---
*Later that afternoon, near the school courtyard*
Ria leaned casually against a pillar, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she nudged Sato. "Damn girl, talk about luck — you got the female lead for the review!"
Sato's grin widened, pride shining through. "Yeah, that's huge! Gives our club the spotlight we need."
Ryan, standing nearby with a curious look, raised an eyebrow. "Okay, cool. But who's the male lead?"
Ria smirked confidently. "Nathan."
Sato blinked in surprise. "Wait, Nathan? He wasn't even at the meeting."
Ria laughed softly. "Lol, his father *is* the owner of Imperials. Doesn't matter if Nathan shows up or not — he's the male lead by default."
"Who cares If his the son to Sir Williams anyways"
Ria rolled her eyes. "Seriously? He's the founder of Vicki~Log, but he gave it all to Viki — his girlfriend. He's also the head of Diamonds. And, oh yeah — he's Mr. Williams' son."
There was a pause as Nao digested the information. "Diamonds? What's that?"
Ria's smile turned sly. "Their gang. If you run into them and you're not part of a powerful club… well, good luck surviving till the next day."
A heavy silence settled, broken suddenly by a loud *THUD!!*Nao's mind instantly flashed back to a terrifying memory — a student falling from the top of the building, hitting the ground with a sickening crash.
Her heart pounded in her chest. *Why did that come to mind now?*
"Uh… okay," Nao stammered, trying to steady herself. "I'll just be in my dorm… have a lot of stuff to do. You know, the review and all that…"
Ria raised an eyebrow but waved her off casually. "Sure, sure. Don't keep us waiting."
Nao gave a small bow and quickly walked away, her breath shaky but determination burning behind her eyes.
---
*Dorm 456*
The room was cloaked in a soft, dim blue light. The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out any trace of the outside world. Silence hung heavy, broken only by the faint tapping of keys.
Seated at a small desk near the window was a young man, hunched slightly over a laptop. His fingers moved swiftly, flying across the keyboard with practiced ease. A phone lay beside him, connected to the laptop by a thin wire.
A slow, confident smirk curled on his lips as he glanced at the screen.
"Got in by Equal system, made it to the top 2 groups, pissed off the school queen, snagged the female lead… Ain't you doing *too* much, Nao Asano?" he murmured, eyes glittering with amusement.
---
Meanwhile, in the bathroom down the hall, Nao stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was calm but determined. She took a deep breath in, then slowly let it out, steadying her nerves.
"After the review… I'll probably get a little 'too' much status," she whispered to herself, the hint of a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Let's make this work."
She stepped out, heading back to her room. Once inside, she sat on her bed and reached for her phone.Her eyes widened slightly. "Huh… this isn't my phone."
---
*Hallway, moments ago*
*BAAM!*
Nao stumbled back as a figure accidentally bumped into her, sending some of her belongings scattering to the floor.
"Oh! Sorry!" The boy crouched down quickly, gathering her things with a nervous smile.
"It's fine," Nao replied softly, accepting the items from him.
He nodded, still smiling, then turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the empty hallway.
Nao who was in a rush.ran ahead.
---
~♤~
"Dang... had he accidentally given me his phone? And I don't even know him at all.
Nao muttered to herself, staring down at the unfamiliar device in her hands. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
She glanced toward the window.
"Hmm... haven't seen Kaze since the meeting," she said aloud, shaking her head as if trying to dismiss her thoughts.
"Wah... no, I don't care... about him," she added quickly, trying to sound convincing but failing to mask the flicker of curiosity in her voice.
Nao balanced the phone on her chin, turning it over slowly.
"Hmm... What could he be doing?" she whispered, leaning closer to the screen as if expecting it to answer her.
Suddenly, there was a faint knocking sound. She flinched, startled.
"Ack—hmm… Who's that?" she called out nervously, but no one answered.
Curious and cautious, she tiptoed to the door and opened it. On the floor lay a folded piece of paper.
"What's this?" Nao asked herself, bending down to pick it up. She quickly glanced around the hallway, then closed the door quietly behind her.
