then leaned over and planted a light kiss on Kasuko’s forehead.
“But no matter how sick I get—even if I’m burning up with a 40-degree fever or too old to see straight—there’s no way I’d ever mistake Kyousuke for someone else.”
“So that you’ll never lose track of him, right?” Mikiko chuckled as she pulled Sakura into a warm embrace, gently stroking her back.
“No... it’s because he would never lose me.”
Sakura carefully got out of bed and tidied up the blanket.
“If there’s ever something bothering you, make sure you talk to Kyousuke about it, alright, Sakura?”
“Bothered? I’m about to walk to school with Kyousuke—how could I possibly be upset? Aunt Mikiko, don’t tell me you used up all your brainpower on giving birth and gave none to yourself?”
“Maybe so~” Mikiko laughed. “Have a good day.”
“Mhm! We’ve got club activities later, so we’ll be back a little late. But Yukari-sensei and the others should be home as usual.”
Sakura stepped out of the room, and as she did, she noticed a tightness near her eyes.
She reached up and touched it—it was the crusty trace left by dried tears.
Oh… so that’s why Aunt Mikiko said what she did.
‘What a dummy.’
‘If I could live like this every day, I wouldn’t even mind turning into a walking library from reading so much.’
Tears aren’t just for sadness.
They exist for joy too.
Like rain—it’s not the sky crying, it’s watering the earth.
Sure, sometimes you cry hard because you love too much... but even then, it’s still love.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Kyousuke was plating up breakfast when he heard footsteps on the stairs.
A smile instantly lit up his face.
“Morning, Sakura.”
“Ninety-nine percent good morning,” she mumbled through a yawn, slumping over the breakfast bar just outside the kitchen and opening her mouth wide. “Ahhh~”
Without missing a beat, Kyousuke popped a piece of steamed cake into her waiting mouth.
“Didn’t sleep well?” asked Shouko, carrying a dish over.
“Nope. I slept too well. Had a super fun dream.”
“Then that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” said Naoka, grabbing Sakura under the arms and dragging her to the dining table.
“Nope, because I already forgot what the dream was about. I was trying so hard to remember it, too—wanted to tell Kyousuke about it.”
“Ugh, I’m so frustrated! I don’t even want to go to school—I just want to go back to bed and try to dream it again!”
Sakura slumped dramatically over the table, frowning and sighing.
“Huh?”
Eriri, who’d spent the whole night tossing and turning, suddenly perked up.
“Now that you mention it, I had a really interesting dream too. And I’m also pissed off. Maybe I won’t go to school either.”
“I believe Sakura genuinely wants to finish her dream,” said Kasumigaoka Utaha, sipping her congee with a silver spoon.
“But as for you, Sawamura-san, I think you just want an excuse to sleep in.”
“What’s the difference!? Don’t underestimate dreams! Dreaming is an essential part of quality sleep. Without it, it’s not even real sleep—and a life without dreams is meaningless!”
Eriri grumbled, glancing toward Sakura.
But seeing that she clearly wasn’t actually going to skip school, Eriri reluctantly gave up on the idea herself.
“Next time, just record it as soon as you wake up,” Kyousuke suggested as he placed a dish of milk-braised papaya in front of Sakura.
This particular dish had become a staple in the Ruyi Dorm—served morning, noon, and night, in all seasons.
“No way! If I do that, the first one to hear my dream would be the phone—not Kyousuke! That’d bring it down to ninety-eight percent good!”
“Hahaha, then I’ll make sure I’m the first thing you see when you wake up next time,” Kyousuke said, placing a hand gently on her head.
The warmth and energy radiating from her filled him with joy.
“Mm!”
“Blah blah blah—why are you two talking so much this early in the morning? Doesn’t your throat hurt?” Eriri interrupted, gripping her spoon so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“She’s right,” said Utaha with a serious tone, eyes burning holes into the hand still resting on Sakura’s head.
“A university study showed that people shouldn’t talk immediately after waking up.
First, you should drink warm water to hydrate your throat and then stay quiet to rest your vocal cords. Save your voice for school or work, and talk properly once you’re home.”
