Chapter: The Day They Should Have Just Gone Home

It started with a simple plan.

Finish homework.
Maybe stop by the bookstore.
Relax a little.

A normal afternoon.

First Sighting: The Bookstore

“…Is that—”

“Don’t say it.”

Too late.

There she was.

Diana.

In the manga aisle.

She stood in front of a shelf filled with romance, horror, and niche titles, flipping through pages with calm, clinical precision. Her outfit hadn’t changed—black blouse, leather skirt, heels, earrings catching the light.

Beckett stood beside her.

Mask on. Gloves on. Quiet as ever.

Holding a stack of:

JRPG art books

Game design collections

Strategy guides

The twins stood nearby, each holding different volumes, quietly analyzing.

“…The panel flow here is inefficient,” Peresphone murmured.

Hades nodded. “But the composition is salvageable.”

Diana turned a page.

Paused.

“…This is terrible,” she said flatly.

The students leaned in—confused.

She added:

“…We’re buying it.”

A beat.

“…Why?” Beckett asked quietly.

Diana smirked faintly.

“Because understanding failure is useful.”

One student whispered:

“…Why is she like this outside school?”

Another responded instantly:

“…She’s not outside school.”

No one remembered what she bought.

Second Sighting: The Game Store

They should have gone home.

They didn’t.

The bell above the door rang.

And there she was.

Again.

Diana stood at the counter, holding a stack of otome games.

Beckett beside her with JRPG titles.

The twins, deep in discussion:

“This one has a better progression system.”
“But weaker narrative structure.”

The cashier smiled nervously.

“Are these gifts?”

Diana didn’t look up.

“No. Research.”

Beckett nodded once.

The students froze.

“…Research for what?” one whispered.

No one answered.

Because no one wanted to know.

Third Sighting: The Arcade

They should have left.

They didn’t.

Lights flashed. Music blared.

And yet—

There she was again.

Diana stood at a rhythm game machine.

Perfect timing.
Perfect precision.

Not a single missed input.

Beckett, nearby, quietly dominating a strategy game.

The twins critiqued mechanics like professionals.

Diana didn’t turn.

“If you’re going to stare,” she said calmly,
“…at least learn something.”

Three students immediately walked out.

One stayed.

Lasted five seconds.

Then followed.

Fourth Sighting: The Café

This time, they tried to ignore it.

They really did.

“…Don’t look.”

“I’m not looking.”

“You’re looking.”

“I’m not—”

They looked.

Diana sat at a table.

Coffee beside her.

A handheld console in her hands.

A visual novel.

Beckett sat across from her, reading quietly.

The twins sketched.

Diana sighed softly.

“…Of course I picked this route again.”

Beckett didn’t look up.

“…You always do.”

“…I know.”

A student whispered:

“…That’s literally her type.”

Another:

“…That’s literally him.”

Silence.

Total, immediate, suffocating silence.

Fifth Sighting: The Park

They should have gone home.

They didn’t.

The park was calm.

Peaceful.

Normal.

Diana, Beckett, and the twins sat together with drinks.

Frozen lemonade.

They weren’t talking much.

Just… watching people.

“…That couple won’t last,” Diana said casually.

“…Agreed,” Beckett replied.

“…That person is pretending to enjoy the conversation,” Hades added.

Peresphone nodded.

“…They’re uncomfortable.”

A student nearby stiffened.

“…Are they talking about us?”

Diana glanced at them.

“You should be studying.”

They left immediately.

Sixth Sighting: The Library

This was the breaking point.

Diana sat surrounded by:

Classic literature

Romance manga

Horror collections

Beckett stood nearby, scanning quietly.

The twins sketched in silence.

A student approached.

“…Miss Bloodbriar?”

Diana looked up.

“…Yes?”

“…Can you help with this?”

She glanced at the paper.

Explained the solution perfectly.

Quickly.

Precisely.

Then added:

“You already understood it.”

A pause.

“You just didn’t want to think.”

The student walked away.

Changed.

The Final Mistake

One student made a mistake.

They looked over Diana’s shoulder.

The book she was holding—

The controversial horror graphic novel.

One page.

That was all it took.

They slowly leaned back.

Closed their eyes.

“…I didn’t see that.”

The twins glanced at each other.

“…Effective,” Hades noted.

“…Very,” Peresphone agreed.

The Collapse

By evening, the group sat together.

Silent.

Processing.

“…We saw her at the bookstore.”

“…And the arcade.”

“…And the café.”

“…And the park.”

“…And the library.”

A long pause.

“…She’s the same everywhere.”

“…Exactly the same.”

“…There’s no difference.”

Another pause.

“…I don’t like that.”

“…Me neither.”

One student opened their notebook.

Started writing:

“Bookstore???”

“Arcade??? terrifying???”

“Visual novels???”

“Horror book—NOPE”

They stopped.

Looked at the page.

Then slowly wrote:

“Finish homework.”

The Final Rule

The next day at school—

No one mentioned it.

Not the bookstore.
Not the games.
Not the park.
Not the book.

Nothing.

Because everyone had reached the same conclusion:

There is no “outside of school” version of Diana.

She is always:

Cold

Precise

Observing

The same

And Beckett?

Right beside her.

Always.

Closing Line

And somewhere, in a quiet room filled with books, games, and soft conversation—

Diana turned a page and smirked.

“…Terrible,” she said.

Beckett glanced at her.

“…We’re keeping it?”

“…Of course.”

Far away—

Students studied harder than ever before.

For reasons they couldn’t explain