Ryo tapped his pen anxiously on his notebook.
The classroom was unusually quiet, and Takumi's seat—still empty.
He checked his phone for the third time.
Nothing.
He leaned back in his chair, sighing. His mind was racing with everything he'd heard.
"Didn't that dog get folded by Miss Xuē last class?"
"People saw them together on her bar"
"Wasn't Xuē Liuyue the one involved?"
"I heard they where in an alley earlier fighting"
"Someone said Hanazawa's body was dragged out…"
Ryo clutched his chest dramatically.
Master… you reckless bastard.
He stared blankly at the ceiling.
"You always said death by thighs was worth it. But not like this. I'll remember you."
As he silently mourned, the classroom door creaked open.
A few students looked up.
Ryo followed their gaze—
And his jaw dropped.
A man and a woman walked in—side by side.
It was Takumi.
And Xuē Liuyue.
Ryo stood up so fast he almost knocked over his chair.
"Maste—! I mean—TAKUMI!"
Raizen glanced at him but didn't stop walking. He looked calm, hands in his pockets, bandages still peeking from his collar.
Raizen wore a clean white polo shirt, the fabric slightly stiff against his skin. The bandages wrapped around his torso were hidden neatly beneath it, concealing any sign of injury.
Xuē had lent him the clothes—her brother's, apparently—since showing up to class shirtless wasn't exactly an option.
The shirt fit well enough, though Raizen tugged at the collar with mild irritation.
It smelled faintly of herbal soap, unfamiliar but not unpleasant.
Xuē said nothing after they entered the classroom together. Without sparing him a glance, she walked past and took her usual seat near the back—composed, distant, and serene as ever.
The moment Xuē entered, every man's eyes were drawn to her—a vision of elegance wrapped in a tight, embroidered hanfu that hugged her curves. Her flowing robe swayed with each graceful step, like a silk-draped goddess walking among mortals. But the instant her cold gaze swept over them, every man quickly looked away, pretending they hadn't been staring.
Ryo scrambled up beside Takumi, whispering harshly, "Dude—what the hell happened?! You vanished! I thought she buried you under a sakura tree or something!"
He squinted at Takumi's collar. "And what's with the bandages? Were the rumors true? Did you two brawl in some back alley?!"
Takumi casually adjusted his shirt to hide the wrapping. "Slipped. Bathroom floor. Wet tiles."
Ryo blinked. "…That's it?"
"That's my story," Takumi said, deadpan. "And I'm sticking to it."
Some nearby students were whispering now.
"Wait… they came in together?"
"Didn't she nearly kill him? I heard someone saw her dragging his body out of an alley."
"He doesn't look like a stray dog anymore," one girl murmured, eyeing Takumi's. "Maybe they're actually friends now…"
"Or just a bickering couple," another added with a smirk.
Ryo narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding something."
Takumi didn't respond. He sat down in his assigned seat—right in front of Ryo. Xuē was seated farther away, near the windows, legs crossed, her expression blank as always.
Ryo glanced toward the back. For just a second… he could've sworn Xuē was looking at Takumi's back.
The whispers faded as the classroom gradually filled with students.
Takumi leaned back in his chair and sighed under his breath.
It's going to be a long day.
⸻
The classroom door opened again—this time, with a heavy creak.
Everyone immediately straightened up.
In walked Professor Ishiguro Midori—the academy's oldest, sharpest-tongued, and most infamously nosy instructor.
Gray hair pulled into a tight bun. Square-rimmed glasses. Black slacks and a stiff maroon blouse. She didn't smile. She never smiled.
She looked around once—and then her eyes landed directly on Takumi.
She stopped.
Her glasses slid slightly down the bridge of her nose as she stared.
Bandages.
A bruised neck.
Eyes that looked like they'd seen war.
She has a bloodline power that let her see things sharper.
She narrowed her eyes, then turned toward the windows—where Xuē Liuyue sat quietly, flipping through her notes like nothing had happened.
"That brat again." Midori thought grimly. "She definitely bullied this poor boy. Just look at him. Limping, bruised.."
As a professional-level nosy teacher, she had already heard the rumors.
Her jaw tightened. "These two need to get along or it'll only escalate, as a teacher it's my responsible to fix their relationship, they just need more time."
She dropped her folder on the desk with a thud, making the whole class flinch.
"Everyone." Her voice was sharp, like metal tapping glass. "I've heard rumors. Too many. I don't like rumors. I like results."
She paced in front of the whiteboard, eyes scanning every row. Then she clapped her hands once.
"New announcement."
The room tensed.
"I've decided to assign you all a surprise project. A partnered presentation. Due by the end of the month."
Groans spread across the room.
"You will present on 'Social Strategy and Cultural Conflict in Postmodern Urban Systems.' A complex topic. One that requires two brains—ideally, ones that can actually function."
More groans. Someone in the back cursed quietly.
"You do not get to choose your partners. I will assign them."
Ryo leaned forward. "Oh no…"
Midori raised a paper and began calling names.
"Tanaka and Ikezawa. Chen and Amari. Moroboshi and Handa—"
Then—
"Hanazawa Takumi and… Xuē Liuyue."
The room went dead silent.
Takumi slowly turned his head.
Xuē Liuyue didn't react. She didn't even look up from her notebook.
Ryo looked like he was having a stroke.
Midori narrowed her eyes with satisfaction. "Perfect. If you two have time to fight alley's, you have time to work together academically."
Midori is not a realist she is an idealist…
Takumi leaned back in his chair. "…You've gotta be kidding me."
Xuē finally looked up—eyes calm, though a faint throb pulsed in her temple at the announcement of her partner.
Their eyes met briefly.
Her gaze sharpened—narrowed like a predator sizing up prey.
Takumi raised his hands slightly and mouthed, "Not my fault," with a helpless shrug.
She stared a second longer… then calmly returned to her notes like he didn't exist.
Takumi exhaled slowly, muttering under his breath,
"…I really might die this time."