When Leo and Utaha started talking, the whole of Class 3-C fell into an unmistakable silence.
Every student—boy or girl—instinctively perked up their ears, curious about what the two most prominent figures in Sobu High were saying.
There was no helping it. Both of them were celebrities in their own right.
Leo, with his striking looks and composed aura, had been crowned "Sobu High's Most Popular Boy" since his first year. For three years running, he'd ranked first on the girls' "Most Wanted Boyfriend" list. The runner-up, Hayama Hayato, barely had half his votes—Leo's lead was absolute.
And Utaha? She was one of the four most admired girls in all of Sobu High—collectively known as the "Four Flowers."
Among the entire school, four girls were regarded as the "Flowers of the High Peaks," each representing a season—"Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter."
The Spring Flower was Mahiru, a first-year from Class A. With her delicate beauty and gentle, refined grace, she'd caused an uproar the day she enrolled, instantly earning the nickname "Angel-sama." She was Sobu High's Spring Flower.
The Summer Flower was Eriri, a second-year from Class G. A prodigious artist and the ace of the art club, she carried herself like an elegant young lady. Bright, approachable, and popular with everyone—Sobu High's Summer Flower.
The Autumn Flower was none other than Utaha, a third-year from Class C. A literary girl capable of writing entire stage scripts, gifted with rare writing talent—and already a rising light novel author. With her graceful manner and breathtaking beauty, she was Sobu High's Autumn Flower.
And finally, the Winter Flower—Yukino, a second-year from Class J. Always ranked first in academics since entering Sobu High, she was a perfect blend of intelligence and elegance. Her cold, aloof demeanor earned her both fear and admiration, making her the embodiment of winter's chill—the Winter Flower.
Each of the Four Flowers possessed flawless appearance, talent, grades, and pedigree. They were truly the untouchable goddesses of Sobu High—beautiful from afar, yet impossible to approach.
The school even had separate fan clubs dedicated to each of them. Among those, Utaha's fan club was the largest.
The reason was simple. She was a third-year senpai, while the other three were all underclassmen. Most of the upperclassmen weren't willing to "lower themselves" to fangirl—or fanboy—over younger students. Supporting someone their own age felt more dignified. Hence, Utaha had the biggest following.
Incidentally, Yukino's fan club was the smallest. Her icy personality, sharp tongue, and habit of bluntly calling people out scared off most potential fans. Only a handful of masochists who enjoyed her brand of cold honesty joined her ranks.
Now, the school's most popular boy and its most popular girl were sitting together, chatting like it was nothing. Naturally, every eye in the room was drawn to them.
Leo and Utaha both noticed the attention—but they were long used to it. Without caring, they simply continued their conversation.
"I'm here to bug you for updates, Utaha-san." Leo said with mock seriousness. "When's volume two of Love Metronome coming out? I've been waiting for months! If you don't release it soon, I might have to start mailing you razor blades."
Utaha rolled her eyes—just barely.
"Have you even been reading lately?" she asked dryly, a faint smirk on her lips. "Because from what I've heard, someone's been spending a lot of time hanging around the Service Club. You even went to their clubroom at lunch today. Care to explain what you were discussing?"
"Oh? So you knew?" Leo grinned. "Guess I really am under senpai's watchful eye."
"Well, you are the one who exposed my identity as a light novel author to the entire school," Utaha replied coolly. "And I got pestered by fans for weeks because of you, Akuma-kun. Also—how many times do I have to say this? We're classmates. I'm not your senpai. Stop calling me that."
"Don't mind it. Just an old habit that slipped through from... somewhere else." Leo waved it off casually. "Besides, you keep calling me Akuma-kun, don't you?"
"Whose fault do you think that is?" Utaha said, eyes still on her book. "Some narcissist with too much charm waltzed up to me one day and said, 'I'm a devil.' What was I supposed to call you?"
Yes—Leo had once revealed his true nature to her.
Their conversation back then had gone something like this:
"Senpai, I want volume two of Love Metronome."
"Stop calling me senpai. Volume two isn't out yet."
"Then write it for me right now. Otherwise, I'll curse you."
"You? Curse me?"
"Yes, because I'm a devil."
"...If you're going to joke around, pick a better time."
And so, "bugging her for updates" became Leo's favorite way to start their chats—and "Akuma-kun" became Utaha's teasing nickname for him.
Leo knew she didn't take him seriously. It was just her way of getting back at him for constantly pestering her about her writing.
After all, who would believe that the school's elegant Autumn Flower was speaking with a real devil?
Sometimes, the truth hides in plain sight—in casual words, in small gestures—but no one ever notices.
"Anyway, I'm dying to read volume two. Don't tell me the rumors are true," Leo said dramatically. "Is Love Metronome really getting axed because of production delays?"
Utaha fell silent.
"No way. No way, right?" Leo gasped exaggeratedly. "If it gets axed, my youth is over!"
"You're such a pain, Akuma-kun," Utaha muttered. "I'll finish volume two. I won't let Love Metronome get canceled."
She said it firmly—but in truth, she'd been struggling.
Utaha had rewritten the second volume multiple times, yet none of her drafts had passed her editor's review. Compared to the first volume's success, the follow-ups felt lackluster. Without approval for a reprint, cancellation rumors had started spreading.
It frustrated her deeply.
But she'd never admit that to Leo.
She refused to let this persistent, self-proclaimed "fan" see her struggling—or worse, see disappointment in his eyes.
Even if she'd never say it out loud, knowing that Sobu High's most admired boy was hooked on her work filled her with a quiet, secret pride.
So she couldn't stand the thought of letting him down.
"I'll be waiting for good news, then."
Leo smiled as if he could see right through her worry and frustration.
"In fact, since you're working so hard, I'll give you something special."
He reached into his pocket and took out a small, palm-sized piece of old parchment.
"This is a pretty effective charm. If you ever feel troubled, it might help you out."
He handed the parchment to her, then stood and returned to his seat.
"A charm?"
Utaha blinked, glancing down at the parchment drawn with a faint magic circle. After a moment's hesitation, she pressed her lips together and slipped it into her bag.
Watching from afar, Leo smiled faintly, then turned his eyes toward the podium.
The bell rang. The teacher entered the room, and class began.
Before long, the school day came to an end.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the orange glow of dusk spread across the sky, the bustling campus of Sobu High grew quiet.
On the rooftop, Leo lay sprawled out with his hands behind his head and one leg crossed over the other, lazily soaking in the evening light.
"...Hm?"
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing within them.
"This is…?"
He rose to his feet and stepped toward the railing, his gaze piercing into the distance—far beyond the school gates.
"So they finally made a move, huh?"
A cold smile curled across his lips.
The next moment, Leo vanished from the rooftop—without a trace.
A few minutes earlier…
At a train station not far from Sobu High, Yukino stepped off the platform and began walking toward a nearby apartment building.
As the Yukinoshita family's second daughter, she should have been living in a mansion with a private driver. But due to circumstances at home, she was currently renting an apartment alone—commuting by train like any other student. It was hard to imagine that this independent girl was the daughter of one of Chiba Prefecture's most prestigious families.
Even now, Yukino was still brooding over what had happened earlier that day.
"How is this thing supposed to help me?"
She frowned down at the piece of parchment in her hand—the one drawn with a magic circle.
"What a ridiculous, superstitious idiot. Like I'd ever need something like this."
With an irritated sigh, Yukino raised her hand, ready to toss the parchment away—
Tap.
A deliberate, heavy footstep echoed from behind her.