He never touched me.
But why does it feel like he reached the most hidden place inside me?
Three days had passed.
But his name… still wouldn't leave Yuriko's mind.
Acxell Ayasaka.
The new transfer.
The strange boy who somehow knew her name without asking.
Who looked at her without smiling.
Who left without a reason.
He appeared—
and left behind a shadow that refused to fade.
Classes ended early today.
Yuriko walked the corridor of the academic block, her steps routine, eyes lowered, her bag dragged lightly by one strap.
But today…
her steps were slower.
She told herself she was just tired.
But the truth?
She hoped she'd see him.
And when the sound of footsteps echoed from the opposite end of the corridor—
her breath caught.
Her chest tightened.
But she didn't lift her head.
Not until his voice—low, always low—
slid into her ears like a whisper wrapped in heat.
"Late getting out today?"
She looked up—just a glance.
Those eyes.
Still sharp.
But not harsh.
That voice.
Still calm—
But as if it already knew the answer.
"I... was organizing my files," she replied quietly.
Acxell nodded.
No follow-up.
No interrogation.
He stood in front of her for a moment.
Still.
Unmoving.
Yuriko felt like the wall behind her had crept closer—
even though space still existed.
Her hand clutched the strap of her bag.
Too tightly.
She hated this feeling.
But she couldn't run from it.
[TARGET STATUS: CAUGHT OFF-GUARD]
PULSE ELEVATED. EYE CONTACT AVOIDED. VOICE LOWERED.
EMOTIONAL FRACTURE POINT NEARING.
Acxell moved.
A slow step.
To the side—
but intentionally closer.
Yuriko didn't move.
But her body stiffened.
"You know…" he began, voice low enough that it blended with the silence,
"…when someone avoids looking at me while talking, it usually means they're thinking about me too much."
Her head snapped up, startled.
Their eyes met—
just for a second.
Then she looked away again.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she whispered.
Acxell didn't answer.
He simply walked past her—
leaving the question dangling in the space between their heartbeats.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Yuriko turned her head slowly.
Watched his figure disappear around the corner.
Her chest felt hot.
Her thoughts boiled.
"Why the hell is he making me feel like this?"
Stairwell – Late Afternoon
She wasn't supposed to be here.
But somehow, her feet led her back to the same place she'd seen him yesterday—
the empty stairwell overlooking the sports field,
painted in the fading gold of twilight.
And when she saw him standing at the railing, hands in his pockets, staring up at the deepening sky—
Her chest… tightened.
But she didn't turn back.
She moved closer.
Acxell heard her footsteps.
He didn't turn.
"I should've waited another week," he said softly, speaking more to the air than to her.
"But you came first."
Yuriko froze behind him.
She didn't know whether to feel flustered… or furious.
"Don't get the wrong idea," she said coldly.
"I was just passing through."
"Ah." Acxell nodded.
"And I guess it's just coincidence that you've passed through this spot two days in a row—
right when I'm here?"
He turned—just slightly.
Their eyes met.
This time…
Yuriko didn't look away.
[EYE CONTACT ACHIEVED: 3.2S]
SUBJECT CHOSE TO HOLD GAZE. DEFENSIVENESS DETECTED. EMOTIONAL PRESSURE RISING.
TENSION THRESHOLD APPROACHING.
Acxell smiled.
Not the smile of victory.
Something deeper.
"If you're angry, be angry," he said gently.
"But don't lie to yourself about the thoughts you've already had—
even if I never said them out loud."
Yuriko's hands clenched.
Not out of fear—
but frustration.
She didn't have a comeback.
[EMOTIONAL CONFLICT POINT: BREACHED]
SUBJECT'S INTERNAL DENIAL CRACKED.
SYSTEM RECOMMENDS: EMOTIONAL BREAK OR RETREAT.
She stepped past him.
Wordless.
But just before she vanished from view, she stopped.
"…I don't know who you really are," she said, not turning back.
"But please… don't mess with me."
Her voice wavered.
But it didn't carry hate.
And Acxell knew—
this wasn't a warning for him.
It was a warning for herself.
From a girl…
who had begun to fear what she might become.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: YURIKO HANEKAWA – SEDUCTION PROGRESS: 37.8%]
STATUS: ACTIVELY AVOIDING. EMOTIONALLY HOOKED.
NEXT PHASE: TRIGGERING EMOTIONAL FLASHPOINT.
Acxell slid his hands into his pockets.
Eyes still on the crimson-stained sky above.
"She's already sinking," he whispered.
"Now I wait… for the moment she reaches for something to hold on to."