Kouga let out a long sigh. "You wouldn't understand, even if I told you."
Theresa leaned back in her oversized red chair, lips curving into a confident smile. "Why don't you try me?"
With no real reason to hold back, Kouga shrugged. "Fine." He began recounting everything—his strange origins, the Riders, his battles, all the way up to the current events.
They were wrong. They were so, so wrong.
By the time he finished, the sun had shifted high in the sky. Himeko was slouched on a sofa, pulling a flask from her cleavage halfway through the tale, the sharp smell of alcohol cutting through the air. Theresa had gone glassy-eyed in her chair, her gaze fixed blankly on the ceiling as a line of drool escaped the corner of her mouth.
Kouga's flat tone broke the silence. "I told you you wouldn't believe me."
Both women jolted back to reality.
"N-No, I absolutely believe you," Theresa said quickly, letting out a nervous laugh. "Though the idea of a… universal traveler does seem rather far-fetched."
Himeko snorted. "There's far-fetched, and then there's straight-up bullshit." She took another swig from her flask before stowing it away. Her eyes narrowed. "So that form of yours—one of those so-called 'superheroes' you can become?"
"Kamen Rider Kabuto," Kouga answered matter-of-factly. "Known for moving nearly at the speed of light."
"Light speed?" Himeko's eyebrows climbed.
"Believe it or not," Kouga said, leveling his gaze at her, "when I fought you, I was handicapped. I'd already lost so much blood I could've blacked out at any moment."
Theresa frowned. "How? You looked fine when we checked. The doctors said they couldn't even pierce your skin with a needle."
"Oh, that's because I used one of the Riders' powers. Immortality healed the wound."
"Immortality…" Himeko muttered, her eyes deadpan at the absurdity.
Suddenly, Himeko's phone shrilled. She pulled it out and answered.
"AUNTIE HIMEKO, KOUGA'S GONE! HELP ME FIND HIM!" Kiana's panicked voice screamed through the speaker.
A vein bulged on Himeko's temple. "Kiana, how many times have I told you not to call me auntie?"
There was a sheepish "eep" on the other end.
Himeko sighed. "Don't worry. He's here with me. I brought him in to the principal office to talk about your enrollment."
"Really? Thanks!" Click. The call ended.
"That girl," Himeko muttered, rubbing her forehead.
Theresa cleared her throat. "Anyway… with that distraction out of the way—what can you do?"
Just like when Ryoma once questioned him, Kouga began listing his powers. And listing. And listing.
Himeko's shoulders slumped further with every new ability. Theresa's polite composure began to crack into weariness.
Then the door slammed open.
"Kouga!"
It was Kiana. She spotted him instantly.
"Sup, Kiana," Kouga greeted with a grin. "How've you been since I was out?"
Her answer came in the form of a blur of fists.
Kouga raised his arms to shield himself, but he noticed something through the flurry—tears streaming down Kiana's cheeks.
Ah… she was worried about me.
He dropped his guard and pulled her into a hug. Her punches landed weakly against his back, each strike slowing until she finally collapsed against him, arms tightening around his waist.
Her voice cracked with sobs against his chest. "You idiot… do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"I know, I know. Sorry," Kouga murmured, holding her close. "But hey… I'm here now."
"Don't you dare die on me ," she choked out, "or I'll beat you up."
A polite cough broke the moment.
Both of them turned to see Theresa watching with one brow raised.
Kouga and Kiana quickly released each other. She scrubbed the tears from her face in a flustered rush.
Theresa adjusted her self and gave a firm nod. "Himeko, take Kouga to where he will be staying. I'll handle things here. As for you, Kiana, you're staying. We have a lot to discuss."
Kiana groaned, slumping in place. "Ughhh… Auntie Teri is stingy."
A vein popped on Theresa's forehead. "Auntie… what?" she growled through clenched teeth.
Kouga chuckled awkwardly, raising a hand in farewell. "See you later, Kiana. Bye, Principal."
Kiana gave him a small wave, still pouting, while Kouga followed Himeko out into the halls.
They had only gone a short distance when two figures approached from the opposite side. Kouga blinked in surprise—he recognized one of them immediately.
"Hey, Bronya," he greeted.
Bronya clutched her Homu plush close, her voice as flat as ever. "Subject Kouga appears in far better condition than witness reports suggested."
Kouga nodded with a faint smile. "Glad to see you're okay, too—especially after getting sent flying through half the city by that beast."
