It had been a few days since Kaito become a member of the Association and accepted his first mission. His name was now Kaito Satou... one common surname to another, had his identity truly changed at all? He couldn't help but wonder.
He sat aboard a private jet, comfortably cushioned in leather seats and surrounded by polished wood and soft ambient lighting. The hum of the engines was a distant murmur, easily ignored. Beside him, Maria leaned over with a bright expression, holding out a piece of sushi.
"Kaito, you have to try this," she said, her voice uncharacteristically light. "It's the best food I've ever tasted in my life."
Kaito, still lost in his thoughts, opened his mouth absently, letting her feed him. The sushi melted on his tongue—rich, fresh, almost unnaturally perfect. His brows lifted slightly in surprise.
'How is food allowed to taste this good? He thought, not with suspicion, but pure amazement.
Maria chewed happily, clearly enjoying herself. She had, unexpectedly, chosen to join the Association as well. When he asked why, she merely said, "Because you're not leaving me behind." Surprisingly, the Association had been very welcoming. He'd expected traditions, rules, or even pushback, especially given Maria's past with another organization, but they'd simply accepted her.
Opposite them sat a girl scrolling through her phone, her twin black ponytails swaying with every subtle shift in turbulence. She wore an elaborate gothic lolita outfit: black lace, frills, ribbons, and high-heeled boots polished to a mirror shine. Her presence filled the cabin with an odd sense of elegance.
Yumi Fujiwara, codename: The High Priestess. An executive of the Association, and his new boss.
Kaito glanced at her, unsure what to make of her yet. She hadn't spoken a word since takeoff, and mostly communicated through text message that occasionally pop up on his new phone.
He looked down at the documents Chloe had provided. His new background was thorough—a transfer student from a fictional overseas academy, now enrolled in a prestigious school in Japan. Maria, too, was listed as a student, conveniently the same grade.
He didn't know what threats might come after the High Priestess. Chloe hadn't given any specifics.
'Can life really return to anything resembling normalcy?' he thought, watching Maria.
"What is it Kaito?" Maria asked, noticing his gazed.
"It's nothing."
His world had changed and so had he. As Kaito looked ahead, he allowed himself a rare smile, hopeful for a better tomorrow.
_______________________________________________________________
The morning sun streamed through the classroom window, dusting the polished wooden desks with motes of light. Ren Suzuki, perched in his usual seat in the row second from the back, gazed out. His mind, as it often did during particularly dry history lectures, had drifted.
He recalled the dizzying news reports from weeks ago, the blurry phone videos of the "Red Rain" in London. The chaos, the fear, the inexplicable. It had ignited a spark in him, a longing for something more than the rigid structure of their prestigious Sakura Academy. Ren, a scholarship student who had clawed his way into this elite institution through sheer hard work and his parents' unyielding expectations, often wondered what it would be like to wield such power, to defy the laws of the mundane. Could he, somehow, gain it too? A foolish thought, perhaps, for someone whose life was a meticulously planned trajectory towards a respectable, ordinary future.
His daydream shattered as a sudden burst of chatter erupted from the front of the class.
"Did you see them?" one student whispered, barely containing her excitement. "The new transfer students! I saw him walking with Yumi-senpai and that blonde bombshell side by side!"
"Really?" another boy gasped, his voice tinged with fervent jealousy. "No way! Yumi-senpai never talks to anyone, let alone walks with them."
"Who is he?" a third demanded, his voice laced with indignation. "What is his status to walk together with Yumi-senpai? Much less befriend her? It's an insult!"
"How dare he defile Yumi-senpai with his presence!" a particularly fervent admirer hissed, clenching his fist. "We must kill him!"
'A transfer student?' Ren thought, snapping fully back to reality. 'And they're already causing this much of a stir?'
The usual classroom hum of gossip and suppressed energy died down abruptly as their homeroom teacher, Ms. Sato, a stern woman with neatly tied-back hair, walked in.
"Listen up, class," Ms. Sato announced, her voice cutting through the lingering buzz. "We have two transfer students joining us today. Please be respectful and help them settle in."
The classroom door slid open. The first to enter was a handsome, if somewhat ordinary-looking, Japanese boy. He had an unassuming smile, but there was an almost imperceptible charisma that seemed to ooze from him, instantly captivating the female portion of the class, much to the dismay of their male counterparts. Beside him stood a strikingly beautiful girl with long, flowing blonde hair. She moved with an elegant, almost ethereal grace, her expression calm, portraying little emotion.
"Please introduce yourselves," Ms. Sato prompted.
"Hello," the boy said, his voice surprisingly warm and clear. "My name is Kaito Satou. It's a pleasure to meet you all." A ripple of appreciative sighs swept through the girls.
"Maria," the blonde girl added, her voice soft but clear, her gaze sweeping over the class before settling impassively. "Maria Teresa." Her simple introduction, coupled with her striking looks, caused another distinct buzz among the boys.
"Very well," Ms. Sato said, seemingly unperturbed by the class's reaction. "Kaito-kun, Maria-san, please take the two empty desks in the back row."
Kaito and Maria moved to their assigned seats, the buzz of whispers following them like a tangible thing. Ren watched them, a flicker of interest ignited within him.
The class resumed, though with an undercurrent of distraction. Ren found himself stealing glances at the new students. Kaito Satou, despite his "ordinary smile," possessed an aura that was anything but. And Maria Teresa, with her serene beauty, seemed to carry a quiet strength.
The lessons blurred, and soon enough, the bell for lunch break rang, a welcome reprieve. Maria immediately, and quite cheerfully, pulled out a bento box from her bag. It was elaborate, almost a work of art, with neatly arranged portions of rice, grilled fish, colorful vegetables, and what looked like perfectly shaped onigiri. To Ren's surprise, she then opened it and began to feed it to Kaito, who, for his part, seemed to eat with a somewhat blank expression, as if struggling to swallow each mouthful.
"Wow, Satou-kun, that bento looks amazing!" one boy exclaimed, eyeing the contents. "Did your girlfriend make it? Mind if I exchange a piece for some of my curry?"
Kaito, who had seemed lost in thought, abruptly snapped to attention, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "No!" he blurted out, his voice sharp, almost alarmed. "It's dang-!"
A beat of stunned silence followed his outburst. Then, Kaito quickly corrected himself, forcing a strained smile. "Ah, I mean! It's something Maria made for me, and I... I couldn't possibly share it. It's too special."
Maria, who had been watching him with a curious tilt of her head, suddenly beamed with a smile, a rare warmth spreading across her features.
The other students quickly dissolved into laughter. "Oh, a protective boyfriend, huh?" one girl giggled. "So cute! Tell us, how long have you two been together? What's your relationship like?" The questions began to cascade, a familiar high school interrogation.
Ren, however, didn't join in the laughter. His gaze remained fixed on Kaito. He hadn't missed it. The word Kaito had used, before correcting himself.
'Dangerous'?