He didn't beg.He didn't reach for her.
He didn't flatter.Yet every word he spoke made the space between them feel unsafe.
Acxell knew his own ways—but not Shiro's.
And that… was the most dangerous part.
That afternoon, the school air drifted slow and heavy.
The sky was washed in pale orange, evening light sketching long shadows down the corridor.
Acxell left class later than the rest.
He pretended to stack his books, pretended to wipe the desk.
But really, he was hiding.
Hiding from Shiro.
And hiding from Yuriko—
who now stood at the main staircase…
with Shiro waiting not far from her.
Yuriko Hanekawa leaned against a pillar, arms folded, her face unreadable.
Shiro Kaname stood in front of her, but not too close.
He didn't try to touch.
He didn't over‑smile.
"You look like someone who hates drama," Shiro said softly.
Yuriko raised an eyebrow.
"You trying to start one?"
Shiro gave a faint smile.
"No. I'm just interested in who keeps standing when the stage collapses."
[SYSTEM LIL‑01 – OBSERVING]
[UNKNOWN EMOTIONAL SPIKE – TARGET: ACXELL]
[Bond Sync Interference: Passive Channeling Detected]
From behind a glass door, Acxell watched.
It felt like something was being stolen from him… yet nothing physical was happening.
Yuriko wasn't being touched.
Shiro wasn't overtly flirting.
Still, Acxell's heartbeat felt as though a hand was pressing it down.
What is he after…?
"You don't act like a transfer student," Yuriko said.
"No nerves, no looking around. Like you already memorized this place."
Shiro shrugged.
"Things that repeat are easy to read."
"You too," she replied.
"Easy to read. Hard to predict."
Yuriko narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not a puzzle."
Shiro stepped closer—just enough for his shadow to brush the tips of her shoes.
"No," he said quietly.
"You're a key. I just haven't figured out which door."
[ACXELL – MENTAL INTERFERENCE RISING]
[System LIL‑01 unable to read new emotional channel]
[Warning: Passive Override – Yuriko Hanekawa]
Acxell couldn't stand it anymore.
He shoved the glass door open, footsteps harsh.
"Yuriko."
She turned to him, her expression neutral.
But Shiro's mouth curved faintly.
"Ah… your friend's here."
Acxell stopped between them, eyes on Shiro—no open anger, but steel in his gaze.
"What's your real game?"
Shiro didn't answer at once.
He dipped his head slightly—not in respect, but as though yielding space.
"I'm a new student.
I like watching people who think they're special."
"And you…"
"…make everyone feel special.
Even the ones who aren't supposed to feel anything at all."
Acxell nearly snapped.
But Yuriko suddenly raised a hand between them.
"Enough," she said.
"I can take care of myself."
[SYSTEM ERROR: CONFLICT POINT TRIGGERED]
[Emotional Authority Shift – Yuriko Hanekawa]
[Avatar Bond: Split Warning]
"I like you, Acxell. But…"
Yuriko's eyes met his.
This time there was no smile—
but no anger either.
"I don't need you to rescue me from someone who hasn't even touched me."
Shiro stepped back, still wearing that slight smile.
"See you tomorrow, Hanekawa‑san."
He walked away, his shadow stretching long into the dusk.
Acxell and Yuriko were left alone.
But the silence between them was no longer the same.
"You don't understand…"
"He… he isn't an ordinary human."
"I know," Yuriko said.
"But I'm not a girl who needs guarding twenty‑four hours a day."
Acxell opened his mouth—
but the system's interference spiked again:
[NEW CONFLICT STATUS: CRITICAL]
[Emotion Anchor Detected in Two Directions]
[SYSTEM LIL‑01 will auto‑reset if conflict persists]
And before anything more could be said, Yuriko turned and walked away—
leaving Acxell standing there, tasting defeat for the first time…
before the battle had even begun.