The walk to school was calm, the fresh morning breeze dancing through the trees lining the street. Kaido and Asuka walked side by side, the rhythmic sound of their steps blending with the city's morning chatter.
Kaido had his hands clasped behind his neck and made an exaggerated grimace.
"Mr. Kaido, I hope this doesn't happen again!" he said, mimicking Ms. Miho's voice with a dramatic tone.
"Hmph… I think you deserved it."
"What?" Kaido turned to her, indignant. "How dare you!"
"Nobody told you to skip class under the excuse of going to the bathroom." Asuka raised an eyebrow, barely hiding a smile.
Kaido sighed, adopting a martyr's expression.
"It had to be done! When a certain someone who skipped classes didn't reply to my messages… didn't even pick up my calls… huh?"
"...I don't know what you're talking about." Asuka averted her gaze, looking innocently suspicious.
"Pfff!" Kaido huffed, feigning drama. "Yes, yes… it must be great pretending not to understand, when she just patted your head and said, 'If you need anything, you can talk to me.'"
Asuka covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.
"Hahaha!… are you jealous?"
"Jealous? Of course, I am. I also wanted to pat you like that too… but you won't let me." Kaido feigned offense, but his eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Uzai na![1]" murmured Asuka, blushing slightly as she quickened her pace to hide her face.
Kaido picked up his pace until he was walking beside her. When he looked more closely at Asuka, he noticed the subtle dark circles under her eyes.
"You kept training after I left?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No." Asuka replied immediately.
Kaido tilted his head slightly, giving her that serious, suspicious look she knew well — the one that clearly said, "you're lying."
"Hontou da![2]" Asuka hurriedly said, raising her hands defensively. "I wasn't training."
"Then… why did you sleep so little?" Kaido kept his voice calm but his gaze attentive.
Asuka hesitated for a moment, averting her eyes.
"I… was handling the dojo paperwork," she said, avoiding his gaze.
Kaido crossed his arms, but his expression softened, filled with concern.
"How's everything going?"
She took a deep breath.
"Since we lost so many members after the attack… the dojo's finances are falling. It's hard to keep everything running."
"If that's the case, you should let me help," Kaido said firmly. "At the very least, let me pay to train."
"Don't even think about it!" Asuka stopped him, in a tone harsher than intended. "You're part of the family. I would never let you pay."
Kaido tried to insist, but before he could speak, Asuka clenched her fists and muttered angrily:
"Damn Feng… I'll make him pay for this."
"Feng?" Kaido's eyes widened. "Feng Wei?"
Asuka froze for a moment, realizing she'd said too much. She reverted to her more closed, protective tone.
"Ka-Kankeinai wa yo![3]"
He stood still on the sidewalk, thoughtful, as she moved a few steps ahead. When he didn't follow, Asuka marched back, grabbed his arm, and pulled him along.
"Come on, or we'll be late."
Kaido let himself be dragged, his eyes still gleaming with rapid thoughts.
" Stop thinking weird stuff," she muttered, not looking back.
Then he flashed a mischievous smile, almost like a light bulb had switched on above his head.
"That's it."
Asuka released his arm, inquisitive.
"What?"
"I know how to bring more people to the dojo," Kaido said proudly, as if he'd just had a brilliant idea.
Asuka crossed her arms.
"What crazy idea is this now? Things are complicated. Most people these days prefer gyms to learning martial arts…"
"Don't worry." Kaido winked. "It's going to be huge."
Asuka narrowed her eyes, still suspicious of Kaido's "brilliant plan."
"That still worries me…" she sighed, running a hand over her face.
"Relax, it'll work out," Kaido replied confidently, even without explaining anything.
They were just a few steps from the school gate, the flow of students beginning to thicken around them. Then the subtle sound of tires sliding caught their attention.
A sleek black limousine glided to a smooth stop by the sidewalk. The contrast was striking — that car didn't belong in the everyday scenery of the school.
The rear door opened elegantly, and out stepped Lili Rochefort. Her uniform was perfectly aligned, her blonde hair impeccably swaying in the wind, and that victorious smile seemed to say, "Today is my day!"
"Oh… no…" murmured Asuka, already furrowing her brow.
Kaido raised an eyebrow, half admiring, half concerned.
"She never misses a chance to make a scene."
Lili took a few graceful steps, completely ignoring the curious glances around her. When she saw Kaido and Asuka, she flashed a wider smile, as if she were exactly where she wanted to be.
"Bonjour, mes amis," she greeted in a light, teasing tone. "What a lovely coincidence to see you here first thing in the morning."
Asuka crossed her arms.
"Coincidence… indeed."
Kaido slightly frowned, curious.
"Strange…" he murmured. "Usually, your butler opens the door."
Lili placed a hand on her hip, turning to him with a calm little smile.
"He's busy."
It was a simple response, but the soft, almost disinterested tone suggested that "busy" meant something more than just ordinary tasks.
Asuka crossed her arms with a sour look.
"Of course he is…"
Lili pretended not to hear and started walking toward them, her confident aura surrounding her like a red carpet.
The three passed through the gate side by side, and Lili, with her usual elegant stride, cast a look from head to toe at Asuka.
"Mon Dieu… dark circles?" she said with a teasing smile. "A lady should sleep, Kazama."
Asuka huffed, frowning.
"Not everyone gets beauty sleep, Rochefort."
"Touché." Lili smiled, clearly pleased to have provoked her.
Before they could continue their morning cold war, a SMACK! echoed near the entrance. The security guard, a man with some gray hair, had just smacked his own face — so hard that all three froze, along with half a dozen nearby students.
