A silent night.

By the next day, before the sun had even peeked over the horizon, its dazzling light had already swept away the murkiness of the night. Layers of white clouds cloaked the sky, and people on the ground looking up could only see a patch of azure through the gaps in the clouds.

Phoenix Academy Maggie woke from her deep slumber. She stretched languidly and got up. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, somewhat flipped up and looking messy overall. The strap on her right was about to slip off her shoulder, revealing an expanse of fair skin that no one was there to appreciate.

She yawned, walked towards the wardrobe, and stood before the mirror, gazing at her disheveled hair and her languid expression. Phoenix Academy Maggie slapped her cheeks with both hands and shouted, "It's a new day, perk up!"

After saying that, she leaned in closer and sadly discovered she had eye boogers in the corners of her eyes. She never had them before when she'd slept well. Phoenix Academy Maggie sighed inwardly. It must be because of last night's insomnia. She opened the wardrobe doors, revealing a variety of clothes. But she didn't hesitate over what to wear. For school, she naturally opted for her uniform.

The weather had been getting hotter recently, but Phoenix Academy Maggie still had to wear the spring school uniform. Japan was a place that didn't know how to be flexible. In spring, one had to wear the spring uniform, regardless of whether the weather was scorching. The discipline committee members standing at the entrance daily were just as old-fashioned.

Phoenix Academy Maggie slipped off her strappy nightdress. She didn't feel cold, only a touch of coolness. She put on a white shirt, struggling a bit to fasten the three buttons at her chest, then put on her blazer without fastening it. Bending down, lifting her leg, she put on her pleated skirt, followed by light blue stockings pulled over her feet. With a flick of her finger, POP! The stockings snapped snugly against her thighs. Phoenix Academy Maggie then slipped on her shoes and strode towards the door.

Upon opening the door, Miwa Kazuki was already waiting outside. He bowed and said, "Good morning, Miss."

"Mhm." Phoenix Academy Maggie nodded.

A maid beside her brought over a cup, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Another maid carried hot water and a clean towel. A third maid held an empty basin for the water after brushing her teeth.

Phoenix Academy Maggie brushed her teeth while walking and then washed her face. By the time she arrived at the dining room, her previously messy golden hair was neatly combed. There was no trace of tiredness on her face, and her eyes were bright. She looked very energetic.

"Good morning, Miss," said the maid at the dining room door as she bowed and opened it for her.

The room was empty except for a single serving of breakfast arranged on the table. Phoenix Academy Maggie sat down.

Miwa Kazuki, standing by her side, began recounting recent events. He reported on topics such as members of the six large financial consortiums having left Japan to seek refuge abroad, failing in their attempts to recruit a Street Cleaner; the composition of the newly formed sniper team; CIA Jack's latest findings; and the special task force's report.

Phoenix Academy Maggie listened to these updates. She remembered them but wasn't very interested. She didn't believe Dio was someone who could be easily found, and she deeply despised people like Iwasaki and the others for their fear of death. Only those who had done wrong would fear Dio coming after them.

As for her mother's decision to stay in the country, Phoenix Academy Maggie wasn't worried. In her view, her mother's actions wouldn't be as despicable as those of Iwasaki and the others. The Phoenix Academy family had always practiced benevolent governance. Adhering to this principle, the Phoenix Academy family could be described as conscientious entrepreneurs in Japan.

As for the other members of the Phoenix Academy family, Phoenix Academy Maggie was not familiar with them. She had spent a long time studying abroad. She only saw family elders when she accompanied her mother to offer greetings during New Year's. At other times, she barely saw them. She had a bunch of cousins, none of whom she knew well. In other words, if those relatives were to die at Dio's hands for their misdeeds, Phoenix Academy Maggie might actually thank Dio in her heart for helping the Phoenix Academy family clean house. She wouldn't shed a single tear.

…

After breakfast, Phoenix Academy Maggie hurried to school. Her blazer was unbuttoned. The buttons of the white shirt underneath looked as if they might burst open with a deep breath, emanating an aggressive aura.

Seeing this, Yoshikawa Sayuri exclaimed with envy, "So lucky, Maggie! What kind of milk did you grow up drinking?"

"That's determined by genetics; it has nothing to do with milk." Phoenix Academy Maggie answered with a smile, "Don't listen to Makoto's nonsense; drinking milk is useless."

Nomura Makoto intentionally crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Maggie, don't burst Little Sayuri's last bit of hope."

"Damn it, I've already lost hope," Yoshikawa Sayuri complained, collapsing onto her desk like a noodle. Her deflated expression made Phoenix Academy Maggie want to reach out and ruffle her hair. But she restrained the impolite urge and laughed. "It's okay. You have to believe in the diversity of boys; some prefer cliffs and precipices."

She silently added in her heart that, knowing Tetsuji, he wouldn't mind whether Little Sayuri was a cliff or a towering mountain.

Yoshikawa Sayuri pouted, forced to accept this painful truth. But she swiftly cast it aside, her face lighting up with curiosity. "Maggie, did you decide last night whether to take action?"

