The grand hall was bathed in brilliant light, illuminating every corner as if it were broad daylight. Near the stage stood an imposing stone statue—a monument to Satou Kiko, the great archmage. The statue radiated a commanding presence, its gaze seemingly still watching over the hall, making it the undeniable focal point of the space.


    Students, guided by their homeroom teachers, made their way to their assigned seats. The soft clatter of chairs shifting filled the air, blending with the hushed murmurs of the gathered crowd. Under the glow of the lights, the atmosphere pulsed with a mixture of tension and excitement, as if a grand performance was about to begin.


    Tetsuya sat down beside Mone, but it was clear he couldn’t sit still. He kept glancing around anxiously before suddenly straightening up.


    "Wait—Hinano’s gone!"


    His voice was a little too loud, drawing the attention of several nearby students, who turned to look.


    "Shh! Keep your voice down!" Mone turned to him, pressing a finger to her lips in annoyance, though she kept her voice low. "She probably got separated in the crowd earlier. Hirohito and I will keep an eye out—go find her before the teachers notice she’s missing!"


    Tetsuya furrowed his brows, confusion written all over his face.


    "This place is huge. Where do I even start looking?"


    Mone propped her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment before answering with complete certainty.


    "She probably got lost near the entrance. Hurry up and check before they mark her absent. That’ll be a pain to deal with later."


    Tetsuya narrowed his eyes.


    "And how do you know all this?"


    Mone rolled her eyes. "Hirohito said skipping on an important day like this causes all sorts of problems. Now quit asking and just go!"


    "Ugh... fine. I’m counting on you!"


    With that, Tetsuya turned and bolted from his seat.


    Outside the grand hall, the crowd was even livelier. Parents and students flooded through the entrance, their faces alight with anticipation. The entire place buzzed with energy, filled with laughter and eager chatter.


    "Mom, do you think big brother will be on stage today?"


    Miyo tugged at Aiko’s hand.


    Aiko smiled gently, reaching down to stroke her daughter''s hair.


    "Hmm... I don’t know. But if he does, let’s cheer for him together, okay?"


    "Okay!" Miyo nodded eagerly, bobbing her head up and down like a little chick.


    Trailing behind them, Ishin leaned in with an amused smirk.


    "If Tetsuya actually ends up going against kids his age, I’d love to watch. It’d be way more interesting than sparring with me—those fights are so one-sided, there’s no fun in it."


    Meanwhile, Tetsuya darted through the hallways, his shoes clicking against the polished floor with sharp tap tap sounds.


    Students and teachers from other classes passed him, some turning their heads in curiosity as he rushed past. But he ignored them all, his mind focused on one thing.


    Where is Hinano?


    "Hinano! Hinano!"


    Tetsuya called her name between breaths, a creeping unease rising in his chest.


    "She couldn’t have just disappeared..."


    Back in the hall, cheers and applause erupted. The lottery drawing must have started. He could hear the excitement in the crowd, but he didn’t spare it a second thought. He just kept running, heading straight for the entrance.


    Then—


    As he rushed down an empty hallway, the faintest sound of footsteps echoed from above.


    It was quiet. Subtle.


    But Tetsuya caught it instantly.


    He halted, sharply tilting his head up, scanning for the source.


    There, standing on the upper floor, was a girl.


    She tilted her head slightly, a teasing smirk playing at her lips. Her voice, light yet laced with unmistakable challenge, rang out.


    "Hmph~ So it’s you, huh? Let’s see what you’ve got!"


    Before she even finished speaking, the girl confidently stepped onto the railing beside her. Her movements were graceful and effortless, as if she had done this countless times before. Then, without hesitation, she leaped—her figure slicing through the air like an arrow as she descended from the second floor!


    Tetsuya barely had time to react before he saw a shadow plummeting straight toward him. His eyes widened in panic.


    “Hey! Be careful!”


    But his warning went completely ignored.


    The girl maintained her lofty, arrogant posture even mid-air, looking down at him with a smirk, her tone filled with pride and superiority.


    “So, you’re Makino Tetsuya?”


    However—


    Before she could finish her introduction, her confident expression abruptly shifted to one of pure shock.


    “I—I am Hanazono Riri—AHHHHHH!!”


    CRASH!


    The next moment, the two collided head-on and crashed onto the ground in a tangle of limbs, sending up a cloud of dust.


