The final bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the school day. The classroom, once filled with the sound of chalk scratching and Kyoko-sensei's voice, now turned into a bustling noise—the scraping of chairs, books being packed into bags, and some students joking around while getting ready to go home.
Raku quietly packed his books, feeling a bit awkward as he was still getting used to the rhythm of Sobu High. From time to time, he glanced around to make sure he hadn't left anything behind. Soon, Shu approached him, patting his shoulder.
"Come on, let's go home together. Onodera-san, Ruri-chan, you're coming too, right?" Shu said with his usual enthusiasm.
Onodera gave a small nod with a warm smile, while Ruri only let out a short sigh before slipping her last book into her bag. "Haa… yeah, we happen to go the same way," she said curtly.
They left the classroom together. When they reached the school gate, an elegant black car was already waiting. Claude stood firmly beside the door, his aura as stiff as ever. From inside the gate, Chitoge approached her car.
"I'm going home first," she said briefly, then before getting in, she glanced toward Raku. Her expression was somewhat soft, though her tone sounded half-scolding. "Don't slip and get into another accident."
Raku gave a faint smile, then reached out his hand, gently patting Chitoge's head with a warm gesture. "Don't worry, I've trained my body a little."
Chitoge's face immediately turned red, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "D-don't keep patting my head like that!" she blurted quickly, then hurried into the car before Raku could say anything more.
Shu tried to hold back his laughter, but it slipped out. "Hahaha… it's so rare to see Chitoge like that."
Ruri shot Shu a sharp glare. "Don't act weird."
"I was just laughing, that's all," Shu replied, raising his hands as if innocent.
Onodera stayed quiet, but in her heart, she clenched the notebook in her bag tightly. She kept gathering courage—maybe later, on Valentine's Day, she could finally confess her feelings.
They walked home together, following a path that went through the park. The evening air was cool, leaves rustling softly in the breeze. But suddenly, Raku stopped walking. He stood still, his eyes fixed on a spot at the edge of the park.
There, a long-haired girl with black hair was standing. She was wearing a strange outfit—a black bunny costume. Too conspicuous for such a calm evening. Raku froze for a moment, then turned away, deciding not to care.
Shu noticed Raku had stopped. "What's wrong, Raku?"
Raku pointed toward the girl. "There's someone… a woman in a bunny outfit over there."
Shu's eyes immediately sparkled with excitement. "WHERE'S THE BUNNY GIRL?!" he shouted, nearly leaping forward.
But when they all turned, there was no one there. The park was empty. The evening breeze only swayed the branches of the trees.
"Eh?" Raku was surprised, turning back again. The girl had disappeared.
"There's no one there," Onodera said softly, confused.
Ruri glared at Shu. "When it comes to perverted things, you react so fast." She immediately punched his head.
"Ouch! Ruri-chan, that hurts!" Shu groaned, rubbing his head.
Onodera glanced at Raku hesitantly. "Was there really someone just now?"
Raku gave a small nod. "Yeah, I saw her. In fact… I'm sure it was a human, because there was a shadow."
Shu patted Raku's shoulder with a knowing look. "Maybe you were just hallucinating. Want me to share my collection?"
Raku tilted his head, confused. "Collection?"
Bang!
Ruri punched Shu again. "Don't drag Raku-kun into indecent things! He's still innocent."
Shu collapsed to the ground, grimacing in pain, while Ruri grabbed Raku's arm and said coldly, "Let's just leave this idiot here."
Onodera gave Shu a pitiful look for a moment, but eventually followed Raku and Ruri, walking slowly away from the park.
Meanwhile, from behind a large tree, Mai Sakurajima appeared. She looked in the direction Raku had gone, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion.
"…No one should be able to see me," she muttered softly. "Why can someone see me?"
She bit her lip, then quickly left the park, her face showing a mix of nervousness and curiosity. For Mai, this was the first time someone had truly been able to see her invisible form. But even stranger—the person had actually ignored her.
…..
After walking quite a distance with Shu, Ruri, and Onodera, they finally reached the intersection where their paths home split. Shu was still rubbing his head from Ruri's punches, but he kept smiling brightly.
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Raku!" he called out, waving his hand.
Onodera smiled gently. "See you tomorrow, Ichijou-kun."
Ruri only gave a short nod, her face expressionless, then added coldly, "Don't get lost again tomorrow."
Raku looked at each of them one by one, smiling calmly. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."
After parting ways, Raku walked alone along the road he had already memorized well. The evening air grew darker, streetlights gradually lit up, casting long shadows on the sidewalk. The sound of night insects could be faintly heard among the trees he passed. His steps were steady, but in his mind still lingered the image of the mysterious girl in the black bunny outfit he had seen in the park earlier. However, he decided not to think too much about it for now.
Before long, Raku arrived in front of his house. The front door was already open, warm light welcoming him. He stepped inside, took off his shoes, and greeted.
"I'm home," Raku said calmly.
From the living room, Issei's familiar voice could be heard, low yet warm. "Welcome back. How was school today?"
Raku walked further inside. He saw Issei sitting relaxed, wearing house clothes, his face looking relieved to see his son return safely.
"It went smoothly," Raku replied as he set down his bag. "For some reason, Hiratsuka-sensei put me in the Service Club. She said it could help me socialize."
Issei stroked his beard, seeming to think for a moment. "Hooo… Shizuka Hiratsuka, huh?"
Raku tilted his head, slightly curious. "You know her?"
Issei gave a small smile. "Her father used to be an acquaintance of mine. We were sometimes quite close. But it's good if she's helping you. Hiratsuka may be a bit strict, but her heart is sincere. You'll learn a lot from her."
Raku only gave a small nod, then sighed. "In that case, I'll go to my room first. Rest for a while, maybe sleep."
He waved his hand slowly toward Issei.
Issei nodded with a gentle smile. "Just rest. Don't push yourself. If you wake up in the middle of the night and feel hungry, there's food I've already prepared in the kitchen."
Raku glanced back briefly, his eyes looking a little relieved at those words. "Thank you, Dad."
He then walked upstairs to his room. His steps were steady, though fatigue was beginning to weigh on his body after a whole day of adjusting to the new school environment.
Issei simply watched his son's back slowly disappear up the stairs, then let out a deep sigh with a fatherly expression. "He seems calmer today… I hope it stays that way," he murmured softly, before sitting back down on the living room chair.