"That..." Phoenix Academy Maggie paused, then shook her head. "I still haven't decided."

Nomura Makoto put on a serious face and said, "Maggie, some things you can't overthink, especially matters of the heart. The more you think, the more likely you are to stand still. At times like these, what you need is to take a deep breath and charge forward!"

"That's easier said than done." Phoenix Academy Maggie felt somewhat helpless. It's not that she didn't want to muster her courage and just charge ahead without thinking about anything. But such behavior wasn't in her nature; she was prone to thinking about the future, not just the present.

"Maggie, the beauty of first love isn't in its perfection, but in its imperfections. Most people's end with regrets. The important thing isn't the outcome, but the journey!"

"Makoto, I'm not interested in imperfections." Phoenix Academy Maggie still clung to her conviction. Her first love couldn't be a cheap emotion that vanished upon graduation; it had to be unlike most people's. From beginning to end, she wanted just one romance in her life.

Seeing Phoenix Academy Maggie so determined, Nomura Makoto sighed quietly. It's difficult to persuade someone to change with words alone. "It's up to you. As long as you don't regret it, we'll support whatever choice you make."

"Exactly! If you run into any problems, you can discuss them with us. We might not be able to help with academics. But as for matters of the heart, our manga club is also known as the 'Love Consultation Department,' and Makoto is hailed as 'The Great Teacher.'"

"Little Sayuri, I need to keep a low profile." Nomura Makoto said this, but the proud expression on her face told a different story; matchmaking was something she took great pride in.

Phoenix Academy Maggie chuckled and chatted with them for a while before heading to her seat.

Hojo Tetsuji, who had been watching silently, quickly took the manga manuscript from his drawer. "Miss, have another look. If there's no problem, I'll submit it after school, just in time to enter the newcomer's award contest. If I win first prize, do you think Yoshikawa will go out with me?"

"I advise you not to overthink it." Phoenix Academy Maggie sighed. She couldn't set his expectations too high. "You have to eat one bite at a time, and create comics one work at a time. You can't expect to make Yoshikawa fall for you with just one hit manga; that's not how it works. The first step is just the beginning."

"You're right! My love story with Yoshikawa can't be contained in a single manga!" The excitement on Hojo Tetsuji's face subsided. But a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. What if his manga became a massive hit? If it got turned into an anime, his love story with Yoshikawa would be shown on TV for everyone to see. Thinking this, Hojo Tetsuji felt a bit shy and laid his head on the desk, drifting into a daydream.

Phoenix Academy Maggie understood from his expression that her words had fallen on deaf ears, and she sighed inwardly. I really envy such simple-minded creatures.

She looked down at the manga. There were significantly more pages than before. As Phoenix Academy Maggie reached about halfway through, she looked up towards the classroom door. Not seeing anyone, she began to count silently. If it took less than ten seconds, her prediction would be correct.

One, two, three.

At the count of three seconds, a familiar figure appeared at the back door, accompanied by a grinning Ayatsuki Iroha. Colorful pentagram stickers adorned the corners of her eyes, and her long hair was dyed blonde with rainbow-colored tips.

It wasn't the first time Phoenix Academy Maggie had seen the two of them walking through the back door side by side, but it was the first time she felt a surge of hostility toward Ayatsuki Iroha. She also felt annoyed with Aozawa. She had thought so much about Aozawa the previous night that she'd even lost sleep over it. Yet Aozawa remained carefree, interacting cheerfully with Ayatsuki Iroha as usual. It made her, the one who had been overthinking things, feel like an idiot.

Her vexation turned into a sharp glare, directed at Ayatsuki Iroha. But the other girl didn't notice, mainly because she didn't look towards the window. Ayatsuki Iroha would subconsciously avoid looking in Phoenix Academy Maggie's direction when entering the classroom.

Aozawa, on the other hand, clearly noticed something off in Phoenix Academy Maggie's gaze. He separated from Iroha and approached her. "Why the fierce look? Who offended you?"

"Of course it's you." Phoenix Academy Maggie replied irritably. "I'm over here struggling with Tetsuji's headache-inducing manga, while you're over there having an easy time."

Aozawa really wanted to retort. What's with these words, so full of jealousy? But he held back. He didn't want to be ridiculed as a self-absorbed prince again, nor did he want to be inexplicably called a big idiot. "Alright, my bad. Let me share the torture of Tetsuji's manga with you."

"Hey, you two are being quite rude! My manga has been revised to perfection!" Hojo Tetsuji suddenly interjected. He startled Aozawa, who stared at his sunglasses and asked, "Weren't you sleeping?"

"Don't talk to my sunglasses." Hojo Tetsuji sat up and said with a serious face, "I sensed a strong murderous intent just now, and it woke me up."

"Murderous intent? Are you filming a movie or something? You're exaggerating," Aozawa retorted.

Phoenix Academy Maggie guiltily lowered her head to look at the manga.