Middle Brother's head snapped to the side. He froze. Slowly, very slowly, he turned around to face whoever had dared throw it.
I blinked, struggling to process what just happened, my chest still heaving.
Someone else is here. But who is it...
"You've had enough fun, haven't you?"
The voice carried across the hollowed construction site, steady and unshaken, like stone grinding against stone. Middle Brother turned, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the cracked floor.
There, by the shattered doorway, stood a man who seemed carved from the night itself.
Tall and broad, his build radiated a raw, weathered strength. His square jaw bore faint scars, hints of battles fought long before this night. Cropped dark hair framed a face hardened by discipline, but it was his eyes. Those unnatural, piercing red gaze that cuts through the gloom like embers in the dark.
Middle Brother growled, his neck twisting toward the newcomer. But, that is no newcomer to me. Those figure belonged to none other than the Dorm Keeper himself. The 7th Seat.
"...Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The man's voice was calm, cutting through the tension.
"It doesn't matter who I am." His fists tightened. "I'm just here to drag my junior back to his dorm."
Then he moved without any hesitation or warning. His punch landed with a crack that echoed through the hollow construction site. Middle Brother actually staggered back, his expression twisting with surprise before hardening again.
Then, they collided. Blow after blow. Punches, hooks, knees, kicks....
The sound of each hit was deafening. They were equals, two forces hammering into each other without holding back. It's as if I'm seeing a battle between a Tiger and a Lion.
I tried to rise, my palms scraping the concrete. My chest heaved, aching from where Middle Brother's kick had folded me.
My eyes followed them, but their movements blurred together. It was too fast and brutal, I couldn't tell who held the advantage.
The air shook every time their fists connected. Dust fell from half-finished beams above.
If I am in peak condition right now, I still can't help the Dormkeeper. I could tell, that if I were to interfere, I would just be a deadweight to him.
I clenched my teeth, knowing how powerless I am.
I'm forcing my arm to hold me steady, but strength was draining out of me with every breath. My vision narrowed, fading in and out, the two figures at the center of it all are burned into my memory.
"There really is... a bigger fish than I am..."
And then the darkness had grabbed a hold of me, and engulfed me whole.
When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. White, clean, and humming faintly under the dull fluorescent lights. My head felt heavy, and my body refused to move.
I tilted my gaze slightly and realized I wasn't in my dorm. I was in a hospital.
And then I noticed her.
Shimotsuki, slumped beside me, her ashen-gray hair spilling across the edge of the bed.
She was asleep, her head close to where my hand rested on the blanket, her breathing soft and even. If I moved even a little, my fingers could brush against her hair.
"What is she doing here…?" I blurted, without much awareness of the nurse who's changing the water on the flower vase.
She smiled knowingly. "You should be nice to her. She's been here since yesterday—practically pestering us nonstop, asking if you'd woken up, if your pulse was steady, or if your breathing was normal."
I blinked, still groggy, not sure what to say. My eyes drifted back to Shimotsuki. She didn't look like the sharp Memokeeper of the Council now. Just a girl who had sat here all night, waiting.
The nurse gave me a knowing look before quietly excusing herself, the door shutting softly behind her. For the first time since waking, the room felt silent. Just me and Shimotsuki.
I shifted a little, intending to say something.
Maybe to wake her gently, maybe just to ask why she was here. But before I could even form the words, her head lifted. Emerald eyes met mine, wide with disbelief for half a heartbeat.
And then she leaned forward and wrapped me in her embrace.
My body stiffened from the sudden contact. The warmth of her embrace pressed into me, and I opened my mouth, trying to mutter a response. "…Shimo—"
"Shut up, idiot." she said firmly, cutting me off, her voice muffled against my shoulder.
I couldn't see it, but I could definitely felt the tears that she shed.
I froze. This is the most emotion I've seen the usually calm, composed and teasing Shimotsuki shown.
"Do you have any idea... about how worried I was?" she whispered, squeezing tighter as if I might slip away again.
"You just ran off, you didn't listen, and then… then I heard you were brought here, unconscious. I didn't even know what to do..."
For a moment, I just lay there in silence, the weight of her words pressing down on me. Then, slowly, I found my voice.
"…I'm sorry," I murmured.
She pulled back slightly, just enough for our eyes to meet, her gaze searching mine.
"I remembered your smile," I continued, my voice low, weak but steady.
"That afternoon, when we were having tea in the lounge. When you talked about books… you looked so alive, so sure of what you loved."
I let out a faint breath, almost a laugh. "I loved that part about you. Sometimes, I don't even know myself. I don't like studying, but I love what I find when I read. I don't like fighting, but… I love the sensation it brings me."
Her lips parted, as though she wanted to say something, but I pressed on before she could.
