"You're asking for leave again! Don't you care about anything? Do you even look like a student anymore?"
"What's the excuse this time? Tell me! You're really starting to piss me off!"
The voice on the other end of the call was sharp and angry—Kirisu Mafuyu, no longer holding back her frustration.
Yukima Azuma had just sent a LINE message asking for leave again. It hadn't even been long since the new school term started, yet the number of days Azuma had been absent had already outnumbered those he'd actually attended. Genius or not, Kirisu Mafuyu had reached her limit.
And so, this morning, she called him directly.
"Kirisu-sensei, I'm taking a sick day," Azuma replied, voice weak and unconvincing.
There was a brief silence.
"…Are you really sick? If you're lying, I'll be seriously mad," she said, her tone already noticeably softer. "Honestly, I'll probably just scold you a little, but I'll still approve your leave."
Azuma smiled faintly at the sudden shift in her demeanor.
"I'm really injured. How could I lie to Kirisu-sensei?" he said, keeping up the weak tone. "I went to a senior's book signing yesterday and… there was a little accident. I only used simple bandages last night, but I figured I should go to the hospital today to be safe."
The sound of keyboard clicks echoed faintly from her end.
Clearly, Kirisu Mafuyu had started searching online.
Fujikawa Publishing had poured serious resources into managing the incident. Instead of it becoming a scandal, the news had turned into a PR opportunity—one that pushed The Metronome in Love into the spotlight. After Azuma gave his approval, the company even released surveillance footage from the bookstore.
That footage was still trending.
It didn't take long before Kirisu Mafuyu found the article and watched the video.
"…Do you need help?" she asked after a moment, hesitating. "I can take the day off and go with you to the hospital."
At first, she'd wanted to scold him more—Why would you do something so dangerous? But the words didn't come out. What came instead was concern. Azuma's actions might've been reckless, but they were undeniably admirable. After all, he had saved Kasumigaoka Utaha, a Toyosaki student. Without him, her life could've changed for the worse.
Kirisu Mafuyu felt helpless. Even though she was angry, her concern won out.
"Kirisu-sensei really is a good teacher," Azuma said with a soft chuckle.
The compliment, unexpectedly genuine, made Kirisu Mafuyu lower her head without realizing it. Only after a second did she remember—I'm on the phone. No one can see me flustered.
Still, what kind of teacher gets shy after being praised by her own student?
"You troublesome student!" she tried to retort, voice sharp but hollow.
"I'm fine, really," Azuma replied. "After all, I'm a professional."
"A professional, huh? You're still a student!"
She paused for a beat.
"…Fine. After class, I'll come check on you. Send me your address."
Azuma blinked in surprise.
Kirisu Mafuyu was going to visit his house?
He hesitated briefly, and the silence didn't go unnoticed.
"What is it? Is there a problem? You don't want me to visit?"
"No, no," he said quickly. "I'll send it over. I'm really looking forward to your visit, Kirisu-sensei."
After ending the call, Azuma opened his apartment door and stepped out.
The bandage on his forehead? He'd keep it on for today.
His injury had already healed—it hadn't been serious to begin with.
The real reason for today's absence?
He had an interview.
More accurately: a recruitment meeting.
"…How could I lie to Kirisu-sensei?" he muttered with a wry smile.
Today, he was meeting someone for a position—someone named Yukinoshita Yukino.
He set off for the coffee shop they had agreed upon.
Yukinoshita Yukino had woken up early.
She washed her face, applied light makeup, then changed into a fitted white blouse and a sleek black skirt. Her legs were clad in thin black stockings. She was as prepared as she could be.
This was her last shot at regaining her freedom.
Standing in front of the cracked mirror in her tiny rented room, she stared at the faint dark circles under her eyes.
She was born beautiful—she didn't need skincare to maintain her porcelain skin.
But beauty had its limits.
Stress, poverty, bad living conditions, malnutrition—they were all starting to show in the tiniest, cruelest ways.
Still, if things turned around—if she got this job—her complexion would recover in just a few days.
If not…
Permanent damage.
She lightly patted her cheeks, shoving away the spiral of anxiety.
Straightening her back, she grabbed her handbag and stepped outside.
Under the soft morning light, Yukinoshita Yukino walked with poise and pride.
Until today, she was still that Yukinoshita Yukino—the girl who chased freedom without compromise.
At the coffee shop, she arrived early and chose a quiet table near the back.
Her mind wandered.
Why would a company like Laplace hold interviews in a place like this?
It wasn't a no-name startup—Laplace Corporation had over 1.5 billion yen in registered capital. Surely they had a proper office with dedicated interview rooms?
A scam?
No… the recruitment platform had strict verification.
Then what?
An old suspicion surfaced.
Someone in the company had taken a liking to her appearance and intended to take advantage of her.
It wasn't paranoia. She'd dealt with it before.
There was a time when she'd been asked to meet at a "romantic" restaurant—only for the interviewer to imply that accepting the job meant agreeing to certain "conditions."
She'd slapped him across the face and walked out.
Needless to say, she didn't get the job.
Thinking about it now, she felt her stomach twist.
Had she really pinned all her hopes on another illusion?
She clenched her fists under the table.
Then—
"Excuse me, are you Yukinoshita Yukino-san?"
She looked up.
A young man stood in front of her. His features were sharp—refined, even. Eyes like blades, expression like a breeze. He wore a simple white shirt, and despite the bandage on his forehead, he looked effortlessly charming.
Like someone you'd expect to be scouted by talent agencies on the regular.
Even Yukinoshita Yukino—who never gave people second glances—was briefly stunned.
"Yes, that's me. May I ask who you are?"
The young man smiled, like the wind had turned gentle.
He took the seat across from her and extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yukima Azuma, representing Laplace Corporation. I'll be in charge of your interview today."
Her mind blanked.
This guy…?
She quickly reached out and shook his hand, regaining composure.
If he was the interviewer, then her earlier worries were completely unfounded.
Someone like him wouldn't need to rely on dirty tricks to get attention from women. Honestly, if he waved, women would probably form a line.
In fact, if anything were to happen…
She wasn't even sure who'd come out on top. (lol)
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yukinoshita Yukino, a finance graduate from the University of Tokyo," she said politely.
Azuma waved a hand.
"No need to be so formal. I've already read your resume."
"Honestly, when I saw it, I thought there had to be some mistake in the system."
His casual compliment calmed her nerves.
She studied the man before her. He looked younger than her, yet carried himself with the ease and confidence of someone far older.
This sort of presence—she'd only seen it in her older sister.
If she had possessed that, maybe she wouldn't have failed so many interviews.
Maybe that's why he was the one conducting interviews, and she was the one desperately seeking a job.
A sudden realization struck her.
This was how people had always looked at her—with admiration, with awe, with a hint of envy.
For the first time, she was on the other side of that gaze.
"Yukinoshita-san? Is something wrong?"
His voice pulled her back.
She quickly shook her head.
"No. I'm ready to begin."
Azuma smiled. "Great. Then let's start the interview."
He took out a small tablet and pulled up a form.
"So—what kind of position are you looking for, and what's your target salary?"
A standard but critical question.
Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath.
"As I understand it, Laplace Corporation is a new venture capital firm."
"My major is finance, and I specialize in economic modeling and analysis. I hope to apply for a position as an Investment Manager or Risk Assessment Analyst."
"As for my expected salary…"
Her voice trailed off.