Game Developer in the World of Anime

Who exactly is Kasumigaoka Utaha?

She's the top-tier beauty who, just after entering the school last year, was immediately crowned the "School Belle" by all the boys. With her long black hair, tall and slender figure, and perfect curves, she's the very image of the ideal girlfriend that most boys dream of.

On top of that, Utaha also excels academically, consistently ranking first in her grade, which made her position unshakeable.

However, this seemingly perfect Kasumigaoka Utaha has one notable flaw—her sharp tongue.

After ruthlessly cutting down several boys who tried to hit on her, she quickly became known as the "Venomous-Tongued Beauty." As a result, no boy dared to approach her anymore.

Yet, today, this very Kasumigaoka Utaha was seen walking to school with a boy, chatting and laughing along the way?

Ichin and Kasumigaoka were both aware of the stares from the surrounding students, but neither of them paid any mind to it.

Having experienced all sorts of societal hardships in his previous life, Ichin couldn't care less about the glances of high school students. As for Utaha, she had gotten used to this in the past year, and it didn't bother her either. After all, if she cared, she wouldn't have been so bluntly sarcastic to others in the first place.

After parking his bike, Ichin walked into the school building alongside Utaha, changing shoes as they headed to their classroom.

While walking up the stairs, Ichin couldn't help but yawn, prompting a curious question from Utaha, "Were you up working on your game?"

Ichin nodded, "Yeah, I got a bit carried away last night and stayed up until two. I'm still feeling sleepy, but it's not a big deal. I'll grab a can of coffee later to wake up. We have exams today, so I need to do well. Otherwise, I won't be able to work on my own stuff during class."

"Hmm~~~," Utaha's voice trailed off with a playful lilt, and she said with interest, "You seem pretty confident. Just so you know, I've held the first-place spot in our grade since last year, so you better give it your all."

"Is that so? Well, I'll do my best then," Ichin replied nonchalantly.

Utaha's accomplishments might be impressive, but Ichin had survived the grueling academic gauntlet back in his previous life. A mere second-year high school exam wasn't going to be much of a challenge for him.

Seeing Ichin's relaxed attitude, Utaha couldn't help but narrow her eyes. It felt as if she had just been underestimated.

---

The first-period bell rang, and Hiratsuka Shizuka entered the classroom with a stack of test papers in hand. "Everyone, sit down. We're starting the exam. Don't think that just cramming yesterday will get you through. This test won't be any easier than last semester's finals, so take it seriously!"

The first exam was Japanese literature. As the test papers were handed out, Ichin skimmed through the questions and couldn't help but let a small smile form on his lips.

Though the subject differed a bit from what he was used to back in China, the content wasn't difficult for someone who had already self-studied extensively.

He picked up his pen and began answering the questions swiftly.

Before long, the only sound in the classroom was the scratch of pens against the test papers.

Hiratsuka-sensei monitored the students for a while before standing up and walking around the classroom. When she reached Utaha's and Ichin's seats, she paused to check their progress.

Despite Utaha's habit of sleeping through classes, Hiratsuka had always been confident in her academic performance. A quick glance showed that Utaha's answers were correct, and Hiratsuka nodded in approval.

But when she turned her attention to Ichin, Hiratsuka was surprised to find that he had not only answered correctly, but he had also completed several more questions than Utaha.

Is this the power of a Chinese high school student? Hiratsuka mused. Maybe I should suggest to the principal that we arrange a trip for our teachers to visit some Chinese high schools to learn a thing or two.

After standing there for a few minutes and confirming Ichin's capability, Hiratsuka Shizuka returned to the chair at the front of the classroom, quietly continuing her duty as the invigilator.

Ichin, who was busy working on his test, was fully aware of Hiratsuka's earlier inspection but was so confident in his skills that he didn't even bother to react.

An hour and a half passed swiftly, and the Japanese literature exam ended. After a fifteen-minute break, the second exam, mathematics, began.

Two exams in the morning and two more in the afternoon made for a full day.

For most students, it was a grueling experience. However, for Ichin and Kasumigaoka Utaha, the tests were far from challenging. They finished early and used the remaining time to relax, which meant that by the end of the day, the two of them were in much better spirits than the rest of their classmates.

---

After the exams, during the time allocated for club activities:

Since Ichin didn't join a club and was a full-fledged member of the "Going Home Club," he turned to Utaha and said, "I'll head out first. See you tomorrow."

"Mm, see you tomorrow," Utaha replied.

After leisurely packing her bag, Utaha was, as usual, the last to leave the classroom. While heading downstairs, she ran into Eriri again.

The moment their eyes met, the blonde twin-tailed girl bristled.

"Ugh, why do I keep running into you everywhere?" Eriri muttered.

"Oh my," Utaha replied, crossing her arms and using her height advantage to look down at Eriri. "Is that any way to speak to your upperclassman, Eriri-chan~?"

"You…!" Eriri clenched her fists, her face turning red. Fortunately, there were no other students around, or she felt she might just lose it entirely.

After several moments of silence, Eriri finally muttered, "S-Senpai…"

Utaha nodded in satisfaction. "Mm, though your voice was a bit quiet, not bad at all."

Pouting, Eriri glared at Utaha. Recalling what her classmates had mentioned earlier in the day, a sly grin crept onto her face. "Heh, I heard something interesting today. Apparently, you were getting quite close with a boy. I wonder how someone as awful as you managed to find someone willing to hang around."

"?" Utaha paused, and then it clicked. Eriri was talking about her and Ichin entering the school gates together that morning.

How did this news spread so fast? 

Though Utaha felt a bit embarrassed, she didn't let it show. Instead, she flashed a faint smile and said, "Oh, are you jealous?"

Eriri's voice immediately rose, "Ha? What's there to be jealous of?"

"Of course, you're jealous," Utaha replied, leaning in closer to stare directly into Eriri's eyes. "After all, you secretly work as a doujin artist. A young girl like you drawing those kinds of books… If that news were to get out, things would get really interesting, wouldn't they?"

"You! You're threatening me!" Eriri stammered.

"Threatening? How could you say that? I'm merely stating a fact," Utaha responded, lightly patting Eriri on the head with a bright smile. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone. After all, I'm not a monster. But in the future, make sure to greet me properly, okay, Eriri-chan~?"

With that, Utaha gracefully walked past Eriri, descending the stairs, leaving the frustrated Eriri behind, grumbling to herself.

"Ugh, why did I ever try to negotiate with that demon Ahh…"

...