Morning at Serenia Academy – A Shift in the Air
Ryo's classmates freeze midconversation when he walks into school flanked by Yua and Kyou Ren. Whispers erupt instantly.
"Since when do they all hang out?"
"Is this a truce or the start of a war?"
"…Are they… getting along?!" (Disbelief.)
Ryo ignores them, but Kyou smirks—loving the chaos. Yua sighs, already tired of their nonsense. She steps between them before they can even start bickering (which is inevitable).
"Behave." (A warning look to both of them.)
Ryo slumps into his seat, arms crossed like he's already regretting this arrangement. Kyou drops into the desk next to him—way too close—leaning back with that smug, lazy posture of his. Yua shoots them both a look ("Don't even think about it") before taking her own seat just ahead of them.
Their classmates keep sneaking glances, whispers growing louder:
"Did Ryo and Kyou Ren just… not try to kill each other?"
"Is this some kind of prank?"
"...I give it five minutes before something explodes." (A fair bet.)
Kyou kicks Ryo's chair lightly. "Try not to embarrass yourself today." (Challenge accepted.)
Ryo glares but bites back the usual retort (progress?). Instead, he mutters:
"Shut up before I make you." (Old habits die hard.)
At lunch, Mei slams her tray down beside Ryo, eyes burning with curiosity. Satoshi and Hiroshi flank her like an interrogation squad.
"Okay, spill," Mei demands, leaning way too far into his personal space. "Since when do you and Kyou Ren walk into school together without someone bleeding?"
Ryo scowls at his food (suddenly very interested in avoiding eye contact).
"...We had a mutual thing to deal with." (Vague.)
"It's nothing." (Suspicious.)
Hiroshi raises a brow. "'Mutual thing'? You two don't even say hi without it turning into a fight."
Satoshi crosses his arms—always the observant one. "You're hiding something." (Damn him.)
Just as Ryo's about to deflect his friends' questions, a shadow looms over the table. He doesn't even need to look up—he already knows.
"Well, well," comes Koharu Shirakawa's sickly sweet voice. "If it isn't our favorite test subject!" (Absolute menace.)
Ryo slowly lifts his head—and sure enough, all three girls are standing there like a pastelcolored firing squad (Hikari with her innocent smile hiding nothing, Tsukiko already inspecting him like he's a lab experiment). Mei and the guys look between them all in confusion.
"...Test subject?" Satoshi asks cautiously.
"Long story," Ryo mutters (one involving attempted poisonings and psychological warfare).
"We just… bonded." Kyou adds from beside him—lying through his teeth with that infuriating smirk (clearly enjoying this chaos too much).
Koharu leans down until she's way too close to Ryo's face (he refuses to flinch). "So~ heard you've got some new… allies." Her eyes flick to Kyou briefly before returning with deadly cheerfulness. Does this mean we can finally test our new batch of 'friendship candy' on you both?" (There is nothing friendly about that sentence.)
Yua, sensing imminent disaster from across the room, materializes between them (when did she even get here?!) and clears her throat loudly:
"No." (Final.) "No poison." (Firmer.) "No experiments." (Absolute.)
Koharu's grin sharpens at Yua's reaction, her gaze lingering just a second too long. "Oh? A member of the Aihara family." (Said like she's savoring each syllable.) "How interesting~"
Yua freezes—just slightly—but Ryo catches it. (Hunters. It's the only explanation.) His fingers tighten around his chopsticks, mind racing. Who are these girls really?
Mei and the others blink between them, lost but sensing the sudden shift in tension. Satoshi leans forward cautiously:
"...Aihara family?"
"Why does that sound important?"
Kyou watches from his seat (amused but calculating) as Koharu twirls a strand of hair innocently. "Just some old folklore I read about~ Nothing to worry about!" (Liar.)
Yua exhales through her nose—calm, controlled—but there's steel beneath her next words:
"Stay out of things you don't understand." (A warning wrapped in politeness.)
(And to Ryo & Kyou:) "We're leaving." (Now.)
Ryo doesn't argue for once (too busy filing away this new puzzle piece) as they all stand abruptly under Koharu's Cheshirecat smile…
The final bell rings, and the trio slips out before anyone can ambush them with more questions—or "gifts." The crisp afternoon air is a relief after the day's chaos.
Ryo shoves his hands in his pockets, exhaling sharply. "Those girls are trouble." (Understatement.)
Yua nods absently, lost in thought (still turning over Koharu's words). Kyou just smirks like he finds the whole thing entertaining.
"At least they keep things interesting." (Typical.)
"Unlike your taste in friends." (A jab at Ryo's squad.)
