Chapter 5: You Imagined It

…This is going to be way harder than I thought.

The thought didn't leave his mind—it echoed there, tight and suffocating, as his fingers slowly clenched around the spoon hidden beneath the table.

Across from him, the dining hall stayed perfectly still. No movement. No conversation. Only a thick, oppressive silence heavy enough to feel physical.

And it all had started the moment he said it.

"You imagined it."

Three words. That was all it took.

The warmth that had briefly existed in the room didn't just fade—it fractured, like glass cracking under invisible pressure.

The elegant woman's expression faltered first. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, except for the way her eyes lost that fragile spark she had been holding onto just moments prior. The sight made something unpleasant twist sharply in his chest.

Beside her, the young man slowly narrowed his eyes, his posture tightening. It wasn't anger, but rather a cold, calculating confusion. He was observing Reiji intensely, like a hunter trying to solve a puzzle that had suddenly changed shape.

At the head of the table, the middle-aged man didn't move at all. But then—one eyebrow rose slightly.

That single, minute movement was enough to make the air in the room feel thinner.

He could feel it now. Fifteen pairs of eyes pressing into him from every direction, each gaze heavier than the last. Still, he kept his expression blank. Barely.

But inside, his thoughts were already running wild.

Wait… why does she look like that? If this "Reiji" guy is supposed to be cold and silent… shouldn't they already be used to this? Why does it feel like I just emotionally stabbed someone?

He lowered his gaze, picked up his chopsticks, and forced himself to eat.

​And that's when the realization hit him. Hard.

…Oh no.

A slow, biting dread crawled up his spine.

​A moment ago, they had stated it clearly—he hadn't spoken for an entire year. A full three hundred and sixty-five days of silence.

So this wasn't just normal, detached noble behavior. This was a return after a devastating absence. Cold sweat formed instantly at the back of his neck as the weight of the situation settled over him.

His sister-in-law wasn't expecting casual conversation from him. She was expecting a miracle.

​And the first thing he had chosen to say to her was "You imagined it."

His hand stopped mid-air.

…That's not cold. That's criminal. I didn't act mysterious—I acted like I hate everyone in this room! I basically walked into a family reunion and emotionally punched the entire table!

Panic detonated inside his head. He forced himself to breathe normally, but it didn't work. His hands started trembling slightly under the immense pressure. In his panic, he picked up his chopsticks completely the wrong way.

He stared at them. They stared back.

​Slowly… carefully… he corrected his grip, attempting to look like a man trying not to lose his dignity in front of royalty.

One servant standing near the wall immediately turned away, her shoulders shaking subtly. She had seen it. She had seen everything.

His soul briefly considered leaving his body entirely.

He took a tense bite of rice, and then immediately forgot how the mechanics of swallowing worked.

"—Kgh!"

He reached for the water glass too fast. Too precise.

For a split second, his movement was completely clean—almost unnatural. It was born of pure survival instinct instead of clumsy panic.

The young man across the table noticed it immediately, his sharp eyes narrowing into slits.

Then—CLINK.

The chopsticks knocked hard against the rim of the glass. Water splashed wildly onto his pristine sleeve.

​"…Ah."

The illusion of composure shattered completely. Now, he just stared at his wet arm like it had betrayed him personally. The cool, detached moment was gone, buried under a wave of awkwardness.

One younger girl at the far end of the table blinked twice, entirely unsure if she had imagined that earlier flash of perfect precision.

WHY DOES MY BODY KEEP DOING COOL THINGS RIGHT BEFORE I HUMILIATE MYSELF?! PICK ONE MODE!

Then, a voice broke through the suffocating room. Soft. Careful. Trembling.

"Reiji… are you angry with us?"

The elegant woman's question hit harder than anything before it.

He froze. In that quiet moment, a profound realization sank in.

They weren't afraid of him. They were deeply, genuinely worried about him. This wasn't a spoiled noble situation; this was a family dealing with someone they believed was already profoundly broken.

And he had just made it worse.

