PART ONE, CHAPTER ONE: "100% PURE GOLD"

-THE GOLDEN BOY & THE INNER CITY-

A light snowfall blanketed the area, as per usual.

My gait as I walked down the street showcased my nonchalance. No other students went in this direction, but that was to be expected. Kawagusa General Academy was fairly far from where I lived, but that's why I chose it. It meant I needn't worry about running into an old face. Taking the train to school every morning was a small price to pay for such.

Lowering a hand, I felt around in my pocket for my cell phone. When I found it, I pulled it out and quickly checked the time. It was nearly seven in the morning. Schedules were odd today, but there was probably time to spare. To begin with, I was already early.

As I put my cell phone away, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.

That was... probably a girl. She wore a beige windbreaker.

The girl looked up at something, likely the nearby tree covered in a thin glaze of snow. I wondered how someone could be so fixated on a tree. Upon closer inspection, however, I found my answer. A cat sat on a branch more than a meter above the girl's head.

Always a cat, is it?

I observed the scene before me through narrowed eyes. The girl, who sported a head of long golden hair, impatiently tapped her foot. I wasn't sure what to think in the face of this strange person. Was she trying to get the cat down?

How curious.

As I considered this, the situation's oddity dawned on me. What special sort of cat gets stuck in a tree, especially in this day and age? What's more, it was a fairly small tree! I naturally felt the need to help. Don't misunderstand though, obviously I'd help a beautiful girl. Case in point, this girl was very beautiful. She also looked slightly familiar.

Her aloof countenance displayed confusion regarding what to do, but that was fairly cute. It made sense that she wouldn't climb the tree. She was wearing a knee-length skirt, so why would she?

My gaze further narrowed. "Honestly though, she looks very familiar."

It made sense if given even a modicum of real thought. This girl was definitely beautiful, perhaps someone of importance. Assuming such to be the case, obviously I'd remember seeing her, even if just vaguely. Yes, it all made sense.

Seeing only one way to go forward with this encounter, I decided to approach. Perhaps hearing the sound of my footsteps, the girl shifted her golden gaze to me. There was a moment's pause on both sides. Feeling no point to this tension, I decided to cut through it.

"Do you need some help?" I asked.

"Hm?" Her voice wasn't particularly high or low.

She didn't look foreign, which limited the possible explanations for such eye-catching golden hair. This, of course, assumed that she was human. Counter to the previous point was the Kawagusa General Academy uniform beneath her unzipped jacket.

The girl's eyes narrowed, but her confused look lingered.

"Is that a yes? Perhaps a no?" I continued.

"No, I don't need help."

Her response was quick and concise, but it didn't seem rude. On the contrary, her intonation was practiced and business-like. She seemed experienced in the time-lost art of face-to-face conversation, a skill that most needed to polish in this era of advancing technology. Still, mostly given my nature, I wasn't one to talk.

"It seemed as if you'd been here for a while." I paused. "I merely assumed..."

"How long have you been watching?" She frowned.

I blinked wildly, unsure if I'd done something I wrong. Could it be? This early into the conversation, and I've already messed up? No, let's not be hasty. I might be misunderstanding. I cleared my throat, then continued as if I hadn't noticed her change in expression.

"Not too long, I think?"

The girl sighed. "I could easily retrieve Nekogami—"

"Nekogami?" My brow furrowed.

"I refer to it as such because I don't know its real name."

She hurriedly defended herself. Embarrassment didn't register on her face, but I noticed her shoulders tremble a bit. Was she sensitive about her poor naming sense? How unexpected, especially given the girl's sharp gaze and cool demeanor.

"Why not call it a cat?" I tilted my head.

"Would you prefer being referred to by species?"

"At the very least, I wouldn't hate it." A pause. "I think."

A loud meow drew our focus back to the cat.

"As I was saying," she steered us back on topic, "I could easily retrieve Nekogami, but—"

"But?"

"But," the girl continued, a large frown spreading across her face, "That would mean harming a tree that's done nothing wrong. I'll refrain from stating my thoughts on force that can only cause harm, but you should have a good idea."

I frowned at her last point.

How did she intend to get the cat down? What scary method of cat retrieval did she have in mind, I wonder? Was she the type to brute force a problem into submission? I understood that mentality, it was definitely very effective. Or rather, it was a mentality I'd worked on getting out of.

Before that, what is this person saying?

"Harm?" I snickered. "You know, it's just a tree."

