C288

"Ugh..."

Waking up felt incredibly unpleasant.

It had become a routine. Despite having a pleasant dream, Shirou, a constantly lethargic and sleepy student, found himself forcefully yanked and dragged by his younger sister—an experience that left anyone feeling uncomfortable.

Especially for someone like Fujimaru Shirou, who adored sleeping in and had a knack for indulging in laziness.

"Brother, brother! Wake up! Wake up!"

With his eyes still shut, Shirou furrowed his brow, hoping to drift back to sleep. However, his little sister grew even more persistent.

Not only did she tug at his hair, but she also hopped onto his stomach, trampling it as if performing a samba dance. Except for a few individuals with peculiar preferences, most people would find this highly unpleasant, don't you think?

Rubbing his drowsy eyes, he squinted and peered through his fingers at his sister, who was energetically hopping around on his stomach.

"Ritsuka..." Shirou called out.

"Huh? Brother, you're awake?"

Only then did five-year-old Fujimaru Ritsuka realize that Shirou had finally stirred from his slumber. She stood on Shirou's stomach, her feet clad in white socks, and turned to face him.

Bouncing up and down as if she were on a trampoline, her brown elementary school uniform fluttered with each leap.

Her orange hair, styled in a ponytail, swayed from side to side, and her bright orange eyes locked onto Shirou's gaze.

Despite trampling on someone so early in the morning, Ritsuka's face bore no hint of guilt, there's no "Oops, my bad!" or "Oops... I've been caught!"

"Is stepping on brother's stomach fun?"

"Brother's stomach is so hard, it's especially fun." she showed a joyful smile.

Maintaining a calm expression, he extended his palm and firmly grasped the back of Ritsuka's shirt, hoisting her up before sitting upright and settling her on his lap. His palm applied gentle pressure, resembling a mountain.

"Eh, brother, what are you going to do?"

Shirou raised his other hand, taking aim at her buttocks, and delivered a nasty slap.

"Smack!"

"Wah!"

In the Fujimaru household, the morning routines were often accompanied by the wails of the youngest child.

...

Monday, April 21, 2003.

The delightful weekend holiday, allowing for blissful hours of uninterrupted sleep, had come to an end yesterday. Today marked the return to school.

After getting ready, he stepped into the hallway.

Sakura, wearing a white apron, had already prepared breakfast: sandwiches and fresh milk.

There were no traces of their parents within the house.

The reason being that the couple had went overseas to commemorate their wedding anniversary, entrusting both the household and the family business to their eldest son.

"Here you go, brother. These are for you." Sakura set a plate of sandwiches and fresh milk down on Shirou's table.

She had on the Homurahara middle school uniform, with a white apron draped over it, highlighting her attractive figure. Her lovely face radiated a gentle and refined expression, giving off a sense of being nurturing and caring, like a devoted wife or mother.

But in reality, she was only fifteen, a cheerful and blossoming teenager.

It's truly puzzling. Despite being just a teenager, she somehow gives off the impression of a married woman.

Indeed, his little sister had grown up in a strange way.

Shirou yawned while taking a bite of the sandwich.

"Brother, did you not sleep well last night?" Sakura asked.

"I actually slept quite well and even had a pleasant dream."

Meanwhile, Ritsuka's expression was clear as she stared at Shirou—it screamed, "I'm angry, come and apologize to me." It was written all over her face.

Shirou pretended not to notice and carried on with his breakfast.

Sakura looked at Ritsuka and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Rikka? Why do you look so unhappy?"

Ritsuka began to pour out her grievances, saying, "Sis, sis! Brother was being mean to me! I tried to wake him up nicely, but he smacked my butt! It really hurt!"

"Brother!" Sakura frowned, expressing her disapproval.

"Ask her how she woke me up," Shirou said, prompting Sakura to turn her gaze towards the youngest sibling.

"I... I'm not heavy!" she exclaimed in a panic.

"Stop babbling. If you dare to step on my stomach again, it won't be a gentle slap next time. I'll show you what true terror is, my foolish sister! It's a hell scarier than tickling, and you definitely won't want to experience it~!"

Shirou warned with a somewhat ominous smile. Her instinctive response was to tightly clutch Sakura's apron, trembling in fear.

"Brother!" Sakura exclaimed, clearly displeased with Shirou's behavior.

He collected himself and resumed eating.

