Shouta's Plan

I glared at Karina with such hatred that I felt my hands trembling.

" Yumi , why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her voice thin, almost surprised.

"Why did you and Elfherinsei kill my father?" I said , letting the question cut through the room.

She froze. Something in her expression closed up.

"I can't speak... Elfherinsei won't allow me," he murmured .

"Karina, please... say something. Do it for me." Katamuta took a step forward, his voice trembling.

She let out a cry that hurt me to the core.

"But you only use me. You don't love me," she said , looking at Katamuta disapprovingly.

Hiroshi gave a wry smile; Katamuta smiled too, convinced that they had the situation under control.

"Looks like she's going to switch... to my father's side," Hiroshi whispered, his disdain showing.

"I have her under control," Katamuta murmured , satisfied.

Karina wiped away her tears with a brusque gesture.

"All right," he said, his voice stern.

"I'll explain. But I want to go to the window," Karina asked .

We were surprised by the request. Even so, Katamuta , Hiroshi, and I went there, pushing each other to see what she wanted to show us.

"What do you want?" I asked when she was already standing in front of the glass.

"Come and see. An airplane," she said, pointing to the sky.

I looked up, intrigued. There was a tiny, distant dot in the blue. I didn't understand why, but I went to see. Katamuta , acting as the master of the world, commented without thinking.

"Can I squeeze your shoulder while we watch?" he asked , in a silly attempt to be intimate.

"No, you're not going to see anything like that," Karina replied impatiently.

The blue seemed so ordinary. Then, in a fraction of a second, a light cut across the sky, and the sound of the impact didn't reach our ears in its entirety, only the shock: a flash, a distant crack, and then a silence that fell like lead.

We only had time to see the smoke trail.

Karina looked at us with utter indifference.

"There must have been about one hundred and twenty people," he said, with the coldness of someone reading a report.

My stomach sank.

"I'm not going to stand here and watch this," I thought, and instinctively tried: Time Freeze — Rewind.

Nothing happened. The magic vanished like smoke through their fingers.

"Why can't I use my power now?" I asked , panicked.

Karina smiled, a smile devoid of tenderness.

"I said before: there are powers that don't work in Guardians of God. I am the Guardian of World Two," she said slowly.

The words fell like a sentence. I felt the ground cough beneath my feet.

"So you're no longer affected by your own power?" Katamuta , still trying to maintain control, asked a question that sounded pathetic.

"At first I was," Karina said, "but now I'm sober again. I have a better offer."

We were tense, waiting for the blackmail.

— Katamuta , I want to be with you. — And then she said something that froze my face.

It was a direct, raw phrase, cutting through the air. Not out of explicit sensuality, it was a demand that sounded like a trade: favors for power, favors for silence.

I felt my stomach churn. Hiroshi laughed, as if it were a joke. Katamuta blushed and his eyes widened, fascinated and frightened at the same time.

"Repeat that?" he stammered, incredulous.

Karina smiled, controlling the situation: she spoke softly, just loud enough for him to hear, that she wanted it to happen far away, at his house—not in his office, where the sight and stares of the students would cause an immediate scandal.

I looked at it all with suspicion. There was something more behind the proposal, I knew. Karina wasn't foolish; she was testing limits, forging alliances.

" Yumi , I need you to freeze time after I leave. That way, you and Hiroshi can return to the room without anyone noticing our conversation," she said , turning to me, her voice calm.

Before I could answer, I felt a strange taste in my mouth and spat out blood. A wave of dizziness washed over me.

"I can't freeze anymore," I said, trying to compose myself. The magic had abandoned me.

She grabbed my hair with a sharp motion.

"Amnesiac, huh? You know what I'm capable of," she said sharply.

"Why do you want her to go back in time?" Hiroshi asked, still confused.

"So you won't be noticed in the hallway. If they find out you were here, you'll be bombarded with questions. It will interfere with my negotiation," Karina explained, as if it were the most sensible thing in the world.

A bang on the door cut us off. Karina smiled impatiently.

"Hurry up, Yumi . Or do you want to see something worse?" Karina asked hurriedly.

Fubuki entered. Shouta , the same Shouta I knew from the hallways. He closed the door carefully, as if he wanted to prevent anyone from entering. He looked at us, and then his eyes landed on me.

He saw the blood on my hands and in my mouth. His face changed instantly—surprise, fear, and something else I couldn't decipher.

The silence in the room was broken when Shouta spoke, with a calmness that no one expected.

"I heard everything behind the door. And I know how to help Yumi and Hiroshi get back to the classroom without anyone noticing," he said with a half-smile.

Karina raised an eyebrow.

Katamuta and Hiroshi exchanged glances.

I could only cough, and more blood escaped from my lips.

"Damn... my body still hasn't recovered from the time travel."

Shouta came up to me and held me by the shoulders.

"Calm down. I'll take care of it," he whispered , his voice low but firm.

Karina let out a theatrical laugh.

"What a touching scene. I'm almost crying," Karina said ironically from outside.

She approached, looking directly at him.

— And what does some random student intend to do to me?

Shouta raised his chin.

"I'm not afraid of you," he said . Shouta in a firm manner.

