"Did Yuta get up already?"
I didn't see Yuta-just the neatly folded quilt and the Chappy doll placed on the pillow.
When I went downstairs to the first floor, he wasn't there either.
Could he be on the third floor?
When I reached the third floor, I realized Yuta had just finished swimming. He was only wearing shorts, his abdomen exposed, muscles shaped clean and precise. The water droplets slipping down his body looked like they were carved there.
"You're awake." Yuta wiped himself off with a towel.
Kuchiki Rukia stared, blinking as she took him in. Her gaze drifted down to his lower half before snapping back up with flushed cheeks. She hadn't expected that someone who looked so lean in his uniform would reveal that kind of physique underneath.
She reached out without thinking and poked his abs. Her cold fingertips pressed against his warm stomach, and her expression shifted for only half a second. "Why didn't you wake Matsumoto?"
"No point. She sleeps until noon anyway." After answering, Yuta stepped into the bathroom to shower.
When he came out, Rukia was already sitting in front of the mirror combing her hair. The sound of the door made her stop and glance his way.
"Let's head out together."
Even though they were both headed to the Shino Academy, their reasons couldn't have been further apart-Yuta was teaching.
Kuchiki Rukia was also teaching now, arms full of documents as they walked out together.
There was some light fog that morning, and hardly anyone around at first. As they neared the Academy, groups of people started appearing along the way.
Most civilians lived in the dormitories inside the school. Nobles tended to rent nearby houses instead.
Several onlookers whispered after seeing Rukia walking beside Yuta.
"Who's that student? He seems really close with Kuchiki-sensei…"
"They're walking side by side-could they be neighbors or...?"
More whispers followed them in turned heads and hushed voices.
Neither Yuta nor Rukia paid any attention. Once they crossed through the gates of Shino Academy, they passed students and teachers heading off in different directions for class.
Three girls in matching red-and-white uniforms spotted Yuta from down the corridor. It was Mikami and her friends.
They were on their way to Kidō class after leaving their dorms. When Mikami raised her hand to wave, her eyes caught Rukia walking beside Yuta-and staying close enough that it looked nothing like coincidence.
What's their relationship?
Did they meet mid-way here-or were they living under the same roof?
Inside the Kidō classroom, Mikami noticed Hirano Sorajin had already arrived. He stood among other nobles whispering about unknown topics. Those conversations stopped as civilians entered the room.
Mikami kept her guard up just in case.
When Yuta and Rukia finally entered as well, Mikami noticed Hirano's eyes subtly shifting toward Yuta again and again throughout the lesson.
Their target-it had to be him.
Would they try to cause trouble?
"That's it for today's class. Dismissed."
Rukia packed her materials and headed out just as Hirano approached Yuta directly.
"Yuta, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Hirano Kongjin from the Hirano family-a lower noble house," he said. "Would you be interested in coming with me somewhere?"
"Can't say I am." Yuta knew better than to trust that look-but gauging their motive required playing along.
"It's just the arena for underground matches," Hirano said casually. "There's decent prize money involved… but of course, if you're scared-"
"Trying to bait me?"
"I just assumed that since you joined Shino Academy, you were willing to push your limits-learn how to fight hollows properly. There's someone there stronger than any of our instructors-"
"Fine. Lead the way."
Mikami watched them leave but tried to step in too late. Other nobles blocked her instantly.
"YUTA! Don't go-they're planning SOMETHING!"
Her words bounced off concrete walls as Yuta's figure slipped farther down the hall-then vanished altogether from view.
Mikami clenched her fists and looked at her two classmates in the hallway mirror before snapping-
"Juri, Kanae-you two follow him. I'll go find Kuchiki-sensei."
Both knew exactly how dire things had become and ran off without another word.
Mikami turned toward where Rukia had exited earlier-hoping she wasn't too far ahead to hear them out at least.
Just as Rukia stepped out of Shino Academy's main entrance, Mikami caught up behind her-
"Kuchiki-sensei! Please wait!"
Hearing her name called made Rukia turn immediately, brows raising as she saw Mikami running toward her drenched in sweat and panting hard.
"What is it? You're out of breath."
"Yuta…! He was taken by nobles from class-they said it was for some underground boxing match!"
Rukia's entire expression changed instantly.
"Underground boxing…?"
Her brows tightened into a hard line as she gave Mikami one terse command-
"Take me there now."
…
Hirano led Yuta through multiple turns beneath layers of buildings until they came to what looked like the entrance to a basement garage-sloping downwards into darkness with stale air pressing against concrete walls. They turned again twice over before reaching what resembled some kind of underground facility.
At the far end sat a man dressed fully in black with his head lowered as if lost in deep thought. When he heard footsteps approaching, he stood upright slowly and glanced toward them through narrow eyes-
"Hirano-you're here."
"This is Mr. Atsuka," Hirano said politely with a nod before gesturing toward Yuta. "And this is Yuta."
"My name is Aratsuka Suma," he said with little emotion. "From the mid-level noble Aratsuka family-and owner of this dojo."
Yuta didn't answer him. He looked past their host toward the center of the room instead.
Darkness covered most of the walls and ceiling-except for one large patch of light shining down on the platform at the middle of the space: ropes strung between four thick wooden posts outlining what could only be described as a boxing ring.
Aratsuka's hands folded behind his back as he continued-
"I'll get to the point then. There'll be one match only-and if you win, you walk away with two hundred thousand rings."
Heavy footsteps sounded from behind him next-a singular tall figure stepping into sight beneath one hanging light bulb overhead.
He stood nearly three meters tall with thick muscle stacked on every part of his frame from shoulders down to fists hanging just above the ground nearby-
"This is your opponent: Big Black Bear," Aratsuka said smoothly. "He's been undefeated for hundreds of years-and remains our strongest fighter."
Big Black Bear grinned wide when he saw Yuta's lean frame step forward without hesitation.
And then-
Yuta spoke.
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