Yuta kept his expression neutral, but his body tensed inwardly.
There was something in that look—something old, familiar.
'Same face as the bullies from my past life. Same posture. Same way of acting like they own someone who was never theirs.'
Anger rose slowly, silently.
This time, he wasn't the victim anymore.
Aika leaned in a bit closer, flashing a smile that balanced lightness and mischief.
"You've got social media, right? Give me your number and follow me on Toknet. That's where I post everything."
Yuta pulled out his phone without hesitation.
"Here. Number saved. And I'm already following you."
She glanced at the screen, satisfied, before tucking her own phone into her jacket's inner pocket.
"Cool. Now you can't ignore me anymore."
She was about to walk away but paused for a second.
Her eyes roamed over Yuta, scanning him from head to toe without pretense.
Even through the uniform, her gaze lingered for half a second on a specific part of his body.
Then she bit her lower lip, hiding a smile, and turned to rejoin her friends.
Yuta noticed.
'Yeah, I saw where she looked.'
He didn't comment. Didn't react.
He just shifted his focus back to Ryo.
The guy was still staring.
His look wasn't simple jealousy. It was a hunger for control. A desire to hurt.
Yuta smiled faintly, this time without hiding it.
'You four are gone today. And no one's gonna miss you.'
___
Megumi Katō wasn't used to feeling anxious.
Most days were predictable, dragging, muffled under the same repeated routine. But at that moment… her chest wouldn't settle.
Seated near the window, notebook open and pen twirling between her fingers, she tried to keep her expression neutral.
But her eyes kept drifting to the clock.
'Two more classes to go…'
She remembered the cold touch on her skin. The thread of energy that ran through her arm.
The sensation… of lightness.
Real lightness.
And the calm, absurd voice that had said: *"If that had stayed in your body much longer… it could've killed you."*
'Kill…'
The word hit harder each time she tried to brush it off.
Megumi furrowed her brow, crossing her arms over the desk.
She didn't know exactly what Yuta had done. Or how.
But she knew it wasn't normal. And more—she knew it wasn't a lie.
Because her body… that strange weight on her shoulders, the constant fatigue, the feeling that the world didn't see her…
All of it was gone after that touch.
And now, for the first time since starting at this school, she actually wanted to talk to someone.
To him.
Yuta Okkotsu.
'That boy's trouble. But he might also be an answer.'
Her stomach knotted faintly.
Less than an hour until lunch.
And Megumi was counting every minute.
Further back in the classroom, Tomoya Aki stared at the blank page in front of him, not seeing a single word.
The pen twirled in his fingers, but his mind was elsewhere.
'I stepped away for fifteen minutes…'
He glanced discreetly at Megumi. She was different. Not just in posture or expression. She… seemed present.
Alive.
'What happened in that damn plaza?'
The rumors had reached him fast. Too fast. They spread like dry wildfire:
"Megumi and Yuta."
"Behind the gym."
"Practically a confession."
Tomoya pressed his lips together.
Yuta Okkotsu.
The name jabbed like a thorn in the logic he'd been building for weeks.
'He's not even in our class. No one talked about him. And now, out of nowhere, he's at the center of everything?'
The pen stopped.
'Megumi's the protagonist. She's my foundation. The centerpiece.'
The unease wasn't possessive. It was structural. Creative.
And now… it all risked crumbling.
He leaned over the desk, slamming his notebook shut.
'I need to fix this. Before she's shaped by a story that isn't mine.'
If anyone could help him regain control of the script, it was Eriri Spencer.
Childhood friend. The only one who understood what he was trying to build.
Tomoya checked the clock.
'Next break… I'll talk to her.'
And if this Yuta thought he could barge into the narrative…
He was about to learn his mistake.
____
The break bell rang sharply, echoing through the hallway.
Before most students could even stand, Megumi was already up, gathering her materials with unusual speed.
A few desks over, reactions came instantly.
"Easy, Katō, Yuta's not gonna run away."
Megumi paused for a second.
"What?"
The girl who spoke smirked, resting her face in her palm.
Another chimed in with a teasingly soft voice:
"Careful with the student council president. If they catch you two behind the gym doing something… it's straight to punishment."
Megumi frowned.
"Doing what?"
Before an answer came, a third girl laughed:
"The quiet ones are always the worst. Bet Megumi's hiding way more than she lets on."
And, as if it were the final line of a group script, a last voice added with conviction:
"Stop playing dumb. Everyone knows."
Megumi stayed silent.
She didn't blush. Didn't waver.
She just adjusted the strap of her backpack, eyes fixed on the door.
"You guys could mind your own business more."
And she left the classroom without looking back.
___
Yuta was leaning against the side wall of the gym, hands in his pockets, expression faintly bored.
The midday sun warmed the concrete, but the building's shadow offered a quiet refuge.
He stared at the ground, lightly kicking a pebble with the tip of his shoe.
'She's taking a while… or maybe she changed her mind.'
He wasn't too worried. If Megumi showed up, he'd give her the basics. Just enough. Enough to keep her from stumbling into something she didn't understand.
Nothing about the System. Nothing about complex curses.
Just enough to keep her alive.
The sound of soft footsteps broke his reverie.
Megumi appeared around the corner, calm, walking with her usual composure.
She saw him before he looked up.
"You actually came."
Yuta pushed off the wall, straightening his posture.
"I said I would."
She stopped a few steps away, keeping a comfortable distance.
"I don't think this is the best place to talk about… whatever you're going to tell me."
Yuta nodded.
"I know. But it's the only spot with no one around right now."
Megumi hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath.
"Before anything… sorry."
He raised an eyebrow.
"For?"
"For what they're saying. For your name getting dragged around… tied to mine."
Yuta gave a small smile.
"Doesn't bother me to be your fake boyfriend."
Megumi blushed.
She turned her face quickly, trying to hide it.
Yuta didn't notice anything unusual—he didn't know about her classroom exchange or the rumors.
He just saw Megumi quiet, her expression a bit softer than usual.
And for a second, she thought.
'If it were true… would it be so bad?'
But the thought passed as quickly as it came.
She stayed firm.
"Start talking."
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