Expeditiously cluttering your mind were a barrage of questions and inauspicious assumptions of the male's sudden appearance. The grip you had on your bag instinctively grew tenser and you wondered if it wasn't too late to walk away from the scene.

Dragging out a sigh of exhaustion as if a century's worth of sleep had been stripped away from you, you kept a firm and steady gaze to mask your spectacle of uneasiness at the mystery surrounding his reason for waiting. The incident from this morning flooded your mind and your previous feeling of resentment slowly began resurfacing.

"(L/n)-san!" Utari called your name, his voice melodious and cheery. A charming smile––one that captured the hearts of many––graced his lips and he eagerly approached you. "I was waiting––"

"I can tell," you curtly cut him off without realising how blunt your words came out. Either your exhaustion for the day must've worn off your desire to play nice, or your grudge against the idol was bigger than you anticipated. Mentally, you shrugged to yourself. It was clear as day Utari has something against you, why bother acting friendly now?

"Was I too obvious?" Utari chuckled.

You weren't going to lie, with every display of hospitality he sent your way, your annoyance for the male furthered. Seriously, why was he still acting nice towards you? Was he going to pretend like this morning didn't happen?

"Why were you waiting for me?" you asked.

"Oh! I wanted to walk you home."

You blinked. He's not actually serious, right? You raised an eyebrow and narrowed your eyes at him, observing his expression. Utari tilted his head to the side and gave you an expectant look with a smile that caused imaginary sparkles of innocence to float around him.

Oh my god, he's actually serious.

It's not like you were obliged to walk with him. However, despite your personal feelings, it would be the best option. Afterall, you did want to unlock that additional information on him.

"Sure," you said. You gestured to the opposite direction of your house. "I live this way." There was no way you were going to let him walk you to your actual home. That was just asking to get killed.

Utari's expression lit up brightly and he gave you an excited nod. "Well, let's get going!"

You gave a slow nod before cautiously following him, still vigilant about the reason as to why he waited for you in the first place. There was no way he just wanted to walk you home. You mentally groaned to yourself, you wished you had read the forgotten nostalgia about him. Knowing his relationship with the past (Y/n) would've made things a lot easier for you.

You barely succeeded in suppressing the urge to take a four kilometer step back when the idol suddenly began walking beside you. Utari was humming a quiet and dulcet tune that resembled a slow lullaby. However, instead of enjoying his euphonious voice, you were welcomed with a wave of unsettlement.

The lack of conversation lasted for what felt like decades before Utari spoke up. "You took a little while leaving the school," he said. "Did something hold you up? I thought for a moment you had left before I could catch up to you."

It took a substantial amount of effort to quell the sigh of frustration that implored to escape your lips. Utari should seriously take lessons from Kasumi about getting straight to the point instead of creating small talk to beat around the bush. "I was talking with someone," you responded.

"Was it Kasumi-san?"

With how quick Utari asked the question, it prompted you to glance over to the male. An inkling of suspicion laced your next words. "How'd you guess?"

"Well, you don't seem to talk to anyone else, especially after this morning."

You felt a vein pop at his indirect insult and tore your eyes away from him. "I wonder whose fault is that," you shot back.

A confused hum parted Utari's lips as he tilted his head to the side. His grey-blue eyes reflected an innocent confusion as if he were a child falsely accused of something. "What do you mean?"

You looked at him, flabbergasted. Was he seriously still playing pretend? You abruptly halted your steps, your bottled frustration towards the male finally reaching its highest peak. After a few steps, Utari noticed your absence and he paused. He glanced over his shoulder, a patient smile on his lips.

"Answer this, why did you wait for me?" Your voice was strict and your expression was austere.

"I wanted to walk you home, didn't I say that already?" he answered. "After meeting you at the daycare, I feel like we've gotten closer––"

"You lying through your teeth really sets me off," you snapped as your patience shattered like thin glass. "Can you just answer my question properly?"

Utari's smile didn't fall, however, the cheerful and amiable aspect of it had disappeared. The warmth from his eyes evaporated before his friendly gaze morphed into a look of disappointment. "You don't seem to have much patience, (L/n)-san," he said. "I thought you'd hold up longer considering you were able to deal with Kasumi-san."

You were tempted to present an essay on the difference between him and Kasumi. One was two faced and annoyingly duplicitous, the other––while rude and irascible––was at least honest with their emotions.

