The Girl Who Bore the Flame Ring Reika-sama

Consider re-reading this first:

Winter came, and I began seriously studying for my entrance exams. I know it doesn’t really matter in an elevator school, but well, may as well.
Once I enter the high school section, the newly arrived External Students will drop my rankings even lower, after all. I have to start studying now to prepare.

And so today, once again, I was studying with my home tutor.
Since Karin-sensei was looking for a job now and quit her role as tutor, the one teaching me was her younger sister, Marin-sensei. Just like Karin-sensei, she’s a student at a national university. These sisters sure are smart~

“At this rate, I think you’ll definitely pa.s.s your internal exams.”

“Really?”

“If you continue studying like this until the last day, that is.”

I see~ But if you tell me something like that I’ll get lazy in no time, so please don’t praise me so much.
Procrastination has been engraved in my karma since my previous life.

“Speaking of which, I rarely ever do see your Oniisama, Reika-sama.”

“Yes, now that you mention it.”

Ever since his coming-of-age ceremony, Oniisama has been busy with both school and our family business, so things have been hectic for him. Most of the time he isn’t even back in time for dinner so I can’t just casually ask him to play anymore.
But even though Oniisama is so busy that he can never get home in time for dinner, why is it that Otousama never comes home late? Otousama, aren’t you overworking Oniisama?
*gasp!* Could it be that he found some fraud and has been busy with the cover-up!? That has to be it. Try your best, Oniisama!
I’ll make him a bentou sometime. A hand-made bentou filled with his little sister’s love. I’ll bet he’ll be happy. I’ll use sakura denbu to draw a heart on the rice.

Get ready for a surprise, uu-pft-pft. Bentou drawings should be a good challenge for me.

“Your Oniisama is so dreamy. From all the rumours I hear, I can’t even imagine that he’s younger than my sister!”

“My.”

I had no idea. Marin-sensei was actually the type who loves celebrity gossip?
But Oniisama really is dreamy. When he studies or reads books he puts on his gla.s.ses, and always looks really intellectual. As a fan of pretty boys with gla.s.ses, it really sends my heart beating.

“Is Oniisama your type, Marin-sensei?”

“Well, it’s a bit hard to say this but Takateru-sama is for viewing and admiration. If I was looking for a boyfriend, I’d go for somebody more normal.”

“Is there somebody like that in mind!?”

“Well, no. But I guess there’s a guy in my grade who’s been going after me~? He’s the opposite of my type though. It’s a bit embarra.s.sing, but I prefer guys more like the vocalists in visual kei bands.”

“Goodness~ So you prefer skinny and fair-skinned guys in leather?”

“Yeah. It’s embarra.s.sing though.”

You say you prefer normal guys, and then go for visual kei singers?
What a surprising side to a studious girl like her.

“By the way, what’s your type, Reika-sama?”

“Eh&h.e.l.lip; Just what, I wonder. Perhaps somebody earnest and kind.”

I’m not sure since I haven’t liked anybody since Tomoe-senpai.
Sometimes I hear Juliet-Kasumi-senpai brag about him though. How nice~ Everyone seems to be so happy.

“The guy who’s been coming after me is earnest too but, he’s kinda&h.e.l.lip; overwhelming.”

“Is he troubling you? In that case, what if you got on a boat with him at Inokas.h.i.+ra Park?”

“Hmm, but isn’t that only for couples?”

Really? Sakura-chan was completely enraged though. She was like a real-life Hannya.

Honestly terrifying.
Really, it was just a bit of a joke.

“JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE SAD AND ALONE, DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TEAR OTHERS APART!” she said. Her expression was incredible but, Sakura-chan, you two aren’t actually a couple yet, right? And if you’re really a fated couple, then small tribulations like this are essential. Confidence in your relations.h.i.+p is important, okay?

Forever Alone Village, currently accepting villagers.

It was still technically an entrance exam, so I decided for a change of pace to visit a shrine and pray to the G.o.d of Learning.
I knew that they sold ‘Praying for entrance’ pencils, but I had no idea they even had ‘Victory’ headbands too.
But then on the news you often see reports about kids skipping New Years celebrations and studying frantically with a headband on their foreheads, so maybe these Victory ones are actually pretty standard?
Once you consider Emperor’s abnormal obsession with headbands, maybe there’s just something about them that makes people try harder.
It seemed interesting, so I bought myself one along with the pencil. And then extras for Aoi-chan too. None for Scary Hannya Sakura. She’s a nagging youkai.
Aoi-chan’s been getting more and more ragged by the day. I’m really worried. I wrote “Please let Aoi-chan pa.s.s” on my wooden prayer plaque, and prayed hard for her.
But even though people call Tenjin-sama the G.o.d of Learning, in life he was actually demoted wasn’t he. Can he really bless us like that?
Or so went my blasphemous thoughts when a bird p.o.o.p attack came. It came right down in front of me, but just as I thought I was safe I realised it hit my stockings in exchange!!
I’m sorry. I was wrong for doubting you. Please forgive me.
&h.e.l.lip;Vengeful spirits are so scary. Just please don’t drop lightning on me.

I never told the Nagging Youkai, but the truth is that after the Athletics Carnival, Toriumi-san spoke to me.
Naturally, about Akizawa-kun.
Apparently, she occasionally saw me chatting to Akizawa-kun about Sakura-chan, and ended up with a strange misunderstanding.

“Could you be dating?” she asked.

Noooo wayyyyy~ This girl, Sakura-chan, why does everyone look at things through this weird romance filter?
And it’s weird to say this myself, but good job calling out to me, Toriumi-san. The power of love is amazing, huh.
In respect of her courage, I made sure to clear things up about Akizawa-kun and I, as well as mention,

“Apparently he is going out with his childhood friend.”

“So he is dating&h.e.l.lip;” she said, depressed.

In response, I told her,

“I think there is somebody else even more suitable for you, Toriumi-san.”

I heard from one of Ririna’s underlings, Gla.s.ses-chan, that there’s actually a boy who likes her.

When I subtly suggested to Toriumi-san,

“What if you turned your eyes to the club members in your own grade?”

She was shocked.

Ummm~ Judging from the ways her eyes swam, perhaps spring is coming quite soon for a certain boy in the Track and Field Club.
Okay, this time, I think I did pretty good!
Nagging Youkai, I’ve been working pretty hard for you in the background, okay. I, the Village Chief, have a magnanimous heart.

But anyway, that Gla.s.ses-chan might look really docile but she actually has quite the gossip. Compared to a fake spy like me, she’s like the real thing.
From funny stories to useful intel, she tells me all sorts of things.
I don’t have many kouhai who look up to me, so Gla.s.ses-chan makes me really happy.
I asked her to call me “Reika-senpai” instead of “Reika-sama”.
She also told me that the 1st Year who got beaten up in the cavalry battle started having these weird feelings of rivalry with me. Why?

“People say that Katsuragi-kun is an idiot, so please be careful,”  she warned.

I’m surrounded by idiots, aren’t I~ From Kaburagi to Katsuragi. Even their names are similar. Life is hard.

Later on when I walked past that idiot first year, he suddenly declared,

“The likes of you aren’t suitable for Enjou-san!”

The rantings of an idiot are too crazy for me to understand.

Anyway, that sad case first year might have been ambushed by my followers later&h.e.l.lip;
It must be tough being singled out by a group of girls. Maybe it’ll even give him a trauma.
If your hair turns white, you can come talk to me.