"Hmm, hmm, hmm…"
A boy hummed as he walked down the hallway, hands tucked in his pockets. He looked half-awake, half-bored—until he heard voices coming from behind the school building.
"Huh?" he muttered. "That sounds like—wait… isn't that where he usually hangs out?"
He followed the sound.
---
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
A thin line of blood ran down Yū's neck.
Aria's hand trembled—not just with anger, but something buried deeper. A flicker of fear… or memory.
Then—
"HEY! Yū-chaaaan, ehhh?!"
Both of them froze.
Aria turned her head slightly, and Yū's face went pale.
Because standing there was his loudmouthed friend—Ren, eyes wide, jaw dropped.
It looked like a scene straight out of a romance anime.
The wind blew, petals swirled, and for a split second—
Ren blinked. Then he sprinted forward.
"YOUUUU! Don't tell me—that's your girlfriend?!" he shouted, pointing at Yū.
Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Aria and bowed dramatically.
"Nice to meet you, miss! I'm Ren! The best friend of this idiot!"
Then he whipped back to Yū. "So what, huh? I stay home sick for a few days and now you're out here getting pinned to a wall by a beautiful girl?!"
"Ren, wait—it's not what it looks like—"
But once Ren started talking, there was no stopping him.
"Oh no, your neck's bleeding!" he exclaimed. Then he smirked.
"Hold on—shouldn't it be your nose bleeding, not your neck?"
"Ren—"
"Never mind! You need the infirmary! Miss, I'm borrowing him for a bit!"
Aria blinked, taken aback by the whirlwind of energy that was Ren. She gave an awkward smile.
"...Sure."
Ren grinned, then—before Yū could protest Ren swept him off his feet.
"W-WAIT! Put me down!"
"No can do, princess!" Ren said proudly, carrying him bridal-style down the hallway.
Behind them, Aria raised a hand and waved lightly. Her smile faded the moment they disappeared around the corner.
Her eyes glinted red.
"So… someone else knows him," she murmured. "This might be… troublesome."
---
The infirmary was quiet, filled only with the hum of the ceiling fan.
Ren rummaged through the medicine cabinet, muttering, "Where's that medical kit—ah, here!"
Yū sat on the bed, still pressing a cloth to his neck. "Thanks… Ren."
Ren smirked. "You're welcome. But seriously, man—if you're gonna get a girlfriend, at least tell me first!"
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Oh yeah?" Ren leaned in. "Then what was that, huh? You standing there with puppy eyes while the princess pins you to the wall?"
"Ren—"
"And that look on her face! The drama! The tension! You two were this close to—"
"REN!"
Thwack! Yū flicked his friend's forehead.
Ren staggered back. "Ow! Okay, okay, fine! But you have to admit—it looked like a romance scene!"
Yū sighed. "You're impossible."
"Yeah, but I saved your neck," Ren grinned. "So you owe me one."
Yū smiled faintly. "Yeah… I do."
But as he looked out the window, the memory of Aria's red eyes and cold voice flashed in his mind.
"You… Death Trigger."
His chest tightened.
Whatever was happening—it wasn't over yet.
---
"As I said before," Ren continued, "you should be careful. There are a lot of bullies in this school."
Yū thought silently, It's not because of that…
"Remember last time? You almost got targeted by Kaito's group. If I wasn't there, you'd be a dead man by now!"
Yū sighed.
"So," Ren pressed, "who's the lady?"
"I don't know her."
"You don't know her, huh?" Ren raised a brow. "Then why did it look like that?"
Ren exaggerated the scene dramatically, striking poses that made Yū groan and cover his face.
But deep down, Ren's smile faltered for just a second—because he did notice the knife pointed at Yū's neck earlier.
"Stop," Yū muttered quietly. He couldn't tell Ren about the alley incident—not yet.
Ren chuckled. "Alright, alright, I won't pry anymore. Just—if you hit it big someday, don't forget about me, yeah? I'll support you for life."
"Stop," Yū said again, giggling under his breath.
---
Moments later, they parted ways.
Since they lived on opposite sides of town, they couldn't walk home together. Ren offered one last time, but Yū shook his head.
"I'm fine, really."
"Alright… but call me if anything weird happens, got it?"
Yū smiled. "Got it."
He waved goodbye and started down the quiet street.
Then—
A sleek black car rolled up beside him. The window lowered slowly.
Aria sat inside, her crimson eyes meeting his.
"Get in."
Yū froze.
"Ah," he sighed internally. "I'm doomed… Ren~."
---
Inside the Car
Moments of silence filled the air before Yū finally spoke.
"Ahh—"
"Who are you?" Aria interrupted sharply.
"Hai! Yū Kisaragi desu!" he blurted out quickly.
"No. I know who you are, Kisaragi Yū-kun."
Her eyes narrowed. "What I'm asking is—who are you working with?"
"I don't know what she means," Yū thought, sweating. "But if I don't answer, I'll die!"
"G—" he stammered. "G."
"G?" Aria raised a brow.
"Group."
"Group?" she repeated.
"Group of… readers?"
"Do you think I'm joking?" Aria said coldly, her crimson eyes gleaming as she pointed the same knife toward him.
"Y-yes? I mean—No, ma'am!" Yū stammered, leaning back against the seat.
Aria sighed and sheathed the knife. "Never mind. We'll know the truth soon enough."
Yū let out a shaky breath of relief, a tiny tear glistening at the corner of his eye.
By the time the car stopped, he had been so tense that the moment he stepped out, he immediately threw up on the grass.
When he recovered, he finally looked up—and froze.
A massive mansion towered before him, bathed in the pale glow of the moonlight.
He followed Aria hesitantly.
"Ahhh, miss—"
"Aria."
"Huh?"
"My name's Aria," she said, without looking back.
"Then… Lady Aria, what are we doing here?"
"As I said before—to know the truth."
"I don't really know what you're talking about, Lady Aria."
She smiled softly. "I trust you."
"Then—"
Before Yū could finish, the floor beneath him split open.
"Eh?! You've gotta be kidding me—!"
He dropped into darkness.
Aria peered down, a faint smile of amusement playing on her lips.
---End of Chapter 3---