The first chill of early September rolled into Hoshikawa City like a quiet warning. Morning dew clung to the windows of the Hayato mansion, and the once idle air was now laced with the faint sound of alarms and school preparations.
Vacation was over.
For most students, it meant returning to classrooms, reuniting with friends, and pretending to care about tests. But for Naoto and Rika, it meant one more thing: returning to a place where judgment never slept.
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Unspoken Tension
Naoto stood in the entryway, dressed in his school uniform, his bag slung over his shoulder. He checked the time.
7:15 AM.
Rika still hadn't come down.
He didn't mind waiting. He never did. But it felt different today. It wasn't just her he had to brace for—it was the world outside the gates. Hoshikawa High. The rumors. The whispers. The inevitable stares.
When Rika finally appeared, she looked every bit the heiress people expected her to be—perfect uniform, effortless beauty, and a glare sharp enough to wound.
"Don't walk beside me," she said coldly as she adjusted her skirt. "I don't need people thinking we're close."
Naoto nodded once. "Understood."
They left the mansion together, only to part the moment they reached the gates of the school.