Kaido blinked several times, trying to process.
"Are… you okay, sir?"
The guard sighed deeply, with a dramatic air.
"Yes… I just miss quiet mornings."
Kaido couldn't help but burst into laughter, bending forward with his hand on his stomach.
Asuka and Lili, on the other hand, turned at the same time, irritated:
"Huh?!" they said in perfect unison, in that tone that could make anyone nervous.
The guard straightened immediately, bowing slightly in a hurried greeting.
"Good morning, ladies…"
Kaido straightened, still smiling, and shook his head.
"You should be ashamed. Intimidating Mr. Tanaka like that… you look like delinquents."
Lili stopped in front of him, raising her chin with disdain and half-lidded eyes — clearly annoyed.
"Pas très élégant, mon cher[4]" she said in French, coldly reproving.
Just behind her, Asuka landed a solid punch on his shoulder.
"Baka," she growled, passing him, irritated.
Lili did the same, shooting her a sour look before continuing.
Kaido stayed behind, massaging his shoulder, while the guard shrugged with a pure "I feel you" expression.
. . .
Hours had passed, and the bell echoed through the hallways, announcing the last class before lunch. Student movement increased — backpacks bumping into each other, overlapping conversations, and hurried footsteps through the corridors.
Kaido and Asuka walked together, mingling with other classmates, exchanging jokes as they headed to the classroom. The atmosphere was light — or at least it seemed to be…
As soon as they entered, they started moving toward their usual seats. Kaido headed for the desk by the window, dropping his backpack on the floor with a lazy sigh.
"Finally… last class, I'm getting hungry," he murmured, resting his chin on his hand.
Asuka followed, ready to sit beside him as she did every day. But the moment she leaned to pull the chair...
PUF!
A quick, elegant, blatantly planned move. Lili appeared from behind, gliding through the students as if part of a rehearsed choreography. With a slight hip nudge, she pushed Asuka aside and sat down, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Pardon," she said, feigning innocence, adjusting her blonde hair as if nothing had happened.
Asuka blinked in disbelief for a moment.
"Anta…[5]" she began, her voice rising.
Lili turned her face with an almost angelic expression, leaning slightly forward.
"Moi?[6]" she asked, with feigned sweetness. Then she turned to Kaido as if nothing had happened. "Now… I'll be your new company."
"Get out of there, you…!" Asuka growled, eyes narrowed. "That's my seat!"
Lili crossed her legs elegantly and rested her elbows on the desk.
"Well, well… you should have been faster, ma chère."
Kaido placed a hand on his face and sighed.
"Lili, don't provoke her…"
She leaned closer to him, her voice low and seductive.
"And what do I get in return… if I'm a good girl and do as you say?"
Kaido fell silent for a second, trying to process her audacity. Before he could respond, Asuka stomped her foot so hard the floor seemed to feel her irritation.
"Get. Out. Now!"
Lili rose slowly, approaching Asuka until they were face to face. Her smile sharpened, and in a whisper, she said:
"You shouldn't be so rough…" speaking even more softly "or your dear Kaido might end up running to someone more… elegant."
The words cut deeper than a strike. Asuka was left speechless, eyes wide, blood boiling, unable to articulate a single response. Lili let out a quiet giggle, enjoying her victory, then sat back down.
The students around had already stopped talking — it was impossible not to notice the sudden change in the classroom's atmosphere. Kaido looked at Asuka, confused by her reaction.
"Asu…?" he called.
She averted her gaze, refusing to look at him.
At that moment, the teacher entered the classroom, the sound of the sliding door closing behind him.
"Good morning, class. Take your seats, please."
Asuka, almost automatically, sat in the chair behind Lili, keeping her eyes fixed on the desktop.
Kaido slowly turned around.
"Asuka…" he called softly.
She remained still, as if his voice were distant. The tips of her fingers trembled on the desk, but her gaze stayed fixed, too afraid to meet his eyes.
A knot formed in Kaido's chest. He then turned to Lili.
"Lili… what did you say to her?" he asked, full of concern.
Lili rested her elbow on the desk and propped her face on her hand, wearing a feigned innocent smile.
"I just made a small observation, mon cher," she replied lightly, as if nothing significant had happened.
But instead of easing the tension, it triggered something in Kaido. His jaw clenched, and in an almost involuntary movement, his voice rose:
"What did you do to her?" The intensity sliced through the room, and at that instant, a bluish spark flashed like lightning in his brown eyes. It was quick… but Lili saw it.
For a brief second, Lili's heart raced. Her lips parted and a warm current ran down her spine. Surprise painted her face before it was slowly consumed by a soft blush rising to her cheeks — not from embarrassment, but an unexpected excitement.
"Ah… how interesting!" she thought, amused by what she had just noticed.
The murmurs of the students echoed through the classroom, but no one dared interrupt. Everyone was watching — curious, tense.
"Kaido!" the teacher's voice cut through the silence, dry and authoritative. "Behave."
He blinked, as if awakening from a trance. He took a deep breath, straightened up, and glanced at Lili — who still stared at him with a strange admiring gaze — and then at Asuka, still hunched over.
"Sorry, teacher," he murmured, turning forward again.
Lili adjusted in her chair, smiling in silent delight. She knew she had seen something no one else had noticed. What had started as a simple way to provoke Asuka… had turned, in her eyes, into a real mystery.
[1] How annoying!
[2] It’s true!
[3] It’s none of your business!
[4] Not very elegant, my dear
[5] You...
[6] Eu?