"I understand. Then let's play," said Karina, her eyes sparkling.

We all remained silent, awaiting the verdict.

"I'm giving you this chance. If you fail... Yumi dies," she said finally.

My heart raced.

But Shouta , instead of hesitating, crossed his arms and smiled.

"Leave it to me. Deceiving others is my specialty," he said . Shouta confident.

Katamuta snorted.

"That kid is crazy," he said . Katamuta .

Karina leaned forward, intrigued.

"So tell me, you little liar... what's your plan?" Karina asked .

"Simple," he replied .

"Director, do you have a lighter?" he asked. Shouta .

Katamuta blinked.

"I have one, but... what for?" he asked. Katamuta .

"Just lend it to me, please," he said . Shouta .

But what are you going to...?

Karina interrupted him by tugging on the ear.

"Deliver it now," Karina said .

Katamuta retreated.

— Okay , okay! — Katamuta held out his lighter.

"Just make sure that boy doesn't do anything stupid," he murmured suspiciously.

Shouta smiled.

"When you hear the fire alarm, tell everyone to evacuate the school," he said . Shouta .

Katamuta frowned.

— Huh ? — he said Katamuta confused.

"Trust me. And Karina, I need you to leave too," he said . Shouta , exiting through the door.

Karina raised an eyebrow.

"Are you giving me orders?" Karina asked .

"It's that or you fail at your own game," he retorted .

For a moment, she seemed annoyed, but she ended up laughing softly and following him away.

As soon as both doors closed, Hiroshi looked at me.

"Let's see what this crazy guy is going to do on camera," Hiroshi said .

Even though I was dizzy, I nodded.

The security monitor showed Shouta lighting something inside a trash can in the hallway. Within seconds, the smoke spread.

The boy ran to the emergency panel and pulled the alarm.

PRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

The shrill sound echoed throughout the school.

Katamuta quickly grabbed the microphone from the sound system.

"Attention, students! Everyone must evacuate the school immediately! The sprinkler system will be activated, and we don't want anyone getting wet, understood?" His voice was loud and authoritative.

He turned off the speaker and laughed.

"Alright. Now it's time for you two to get out of here," he said . Katamuta .

Hiroshi helped me get up.

"Come on, there's a secret exit in the back," Hiroshi said .

We followed a narrow corridor that ended behind a false curtain.

— (How did he know that?) — I thought .

Hiroshi pushed a panel and revealed a hidden door.

Shouta was already waiting for us outside.

"Wasn't this supposed to be a secret exit?" I asked , breathless.

Hiroshi scratched the back of his neck.

"Only me, my father, and Shouta know about her," Hiroshi revealed .

We walked into the middle of the crowd of students. Nobody seemed to notice our presence.

The plan had worked perfectly.

"I declare that the evacuation drill was a success! Congratulations to everyone!" A few minutes later, outside the gate, Katamuta spoke into a megaphone.

He smiled contentedly.

"If you forgot something, you can come back. Otherwise, you're dismissed," he said . Katamuta .

Later, the three of us—me, Hiroshi, and Shouta —went to a nearby square.

The wind from the cold rain was already falling on the trees.

"I think you're feeling better. I'm going home . Today... is going to be an interesting day," said Hiroshi.

"Take me with you. I want to see what happens tonight," I asked .

Shouta nodded.

"I'm going too," said Shouta .

Hiroshi sighed, but eventually agreed.

"Alright. But stay hidden, okay? Under the bed, if necessary," Hiroshi said .

The rain intensified. We ran to the Takashi family's house .

It was enormous.

Shouta looked around, amazed.

"Wow... this house is almost a castle," he said . Shouta .

Hiroshi opened the door.

"Dad, I'm home," Hiroshi said .

Katamuta appeared in the room, proud.

"You didn't need to worry, Karina is in my hands. I'll do with her whatever I want, starting today," he said . Katamuta .

— (Idiot. Karina isn't human enough to be tamed.) — I thought .

"Go hide already. I'm going to enjoy this night," Hiroshi said with a confident smile.

Shouta and I went into Katamuta 's room and hid under the bed.

The space was cramped, the floor cold. Our breaths mingled.

"What an embarrassing situation..." I murmured.

"Why did you have to come along?" I asked very quietly.

Shouta smiled, somewhat embarrassed.

"Three reasons: first, because you're still weak. Second, because Hiroshi could try something with you. Third... if Karina tries to kill you, I'll sacrifice myself," Shouta replied very quietly.

I looked at him, not knowing what to say.

My heart pounded.

"Idiot... idiot, and idiot again," I said , trying to hide my nervousness.

"Why help someone you've only known for two days?" I asked.

He looked away.

"Because you helped me with the math test. And I want to return the favor," Shouta replied.

I remained silent.

"I don't want to carry another death on my shoulders..."

Then we heard footsteps. A woman's voice echoed from the hallway.

— (It's her.) — I thought , freezing.

The doorknob turned.

The door opened.

Karina went inside.

Behind her came Hiroshi and Katamuta .

Hiroshi locked the door.

And in the darkness under the bed, Shouta and I held our breath, because the real game was about to begin.