"I guess that's why I chased after them. Not because of the book itself, but because it mattered to you. Maybe I just… wanted to protect what you love."
The words lingered in the air between us, heavier than I expected.
For a heartbeat, the room was silent. Then—smack!
Her hand had struck my cheek. Not hard enough to truly hurt, but sharp enough to jolt me.
I blinked at her in surprise. Shimotsuki's eyes were wide, glistening, her usual composure cracked by a trembling anger.
"Idiot," she hissed, her voice low and shaking. "Your life is much more important than any book. I don't care if it was Dream of the Red Chamber or some irreplaceable manuscript. None of it matters more than you."
I opened my mouth, but she cut me off again, her grip tightening around my sleeve as though to anchor me to the bed.
"If you really want to protect what I love," she said, her voice steadying, her emerald eyes boring into mine, "then take care of yourself first. Because right now… you are part of what I love."
Her words struck deeper than her slap ever could.
I lay there in silence, staring at her. My chest tightened, and I couldn't tell if it was from the bruises or from the weight of what she'd just said.
"…I see," I finally managed to whisper, my throat dry.
Shimotsuki didn't flinch, didn't look away. Her emerald eyes were unwavering, even though her cheeks were still faintly red.
I gave a weak laugh, though it came out more like a cough.
"You know… you shouldn't say things like that so easily. People might misunderstand."
She frowned. "What, do I look like I'm joking?"
I shut my mouth. The truth was, I didn't want her to take it back.
Not now.
Not ever.
"…Alright," I said at last, lowering my gaze.
"I'll try. I'll try to take better care of myself. Since you asked me to."
Her shoulders loosened, relief softening her expression. She let go of my sleeve, but not before brushing her fingers lightly over the back of my hand.
I turned my head slightly toward Shimotsuki, my voice still hoarse.
"What… happened? After I went after them, I mean."
Her emerald eyes flickered, the usual calm in her tone replaced with something quieter—relieved, but weighed with concern.
"The moment you disappeared from my sight, I contacted the High Council's group chat. Only the 3rd Seat and the 7th Seat replied."
"The 3rd Seat…" I muttered. I didn't know much about him, other than the name and his reputation for being sharp.
Shimotsuki nodded. "I told them everything. What happened at the food stalls, the ambush, and that you were chasing after those people... But I also made it clear, that this confrontation with The Middle had to stay secret. If the whole school found out, it would create problems far bigger than either of us could handle."
I let out a weak breath, the weight of her words pressing in. "Alright… but then… how did the Dorm Keeper even know where I was?"
Her expression softened as if she expected me to ask that.
"The 3rd Seat hacked into the CCTV networks across the area. Street corners, shopfronts, traffic light, anything within range of where I last saw you. He tracked the you all through the footage, following every turn that were taken. When he saw them drag you into the abandoned construction site, he sent the 7th Seat ahead. At the same time, he navigated me back to the academy safely through the cameras."
As Shimotsuki explained, I couldn't help but think highly of the Third Seat.
To hack through countless CCTV feeds, track our movements, and while guiding the both of them at the same time from behind the scenes....
That wasn't just skill. That was genius. The 3rd Seat, The Mastermind, definitely lived up to his title.
He might even be a prodigy, like Harry Houdini of magicians.
He definitely deserved the title. I wonder if everyone in the High Council are like this. Perhaps, even Shimotsuki?
I stared at her, blinking. "So… all of that happened in the span of a night?"
"Yes." She looked away for a moment, as though replaying the events in her mind. "It was reckless of you to go alone, Faulker. If the Seventh Seat hadn't made it in time…"
She trailed off, but she didn't need to finish. I understood.
Then, I remembered something important. The outcome of yesterday.
"So… who won? The Middle Brother, or the Dorm Keeper?"
Shimotsuki looked up at me, and for the first time since yesterday, there was the faintest trace of a smile. "Fufu, that's a secret."
I frowned. "Seriously? Come on, I need to know."
She just shook her head, almost playfully. "Nope. Not telling you."
I kept pressing, throwing in questions and half-jokes, but she wouldn't budge.
At last, she let out a small sigh, the kind that carried more weariness than annoyance.
"I'm tired. Just let me rest for a while."
Before I could say anything else, she pulled the chair closer and rested her chin on the edge of the bed beside my arm. She leaned her head against her own forearm, eyes half-lidded.
Just as I thought she was about to drift off, Shimotsuki's voice came, soft and almost muffled against her arm.
"...Hey, Faulk. Can you give me a headpat?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "...Ha? A headpat? Why?"
Without lifting her head, she replied, "I felt like it would help me sleep better."
