Grace, loyalty, the twin heroes of the peninsula!

Fine, Xier is Xier—better than nothing at all.

Besides, +1 Charisma and +2 Intelligence sound excellent no matter how you look at it.

But now, the problem confronting Kiyomizu Matsudaira was: when exactly should he wear the [Leader] tag?

He couldn’t very well invite a female classmate to a tavern, could he?

That’s just how the system works—handing out rewards is its only concern, while the host is left to sort out the details.

Never mind that for now.

A new message had just popped up.

[You have awakened the spirit of resistance in the Speech Club president. He holds you in high regard.]

[You have obtained a Common Tag: Fat (wearing this tag is not recommended due to its negative effects).]

[To fail is to rebel; to succeed is to start a revolution! Because of your speech, four new rebels have emerged at Private Maizuru Academy.]

[You have obtained a Rare Tag: Rebel.]

[Wearing this tag will grant you the courage to oppose the world.]

[Notice: New synthesis options are available.]

Following the system’s prompt, Kiyomizu Matsudaira dragged the available tags—[Fatty], [Rebel], and [Leader]—into the synthesis bar.

In the next moment, the [Leader] tag began to change.

[Tag: Leader]

[Quality: Epic]

[Basic Effect: When equipped, Charisma +1, Intelligence +2; gain quick wit and eloquence; receive auras of affinity and leadership, making you a figure of remarkable personal charm in the eyes of others.]

[Advanced Effect 1: Favor Mode. When triggered, others will feel immense gratitude toward you, a debt they cannot fully repay.]

[Advanced Effect 2: Loyalty Mode. When triggered, you will gain a companion who will never betray you.]

“?”

This was outrageous!

Kiyomizu Matsudaira was dumbfounded.

These two advanced effects seemed rather abstract, to say the least.

Was this really not just some joke?

Would this really help with social anxiety?

Hopefully, it wouldn’t end up causing even more trouble.

Crash—

Suddenly, someone pushed open the door and walked in.

“Huh? You actually came, Aki…” Akizuki Yanaemi entered from outside, eating a strawberry pudding.

“Mr. Shimamoto told me I had to join a club by the end of the week. I saw the Literature Club was recruiting on the notice board downstairs, so I thought I’d check it out.” Kiyomizu glanced at his childhood friend, who was perpetually eating.

“Oh, I see. Feel free to look around. I’ll go get a club application form from the teacher.”

With that, Yanaemi turned and left. Kiyomizu shifted his gaze and surveyed the Literature Club’s activity room.

It was about half the size of a classroom, with walls lined with bookshelves that reached all the way to the ceiling, packed so tightly with books there wasn’t a gap to be found.

One row held collections of poetry, reviews, biographies, and history.

The other row featured Japanese literature, world literature, drama, art theory, and sociology.

Between the two rows of shelves stood a large conference table.

Kiyomizu strolled by the bookshelves, reaching out to pick up a collection of short stories by Yukio Mishima.

As he opened the cover, the aged paper released a distinct scent of time.

It was a fragrance that seeped through the lines, a unique aroma formed from the blending of profound knowledge and keen emotion, distilled by the passage of years.

The first page introduced Yukio Mishima.

Then came the table of contents.

Then, a set of illustrations.

“Hm?”

Kiyomizu rubbed his eyes and looked again.

There, a strong and handsome young man held another slender, delicate beauty in his arms, whispering to him: “Dazai, I must punish you, you miserable fellow!”

Could this Dazai be that Dazai?

If so…

Kiyomizu couldn’t make sense of it, but was deeply shaken.

“Sorry for the wait, Aki.”

Yanaemi returned with the application form, wearing a bright smile—only to see Kiyomizu holding the Mishima collection, his eyes wide with shock.

In the next instant, her smile froze.

“Hey, hey, hey! You can’t look at that!”

She dashed over and snatched the book away, hugging it to her chest with a nervous expression. “Boys aren’t allowed to read this.”

“Did you draw this?” Kiyomizu recalled what she’d said earlier that morning.

“Wh-what are you talking about!” Yanaemi’s cheeks flushed, and she stammered, “Even if I did, that doesn’t mean I like it. I was just fulfilling club obligations…”

Kiyomizu’s gaze grew more suspicious.

“It’s true, really!” Yanaemi grew flustered.

“Ah, you must be Kiyomizu! Aki talks about you all the time…” A girl entered through the door.

Kiyomizu looked over.

She had a heart-shaped face, delicate brows, long legs, and a slender waist. Her long hair was tied into two braids at the back, and she wore red-rimmed glasses—a mature beauty with a dignified air.

She looked a lot like Mari.

Instinctively, Kiyomizu used his system to check her information.

[Name: Suzune Tsukimiya]

[Common Tags: Student, Literary Girl, Reserved, Fujoshi, Novice Novelist]

[Rare Tags: Beautiful Girl, Heiress]

The tag “Heiress” filled Kiyomizu with respect.