​Before he could do anything to fix the damage—

Clink.

The sound of utensils being placed down cut through the entire room. At the head of the table, the middle-aged man finally spoke.

"Reiji."

One word. It was heavy enough to silence even the breathing in the room.

"You will attend Shadow Sovereign Academy starting today."

The silence deepened, wrapping around the hall like a shroud.

"You will not decline." The man paused, his cold gaze locking onto him. "And you will not repeat what happened at Requiem Academy."

Something shifted. The name of the academy landed differently, like a heavy lock clicking open in the back of reality.

And then—everything inside his head exploded.

His eyes widened instantly.

​"…WAIT."

Heads turned toward him in shock. It was too late to stop himself.

"THE Shadow Sovereign Academy?!" His voice cracked with pure, unadulterated disbelief. "THE REAL ONE?!"

The room froze yet again. It was utter, absolute silence.

The elegant woman stared blankly, her jaw slightly slack. The young man looked like he had just watched reality itself malfunction in real time. A servant nearby nearly dropped her tray for the third time that morning.

And in that monumentally botched moment, the "silent Reiji" everyone knew was entirely gone, replaced by someone far too animated. Far too excited.

He realized his mistake immediately. His expression collapsed, and the color drained from his face.

…No.

Slowly, awkwardly, he sat back down in his chair and cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

Absolute silence remained. Fifteen people questioned reality simultaneously.

One younger boy whispered softly to the elder next to him, "Did he just… shout?"

"…I think he did," came the stunned whisper back.

At the head of the table, the father simply watched. Unmoving. Unreadable. He was observing every single crack, every raw reaction, and every blatant mistake.

Under the table, his fingers tightened around the edge of his chair, his heartbeat ringing loud in his ears.

Because one truth was becoming completely unavoidable.

The real Kanzaki Reiji wasn't just different. He might have been incredibly dangerous. And pretending to be him… was getting worse by the second.

…This is going to be way harder than I thought.

The thought didn't leave his mind—it echoed there, tight and suffocating, as his fingers slowly clenched around the spoon hidden beneath the table.

Across from him, the dining hall stayed perfectly still. No movement. No conversation. Only a thick, oppressive silence heavy enough to feel physical.

And it all had started the moment he said it.

"You imagined it."

Three words. That was all it took.

The warmth that had briefly existed in the room didn't just fade—it fractured, like glass cracking under invisible pressure.

The elegant woman's expression faltered first. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, except for the way her eyes lost that fragile spark she had been holding onto just moments prior. The sight made something unpleasant twist sharply in his chest.

Beside her, the young man slowly narrowed his eyes, his posture tightening. It wasn't anger, but rather a cold, calculating confusion. He was observing Reiji intensely, like a hunter trying to solve a puzzle that had suddenly changed shape.

At the head of the table, the middle-aged man didn't move at all. But then—one eyebrow rose slightly.

That single, minute movement was enough to make the air in the room feel thinner.

He could feel it now. Fifteen pairs of eyes pressing into him from every direction, each gaze heavier than the last. Still, he kept his expression blank. Barely.

But inside, his thoughts were already running wild.

Wait… why does she look like that? If this "Reiji" guy is supposed to be cold and silent… shouldn't they already be used to this? Why does it feel like I just emotionally stabbed someone?

He lowered his gaze, picked up his chopsticks, and forced himself to eat.

And that's when the realization hit him. Hard.

…Oh no.

A slow, biting dread crawled up his spine.

​A moment ago, they had stated it clearly—he hadn't spoken for an entire year. A full three hundred and sixty-five days of silence.

So this wasn't just normal, detached noble behavior. This was a return after a devastating absence. Cold sweat formed instantly at the back of his neck as the weight of the situation settled over him.

His sister-in-law wasn't expecting casual conversation from him. She was expecting a miracle.

And the first thing he had chosen to say to her was "You imagined it."

His hand stopped mid-air.

…That's not cold. That's criminal. I didn't act mysterious—I acted like I hate everyone in this room! I basically walked into a family reunion and emotionally punched the entire table!