Ryo rolls his eyes but doesn't bite back for once (progress? Miracles do happen). Instead, he glances at Yua—serious now:
"You think they're Hunters?" (Quiet. Just for them.)
Yua hesitates… then nods once. Kyou's smirk fades into something sharper—intrigued. The unspoken agreement between them is clear:
This peace won't last long.
The walk back to the city unfolds in companionable silence, punctuated by the distant sounds of the city. Kyou walks with a lazy confidence, always moving like he has all the time in the world to get where he's going—and nothing less. Yua walks slightly ahead, a subtle hint of purpose to her steps as if she already knows where she's going.
Ryo walks between them, eyes on the sidewalk as if deep in thought. He's quiet but alert, fingers fiddling with a piece of red string around his wrist.
Kyou, ever the brooding figure, lingers a step behind with his hands in his pockets—his expression unreadable but vaguely amused. He throws out a dry comment when the silence stretches too long.
"You walk like you're leading a funeral procession." (Deadpan.)
Ryo immediately snaps back without missing a beat:
"And you walk like you own the damn sidewalk." (Classic Ichigo energy.)
Yua sighs loudly from ahead (already exhausted by them), stopping midstep to turn and glare at both of them.
"If I have to break up one more pointless argument today, I'm tossing both of you into the river." (Not an empty threat.)
A beat passes—then Kyou smirks. Ryo huffs but shuts up (for now). And Yua? She mutters under her breath about "insufferable idiots" before resuming her stride… though there might be just the faintest hint of fondness beneath it all.
For this single moment—despite everything looming ahead—it almost feels... normal.
The front door slides open with a soft creak, and they step into a world of warmth and fragrance. Rumi's excited voice filters in from the kitchen.
"Oniichan's home!"
Kujuro glances up from the stove (midchop with a rice bowl). He's the picture of domestic tranquility in an apron (completely at odds with his imposing physique) as he raises an eyebrow at the sight of the unlikely trio.
"And you brought friends," he remarks dryly.
Kujuro can't help the surprised chuckle as he turns back to the cooking.
"Never thought I'd see the day Ryo brought anyone home."
Ryo rolls his eyes but mutters something in the vein of "don't expect it often" as they head for the living room (mostly ignoring the teasing).
Meanwhile, Kyou is trying not to look too thrown by this glimpse at a normal family scene.
Kyou keeps his expression carefully neutral, but his eyes linger—just for a second—on the warmth of Ryo's home. The clatter of dishes, Kujuro's absentminded humming (so different from how he remembers fathers sounding), even Rumi's excited bouncing as she pulls Yua into showing her some beginner level Seishu tricks…
It stings in a way he didn't expect. Lucky bastard, he thinks bitterly (not knowing that luck had nothing to do with it).
Ryo catches the flicker in Kyou's gaze before it's gone—but says nothing. Some things don't need words.
Yua forcefully grabs Ryo and Kyou Ren by their arms and yanks them towards the stairs.
"We'll be back down soon Mr. Kenzaki."
As Yua drags Ryo and Kyou upstairs by their collars ("We are talking. Now."), Kujuro watches them go with a faint, nostalgic smile—stirring the pot absently.
"She reminds me of her," he murmurs to no one in particular (or maybe just to the ghost that still lingers in this house). Rumi glances up at him curiously, but he just ruffles her hair and keeps playing with her toys.
The second the door shuts behind them, Yua rounds on Ryo and Kyou—arms crossed, expression unyielding.
"We need to talk." (Not a request.)
"No deflecting." (Ryo already opened his mouth to argue.)
"No sarcasm." (Kyou's smirk dies midformulation.)
She levels them both with a look that could freeze fire. Then—
"Those girls know too much." (Hunters. Almost certainly.)
"And if they're involved in whatever's coming next… we can't afford to be unprepared."
Silence hangs heavy for a moment before Ryo exhales sharply through his nose. (Resigned.) "...Fine. What's the plan?"
Kyou leans against the wall—casual but alert now. His eyes flick between them before settling on Yua with something almost like respect beneath the usual arrogance: "Let's hear it, then."
Yua heads to Ryo's closet, rummaging through the mess like she knows her way around (considering she used to live in there, that makes sense).
Kyou eyes the cramped space with confusion. "Why the hell is there a bed in here?"
Ryo just looks like he's given up trying to keep his apartment organized anymore. He slouches against the doorframe, hands in his pockets.
"Long story."
Kyou blinks as Yua emerges from the depths of Ryo's closet with a book, completely unfazed by the fact that there is indeed a small mattress, blankets, and even a makeshift shelf with notebooks inside.
