A minute ago — in the gate.
Kaito and Airi were rushing toward the exit, their footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. The urgency in Kaito's movements felt like an invisible weight on his chest. His mind raced, and with every step, he felt the pressure of time catching up with him.
"Airi," he said, glancing at her, "where we actually going?"
Airi, still holding onto his hand, shot him a confused look. Her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to make sense of the situation. "Kaito, where are we actually going?"
"Date," Kaito answered, trying to sound casual, but the words felt wrong as soon as they left his lips.
"Be honest with me!" Airi's voice was firm, her confusion giving way to a kind of desperation. She had always been perceptive, and Kaito could see the doubt in her eyes.
Kaito paused in his tracks. The words she wanted him to say were right there, on the edge of his mind, but his heart twisted. He couldn't tell her the truth. If he did… everything would reset again. His entire world, their world, would start over. He couldn't let that happen.
"Somewhere safe," he replied, his voice quiet but resolute. He tried to focus on the goal, on getting her somewhere out of harm's way.
"But we're not in danger, are we?" Airi asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
Kaito bit his lip. He could feel the weight of the truth pressing down on him. He wanted to tell her, wanted to open up, but the consequences were too great. He had made this mistake before. The reset—if he spoke it, if he acknowledged the truth—everything would vanish, and they would start over.
"Please," Airi pleaded, her voice breaking through his internal struggle. "Please, Kaito, say it so I can know."
The weight of her plea crushed him, and for a moment, his resolve faltered. He opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come. His mind screamed at him to stay silent.
"I... I be—en re-" His thoughts stumbled over themselves. Kaito, don't say it. Don't do it. If you say it… it'll reset again.
Airi looked at him, confused. "Re? What are you talking about?"
She didn't understand, couldn't possibly know. The truth was too much for her to grasp, and the consequences of revealing it were too great.
"Please, Kaito, say it," she repeated, her voice soft but insistent.
Kaito sighed, his heart heavy. "I know the futu—"
Before he could finish, a flash of light erupted around them.
The world shifted. The familiar surroundings blurred. Then, just as quickly as it had happened, everything went dark. The sensation was like falling into a void, a total absence of time and space.
Kaito blinked. His surroundings were different. He was back in the room. No... His thoughts scrambled. He was back at the beginning.
"I'm back in the room again," Kaito muttered under his breath, disbelief in his voice. His eyes darted around, trying to make sense of it. I need to do it again.
After school, Kaito found himself back in the familiar routine. He approached Airi, his heart pounding in his chest. He had already asked her on a date—he knew how this was going to play out, but he couldn't let it go on like this. Not again.
"Airi," Kaito said, taking her hand. "I need to ask you something."
Airi looked up at him, her expression still a little unsure. "What is it?"
"Will you go with me… on a date?" Kaito asked, his voice sincere.
Airi raised an eyebrow, a skeptical smile playing at the corner of her lips. "A date?" she asked, but there was no judgment in her tone—just curiosity.
Kaito's cheeks flushed slightly. "I know it sounds strange, but I need to get you somewhere safe. Please."
Her gaze softened, the walls of suspicion and hesitation melting away, though there was still some uncertainty lingering. "Okay," she replied, her voice quiet but filled with trust.
Relief washed over Kaito. It was the right decision. He was getting closer to keeping her safe, but just as quickly, a new fear crept in. This wasn't over yet. It would never be over until everything was resolved.
But before Kaito could take another step, he saw Koji approaching down the hallway. His expression was unreadable, and for a brief moment, Kaito's heart skipped a beat.
"Koji!" Kaito called, rushing over to him. "I need you to buy us some time. Keep Ryuu away from Airi. Just stall him. Please."
Koji raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. But then, after a brief pause, his expression hardened. "Got it," he said with a small grin, cracking his knuckles. "You can count on me."
"Thanks," Kaito said, his voice filled with gratitude.
With one last glance at Koji, Kaito pulled Airi along, urgency in his movements. They needed to be quick. They needed to get to the gate and leave before Ryuu could cause any more trouble.
They reached the gates, and Airi looked up at Kaito. "Kaito," she said, her voice gentle but filled with concern, "Why are you rushing? We can slow down a little."
Kaito's grip on her hand tightened as he pulled her forward. "We can't. We're in danger."
Airi frowned, confusion flooding her expression. "So it's not a date, is it?"
Kaito winced, the words cutting deeper than he expected. "Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't say the truth earlier."
Airi stared at him for a moment, her disappointment palpable. But then, after a beat, she sighed. "It's alright," she said softly, her voice surprisingly calm. "I forgive you. But be honest with me next time, okay?"
Kaito nodded, his heart aching with guilt. "Okay," he replied, his voice filled with gratitude.
He took one last look at her before he saw the group of four older students—third-years—walking up the stairs. Kaito's stomach twisted. They were heading straight for Ryuu. He had to act fast.
"Airi," Kaito said urgently, his voice low, "Hide. Stay here. I'll go back to Koji."
Airi's eyes widened in panic. "Kaito, be careful."