"Why do you keep bringing her up––nevermind, you probably won't answer. I'll ask my first question again, why were you waiting for me?"

Utari pondered over your question before asking, "Will you get mad if I said it was to apologise?" His voice was light and playful as if this was an amusing banter between close friends.

"Yes," you bluntly replied. "Can you please just drop the act? Just stop smiling and pretending––even if it means being an absolute jerk to me––so this conversation can actually go somewhere?!" Your volume, unbeknownst to you, had progressively grown louder with each word. Your sentence had ended with you accidentally shouting at Utari.

The male faced you and a rare expression settled on his countenance. His lips were devoid of a smile and were pressed in a thin line instead. His eyes slightly widened in surprise before he placed a hand over his lips, holding a laugh of disbelief.

"I'm acting?" A low chuckle came from him. "Are you sure that I'm the only one here acting?" The underlying venom that was carefully disguised under a sweet and mellifluous tone caused your blood to run cold and a chill to penetrate your skin.

At your silence, Utari continued. "Here's a question, (L/n)-san. Ever since we first met, was there ever a moment where you were genuine around me?" he asked. "From our encounter on the first day of school to now, every single word or action was all an act," he stated as if it were a fact and not an assumption. "Isn't that right?"

Honestly, it felt a little refreshing that he had stopped his small talk, but you couldn't say you were prepared for his accusatory gaze and tone void of his cheerful nature. An impending sense of danger lingered in the back of your consciousness as you remained silent.

He was right, but whether you should feel guilty for doing so waged a conflicting war in your mind. The purpose of your current actions are dictated by your predicament, if it weren't for that, you were confident that you would've been living your life peacefully.

It was impossible to view Utari in a different light or genuinely interact with him with the knowledge that he had the capability to kill someone constantly on the back of your mind. "...It's not like I've done anything particularly wrong," you responded and winced at how weak your retaliation was.

"Yeah, I know," Utari said. "I'm not naive to believe that there aren't people who pretend to like me for personal gain. However, your intentions didn't seem that way. You were almost...cautious I'd say. And, despite that, you continued to talk to me. So, naturally, I was a little curious as to why that was the case."

This guy was sharp. With simple inference and very little to work with, he was able to come to a pretty solid conclusion.

"You also seem like you were in your own world, as if you knew something others don't know."

You couldn't help but flinch when he said that statement. You felt like he had the capability to figure everything out about you. And, to be honest, that made you feel an uncomfortable sense of vulnerability like your personal privacy was invaded.

"You also seemed wary of me, as if I'd do something. So, I did a little experiment when we went out for karaoke."

Your eyes widened in realisation. "Wait, don't tell me––"

"Bingo~" Utari smiled before laughing. "As expected, you noticed it whilst everyone else didn't even bat an eye that their favorite idol was uncharacteristically sending a threatening look." His gaze met yours. "(L/n)-san, just why are you so careful of me?"

"...Will I get away with saying I'm naturally careful of everyone?"

"I guess there's some merit to that," he said. "You do look like you're in a constant state where you needed your guard up. You're always so deep in thought at the weirdest times. To be honest, I can't figure you out," Utari said. "Hm...should I pretend that I'm intrigued by this?" he asked playfully, however, it sounded faintly strained.

"Honestly, you probably won't ever get it right," you said, a bittersweet smile on your face. "Save the mental strain."

After all, no matter how good he was at deduction, it was impossible for him. There was no way he could figure out how you felt as an outsider of this world. The constant feeling of rising anxiety at being in an unfamiliar environment, the feelings of doubt if you'll ever return to a normal life, and the foreboding fear of failure. Of course, this wasn't the first time you've had these thoughts. However, every time such thoughts and feelings surfaced, you would forcefully suppress it and shove it in the back of your mind.

Ah, you were beginning to feel emotional. You took in a sharp breath and exhaled slowly, calming yourself and quelling your emotions whilst ignoring Utari's look of concern. "Anyways, can you finally answer my question now?"

"...I guess that's fair," Utari said slowly, hesitantly allowing the conversation to move on. He looked like he wanted to comfort you, but didn't know how to. Why would he want to do that? Honestly, figuring the male out was like you were trying to gather puzzle pieces that were sporadically scattered only to create a picture that didn't even make any sense.

Moving on, you felt like you've just ran a painfully long marathon at how long and tiring it took to reach this point. "Why didn't you bother covering for me this morning?" you asked. "Not only that, but you also went out of your way to make the situation even worse for me."