Back inside, she unfolded the paper and her eyes scanned the message:
*"The uniform you got for murder looks good on you."*Her grip faltered, and the paper slipped from her fingers, fluttering to the floor.
"W-what?" she stammered, panic rising in her chest.
"Who sent this?" Her voice was barely a whisper as she looked around the room, heart pounding.
---
*THUD!!*
The sudden sound made her spin around, eyes wide with terror.
There, behind her, lay a boy covered in blood, lifeless and sprawled across the floor.
"No no no..." Nao's voice trembled as she took a shaky step backward, every muscle in her body frozen in fear.
---
*knock knock*
The knocking came again, this time louder, more insistent.
Nao flinched, her breath hitching.
"W-who… is that?" Her voice was trembling, barely audible.
"It's me… Kaze," came the calm, familiar reply.
Quickly, she shoved the paper under her bed.
"Oh…" she breathed, suddenly feeling exposed.
She hurried to the door and opened it just enough to see him standing there.
"Hey... you eaten?" he asked casually.
"Um... y-yeah," she replied softly, avoiding his gaze.
He studied her for a moment, noticing the slight tremble in her hands.
"Oh... can I talk to you?" His voice softened with concern. "Are... you alright?"
She forced a small nod. "Y-yeah... I'm f-fine."
Kaze stepped forward and gently placed his hand on her forehead."You're getting a bit too warm... fever?"
Nao jerked away quickly, slapping his hand off her skin.
"I'm fine," she snapped, voice sharper than intended.
He sighed, a hint of regret in his eyes.
"I wanted to apologize..." he began. "I shouldn't have left you."
Nao avoided his eyes, turning away slightly.
"It... doesn't matter... it's off, no point."
Kaze reached out, his fingers gently lifting her chin until her eyes met his.
"I know how these little things matter to you."
Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she whispered,
"Y-you don't know me."
He chuckled softly, wrapping his hands around her shoulders in a warm, protective hold.
"Anyways... I apologized. Let's eat already."
---
*Apologized already?*
Nao's thoughts spiraled. *Did he take it that lightly?*
*He did call it "little things."*
She pulled away, shaking her head.
"Kaze, stop... stop whatever you're doing. This isn't—back then."
She stepped back, slipping inside her room and locking the door firmly behind her.
"Kaze..." she whispered as he called her name softly from outside.Nao bent down and pulled the note from under her bed, holding it tightly before walking over to her reading table. She lit a match and carefully set the paper ablaze, watching the flames consume it as it curled and blackened.
She dropped the ashes into the metal trash can beside her desk and stared down at the empty space.
"Whoever sent this..." she whispered,voice laced with determination. "Who are you?"
---
Later that night, Nathan sat alone on a worn bench tucked away in a quiet corner of the school grounds. The night sky stretched endlessly above him, speckled with shimmering stars that seemed so distant yet so free. His left hand, wrapped tightly in a fresh bandage, rested on his lap, the faint sting of pain lingering beneath the cloth.
"Hy… honey, what are you doing out here all alone?" Viki's soft voice broke the silence as she approached and sat beside him.
Nathan didn't answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the stars.
"The stars… they're so free," he murmured quietly.
Viki tilted her head, confused. "Huh?"
He sighed, lowering his eyes to the grass beneath the bench. "Forget it."
Concern filled Viki's eyes as she noticed the bandages.
"Did… something happen?" she asked gently.
Her fingers hesitated before reaching out to touch his wrapped hand. Nathan flinched, a sharp hiss escaping him.
"Oh… sorry, baby," she whispered, withdrawing her hand quickly. "Did your father do this?"
Nathan shook his head slightly, trying to brush it off.
"Don't worry about it… let's just go to bed."
He stood up, his movements stiff but determined.
Viki watched him with worry, voice softening.
"Are… you sure you're okay?"
A light, almost forced laugh escaped Nathan."Yeah… I'm fine."
Standing, Viki wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close.
"How about tomorrow… you treat me to dinner?"
Nathan smirked, shaking his head.
"Hell nah," he replied with a playful grin.
Together, they walked away from the bench, the cool night air wrapping around them like a quiet promise.
---