I let out a quiet sigh, half in disbelief, half amused. Or maybe that's just my own fatigue talking.
But still, I reached out and gently placed my hand on her ashen-gray hair, running my fingers lightly over the strands. She let out the faintest hum of satisfaction, her shoulders easing as if the weight of the world finally slid off them.
For a while, the only sound in the room was her breathing, growing slower, steadier. Before long, her emerald eyes closed completely, and Shimotsuki drifted into sleep.
I kept my hand there a moment longer, staring at her resting so peacefully beside me, before finally leaning back against the pillow in silence.
"This isn't good for my heart..."
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, soft and warm, when the door creaked open. Alejandro led the way in, followed by Shayne and Nayuta. The three stopped dead in their tracks the moment their eyes fell on the scene before them.
Shimotsuki were still asleep, her chin resting on the edge of my bed, silver hair tumbling down her arm.
To them, she must have looked like any other girl who had simply worn herself out worrying.
Alejandro's gaze lingered, sharp as ever. But instead of pressing, he let out a slow breath.
"You know," he said quietly, almost reflective, "I've got plenty of questions in my head right now. But… I'll put them aside. What matters is you're still here."
He gave me a steady look—more of a silent reassurance than an interrogation.
Shayne, of course, couldn't resist breaking the mood. A grin tugged at his lips as he leaned closer. "Well, well. Look at you, Faulker. I always thought I had the charm, but it seems you were the one that's actually pulling girls left and right. Maybe you can teach me sometimes."
I rolled my eyes, but before I could even respond, Nayuta chimed in with a smirk, his voice deceptively light.
"Forget Shayne. What I'm wondering is... What are you planning to tell Lyna about this?" Nayuta teased, grinning like a fox.
I froze, the words catching in my throat. "I—It's not like—"
But then, like fate itself decided to curse me, the door opened again.
"Tell me what?"
Lyna's voice cut through the room, calm but sharp, as if she had walked in at the exact wrong moment. My stomach dropped. Behind her came Mari, Clara, and Sera, each carrying their own shade of curiosity on their faces.
Nayuta blinked, caught off guard. Shayne stifled a laugh behind his fist, clearly delighted at my suffering. Alejandro only exhaled slowly, murmuring, "Perfect timing."
Lyna's eyes moved from me… to Shimotsuki, still fast asleep with her head near my arm. Her expression didn't change much, but her silence was somehow worse than anything she could have said.
Mari's face fell, disappointment plain as she crossed her arms.
"Seriously, Faulk? We've only known you for a day, and you're already cheating? I thought you were better than that."
Clara tilted her head, poking her own cheeks with her index finger.
Her tone's aloof, and carries no weight. "Haha, You're just like me when it comes to food. But having too many is not good for your health."
Sera, meanwhile, tapped her chin thoughtfully, her lips curling into a wry smile. "You know, I do remember telling you "que sera, sera" before. But this… well, this wasn't what I meant. Or expected."
My face burned. I wanted to bury myself under the blankets. "It's… it's not what you think," I muttered, trying to sound firm, but even I wasn't sure what I was defending myself from.
Nayuta crossed his arms, smirking wider now that he had backup. "Well, Faulk, I sure hope you can find a good excuse to give them."
Shayne lost it then, laughing loud enough that I nearly threw the pillow at him.
Alejandro, at least, had the decency to shake his head quietly, though I swore there was the faintest ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.
Shimotsuki stirred, slowly lifting her head. Her long ashen-gray hair slid off her shoulders as she blinked away the drowsiness. Her emerald eyes wandered the room, then froze.
Her face immediately flushed crimson.
"…Eh?" she whispered, barely audible.
And before anyone could speak, she quickly covered her face with both hands and shuffled awkwardly around the bed, pressing herself to my side.
Then, like a child hiding from strangers, she leaned in close and ducked her head, peeking timidly over my shoulder at the others.
The room went dead silent for half a beat.
Every single one of them—Alejandro, Shayne, Nayuta, Lyna, Mari, Clara, and Sera—stood rooted to the spot, their expressions suspended somewhere between disbelief and shock.
It wasn't just surprise at finding a girl in my hospital room. No, it was sharper than that. It's recognition. They knew her face.
In that moment, I realized what I had been brushing off all this time.
To me, Shimotsuki had only been a girl who liked novels. An introverted friend who smiled when she talked about books.
But, to them, she wasn't just another student. She is the 4th Seat of the High Council.
Someone unapproachable. Someone on a level far higher than the rest of us.
Honestly, I don't blame the reaction, since I had heard what the 3rd Seat accomplished on the span of yesterday. Being in a room with someone like that... would normally eat away at your self-conscious.
But here she is, within my personal space, close enough to my ears that I could hear her breathing.