Utari contemplated for a moment before replying. "Would you be mad if––"

"Don't worry, I'll be mad either way. Might as well tell the truth."

The male chuckled. "That gives me an odd sense of reassurance," he said. "Alright! It wasn't anything much, I just wanted to give you an experience of what it's like to be the main attraction of rumours."

"Don't tell me it was something that petty," you said in disbelief. "Just because I said that you made rumours sound like a big deal you went ahead to damage my reputation in a school where it basically determines life or death?"

"I didn't intend for it to be permanent or anything. I had already planned to apologise at lunch," he explained. "But, Shichirou-san got to you first."

You bite back an exasperated sigh. To sum it up, all the things he did were just to mess with you. Seriously? Was that it?

"(L/n)-san, why are you trying so hard to befriend Kasumi-san?" he asked, pulling you out of your contemplation.

"...Cause I want friends?"

"But, why her out of all people?"

"Why do you keep pestering me about every little thing?" you asked. "We're not even friends."

A bitter smile played on Utari's lips upon your last statement as a faint melancholy look reflected in his clear eyes. "I..." He paused for a brief moment. "It's because I, as hard as it's to believe, am worried for––" He stopped himself. "I mean, I'm concerned that..."

Usually, his words come out as natural as a flowing river coupled by his charisma that flawlessly carried a conversation. This was the first time you've seen Utari struggle so much in speaking.

"I'm sorry," Utari whispered, voice frail and gentle. "We should probably end the conversation here," he said and let out a quiet and strained chuckle.

"I..." you sighed. Perhaps that was for the better, it's not like you had anything else to offer. Though a part of you felt wrong to just leave Utari in such a state, but what else can you do? Speak a few encouraging words and hope that it'll magically make things better?

"You probably already figured it out, but I lied about my house being this direction," you said before turning your back to him. You were planning to walk away without another word, however, Utari's bitter smile and strained chuckles prodded your mind with guilt. You stopped walking to look back at the male and he gave you a perplexed stare.

There was a short moment of silence before you spoke up. "See you at school tomorrow," you mumbled before leaving the scene. You didn't fail to catch the faint smile on the male's lips at your words, you just hoped you won't regret leaving him with that spectacle of hope of a friendship between the two of you.



===



"Emotions suck."

Your frustration mixed with your sleep deprivation caused you to kick a poor pebble off to the side as if it was the most infuriating thing you've encountered. You rubbed your eyes, hoping that it'll somehow get rid of the exhaustion in them, and a long yawn stretched past your lips.

Thanks to the conversation with Utari, you were barely able to scrape any bits of sleep last night. You just hoped that this morning walk can take your mind off things, even just for a little while. You tilted your head up to face the sky and allowed the warmth of the sun to splash against your skin. Coupled with the subtle coolness of the early morning breeze, a peaceful moment of silence settled your chaotic storm of thoughts.

A while had passed since you left your house and you found yourself in an area that bore a minimalistic look. No fancy and expensive car driving past you, no excessive and extravagant stores every corner, no mansion that appeared as frequently as regular houses, and no worries that you'll run into someone that can ruin your entire career with a snap of their fingers.

You managed to pick up a few whispers here and there of this area. And, from what you've heard, no one from where you lived would be caught dead at here. You wondered if the previous (Y/n) was the same.

In the midst of your deluge of thoughts, you had almost accidentally walked past the place you were looking for. You checked on your phone to confirm that it was the right place. When you confirmed it, a sense of triumph rushed over you, proud of your navigation skills.

The amiable appearance of the shop instinctively elevated your mood. There were two large windows that allowed you a full displayal of some of the bouquets residing in the shop. Your gaze was fixated in awe at the beautiful and distinctive arrangement of each bouquet; the colourful, vivid, and pastel colours of the flowers captivated you and allowed a pleased smile to play on your lips. The exterior of the shop was mainly white, pink, and a light shade of brown. And, dangling above the door was a large pastel pink sign that had the words 'welcome!' written cursively in white.

You were surprised, not because you were underestimating the quality of the flower shop because it resided in a lower income neighbourhood, but because the place had the worst reviews. Honestly, you were a little nervous coming here, but it looked like you were concerned over nothing.

"Maybe the service is bad...?" You shrugged before opening the door and the melodic sound of a bell chimed when you stepped into the shop. Immediately upon entry, a sweet and soft floral fragrance captured your senses and the area naturally elicited a comforting sense of affability as if enveloping you in a friendly hug.

