Kitagawa tugged Gaio along, half-running until they reached a building with a sign that read "Visual Arts Department." She was about to drag him inside when—
Her wrist was suddenly held back.
"Huh?" Kitagawa turned around, confused, only to see Gaio standing at the bottom of the steps, completely still, looking at her with a helpless expression.
"Little Dream," Gaio said, gazing into her red eyes that practically screamed, Why'd you stop? He let out a soft sigh, raised his hand, and flicked her smooth forehead with his index finger. A light pop echoed. "Did you forget something?"
"Huh?" Kitagawa clutched the spot he'd flicked, her brows knitting together in puzzlement. Her lips pursed into a pout, making her look like a startled little animal. "Forget what? My backpack? My phone? I've got everything!"
Gaio watched her utterly clueless expression, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward despite himself. "We're not in the same major anymore," he reminded her.
They were college students now, no longer high school classmates who could spend all day in the same classroom.
"Oh—!" Kitagawa's eyes widened as realization hit, her cheeks flushing red.
"Right! Tian-kun, you're in the Economics and Management Department!" She stuck out her tongue, embarrassed by her mix-up.
But in the next second, her usual bubbly energy swept away the awkwardness.
Her eyes curved into crescents, and she quickly threw her arms around Gaio's neck. Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a loud smooch on his lips!
After the kiss, she let go, spinning away like a nimble deer and darting toward the building.
At the glass door, she stopped abruptly, turned back, and flashed a smile brighter than the sun. She waved enthusiastically at Gaio, who was still standing there. "Okay, it's a deal! Come find me after class, alright?"
She paused, then added playfully, "Or maybe I'll come find you! Wait for me, boyfriend~!"
With that, she pushed the door open, her clear laughter ringing out as she bounced down the hallway and disappeared.
Gaio stood rooted to the spot, the warm sensation of her kiss lingering on his lips.
He stared at the still-swinging glass door, where slivers of sunlight slipped through the cracks, falling at his feet as if carrying her lively energy.
He raised a hand, his fingertips brushing his lips unconsciously. A faint smile flickered in his eyes, warm and soft. Shaking his head lightly, he turned and headed toward the Economics and Management Department.
As Gaio rounded the ginkgo-lined avenue of the Economics and Management building, he spotted Shinomiya Kaguya standing on the steps in front of it.
The November breeze swirled fallen leaves past her feet, her navy-blue uniform skirt swaying slightly.
Her hands were clasped in front of her, her posture as straight as a pine tree, like a wife waiting at the door for her husband's return.
"Tian-kun," Shinomiya greeted with a slight nod, her lips curving into a perfect fifteen-degree smile. Sunlight caught on her eyelashes, casting delicate shadows across her cheeks.
Gaio stared at her for two seconds before suddenly reaching out and pinching her cheeks.
"Mmph?" Shinomiya's pupils contracted in surprise.
Before she could react, he was already kneading her cheeks, squishing them together.
Her carefully maintained smile collapsed instantly, her lips forced into a pout, making her look like a goldfish with its cheeks pinched.
"Stop smiling like that," Gaio said, giving her cheeks another playful squeeze. "It's not cute."
Shinomiya froze. The warmth from his hands made her ears burn, her mind going blank.
He was too close—close enough for her to see the curve of his eyelashes. She instinctively tried to step back, but Gaio's other hand pressed down on her head, stopping her.
His fingers lingered on her scalp, the warmth seeping through her hair.
Then he smiled—the same gentle smile that had always been etched in her heart.
"Kaguya, do you remember what I told you in high school?"
Shinomiya's pupils dilated slightly. That smile was like a key, unlocking a flood of memories with a click—
It was an afternoon on the school rooftop, the wind howling.
Gaio stood on the railing, his white shirt flapping in the breeze. The sunlight was blinding, but his silhouette against it was strikingly clear.
"I'll be your support," the teenage boy's voice carried through the wind. "Do what you want, Kaguya."
Shinomiya remembered gripping her skirt tightly.
As the heiress of the Shinomiya family, it was the first time someone had told her to do what she wanted instead of "that's improper" or "mind your status."
"You…" She opened her mouth, her neatly styled hair now tousled by the wind. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
Gaio hopped down from the railing, landing with a gust of wind. He brushed back the bangs blown into his eyes, revealing a pair of smiling eyes. "Let's skip class."
"Wha—"
Before she could finish, he grabbed her wrist. It was the first time someone had pulled her along, running.
Her shoes clacked against the concrete, her skirt fluttered, and her heart raced like crazy.
They climbed over the school wall.