"Wrong," The girl quickly and decisively responded, her voice saturated with conviction. "It's not just a tree, for it lives like both you and I."

"I already know that. You're barking up the wrong tree." A beat passed, during which I received no response. "No, perhaps it was supposed to be meowing? As I thought, worthless pleasantries are hard."

"Once more, wrong." Her tone was solemn.

The girl didn't acknowledge my joke at all. She scanned me up and down with those golden eyes. First my face, and then my unzipped winter jacket alongside the uniform that lay beneath. I averted my gaze, feeling my face grow hot.

"The same uniform as me, it seems. You're attending Kawagusa General Academy?" She asked.

I nodded. "Ah, er, yes."

"Such shameless conduct."

The girl curtly responded with such. I couldn't understand the point being made, and I doubted anyone else in my situation would. Before I could seek clarification, she pointed a finger at me.

"I am ashamed to be attending the same school as you," she stated.

So it's like this.

Was this the character archetype she practiced? While certainly overdone, I could sense the appeal in it. Of course, I myself held no fondness for this archetype. It was similar to my own, I think, but a tad more rigid.

"Er, I'm not sure I follow." I frowned.

"You should shower trees with respect. After all, you in particular share much with them."

"I see, I see. In what sense?"

"It has fairly dark bark." The girl pointed at the adjacent tree. After a second's pause, she then turned her finger in my direction. "You have black hair and amber eyes. You should already see the fault in your previous statement, yes?"

"Hold on, you were obviously stumped there. Furthermore, how does black hair relate to tree bark? Are you joking? Am I perhaps being bullied? How interesting, I've never been on the receiving end. I wonder, do I give off that kind of impression? That's no good at all."

She was visibly perplexed. "I... stand by my point."

"That's fine, that's only natural. I see, is it my appearance that determines what people I get to interact with? Is there some form of social synthesis that I don't understand? I should ask if Shizuka has a social recipe book... no, what am I even talking about?"

I quickly ceased my rambling. People on the island were generally odd, but this girl struck me as that special kind of odd. If I were to quote a drama, I'd never seen someone get so heated over a discussion about nothing at all. It was a surreal experience.

"What's your name?" The girl asked. "I'll make sure to remember it."

"How abrupt."

She crossed her arms. "I have to remember the names of people such as yourself."

My, what a strange turn of events. I rolled my eyes, letting loose a small sigh. If the girl noticed, she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she stepped forward and, in a gross invasion of personal space, prodded my chest with her index finger. Her gaze narrowed, as if she'd already grown tired of this exchange.

"Do not dodge the question." She said.

"Satou Shibuya," I stated. After a pause, I brushed her hand aside. A frown registered on my face, after which I took a small step back. "By the by, don't touch me."

"Shibuya, then."

The girl's tone was odd. It seemed like she realized something, though only after hearing my name. I was immediately overcome with a feeling of mild irritation. After all, I was the type who disliked being out of the loop.

No, we're getting off topic again. Not good, not good.

I cleared my throat. "Regarding that cat..."

My gaze turned to the tree. It was natural that I steer the main topic back to the cat. It was, after all, the reason for our conversation. It would be weirder not to bring us back to square one given how derailed we'd gotten.

After a moment, the girl spoke. "I will get it."

"I could get it." I responded.

"No, I'll climb the tree."

"Oh, I see. Very well."

Now it was the girl's turn to tilt her head. "You don't seem convinced."

"You're wearing a skirt, so I assumed—"

"Oh."

The girl glanced down at her skirt, then snapped her fingers. Clearly she'd forgotten about her choice in attire, which I found a bit funny. She likely didn't wear skirts in her free time. Nevertheless, I'd expected a development like this given the way she carried herself.

"In any case, I'll do it."

She waved dismissively. "Nonsense, I can handle it."

"You're making this needlessly difficult."

"Needlessly difficult?"

I sighed. "Mind you, I can repeat things too."

The girl frowned, her brow twitching. She clearly wanted to comment, but instead crossed her arms and refrained. Obviously she held no appreciation for my quip, but her composure was impeccable. "What would you do, Shibuya? I'd like to hear your thoughts."

She might've been taunting me with that last statement, I think. Such a prospect would be dangerous! Almost catastrophically so, especially given my dark history. I was (apparently) difficult to handle on a bad day, whatever that meant.

"Behold, inse—" I paused. "Or rather, watch."