And, aside from the extensive selection of flowers from a wide variety of colors that a rainbow couldn't even hold a candle to, lined along the white shelves were small plants with pots that had simple yet charming designs. The area had limited space to walk around, but the mild clutteredness of the shop only enhanced the inviting atmosphere it brought.

At how much you were admiring the scenery, you felt like a child who had just witnessed the outside world. Eventually, you managed to tear your sights away and approached the counter. No one seemed to be occupying the spot. A twinge of awkwardness bothered you at the thought of calling out for assistance so you decided to patiently wait instead.

"Might as well explore some more~" Perhaps it was an excuse to look around the shop for a little longer. However, before you could take a step in another direction, you heard light and hurried footsteps. It sounded like someone was descending down the stairs in a rush.

Confused at where the sound was coming from, you redirected your attention back at the counter and noticed that there was a door behind it. The door was painted the same white as the walls of the shop so you had missed it the first time. Was there a seperate room behind the door? You stood there and gazed curiously at the door, waiting for the moment it opened.

"I'll be heading off now!" A muffled boyish voice called out enthusiastically. The door abruptly kicked open, causing you to flinch in surprise despite you preparing yourself, and revealed a boy that looked to be your age.

Striking midnight blue eyes held a substantial amount of concentration on the mountain of novels that piled in his grasps. Smoothly, he used his legs to close the door and carefully navigated his way over to the counter before placing the books down on the surface. A sigh of relief escaped his pink lips as he mumbled something along the lines of 'I should stop forgetting to return these'.

You simply stood in front of him wordlessly. So like, do I announce my presence or––

"Ah!" When the male looked up and met your gaze, his eyes lit up and a welcoming smile graced his lips. "Welcome! Were you waiting long? My mother's a little busy right now, so I'll help you in her stead."

The male in front of you had fluffy white and tousled hair, large prepossessing eyes that had a deep and velvety hue of dark blue, a bag that slung carefreely on one shoulder, and a noticeable beauty mark under one eye. You were already used to seeing attractive looking students, but with him, your gaze was having an especially difficult time leaving.

"I just got here," you replied, still a little taken back with his entry. "Actually, this is the first time I've entered a flower shop, so I'm a little lost here."

"No worries! I'll be glad to be of assistance. What are you looking for?"

It felt impossible to envision a look of annoyance or anger in his cheerful expression. The idea eerily reminded you of Utari and you instinctively felt a sense of wariness overcome you. Mentally reprimanding yourself for thinking of Utari again, you forced your thoughts out of the way with a smile. "Honestly, I don't really know much about flowers. I'll trust your judgement."

With a quick nod, an excited air circled around him with the creative freedom your request allowed. As he exited the counter, he looked back at you and raised a curious eyebrow. His head tilted to the side and he eyed you with interest. "What's the occasion? A confession?" he asked playfully. "That's bold. I'm rooting for you."

You laughed before shaking your head dismissively. "Let's just say that it's for a soon to be friend."

The male's smile widened. "Well, I better make sure these flowers don't disappoint. What's the friend like?"

You cleared your throat as if preparing to perform the biggest flex of your life. "Well, she's..." You paused in realisation. Kasumi was literally the epitome of someone that'd sound like a terrible friend. "She's bold and...very direct," you said. "Uhm, will I sound shallow to say that she's also really pretty?"

The male laughed at your last statement and gave you an okay sign before immediately going to work, his actions proficient and methodical. In no time at all, he had already finished wrapping your bouquet of flowers before presenting them to you with a bright smile. If you didn't know it any better, it looked like he was offering it to you out of affection. After purchasing the flowers, a question prodded your mind.

Why did this place receive such horrible reviews? The ratings were low and the comments were more like harassment rather than critiques. Though not everyone shared the same opinion, you found it odd that the negative comments were the ones that dominated the reviews.

There must be something I'm missing. The repercussions of reincarnation, I guess. As you were prepared to leave, you stopped and suddenly asked, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Seiji Keichi!" he said proudly. "What's yours?"

"(L/n) (Y/n)."

"Ah! You're the daughter of––" The male stopped himself and sent an apologetic look. "Sorry, you're probably tired of hearing that all the time, huh?"

Your lips curved up into a small smile, a little touched by his consideration. "Eh, feeds my ego sometimes," you joked. Your eyes then traveled to the pile of books in front of Seiji. "You read?"

