Sam stood near the charred remains of the gym floor, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets.
No one had yelled. No one had even raised their voice.
Sona had just… looked at him.
That look said everything.
Go home.
And honestly? Fair.
"Right," he'd muttered, still tasting the static on his tongue. "Probably for the best."
The sun had dipped lower by the time he stepped outside. The sky hung heavy with the golden hues of late afternoon, but the breeze was light, brushing through the quiet streets like the town itself was trying to forget what just happened.
Sam adjusted the strap of his bag and pulled out his phone. It lit up instantly—sleek, matte black, no brand.
Modern. Way too modern.
It wasn't just advanced; it was wrong. Sleeker than anything he remembered from his old life, faster than anything he'd seen on shelves here. It didn't even have a logo—just a smooth, glassy sheen and a haptic pulse that felt more like a living machine than a phone.
Like it came from a version of Earth that skipped a few updates.
No one had ever asked him about it.
No one had looked twice.
Even Tiche hadn't commented.
That bothered him more than the phone itself.
He thumbed through it, flicking past the home screen. No messages. No notifications. Just a pinned checklist at the top of his to-do list app, blinking with an almost smug persistence.
Grocery List:
• Rice
• Eggs
• Miso paste
• Chicken thighs
• Green onions
• Toilet paper
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
A quiet sigh escaped him.
"Guess I'm going shopping."
Kuoh was still. The kind of stillness only found in small towns when the sun's at just the right angle and everyone else has already gone home.
Sam walked with a steady pace, turning corners with the casual confidence of someone who knew where the cheap stores were. He slipped into one grocery, then another, keeping his head down and his basket full.
Rice? Bagged.
Chicken? Discounted cuts. Score.
Toiletries? Grabbed in bulk.
Everything else? Efficiently sorted.
He liked doing this. There was something grounding about it. Simple, useful.
No magic. No fights. Just… being.
He was halfway through comparing miso pastes—low sodium versus normal—when a faint chime echoed in his ear.
[Main Quest Activated]
→ Objective: Locate the nearest primary cast member.
Reward: ???
Sam blinked.
"Primary cast member?" he muttered. "Great. The plot's still online. Guess I didn't break it hard enough."
He looked around the aisle instinctively, as if expecting someone to pop out from behind the soy sauce.
Nothing.
The system didn't respond.
He waited a beat longer, staring blankly at the glowing notification until it faded. The objective remained pinned in the corner of his vision, semi-transparent and unyielding.
It wasn't the phrasing that threw him off—it was the tone.
Not important character.
Not threat nearby.
Primary cast member.
"…Right," he said slowly. "Because that's not ominous or meta at all."
Still gripping a tub of miso paste, Sam exhaled and muttered under his breath:
"Do I get extra points for choosing the spicy kind?"
No answer.
Of course.
He dropped it in the basket and rolled his neck.
"Fine. Let's go meet the plot, I guess."
---
The sun dipped lower, painting Kuoh's rooftops in warm gold. Sam walked with a casual pace, bags of groceries tucked against his side, his other hand absently scrolling his phone. The main quest notification still hovered faintly at the edge of his vision, mocking him.
"Locate main cast member," he muttered. "What does that even mean?"
He paused at the next intersection, debating whether to head home or keep wandering. Something tugged at him—not dramatic, not magical. Just... instinct.
That's when he saw her.
Near an aging bench and an old telephone pole stood a girl in a blue-trimmed nun's outfit, looking completely out of place. A modest brown suitcase sat beside her, and a crumpled paper map flapped slightly in the breeze as she turned it in confused angles.
Sam stopped walking.
Blonde hair. Green eyes. Soft features.
Her body language screamed lost, but she wasn't panicking—just quietly overwhelmed.
He cleared his throat gently. "Need help?"
The girl startled but didn't recoil. She looked relieved just to be addressed.
"I'm sorry," she said carefully, her Japanese tinged with a noticeable accent. "I am looking for… the church?"
Sam raised an eyebrow. He switched to English, his tone easy. "You mean a church, or something specific?"
Her eyes lit up at the language shift. "Ah! Yes, the church. I was told it's… at the edge of town?"
