Chapter 2
The classroom buzzed with the low hum of lessons and murmured conversations. Renjiro Kurogawa sat quietly at his desk, his gaze on the window as the sunlight gently filtered in. The teacher's voice echoed faintly in his ears, but he wasn't really listening.
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
A man in a sleek black suit stepped inside, his expression unreadable, his eyes sharp.
"Renjiro Kurogawa," the man said in a monotone voice. "You are summoned to the principal's office."
Every student turned toward Renjiro. Some gasped. Some whispered.
Renjiro stood up without hesitation. "Yes, I'm coming."
As he walked beside the man in black, he glanced sideways and muttered, "Don't tell me... Father is here."
"Yes," the man replied. "Your father summoned you. It's Code 01 protocol."
Renjiro's eyes narrowed slightly. So she really came…
The Woman Called "Father"
The principal's office door opened.
There she sat—elegant, composed, and dangerous. A woman with long raven-black hair tied loosely, her legs crossed, sipping tea like royalty on the leather sofa.
Shiori Akebono. The one they all called Father.
"Hello, Code 01," she said, her voice smooth and chilling. "It's been a while. How's your love life going with that girl... Aika Yukishiro, was it?"
Renjiro stayed calm. "Nothing's going on. Just classmates."
Father smiled faintly, but her eyes were cold as frost.
"Good. You know the rules. You're not meant to get involved with others—not emotionally. You're not a normal human, Renjiro. You're a weapon. A tool. You do not get to love."
Renjiro clenched his fists silently. "…Why are you here?"
"To remind you of your place," she replied. "Step out of line, and we will erase everything again. You know I can. You don't want that, do you, Code 01?"
"…No, Father."
She stood up, heels clicking as she walked toward the door.
"Good boy."
Then she vanished.
The Rooftop Lunch & New Friends
Back in class, Renjiro sat quietly, his thoughts heavy. Aika noticed something was wrong, but he wouldn't answer.
At lunch, the four of them went to the rooftop. Aika, still curious, asked, "Is everything okay?"
Renjiro forced a smile. "Yeah… my father just came to see me. Nothing serious."
Aika relaxed a little. "I see. Well, let's eat!"
It was during these days that Renjiro met Haruto Minazuki, a calm, book-loving genius who always had something smart—or sarcastic—to say. Despite his quiet nature, Renjiro found himself strangely drawn to him.
And then there was Miyako Senzaki—a martial-arts-loving, hyper ball of energy who quickly became Aika's best friend. She filled the group with laughter, teasing, and food.
For the first time in years, Renjiro felt… normal. Human.
One Month Later: The Kiss
one quiet afternoon after gym class.
Renjiro and Aika were walking back to class alone. She was teasing him about finally enjoying school. He looked away with a rare smile. "Maybe."
As they climbed the stairs, Aika turned around, still walking backward. "Then admit it."
Renjiro stepped up too quickly—his foot slipped. She reached out instinctively, and he caught himself by pressing his hand against the wall behind her.
In that brief stumble—
Their lips met.
Just for a second. A soft, accidental touch.
They froze.
Then slowly pulled back, eyes wide, cheeks red.
"Th-that was an accident, right?" Aika stammered.
"Y-Yeah… totally," Renjiro muttered.
They laughed it off.
But something had changed.
And neither of them could deny it anymore—
They were falling in love.
The Erasure
Then, one evening, as Renjiro arrived home...
There she was again. Father. Sitting on his couch like she owned the place.
"I heard you kissed Aika Yukishiro," she said coolly. "By mistake, huh? Well, that doesn't matter."
With a flick of her hand, Code 07 appeared beside her.
"Erase her memories. And erase the other two's memories too."
Code 07 nodded. "Yes, Father."
Just like that—gone.
"Don't test me, Code 01," she whispered. "You have no permission to love."
She vanished, leaving Renjiro standing there, shattered.
---
Loneliness Again
The next day at school, Aika laughed with Haruto and Miyako as if nothing had ever happened. She walked past Renjiro with a smile that no longer recognized him.
He sat alone, eyes on the clouds, swallowing pain like poison.
---
The Confession
A month passed. One day, Renjiro was on the rooftop again. Alone. Until he saw them—Haruto and Aika—behind the school building.
"...Aika," Haruto said. "I've liked you for a long time. Will you go out with me?"
Aika blushed. "I… I have the same feelings. Yes."
From the rooftop, Renjiro watched silently. His heart twisted, his eyes trembled.
Tears fell. Silent. Confused.
Why am I crying?
Code 01: Unleashed
Two days later, after class ended, a black car waited outside the school.
"The Father has summoned you," the driver said.
Renjiro nodded. "…Let's go."
They drove to a vast castle hidden from the world. Father waited inside a cold, ancient room.
"There's a war breaking out. We've been paid to end a country tonight. Population: 2 billion. Can you handle it in one night, Code 01?"
Renjiro didn't hesitate.
"As you wish, father."
Father smiled.
"Good boy."
Suddenly, Renjiro's black hair turned a white. His eyes grew cold. His katana materialized in his hand.
"I'm ready."
"Go, Code 01," Father said.
A soft bell sound echoed through the chamber—haunting and smooth—and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Across the world, in a distant country, people felt a wave of pressure. A chilling aura.
They blinked once—and in the second blink—every single person had fallen.
Headless.
All 2 billion.
On a rooftop above the silent city stood Code 01—Renjiro—staring down at the destruction. No emotion. No satisfaction.
Just silence.
The bell chimed once more, and he vanished.
Back at the Castle
"Is the mission complete?" he asked.
"Yes," Father smiled. "Good boy. Now go. But remember that if you do anything, for your information, your favorite person is connected to me, and if you do anything, she might die."
Later that night, Father sat drinking with Code 07.
"You know, I found him when he was sitting alone, about to kill himself," she said with a smirk. "Crying his heart out."
"He told me his best friend—some girl—was dying from an illness. No cure. His family abandoned him because he wasn't good enough. Called him a failure."
"I offered him a deal. I'd cure her. And I'd give his family a happy life. In exchange… he'd become mine."
"And he agreed," 07 whispered.
"Of course," she grinned. "We faked his death. Told the world he was gone. Now, people say he was cursed, unlucky. They don't know… how much it hurt him."
"But I don't care."
She laughed and poured herself another drink.
"To my favorite weapon. Code 01. The perfect puppet."
The chapter 2 end