Damage Control

The walk to the North Lounge felt like a march to the gallows.

We navigated the hallways in a tense silence, dodging the curious stares of students who were definitely checking their phones as we passed.

Reina led the way with her chin held high, but the way she kept tapping her fingers against her thigh told me she was counting down the seconds to our social execution.

We reached a set of heavy, mahogany doors that looked far too expensive for a school building.

"Just follow my lead, and we should be fine..." Reina said, taking a second to adjust her tie before pushing the heavy doors open.

The room inside was decorated with plush velvet chairs, a table laden with high-end catering, and a woman who looked less like a scary boss and more like a movie star.

She was standing by the window, but as soon as the door clicked, she spun around with a smile that was bright enough to be blinding.

"Reina! You're finally here, and you must be Kaito," she beamed, gliding over to us.

"Mother, this is Kaito," Reina said, her voice tight. "And Kaito, this is my mother, Mrs. Yukari Kujo."

"It's an honor to meet you, ma'am," I said, giving a polite bow. I was bracing for a cold interrogation, but she just laughed and patted my shoulder.

"Oh, stop with the formalities! But my... you're much more handsome in person compared to the photo," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

She turned to Reina and gestured toward the door. "Now, Reina, dear, why don't you go fetch us some of those special teas from the faculty lounge? I want to have a little heart-to-heart with your partner here."

Reina froze. "What? No. Mother, that’s unnecessary. I can stay and—"

"It wasn't a suggestion, honey," her mom said, still smiling, though there was a sudden, unmistakable "Kujo" steel behind it. "I’m sure Kaito doesn't mind. I just need a few minutes for the evaluation..."

Reina looked at me, her eyes wide with a mix of apology and pure terror. She looked as if she wanted to grab my arm and drag me out of there, but the Kujo family hierarchy was clearly not something she could simply override.

"Kaito... just answer her questions truthfully," she whispered to me, giving her mom a final, suspicious look before retreating out the door.

The click of the lock felt incredibly loud. I was now alone with the woman who held Reina’s entire future and apparently my life in her hands.

Mrs. Kujo turned back to me, the playful smile fading into something much more observant. She sat down on the plush velvet seats and gestured for me to sit across from her. “Let’s get straight to the point, Kaito. What is your intent with my daughter?"

I blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness. “I-I’m not sure I follow, ma’am.”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know your dad is a mechanic, and your mom works at an office job. You don't come from high society like the other students at this academy."

She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “I also know you work the graveyard shift at a konbini forty minutes away because you don’t want your classmates to see you stocking shelves. 

My heart nearly stopped. "You... you did a background check on me?"

"I’m a Kujo, Kaito. I don't leave things to 'luck.' I also know that you topped the national examinations, and I know you’ve never been in trouble before," she said, though her tone wasn't mean—it was matter-of-fact.

"But what I don't know is your intent. Do you like my daughter for who she is, or are you just interested in the doors a name like 'Kujo' can open for a mechanic's son?"

I felt a flash of heat, and it wasn't from embarrassment this time. "With all due respect, ma'am, Reina is the most difficult, stubborn, and intimidating person I’ve ever met. If I wanted an easy way up, I’d pick someone who doesn’t threaten me 24/7."

"I see... now I am curious," her mother sang. "Reina’s driver has noted that he picked her up from your address a couple of times now. Care to explain what you and my daughter were doing in your apartment?"

"Y-yes, she stayed, but I swear on my life, ma'am!" I stammered, my hands waving frantically in front of me as if I could physically push the implication out of the air. "Nothing... nothing happened. I mean, something happened—we talked! We talked a lot! But not that kind of happened."

Mrs. Kujo raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, her smirk only widening. "Is that so?" she prodded, looking entirely too amused.

"I respect her way too much for that, ma'am. Honestly. She’s... she’s Reina. I’m just lucky she lets me hang around. I would never—I couldn't even—"

"Kaito, the fact that you're this panicked tells me everything I need to know about your character," she interrupted softly, though the laughter was still dancing in her eyes. "You're a good person, but you might want to work on answering under pressure; it makes you look guilty."