After moving beneath the tree, I glanced up at the cat a meter or so above my head. In all honesty, it seemed less terrified and more unamused that we were talking in its general vicinity. I think it truly was relaxing on that branch.

It's unfortunate, but you'll be coming down from there.

I lifted both arms, locking eyes with the cat. Aurum stars twinkled at my fingertips, but I made sure to hold back. If we thought of myself as a superhero, this universally coveted ability would easily give away my identity.

"Come," I commanded.

Needless to say, the result was obvious.

The cat hopped into my arms without a moment's hesitation. This was score one for the exalted Satou Shibuya. No, perhaps the correct phrasing would be "Score one for Shibuya"? I wasn't entirely sure, but such couldn't be helped.

Let's put that aside for now.

I glanced down at the small animal pressed against my chest. It sported black fur and yellow eyes, which quivered with unease. It was probably a neighborhood cat. The terror on its face showed that it hadn't come to me out of trust, but out of fear for what I'd do if disobeyed.

The girl's stance slackened, as if her tension had evaporated into thin air. She lightly shook her head, dispersing the thin laying of snow that had gathered on top. Her widened eyes quickly regained their sharpness, after which she cleared her throat.

"I'm curious, how did you do that?" She asked.

"It was the natural conclusion." I spoke in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

After a moment spent prodding the disgruntled cat's nose, I reluctantly released it. The chubby animal quickly scampered off, leaving a trail of disorderly paw prints in the snow. It couldn't stomach me, having deemed my presence unhealthy for both mind and body.

The girl frowned. "So I wasn't needed after all."

Despite mirroring that statement's sentiment, I didn't do so out loud. After all, such would be rude. Or at least, that's the impression I got. I hadn't warmed up to simple conversations like this yet, so I couldn't understand all of their nuances.

"Don't say such sad things." I responded.

If I hadn't seen the girl by the tree, I would've ignored the cat stuck (citation needed) in its confines. Furthermore, if it had been a person less attractive, I wouldn't have approached. Granted, that wouldn't have mattered. Cats are smart. No, that's the wrong word.

Cats are crafty. They'll typically solve their own problems.

The girl turned and started off in another direction, prompting me to quirk a brow. I called out to her before she could get too far. It seemed there was something important that she was forgetting. Or rather, it was common courtesy. How could she have forgotten?

"I never got your name."

I stated this calmly, my eyes focused on her sleek back. It wasn't like I wanted to know. Rather, I'd introduced myself. It was only natural for her to do the same, hm? At the time, I justified my logic like that. In retrospect though, I simply wanted to know her name. That's all there was to it.

The girl turned her head, her expression teeming self-confidence. If I'd been a simpler person, I might've fallen for her from that alone. Make no mistake though, I don't think she won me over. Still, that look had definitely captivated me for a few moments.

She placed a hand on her hip. "You're on the way to check your test results, yes?"

What could I do but nod?

"Then you'll know my name soon enough." She responded. The girl smiled, narrowing her gaze. A sort of spark was well apparent in those aurum-colored eyes. "After all—"

"After all?"

"I will have the highest score."

I blinked. It was good to have faith in your own abilities. That's confidence, right? Or was it arrogance. Regardless, this girl had ambition. I didn't dislike that. Or rather, it was a trait I held profound fondness for.

Without another word, the girl took her leave.

As we attended the same school, I'd have ordinarily followed her. That, unfortunately, would mean walking in the same general direction. I didn't follow because, after such a heart-racing departure, following her to the train station would be awkward.

I'll let her have the satisfaction of saying a cool line and leaving.

The girl quickly shrunk into the distance, leaving small footprints in the snow. Her long golden hair fluttered on the chilly winds. It was a rather pretty character trait, albeit preternatural in nature. I held few non-human prejudices though, so I could appreciate it.

Honestly, youth is such a hassle.

After several minutes of loitering, I entered a nearby café to pass the time.

-S0004-

The oh-so-mighty Satou Shibuya ordered a cup of too-sweet coffee.

About an hour later, I'd exited the café. I quickly walked on over to the train station. As per usual, I used my card to pay for the expenses and then hopped onto the train. It wasn't nearly as cramped as it would've been had I gone earlier.

There was no reason to worry about being late today. I assumed the entrance ceremony wasn't going on until later in the day, but I might've been wrong. Or rather, the chance was extraordinarily high. I don't know why, but I had a bad feeling about that.