He nodded, a bubble of excitement surrounding him as he enthusiastically picked up one of the books. "My face is always buried in a book," he said before sheepishly chuckling. "I sometimes end up forgetting to return them though. Luckily, the librarian was nice enough to let me off a few times."

"Hm, maybe I should try reading for a change, all I really do is bake," you said, your harmless lie slipping by your tongue as naturally as breathing.

"You should! I don't mind giving you some recommendations."

A small smirk settled on your lips as you took out your phone. "Well then, it's natural that we exchange numbers then?"

"Smooth," Seiji commented, amused. "Are you hitting on me?"

"Is it working?"

An adorable chuckle escaped past his lips. "Head over heels."

You weren't even sure yourself why you chose to get closer to the male. Was it because of his friendly demeanor mixed in with the pleasantry of the flower shop? Or was it because a part of you wanted to make one genuine friend? You just hoped it wasn't a bad decision befriending the male.

After the number exchange, you asked, "By the way, what school do you go to? I noticed that our uniforms are different."

Seiji paused for a moment before answering. "I attend Kiyosa. Judging by your uniform, you attend Zeitaku?"

"Yup." You glanced down at your uniform. A royal purple was the primary colour for the balzer and plaid skirt whilst smaller designs were done in black and white. While the material was of good quality and the uniform design looked polished, the clothing was inconvenient when you wanted to be more flexible with your movements–– such as running away from a killer.

"It's a little surprising," the male commented. "The school is a long way from here. I'd assume you would go to a flower shop closer to your home."

"Well, I did want to explore a little this morning. I recently moved in afterall." Your eyes then stole a brief glance at the clock on the wall. When you noted the time, you blinked in surprise. Time sure flies by when you're not paying attention. "Whoops, was I holding you up? Sorry about that."

Seiji shook his head and waved a dismissive hand. "I had fun, so it's cool," he said. "I am a little worried for you though. Will you make it to school on time?"

"If I believe in it enough, then maybe," you replied and made your way towards the door. You glanced back and sent him a friendly wave goodbye. "Well, let's meet again soon."

The male nodded. "Tell me how the flowers go!"

You gave him an optimistic thumbs up along with a determined grin before exiting the shop. As you gently closed the door behind you, a content sigh escaped your lips. The normality of the conversation you had with the student was odd to you. It was almost...refreshing in a way.

You smiled to yourself and hummed quietly in delight. Perhaps it wasn't impossible to experience peaceful moments afterall. As you were about to begin walking to school, you stopped at the sound of faint whispers that came from around the corner opposite to the direction you were headed.

"Eh? What's a Zeitaku student doing here?"

"Those flowers... she bothered the shop Seiji-kun's mother manages. My money's on that she threatened them with her status."

"Those kids sure have it good, huh? They can get away with anything."

"Right? Without the money, I bet they'll be nothing."

"Doesn't an idol attend their school? Utari Kashi, was it?"

"Seriously?! He goes there? They don't deserve him!"

From the sound of their voices, they were most likely two female highschool students. You raised an eyebrow, speechless at what you just heard. You never considered how other student's viewed your school. Honestly, you didn't really blame them too much for having that prejudice. But, it was a little much gossiping when you were an earshot away from them. You shrugged it off, it's not like you were obliged to care about it.

On the walk to school, you took the time to admire the flowers you bought. They were an assortment of pink, white and red roses. Each colour was vibrant and flourished enticingly in their own beauty. The wrapping for the bouquet was a simple pastel pink with a white ribbon that complimented the roses perfectly.

The walk to school felt much longer than you remembered and your legs protested against taking another step as they began to ache from the excessive walking. Eventually, you arrived at the front of your school gate.

Your eyes surveyed the school; the area was filled with the loud and bustling crowds of students doing a range of activities. Some were simply chatting with their friends, laughing and engaging in playful banter while others were showing off expensive items that they had recently bought. It was then you realised just how much of a different world your school was compared to the area where the flower shop was located.

Causing you to jolt in surprise, you felt a sharp pain on your shoulder. Someone had bumped into you way too harshly to be considered an accident. You turned your gaze over and noticed that it was one of Kasumi's friends.

The girl snickered at you, oddly proud of herself as if she had won a national trophy. "Flowers?" Her voice was irritatingly high pitched. "Who are you confessing to? Utari-kun? Have fun getting rejected."

