The week passed in a steady rhythm.School in the morning. Lunch with Mei—though it always drew a storm of whispers and glares from the rest of the class. Work at ME Corp in the afternoon, where Kouga alternated between grunt tasks and casually fixing problems that left whole research teams baffled. Then home, where dinner with Kiana became its own kind of daily routine.
By Sunday, Kouga had finally earned a full day off. He was halfway to enjoying a quiet morning when the front door banged open.
"Alright, move it!" Kiana's voice rang out.
Kouga blinked, halfway through sipping tea on the couch. "…What?"
She appeared in the doorway, striking a pose. Her usual school uniform was gone, replaced by casual clothes: a light jacket over a frilled shirt, shorts, and sneakers. Her twin braids bounced as she wagged a finger at him.
"You've been looking tired every day lately. School, work, cooking, me—" she jabbed a thumb at her chest proudly, "—so I decided! We're going out today. No buts."
Kouga stared at her for a long beat, then sighed and set his tea down. "You're awfully energetic for someone who spends most days lazing around the house."
"That's called conserving energy, genius," Kiana shot back, hands on her hips. "And today's the payoff."
"…I don't remember signing up for this," Kouga muttered, though he was already standing to grab his jacket.
Kiana grinned, already tugging him toward the door. "C'mon, trust me. We'll have fun."
Kouga let himself be dragged along, shaking his head but hiding a faint smile.
Kouga found himself being dragged by Kiana through the bustling Sunday streets, the chatter of crowds blending with the neon glow of signs. She finally stopped in front of a noisy arcade, her braids bouncing as she pointed.
"Come on, Kouga! Let's have some fun!" she declared, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Kouga gave her a long, unreadable look, then sighed. "Somehow, I feel like I'm walking into a trap."
But he followed her in anyway. The place was alive with flashing lights, the clatter of buttons, and laughter from every corner. Kiana immediately zeroed in on a two-player fighting game.
Minutes later, Kouga was calmly dismantling her in every match.
"Ugh! How are you this good!?" Kiana groaned, leaning on the joystick like it had betrayed her.
Kouga allowed himself the faintest smirk. "Just a little practice."In truth, he was using the innate skill of Ex-Aid and Para-DX—champions in their own right. But that wasn't a detail he was about to share.
Kiana puffed her cheeks. "You're cheating. I know it."
"Right. I hacked the arcade machine with my mind," Kouga deadpanned, flicking the restart button for another round.
As Kiana leaned in for payback, Kouga's gaze flicked toward the window. On a rooftop across the street, a familiar silhouette lingered: Siegfried Kaslana, arms crossed, watching like a hawk.
"…Overprotective father much," Kouga muttered under his breath.
After another few rounds—every one ending in Kiana's defeat—Kouga finally set his controller down. "Alright. We've been at this long enough. Let's get some food."
"Eh? But one more round!" she protested, gripping the joystick like her honor depended on it.
Kouga gave her a flat look, then chuckled softly. "Nope. Snack time. You've already lost more times than I can count."
Kiana groaned but followed as they stepped outside, the evening air cooler after the arcade's heat. On the rooftop, Siegfried remained perched, silent and unyielding, his protective gaze never leaving them.
The two left the arcade and made their way to a nearby ramen shop, stomachs growling in sync. They slipped into a small booth at the back and ordered a late lunch.
When the bill arrived, Kiana proudly whipped out her credit card. "I got this."
Before she could hand it over, the cashier said, "Already paid."
Kiana blinked, confused. Kouga calmly set his wallet back in his pocket, the cash already left on the tray. "No need."
Kiana puffed her cheeks, glaring at him. "Then what's the point of me carrying this card around?"
"You can pay next time," Kouga replied simply, standing and stretching.
Still pouting, she followed him out of the shop. They strolled through the busy streets, taking in the hum of the weekend crowd—until they nearly collided with someone at the corner.
"Ah, sorry—oh, Hayata-san?"
It was Raiden Mei, dressed casually for the weekend yet somehow still radiating elegance. Her violet eyes flicked from Kouga to the girl beside him. "Didn't expect to see you here… and who's this?"
Kiana froze, staring at Mei as though she'd stumbled across a living goddess. Kouga scratched the back of his head. "This is Raiden Mei. Mei, this is Kiana Kaslana."
Kaslana and Raiden again… figures, Kouga thought dryly, remembering Siegfried and Ryoma.
Before he could say more, Kiana suddenly stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and placed a hand over her heart. "Will you marry me?"
Mei blinked, caught off guard. "…Eh?"