Once they finished their meal, they tidied up the tableware, and the three of them got ready, packing their bags in preparation for school.

On their way, Ritsuka suddenly came to a halt.

"What's wrong?" he asked, also stopping in his tracks.

"Um... I can't walk anymore. Brother, I want you to carry me!"

"No, you're not a little kid anymore. You should walk on your own," Shirou rejected without hesitation.

"Mhm...!" she glared at his calm face, puffing her cheeks in discontent.

Her brother had really changed!

In the past, no matter what she asked for, her brother would always say yes. He never used to hit her. But ever since she started first grade, her brother became different.

Hmm!

It felt like he didn't love her anymore!

She felt super mad!

Sakura broke out in a cold sweat and suggested, "Rikka, how about I carry you instead?"

"No, it's fine. If brother wants me to walk on my own, then I'll walk. I don't care," she retorted, giving Shirou a defiant look and puffing her cheeks.

Shirou glanced at the sulking Ritsuka and chose not to say anything

"Brother, don't you think you're going too far?" Sakura asked, clearly concerned.

"Sakura, if you keep dawdling, you'll be late."

Shirou followed the sulking Rikka, watching her enter her school, before turning around and heading to his own school with Sakura.

After several years of absence, notable changes had taken place in the educational landscape of Fuyuki City.

One notable example was the transformation of Homurahara Academy, which had evolved into a comprehensive school following the merger of multiple educational institutions. It now included an elementary school, a junior high school, and a high school.

At the age of seventeen, Shirou was a student in Class 1-C of the high school division. However, his reputation left much to be desired.

It was hardly surprising. Shirou had a tendency to be a heavy sleeper, occasionally even dozing off during class. His intense gaze, coupled with a lack of understanding from those unaware of the truth, resulted in rumors circulating about him, branding him as a delinquent or troublemaker.

In reality, Shirou's academic performance was exceptional, consistently placing among the top students in his year.

This was unsurprising, given his strong foundation in studying from his previous life. After practicing a few problems, he could easily recall the solutions.

As for his tendency to doze off, it was a means to resist the corruption of the "Vampiric Evil."

Regarding his intense gaze, there was little he could do about it. After spending seven years as a King and only a little over a year trying to readjust, he hadn't fully adapted to his new lifestyle.

Due to these factors, rumors continued to circulate, painting Shirou as a delinquent and a difficult student to interact with.

However, Shirou paid no mind to these speculations. He considered them mere childish play. To him, it would be odd to start caring about such things.

In truth, he had no desire to be a student. However, he understood that in modern society, a mere piece of paper held the power to decide one's fate. Moreover, his parents wished for him to lead a normal life.

Witnessing his mother's tears upon his return to this era, he silently made a solemn vow. He would never allow his loved ones to shed tears on his account ever again.

That's why he chose to attend school.

As Shirou entered the classroom, he noticed that several students were already present.

Groups of boys had gathered, engaging in lively conversations about anime, games, and intriguing stories involving certain girls. On the other hand, the girls had formed their own circles, discussing topics such as cosmetics and idol dramas.

Some precocious boys and girls were flirting and joking in the corners of the classroom.

Shirou made his way back to his seat, located in the last row of the classroom.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the protagonist's seat by the window, but rather a seat close to the back door. The reason for this placement was his height.

He accepted it with indifference. After all, it meant he would have a slightly shorter walk on his way back home.

Without quite fitting into any specific group, Shirou went back to his seat and set his completed homework on the desk, ready for the class representative to collect. He then rested his hands on the desk, closed his eyes, and prepared to continue his nap.

However...

"Shirou! Guess what I saw? Look, look! Ah~ the female lead in this manga is stunning!"

A boy's voice pierced through Shirou's ears.

Shirou sighed and covered his face.

Not him again!

Damn it, there goes my chance to catch some sleep!

Shirou raised his head and glanced at the shameless Ryuudou Iseei, who was eagerly attempting to convince him to read an 18+ manga.

Yes.

The primary reason he had earned the reputation of being a delinquent and a difficult student, leading to his isolation by his classmates, aside from the previously mentioned factors, was largely due to this annoying person frequently approaching him, holding an 18+ manga, and relentlessly attempting to show it to him!

Why did this guy end up like this, anyway?

Didn't he always hang out with the one who had reached the ultimate truth of the world, the Enlightened One? They were practically inseparable, always together day and night.

It's just baffling to see how things turned out for him.