Scene 1
"Good morning, students," Kenmo said as he stood in front of the blackboard.
Immediately, whispers rippled through the classroom. "Isn't that the S-Rank Hunter?" one student murmured.
Another added, "Even though he's an S-Rank Hunter, he's a class teacher?"
Aminame, standing a little distance away, spoke respectfully. "His name is Kenmo Shintara. Alongside being the Class 4 teacher, he is an exceptional Hunter."
She bowed slightly, adding, "You may choose as you wish for Class 4." After saying this, she turned back toward the students.
Kenmo frowned, thinking, Another KazeKami? His gaze quickly shifted to Haruto, locking eyes with him. He exhaled softly, looked over the students silently, and began to leave.
Aminame and the rest of the students exchanged confused looks.
Before leaving, Kenmo raised his hand and called out, "Everyone, come to Class 4." With that, he departed.
The students, surprised yet excited, began talking among themselves.
...
Time passed, and Class 3 students had now settled into Class 4, each in their assigned seat. Haruto, Reina, and Naoki remained in their familiar positions—Reina to Haruto's left and Naoki to his right.
The classroom carried a tense atmosphere. Most students sat silently, seemingly uninterested, while some cast sly smiles at Class 3 students, teasing them, and a few others appeared quietly pleased.
Haruto's eyes fell on Shuya, sitting at a distant desk, his face usually stern and scowling. Seeing him, Haruto stiffened slightly.
Reina's gaze moved across the room, scanning the class.
Naoki rested his head on the desk beside Haruto and called out to Reina, "Hey, why are you looking around like that?"
Reina's cheeks flushed pink, and she flinched. "N-nothing! Mind your own business." She quickly returned to calm focus.
Kairen, seated near Shuya, was building a tower of cards and glanced back at the Class 3 students. "Class 3? I've heard they're quite capable."
A boy in an oversized hoodie, with a band-aid across his nose, quickly scanned the classroom as a small trickle of blood ran from his nose. He grinned to himself. Wow! Today's classroom looks amazing. Studying will be fun.
In the back corner, a weary Class 3 student with dark circles beneath his eyes muttered, "Shintara-sensei hasn't arrived yet. I hope nothing happened to him... no demons ate him, right?"
Naoki looked back from his chair. "Stop saying such gloomy stuff. Nothing must have happened to him. He'll arrive any moment now."
Despite the wait, Kenmo didn't arrive. Time slipped by until lunch, and the students spread out across the Academy, chatting and enjoying themselves. In the classroom, only a few remained.
Naoki, with a bored expression, muttered, "Man, this class is so dull."
Haruto asked, "I heard Renzaki is in Class 4, but he rarely shows up. So, when will he come?"
Naoki replied, "That fool comes whenever he feels like it. Getting him to show up is a headache."
Reina suddenly remembered something. "Ah! I forgot to do my homework!" She opened her bag, took out her notebook, and began working diligently.
Naoki shot her an annoyed smirk. "What's the point of Class 3 homework now that you're in Class 4? You're really stupid."
Reina ignored him, focusing on her work.
Naoki stood up and suggested, "Hey, why don't we go have some fun? It's way too boring here."
Haruto asked, "Fun? But where?"
Naoki started toward the door. "Just follow me."
Haruto jumped up and ran after him.
Meanwhile, the oversized hoodie boy, who had been watching them leave, stepped forward and stopped before Reina's desk.
She looked up from her homework. "What is it? What's the problem?"
"I'm Pochi Mochizuki. Actually, I was just going out to—"
"So?" Reina cut him off. "Get to the point."
Pochi said, "Your name is Reina Akatsumi, right?"
Reina answered, uninterested, "Yeah. Why?"
Inside, Pochi lit up with excitement. Oh, Yes! She really is that girl—Reina Akatsumi.
Clearing his throat, Pochi continued, "I've heard a lot about you. You're strong and incredibly talented, and your name is known for doing great things. You're the Academy's little queen!"
Reina ignored him, continuing her work.
Pochi, with a slight flourish and a cool pose, pulled a small sunflower from his pocket. "I'm going out to get some ice cream. As the Academy's little queen, you should come with me for a celebratory treat."
He extended the sunflower towards her. "Would you like to come?"
Reina looked up, meeting his eyes. He smiled softly, the kind of smile that carried a gentle warmth.
Pochi was back at his desk, his face swollen and defeated. The sunflower wilted in his hand. Reina continued her work.
Haruto and Naoki slipped through the bustling commons, weaving quietly past students until they reached the far corner near the office wing. A narrow, quieter passage opened there—the kind most people ignored.
The guard seated nearby was busy eating his lunch and didn't notice them.
