The sun was setting, casting a warm golden light across the sky. Under a large tree, the scene looked peaceful—almost frozen in time. There, Kaito and Lyria were fast asleep, leaning against the same trunk, as if the world around them had stopped moving.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
Zack walked toward them and tapped Kaito's shoulder while saying,
"Hey, Kai. It's already evening. You two really fell asleep out here?"
Kaito slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight blinded him for a moment—but what shocked Zack more was something else.
Kaito suddenly shed tears. He was crying unconsciously, as if he had just escaped from a heavy dream.
"Hey… Are you okay, Kai?" Zack asked with concern.
Startled, Kaito turned to him and shook his head.
"I'm fine," he said quickly, though Zack clearly didn't believe him. He could guess what happened: Kaito probably just "saw" the future again through his dream.
At that moment, Zack remembered something. Something that always drew him to Kaito—something no human had ever possessed in the past or present.
The Dreamseer.
A mysterious ability that made Zack realize Kaito wasn't someone you could simply leave alone.
Lost in thought, Zack didn't hear Kaito calling him even after the third time.
"Hey. Zack—"
Zack snapped back to reality. "Ah—yeah. I'm fine."
He stood up, and Kaito gently woke Lyria, who was still sleeping soundly on his shoulder.
Kaito touched her arm lightly and whispered,
"Lyria… wake up. It's already evening."
Lyria slowly opened her eyes. The bright sunlight made her blink several times. Then, when she turned her head and realized she'd been resting on Kaito's shoulder… her face turned red instantly. She panicked, moved away quickly, and apologized in a soft voice.
Kaito smiled gently.
"It's okay. Besides, it's getting dark. You should head back to the girls' dorm."
"N-now? Already?"
Lyria looked surprised. Her body stiffened in fear—as if something scared her for no obvious reason—leaving both Kaito and Zack confused.
Zack then remembered he had something urgent to do and excused himself.
"Well then, I'll head off first."
Leaving the two of them alone.
The atmosphere suddenly grew awkward. Kaito gathered his courage.
"Lyria… if you don't mind, would you like me to walk you to the girls' dorm gate?"
Lyria hesitated for a moment, then nodded shyly.
"O-okay… but… can we walk around for a bit first?"
Kaito was a little surprised but nodded.
"Of course."
They walked side by side. The evening air grew colder and quieter. Kaito wanted to ask her a question, but he kept hesitating. In the middle of his uncertainty, Lyria called him out of nowhere.
"K-Kai… are you only friends with Zack at the Academy?"
Kaito smiled softly and glanced at her.
"There's one more. But… I don't think he trusts me anymore. Still, I consider him a friend. What about you, Lyria?"
Lyria didn't answer. She stayed silent.
Kaito looked at her and thought:
Maybe this girl really doesn't have any friends besides that noble lady…
The sky grew darker. Kaito finally suggested they head back.
When they arrived at the gate of the girls' dorm, Kaito waved his hand and told her to be careful. After Lyria went inside, he turned around to leave the Academy.
But before he reached the outer gate, Zack was already waiting for him.
"Yo! So? Did your fiancée return safely?"
Kaito sighed.
"This has nothing to do with being a fiancée, you idiot… And yes, she's fine. Maybe… we should get a little closer to her."
Zack laughed.
"We?"
"It should be you, Kai. I'm not getting close to your fiancée~, or i'm afraid of being lectured by my fiancé."
Kaito suddenly remembered—Zack was already engaged to a noble girl named Violet De Aurelius, the only woman in the kingdom with pure golden hair. Many people assumed she was royalty—but she wasn't. She came from another kingdom. Their engagement was nothing more than a political agreement between nations.
Kaito shook his head and asked,
"Zack, do you think… it's finally time for us to live in the dorms? We've never stayed there before."
Zack thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah. But we need to take care of the paperwork first."
He chuckled.
"Hey, remember why we didn't stay in the Academy dorm back then?"
Those words made Kaito recall his past.
He came from a modest family, unable to afford Academy and dorm expenses.
Zack was the one who paid for him—without ever explaining the reason.
"Well then, I'll pay your dorm fees too, okay?" Zack said casually.
Kaito quickly refused.
"No need, you've already helped me enough. I saved up this year. I want to pay it myself."
But Zack insisted.
"What's wrong with helping a friend? This Academy was your dream. I'm not asking anything from your family. And… you're a good person, Kai. It's just your status that holds you back."
Kaito fell silent.
Zack's words warmed his chest. After a moment of thinking, he finally nodded.
"…Alright. I'll accept it."
They parted ways at the crossroads.
Kaito waved.
"If you need my help, just say it! As long as it's something I can actually do—don't ask for weird stuff!"
Zack laughed and left.
Kaito then walked home to his house on the outskirts of town—a one-and-a-half-hour journey. Once he arrived, his family welcomed him warmly, and they had dinner together.
His parents gave him wonderful news:
he was going to have a younger sibling soon.
Hearing that, Kaito's smile brightened.
He was happy—finally, he wouldn't be alone anymore.
Later that night, around 9 PM, he remembered something.
He told his parents that he planned to live in the Academy dorm starting next week.
His parents were surprised.
"Father might allow it… but the fee—"
Before his father could finish, Kaito cut in.
"Zack is going to cover the dorm fees until I graduate. He always insists on helping. But don't worry, Dad. I'll work hard, and I want to achieve good results when I graduate."
His parents paused for a moment, then smiled proudly.
"You're a diligent child, Kaito. We allow it."
As the night grew late, Kaito returned to his room.
He lay down, staring at the ceiling… and his thoughts drifted to Lyria Kisaragi.
A girl who struggled to interact with others, full of mysterious fears.
Does she have a dark past…?
Kaito tapped his own cheeks. It wasn't right to make assumptions.
But he believed that if he stayed patient, one day Lyria would tell him the truth herself.
With his mind full of thoughts, Kaito finally closed his eyes.
To be continued~