"Don't worry," he reassured her, though his voice was anything but calm. "I'll be fine. Just stay hidden, alright?"
Airi hesitated for a moment, her eyes filled with worry, but then she nodded. "Okay. Be safe, Kaito."
With one final glance at her, Kaito dashed off, running toward the spot where Koji had been. His heart raced, and with each step, the fear of what was coming loomed closer.
Back in the hallway—present.
Kaito rounded the corner just in time to see Koji engaged in a brutal fight with the group of third-years. Koji was holding his own, but there were too many of them. His knuckles were bloodied, and the sweat glistened on his forehead.
Kaito hesitated for a split second, before jumping into action. He darted forward, dodging the boss's attack with a fluid motion, his instincts kicking in as though he had done this a thousand times before.
The boss, a large, imposing figure, looked surprised as Kaito landed a flying kick, hitting him square in the chest. But the boss didn't flinch. He caught Kaito's foot, throwing him to the side. Kaito grunted as his back hit the ground.
"Ahh!" Kaito groaned, struggling to push himself up.
Koji took advantage of the distraction, landing a solid punch in the stomach of one of the third-years. But the guy didn't even flinch. The fight was turning into a chaotic mess, and Koji found himself being overpowered. The boss stepped forward, grabbing Koji by the head and slamming him to the ground.
"Koji!" Kaito shouted, panic rising in his chest.
Koji, to Kaito's surprise, stood up with ease, adjusting his stance into a Muay Thai position. "You good, bro?" Kaito asked, his concern evident in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm good," Koji replied, his tone surprisingly calm.
Kaito's eyes narrowed, a serious look crossing his face. "Now let's get serious."
The boss chuckled darkly. "So, y'all don't give up, huh?"
Koji shot back, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Come on, not fair. You know your member picked this fight."
The boss's eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Ryuu, who was standing a few feet away, looking uncomfortable.
"Did you pick a fight? Ryuu" the boss growled, his tone dangerous.
Ryuu quickly shook his head. "I'm not, boss."
The boss's gaze hardened. "Did I tell you we're a gang?" He motioned to his group.
Ryuu seemed to shrink under the pressure. "Yes," he said, fear lacing his voice.
"You broke one of our rules," the boss spat, his voice cold and unforgiving.
"I'm not the boss," Ryuu muttered, his voice trembling. "But I'm telling the truth."
Kaito eyes narrowed even further. "He was harassing Airi, the transfer girl," Kaito interjected, his voice filled with anger. "I heard it all. Your plan with her."
Ryuu's face paled, his eyes darting nervously around the group. "What? I didn't even get a chance to talk to her!" He sounded almost desperate now, the façade of confidence cracking as Kaito's words hit too close to the truth.
Kaito clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "I heard everything," he said through gritted teeth. "And I saw the knife. You had one, didn't you?"
A low curse escaped Ryuu's lips. "Shit," he muttered, clearly realizing that he was cornered.
Ryuu, having regained his footing, straightened up, his fists still raised. "You're lucky the boss is here to save you," he said, his voice filled with disdain.
Koji didn't reply. His body was tense, caught between the boss's overwhelming presence and the fear that had begun to creep in. But before anything else could happen, the boss stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"What do you say, Ryuu?" the boss asked, his voice calm but filled with authority. The tension in the air was palpable, and even Ryuu couldn't deny the power in his leader's voice.
Ryuu didn't answer immediately. His eyes flickered toward the group, scanning the faces of his gang members. Finally, he swallowed, his voice tight with unease. "Nothing."
The boss raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Good. We're done here." He turned to Koji and Kaito, his tone softening slightly. "Ryuu... he's not worth your time. But if you're looking for trouble, it's not going to end well."
Koji and Kaito exchanged a glance, both of them still ready for a fight if things went south, but the boss was making it clear that this confrontation was over—for now.
"Fine," Koji said, his expression still serious. "But make sure Ryuu knows not to bother Airi again. He's got no business with her."
The boss's eyes flashed with something unreadable, but he nodded once. "I'll make sure he knows. But this is your warning too. Don't cross me."
Koji didn't flinch. "We'll take our chances."
The boss smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'm serious, Koji. Ryuu doesn't get to make the same mistakes twice. And neither do you."
Kaito stepped forward, his gaze hardening. "We won't let you hurt her. Not now, not ever."
The boss let out a low chuckle, clearly amused. "Alright, alright. We're done here. Get out of my sight before I change my mind."
With one last glance at the two friends, the boss motioned for his gang to follow him, and they began walking away, leaving Kaito and Koji standing in the hallway. The sound of their footsteps grew distant, but neither Kaito nor Koji moved right away. They needed to process what had just happened.
"Man, that was close," Kaito muttered, letting out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
Koji nodded but didn't seem particularly relieved. "Yeah, but we're not done yet. Ryuu's still out there, and he's not going to forget this."
Kaito looked over at his friend, his thoughts racing. "I know. But at least for now... we've stopped him. Airi's safe."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Kaito let out a breath of relief. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, and his body ached from the fight, but they had made it through. For now.