Honestly? I could have gone and bought my sister the carbonated drink she wanted in the time I spent nursing my coffee in that café, but that'd be a foolish thing to do. Well, not foolish. After all, Shizuka was my most important person.

"I'll pick something up on my way home. Nothing carbonated though."

I sat down in an empty seat and waited for the train to reach its destination.

The ride itself took about twenty minutes, which showed just how far Kawagusa General Academy was from my neighbourhood. It honestly wasn't all that unpleasant a ride. I got to watch the distant sea through a window, and that was fairly nice. The view would probably lose its charm after the fifth or sixth trip, but for now it was still beautiful.

When the train grinded to a halt at my destination, I got up and disembarked. I stood in the station for a couple of moments, just stretching. When that was finished—

"Ah."

I sighed. It hit me all too late that I'd forgotten my bag on the train. Who knew, maybe it'd get turned into the area's lost and found. It might even still be on the train when I came back for a return trip.

"That's unlikely though."

With an irritated sigh, I made my way out of the station and started down the street.

The area was a lot more bustling and vibrant than my neighbourhood. For instance, you could actually hear absent-minded chatter going on in the background. What's more, people wearing uniforms like my own wandered about the area. It was only a few though, so that was nice.

As it would turn out, I wasn't directionally challenged. Or rather than not being directionally challenged, I guess you could say that it was honestly too simple to mess up. I knew that if I kept walking straight, I'd definitely reach the school.

"However, I wish I didn't have to walk." I murmured.

Make no mistake. It wasn't as if I couldn't be bothered to walk. The distance between the station and the school was genuinely quite large. The fact that I only had to go in a straight line was nice, but that doesn't really get rid of the distance itself.

When I finally cleared the last hill, I saw my school in the distance: the snow-topped Kawagusa General Academy. I heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the massive building. That meant that one, I wasn't lost, and two, I was essentially at my destination.

With a nod I decided to jog the rest of the way.

I came to a halt upon reaching the gates and slowly exhaled. I then caught my breath. As it would turn out, jogging was a foolish idea when nothing at all required and/or benefited from it. This was especially the case in cold weather. Still, I hadn't broken a sweat, so there was no harm done. Gazing in, I could see that students wearing familiar uniforms seemed to loiter around the area.

My first guess was that the results hadn't been posted yet. As a result, I felt foolish at having left so early. Actually, had it really been that early? Maybe this school just has a terrible sense of timing. Granted, I'm not one to be talking if I didn't know.

I walked over to a nearby bench and, after clearing off a blanket of snow, sat down. While I was still unhappy at having lost my bag, there hadn't been anything too important inside. With that said, it was the least of my concerns. This was where the real battle started.

The 1st Holy Friendship War is afoot.

"First, survey the battlefield." I murmured.

My end goal was to be a productive member of society, but I had a bunch of smaller goals set up in order to get me there. Among them were getting a job and an idol girlfriend (no exceptions to this), but also among them was just making friends. This meant the kind who weren't delinquents.

I panned my gaze from left to right, taking in those present. Circles had already started to form and I needed to insert myself into one. This was where I encountered my first problem. After all, deciding my target was more difficult than initially expected.

My gaze focused on a particularly loud group of students, all who seemed at least somewhat attractive. Now I don't think they're out of my league. Or rather, it'd be more realistic to state that I was out of everyone's league. It was more that, well—

"The normal percentage for that one is pretty high."

I shifted my gaze. It was far too high a hurdle for the current me, so I decided to target a different circle. This time I glanced over at a similarly rowdy group, but in a different way. They looked familiar, kind of like—

"Ignore the potential bad apples."

Let's see, this next group is—

"My, is that you? Satou? Satou Shibuya?"

There shouldn't be anyone in the area who knows my name, such were my initial thoughts. In retrospect, that wasn't entirely true. There was that golden-haired girl, but this voice certainly hadn't belonged to her. This voice was clearly male. What's more, its tone was far too friendly.

I slowly turned my head towards the source of the voice. There I found another student.

They were a bit taller than me and had a more slender build. I could recognize that pale skin and dyed green hair anywhere. This was an old comrade. I'd associated with this person throughout all of middle school, and part of elementary school. Don't misunderstand though, someone of such low calibur couldn't possibly be my friend.

We were like two people who worked in the same department... no, perhaps that's a bad analogy.

"Do I know you?" I lied. Clearly it wasn't convincing enough.

"As I thought, it is you."

