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You might think Hiroshi Takeda's top grades came purely from his past life's knowledge or raw talent. But that wasn't the whole story. As a transmigrator, his learning ability was exceptional, high school courses were effortless for him.
So, what was he reading now? He glanced at the title: Puppy Boy Training Manual. 'Wait… Puppy Boy?' Startled, he double-checked the cover, and the book slipped from his hands, hitting the floor.
"What the heck… Puppy Boy? No wonder the content felt so weird."
"I could've sworn I grabbed Contact Info of 100 Tokyo Rich Ladies," he grumbled.
Disgusted but responsible, he bent down to pick up the fallen book, intent on returning it to the shelf. As he did, a faint scent of perfume wafted toward him; a familiar fragrance he couldn't immediately place.
"This smell…" he murmured.
Straightening up, he dusted off the book and glanced to the side. There, he saw the back of a girl with long black hair. Instantly, he knew who it was.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, one of the few people he struggled to handle.
For some reason, Utaha and Eriri Sawamura had never gotten along. They were like oil and water. Over the years, Utaha's sharp wit had consistently outmatched Eriri's defenses. Though their rivalry had nothing to do with Hiroshi, his role as Eriri's "suitor" meant he'd had to step in and comfort her every time Utaha left her rattled. It was extra work he hadn't signed up for.
Once, he'd even approached Utaha privately, asking her to ease up, not for Eriri's sake, but to lighten his own load. Utaha hadn't taken it that way, though. Her snarky response had left him flustered.
That was all in the past now. With his "contract" with Eriri over, Utaha could tease her all she wanted, Hiroshi no longer had to play the peacemaker. Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment toward her.
Maybe he'd stared too long, because Utaha turned and locked eyes with him.
Hiroshi quickly looked away, focusing on the bookshelf. They weren't close enough to exchange greetings; pretending not to notice her seemed like the best move.
But Utaha had other plans. She walked over, a sly smile tugging at her lips, and studied his face as if trying to memorize every detail.
He wanted to ignore her, but with her standing so close, that wasn't an option. Forcing a tight smile, he said, "Senpai, is there something you need?"
"So it is the simp junior," she replied. "For a moment, I thought I'd mistaken you for someone else."
'Simp junior?' Hiroshi swallowed his urge to snap back.
"Is my face that forgettable?" he asked instead.
Utaha shook her head, her expression mock-innocent. "Not really. It's just that you were staring at me, then acted like you didn't know me. I had to double-check. Even I'd feel awkward if I got the wrong person."
'Awkward, sure', Hiroshi thought. 'Your stare was so intense, it's like you were trying to see right through me.'
Not wanting to linger on it, he shifted the topic. "You didn't come to the library just to chat with me, did you?"
"How boring," Utaha sighed. Her gaze drifted to the book in his hand. "So, the blonde tsundere is into this sort of thing now?"
She pointed at the Puppy Boy Training Manual, her face a mix of surprise and amusement.
Hiroshi hurriedly shoved the book back onto the shelf. "I grabbed the wrong one. Don't overthink it."
But Utaha ignored his excuse. "It's only been a few months, and Sawamura's tastes have gotten so… unique. And you, changing yourself for love, how touching."
She dabbed at her eyes dramatically, as if genuinely moved.
Hiroshi didn't bother arguing. If he did, she'd just twist it into something worse. They'd attended the same junior high, her a year ahead and now both went to the same Academy.
"You're not denying it," she pressed. "Did I guess right?"
"Whatever makes you happy, Senpai," he replied, his tone flat.
He'd hoped his indifference would shut her down, but he'd underestimated her.
"Willing to change for her, unbothered by what others think," she mused. "I sense a new plot brewing."
"Glad I could inspire you," Hiroshi said dryly. "But isn't your novel about love triangles?"
"No worries. Art comes from life. A little tweak, and it'll fit perfectly."
"Since starting high school, I haven't seen your simp antics as much. My writing has suffered because of it."
Hiroshi knew she drew inspiration from him, and hearing it again annoyed him. But he couldn't mention the contract, so he bit back his frustration.
Still, he silently vowed to leave a scathing review for Love Metronome later.
"Even though we haven't met in months, I keep hearing about your exploits around school," Utaha continued. "The girls in my class can't stop talking about you after lunch."
"You join in on those chats?" he asked.
"Of course not. They're just too loud. It disturbs my naps."
Hiroshi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 'Sure, Senpai. Whatever you say.'
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