Unexpected Encounter

Mitaka High — Morning Rush

The hallway of Mitaka High School buzzed with the usual morning chaos. Students hurried through the wide corridors, laughter, chatter, and slamming lockers blending together into a familiar storm of sound.

Aihana clutched a stack of notebooks and textbooks against her chest, her steps quick and practiced. She liked being early. Prepared. Invisible.

Her brown hair bounced lightly with each stride—

And then—

BANG!

She collided with someone. Hard.

Her entire stack of books flew from her arms, scattering across the polished floor like fallen leaves.

Aihana blinked in shock—and then lifted her gaze.

Standing before her was a student she had never seen before.

Tall. Composed. Blue-silver hair. Eyes a striking shade of green—too intense, too focused, as if they could pierce straight through her.

He wore Mitaka High’s uniform, yet on him it looked… different. More refined. Almost regal.

For Aihana, time stopped.

The student knelt wordlessly and began gathering her notebooks with smooth, effortless motions. When he handed them back, his fingers brushed hers.

A faint electric spark ran up her arm.

The same spark she had felt that night, when she and Miyu were cornered in that alley, and—

Her heart stumbled.

His voice was calm, low, almost too soft for the hallway noise.

“I recommend you watch where you’re going.”

Stern… yet strangely warm beneath the surface.

Aihana froze, breath caught somewhere between apology and confusion.

N-no… Why… why does it feel like I’ve met him before?

Suddenly aware of the students passing by, she flushed and stumbled backward.

“S-sorry!”

She spun on her heel and half-fled toward her classroom, praying no one had noticed her trembling hands.

Akihiro watched her go, expression unmoving—cold as carved stone.

But inside, a thought whispered:

This girl… why her?

Behind him, Rei appeared, arms crossed, smirking with infuriating ease.

“If you help every girl pick up her books, your search is going to take forever.”

Ayame, standing nearby, gave him a sharp glance, slightly scolding him, though her blush betrayed a hint of curiosity. Rei’s grin only widened. Akihiro didn’t respond—his gaze remained fixed where Aihana had disappeared.

Classroom – Arrival

The teacher entered, commanding all attention.

"Today, we have two exceptional students joining us. They come from A-Academy, so please help them feel at home."

Akihiro and Ayame stepped into the classroom, a cinematic silence surrounding them. Akihiro’s aura exuded calm confidence, while Ayame’s presence radiated elegance and warmth. Girls whispered excitedly, some staring openly at Akihiro as if he were a dream. Boys could barely contain their excitement at Ayame’s charm.

The classroom buzzed with excitement:

– "Waaah, they’re really from A-Academy?!"

– "So cool! I can’t wait to get to know them better!"

– "Wow… he’s so handsome!"

Only Aihana remained calm, eyes fixed on her notebook. Her heart still raced from the hallway encounter, yet she forced herself to act normal.

No, it’s just a coincidence… why would I even care?

Akihiro’s gaze swept the room, sharp yet composed, occasionally lingering on Aihana—subtle enough that only someone with keen perception, like Ayame, could notice.

Ayame’s eyes flickered. A hint of something like jealousy tugged at her expression. Why is he paying attention to her?

Sighing lightly, the teacher tapped her desk to command attention. "Quiet down, everyone! I will introduce our new students." The room fell into a hush, the earlier uproar subdued.

"This are Akihiro and Ayame," she announced, her voice clear and firm.

Akihiro stepped forward confidently, serious and composed. Almost every girl’s gaze followed him. Ayame followed gracefully, her airy smile captivating the boys. A few craned their necks for a better look.

"Please assist them in adjusting. Remember, A-Academy is… special," the teacher said, smiling.

Questions erupted immediately:

– "What do you learn there?"

– "Is it true your training is different?"

– "Why are you here, of all places?"

Akihiro answered briefly, polite but distant. Ayame, playful and charming, engaged the room effortlessly, though every so often, a subtle tension tugged at her when noticing Aihana’s calm composure or Akihiro’s attention.

Aihana, pretending nothing was happening, stared at her notebook. When Akihiro’s gaze flicked toward her, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly averted her eyes.

