It's lunch break and Ichikawa is walking through the corridor. He's been curious about this world ever since he reincarnated, but it still confuses him. A sharp ache hits his chest whenever he remembers his past life. There is only one person he still hates—and it's himself.
"I better be careful"
A harsh laugh echoed, cutting through the lunchroom chatter. Ichikawa slowed his pace. There was a rhythmic thud. the sound of a backpack hitting a metal locker.
Ichikawa rounds the corner and sees three tall boys towering over a trembling boy. They shove the boy back every time he tries to stand. It was a sight that feels painfully familiar, his face darkens slightly, his fingers curled into fists. But before he could do something, a voice echoed through the hallway.
"—Hey. Stop that!"
the three boys pauses, looking up with annoyed expression as their eyes locked into something behind ichikawa. "Huh?"
Footsteps echoes across the hallway as ichikawa looks behind him. A flash of silver hair caught the corner of Ichikawa's eye. A student stepped out from the shadows behind him, walking with a calm, steady stride that didn't hesitate for a second.
"Who is this guy." Ichikawa thought to himself. His eyes slightly wide with surprise, his eyes followed his every moment.
He brushed past Ichikawa, his uniform perfectly pressed. He didn't even glance back as he marched straight toward the three boys, his presence suddenly filling the entire corridor.
The three bullies didn't back down. Instead, they spread out, blocking the silver haired boy's path. Their sneers turned into aggressive grins as they drew in deep breaths, and a faint, jagged shimmer began to ripple around their shoulders, their auras flaring up like a warning signal.
Ichikawa felt the air grow heavy, the pressure from the three of them pushing against his chest. Despite the situation, he slightly amazed by the sight. "Woah, did they just released their aura? Amazing,"
Then, the silver-haired boy simply narrowed his eyes. He didn't move a muscle, but the world around them snapped.
A wave of pure, suffocating heat exploded from him, drowning out the bullies' weak ripples instantly. The temperature in the hallway was burned like sun. The air became thick, vibrating with a deadly pressure that made the very walls seem to groan. It wasn't just power, it's a aura that transcendce time-space itself!, and ichikawa sensed it.
The three of them staggered. The leader's knees actually buckled as the heat from the silver haired boy's aura slammed into them. The tough shimmering around their shoulders vanished instantly, snuffed out like a candle in a storm. Ichikawa himself surprised by the sudden aura release.
They scrambled away from the center of the corridor, nearly tripping over their own feet to put distance between themselves and that suffocating pressure. Their faces, once twisted with arrogance, were now pale and slick with sweat from the sudden rise in temperature.
Once they reached the safety of the stairwell, the leader looked back, though he kept his hand on the wall for support.
"You... you think you're so special?!" he spat, his voice cracking. Watch your back, Son of a bitch! This isn't over yet!"
The threats sounded hollow, echoing weakly down the hall as they finally turned and sprinted away, disappearing around the corner.
The silence that followed was heavy. The bullied boy remained on the floor for a heartbeat longer, his chest heaving as the suffocating heat of the silver haired boy's aura began to dissipate. With trembling hands, he gathered his scattered books and pushed himself up, his legs still wobbling like a newborn's
He looked up at his savior, his eyes wide and glassy. "T-thank you," he managed to choke out, a quick, jerky bow following the words. Before either of them could respond, the boy turned and bolted in the opposite direction of the bullies, his footsteps echoing frantically down the hall.
The silver haired boy stood still for a moment, his back to Ichikawa. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he began to turn. The sunlight from the high corridor windows caught the metallic sheen of his hair, momentarily blinding Ichikawa. As he fully faced forward, the last remnants of that dangerous, scorching aura flickered out, leaving only a sharp, piercing gaze that seemed to look right through Ichikawa's soul.
Ichikawa didn't relax. Instead, his weight shifted instinctively, his center of gravity lowering as his eyes narrowed into thin slits. His heart, already hammering from the heat of that aura, braced for a second wave of pressure. He watched the silver haired boy's hands, his entire body coiled like a spring, prepared for an attack that felt inevitable.
The silver haired boy watched him for a beat, his expression unreadable and stony. Then, without warning, the terrifying heat snapped off like a light switch. The dangerous predator vanished, replaced by a teenager who suddenly beamed a bright, toothy grin that didn't match the chaos he'd just caused.
"Whoa, Chill! You look like you're ready to punch a hole through me!"
he laughed, his voice jumping an octave into a friendly, melodic tone. He gave a casual, two finger salute, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who had just scorched the hallway.
