With your body leaned forward against the table and arms stretched out holding manga, you mumbled, "What am I doing here?"

Shichirou looked up from his text book. "Do you need me to do a little recap for you?"

"That wasn't a question for you to answer."

So, funny thing. You were in Shichirou's room sitting on his desk whilst he studied on his bed. Did you feel bad that you kicked him out of his desk? No. There was no way you were going to sit on his bed.

You sat up straight and spun around on his chair, not caring if you were annoying or distracting Shichirou. Colour coordinated sticky notes were lined along the white walls, each one with messy handwriting scribbled on them. There was a calendar on his desk that dated when exams took place as well as any other major events. A mountain of textbooks and notebooks were piled on the edge of his desk, a desktop against the wall, and you were honestly shocked at how many binders and folders he owned. There were probably a ton of study notes inside.

You whispered to yourself, "How did I get here..."

An obnoxiously expensive and sleek black car waiting outside the school gates was not what you anticipated. Even after getting your mother's call, a part of you wanted to believe that you were going home and crashing into your bed like usual. You were seriously going to Shichirou's house? Heck, he had a personal driver?

"You're kidnapping me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I promise that's not the case. In fact, I'm not sure what's going on myself. My parents gave me vague details this morning. All I know is that our parents will be working together. I'm unsure why we're involved, though. We'll just have to see at my house."

"Working together? Like business?"

"My family owns a restaurant chain whilst yours own a bakery chain. You can make the connection and infer from there."

When you arrived at Shichirou's house, you almost didn't want to step in because of how opulent it was. A white chandelier in the centre, it's luminosity shone spectacularly and the polished white tiles reflected the light. There were two staircases on opposite ends of the room that created an arch that met in the centre leading upstairs. The subtle monochromatic aesthetic in Shichirou's house gave off a sense of elegance.

The railings of the staircase were black and had fancy spiral patterns, potted plants were on the tables, and the walls were decorated with paintings that screamed expensive. And this was just the entrance of his house. With the air of prestige this place held, you wouldn't be surprised if classical music began playing out of nowhere.

Since Shichirou's parents weren't home yet, he directed you to his room to wait.

Lost in your thoughts, you almost fell off the chair when you saw Shichirou's shadow. He looked over your shoulder and asked, "What are you reading?"

"A manga a friend lent me. It's about apparitions and exorcists."

You flipped to a random page––which happened to be a pretty terrifyingly looking one––and showed it to him. A small flinch came from Shichirou and his gaze dodged the page, but he was quick to compose himself.

"I've heard there's a manga club, why don't you join it?"

"Nah, too much socialising." Did Shichirou just flinch? Were you imagining it? "I'm at a pretty intense arc right now. The apparitions drawn in this manga are scarily detailed. Wanna see more?"

Shichirou took a step back, eyes avoiding the page completely. "I'm sure the art is amazing. I should get back to studying."

No way. Was Shichirou afraid of horror related things? That's hilarious. One day you need to force him to watch a horror movie.

A few minutes elapsed and you heard doors unlocking and voices downstairs. At the same time, your phone showed a text from your mum informing you that she was here.

"We should head down," Shichirou said, packing up his things before opening the door. "After you."

You walked down the stairs and he directed you to the living room. The closer you got to meeting his parents, the more nervous you got. What kind of people were they? Super strict? Super stoic? Surprisingly amiable? Will they kick you out if you don't breathe elegantly enough? So many questions and so little answers.

Shichirou's mother was the first to notice you; an individual with a regal presence who had violet hair, and eyes that had a variation of pink and purple. You can see where Shichirou inherited his hair colour and eyes from. His father looked over in your direction, his features were very similar to Shichirou's and he had the same courteous but also authoritative demeanour as his son.

Both parents nodded in your direction and you politely bowed and introduced yourself. Shichirou did the same to your parents. You mum gestured for you to sit down next to her. You made yourself comfortable before Shichirou's father began speaking.

"I apologise for the short notice, you must be surprised by the sudden visit. But I'd like to formally welcome you to our house. I've heard you work alongside my son in the student council. You two must be good friends."

