Kurogami Ryumen woke long before his alarm.
Not because he wanted to.
Because his power never slept.
His silver eyes opened to the soft glow of dawn bleeding through the curtains. For a moment, he simply lay still, listening. His senses drifted outward, brushing against the breath patterns of pedestrians two blocks away, the hum of a distant subway line, even the rhythmic thump of a pigeon landing on the roof.
Peaceful.
Dangerously peaceful.
He hated mornings like this.
They made him think the world had forgotten the monsters waiting just beyond the veil.
He sat up, brushed a hand through silver hair, and took a slow breath. The air tingled faintly against his skin—electric, responsive. His powers always swirled closest to the surface when he felt… unsettled.
And today, he was definitely unsettled.
Kiromi Kiroyu had talked to him yesterday.
Talked.
Looked at him like he was worth talking to.
She had handed him his pen, smiled like she saw something human in him, and asked him to hang out.
Normal girls do not speak to walking weapons.
Normal girls do not smile at monsters.
He exhaled slowly and stood, stretching until the bones in his back gave a satisfying crack.
CRK-CRK-CRK
The sound echoed louder than it should have. He grimaced. Even that small release of tension had microfractured the air.
"Control," he murmured to himself. "Maintain control."
He had to keep his emotions locked down. He had to go through his day like always—quietly, invisibly, predictably. If his powers spiked because of… her, someone could get hurt.
And yet…
He found himself checking the mirror twice before leaving the apartment.
Ridiculous.
---
School, 8:03 a.m.
Kurogami walked through the front gates of Seiran Academy with the same careful, measured steps he used every day.
His entire presence was built around not drawing attention.
Loose uniform.
Neutral expression.
Gaze low.
No sudden movements.
No unnecessary conversations.
He was a ghost among students.
That was the plan.
And then—
"Morning, Kurogami!"
Her voice carried across the courtyard like sunlight through storm clouds.
Kiromi Kiroyu jogged up to him, ponytail bouncing, expression bright as always. Students turned. People looked. A few whispered. Kurogami resisted the urge to vanish into thin air.
She stopped beside him, slightly out of breath. "You walk fast. You trying to escape the atmosphere or something?"
He blinked. "…No."
"Good, because I wanted to give you something."
She opened her palm. Inside was—
His pen.
Again.
"You left it on the desk after class yesterday," she said. "I swear, you and this thing…"
He took it carefully. "Thank you. I'll be more careful."
"You say that every time," she teased lightly.
He almost smiled. Almost.
Instead, he tucked the pen safely into his uniform shirt pocket.
"You heading to physics?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Perfect! We can walk together."
She said it so casually.
So effortlessly.
He swallowed, throat suddenly dry. "If you want."
"I do." She grinned. "I like talking to you, you know?"
His heart reacted before the rest of him could suppress it. His power flickered—just a spark, a soft pulse in the air.
fzzzt
A loose piece of paper on a nearby bulletin board fluttered violently, as though a sudden gust had passed through.
Kiromi blinked at it, then at him. "Weird wind today."
He kept his gaze forward. "Yes. Wind."
She didn't question it further.
Thank God.
---
Physics Class
Kurogami took his usual seat in the back row. Kiromi, now normally two rows ahead, paused. Looked at him. Then—before he could prepare—
She sat in the seat beside him.
The entire classroom paused.
Someone coughed.
Someone muttered, "Since when does Kiroyu sit back there?"
Kurogami stared at his desk, painfully aware of every eye in the room.
"You okay?" Kiromi whispered.
"I'm fine."
"You look like you're trying to phase through the floor."
"I'm fine."
"Sure," she said, unconvinced but smiling softly.
Class began, mercifully shifting eyes away from them. Today's lesson was on gravitational fields and mass distribution—topics Kurogami knew a little too well.
He stared at the diagram on the board. Gravity wells. Event horizons. Singularity points.
Things Yuji Kiroyu—the God-Slayer General—could create with a flick of his wrist.
A cold sensation slid down Kurogami's spine.
He forced his attention back to the lesson.
Kiromi leaned over. "You already understand all this, don't you?"
"…Yes."
"How? We haven't even covered it yet."
"I read ahead."
"Like… thirty chapters ahead?"
"Yes."
She laughed quietly. "I want your study habits."
Not study habits.
Combat knowledge.
He did not say that.