"I'm Ruleus! We're actually in the same class, you know? I sit a rows back." He tilted his head, his silver hair flopping over his eyes as his grin widened. "I guess you've been too busy staring out the window to notice me, but I've definitely had my eye on you, it's Ichikawa right?."
Ichikawa blinked. Then he blinked again. He looked at the floor where the tile was still physically warm, then back at Ruleus's sparkling, innocent eyes. The logic circuits in his head began to smoke.
Wait, what?. Ichikawa thought, his face stuck in a mask of pure, dumbfounded confusion.
Ichikawa's face remained a mask of pure, vacant idiocy, but inside his skull, a five-alarm fire was raging.
Classmate?! his mind shrieked. Are you serious right now? We're in the same class?!
He stared at Ruleus's sparkling, innocent eyes, the eyes that looked like they belonged on a puppy, not a human microwave that had just turned the hallway into a sauna.
I've been sitting a row ahead of a walking tactical nuke for an entire semester and I didn't notice? What was I doing?! How bored was I during the class that I missed the guy with the glowing silver hair and the 'time-space' threatening' aura?
Ichikawa looked at Ruleus's cheerful wave. Then he looked at the floor, which was still physically radiating heat like a fresh pizza stone.
And he's smiling! Look at him! He just threatened three seniors with a slow, agonizing death by heatstroke, and now he's acting like we're about to go trade trading cards at recess! This world is broken. I want a refund. Someone give me back the cruel old world where the most dangerous thing in the hallway was a wet floor sign!
On the outside, Ichikawa just let out a small, pathetic squeak. "...Oh.
Ichikawa turned on his heel, his only goal being to put as much distance between himself and this silver haired anomaly as humanly possible. He didn't run, running invited a chase. but he walked with the kind of Olympic level speed that usually meant someone was either very late for a funeral or had just seen their ex.
Tapp tapp tapp.
The rhythmic sound of sneakers followed him. He pivoted left toward the library. The sneakers pivoted left. He took a sharp right into a crowded stairwell. The sneakers were right behind him, echoing with a cheery bounce.
"So, Ichikawa-kun! What's the plan for lunch?"
Ruleus's voice was right at his shoulder, warm and vibrating with enough energy to power a small village. "I heard the cafeteria is serving a mystery stew, but there's a new cafe just outside the gate that has incredible curry!"
Why the hell he sounds like a femboy??? Ichikawa screamed internally.
"I'm busy," Ichikawa grunted, staring straight ahead. "Extremely busy. I have to... go count the dust motes in the equipment shed."
"Awesome! I'm great at counting!" Ruleus beamed, sliding into Ichikawa's peripheral vision.
"I once counted to a thousand just to see if the number seven felt different after a while. Spoiler: it doesn't! So, cafe?"
"No."
"Great, I'll lead the way!"
Ichikawa stopped. Ruleus stopped. Ruleus was grinning so hard it looked like his face might actually split in half. The silver hair was practically glowing with the sheer power of his Good Boy energy. Ichikawa realized then that Ruleus didn't understand the word 'No.' To him, it was just a spicy version of 'Yes'
Ten minutes later, Ichikawa found himself slumped in a booth at the back of a quiet cafe, staring at a lukewarm tea. Opposite him, Ruleus was currently making a mockery of the culinary arts.
A massive plate of *Ultra Spicy Lava Curry* had been placed in front of the silver-haired boy thirty seconds ago. It was already eighty percent gone. Ruleus wasn't just eating; he was harvesting the food. His fork moved in a silver blur, shoveling rice and sauce into his mouth with the mechanical efficiency of an industrial excavating machine.
Slorp. Gulp. Crunch.
"Is it... good?" Ichikawa asked, leaning back to avoid a stray flying grain of rice.
Ruleus didn't look up. He didn't even breathe. He just let out a muffled, satisfied grunt that sounded suspiciously like a lion defending its kill. A smear of curry sauce sat on his cheek like a battle scar, and his silver hair was beginning to frizz from the steam coming off the plate.
How?! Ichikawa's internal scream returned with a vengeance. This guy released an aura that could melt lead, but he's currently losing a fight against a piece of food!
Ruleus suddenly grabbed a glass of water, drained the entire thing in a single, terrifying gulp, and slammed it back onto the table. "HAH! Refreshing! Hey, you gonna eat that garnish?"
Ichikawa pushed his plate across the table with two fingers, looking at Ruleus like he was a strange, hungry alien species. "Take it. Just... please don't eat the table."
"Who cares!" Ruleus chirped, his eyes practically glowing, his fork descending like a lightning strike.