"Da," Bronya replied simply, giving a small nod of acknowledgment.
The woman walking beside her, someone Kouga didn't recognize, gave him a curious look. "So, you two are acquainted. I found her in the cargo bay and brought her to the principal to figure out what to do with her."
"At ease, soldier. I'll take her from here," Himeko said smoothly. She turned to Kouga, reaching into her bosom and producing a folded map. "Follow this. It'll lead you to my place, where Mei is staying."
Kouga accepted the paper, glancing down at it. "Got it."
"Good. I'll escort these two back to the principal," Himeko added, guiding Bronya and the unknown woman down the hall.
Kouga remained where he stood for a moment, fingers tightening around the map.
It's warm, he thought absently, before starting down the path she'd given him.
Following the map, Kouga finally reached what he assumed was Himeko's quarters.
He pushed the door open and immediately grimaced. "Gross…"
The place was a disaster. Empty bottles and crumpled wrappers littered the floor, clothes were piled in corners, and the faint smell of alcohol lingered in the air. So this is how Himeko lives? Kouga thought with a sigh as he stepped carefully inside.
Then, from deeper within the room, came a soft, familiar voice.
"Sorry. The owner isn't here right now, so please come another time…"
Kouga froze, a smile spreading across his face at once. That gentle tone—he'd know it anywhere. Mei.
Navigating the clutter, he finally saw her. Mei was kneeling amid the chaos, sleeves rolled up and cleaning supplies scattered around her. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, exhaling tiredly, and then turned—her eyes going wide as they landed on him.
The gloves slipped from her hands. Without a word, she rushed forward, throwing her arms around him in a firm embrace.
Kouga returned it instantly, holding her close. For a long moment, neither moved.
When she finally pulled back enough to look at him, tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm here, Mei," Kouga said softly, smiling down at her.
Mei's lips trembled, but she answered with a smile of her own. "Yes… welcome back, Kouga."
They finally released each other, though the smiles stayed on their faces.
"I assume you've already met Himeko-sensei, right?" Mei asked gently.
"Sensei?" Kouga tilted his head.
"Yes." Mei nodded, her tone calm but determined. "I'll be learning from her—how to control my Herrscher powers without losing myself. I… want to learn, so I agreed."
Kouga gave a thoughtful nod. "We actually fought a few days ago, from the looks of it. But today was the first time we really talked. The principal sent me here afterward." He let out a short chuckle. "She looks like a mini Kiana, but more mature—not gonna lie."
Mei laughed softly, covering her lips with her hand. "Yes, she does, doesn't she?"
Kouga glanced around at the mess, trash littering every corner of the room.
"Guess I'll help with the cleanup first," he said, already rolling up his sleeves.
"Yes, please," Mei replied with visible relief. "This place is too dirty… and I don't even know where Kiana ran off to."
"She's with Principal Theresa in the office," Kouga assured her as he started picking up a pile. "I also ran into Bronya on my way here. She was headed to the principal's office too."
"I see…" Mei let out a long breath, a small weight lifting from her shoulders. "So they managed to locate Bronya. That's good."
Kouga smiled at her words, but something nagged at the back of his mind. The longer he stood near Mei, the more it pressed against him.
At first he thought it was just the ticking of a clock in the house—but no. With his enhanced hearing, he realized the rhythm wasn't coming from the wall. It was coming from her.
His smile slowly shifted into a frown.
"Mei?" he asked carefully.
"Yes?" she looked up at him with gentle curiosity.
"What… is that inside you?" Kouga asked, his tone sharp with suspicion.
POV Change
"Finally, some rest," Himeko muttered, stretching her sore shoulders as she trudged toward her quarters. She was only a few feet from the door when a roar split the silence.
"WWWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTT—!"
Every instinct in her screamed danger. Before she could react, the door burst open.
An enraged Kouga stormed out, a violent purple aura swirling around him. His eyes locked onto her like a predator spotting prey.
Himeko froze for half a heartbeat before bolting. "Oh, hell no!" she shouted, sprinting away as fast as her legs would carry her.
POV Change
In the principal's office, Theresa was still in the middle of questioning Kiana and Bronya when the same furious bellow thundered through the walls.
"WWWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTT—!"
All three of them jumped to their feet. They rushed to the window just in time to see clouds gathering unnaturally fast above the school. Snowflakes—snow, in this season—began to drift down from the darkened sky.