The final bell rang.
Chairs shifted, voices rose, and the class slowly came back to life.
Kaito didn't wait.
He packed his books quickly, zipped his bag, and stood up before most people were even ready to move.
He just wanted to leave.
No extra conversations.
No attention.
He stepped out into the hallway and merged into the flow of students heading toward the exit.
Almost there.
"Kaito."
He stopped.
He didn't need to turn to know who it was.
Still… he did.
Maya stood a few steps behind him, holding her notebook against her chest.
Her friends were further back, and for once, she wasn't walking with them.
"You're leaving already?" she asked.
"…Yeah."
She hesitated, then lifted the notebook slightly.
"The assignment. You said you'd help me."
Kaito blinked once.
Right.
"I forgot."
"I figured," she said, a small smile forming.
There was a pause.
Not awkward exactly… just unfamiliar.
Kaito wasn't used to standing this close to her.
Not like this.
Not without a screen in between.
He noticed small things now — the way she held her pen, how her hair rested on her shoulder, the way she looked at him without trying too hard.
He looked away first.
"Do you want to do it now?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Yeah. If you don't mind."
"…Okay."
They found an empty classroom.
Most people had already left, so it was quiet.
Maya sat down first, opening her notebook, flipping to the page.
Kaito sat beside her — not too close, but close enough.
"Okay… so this part," she said, pointing at a question, "I don't get what they mean here."
Kaito leaned slightly closer.
"It's not hard," he said.
"You just have to break it down."
He started explaining.
At first, it was normal.
Just words.
Just schoolwork.
But then—
He noticed it again.
Her.
Not what she was saying.
Just… her.
Kaito paused for a second.
"…So you solve it like that."
Maya looked at him.
"You stopped."
"…Did I?"
"Yeah."
"…Sorry."
She watched him for a moment, like she was trying to figure something out.
Then she looked back at her book.
"Continue."
He did.
But now it wasn't the same.
There were small pauses.
Moments where one of them would look up at the same time.
Then look away.
Then continue like nothing happened.
Even when she didn't understand, she didn't interrupt immediately.
She just watched him.
And sometimes, Kaito noticed.
Sometimes he didn't.
After a while, Maya leaned back slightly.
"I still don't get it."
Kaito frowned.
"…You should."
"I don't."
She closed the notebook halfway.
"Can you just do it?"
Kaito looked at her.
"What?"
"Take it home. Do it. I'll copy it."
"That's not—"
"Please."
She said it casually, but there was something behind it.
Kaito hesitated.
Then nodded.
"…Fine."
She handed him the notebook.
"Thanks."
As she stood up, Kaito followed.
They walked out of the classroom together.
That's when he saw him.
Ren.
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
Waiting.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't need to.
One of his guys muttered, "Yo… look at that."
Another smirked.
Kaito didn't react.
Maya didn't either.
"See you tomorrow," she said, like nothing was happening.
"Yeah."
She walked past Ren.
Kaito followed after a few seconds.
No words.
But he could feel it.
Ren watching him.
Kaito stepped out of the building, the late afternoon air hitting him lightly.
He had barely taken a few steps when he saw her.
Mina.
She was sitting on one of the benches near the walkway, her bag beside her, arms folded.
The moment her eyes landed on him, her expression shifted—something between surprise and irritation.
Then she noticed who he had just walked out with.
Her gaze hardened.
Kaito slowed down a little as he approached.
"Mina—"
"So you're rolling with her now?"
He blinked.
"That's not—"
"I've been waiting for you," she cut in sharply, standing up.
"Over an hour, Kaito.
Sitting here like an idiot."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough weight.
Kaito exhaled.
"It wasn't like that.
I was just helping with something."
Mina let out a small scoff, shaking her head.
"Of course you were."
She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"Let's just go."
She didn't wait for him.
She started walking ahead, faster than usual.
Kaito followed after a second, hands in his pockets, his pace steady.
Mina didn't slow down.
Didn't look back.
Every now and then, she glanced sideways at him, like she wanted to say something else—but didn't.
Kaito noticed.
But he didn't react.
His mind wasn't there anymore.
It kept replaying the classroom.
The pauses.
The way Maya looked at him.
The way everything felt… different.
Mina finally spoke again, her voice lower this time.
"You could've just told me."
Kaito looked at her.
"…I know."
That was all he said.
And somehow, it didn't help.
At home, Kaito went straight to his room.
He dropped the bag, pulled out Maya's notebook, and sat down.
For once, he didn't delay.
He just did it.
Step by step.
Quiet.
Focused.
It didn't take long.
When he finished, he stared at the page for a few seconds.
Then closed it.
"…Done."
He leaned back in his chair.
His body felt normal.
Too normal.
Like nothing happened earlier.
Like none of it was real.
Kaito stood up and stretched slightly.
Then headed to the bathroom.
The water ran.
He picked up his toothbrush, applied paste, and started brushing.
Routine.
Simple.
Nothing unusual.
For a few seconds.
Then he looked up.
And paused.
His reflection stared back at him.
But something was off.
Kaito leaned closer to the mirror.
"…Wait."
His shoulders looked… broader.
Not by a lot.
But enough.
His arms too.
More defined.
Like his body had tightened overnight.
He turned slightly.
Checked again.
"…That wasn't there before."
He raised his arm and flexed slightly.
The muscle responded instantly.
Sharper than he expected.
Kaito froze.
Then slowly lowered his arm.
His heart beat a little faster.
"This is not normal…"
He washed his mouth quickly and stepped back.
Still staring.
Still trying to understand what he was seeing.
Then— The blue light.
It appeared again.
Faint at first.
Then clearer.
Running along his arm.
Not wild like before.
Controlled.
Steady.
Kaito didn't panic this time.
He just watched.
The glow stayed for a few seconds.
Then slowly faded.
He exhaled.
"…Okay…"
This time, he didn't feel like breaking anything.
No pressure.
No anger.
Just… awareness.
Like his body was adjusting.
Learning.
Kaito looked at his reflection one more time.
Then turned off the light.
Back in his room, he dropped onto the bed.
Maya's notebook sat on the table.
His mind replayed the day.
Her voice.
The way she looked at him.
The way Ren looked at him.
"…Tomorrow's going to be annoying."
He closed his eyes.
And this time, sleep didn't take long.