Good friends, huh? "We work together a lot."

Shichirou's mother smiled, you were honestly taken aback by how friendly she looked since her expression was apathetic the entire time. "It's good to know he has a friend."

"Uhm... is it okay if we're given the details?" you asked. "Both Shichirou-san and I don't really know what's going on."

"Why, of course. It's a simple story. Our restaurant is approaching it's anniversary and we plan to hold a week-long event to celebrate. Across the week, the restaurant will be presenting something unique everyday. One of these days, I'd like to serve the desserts your bakery sells alongside our dishes," Shichirou's mother explained.

Your mother nodded, looking at you with an excited smile. "I wanted you to come here to feel involved. After all, the bakery belongs to our family and you're part of it." She playfully pinched your cheeks. "So, if there's something you don't like, just tell us. Okay?"

"It'll also be a good learning experience. You're growing up, it's good to get you more familiar with things such as this," your father said.

Working together with Shichirou's parents, huh? You supposed it did benefit both parties. Your parents' business hasn't been well-known for long. It used to be a regular bakery before they began expanding. However, their popularity is fresh and new. And with the added exposure from the anniversary event, it will further aid them. The restaurant that Shichirou parents' own has been well known around for a while and has earned a reputable name and adding something new will be exciting. But what else do they have to gain from this partnership?

Shichirou's father looked over to you and you almost flinched under his gaze. "The bakery is most popular amongst young adults and teenagers, am I correct?"

He's asking me directly?

"That's right..." You stopped there, but the silence was an indirect message for you to elaborate. Oh boy, being put on the spot was not great. "Uh, well. What makes our bakery so popular is because of the unique designs and versatile price range. But yeah, young adults and teenagers come most often so it's kind of our target audience. Probably because younger individuals would be interested in the designs since they're perfect for parties, social media, and such..."

You did some studying of your family's business in your free time, but you never expected to have to participate in a literally business meeting. The articulation was by in no means perfect, but hopefully you didn't do that bad.

Your mum smiled at you reassuringly and whispered an almost imperceptible 'good job' to you while your dad nodded at you in approval. That helped ease your nerves.

Shichirou's father nodded. "They day of our collaboration will be specifically targeted towards a younger demographic. So, we were thinking of other additionals to increase the appeal."

"Oh..." Oh shoot, uh. What's popular amongst young adults and teenagers? You ended up blurting the first thing that came to mind. "Holding a performance? Wait, uhm. Let me explain. I guess if you're talking about my school as an example, a lot of people are into idols."

Shichirou's mother let out a small hum. You honestly couldn't tell if she approved, thought your idea was plain dumb, or didn't care and was pretending to.

"I see. Actually, I have some connections with Ichika-san. A highly anticipated collaboration between two idols under her agency has been very popular as of lately."

Ichika? Wasn't she the one who convinced Kashi to join her agency when he was younger?

"That's right!" Your mother exclaimed with a giggle. "I would sometimes join in the gossip with highschool girls who stop by the bakery. Utari Kashi and Genji Ryuu, they're a very prevalent topic amongst teenagers."

Shichirou's father nodded. "Then, shall we invite them to the event for a performance?"

"It is appropriate for the younger demographic we're targeting," your father said. "I don't see why not."

Genji Ryuu. You'd often hear students talk about him so it was inevitable you'd know who he was as well, and that's how you found out that he was the dude Kashi asked you about on the train.

The meeting continued with yours and Shichirou's parents conversing about further details. Shichirou's parents were very insistent in involving you in the discussions. Surprisingly, you warmed up to them and spoke comfortably––well, comfortably as in you didn't overthink every word you spoke and every breath you took.

"Would you like to visit our restaurant ahead of time, (Y/n)?" Shichirou's mother, who insisted that you call her by her first name, Reo, smiled warmly. "I'd like to give a tour sometime and perhaps cook a few dishes I recommend."

You returned her smile. "That'd be great. Thank you."