Classroom – Seat Assignment

Seeing the chaos of raised hands shouting, "Let them sit by me!" the teacher tapped lightly on her desk.

“Enough! I will decide where they sit.”

A collective groan filled the room.

Her eyes drifted toward the window—toward the girl who hadn’t begged for attention once.

“Aihana,” the teacher said gently, “stay where you are.”

Aihana blinked, surprised.

“Miyu,” she continued, “please sit behind Aihana.”

Miyu hurried to her new seat, offering Aihana a small, reassuring smile.

Then the teacher turned to Akihiro.

“Akihiro, you’ll sit next to Aihana.”

The class gasped.

Aihana nearly stopped breathing.

Why… why next to me?

Akihiro stepped forward without hesitation, moving with a quiet confidence that seemed to shift the air around him. As he sat beside her, space itself felt smaller.

Ayame was placed in the back row beside Kohei, whose face turned tomato-red from excitement.

Yet Ayame’s gaze kept drifting toward Akihiro and Aihana.

Why her?

Aihana tried to stare out the window, but she could feel his presence—calm, steady, heavy—like gravity itself.

Miyu poked her gently.

“Your face is bright red,” she whispered teasingly. “Is it because of him?”

“N-no,” Aihana muttered, staring harder at her notebook. “Just… concentrating.”

Akihiro noted every detail—from the way she held her pencil to the tension in her shoulders.

Patience, he reminded himself. Observe slowly. No assumptions.

Ayame’s gaze sharpened from across the room.

This girl… I’ll be keeping an eye on her.

Ravukaru’s Realm

The hall was shrouded in darkness. Flickering torches cast long, sinister shadows across stone walls. Ravukaru sat on his throne, surrounded by a dense aura of malice, every breath suffocating the space around him.

Suddenly, one of his demons appeared—coiled and cold, part of the darkness itself. Bowing low, he spoke quietly, his voice reverberating:

"Your Majesty… a message has arrived… the angels are searching for the Fifth Guardian."

Ravukaru froze, fists clenched, eyes alight with dark fury. Slowly, almost maliciously, he smiled, a hint of delight in his expression.

"Four elements… four Guardians…" he murmured, tilting his head thoughtfully. "You say there is a Fifth Guardian?"

The demon nodded, cold and composed, confirming the dark secret.

Leaning forward, Ravukaru’s smile widened, fire blazing in his eyes.

"Then… what are you waiting for? Back to work."

Turning toward the other demons lined against the walls, he commanded:

"Find her. Before them…" His voice became a chilling threat, each word striking like a hammer. "If she exists, bring her before me… and remember—no one, nothing, must stop you."

The demons nodded, dispersing like shadows on their assigned tasks. Ravukaru leaned back, the smile never leaving his face, the mysterious power of the Fifth Element thrilling him. The game the angels were playing would soon become far more dangerous—and far more interesting.

Recess — Two Different Worlds

Recess erupted into chaos.

Students swarmed Akihiro and Ayame, asking questions, begging for attention, trying to touch, talk, laugh and gossip all at once.

Ayame handled the crowd gracefully.

Akihiro tolerated it with cold composure.

But by the window—

Aihana sat quietly, chin resting on her hand, eyes somewhere far beyond the schoolyard.

So noisy… So strange… Why do they react to them like… they’re magical?

Miyu tried to chat with her, but Aihana answered softly, her voice calm and steady:

“I’m thinking about something else right now.”

Her tone was gentle, yet it carried a quiet focus that made Miyu pause.

Across the room, Akihiro observed her stillness amid the chaos.

That night’s memory resurfaced—

the alley, the two men, the sudden hum of energy, the flickering lights—

One of the two girls had awakened something.

A power unlike anything he’d sensed before.

Was it her?

He didn’t know yet.

But something in her eyes tugged at him again.

Patience… observe. Every detail matters.

Rei Joins In

Rei pushed through the crowd around Akihiro and Ayame.

His own entourage of fangirls followed him like ducklings.

He grinned wildly.

“Well well—seems you two are popular here too. Just checking you’re still breathing.”

Akihiro sighed softly. “Barely.”

Ayame suppressed a laugh.