    “Ugh…”


    Tetsuya groaned, kneeling on the floor with his hands planted against the ground. His head was spinning, and his entire body felt like it had been smashed apart. As he tried to regain his senses, he suddenly noticed something in his right hand…


    Something soft. And bouncy.


    The girl—now sprawled out on the floor—had her hair in a mess, her cheeks flushing so red they looked like they might start dripping with heat. Her large, teary eyes locked onto Tetsuya, filled with both shock and fury.


    “Y-you… W-where do you think your hand is touching?!”


    “Huh?”


    Tetsuya blinked in confusion and glanced down—


    And then—


    His entire body froze.


    As soon as he realized where his right hand had landed, he let out a horrified scream.


    “AAAAHHHH!! NO, NO, NO! THIS IS A MISTAKE! I SWEAR IT''S AN ACCIDENT!”


    —Meanwhile—


    “Crap, I’m gonna be late!”


    Hinano was sprinting down the school’s stone-paved corridor, gasping for breath as she clutched the bento box in her hands. Her uniform’s skirt swayed with every step, and the sunlight streaming through the windows highlighted her hurried figure. Strands of her hair fluttered with the wind, accentuating the urgency in her movements.


    “I had everything ready this morning, so why did I leave the bento in the classroom?! Ugh, I’m such an idiot…” she muttered under her breath, her only thought being to get the lunch to Tetsuya as soon as possible.


    However—


    As she rounded the hallway corner, the scene before her made her feet come to an abrupt halt.


    There, sprawled on the floor, were a boy and a girl entangled in a rather compromising position.


    The girl’s face was as red as a ripe apple, her expression flustered, her hair disheveled. And the boy was kneeling over her, his right hand…


    “W-W-WHAT?!”


    Hinano’s eyes widened in sheer shock, her entire face turning an even deeper shade of red. She slapped both hands over her mouth, feeling her entire body burn with embarrassment—even the tips of her ears were on fire.


    Panicking, she staggered backward, pressing herself against the wall at the corner, as stiff as a statue.


    Her mind went completely blank.


    Her thoughts exploded into static.


    What… what in the world is going on here?!


    “Why… Why are they doing something like this here of all places?! Do they have no shame at all…?”


    Hinano muttered under her breath, both hands tightly covering her mouth as if she was afraid she might accidentally scream.


    Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking another glance, just to make sure she wasn’t imagining things.


    And when her eyes landed on the entangled pair once more—


    “Uwaaaahhh!! It’s real! That hand—that hand is actually touching there!”


    Hinano’s fury nearly erupted on the spot, but just as she was about to lose it, she froze.


    She took another careful look—


    The boy kneeling on top of the girl…


    “W-wait… doesn’t he look just like… Tetsuya?!”The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Her breath hitched. A whirlwind of emotions surged inside her—anger, confusion, something unexplainable that tightened around her chest like a vice. Her heart pounded painfully, and even her limbs felt weak.


    “…Maybe I’m seeing things? Tetsuya isn’t that kind of person…”


    Biting her lower lip, she clenched the hem of her skirt, her mind a complete mess. Thoughts spun wildly, colliding into each other like a raging storm, making it impossible to think straight.


    Was she more disappointed? Or was it… something else?


    The rapid rise and fall of her chest betrayed her inner turmoil. Anyone looking at her would immediately know she was deeply shaken.


    Even as she told herself to look away, Hinano’s gaze remained fixated on the two. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched the bento box, torn between rushing over to confront them or chucking it at his head from a distance.


    Her face burned red as she gritted her teeth, clutching her skirt so tightly that the fabric wrinkled under her grip.


    “This is just too much! And in a public place no less! How shameless can they be?! I have to go out there and say something!”


    But despite her righteous indignation, her body refused to move. Her hands continued to shake, her legs frozen in place.


    Her expression wavered, her eyes filled with hesitation—locked in a fierce internal battle with herself.


    “C-calm down, Hinano!”


    She took a deep breath, desperately trying to convince herself.


    “You’re not nervous because of some weird reason…! You’re just standing up for what’s right! Yes, this is about justice!”


    But no matter how many times she repeated it in her head, her fingers only dug deeper into her skirt, and her heart continued to race uncontrollably.


