While Misaki was teaching in Rinji's class, the second years also welcomed a transfer student.

"Hello everyone, my name is Manyuda Kaede. I was formerly a student at Hyakkaou Private Academy. Now I've transferred to Shuchiin Academy. Please take care of me."

In Class 2-A, Kaede wrote his name stiffly on the blackboard.

The glare on his glasses cast an oppressive air, silencing students who'd thought of asking him questions.

Class A was where Kaguya and Hayasaka studied. Kaguya glanced at the severe-looking boy and whispered to Hayasaka, "Do you know anything about him?"

In the past, Kaguya and Hayasaka had to secretly contact each other on their phones, because as Kaguya's attendant, Hayasaka had duties to manage. To be cautious, they pretended not to know each other at school.

But now Hayasaka had already resigned and their relationship was out in the open. They could get along as ordinary friends.

"I know," Hayasaka replied.

"Manyuda Kaede, son of the Deputy Minister of Japan's Ministry of Economy, formerly the treasurer of Hyakkaou Academy's student council. After Rinji transferred there, he joined the Anti-gambling club Rinji founded."

"A member of Hyakkaou's student council…"

Hyakkaou's council was different from Shuchiin's.

Shuchiin's was little different from an ordinary Japanese high school student council, while Hyakkaou's truly stood above the school. It could even prevent outside powers from interfering, acting as rulers in the truest sense.

Kaguya had some understanding of this.

She frowned at Kaede on the podium, guessing at his reasons for coming to Shuchiin.

"What about the other two transfer students?"

"They went to Class B."

"I see… What exactly is their purpose in coming to Shuchiin?"

As Kaguya speculated, Kaede also noticed her.

He pushed his glasses and began his own analysis.

'Shinomiya Kaguya, eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Conglomerate, which controls nearly half of Japan's market and can sway the national economy. She was never supposed to have inheritance rights… yet during winter break, in less than a month, she managed to seize control of the Tokyo subsidiaries and several overseas raw material supply lines. She couldn't have done this alone. Was it Shirogane Miyuki advising her? Who are the forces behind her? What are their aims? It feels like this school's student council is playing a grand game. Seems this transfer was the right choice. I should learn a lot.'

With those thoughts, he walked to the seat the teacher had assigned him.

Kaguya and Kaede kept guessing at each other's intentions, though it was useless.

---

"Long time no see~"

"For you it's been a long time, but for me it was only a few days ago."

"So it really is like that. We weren't allowed to see you before, but suddenly I was given permission. I guess it's because you've already been to that era."

In the corridor outside the classroom, Misaki chatted with Rinji.

Looking at the mature and beautiful Misaki in front of him, Rinji felt sentimental.

The girl he remembered as cute had, in just a few days, become a stunning adult woman. The feeling was strange.

"Honestly, the fact that this era's you went back to 1998—it's pretty fantastical when I think about it now."

"True."

Rinji chuckled.

"By the way, did you come to Shuchiin by coincidence this time, or on purpose to see me?"

"Of course I came on purpose to see you. Aren't you touched?"

"I am, actually. Didn't think you'd still remember me after twenty years."

"Of course," Misaki laughed. "After all, I practically watched you grow up."

"Watched me grow up… Wait, you didn't join IW, did you?" Rinji asked in surprise.

"Of course~ I even saw you when you were little. Though back then, it was only from a distance."

"IW isn't an easy place to get into."

Rinji paused, then asked, "You… didn't go into the paranormal division, did you?"

"Bingo~"

"…" Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꞁire.net

He had only heard of that division.

It was established a few years after IW itself, meant to handle incidents unexplained by modern science, and to collect useful items or documents from them.

Back then, Rinji didn't believe in anything supernatural and thought the division was just a place for slackers with no performance goals. He never paid it much mind.

Until the matter with Amano Hina, he had always thought of it as a wasteful department.

"If you're in IW, why suddenly come to Japan? And even to my school? Doesn't the organization give you work?"

"Our department's pretty idle."

"…What about your sister? Is she there too?"

"Mm—You just saw me, and now you're more concerned about Mei?" Misaki puffed her cheeks.

"Don't make that face. You're thirty-five already. Don't do cute expressions, it's creepy…"

Before he finished, veins bulged on Misaki's face as she grabbed his cheeks.

"Rinji, bringing up a woman's age isn't a good habit~" she said through gritted teeth, smiling dangerously.

To be fair, Misaki didn't look like she was in her thirties. By appearance, she seemed barely over twenty.

"Fine, let's drop that topic."

"Good."

Satisfied, Misaki let go and said, "Mei's at Shuchiin too. She's your class's math teacher now."

"Oh, Mei did always have a knack for science."

Rinji nodded.

"But still, if you only came to see me, you didn't need to go this far. You could've just gotten my phone number from HQ and asked me out. Why become teachers at Shuchiin?"

"Because Mei and I wanted to experience living alongside you." Misaki smiled. "By the way, we're living in your apartment building now."

"…"

"From now on, let's spend more time together, Rinji~"