My just-conceived patron deity, as of now unnamed, was laughing at me from the afterlife. How corny, yes? It was mildly unpleasant, but I knew I had to act fast. I slowly averted my gaze.

"I'm sorry, I really don't know you."

"Gekkouhara. Genjou Gekkouhara, remember?" the boy asked, pointing at his own face. "Or rather, there's no way you wouldn't remember. Are you trying to play dumb? Ah, no wait, you don't have to try so hard... no, maybe you should. After all, that's one of your best traits."

"Treasure your life." I cracked my neck.

Now that I think about it, Genjou did prefer living life on the edge.

"You know how we took down Kokorobuki Middle School, right?" Genjou spoke. "I heard they got a stronger leader after the old one graduated, but we could obviously still take them. If you were to ask me who the new leader is though, it's probably... hm..."

"Ah?" I tilted my head. "Isn't it that red-haired vampire—"

"My, it is you!" He spoke.

Oh, shoot. At that point, the cat was out of the bag.

Genjou wasn't your typical delinquent. Despite sometimes acting upbeat, he was genuinely cold-blooded. Honestly, it was off-putting to see him without a knife. That's a scary thought in and of itself. Not for myself, mind you. Why would I be afraid of such an insect?

For the record, Genjou was one of the bigger names in my old circle. My round table, if you would. He was one of my more reliable Knights. Obviously that was all a thing of the past. I'd graduated from a bad apple into what would soon become a functional member of society.

"But to think that you'd come here too." He murmured.

"Is it really that odd?"

Genjou nodded. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "As I thought, was it Akane's influence? Also, what's with that black hair dye? I won't say that I dislike it, but it might give someone the wrong impression of you. Someone like you doesn't fit the light novel protagonist archetype."

"Oh?" I brushed Genjou's hand aside. He didn't seem to mind. "What archetype do I fit into?"

Genjou seemed to consider my words for a few moments, his expression turning cold and serious. He was the type of person to give the wrong kinds of things his full effort.

"If I had to say, it'd be..."

Finding myself interested, I leaned in. "Hm?"

"A manga's delicate heroine?"

A heavy sigh escaped my lips. If it wasn't immediately obvious, this was the kind of person I couldn't handle. I didn't quite understand why, but it was an unchangeable fact. Disregarding that though, I was certainly unhappy. I decided to take my leave before I did something unbefitting of productive human being. I turned left, an arbitrary directional choice.

"Sorry, I have to go—"

"Ah, hold on!" His hand shot out.

It had been abrupt and without warning. Genjou had grabbed my wrist. Whatever face I'd made prior quickly twisted into a disgusted scowl. I couldn't help it, this was the natural reaction.

My free hand tightened into a fist, golden sparks dancing through the air around it. My bloodlust oozed forth, but only for a moment. It was condescending, like the desire to kill a fly. My body twisted, ready to slam the full extent of its horizon-shaking power into that person.

Genjou's expression brightened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. Seeing that nauseating snake-eyed face was already too much; I couldn't contain my revulsion. All the muscles in my body came to life, releasing a faintly visible golden glow. I slowly turned my head, frigid breath escaping from between my lips.

"Genjou—"

"Do you require something from Shibuya?" A familiar voice interrupted.

The surprise was enough to make me remember where I was. This was becoming too much for my heart. I closed my eyes and slowly turned my head towards the source of this voice. With my breath held and my bearings hastily collected, I mentally chanted to myself:

Don't be someone I know.

With this, I opened my eyes. Golden hair, golden eyes, a sort of fairy-like beauty, it was definitely the girl I'd met earlier. I slowly exhaled, returning to a calmer state of mind. I had a feeling that the situation was about to take an unpleasant turn.

Genjou calmly turned his gaze towards the girl. "Ara, you know this person?"

The girl, in response, turned her gaze towards Genjou. "Are you perhaps bullying Shibuya?"

I glanced towards Genjou, and then towards the girl. It wasn't as though I was being bullied, but I certainly didn't want anything to do with Genjou. After all, such a pitiful existence couldn't be called worthy of my presence. On the other hand, I didn't technically know this girl in gold. I had met her, but I didn't really know her.

The answer was obvious.

"I am being bullied." I adjusted my tie.

"Wh—" Genjou squinted. "Saturn, the hell are you saying?"

"As I thought, you're too soft to handle your own problems."

Though she murmured this, the girl didn't seem entirely displeased.