They also got along very well with your parents. An instinctive part of you thought they were putting up a facade in order to curry the favor of your parents. You couldn't help it, Shichirou was someone who appeared prince-like and picture perfect but was secretly manipulative and cunning. What if he got that from his parents?

But the friendly and warm atmosphere made you doubt that thought of yours. However, you did notice that Shichirou's parents never once glanced in their son's direction let alone include him in the conversation. He sat there quietly. Whenever you looked in his direction, he'd simply smile politely at you.

"So, the date we've settled on is after their midterms, right?" your mother asked. She ruffled your hair and laughed at the face you made. "I think the kids should head upstairs together. All this business talk must be boring."

You gave her a puzzled look and she simply winked in response. Oh. Oh, no. She ushered you to stand up and you promptly excused yourself from the table as Shichirou led the way. Sneaking a glance behind you, you saw your mother mouth 'good luck!' with a wink and you internally groaned.

So, here you were in his room again. You immediately stole his desk and spun around on his chair. Shichirou just accepted it.

"Is your mother expecting you to romance me?" He chuckled.

"She's like that with everyone I encounter. Just the other day she was trying to hook me up with a girl I mentioned was pretty in passing." You sighed before laughing softly. "I appreciate how supportive she is, though. She's just a bit too much sometimes, but I guess that's what makes her my mum."

Shichirou was quiet at your words, a vestige of a bittersweet smile on his lips. "That's... nice."

Ah, was family something sensitive to him? If you pried a little further, would you end up unlocking his additional information and learning his backstory?

Hm, but is there a point? Won't that just make me sympathise with him?

Though, learning about his past would help you in the game...

Oh.

Your first thoughts were 'it would benefit you' not 'I want to understand where his actions are coming from'.

"Hey, don't you think it's ironic that we're working together? I mean, you blatantly said you hated me a while back." You cleared your throat, straightened your posture, and said with a dramatic tone, "Those eyes of yours. I hate people like you."

"Ah, I did say that. What if I told you that my feelings have changed?"

"Yeah, sure."

"(L/n)-san, it's not impossible for someone to change their mind."

You sighed. "Shichirou-san––"

"Yusei."

"What?"

"Call me by my first name." He smiled and you hated how it looked so genuine. "I want us to get along."

"Oh, c'mon. That sounds suspicious. I will be super embarrassed if I said yes to being your friend and you end up deceiving me."

Shichirou looked surprised at your words. "Are you this cautious with everyone? I know my image of a kind and compassionate student is not entirely accurate, but you're making me out to be someone who'd ruthlessly manipulate everyone they see."

You furrowed your eyebrows. Wait, isn't that who you are?

"Don't you use others to further yourself? During our conversation back then, you said that you would gauge the type of person others were and you didn't deny it when I mentioned that you do that to determine whether to use them or not."

"I'll let you in on something. Typically, when I meet someone new, I like to gauge the type of person they are."

"Gauge the type of person they are? So, from approaching me and offering your help, randomly insulting me yesterday, and giving me your phone number, it was all to figure out the type of person I am?"

"You're pretty spot on, great job," he praised before he followed it up with an unamused look. "And, I've concluded that you're someone I prefer to not work with." There was a short pause and the male's eyes darkened as his tone dropped into something far more conniving. "Rather, I prefer to go against you instead."

You gave him an uneasy look. "Work with? I get the feeling you mean something else." You crossed your arms and shot him an incredulous look. "I think you meant you'd rather not use me, am I right?"

Shichirou chuckled, his lighthearted voice greatly contrasting the tense atmosphere. "You caught me."

"You remember things vividly," Shichirou said, impressed. "Should I be flattered that you pay so much attention to me?"

You had everything written down in your notes. Of course, you'd remember details such as this.

"No. My point still stands, don't blame me for being cautious."

"I understand, (Y/n)."

"Wait, oi. Don't start calling me by my first name!"

"Feel free to call me Yusei and we can call it even."

A groan left you. "We're not friends."

"Well, I consider you my friend."

You sighed. "You're never going to let this go, huh?"

