Soft pink hair cascaded over her shoulders, and Ichinose Honami’s sweet scent lingered at the tip of Uesugi Gen’s nose.

  It made his heart waver—tempting him to lower his head and steal another kiss on her smooth forehead.

  Wait, no!

  Uesugi froze for a moment. Something felt off.

  He had come here to py games—so how had things escated to this?

  What exactly led to this situation?

  Slowly, he lowered his head and hesitated as he looked at Ichinose, nestled warmly in his arms.

  Impossible.

  Shaking his head, Uesugi gave a firm, confident smile.

  I am Uesugi Gen, heir to the Uesugi family—there’s no way something like this could happen!

  With that conviction, he adjusted his position, holding Ichinose more snugly against him.

  Wait a minute!

  It felt like he was forgetting something…

  Uesugi’s smile vanished, repced by a bnk expression.

  What happened to my master pn to purge the traitor in the Uesugi Group?!

  If he had simply asked her for the phone earlier, she would’ve given it to him without question.

  So… why did I completely forget such an important matter?!

  His gaze drifted back to Ichinose, still comfortably resting in his embrace.

  No way. Absolutely not!

  Yeah, there’s no way something like this could have happened.

  Uesugi convinced himself, let out a deep breath, and closed his eyes, ready to enjoy this rare moment of peace.

  Wait!

  His eyes shot open, and a cold sweat broke out over his skin.

  Just now… I actually thought that staying as vice css leader wouldn’t be so bad?!

  What kind of sorcery was this?! How could it be powerful enough to alter a person’s will?

  A true man born into this world should not be shackled!

  He was meant to be the css leader of Css B—how could he allow himself to be trapped by matters of the heart?!

  “Honami, let’s head back, okay? We’ve been here for a while.”

  Uesugi held Ichinose close, hoping to escape the influence of this terrifying ability.

  “No… just a little longer. Just a little while more.”

  Ichinose pressed her cheek against his chest, eyes closed, reluctant to move.

  “……”

  At that moment, Uesugi realized—he couldn’t refuse a single request from this girl in his arms.

  It’s over.

  No wonder that one man had once said—there should be no cage in this world that can trap a true man, except for one exception.

  Damn it.

  I, Uesugi Gen, have fallen to such a fate.

  Lying on the couch, he thought in despair.

  If I can’t resist, I might as well enjoy it.

  With that thought, Uesugi quickly adjusted his mindset, pulled Ichinose up, and kissed the smooth curve of her neck.

  “Eh? Eh~?”

  Ichinose panicked at his sudden attack. “Gen-kun, why are you suddenly—”

  “Because Honami is too beautiful. You keep tempting me, and I can’t hold back anymore.”

  Uesugi murmured against her skin.

  “Mm~”

  …

  By the time Uesugi finally let her go, Ichinose was breathless, cheeks flushed.

  “Where should we go next? Do you want to grab a meal together or—”

  As Uesugi put on his shoes, he turned to ask Ichinose about their pns.

  But before he could finish, he noticed that Ichinose had already pced her bare feet—small and fair—onto his p.

  “Help me put them on.”

  Ichinose spoke with a soft, pyful tone.

  Uesugi held his forehead.

  “…Where did my dignified and dependable Honami from the first day of school go? Back then, you even asked if I needed help!”

  “I just feel like it.”

  Ichinose lightly kicked her leg.

  “Last time on the cruise, you took off my socks for me, but you didn’t put them back on.”

  “That’s because I had your leg pressed down for so long that your circution was affected. Leaving your socks on wouldn’t have been good. And besides, I had just finished applying the ice pack—why would you put socks back on before bed?”

  Uesugi grumbled.

  “I don’t care. I want you to do it.”

  Ichinose pouted, stretching her long, fair legs.

  “Fine, fine. I’ll do it.”

  Uesugi smoothed out her skirt.

  “…You’re fshing me, you know.”

  “Hehe~”

  Ichinose let out a victorious hum.

  “Lift your right leg.”

  Uesugi picked up her bck knee-high sock, gently lifting her small foot. Her delicate toes were like smooth pearls.

  Snap!

  The sock slipped on with a soft sound, slightly pressing into the skin.

  “Alright, left leg.”

  He repeated the process for the other side.

  Once done, Uesugi stood up and extended a hand to Ichinose.

  “Let’s go, Honami-san.”

  “Call me Honami. Don’t think I don’t know—you always add san to girls’ names.”

  Ichinose scrunched her nose in protest.

  “I don’t want that. It makes us sound too distant.”

  “Alright, alright. Honami, is that better?”

  Uesugi raised his hands in surrender.

  “Much better.”

  Ichinose nodded in satisfaction. Then, in one swift motion, she jumped into his arms.

  “You know, this isn’t the image of a reliable Css B leader. If the other cssmates saw you like this, their jaws would drop.”

  Uesugi pinched her nose.

  “That’s why I only show this side to Gen-kun.”

  Ichinose stated matter-of-factly.

  “Alright, let’s head back.”

  Uesugi took Ichinose’s hand as they walked out of the activity room.

  But just a few steps out, they ran into someone unexpected—a tall, bald man from Css A.

  Katsuragi Kōhei.

  “Well, if it isn’t Katsuragi. Studying even during break time?”

  Uesugi greeted him in a friendly manner.

  He had a decent impression of Katsuragi—he was a man willing to dedicate himself to his css.

  “That’s not quite right, Gen-kun.”

  The moment they stepped out, Ichinose immediately switched back to her role as the reliable Css B leader. She tugged Uesugi’s hand and pointed.

  “Katsuragi-san isn’t here to study. Look at the shopping bag in his hand.”

  “Oh, it’s you two.”

  Katsuragi turned around. He had a good impression of Uesugi as well.

  After hesitating for a moment, he spoke up.

  “Uesugi, you’re the vice president of the student council, right? There’s something I need your help with.”

  “Oh? That’s rare. You don’t seem like someone who would easily ask a rival css for assistance.”

  “This gift is…”

  “I see, you want to send it to your sister outside of school, but the school’s rules won’t allow it?”

  Uesugi sighed.

  He already knew he had no choice but to help—after all, he had a little sister too.

  “Gen-kun…”

  Ichinose smiled at him with those big, sparkling eyes.

  “Fine.”

  Uesugi scratched his head.

  “The student council can get this delivered—provided the school doesn’t catch on. If you asked Horikita Manabu, that stiff, he’d never let you send it.”

  “Leave it to me, as long as it doesn’t break any official rules.”

  “That’s a given.”

  Katsuragi nodded firmly, bowing slightly in gratitude.

  “Then, I’ll leave it to you, Uesugi. If you need compensation—”

  “No need. Keep it. You’re not exactly having the easiest time in Css A either, are you?”

  Waving a hand dismissively, Uesugi pulled Ichinose along, leaving the scene behind.