"Excuse me, is Kei there?"
When Kure Ragna appeared at the door of the girls' dormitory, he already had two cans of Ovaltine in his hands, both freshly bought from a vending machine and still warm.
The girl who answered the door glanced back into the dormitory.
"Karuizawa-san, your boyfriend is here for you~"
"...Coming."
Huh?
Ragna raised an eyebrow at the familiar voice. Kei's tone sounded normal—too normal. Aside from a slight dullness, there was nothing to indicate distress.
He had half-expected her roommate to tell him she had been crying all night. Instead, she was holding it together surprisingly well.
A minute or two later, Kei Karuizawa emerged from the room. Her bangs were slightly disheveled, and faint traces of white residue clung to the edges of her cheeks near her hairline.
A face mask? She's been taking care of her skin even now?
"...What are you doing here?" she asked, eyes shifting away.
Ragna held up one of the Ovaltine cans. "Let's talk."
She hesitated, but after a moment, she took the can from his hand.
Ragna smiled. "Let's go."
---
They left the dorm and made their way to the open-air third-floor viewing deck of the cruise ship.
The sea breeze was cool, the night sky full of stars. It was quiet—just the two of them.
Ragna popped the tab on his can with a flick of his fingers, sending the small metal piece tumbling into the ocean below.
"Manabe told me—tomorrow afternoon, after the first round of discussions, everyone's planning to meet somewhere private. A hidden spot, away from prying eyes."
Kei didn't respond immediately. She simply held the warm can in her hands, letting the heat seep into her cold fingers. The breeze tousled her hair slightly, but she remained still.
"Feels like a witch trial, doesn't it?" she finally muttered, her voice eerily calm.
Then, with a hint of self-deprecating laughter, she added, "And here I thought you were done worrying about me. So why are you here?"
"Nothing complicated. I gave my word, and I keep my promises. Simple as that."
Ragna took a sip of his drink before glancing at her. "You know what kind of people I look down on the most?"
Kei let out a dry laugh. "Are you about to say me?"
Ragna turned away, sipping again, as if considering his words.
"Everyone makes mistakes. That's just life. But there are two ways to own up to them."
He lifted a finger. "First, you take responsibility. Accept the consequences. Stand tall, even if you have to get beaten down."
Then another. "Second, you become so strong that no one can make you pay for your mistakes. You stand your ground and say, 'Yeah, I did it. So what?'"
He exhaled slowly. "You're not in the second category, Kei."
She bit her lip, gripping the can tightly.
"People who pretend to be strong when they're not... they're not admitting mistakes. They're just running from them."
Silence stretched between them.
A few minutes later, Ragna drained the last sip of his drink and stood up to leave.
"Wait..."
He paused.
In the next moment, a small frame collided into him with unexpected force. Kei clung to his waist, her grip desperate, the scent of faint cosmetics lingering in the air.
The unopened Ovaltine can slipped from her hands, clattering onto the deck.
"Don't go… I'll apologize to ichida tomorrow. So… don't go."
Before he could respond, she continued, her voice trembling.
"I was in a bad place back then. You were spending time with Kushida, and… I got scared. I thought you'd leave me, too. And you know I'm a coward—I have no skills, no strength. The only thing I could do was act tough. Cutting in line, bumping into people… I had to pretend I wasn't weak. If I didn't, I would've been a target. That's how I survived."
She gritted her teeth, her voice cracking. "I know it was wrong. I know I was being selfish. I just… I was scared."
Ragna remained still, listening. Her body trembled against his.
For a moment, he said nothing.
"It's good you understand," he finally replied. "I'll be there with you tomorrow."
Kei's grip on him tightened.
Then, hesitantly, she tilted her head up. "Ragna... Do you think I only told you this so you'd keep protecting me?"
He didn't answer, only tilting his head slightly, his expression unreadable.
"Of course not!" she snapped, her voice suddenly heated. "At first, maybe I did. But do you think a fake girlfriend would get jealous when you talk to another girl? Do you think she'd send you pictures of tattoo stickers in… private places, just so you'd see? Are you really that dense?!"
Ragna blinked. "...Huh?"
"Idiot! It's because I—"
Kei's voice wavered.
Tears welled up in her eyes, shimmering under the moonlight like reflections on the sea. Her lips parted, her expression raw and vulnerable.
"It's because I actually fell in love with you."
Ragna stood frozen, caught off guard by the sheer weight of her confession. Before he could react, she pushed up onto her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck.
And then, her lips met his.
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