Shichirou smiled. "Nope."



===



It was the weekend and you were spending the day in the comfort of your home going through your notes on what had happened so far. You were on the topic of Hayami, trying to figure out just what her deal was.

She pushed you into the fire, but the why did she push you into the fire was something you didn't have an answer to. Shichirou must have some involvement. As you observed in the past, he was good at manipulating an individual's mind. Maybe he said something that caused Hayami to do what she did? If so, what did he say? It wasn't like you could just ask him, but if you unlocked his additional information like you did with Kashi, then you may find some answers.

You found out a while ago that Hayami's sister made it to the student council because of her parents' connections. Typical rich people stuff. But you didn't find her unpleasant. Just... neutral. In the student council she did her duties, talked to you when needed, and so on. She was fine.

"Hayami-san definitely has some inferiority complex with her sister."

Her sister was talented in terms of medical knowledge and skill, she helped out in the nurse's office, and students liked her despite her nonchalant attitude. Not to mention, her parents got her into the student council and not Hayami.

"I think Yusei took advantage of that insecurity of hers. But what reason did he have to cause the fire?"

Yes, you ended up addressing Shichirou by his first name. Why? Because the guy pulled a sneaky act where he referred to your first name when he waved goodbye to you, which caught your mother's attention. You were too tired at that point to retaliate and just surrendered.

[ Oh! That's an easy answer! Would you like me to tell you? ]

You flinched at the sudden appearance of the holographic screen. "Dammit. I thought you wouldn't show up today."

[ Appreciate my daily checkups >:( I worry for your health, you know! Gosh, my kindness surprises me sometimes ]

"How humble."

[ I know, right? ]

You rolled your eyes. "Moving on, you said something about answers? Why would you tell me? I don't think giving me a random advantage in a game is your thing."

[ Nah, it's definitely my thing. I don't have any rules for myself, only for you. I'll do what I want~ Plus, it's not a huge advantage, just some context. Think of it as a bonus for dealing with the fire ordeal. Anyways! The reason is because he wanted to get the teacher fired ]

"What? Yusei started a whole fire for that?"

[ He didn't want an actual fire to break out. He hoped for that orange haired girl to make a mistake in the kitchen since he found out she barely knew anything about cooking. Like, accidentally spilling hot water and getting a mild burn or something. Since the teacher wouldn't be there for that, she'd get in trouble for her negligence and potentially fired.

It wasn't some masterplan he crafted through intense observation, just something he thought wouldn't hurt to try. If he fails, then whatever. If he succeeds, then good for him. However, a fire was an escalation he didn't anticipate. But, he did indirectly cause everything. Meaning, any injuries and deaths will be his fault ]

"Wait, I'm still confused. Isn't it a bunch of coincidences? And why would he want the teacher to get fired?"

[ The teacher sucked at her job and he believed she was wasting his time. The dude knew she was a careless and irresponsible person and took advantage of that. He's great with his words and with knowing exactly what to say and managed to plant the idea in her head that leaving a classroom unsupervised for a while was fine.

Not to mention, he gained her trust super easily with his 'perfect student' shtick. The orange haired girl is someone he knew gets a huge ego boost from the simplest compliment thanks to, as you speculated before, her inferiority complex. He encouraged her to be more involved in the kitchen and well, the rest is history ]

Baffled, you leaned back in your chair. "If he did all of that basically on a whim, then I am so worried when he is giving it his all to kill someone."

Suddenly, your phone rang. It was Kashi.

[ Aw, shucks. I wanted to hog your attention today. Welp! Have fun ]

Oh, right. I promised I'd facetime Kashi today. You snuck a glance at your reflection in the mirror. Uh... yeah, I look good enough.

Leaving your desk, you jumped onto your bed and answered the call. The first thing that showed on the screen was the ceiling before Kashi's face came into view. Braided hair a little disheveled and loose, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, and small pants leaving his lips; you assumed he had finished doing some sort of exercise.

He leaned against the wall, a bright smile on his face as he waved happily at the screen. "Hey, (Y/n)! Sorry if I look messy, I just finished dance practice. Since I was going to be busy for the rest of the day I figured I'd call you now."