    Finally, she took a deep, determined breath and stepped forward—


    “I… I have to—”


    But the second her foot left the ground, she instantly recoiled, stumbling back behind the corner as if she had touched something scorching hot.


    “EEEEHHH!?”


    Her face burned with embarrassment, her entire brain short-circuiting.


    Gripping her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white, she barely managed to keep herself from screaming.


    “W-WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! Why can’t I move?!”


    She bit down on her hand, trying to steady her erratic breathing. Her legs trembled, threatening to give out at any moment.


    Still, despite everything, her curiosity won out.


    Slowly, hesitantly, she peeked around the corner again—


    And the scene remained unchanged.


    The girl had her legs wrapped around the boy’s waist, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. Meanwhile, the boy—


    Slapped the floor with both hands, his face twisted in pain as he groaned, “Ughhh…”


    Hinano’s eyes went wide, her face alternating between red and pale.


    “…What… What the hell am I looking at?!”


    Her mind couldn’t process the situation. She clutched her head, crouching down as if she were physically in pain.


    “Wait… that boy…?”


    Then, realization struck like lightning.


    “W-WAIT! IT REALLY IS TETSUYA?!?!”


    Her heart leaped into her throat, her body stiffening as she ducked back behind the corner, pressing her back against the wall like she was trying to disappear into it.


    Her ears burned. Her voice wavered with a strange mix of anger and… something else.


    “W-why is it Tetsuya?! Why him of all people?!”


    Confusion, frustration, a tangle of emotions she couldn’t name twisted inside her.


    Why would he be doing something like this?!


    A million scenarios flashed through her mind, but none of them made any sense.


    Hinano took a deep breath, then another, before slapping her cheeks lightly with both hands. She clenched her fists, steeling herself.


    “No! I have to find out the truth!”


    Determined, she took a step forward, ready to face whatever awaited her. But just as her foot touched the ground, doubt crept back in.


    “…But if things really are the way I think they are… what am I supposed to do? How do I even face him?”


    As she waged an internal war with herself, a familiar voice suddenly called out—


    “Hinano?”


    Her body tensed. She whipped around, her eyes widening as she saw Tetsuya standing right in front of her, panting slightly, as if he had been running all over the place.


    “Tetsuya…”


    She stared at him, her mind instantly thrown into chaos. Question marks and exclamation points filled her head in a jumbled mess.


    “Where were you? I’ve been looking all over the hall for you!” Tetsuya frowned, his voice laced with frustration and relief. He stepped closer, exhaling sharply before holding out his hand. “Come on, we have to go. We’re running out of time!”


    Before she could react, he grabbed her hand, firmly pulling her along without giving her a chance to protest.


    At that moment, she felt the warmth of his palm against hers. Her heart skipped a beat.


    As she looked at his focused, slightly tense profile, she found herself unable to say anything.


    But in her mind, a storm raged on.


    The warmth of his hand. The familiarity of his voice. The way he had always been there.


    Yet—


    That scene from just moments ago refused to leave her thoughts.


    “That really was Tetsuya… wasn’t it? But… at the same time, it wasn’t…”


    The image replayed over and over again, so clear that she couldn’t dismiss it as just her imagination.


    She bit her lip, hesitating, but then spoke in a hushed voice.


    “Tetsuya… just now… were you alone when you came looking for me?”


    “Of course I was. It was just me, no one else,” he replied almost too quickly.


    Hinano looked up at him, but for a brief second, she caught it—


    A flicker of hesitation.


    A subtle avoidance of her gaze.


    He was hiding something.


    But before she could press further, he turned his head away and quickened his pace.


    “We don’t have time for this. We can talk later.”


    Hinano faltered, watching his urgency, and for a moment, the swirling unease inside her seemed to settle just a little.


    She whispered under her breath, almost as if to reassure herself, “Yeah… this is fine. This is… good…”


    But then—


    She saw it.


    A red mark on his neck.


    A glaringly obvious, swollen imprint—like someone had grabbed him, fingers pressing in hard enough to leave behind clear nail marks.


    Hinano’s faint smile froze.


    A sharp, painful squeeze gripped her chest.


    It felt as though a heavy stone had dropped right onto her heart, making it hard to breathe.


    “…Why…”


    She stopped walking.


    Her voice was so soft she barely heard it herself.


    “…Why are you lying to me…?”


    Tetsuya noticed the sudden lack of movement and turned back, confused.


