Monday Morning – Tenkaichi Elite Academy
Aeron walked through the front gate, school bag slung lazily over one shoulder. His black hair was still damp from his morning shower, and his eyes carried the same calm emptiness they always had.
Except today, something was different.
Not on the outside.
But beneath the silence.
Behind him, Tatsuki jogged up, balancing a rice ball in one hand and a binder in the other.
"You're early. Don't tell me you actually slept well for once."
Aeron didn't respond.
Tatsuki squinted. "Huh. You look... relaxed. Wait. Did something happen yesterday?"
Still no response.
"…Something did happen, didn't it?"
---
Class 2-A – Ayaka's POV
Ayaka sat near the window, flipping through her notes but not reading a single line.
She could still feel the warmth of his shoulder.
The brief kiss — that half-conscious moment where time stood still and her heart beat too loudly for her to ignore.
> But I'm not saying anything.
Not until he does.
So when she saw Aeron enter the courtyard with that same blank face, she forced herself to smile and wave.
He nodded once in return.
Cool. Controlled.
> As if nothing happened.
But I know he remembers.
---
Classroom – 1-B
Yume peeked up from her desk as Aeron walked in and took his seat behind Tatsuki.
She greeted him with a quiet, "Good morning."
"Morning."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You didn't check your phone last night, did you?"
Aeron blinked. "No. Why?"
"I messaged you."
A pause.
"…Sorry."
She smiled gently. "It's okay. You looked... different today. Like something's bothering you."
Tatsuki spun halfway around. "Yeah! Like maybe you kissed someone in a half-conscious domestic scenario yesterday!"
Aeron threw a pencil at him.
Yume laughed — but her eyes lingered.
> Something's changed.
He's... further away than before.
---
10:00 AM – The Earth Trembles
A black luxury car pulled into the front drive of the academy.
Out stepped Mirei Asagiri — dressed in a school-approved uniform blazer with a designer touch. Her snowy white hair trailed behind her in the wind, her red eyes hidden behind thin sunglasses.
The student council president rushed over, bowing. "President Asagiri, we weren't informed—"
"I don't give prior notice to things I own."
The words sent a chill down everyone's spine.
---
Minutes Later – Class 1-B
The door slid open mid-lecture.
All heads turned.
Mirei walked in without a word, heels clicking softly. She didn't ask permission. She didn't need to.
"Kael Aeron," she said, voice calm.
The teacher blinked. "I-I'm sorry, Miss Asagiri, we're in the middle of—"
"This concerns board-level investment in this school's future. I need five minutes with the student. Privately."
Everyone turned to Aeron.
He stood.
Silent as ever.
But he walked with her.
---
Empty Music Room – Five Minutes Later
Mirei shut the door behind them with a soft click.
Aeron stood by the piano, arms crossed.
"You didn't tell me you were visiting."
"I don't need to tell you anything," she said smoothly. "But I wanted to see if you'd act differently."
He didn't respond.
She stepped closer. "Did something happen yesterday? At home?"
Still silence.
Her red eyes narrowed.
"I saw the footage, Aeron."
He finally spoke. "It was nothing."
"You kissed her."
"She kissed me. Half-asleep. It doesn't matter."
"It does matter. Because I don't like competition."
There was no smile behind her words.
Only warning.
---
Side Story – Ayaka on the Stairs
Ayaka had followed them.
She wasn't proud of it.
But something inside her wouldn't rest until she knew what Mirei really wanted from Aeron.
She stood behind the half-closed music room door.
And she heard it all.
> "I don't like competition."
"You kissed her."
"I saw the footage."
Ayaka's hands clenched the stair rail.
Her heart thudded once, hard.
She didn't know what was worse — that Mirei had seen it...
Or that Aeron hadn't denied it.