Panic detonated inside his head. He forced himself to breathe normally, but it didn't work. His hands started trembling slightly under the immense pressure. In his panic, he picked up his chopsticks completely the wrong way.

He stared at them. They stared back.

​Slowly… carefully… he corrected his grip, attempting to look like a man trying not to lose his dignity in front of royalty.

One servant standing near the wall immediately turned away, her shoulders shaking subtly. She had seen it. She had seen everything.

His soul briefly considered leaving his body entirely.

He took a tense bite of rice, and then immediately forgot how the mechanics of swallowing worked.

"—Kgh!"

He reached for the water glass too fast. Too precise. 

For a split second, his movement was completely clean—almost unnatural. It was born of pure survival instinct instead of clumsy panic.

The young man across the table noticed it immediately, his sharp eyes narrowing into slits.

Then—CLINK.

The chopsticks knocked hard against the rim of the glass. Water splashed wildly onto his pristine sleeve.

​"…Ah."

The illusion of composure shattered completely. Now, he just stared at his wet arm like it had betrayed him personally. The cool, detached moment was gone, buried under a wave of awkwardness.

One younger girl at the far end of the table blinked twice, entirely unsure if she had imagined that earlier flash of perfect precision.

WHY DOES MY BODY KEEP DOING COOL THINGS RIGHT BEFORE I HUMILIATE MYSELF?! PICK ONE MODE!

Then, a voice broke through the suffocating room. Soft. Careful. Trembling.

"Reiji… are you angry with us?"

The elegant woman's question hit harder than anything before it.

He froze. In that quiet moment, a profound realization sank in.

They weren't afraid of him. They were deeply, genuinely worried about him. This wasn't a spoiled noble situation; this was a family dealing with someone they believed was already profoundly broken.

And he had just made it worse.

​Before he could do anything to fix the damage—

Clink.

The sound of utensils being placed down cut through the entire room. At the head of the table, the middle-aged man finally spoke.

"Reiji."

One word. It was heavy enough to silence even the breathing in the room.

"You will attend Shadow Sovereign Academy starting today."

The silence deepened, wrapping around the hall like a shroud.

"You will not decline." The man paused, his cold gaze locking onto him. "And you will not repeat what happened at Requiem Academy."

Something shifted. The name of the academy landed differently, like a heavy lock clicking open in the back of reality.

And then—everything inside his head exploded.

His eyes widened instantly.

​"…WAIT."

Heads turned toward him in shock. It was too late to stop himself.

"THE Shadow Sovereign Academy?!" His voice cracked with pure, unadulterated disbelief. "THE REAL ONE?!"

The room froze yet again. It was utter, absolute silence.

The elegant woman stared blankly, her jaw slightly slack. The young man looked like he had just watched reality itself malfunction in real time. A servant nearby nearly dropped her tray for the third time that morning.

And in that monumentally botched moment, the "silent Reiji" everyone knew was entirely gone, replaced by someone far too animated. Far too excited.

He realized his mistake immediately. His expression collapsed, and the color drained from his face.

…No.

Slowly, awkwardly, he sat back down in his chair and cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

Absolute silence remained. Fifteen people questioned reality simultaneously.

One younger boy whispered softly to the elder next to him, "Did he just… shout?"

"…I think he did," came the stunned whisper back.

At the head of the table, the father simply watched. Unmoving. Unreadable. He was observing every single crack, every raw reaction, and every blatant mistake.

Under the table, his fingers tightened around the edge of his chair, his heartbeat ringing loud in his ears.

Because one truth was becoming completely unavoidable.

The real Kanzaki Reiji wasn't just different. He might have been incredibly dangerous. And pretending to be him… was getting worse by the second.

…Yeah. I'm cooked.

The fragile peace of the Kanzaki household had been thoroughly disrupted. As the reality of his new life set in, the imposter found himself holding a ticket straight into the belly of the beast—Shadow Sovereign Academy.

​End of Chapter 5

To Be Continued…