"Hina, it is time to wake up," Eri said gently, shaking me awake.

I sat up, the morning sun's rays filling the room, casting a beautiful glow on Eri's black hair. She looked stunning, and I couldn't help but admire her beauty. "So pretty," I muttered, leaning my head on her chest, my ears twitching with delight. After a yawn, I greeted her, "Nyaah...Good morning, Eri."

Eri giggled softly, her eyes filled with affection. She then began to rub my ears and replied, "Good morning to you too, Hina. As much as I'd love to stay like this, we need to get ready. Kyoko is waiting for us, and we're having breakfast together before going to school."

"Okies~" I purred happily as Eri's fingers worked their magic. We both got ready, with Eri helping me put my hair into twin tails, a style I'd grown fond of. She dressed quickly too.

'I can't be surprised anymore,' I thought to myself, giggling at the familiarity of our morning routine. I held Eri's hand as we left our room and headed to the dining room.

When we arrived, my mother was waiting for us, engaged in conversation with Sebas. I let go of Eri's hand and ran to my mother, giving her a tight hug. "Good Morning, Mommy!"

She smiled and petted my head affectionately, saying, "Good Morning, Sweetheart. You're so energetic this morning. Excited for school?"

"Mm, I can't wait to see Sakura, Sayori, and Yami-nee said we'll see her today too," I replied excitedly, my tails swaying with anticipation.

My mother chuckled and asked, "That's great. Are there any clubs that have caught your interest?"

"Mm, I haven't really thought about it. I was invited to join the track club, but I feel like it would be unfair since I have enhanced physical abilities. But it would be fun to watch Eri participate in a sport. I think she'd be really good at them," I explained, my ears twitching in contemplation.

"That's very honest of you, sweetheart. So, Eri, any clubs you'd like to join to impress your fiancée here?" my mother teased with a mischievous smile.

My eyes sparkled at the thought, and I looked at Eri, who seemed to be suppressing a smirk. She replied, "I do enjoy running, so maybe the track club would be a good fit. However, I'll join whatever club Hina chooses. I'm responsible for her at school, and more importantly, I want to be with her."

Hearing Eri's words, I started to pout slightly, feeling torn. 'I'm glad she doesn't want to be away from me, but I want her to enjoy herself too,' I thought to myself.

My mother, however, intervened, saying, "That won't do. I told you yesterday that you're no longer a servant. Enjoy your school life. Hina wants to see you do things you enjoy as well, right, Hina?"

"Mm, I don't want to keep Eri from having fun," I agreed.

Eri began to say something, but my mother continued, "Besides, Hina will be allowed to watch. Our family owns this school, and all the teachers are our temple's followers. Hina can go and do whatever she wants as long as it doesn't disrupt classes or cause problems."

Both Eri and I were surprised by this revelation. I asked, "Is that why the teachers use the 'sama' honorific when addressing me?"

"Of course, but don't go skipping classes without your principal's permission," my mother added with a wink, making us all laugh at the thought of Aunt Aiko.

With that, we finished breakfast and decided that Eri and I could start walking to school on our own starting tomorrow. Today, however, we would ride with my mother and Sebas, as she had some business to attend to at the school.

Upon arriving at school, Sebas opened the car door for us. Eri got out first, followed by me. As we stepped out, I couldn't help but notice the students freezing and staring in our direction.

"Is that the Princess's mother?" one girl whispered to her friend.

'Princess? What's going on?' I wondered, feeling a bit puzzled by their whispers.

"She has fox ears and tails too. I think so," her friend replied.

I blushed at their words but couldn't deny that their admiration made me feel a little special. My mother laughed, acknowledging their comments. It was clear that she enjoyed the attention.

"Good morning, Hina-chan, you're as cute as ever today," Sayori greeted me enthusiastically, giving me a tight hug.

"Good morning to you too, Sayori. You look cute as well," I replied, returning her hug.

Sakura greeted Eri, and then both of them noticed my mother, who was watching with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Hina's mother," Sakura said, a bit bashful.

"Yes, I am. My name is Kyoko. It's nice to meet Hina and Eri's friends," my mother replied with a smile and a giggle.