You were offended. How dare she assume it was for Utari.

You were close to just shrugging the girl off and leaving the scene, however, you paused when you noticed that Kasumi was also there. Her velvet dark brown side bangs swept over her sharp and defined eyes she looked over the shoulder of her shorter friend to meet your gaze. Her eyes was void of contempt or belittlement and no insults parted from her dark red lips either. The female simply tore her gaze away from you and walked past you wordlessly as if you were just an insignificant speck of dust

Her two friends exchanged confused looks, wondering why the female did not take up the chance to ridicule you.

You blinked. Yes, she did just blatantly ignore you, but it was the fact that she blatantly ignored you was what got you excited. We're finally getting some development, boys. "Walking away from a friend without a word?" you questioned. "I'm hurt, Kasumi-san."

Kasumi's shoulders immediately tensed with annoyance and you swore she was suppressing the urge to punch you across the globe.

"Idiot," one of her friends spat at you, a huge grin on her face. She stuck her nose up high and sneered. "You should've just stayed quiet."

The other friend nodded, giggling. "Don't come crying to us after this––"

"I'm not talking to you," you snapped back.

After being taken aback by your response, two girls looked ready to strangle you with their pink and glittery fake nails. You simply sighed and shot them an unamused look and swiftly walked past them. You quickly caught up to Kasumi, a smile on your lips.

Kasumi turned over to you, eyes narrowing like a pointed knife. She rolled her dark green eyes and scoffed. "What do you––"

"Wanna be friends?"

The female looked at you as if you've asked her to do the impossible. She exhaled sharply and gave you an immediate response. "No."

"Ouch, not even going to consider it?"

Before you had a chance to progress the conversation further, you felt a harsh tug on your uniform as one of Kasumi's friends pulled you back violently. Well––it wasn't really violent per say. The most movement they got out of you was half a step back. In short, it was pretty weak.

"What do you need?" you asked.

With a mix of the humiliation at being ignored and the desperation of establishing her superiority over you, her face contorted into one of absolute fury. Seems like your actions had damaged the little pride she built by hanging around Kasumi. "You bi––"

With a nonchalant face, you harshly stepped on her foot. With the newfound pain that seared through the girl, you ripped her hand off your uniform. You nodded to yourself in satisfaction, ignoring the girl's screams of how you had ruined her designer shoes as you turned back to Kasumi with a large smile. "So, about being friends."

The brunette looked at you in disbelief, however, she didn't berate you for your treatment toward her friend. Honestly, she felt an odd sense of relief that the girl was no longer pestering her. "I already said no."

"Okay," you said. "Let's establish a correlative relationship where we both mutually acknowledge each other as individuals who deserve each other's compassion."

Kasumi's eye twitched. "Are you done yet?"

"Kasumi-san..." you mumbled just a volume above a whisper, tone void of its initial playfulness. Kasumi noticed and looked at you with slight wariness.

Were you finally giving up? Or was the whole friendly approach a mere facade? Were you now going to show what you're really like? Slowly, your gaze met hers and she swallowed. Just what were you going to do––?

You presented the roses to her with a bright smile. "Go out with me!"

"..."

===

Okay, so you did not end up being friends with Kasumi, but she did end up accepting the roses by the end of the day. She said things along the lines of 'it's only because you keep annoying me with it!' and 'I'm going to throw them out later anyway!'

"..."

You think she likes you.

And so, the school day ended with Kasumi having no opportunities to disturb anyone. It was a mission success. Your plan was to basically ensure that Kasumi had no time to bother Aimi. And what better way to do that than blessing her with your presence? You admit, there were probably better ideas, but you honestly had a blast doing this one.

Plus, you hanging around her was like a middle finger to Utari. You knew that being around the brunette will garner a few whispers of contempt here and there about you, but it'll eventually settle and become old news. You don't deny the fact that you should remain cautious in this school, however, Shichirou and Utari made it seem like your life would fall apart just for talking to Kasumi. For Shichirou, you speculated he did it for manipulation. Utari? You didn't have a concrete conclusion.

Putting that aside, going down the checklist, today you managed to stop Kasumi from bullying anyone, didn't talk to Utari, and made a potential friend. Today was a pretty good day.

"Oh, (L/n)-san. Already heading home?"

Today was a pretty okay day.

You stood there with an awkwardly surprised look at the sight of Shichirou standing outside your classroom. The male was waiting for you, a prince-like smile on his lips.