The girl took a step forward and swatted Genjou's outstretched hand aside. Genjou clearly wasn't enthused about this, but it didn't seem like he would get violent. Genjou was brutal, but not foolish. He was the type of person who knew when to pull back. It was quite a valuable trait.

Genjou's yellow eyes narrowed. Those serpentine pupils focused on me, much to my dismay. A small sigh exited his mouth, after which he produced a happy smirk. That smirk was something I had seen often, but still hadn't gotten used to.

"My, I seem to have gotten the wrong person." He said.

I nodded. "It would seem so."

Genjou bowed his head, turned, and walked off.

You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Genjou Gekkouhara. Filthy snake, become the catalyst that marks the dawn of my beautiful high school life.

"Such a crude individual."

That girl's words lingered on my mind for several moments. It was clear that she spoke of Genjou, but I felt as if those words had somehow been directed at me. It's true that such a thing was unlikely, but I still felt that way. Such was my own conclusion. This was only natural. From a problem solving perspective, I was (objectively) the more crude person.

"Thank you for the help." I murmured, dusting my sleeve off.

She shook her head. "I was merely returning the favor from earlier."

"In any case, thank you..." I paused for a second. "What was your name again?"

"You'll soon see. I think it's time to view the results for the placement test."

What a mischievous girl. It wasn't as though she was wrong. I could easily see what was likely a teacher plastering papers onto a nearby signboard. From the crowd that quickly gathered, I naturally assumed that person was putting up the placement test results.

The girl turned and made her way towards the billboard, her gait oozing confidence. I followed.

She said she'd be at the top of the list, and I'd give her the benefit of doubt. She seemed like the kind of person who could do it. On my end, I had merely crammed a night in advance. Perhaps it was irresponsible, but I hadn't cared at the time. I was regretting my decision now.

On the day of the test, I'd been too tired to think straight.

I'd answered to the best of my abilities but, past a certain point, my brain had gone on auto-pilot. When I came to, tests were being collected. It was unfortunate, but I didn't expect any good news. My basic understanding of probability meant that I'd probably scored somewhere around 25%. This meant I'd be placed somewhere in third class.

When I reached the signboard, I glanced over at the list titled "Placement Test Results" and nodded. That girl would probably be there, but I figured I'd start further down the list and then work my way up. There was no reason in particular for this, I simply wanted to get into the right mindset. I couldn't be faulted for that, yes?

Let's see, let's see.

"Ah? Genjou is here..." I narrowed my gaze.

Ninety-one percent, is it? That snake was apparently smarter than I expected. That score was first class, I think. Genjou was numbered at seventeen though, so apparently people had done better. It was probably because his time was listed as thirty minutes.

"Did he cheat?" I murmured.

I shook my head and then continued up the list. A bit above Genjou, at number fifteen, was a person named Junko Shiranui. They'd scored ninety-two percent, but the time it had taken them to complete the test was listed as ten minutes. Honestly, how amusing.

When I finally reached the top three, I squinted. Number three was someone called Kozue Kotobuki. Their score was ninety-eight percent, but they'd finished in nine minutes. Funny, isn't it? In my opinion, some people were too good at taking tests. In any case, let's not get sidetracked.

Number two was listed as "Yoshida Yamashina." Their score was ninety-nine percent, but that wasn't what struck me as odd.

"Completed in six minutes..." I murmured. Not bad, not bad at all.

Now for number one. With a score of one-hundred percent and a completion time of exactly five minutes, it seems we have some sort of genius here. Honestly, some people require a life outside of studying. Regardless, I'm not one to judge. In any case, that person's name was—

"Satou Shibuya." I read aloud.

That's odd, I swear I've heard that name before—

"No, it seems that's my name."

No change in expression registered on my face, the shock enough to delay my reaction. It was only after I heard a voice behind me that I snapped out of my daze.

"Shibuya."

I slowly turned my head towards the source of the voice, but I already knew who it was. Golden hair, golden eyes, and a fairly disappointed facial expression greeted me.

"In the end, I never got your name." I spoke.

"Yoshida Yamashina."

"I see, I see."

"...It seems that you've bested me."

There was a tinge of defeat present in Yamashina's tone. She accepted her so-called loss with dignity. Hearing this, I felt a small amount of guilt take root in my chest.

"No, I didn't do anything noteworthy." I responded.

Her face instantly tightened. Did she think I was looking down on her? Back then, that very well might've been the case. I was about to clear things up but, amidst the surrounding chatter, that girl's quiet whisper made its way to my ears.

"I won't accept this."