Kouga covered his face with one hand, groaning. "Don't mind her. She does this sometimes."
"She does?" Mei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't," Kiana corrected quickly, straight-faced. "Only for goddess-tier ladies."
Despite herself, Mei chuckled softly. "Well… I'll take that as a compliment."
"Anyway," Kouga cut in, voice flat, "would you like to join us? We're just wandering."
Mei smiled warmly and nodded. "Sure, I'd love to."
The three began walking together, weaving through the weekend crowds. Kiana kept sneaking glances between them before finally blurting out: "So… how do you two know each other?"
"She's in the same class as me," Kouga said casually. "Also… she's the daughter of my boss."
Kiana's jaw dropped. "WHAT!?"
Her groan turned into a drawn-out whine. "So you get to see her every day at school while I'm stuck at home?"
Kouga frowned, confused. "We only have lunch together. Nothing special."
"Nothing special!?" Kiana whined even louder.
Mei hid a small laugh behind her hand. "Hayata-san has been a good friend of mine," she added gently.
That only made Kiana latch onto Mei's arm like glue as they continued down the street. Kouga walked a step behind, hands in his pockets, shaking his head as the afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the unlikely trio.
Passersby couldn't help stealing glances at the trio. Some looked on with admiration, others with envy—especially at the boy flanked by two strikingly beautiful girls. Kouga noticed the stares, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he kept his usual stoic calm. Kiana and Mei, meanwhile, were too wrapped up in their own conversation to notice.
"So, Mei, do you often come to this part of the city?" Kiana asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"Not really," Mei answered with her gentle smile. "But it's nice to explore on weekends."
Kouga trailed a step behind, listening quietly. He couldn't help but notice the contrast—Kiana's fiery energy against Mei's composed elegance. Oddly enough, it balanced out into something… comfortable.
As they passed a café, Kiana suddenly stopped. "Hey, let's grab some drinks! My treat this time!"
Before Kouga could stop her, she dashed inside, leaving him and Mei momentarily alone.
"She's spirited," Mei remarked, amused.
"Yeah," Kouga replied, almost fondly. "She brings energy wherever she goes."
Moments later, Kiana burst back out with three cups of iced tea, grinning like she'd conquered a boss fight. "Here you go!"
They walked on, sipping their drinks, chatting about food, hobbies, and little school stories. The earlier stares melted into background noise; for a while, it was just the three of them enjoying the late afternoon.
By the time the sun began to dip, painting the city gold, they reached a crossroads.
"Well, this is my turn," Mei said, pointing down a side street. "It was lovely spending time with you both."
"Same here!" Kiana waved enthusiastically. "Let's do it again!"
"Take care, Mei," Kouga added with a small nod.
As Mei walked off, Kiana leaned closer to Kouga, smirking. "You know, she's really cool."
Kouga chuckled. "Yeah, she is."
The two headed home as the city lights flickered on, weaving together with the glow of the day's memories—arcade noise, ramen broth, Mei's laughter.
By the time they reached their quiet house, night had settled. Kouga dropped his bag by the door and let out a slow breath. "Long day," he muttered.
Kiana, on the other hand, was buzzing, pacing around the living room like she was working up to an announcement.
"…What are you doing?" Kouga asked flatly.
She spun on her heel, pointing dramatically at him. "Kouga Hayata!"
He blinked. "…Yeah?"
"I've decided something very important today."
Kouga braced himself. "…Do I want to know?"
She crossed her arms, chin tilted smugly. "From this day forward… you are my rival."
Kouga stared. "…Your what."
"My rival," she repeated, puffing her chest. "For Mei."
Dragging a hand down his face, Kouga groaned. "You can't be serious."
"Oh, I'm very serious." She nodded solemnly. "She laughed at your jokes."
"They weren't jokes."
"That only makes it worse!"
Kouga walked off to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water. She trailed behind him like a dramatic shadow.
"You do realize she probably just sees me as a friend," he said.
"Exactly. A friend with dangerous potential. Which means—rival."
He took a long sip. "…This is because she complimented your hair, isn't it?"
Kiana flushed red. "N-No! I mean, yes—but also no! Look, you're cool in the mysterious-loner way. I'm fun and adorable. We both have strengths."
"…You're not gonna let this go, are you."
"Nope."
Kouga sighed, resigned. "…Fine. Just keep your 'rivalry' down a bit."
"Deal!" she said, looking smug as she marched back into the living room like she'd just won something.
Kouga watched her for a moment, then shook his head with the faintest smile. "She's ridiculous…"
But in the back of his mind, a quiet thought lingered: She actually means it.