Before the School Festival

Hanazono’s much-awaited school festival was finally tomorrow.

Colorful flags and banners strung across ceilings, swaying in the breeze. Open classroom doors revealed glimpses of themed cafés, haunted houses, and art displays. Fresh paint and baked snacks lingered in the air, overlapping with laughter and shouting from the hallways.

The whole school stirred in restless excitement and anticipation.

“Hm~ Hm~ Hm~”

Humming softly, Seira opened her locker door to grab her art supplies.

‘Can’t believe it's almost here! I only have to put on the finishing touches, then the decorations are good to go!’

Seira was cooperating with Minato in designing the literature club’s attraction. Their class would be enacting a play, for which she helped prepare the costumes. She basically just took measurements, though. There were more tasks for her in the club, so she could not contribute as much.

Caught up in the festive mood, her mind wandered to the fun weekend she spent with everyone.

At first, it was awkward. Seira was worried Yume was still uncomfortable around her and was only hiding it, but Kaien had reassured her—supported her. From there, all was well.

Both girls had spent hours talking, laughing, getting to know each other—something that once seemed impossible, given their past relationship.

‘Sakura Yume is so charming up close. No wonder the male leads fall hard. Kinryuji Kaien must regret rejecting her…’

Seira faltered mid-thought.

For some reason, a knot formed in her chest—twisting, churning. Imagining Kaien with Yume no longer felt exhilarating. That one time, too, her heart had ached at the sight of them together.

‘They were talking in my bedroom, then she said something that had him looking so, so… Ugh! I don’t know anymore.’

“Miss Airin.”

Seira turned at the call. Jin stood a few steps away. His usually light expression was now slightly strained.

Beside the student council secretary was the literature club president, who continued for him, “There’s...something you need to see.”

'Hm? I wonder what's wrong?'

A quiet unease settled over. In complete silence, they led Seira to the clubroom. The lively noise dulled with each step.

When they reached the door, the literature club president slowly opened it.

She walked inside. Her breath stopped.

“...W-What…?”

The walls, where her artworks had once been, were in disarray. Papers lay on the floor, some ripped in half and others smeared with paint. Each hand-drawn piece—gone, damaged beyond repair.

For a while, Seira couldn’t move.

“Sakura Yume,” Jin announced. “The students who reported this said she did it.”

“Were others informed, too, secretary?”

“Yes, the President is dealing with it now."

Inhaling sharply, Seira knelt before the wreckage. She picked up a crumpled paper, her fingers quivering as she tried to smooth out the creases. Her eyes blurred with tears, and she bit her lip to stifle her sobs.

She vaguely noticed the footsteps outside. Her mind barely even registered the voices. It was getting noisy.

“Miss Airin! A-Are you okay?!” Yume called out, appearing behind Seira with the boys. “This is… N-No, I… I would never…! I-It’s not me, I promise…”

“Miss Airin, I'm sorry this happened, but it may not be how it appears,” Nao explained.

Shun nodded. “Sakura was practicing for the play with the class, so it’s not her.”

Minato hissed, “Not only did they ruin our works, but they dared blame Yume?”

“It can't be her, can it, Airin?” Ren walked toward Seira, expression grave. “Kinryuji told us what's been happening, and some individuals came to mind, though we're still not sure. We…didn't expect this, either.”

“Miss Airin…”

“Can you hear us, Airin Seira?”

“Hey, Airin-”

“SHUT UP, YOU STUPID MALE LEADS!”

Seira burst out, and the room itself seemed to explode.

Everyone looked at her, shell-shocked. She rose back up to her feet. Her eyes glinted with hostile intent.

“Sakura this, Yume that! I've had enough of you! All you talk about is Sakura Yume, Sakura Yume, Sakura Yume! Can you knock it off?!” she lashed out. “You think saying she didn't do it would help?!”

“Surely, you don't believe she really-”

“Of course, it's not her! I knew, okay?!”

“...Eh?” they all blurted out.