“I’m Suzune Tsukimiya, third year, Class A, president of the Literature Club.” She introduced herself with a gentle smile and took the book from Yanaemi’s hands. “Any books involving Mishima and Dazai are off-limits to boys in this club, you know.”

Kiyomizu was left speechless.

“So you really are as Aki described—a little stoic,” Suzune commented, peering at him through her glasses.

He wore his hair in a neat, tousled style, and his features were strikingly handsome.

A well-defined nose and slightly thin lips gave him a cool, aloof air.

His brows and eyes still retained a hint of youth, but the lines from his ears to his neck already hinted at a grown man’s maturity.

His eyes were clear, though his gaze seemed distant.

Look closely, and there was a sense of world-weariness about him, a detached charm that set him apart.

“On the surface, you really do seem like the reserved, ascetic type…” Suzune said, intrigued.

Kiyomizu remained calm and silent.

Still, being scrutinized so intently by a warm and confident upperclassman made him a little uneasy, his heartbeat quickening just a bit.

“President, Aki’s here to apply to join the club,” Yanaemi piped up.

“I see.” Suzune’s smile grew warmer as she beckoned him over. “Come, have a seat. I’ll make you some tea.”

“Thank you, President.” Kiyomizu nodded and sat down.

Yanaemi took the seat across from him and handed over the application form. “Fill this out first.”

“Alright.”

Kiyomizu glanced over the form, then took up a pen and filled in his name, height, interests, and other details.

Sunlight streamed through the window, dancing across his shoulders in a soft, golden glow, creating an atmosphere both gentle and inviting.

Suzune returned with a cup of tea and, seeing this scene, couldn’t help but smile.

A clean and handsome young man—a pleasure to behold.

“Kiyomizu, have some tea.”

“Thank you, President.”

“What do you usually read?” Suzune set the cup on the table.

“He reads just about everything,” Yanaemi said around a lollipop, then added, “Mostly literary fiction, some popular fiction, but almost no light novels.”

“No wonder you joined the Literature Club,” Suzune replied with a laugh.

“President, I’m done with the application.” Kiyomizu looked up.

“Let me see.” Suzune reached out with a fair, delicate hand, her lips curving into a kind, lovely smile as she read. “Aki often tells us about her love story with you, so you’ve left quite a good impression. Now that we’ve met in person, it’s even better…”

Kiyomizu glanced sideways at Yanaemi.

She looked completely clueless, staring out the window.

“What does the club do, mainly?” he asked Suzune.

“These days, it’s mostly drinking tea and reading. You just have to submit a short story each month.”

“Any other members?”

“There’s also Rin from first-year, Class A—a very pretty girl.”

“All three members are girls?” Kiyomizu frowned slightly.

“Are you worried that, as the only boy in a club of three girls, you’ll be made to do all the chores?” Suzune asked with a smile.

Kiyomizu nodded honestly.

“Don’t worry, we believe in gender equality here. Chores are shared equally. Go ahead and chat with Aki. I’ll take this form to the club advisor—once she signs it, you’ll officially be a member.”

Suzune waved and left with light steps.

Kiyomizu’s first impression of this mature, cheerful, and open-hearted upperclassman was very positive.

He wondered what she thought of him.

“How did you talk about me to them?” he asked Yanaemi.

“Don’t worry, I praised you!” Yanaemi replied earnestly, her eyes determined as she rattled off, “When I first joined, they were chatting about relationships, so I mentioned our romance. Since both Suzune and Rin have never dated…”

“So you started bragging, didn’t you?” Kiyomizu gave her a knowing look.

“Hehe~” Yanaemi giggled, playing dumb.

Kiyomizu could only look at her helplessly.

Truth be told, Yanaemi was truly pretty—her baby-faced features were textbook perfect for a beautiful girl.

She was cheerful, easygoing, and always smiling.

Even when upset, she was easy to cheer up.

Like a puppy, she’d beam with happiness if you gave her something to eat.

She had her odd moments, but nothing serious.

In every way, she was the ideal first girlfriend.

Otherwise, Kiyomizu never would have dated her.

The problem was…

The longer they spent together, the more like siblings they became.

With Yanaemi, those moments of affection had faded. Now, he felt almost nothing.

You could say he was completely desensitized.

But there was no need to let it go to waste.

She was still his ex, after all—a little mischief wouldn’t hurt…

As he looked at her playing dumb, a bold idea flashed through Kiyomizu’s mind.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

The instant his gaze shifted, Yanaemi sensed it.

After all, they’d known each other since childhood—neither could hide anything from the other.

Yanaemi crossed her arms protectively over her chest and eyed him warily. “Your look tells me you’re having some weird thoughts about me! I’m warning you, don’t even think of trying anything unless you first treat me to—”

“Enough chatter.”

Kiyomizu cut her off, put on the [Leader] tag, and asked, “How do I look now?”

Yanaemi looked at him, blinking.

“Huh?”

Then, the girl was completely stunned.