The morning bell rang across the campus of Hollow High Academy, its sharp echo cutting through the cloudy sky above.
Students hurried across the courtyard in neat uniforms, their voices buzzing with gossip. Yet today, the whispers carried a strange tension.
"It's him… Dante Kurobane."
"I heard he made a teacher faint just by looking at her."
"No way he's human," another student muttered nervously. "He has to be a demon."
Almost as if summoned by their words, Dante Kurobane appeared at the gates.
Tall and calm, he walked through the courtyard with his hands in his pockets. His silver hair caught the dim light of the morning, and his crimson eyes glowed faintly beneath his lashes.
The crowd instinctively parted for him.
No one dared stand in his path.
A few minutes later, inside the main hallway, the atmosphere changed again.
This time, the whispers were different.
"That's the new girl."
"Jinx, right? She's… ridiculously pretty."
"Pretty? She's terrifying. I heard she knocked out a senior with a broomstick."
Jinx Kagami walked through the hallway with confident strides, her long black hair swaying behind her. She hummed softly to herself, ignoring the stares around her.
Then suddenly—
She bumped shoulders with someone.
The impact was firm enough to make her stop.
Jinx turned around slowly.
"Excuse you?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Your aura's leaking. Kinda annoying."
The hallway fell silent.
The boy she had bumped into stopped walking.
Dante Kurobane slowly turned his head.
His crimson eyes locked onto hers.
"What did you say?" he asked coldly.
Jinx scoffed and crossed her arms.
"Keep your demon pressure to yourself unless you're trying to scare someone."
For a brief moment, the air between them felt heavy.
Dante's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—unexpectedly—he smirked.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Leaving the hallway buzzing with shocked whispers behind him.
Later that day, the classroom was quiet except for the faint scratching of pens and the distant sound of wind outside.
Jinx sat near the window, staring at the cloudy sky.
In the back row, Dante sat silently, watching the room with unreadable eyes.
Suddenly—
A crumpled paper ball hit Jinx's desk.
She looked up.
A boy across the room grinned at her.
"Hey, transfer hottie," he teased. "Smile for me."
Before Jinx could respond, a chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Dante stood up.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
He looked directly at the boy.
"You got a death wish?" Dante said, his voice dangerously calm.
The boy's grin vanished.
"S-Sorry!" he stammered before grabbing his bag and practically running out of the classroom.
The remaining students sat frozen.
Jinx slowly turned toward Dante.
"Why did you—?"
Dante looked away before she could finish.
"Didn't like the way he looked at you," he said quietly.
Jinx blinked in surprise.
A faint blush warmed her cheeks, though she didn't understand why.
Across the classroom, another girl had been watching the entire exchange with great interest.
Pixie.
Jinx's best friend leaned back in her chair with a knowing smile.
During break time, Jinx stepped into the girls' restroom and leaned against the wall.
She pressed her fingers against her temple.
"Ugh… damn headache," she muttered. "Of course."
The door swung open behind her.
Pixie walked in, arms crossed and wearing a mischievous grin.
"Sup, babe," she said. "I've been studying that demon guy… Dante whatever."
Jinx groaned.
"Don't start."
Pixie ignored her and continued talking.
"I'm telling you, he totally likes you."
Jinx stared at her like she'd just said something ridiculous.
"You're always joking about useless things," she said. "How the hell can a demon like a human? That's crazy."
Pixie smirked.
"Oh, come on, Jinxie. Think about it," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "The way he reacted when that boy looked at you? That's classic 'in love' behavior."
Jinx rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Nonsense."
She pushed herself off the wall and walked toward the door.
Behind her, Pixie sighed.
"Oh come on, babe. I'm just saying what I observed!" she called out while hurrying after her. "No need to get all upset about it. Wait for me!"
But Jinx didn't answer.
She simply kept walking down the hallway, pretending she hadn't heard a word.
Still, somewhere deep inside her chest…
Something strange flickered.
Like the faint spark of a fire waiting to awaken.