New Days, New Waves
Ran & Sonoko — A New Life in France
The morning bell rang across Saint Lumière Academy, one of France's most prestigious private schools.
Ran Mouri adjusted her ribbon nervously, glancing at the grand courtyard filled with students speaking rapid French and English.
Beside her, Sonoko Suzuki stood with crossed arms, chin raised, pretending confidence.
"…Okay," Sonoko muttered, "this place is way too classy."
Ran laughed softly. "At least it's beautiful."
Their first day had already drawn attention.
• Foreign transfer students
• Elegant manners
• And most importantly—
their connection to Keith Argus Runcandel
Whispers followed them.
"Isn't that the Runcandel heir's friend?"
"I heard they moved from Japan."
"They're so pretty…"
Ran felt embarrassed, but Sonoko puffed out her chest.
"Let them stare," Sonoko said smugly. "We're used to it."
During lunch break, the two sat beneath a cherry blossom tree—imported specially for the academy grounds.
Ran looked around quietly. "It feels strange… but nice."
Sonoko smiled, softer than usual. "Yeah. No shouting adults. No scandals. Just… us."
And then—
A shadow fell over them.
"Good morning, princesses."
Both froze.
Ran looked up first.
"Keith!"
Sonoko nearly choked on her drink. "You can't just appear like that!"
Keith stood there in his school blazer, platinum-silver hair catching the sunlight, sapphire eyes calm as ever.
"I was asked to check on you," he said casually.
Ran smiled brightly. "I'm happy you're here."
Sonoko leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You're very popular already, you know."
Keith raised an eyebrow. "Am I?"
Ran nodded shyly. "Everyone keeps asking about you…"
Keith chuckled softly and patted both their heads.
"Focus on school," he said. "Leave the world-changing stuff to me."
Both girls blushed instantly.
And in their hearts, the same thought formed—
France might not be so scary after all.
The Teaser That Shook the World
Three days later.
Without warning.
No press conference.
No countdown.
Just one 12-second video.
GLOBAL NET — TRENDING #1
A black screen.
A low, steady heartbeat-like sound.
Then—
A silver crest appeared.
Not a brand name.
Not text.
Just the RUNCANDEL CREST, glowing faintly.
The camera turned.
A hand held a sleek, impossibly thin smartphone.
No buttons.
No seams.
Glass like liquid starlight.
On the back:
RUNCANDEL × KARASUMA
The screen lit up.
A red holographic silhouette smiled.
"Hello."
"I am Red Queen."
The video ended.
WORLDWIDE IMPACT — IMMEDIATE
Within 10 minutes:
• Global stock markets paused trading
• Tech giants emergency-called board meetings
• Intelligence agencies flagged the video as "unknown-level technology"
Apple.
Samsung.
Google.
Huawei.
All silent.
Then—
Karasuma Group released a single statement:
"This technology represents the future."
Minutes later—
Runcandel Group followed:
"A joint venture between Runcandel Technology and Karasuma Industries."
"Full reveal in two months."
THE PHONE — WHAT THE WORLD NOTICED
• No visible camera lenses
• No charging port
• No speaker grills
• A crest instead of a logo
Experts froze the frames.
Tech analysts panicked.
"This isn't evolution," one said on live TV.
"This is a technological leap."
Another whispered:
"If this is real… the market will collapse."
Inside Runcandel Vision HQ
Keith stood before the massive glass wall overlooking Paris.
Behind him, Red Queen's hologram flickered calmly.
"Public reaction exceeds expectations," she said.
"Probability of total smartphone market disruption: 87.6%."
Keith smiled faintly.
"Good."
From the sofa behind him:
Vermouth crossed her legs elegantly.
Gamma adjusted her glasses, already drafting corporate takeovers.
Albedo folded her arms proudly.
And somewhere far away—
Ran and Sonoko stared at the video on their tablets, stunned.
"That's…" Ran whispered.
Sonoko swallowed. "Keith's doing, isn't it?"
Ran smiled softly.
"Yes."
Closing Line
The world believed it had seen innovation before.
But now—
It had seen the future.
And it bore the mark of a dragon.