“Exactly! You shouldn’t be chatting away at school either,” Eriri chimed in. “You’ll disturb others and waste energy. Better to save everything you want to say for when you’re back with the people who matter!”
“Otherwise, you’ll go mute,” Utaha added ominously.
“Even if you don’t, you’ll start sounding like a grumpy old man,” Eriri said with a nod.
“Waaah! That’s scary! I guess I’ll start learning sign language from Shou-chan then!” Sakura giggled, pretending not to notice their intentions.
“Sign language?”
Eriri blinked, glanced at Nishimiya Shouko, then turned to Kasumigaoka Utaha with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Hey, Kasumigaoka Utaha, maybe you should learn sign language too—then you can stop talking altogether.”
“Oh? And can Sawamura-san understand sign language?”
“Nope.”
“Ugh, you... would you please cut it out already!?”
And just like that, breakfast at the Kyousuke house passed with cheerful, lively banter.
At the street corner, they parted ways, each heading toward their respective schools.
The morning commute was quiet—no cars on the road, just students in matching uniforms.
Couples walked side by side, some holding hands, others just close enough to tell.
If not for the matching keychains on their schoolbags, it would be hard to tell who was with whom.
Groups of girls walked arm in arm, their laughter rising into the sky, dancing with the drifting sakura petals.
It was mid-April—peak cherry blossom season had already passed.
Now the petals didn’t even need a breeze to fall; they dropped as if stirred by footsteps, like peach blossoms summoned by a passing Momotarō.
Black asphalt roads, white markings, neatly trimmed hedges, dark uniforms—every surface was dusted with soft pink petals.
Some were caught gently in cupped hands and tucked away in pockets as keepsakes for the year.
Others were crushed underfoot, waiting to be washed into the gutters by the next spring rain.
Among all this, one group stood out like a scene from a painting.
Whether it was a couple or a pair of friends walking by, they couldn’t help but turn and look.
Three girls and one boy—such a stunning combination that even strangers couldn’t help but greet them excitedly if they knew them even a little.
After getting a reply, they would scamper off, thrilled.
No wonder. The beauty of this group was simply impossible to ignore.
The woman on the far left had a stylish bob haircut and wore a chic coffee-colored suit, revealing a pair of long, fair legs.
She carried a sleek black leather handbag.
Even though her look was thoroughly modern, anyone who saw her would feel as if a classical beauty had stepped out of an oil painting and into real life—a vision so surreal it seemed like a dream.
The two girls in the center were dressed in the standard Sobu High School uniforms.
One of them had soft pink hair that shimmered under the sunlight.
Her white knee-high socks made her look like a drifting cherry blossom—so delicate and endearing it tugged at the heart.
The other girl had dark brown hair tied in a neat ponytail.
Aside from her school uniform, the only accessory she wore was a simple blue backpack.
But despite her ordinary appearance, her radiant smile was like sunshine itself—overflowing with energy that was infectious.
Anyone who saw her couldn’t help but smile along.
Together, the two girls were living proof of why JKs—high school girls in uniform—were considered one of Japan’s most charming sights.
Even the most jaded person might find themselves coming to school each day just for a glimpse of them.
Just watching from afar felt like it could heal your soul.
But what truly drew everyone's attention was the boy walking beside them.
For a regular guy to be casually walking with three such beautiful girls—two students and a teacher—would be enough to earn him the envy and hatred of the entire school.
Yet this boy was different.
As they walked, students bowed and greeted him like he was a respected teacher.
Male students puffed up their chests after saying hello, as if they’d accomplished something huge.
The girls, meanwhile, blushed furiously and dragged their friends away, giggling in excitement.
"If our math teacher were as pretty as Yukari-sensei, there’s no way I’d be failing math!"
"Yeah right. If Yukari-sensei were teaching us, you’d just spend the entire class daydreaming and drooling over her instead of learning."
"I’d still be fine with that! This is what Japan’s education system needs—beautiful teachers!"
"Idiot! Keep your voice down! Hojou's right there!"
"Of course I know that!"
Two boys whispered behind the group, quickly hurrying up to greet Kyousuke—even though their only interaction with him had been during a random PE class.