Her eyes flickered toward the door where Reina was just beginning to walk back in with the tray. She gestured Reina to sit. Yet, her eyes were still fixated on me. "Now, about these rumors.”

She tapped her phone, showing the "Sweetheart Snap" again. "The Academy is buzzing with rumors about how the ice-cold Reina Kujo has finally met her match," she continued, taking a sip from her tea. “How do the both of you plan on addressing it? Are you going to deny it all and go back to being 'just partners'?"

I cleared my throat. "Maybe... we just ignore the rumors? People will eventually get bored and move on to the next drama.”

“Mhm... Not bad. Reina?"

“I like Kaito’s idea. But I think it would be better if we were not seen together for the time being or until the rumors start to die down.”

"Really now? Reina, that’s a coward’s move. It makes it look like we have something to hide." Mrs. Kujo said, letting out a short, musical laugh. "In this world, if you don't control the narrative, the narrative controls you."

She paused, tilting her head as she studied both of our faces. The intensity in her eyes softened, replaced by a look that was surprisingly... human.

"However, I suppose a temporary retreat is a classic tactical maneuver," she continued, her voice dropping to a gentle, almost motherly tone. "If you think the 'logical' path is to distance yourselves to protect her reputation... I won't stop you."

"Just remember this," Mrs. Kujo said, standing up and smoothing her dress. She turned to me and gave a subtle, knowing wink that Reina couldn't see.

 "You have my full support, Kaito. Reina. Whether you choose to be logical or... something a bit more daring. The choice is entirely yours."

Then, she paused, a playful glint returning to her eyes as she looked between the two of us. "Though, I do wonder... given how 'energetic' the chemistry between you two has been lately, do either of you actually possess the self-discipline to stay away from each other for that long?"

"It would be a shame if your 'professional distance' only lasted until... tomorrow's lunch break."

"Oh how fun!" She let out a soft hum of amusement, heading towards the door. "I’ll be watching with great interest to see who cracks first."

"But Kaito, between us... I’d much prefer to see it become official." she whispered, right as she passed by me. "I think you're the first person who's actually made her this flustered. I want this for her."

With a final, elegant wave, she disappeared down the hall.

The silence in the room was deafening. Reina slowly sat down across from me. She looked at the two cups of tea, then up at me, her expression a mix of suspicion and hope.

“We... survived...” she whispered, exhaling a breath she seemed to have been holding since the door locked.

“That’s a bit of an overstatement,” I said, trying to shake off the phantom pressure of her mother’s gaze. “Honestly, I think your mom was pretty chill about the whole thing. She even gave us her blessing."

“You don’t know her well enough." Reina said, dropping down on the chairs like Jell-O "She’s likely already hired people to watch our every move...”

"Well, let them watch," I said, leaning back on the velvet sofa. “Besides, that’s the least of our worries; we still have to address the rumors.”

"Right," she said, straightening her posture. “We’ll stick to my plan of staying apart until the rumors die down. Two weeks should be enough.”

“Two weeks... "I-It'll be easy," I muttered, mostly to convince myself. “I mean, we were fine before the boba shop incident. We just go back to the way things were.”

“Exactly,” Reina agreed, her voice a pitch too high. “Now Kaito, you should head home first and make people see that you’re walking alone. I’ll follow after a few minutes.”

“Roger that," I said, pushing myself off the sofa and making my way to the door.
I had my hand on the handle when her voice stopped me.

“Oh and Kaito?"

I turned back. She was still sitting there, looking every bit the poised Kujo heir, but her eyes were fixed on her tea cup. “Just because we're taking a break doesn't mean our little competition is on pause," she said, lifting her chin to shoot me a sharp, defensive glare. "You're still losing to me at midterms, got it?"

Even with a massive target on her back, her stubborn pride was still fully intact. A small, reassuring smile tugged at my lips. “In your dreams. Try not to miss me too much while you're studying," I replied, opening the door. "See you soon, Princess.”

After I closed the door behind me, the weight of the situation finally dawned on me...

These two weeks are going to be brutal for the both of us.