The Day I Met Chaos

The classroom was chaos.

Nearly every student had a phone out. Some crowded around a single screen in tight little clusters. Others refreshed their feeds over and over, like the next second might bring something different.

Everyone was waiting for the same person.

Then—

"She's here!"

The classroom exploded.

"Turn it up!"

"Move, I can't see!"

"She's starting!"

Faces lit up. Eyes went wide. Every ounce of attention in the room locked onto whatever was happening on those screens.

Every ounce, except mine.

I sat by the window with my headphones on, watching the clouds drift by instead.

My name is Renji Kisaragi. I'm the top student in my class, not that I care much about that. I'm not interested in popularity. I'm not interested in fame.

I just want a simple life.

A little studying. A little fun. And plenty of time to myself.

Apparently, even that was too much to ask.

"Aika Kurogane," someone said, and the name cut through my headphones like it had its own gravity.

I cracked one eye open.

Aika Kurogane. The professional model. The school idol. The girl the entire student body seemed to have a collective crush on. Apparently she was doing a live interview right now.

Why does everyone care this much about someone they've never met?

"She's so beautiful," a boy said.

"I know, right? Gorgeous," someone answered.

"I heard she's from the richest family in Tokyo."

"Seriously?"

"I'd die if she talked to me."

The group dissolved into laughter.

I sighed, dropped my head onto my desk, and turned my music up.

I really just want a simple life. Maybe some peace and quiet, for once.

By the time the bell rang, I'd almost gotten my wish.

Almost.

I stepped into the hallway, and Aika Kurogane was — somehow — still the only topic of conversation. Her interview was playing on half the phones in the corridor.

"She's a model, right?"

"Yeah, and an idol too."

"I heard she's the Kurogane family's daughter."

"No way."

"I wish she'd transfer here."

I put my headphones back on and kept walking, hands in my pockets, doing my best impression of a boy who heard none of it.

Here we go again.

The walk home was quiet, which was exactly how I liked it. Headphones on, music low, evening light stretching long over the pavement.

Then I saw her.

An old woman, crossing the street. A car, coming fast.

Too fast.

My feet stopped moving before my brain caught up.

The music in my ears suddenly sounded very far away.

She hasn't noticed.

"Wait!"

I threw my headphones to the ground and ran.

"Lady!"

She turned. The car kept closing. I reached her with barely a second to spare and pulled her back onto the curb.

SCREECH!

The car jerked to a stop just short of us. I threw my arms up on instinct, braced for impact that never came.

Silence.

I opened my eyes. I was fine. She was fine. The car sat a few feet away, engine still ticking.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

The old woman nodded, shaking. "Y-yes..."

"Good." I helped her stand and walked her the rest of the way to the sidewalk.

She looked up at me, eyes still glassy with shock. "Thank you, young man."

I gave her a small smile. "It's nothing. Just be more careful next time."

I turned to leave. That's when I actually looked at the car.

It wasn't ordinary. Black, sleek, obviously expensive and painted on its side was a dragon crest. Behind it sat several more identical cars, and men in black suits were already fanning out around, the scene like they'd rehearsed it.

...What is going on?

Whispers rippled through the small crowd that had gathered.

"Masato..."

"That's Masato Kurogane."

My eyes drifted to the lead car as its rear door swung open. A middle-aged man stepped halfway out — black suit, dark glasses, unnervingly calm. The suits around him straightened the instant he moved.

I had no idea who he was.

Everyone else clearly did.

His gaze found me. He watched me walk the old woman to safety, and something shifted behind those dark glasses.

He smiled.

"Who is that boy?"

His driver answered immediately. "Sir, he ran straight into the road to save her. Didn't hesitate for a second."

The man's expression changed — just slightly.

He watched me go.

Then, quietly, almost to himself—

"I finally found him."

Today had officially gone off the rails.

First, the entire school lost its mind over a girl I'd never spoken to. Then I nearly got flattened trying to save someone's grandmother. And now, to top it off—

I picked my phone up off the pavement and stared at the spiderweb of cracks across the screen.

"...Great."

There goes my allowance.

I decided the only reasonable response to a day like this was a good manga, so I detoured toward the bookstore near the station.

The bookstore was quiet — exactly the kind of quiet I'd been chasing all day.

I wandered the shelves, flipping through new releases, half paying attention.

Then something caught my eye and I stopped walking.

A magazine, propped up on a display shelf. Long hair. A soft, effortless smile. Eyes that seemed to catch light even on glossy paper.

I recognized her instantly.

Aika Kurogane.

The exact same girl who'd hijacked every conversation in the building today.

I stared at the cover a beat too long.

My heart did something strange.

"...Huh?"

I looked away fast, grabbed the nearest manga off the shelf without really registering the title.

She's just a model.

I glanced at the magazine one more time.

And definitely not my type.

I paid and left before I could think about it any further.

Home, finally.

I dropped my bag by the bed and collapsed face-first onto the mattress without bothering to change.

"I've had enough of today."

My eyes were closed before I finished the sentence.

When I woke up, the room wasn't my room anymore. It was pitch black, and I couldn't move.

Something was over my mouth. My wrists were bound, wrapped in something soft enough that it almost felt considerate.

What the—

I struggled. Nothing gave.

Low voices. Footsteps. The rumble of an engine starting beneath me.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Who are these people?

The vehicle lurched into motion, and understanding hit me a half-second later.

I'd been taken.

Kidnapped — smoothly, efficiently, like whoever did it had done it before.

Through the dark, one voice cut clean through the rest.

"Take him to the boss."

I went still.

The boss?

The black car. The dragon crest. The name everyone in town seemed to whisper like a prayer.

Masato Kurogane.

For the first time all day, one thought drowned out every other.

What exactly did I get myself into?

[END OF CHAPTER ONE]