    “Huh? Hinano, what are you talking about?” He frowned, clearly puzzled. “This isn’t the time for—”


    Before he could finish, Hinano yanked her hand free from his grasp.


    "I can walk by myself!"


    Hinano''s voice was sharp and cold—so unlike the usual warmth she carried.


    Tetsuya froze for a moment.


    "Huh? What''s with you all of a sudden?" He reached out again, trying to grab her hand, but—


    "Don''t touch me!"


    Hinano''s voice rang through the air, louder than before, filled with anger and a deep hurt Tetsuya had never heard from her before.


    Her eyes were slightly red, her lips pressed tightly together, as if she was using all her strength to hold back her emotions—to stop herself from crying.


    Tetsuya stood still, stunned, his hands frozen midair. His mind was a complete mess.


    "Why is she acting like this…? Did I do something wrong?"


    He wanted to say something—anything—but no words came out.


    Hinano, on the other hand, looked at him with teary eyes before forcefully waving her hand, as if she never wanted to see him again.


    Then, she turned and ran.


    Tetsuya could only watch as her figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance, his chest tightening with unease.


    "What the hell… is going on?"


    The words "Don''t touch me" echoed in his mind, draining all the strength from his body.


    He couldn''t even call out to her.


    The evening breeze brushed past him, carrying the distant chatter of the people around, but everything felt muted.


    His world had suddenly gone silent.


    Then—


    His gaze landed on the ground.


    A bag sat there, standing out against the dim light.


    Tetsuya slowly crouched down, hesitating for a moment before picking it up.


    As soon as he loosened the knot, a faint, familiar aroma drifted into the air.


    He stiffened.


    Reaching inside, he carefully took out its contents—two neatly stacked bento boxes.


    He opened the top one with trembling fingers.


    Inside, everything was meticulously arranged.


    Little octopus-shaped sausages lined up neatly, plump meatballs sat snugly in their paper cups, and a fresh salad rested on the side.


    But what caught his attention the most—


    At the center of the rice, arranged carefully with seaweed, was a name written in hiragana.


    てつや


    Tetsuya.


    Tetsuya stared at the bento, his breath growing lighter, as if afraid he might shatter something precious.


    He took in the sight of the carefully prepared meal, and a mix of warmth and bitterness surged in his chest.


    “…Hinano…”


    He whispered her name under his breath, so softly it barely reached his own ears.


    His hands trembled slightly as he held the box, handling it as if it were the most fragile treasure in the world.


    With his heart heavy and his mind in turmoil, he slowly began walking toward the hall.


    However—


    The moment he stepped inside—


    A sharp, piercing gaze locked onto him.


    An instant later, a familiar, commanding voice rang out.


    "Hey! You pervert!"


    Tetsuya flinched.


    "I''m gonna teach you a lesson later!"


    Striding toward him with unmistakable presence was Hanazono Riri .


    Head held high, hands on her hips, and each confident step echoing through the hall—she was impossible to ignore.


    "Yeah, yeah…"


    Tetsuya lowered his head, clearly not in the mood to deal with her. His voice lacked its usual energy.


    "Don''t worry, Hanazono-san. I keep my promises. I won’t say a word."


    Riri raised a brow, scrutinizing him.


    Something was off.


    His usual sharp comebacks were missing. Instead, he looked… utterly defeated.


    Her frown deepened.


    "The hell’s wrong with you?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You look like you just lost your soul or something."


    Tetsuya averted his gaze, brushing her off with a dismissive, "It''s nothing. Just leave it alone."


    As if she''d ever leave it alone.


    "Tch."


    Without hesitation, Riri took a step forward—


    And kicked him in the shin.


    Tetsuya staggered back a few steps, nearly losing his balance, but managed to steady himself just in time.


    "What the hell, Hanazono-san?!"


    Riri stood with her hands on her hips, stomping her foot with authority.


    "Hmph! Let’s get one thing straight—I am not worried about you!" She lifted her chin, her voice dripping with confidence. "But if I’m going to defeat you later, I need you in top form! The way you are now just won’t cut it!"


    Despite her words, a flicker of concern passed through her eyes.


    Tetsuya picked up the fallen bag and sighed, looking at Riri with a hint of self-mockery.


    "Girls really are complicated..."