'Hina seems so relaxed with Kyoko; the only person I've seen her like that with is Eri,' Sakura thought to herself with a gentle smile.

Eri joined in the conversation, and soon enough, we were all talking. My mother even invited Sakura and Sayori to visit our place sometime.

"We will, nice meeting you, Kyoko," Sakura said before we made our way into the school building. I held Eri's hand, thinking, 'We haven't seen Yami-nee yet; I wonder when we will see her. I want to introduce Sakura and Sayori to her.'

As we reached our lockers, I braced myself for the usual avalanche of love letters, but to my surprise, there was only one letter with the initials P.F.C.

"P.F.C?" I mumbled, puzzled, as my tails swayed in wonder. I handed the letter to Eri and asked, "What's this?"

Eri took the letter and examined it with curiosity. "Open it up and let's see what it says," Sayori suggested excitedly.

"Wait, P.F.C, isn't that the initials for Hina's fan club in school? They call themselves the Princess's Fan Coalition. Most of them are girls, and they make sure other students don't bother Hina. Maybe that's why you didn't receive many love letters today," Sakura explained, sounding slightly exasperated.

"A fan club? Why do I have a fan club, and why are they calling me a princess?" I blushed with embarrassment, my ears twitching nervously.

Sakura and Sayori exchanged incredulous looks, as if saying, "Seriously?" I looked up at Eri, who was reading the letter with a pout on her face. She began to rub my ears, and I couldn't help but purr, relaxing at her touch.

"There's nothing to worry about, Hina. They saw you fall that time, and they talked to the other students to ensure you have a peaceful time at school, free from harassment and questions," Eri explained, her words soothing my anxiety.

"That's sweet of them," I replied, understanding better and letting my tails sway happily.

Eri continued, "And besides, you are the cutest in the universe. Of course, you'd have a fan club or even multiple, and technically, you are a princess."

My face turned even redder, and I was momentarily overwhelmed by Eri's compliment. In response, I chomped on her arm playfully.

"Don't say that so loudly in front of everyone," I protested, blushing furiously, and hiding my face in my tails.

Eri chuckled and gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for teasing you. Please forgive me."

'When she asks me like that, I can't stay mad, can I?' I thought to myself. "Share your dessert with me, and I'll forgive you," I replied with a slight pout.

"Of course, you can have as much as you want," Eri agreed with a smile, her blue eyes sparkling.

We were about to get lost in our moment, but Sakura interrupted with a cough. "Come on, you two. We need to get to class, and you're in public, you know."

We both realized the attention we were getting and hurried to our next class with Sakura and Sayori.

Inside the classroom, I noticed a new empty desk behind mine. 'Could it be? But Yami-nee should be a grade higher than us,' I pondered as we quickly settled into our seats, ignoring the stares and whispers from our classmates.

When Yuki-sensei entered the classroom, she had some personal news to share. It seemed her engagement had ended, leaving her single again. 'Oversharing much?' I thought, feeling that wanting to get married after just one week was indeed too fast.

Next, Yuki-sensei introduced a new transfer student, and to my excitement, it turned out to be Yami-nee. She entered the classroom with a bright and mischievous smile, confirming her identity. She gave Eri and me a warm look and introduced herself, mentioning that she was our childhood friend.

After her introduction, Yuki-sensei asked her to sit behind me. Yami-nee's presence made me quite thrilled, but I couldn't help but notice the intense stares from our classmates, making my ears twitch nervously.

Sensing the unease, Yuki-sensei coughed to regain everyone's attention and shared one last piece of news. The owner and chairwoman of Cheery Blossom Academy had announced that all students would be required to join a club or start one aligned with their interests. The goal was to help students find their passions and enjoy their high school years to the fullest.

'Did my mother orchestrate this so that Eri could join a club without feeling guilty?' I pondered, giggling to myself at the thought of my mother's mischievous smile.

With that, our class resumed its normal activities, with Yuki-sensei being the only exception. I was eager to introduce Yami-nee to Sakura and Sayori after gym class, but just then, the intercom came to life, and Aunt Aiko's unmistakable voice called our names, summoning us to her office.

'What's Aunt Aiko planning this time?' I wondered as we headed to her office, feeling a sense of curiosity in the air.