“I get what they’re after by sneaking around like this—using Sakura Yume, even! Those people don't know who they're up against! I mean, Sakura Yume would’ve taken the opportunity to show the answer key to everyone and prove I cheated on the exams. Why would she wait until now and go through this trouble to torment me? And also, Aoyama Minato mentioned he couldn’t remember who lied about calling me when the class met up. It couldn't be her since he would definitely not forget! The same people must be behind all those incidents!”

“Uhhh… That's…”

“Amateurs! Amateurs, I say!” Seira raged on, spiraling at this point. “Akamine Ren! Tell me who they are!”

“Huh?! Well, uh…”

“I don't think it's a good idea to say it, Akamine. She's losing control right now-”

“Murasaki Shun! Do not interfere!”

“He's right. Miss Airin, we don't want you pulling that dangerous stunt again-”

“Get out of the way, Shirakawa Nao!”

“This is bad.”

Seira growled at Minato, “You saying something, too?!”

“...No, nothing.”

“M-Miss Airin? W-W-What are you going to do…with that?” Yume cowered before Seira like how she used to, but for a different reason this time.

Seira went out, chair in hand.

Nao turned to Jin. Minato looked at Shun.

The literature club president raised a shaky hand. “S-Should we call the teachers…? The principal? The police?”

“An ambulance,” Ren said. “She’s carrying a deadly weapon; at least, these dudes act like she does.”

“We need someone else,” Nao replied. “The only person in school, or perhaps in the world, who can stop her.”

“Call Kinryuji Kaien!”

Seira ignored the commotion in the clubroom and headed to the cafeteria. It was noon, so most students were having lunch now.

The doors slammed open. All heads turned.

There stood the queen of Hanazono High School, emanating a dark, eerie aura as she dragged a chair behind her.

It screeched across the floor, sounding straight out of a horror movie. A metal spoon clinked somewhere, and someone dropped a lunch tray. From a table in the corner, a group of girls snickered among themselves.

‘Ah, typical of shoujo. Bullies show themselves by cackling maniacally for no reason, like addicts.’

She recognized them, too. Some were from her clique and others from Ren's class. They banded together, it seemed.

Airin Seira had become the common enemy of the social circles she had once centered in.

“Has some misfortune befallen Her Majesty? Stung by a bee maybe?” one girl mocked.

“Is it Sakura Yume?”

Another sneered, “This is what happens when you let a wasp get into the hive—disaster.”

“Oh, I’ll show you pesky little bugs what a disaster is.”

Seira lifted the chair.

Gasps rippled through. The group panicked while the whole cafeteria seemed to lean back. Everyone was nonplussed—horrified. The chair hanging mid-air moved higher and higher before swinging down.

“Airin.”

Kaien appeared right when Seira was about to do her super-mega-ultra killing strike.

He stopped the chair with one hand, the other around her waist. She glared at him, trying to wrench it back. Tears now streaked her cheeks as raw, deep anger unraveled inside her.

“They ruined everything! I can't forgive them!”

“I know, and I'm sorry,” he said, gripping tighter. “But this won’t fix it.”

“Nothing would! All my work is already gone!”

“We can still find a way.”

“No, no, no! There is no way!”

They screwed with her, so they would pay.

Kaien's expression saddened. He pulled her closer, her back against him. His gaze, steady and focused, never left hers.

“It’ll be fine. You'll be fine,” he said quietly, holding her face with care and affection before leaning in. “I’m here…Seira.”

A loud clang echoed as the chair fell from their hands. The distance between them vanished. Then, the noise, the people, the anger and sadness—the entire world faded.

Kaien kissed Seira from behind.

Everything inside her stilled and rushed all at once. His arm tightened around her, pressing her against his chest. He was so warm she melted, so gentle she relaxed. Her emotions ran wild, and her heart raced faster than her mind could.

It’s her first-ever kiss, both in her present and past lives.

She felt blown by the thought of sharing it with him. It’s too good, too hard to believe it's true. His feelings lay bare for her and everyone else to witness.

But she couldn't help but be conflicted.

He was a male lead. She was the villainess. This was not the romance she was used to.

‘Have I…fallen for him for real? Just how is this supposed to go?’

Airin Seira lived for love, but here she was now.