"I wish I could go to and from school with Hojou-kun too..."
A girl in white knee-high socks muttered quietly, and her comment immediately sparked agreement.
The topic shifted away from fashion magazines and onto Kyousuke—his novels, his manga, how handsome he looked at the awards ceremony, and how lucky it must be to go to school with him.
"But still... with Nishimiya-san and Yamauchi-san around..." Someone sighed wistfully.
"Yeah... I mean, aside from those two, there’s probably only one person in school who could even compare."
"You mean... her? That girl from the international class?"
"Who else could it be? Yukinoshita Yukino."
"Right. She's beautiful, smart, and from a rich family too."
"But Yukinoshita-san’s so cold. I doubt she’d ever be friends with Hojou-kun. I mean..."
The girl trailed off, staring ahead at the group of four—one boy, three girls, including a teacher.
It was an unbelievable, enviable sight.
"I also heard from someone on the Red Team’s drama crew during the sports festival... Yukinoshita-san is super strict.
She’s always scolding Hojou-kun. Once, she pushed him too far and he actually pinned her to the ground!"
"What!? Pinned her!?" A girl audibly gulped, her cheeks turning bright red.
"What are you blushing for? If it were you, Hojou-kun wouldn’t even look your way, let alone pin you down!"
"I can’t even fantasize!?"
"No! It’s my turn to fantasize now!"
"Hey, hey, quit fighting—look ahead!"
Everyone looked up as instructed, eyes widening.
"What the... Why is the usually cold Yukinoshita-san chatting and laughing with Yamauchi-san?"
"She just greeted Hojou-kun too."
"Wait... don’t tell me after being pinned once, she saw how manly Hojou really is?"
‘Gulp.’
Another wave of gulping noises followed—but this time, more than one.
Without anyone realizing it, the group of girls tailing behind had grown to over a dozen, all staring intensely at Kyousuke’s group.
“Boss is really popular, huh,” muttered Ryouma Mitsuhashi as he passed by them.
“Well, duh! Once I find that girl, I’m going straight to the boss to learn how to win a girl’s heart!” Hatake Gorou declared boldly.
Ryouma’s smile froze the moment he heard that.
He slowly turned to look at Kuroda Kaito beside him, whose twitching lips failed to form a smile, as if his face was cramping up.
“Um, Hatake... maybe you should think again? There were so many people that day, you might never see that girl again,” Ryouma said after a pause.
“Yeah, and not getting her contact info on the spot? That’s just cowardly. The Boss would be disappointed,” Kuroda added.
“I wasn’t being a coward! I was just overwhelmed by her beauty! My body froze! But I’ve been training hard to prove my resolve!” Gorou proclaimed.
If Eikichi Onizuka were here, he’d probably be crying tears of joy—his monk-like disciple Gorou had finally chosen to walk down his own path as a man!
Unfortunately, Onizuka wasn’t there.
He was off drinking in Hikari City with the Boss’s old man.
As for Ryouma and Kuroda, the mention of “training” only made their expressions more twisted.
“Uh, I gotta go take care of something,” Ryouma muttered and quickly walked toward Hojou Kyousuke.
“Wait! Don’t you remember the Boss hates being interrupted on a date? This is a triple date walk to school!” Gorou called out, trying to stop him.
“Let it go, let him do what he wants,” Kuroda sighed, holding Gorou back.
Ryouma approached Hojou Kyousuke’s group, greeting each person one by one.
Notably, he didn’t call Yukari “Sensei” like the others.
He used “Yukari,” just like he did with Yamauchi Sakura and the others.
The same went for Yukinoshita Yukino.
That was standard etiquette for a subordinate.
Then, glancing briefly at Yukari-sensei, he stepped up beside Hojou and quietly asked:
“Boss, will the Service Club be holding its regular meeting today?”
“Today?” Kyousuke blinked, then turned to Yamauchi Sakura.
“Are we going to hang out at the Service Club today, or prepare for the sports festival?”
“Well, well, you actually remembered you’re part of the Service Club?” Yukinoshita Yukino out of nowhere cut in coldly.