"All goods. And don't worry, you still look great." You laughed seeing Kashi's flustered expression. "Did you receive the news? You and the other dude will be performing at the anniversary event at Yusei's parents' restaurant."

"Yeah, I was told not too long ago. I had no idea you were that close to Shichirou-san."

"Ugh, don't get me started with him. Are you alone right now?"

"Well, for now. I was practicing with Genji-san. He's currently getting something to drink."

Ah, right. Genji.

You did some further research on the redhead. He really was a foil to Kashi's image; Kashi as an idol had the whole approachable, humble, and bubbly aesthetic. Genji appeared overconfident, bold, and had the attitude that made it clear he knew he was good looking.

In regards to their music, Kashi's songs were lively and upbeat, something you could feel his bright presence and optimism through. His voice was charming and had a clear and natural quality. Genji's songs took a different direction. His voice, at least when he was singing, was a lot deeper than Kashi's and would have a raspy quality to it. His singing was powerful and confident and you swear you'd hear him growl sometimes in his songs.

"What kind of person is he?"

"He's not impossible to work with, but he can be a bit too talkative sometimes."

"Huh. Sounds like a headache. I'll stay away from him," you said. "Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing you perform!"

Kashi laughed. "It's nothing special."

"C'mon, don't put yourself down like that. Don't tell Yusei this, but I sneak earphones in when we do paperwork in the student council. I blast your songs for motivation to power through."

"That's cute." Kashi said, sounding genuinely pleased before he paused and a red hue lightly formed on his cheeks. "Wait, wait. I didn't mean it like that. I just––"

"Oh, so you don't think I'm cute?"

"No, you are! Wait, hold on..." He sighed and buried his face in one hand and muffled out, "You're messing with me, aren't you?"

"Can't help it when you get so easily flustered. C'mon, show your face."

A small huff left the idol and he uncovered his hand. His eyes were avoiding the camera and a small pout was on his lips. You couldn't help but laugh at how cute he was acting.

"Oi! Who are ya talking to? A girlfriend of yours?"

A distant voice called out from the other side of the screen and there was a subtle change in Kashi's expression. Looks like he wasn't pleased at the interruption.

"Is that Genji-san?" you asked.

Kashi was a little hesitant in responding. "Yes, seems like he came back a little early––"

The phone was snatched away from him and you were suddenly met face to face with who you assumed was Genji. A sharp gaze and a sculpted features, the guy smirked upon seeing you before scoffing in amusement.

You narrowed your eyes. "Hello there. Why don't you hand the phone back to Kashi?"

Genji raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" He let out a loud laugh, you could hear the sound reverberate in the background. He was definitely mocking you. "First name basis with him? Have you moved on from me or is he just a distraction?"

What was he talking about?

Distracting you from giving a response, the holographic screen flashed next to you.

[ Character found: Genji Ryuu ]

Description: An idol with an abrasive and arrogant personality. He has recently joined the music industry and has grown significantly in popularity. An individual who used to be in a relationship with (L/n) (Y/n) during their second year of high school. One day, (Y/n) walked into a classroom to find him cheating on her. That was the last time the two ever interacted.

You blinked. Once. Twice.

This guy's your ex?!

"Hello? Are you speechless after realising that I'm––"

You slammed your phone onto the bed, blocking the webcam.

So, uh. What do you do?

It's hilarious how I can handle fires but am clueless on what to do here.

"What the fuck––oi, you still there––"

Oh, seems like Kakshi got his phone back judging from the sounds of Genji protesting in the background. You lifted your phone up

"C'mon, I was just reuniting with her. No need to be so sour!"

Kashi smiled politely at him, a smile you haven't seen in a while. The charismatic and practiced smile he would wear when he wasn't genuine. "Reuniting? She doesn't remember who you are."

Was that why Kashi showed you the image of Genji on the train? Did he know he was your ex?