Sam exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're definitely not close to it, if so. There's one way out past here, kind of half-forgotten. Nobody really goes there."
She glanced at her map again. "Then… I am not late, maybe?"
"You're here," he said with a shrug. "That's already something."
She smiled—relieved and just a little shy. "Thank you. I—I was starting to worry."
Sam gestured to the suitcase. "First time here?"
"I arrived today. It is… bigger than I imagined," she said, looking around.
"Not really," Sam said dryly. "You just found the side streets early."
She chuckled softly. "That must be it."
Something about her—something delicate—scratched gently at the edge of Sam's senses. A hum in his chest. A small, rising warmth. His holy hero energy stirred faintly, like a low-frequency vibration resonating near her.
He narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. There was no danger. Just... an echo.
"Look," he said, adjusting his grip on the grocery bag. "I've been here a little over a month. Haven't seen many people in nun robes asking for directions. Want me to walk you part of the way?"
Her eyes went wide with gratitude. "Yes, please. If it's no trouble."
"It's not." He tilted his head forward. "Let's move before it gets dark."
They started walking. She carried the suitcase herself, stubborn but not in a proud way—just determined.
"What's your name?" Sam asked as they crossed a street.
She hesitated a moment before answering. "Asia. Asia Argento."
"Sam," he replied.
A beat passed.
Then the system chimed softly in his vision, confirming what he already suspected:
Main Quest Objective Updated: Asia Argento located.
Sam didn't react—just kept walking and sighed internally.
"Of course it is."
---
They walked slowly through Kuoh's quiet midday streets. The sounds of traffic and city life faded into the background, broken only by the soft roll of Asia's suitcase wheels clicking over sidewalk cracks.
She kept stealing glances at Sam, her expression unreadable—somewhere between awe and uncertainty.
There was… something about him. Not just his calm presence or kind eyes, but something else. A warmth that lingered in the air around him. He smelled faintly of something soft and inviting—like rain on warm stone, clean but impossible to define.
Whatever it was, it made her feel at ease before she even realized it.
After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"I'm sorry about earlier… I didn't even introduce myself properly."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure you did. But I'll play along."
She smiled—small, shy. "My name is Asia Argento. I… used to be part of the Church, but—"
Her voice caught. Fingers curled slightly around her sleeve.
"They… exiled me. I'm not really sure why. I was told to come here, to Kuoh, and… I'm trying to find the church. I think."
Sam's brow furrowed, but he nodded slowly. "That's rough."
"It's alright," she added quickly, her voice lifting a little too high. "I don't blame anyone. I still believe in what I was taught. I still want to help people. That hasn't changed."
He glanced over at her—really looked—and something stirred faintly in his chest. A flicker. A whisper of warmth behind his ribs. Familiar, gentle, and… holy.
His Holy Hero Energy stirred at the proximity of someone truly pure of heart.
He said nothing, but his fingers twitched on the grocery bag.
Then, a quiet hum. "Their loss."
Asia blinked. "What?"
He shrugged. "If they kicked you out just for wanting to help people, sounds like they're the ones who messed up. Not you."
Her face softened. "You're very kind."
He waved it off. "Not really."
Then, casually, "Name's Sam Barnes. Third year at Kuoh Academy. That's about all I'm known for."
Asia tilted her head. "You go to school here?"
"Yeah. Just a regular student. Grocery-run specialist. No secret titles or tragic backstories to worry about."
Asia giggled. "That's nice."
A moment later, her stomach gave a soft, traitorous growl.
She froze. "I'm so sorry—!"
Sam didn't miss a beat. "You want to eat?"
"I couldn't ask that of you, you're already busy and—"
"You're literally following me while I carry a week's worth of groceries," he deadpanned. "Not that hard to add one more bento to the list."
Asia looked down, flustered. The tips of her ears turned red.
"Tell you what," Sam continued. "Let me drop this stuff off, then I'll take you somewhere. Nothing fancy. Just food. You okay with that?"
Asia nodded—quickly, gratefully. "Yes. Thank you. Really."
He gave her a sideways look, just a flicker of a smile behind tired eyes.
"Plot convenience," he muttered.
"…Pardon?"
"Nothing. Let's go."