Gaio took her to a street stall, where she burned her tongue on takoyaki and gasped;
They played Taiko no Tatsujin at an arcade, where she lost spectacularly but laughed out loud;
And they ended up sitting on a park bench, sharing an ice cream cone. When cream smeared on her lips, Gaio casually wiped it away with his thumb.
In that moment, she wasn't the Shinomiya heiress—just an ordinary high school girl.
The memories receded like a tide.
Shinomiya blinked, realizing Gaio was still watching her, his gaze unchanged from back then. She suddenly noticed her cheeks were still being pinched, and the realization made her ears burn hotter.
"I remember," she said softly, her voice muffled. "But now…"
"It's still the same," Gaio said, releasing her cheeks and ruffling her hair, messing up her perfect style. "So drop that fake smile."
Shinomiya froze. A ginkgo leaf floated down, landing on her shoulder. She lowered her eyes, and when she looked up again, her smile was finally genuine.
"Tian-kun, you're still so reckless," she muttered, but her hand reached out to grab his sleeve.
"Let's skip class."
The words slipped from her lips with a hint of excitement. Gaio's grin widened, and without hesitation, he grabbed her slender wrist and started walking.
"What do we have here? Two delinquents planning to skip class?"
A cool, steady voice cut in. Both of them froze and turned toward the sound.
A few steps away stood Yukino Yukino, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her uniform immaculate. Her overly refined face was expressionless, her ice-blue eyes—like a freshly melted alpine lake—fixed on them with a chilling scrutiny.
(Note: Yukino's appearance here is based on the third version of her anime design, with blue eyes.)
Gaio's smile didn't falter—it grew brighter. Still holding a slightly tense Shinomiya, he strode over to Yukino.
"Hey, Yukino," he greeted, his tone as familiar as if he were meeting an old friend. Before she could respond, his other hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
Yukino's icy composure shattered. She tried to pull away, but Gaio's grip was like iron. "Gaio!"
Her usually cool voice carried a rare hint of panic, her pale cheeks flushing red, the blush spreading to her ears. "What are you doing? This is… improper!"
Shinomiya, watching Yukino struggle to maintain her composure while clearly flustered, felt a smirk tug at her lips. Seeing the ever-calm, always-correct Yukino thrown off balance added a bit of fun to this impromptu escape plan.
"Improper?" Gaio raised an eyebrow, shaking his head innocently while keeping his grip firm. "You've got it wrong. I'm just inviting you."
"Inviting?" Yukino frowned, glaring at him through her blush.
"Yup," Gaio nodded matter-of-factly, already pulling both girls along. "Join us, Yukino Yukino. Today, you're not the perfect student—you're one of the 'bad kids.'"
With one hand tugging a faintly smiling but resigned Shinomiya and the other dragging a visibly indignant yet stumbling Yukino, he marched purposefully toward the school gate.
Three distinct figures moved through the November chill, heading toward something delightfully against the rules.
They reached the university gate, wide open and bustling with students and tourists snapping photos. It was far freer than high school.
Gaio, still pulling Shinomiya and Yukino, didn't slow down.
Whoosh—all eyes turned to them.
"Hey! Look!" A girl clutching books nudged her friend. "Is that… Nero? Back from his concert?"
"Oh my gosh, it's him! He's with… President Shinomiya?!" Her friend's eyes widened. "And… Yukino from the Management Department?!"
A nearby guy gasped. "Whoa… he's got both of them? And running that fast? Where's he going?"
A short girl covered her mouth, tears welling up. "No… Nero-sama! How could you hold hands with other girls? Let them go!"
"Tch," a stylish guy crossed his arms, his tone sour. "What's so great about being a celebrity? Just because he's famous, he gets to drag two girls around?"
Another guy shot back, "You don't get it! Nero's got his reasons! Maybe it's a mission!"
A fangirl squealed, eyes sparkling. "Exactly! Look at Nero-sama's dashing run! So cool!"
"Let go of Senior Shinomiya's hand! Let me—I mean, let go of my Nero-sama!"
"Yukino, please, just one glance my way!"
Whispers and stares pierced like needles.
Yukino's face burned, her ears red as blood. She tugged at her wrist, hissing, "Gaio, let go! You're causing a scene!" She wanted to vanish.
Shinomiya's faint smile didn't waver. She stood taller, her gaze flicking toward the sour commenter with a hint of pride.
Gaio ignored the chatter, his casual smirk unchanged. He tightened his grip on both wrists, speeding up, cutting through the crowd like a gust of wind.
Behind them, a trail of gossip and broken hearts followed.
"Don't mind them," he muttered without looking back, his tone light. "Keep up. Today's plan is 'Sunshine Girls Step Out the Door.'"