They stepped inside and followed the corridor for a short distance. After a moment of walking, they reached the small set of three steps at the far end. They climbed the short rise, turned onto the landing, and continued upward toward the main staircase.
Halfway up, they stopped right before the final bend to listen carefully.
"What did you say? They're already in your class?" Daigo's voice rang from above. "These Class 3 students are really overstepping. Everywhere, it's their praises."
Kairen responded, "You're right. We'll need to do something. Otherwise, qualifying for the exams will be troublesome."
Tetsuya added, "No, no it's fine. They're all excellent."
Daigo growled, "You're too sentimental. Everything seems fine to you."
The three began bickering, when suddenly a foot landed on the stairs behind Haruto and Naoki. They turned their heads to see Shuya, his scowling face looming over them.
Both froze in panic.
Shuya clenched his fist and struck Haruto squarely in the nose. Haruto toppled to the landing, crashing over Naoki, who also fell to the ground.
Kairen, Daigo, and Tetsuya watched from above.
Blood trickled from Haruto's nose as his face swelled, but he tried to stand.
Naoki pushed himself up as well, gritting his teeth.
Shuya's cold gaze pierced them. "Get out, both of you."
Haruto clutched his nose, wincing in pain.
Naoki shouted, his teeth still gritting, "You brute! Why do you hit everyone? We were just heading to the rooftop!"
Shuya readied another punch. "I won't warn again. Leave now."
Tetsuya descended quickly, shouting, "Hey Shuya, don't hit them. They're my friends!"
Kairen and Daigo followed him down the stairs.
Kairen said, "Shuya, deal with them later. We're heading outside. You should come too."
Shuya tightened his fist, jaw locked, voice low and heavy. "Let me teach them a proper lesson first."
Daigo scoffed. "Kairen, tell him these guys aren't even worth the trouble. They're not on our level."
With that calm, unsettling smile of his, Kairen replied, "He's right. No point wasting our time."
He began descending the stairs, Daigo following behind.
Haruto, still holding his bleeding nose, spoke. "N-Naoki… we should leave too."
Naoki muttered, "Just hold on. Let them walk off first."
From below, Kairen called out, "Hey, Shuya. Come on."
Shuya looked at his own fist, anger simmering beneath his blank expression.
Then—
He drove a clean jab straight into Naoki's cheek. Naoki stumbled, but Tetsuya caught him before he hit the ground. Without another word, Shuya turned and headed downstairs.
Tetsuya's expression shifted into a guilty frown. "Sorry about Shuya. His temper… he hit you both."
Haruto wiped the blood from his nose and forced a small smile. "It's fine. We're classmates now. Things like this happen."
Naoki sat down on the step, staring at his ankle. "Great… I think I twisted it when I fell."
He tried moving it carefully, wincing.
Haruto and Tetsuya stood beside him.
Meanwhile, two students—around sixteen or seventeen—coming from the cafeteria, drifted through the crowd in the commons and headed toward the same quiet corner near the office wing. The guard seated nearby ignored them. They slipped into the corridor, the sound of the crowd fading behind them.
They walked casually through the passage, moving toward the small set of steps waiting ahead.
One of them held a juice box with an acidic berry mix flavor, the straw resting loosely between his lips.
He took a long sip—slurp—puckered slightly at the sour taste, and said in a lazy voice, "Ahh… I love sour stuff. This one's really good."
Beside him walked a girl with a dark crimson ribbon tied in a classic bow at the back of her hair. A faint, eerie little smile rested on her face as she said, "You like sour things?"
"Yeah, I do."
He held the juice box slightly toward her. "Wanna taste?"
Her smile deepened a little. "You couldn't get a second straw?"
Still smiling, she tapped her lips against the straw, took a sip, then pulled back. She licked her lips lightly, eyes narrowing at him, a tiny chuckle slipping out.
He placed the straw back between his lips. "So… heading to the roof again? What do you even plan on doing up there?"
"Nothing much," she replied. "Just feel like bothering someone."
He sighed, the straw still between his lips. "Your habit of messing with others isn't going anywhere."
With that, the two of them headed toward the steps at the end of the corridor, walking side by side.
Meanwhile, Daigo, Kairen, and Shuya were making their way down.
Daigo grumbled, "Tetsuya's useless. I doubt he'll ever fit into our group."
Shuya shot back, "And you think you're useful?"
Kairen sighed calmly. "Relax, both of you. Don't start fighting here."
They reached the last bend in the stairs—
—and turning the corner, they came face-to-face with the same two students approaching from the corridor.
Both sides stopped.
Both groups stared.
A sudden silence dropped between them.