Okay, I'll just pretend I had some major character development and that I'm different from the past. The guy cheated on me––well, the past (Y/n). It's natural that I'm hostile towards him.

"I said that because I wanted to cut him out of my life. Didn't expect to run into him like this."

Genji laughed, doubtful of your words. "Sure, sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night. You know, we technically never broke up. You left and transferred to another school without a word. Wanna come back to me? I have an idea for a date. My treat."

Kashi looked like he wanted to end the call right then and there while you wished you had the power to punch Genji through the screen.

Past (Y/n) how did you even get in a relationship with someone like him? Why do I have to deal with this annoyance now?

"Kashi, let's chat another time," you said.

He sighed, nodding. "I agree. Sorry to cut this short. Have a nice day, (Y/n)!"

You smiled. "Same goes for you. I wish you luck dealing with him."

Genji was about to say something, but Kashi ended the call before you could hear anything. Hopefully, the mental thanks you gave to Kashi gives him the energy to deal with him.

Mind dazed with several thoughts, you laid down on your bed, slammed a pillow over your face, and let out a loud groan. After a solid few seconds, you decided that you might as well go for a walk outside. You freshened up and tidied your appearance before heading downstairs and stepping outside. Your parents were out for work again today, but they said that they'd be coming home early. That's something you were looking forward to.

The fresh air brought a smile to your lips. It became a routine for you to go for a walk around this time of the day on the weekends to clear your mind and visit Seiji's flower shop to say hi. Today wasn't any different, however, when you arrived at the shop there was a closed sign.

"Oh, that sucks. Hope nothing bad happened."

As you continued to wander around, your thoughts went to Genji. What kind of relationship did he have with the past (Y/n)? Was his attitude different? You needed to clear things up somehow so he wouldn't bother with you anymore. And something tells you that he'll be annoyingly stubborn if you tried. What is it with the previous (Y/n) and having history with idols?

Wait, what if I'm supposed to keep Genji close by? What if he ends up becoming a target? And the most likely candidate to kill him would be... Kashi. You were on good terms with him and you didn't eliminate the possibility that he may develop feelings for you. Since he was originally able to kill others for the heroine's affections, who's to say he won't do the same for you?

"Wow, I feel so narcissistic thinking like that," you mumbled. "But it can't hurt to be careful."

The heroine, Aimi. Honestly, you had no idea what the heck her role is at this point. You expected some romance to blossom between her and one of the male leads and you'd have to play third wheel to keep a close eye on them. But there hasn't been any signs of development between them. Your objective still remained the same, though; not letting anyone die by their hands.

The chapter hadn't ended yet. Kai and Aimi are still the targets you needed to protect. The heroine being targeted, huh? Maybe your involvement had a bigger impact than you thought.

You pulled up the holographic screen.

[ Feature: Analysis ]

Description: Upon usage, the player is granted the ability to temporarily enter a new field of vision where they are able to identify who will be involved as a victim during the chapter. When a person has a red outline on them, it means death whilst the white means that they'll sustain potential injuries. The duration for this function is only for a total of two minutes. The player may try and attempt to exceed that limit, but the consequences that derive from it will severely burden them.

You checked how long you had left of the feature and it read out one minute. That meant you spent a solid minute on stage during your speech literally just looking around. Welp, that's embarrassing.

Should I use it on myself? It'll take only a few seconds. There's no harm in it.

"Alright... let's see."

You selected the feature and looked down at your arms.

"..."

...

...What?

Eyes widened in disbelief, an almost inaudible whisper parted your lips, "An outline? On me?"

You even rubbed your eyes to check if your vision wasn't deceiving you. Spoilers, they weren't. At first, you were relieved that it was just a white outline. However, your heart sank when it morphed into red.

In the short moment where trepidation consumed you, where your attention ignored everything around you, where your mind was swarmed with numerous thoughts––you failed to notice the very faint footsteps that approached from behind.

You failed to notice the individual standing behind you.

And when you snapped out of your daze and saw the shadow that towered over you––

––You failed to react quick enough as a blunt item slammed against your head, sending you into immediate unconsciousness.