    "Excuse me?!" Riri''s eyes widened, her aura growing even more menacing as she placed her hands on her hips. "Say that again, I dare you!"


    Tetsuya frantically waved his hands in surrender, but for some reason, the emotions he had been suppressing finally spilled over.


    "Actually…"


    He lowered his head, voice dropping to a whisper as he hesitantly recounted what had happened earlier—Hinano''s misunderstanding, her anger, and those piercing words: Don’t touch me.


    Riri listened intently, then suddenly let out a sharp laugh. Her lips curled into a smirk, and a glint of excitement flashed in her eyes.


    Tetsuya instantly recognized that expression—it was the look of someone who had just been given the perfect opportunity to shine.


    "Heh, you idiot," Riri scoffed, crossing her arms as she towered over him. "You really are hopeless."


    Tetsuya blinked, taken aback by her confidence.


    She let out a dramatic chuckle, then confidently jabbed a finger against his forehead. "I’ve got everything figured out!"


    Tetsuya winced, rubbing his forehead. "Ow! And what exactly have you figured out?"


    Riri clicked her tongue and shook her head like a teacher scolding a particularly slow student.


    "When you first saw Hinano, she was sitting at the corner by the entrance, looking super uncomfortable, right?"


    "Yeah… but what does that have to do with—"


    "Ugh, you really don’t get girls at all!" Riri cut him off, exasperated. "She was obviously nervous!"


    "Nervous?"


    "Yes, nervous! She was probably scared she’d get called on for something and was too anxious to go inside! That’s why she was curled up there!"


    Tetsuya frowned. "But… that still doesn’t explain why she pulled her hand away from me."


    Riri gave him a look of utter disbelief.


    "Oh my god, you guys are so dense." She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing dramatically. "She pulled away because—her hands were sweaty from being nervous, and she didn’t want you to feel it!"


    Tetsuya’s eyes widened.


    "...What?!"


    The memory of Hinano flashed through his mind, and suddenly, everything clicked into place.


    His expression lit up like a child who had just discovered a new trick.


    "That’s it! That has to be it!" Tetsuya grabbed Riri’s hands in excitement and started shaking them enthusiastically. "Hanazono-san, you’re a genius!"


    Riri’s face instantly darkened.


    "Who said you could touch me?!"


    With a murderous glare, she lifted her foot—


    And stomped down on his shoe.


    "AHH! That hurts!!" Tetsuya immediately let go and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! I won’t touch you again!"


    After a brief pause, a mischievous glint flickered in his eyes.


    "...How about this, Hanazono-san?" He smirked. "Let’s make a bet."


    Riri raised an eyebrow. "A bet?"


    "If you win against me in the mock battle later, I’ll let you do whatever you want to me for making up for the incident earlier—I won’t resist at all."


    Riri’s lips curled into a knowing smile.


    "Oh? And what if, by some miraculous stroke of luck, you win?"


    Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly froze.


    A horrifying thought seemed to hit her.


    Her eyes widened, her arms flew up to hug herself defensively, and a deep red flush spread across her cheeks.


    "You… You pervert!"


    She glared at him with absolute suspicion.


    "You’re not planning to make me do something weird, are you?!"


    Tetsuya immediately panicked at her accusation, waving his hands frantically as if he were on the verge of tears.


    "W-Wait, what?! No! I swear I didn’t mean it like that! Don’t just say weird stuff!" He shook his head furiously. "I just thought you understand girls better than I do, so I wanted to ask for your help with the whole Hinano situation!"


    "Pervert!" Riri shouted, and before he could even attempt to defend himself, she stomped on his foot again—this time with no mercy whatsoever.


    "OWW! WHY?!" Tetsuya yelped, jumping back in pain. Realizing he had no chance of winning against her sheer force, he let out a defeated sigh and raised his hands in surrender.


    "Alright, alright! Whatever you say goes!" He exhaled heavily, then shot her a sly grin. "So… does this mean we have a deal? The bet is on?"


    Riri huffed, arms crossed, looking as smug as ever.


    "Hmph! Not that it matters—there’s no way a weakling like you could ever beat me!"


    "Then it’s settled." Tetsuya wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, letting out a breath of relief. Still, his heart pounded with unease—because if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that Riri’s strength was no joke.


    As the two bickered and bantered, their playful yet tense energy filled the air. Step by step, they made their way toward the center of the auditorium—where their battle awaited.