"Uhm, if you're looking for an answer, I don't have it yet."

An endearing laugh parted from the purple-haired male. The girls casually walking by that happened to hear had almost collapsed and forgotten how to breathe at how beautiful it sounded. "Don't concern yourself with that, I don't mean to rush things. I was actually hoping to walk with you," he said. "I know we're not close, so I won't walk you home. Maybe just out of the school building?"

His eyes held a subtle hopeful look as he patiently waited for your response. Honestly, you didn't want to walk with him. However, you reasoned with yourself that there was more merit walking with him than avoiding him. "Yeah, sure."

The male's face brightened and he clasped his hands in delight. "I thought you'd protest more. I'm glad I was wrong." He then politely stepped out of your way, and like a true gentleman, he gestured for you to walk on ahead first before eventually joining you.

"Am I that unreasonable to you?" you asked.

"Not unreasonable, just cautious."

Cautious? "What do you mean––"

Cutting you off, Shichirou's phone abruptly rang and startled the both of you. The male gazed at the device in confusion before checking the caller ID. "Ah, it's my mother," he said. "Is it alright if I take a moment? It won't be long."

"I mean I can just go––"

"No can do," Shichirou cut you off. "Don't run off, okay?" I'll be back soon."

And with that, leaving no room for your protests, he walked off to find some privacy. You sighed, irritated at how he basically told you what to do. Honestly, you should just leave to spite the male.

While waiting for him, you leaned against a wall and engaged in an intense staring contest with the wall across you. However, a chime from your pocket forced you to admit your defeat. You blinked in surprise and took out the device.

[New feature unlocked: Progress Check]

Description: Displays the amount of progress the player has undergone in the current chapter

[Current progress: 98%]

"A new feature?" You raised an eyebrow and stared at the percentage in perplexion. 98%? Doesn't that mean that you were almost done with the chapter?

A hum of contemplation left your lips as your eyes remained glued to the digital device, eyes never leaving the line of text. A small part of you felt relieved that you were almost done, however, that feeling was obscured with your suspicions.

Didn't this feel a little too easy?

Don't get you wrong, this game mentally drained you. You never thought that humans could be so infuriating to deal with. However, wasn't your objective to prevent deaths? You hadn't come across a situation such as that yet.

"Ah, that's right," you mumbled. "I still have that chapter information feature." Since the chapter was nearing, might as well use the feature now. It'd be a waste not to.

[Chapter information: Unlocked]

Information:

While walking out of the classroom after a long day of school, Aimi stops to find Utari waiting for her outside the classroom. The male offers happily to walk the blonde home and she accepts. Whilst walking, they delve into a conversation regarding Utari's career.

"When did you first start singing?" Aimi questions.

"I've only been singing professionally for a few years," Utari replies.

Overhearing their conversation was Kasumi. Irked by Utari's response, she stops the duo in the middle of the hallway.

"Are you seriously okay with saying such obvious lies?" Kasumi scoffs. "You've been singing for far longer than that!"

"What does she mean by that?" Aimi turns to look at Utari, an innocent confusion on her face.

Utari chuckles lightheartedly and ruffles Aimi's hair. "I'm not sure either," Utari says before meeting Kasumi's heated gaze. "Kasumi-san, would you like to talk a little? I feel there's been a misunderstanding."

Eventually, Utari convinces Kasumi to come to the rooftop with him. A dramatic disagreement ensues, and as the conversation progresses, the more perilous the situation becomes for Kasumi. Utari begins to display unsettling behaviour, eliciting some concern in the brunette. With a dark and frightening look on his face, Utari slowly approaches Kasumi. The girl took multiple steps back and utters one last line that caused something to snap within the idol.

A tight and unyielding apprehension tightened around your throat as a foreboding premonition caused a plethora of worst case scenarios to run haphazardly through your mind. Your hands began trembling and you stumbled on your reading due to the progressive panic that interfered with your mind.

Then, you felt your blood run deathly cold at the last few lines.

Swiftly, Utari reaches out for Kasumi. Panicking, she stumbles back and becomes dangerously near the edge of the roof.

It all occurred in one huge blur.

One moment Utari was talking to Kasumi, the next she was lying dead on the school grounds.



A/n: 🤭

Honestly, this chapter took me by far the longest to write. The scene with Utari was re-written at least four times.

Also! New character!! Are you guys suspicious of him or do you believe he'll be someone the reader can trust?