---
Lunch Break
Kurogami moved to his usual spot behind the old maintenance shed—the quietest place on campus.
Or it used to be.
Kiromi rounded the corner holding two canned coffees. "There you are."
He froze mid-step. "How did you know I come here?"
"I went looking," she said bluntly. "You vanish every lunch. I figured you might appreciate company."
"I don't—"
She placed a can in his hand. "Too bad."
He stared at the cold metal. "I didn't ask for—"
"You don't have to ask," she said with a shrug. "Friends don't need invitations."
Friends.
The word hit him like a blade to the chest.
He looked at her in stunned silence.
She began opening her own can.
pshhhht
Her drink fizzed. She took a sip.
He hadn't touched his.
"…Why are you being nice to me?" he asked quietly.
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I don't fit in."
He looked down. "I don't act normal. I don't talk much. I don't have friends. Most people avoid me."
"Yeah," she said simply.
"Because they don't see you."
His breath caught.
"I see you," she said gently. "You're quiet, not cold. You listen more than you speak. You're… thoughtful."
"You don't know me."
"Then let me."
His power flared again, dangerously.
He squeezed the coffee can slightly.
crk
The aluminum dented inward.
Kiromi stared. "…Wow. Strong grip."
He loosened his fingers instantly, panicked. "…Sorry."
"No, it's fine. Really."
But she was watching him again.
That sharp perception of hers—bordering on dangerous curiosity.
He couldn't let her get too close.
He couldn't let her see too much.
But he also… didn't want her to stop trying.
---
After School
Thunder rolled across the afternoon sky, warning of an early storm. Students hurried through the courtyard.
RMMMBBLLL
Kurogami didn't mind storms.
He liked them. They hid things.
He stepped outside—and immediately sensed her before he saw her.
Kiromi stood under the awning, staring out at the darkening sky. A breeze tugged at her uniform. She didn't seem bothered by the gathering rain at all.
She noticed him instantly.
"Kurogami. Hey."
"Hello."
"You heading home?"
"Yes."
"Then let me walk with you."
He hesitated. "You don't need to do that."
"I know." She smiled. "But I want to."
Lightning flashed.
KRA-KOOM
She didn't flinch.
Most people did.
She looked almost… peaceful.
"Storms don't scare you?" he asked before he could stop himself.
"Nope. My dad's job makes everything else feel kinda small," she said lightly. "Monsters? End-of-world alarms? That's my normal. A little water and thunder? Whatever."
Kurogami's eyes flicked to her.
She had no idea how close she was to the truth.
The rain began—first a drizzle, then a heavy curtain.
shhhhhhh
Kiromi glanced at him. "You okay walking in this?"
"Yes."
"Cool. Then let's go."
They stepped into the rain together.
He expected the walk to be silent.
It wasn't.
She talked about her favorite foods, her terrible math test, her dog, her habit of collecting too many keychains… nothing important. Nothing dangerous.
But every small thing she shared pulled at him in a way he didn't understand.
At one point, her shoulder brushed his.
Just a light touch.
But to him, it was—
thmp
A heartbeat spike.
A surge of power.
A ripple in the air.
She didn't notice.
He forced his breathing steady.
Control.
Control.
CONTROL.
---
At the Corner Where They Part Ways
Rain poured harder now, sheets of water cascading over the street. Kiromi wiped droplets from her forehead.
"This was fun," she said brightly. "We should walk home together again."
Kurogami swallowed. "…If you want."
"I do," she said again. Startlingly honest.
He tried to speak—tried to say something normal, something safe.
Instead, quietly—
"…You shouldn't get close to me."
Her smile faded slightly. "Why not?"
"Because I'm… not good for you."
"I'll decide that," she said, soft but firm.
Another lightning flash.
KRRRAKOOOM
She stepped closer—not touching, just close enough that he felt her warmth through the rain.
"Kurogami," she said gently, "I don't know what you're scared of.
But I don't scare easily."
He was frozen—literally holding back the tremor in his hands.
She took one step back, giving him space.
"See you tomorrow?"
"…Yes."
"Good." She smiled again—bright, warm, painfully human.
Then she turned and walked away through the rain.
Kurogami stood there long after she disappeared.
His heart was still racing.
His power was still flickering like unstable lightning.
And for the first time in years…
He didn't hate it.
He feared it.
But he didn't hate it.