"You… lived in his closet." (Flat. Disbelieving.)
"Like some kind of cryptid." (Accurate.)
Ryo shrugs—too used to this madness to care.
"She showed up one day and refused to leave." (A fond grumble.)
"I got tired of arguing." (Lie. He never stood a chance.)
Yua ignores them both, spreading her sketches on the floor like battle plans. "Focus," she snaps—but there's no real heat behind it (just urgency).
Yua's sketch—which she clearly considers highly informative—looks like something Rumi would draw during her "abstract nightmare phase."
Ryo stares at it. Blinks. Then, blunt as ever:
"How the hell are you from another dimension but draw like a fiveyearold?" (Tactless.)
"Is that supposed to be a Kaimon or… a potato with teeth?" (Genuine confusion.)
Kyou doesn't even try to hide his laugh (a rare sound—sharp and unguarded). Yua glares at them both, bristling.
"It's clear enough!" (Defensive.)
"The Kaimon are parasitic entities that feed on Seishu energy in this realm." (Tapping the "potato monster" for emphasis.) "They're drawn here because—"
Ryo interrupts, squinting at the socalled diagram:
"Because your art offended them?" (Deadpan.)
Yua's eye twitches. "It's a functional sketch," she insists, even as Kyou reaches over to "adjust" the drawing—which mostly involves adding exaggerated fangs and tiny angry eyebrows to her potatomonster rendition of a Kaimon.
Ryo leans in, squinting.
"Did you just turn it into a meme?"
"...Why does it look like Principal Kuroda now?" (Accurate.)
Yua snatches the sketch back with an indignant huff.
"You two are impossible." (But there's no real heat in it.)
"Focus. The Kaimon are drawn here because the barrier between realms is thinning—and our energy is like a beacon to them." (Back to business despite the chaos.)
Kyou sobers slightly at that, arms crossing. Ryo exhales through his nose—annoyed but listening now (even if he'll never admit her terrible art helped get the point across).
Yua's next words die in her throat as a familiar, long, silent voice echoes in her mind—sharp with urgency.
Mizaru: "Idiot child. Stop your nonsense and pay attention— something dangerous is close."
Yua stiffens, hand flying to her temple (like that'll help) before hissing under her breath:
"You dumb fox! Weeks of silence and now you decide to give me a heart attack?!" (Visibly rattled.)
Ryo and Kyou both go on immediate alert at the sudden shift—instincts screaming that something's wrong even before she speaks.
Ryo: "What happened?" (Eyes scanning the room like whatever it is might burst through the walls.)
Kyou: "...Fox?" (Skeptical but ready to fight anyway.)
Yua freezes—realizing her mistake too late. She clears her throat awkwardly, avoiding Ryo's piercing stare.
"I, uh… meant 'fog.' I said fog." (Terrible save.)
"It's… humid outside?" (Even worse.)
Ryo and Kyou exchange the most unimpressed looks in existence.
Kyou leans in, voice flat:
"You literally yelled about a fox." (No mercy.)
"In what world does that translate to 'fog'?" (Mocking.)
Ryo crosses his arms—done with secrets. "Try again," he growls. (Not asking this time. Demanding.)
Yua's attempt at a halfbaked explanation is cut short by a sudden blast of freezing air from the window. It feels wrong—as if a storm is coming even though it's perfectly clear out.
Kyou's eyes narrow, fingers twitching like he's expecting a fight. Ryo swears under his breath, moving to close the window.
"What the hell—"
The room's temperature plummets further with each passing second.
" Look who we have here."
Every hair on the back of Yua's neck stands on edge. That voice—cold, arrogant, unmistakably familiar. She spins around, blood running cold as she sees the figure standing casually in the room, arms crossed… Kairos.
"I see you still haven't learned."
He glances around at the trio—mocking and unimpressed.
"But I have. I've grown stronger while you've stayed exactly the same—helpless, predictable. It's almost pathetic."
Yua clenches her jaw, trying to hide the fear creeping up in her lungs. Her hand grips her sketchbook so tightly it might tear.
"Shut up," she snaps.
"What do you want?"
Kairos just smiles—a cold, dangerous smirk that never reaches his eyes.
"What do I want? What I've always wanted."
His gaze flicks to Ryo and Kyou—appraising them like they're just another set of pawns.
"It seems I have my work cut out for me if you three have become this chummy."
Yua bristles at the insult, but before she can retort, Kairos takes a step closer. It's slow, deliberate—like a predator stalking its prey.
"You know, I almost feel like I should thank you."
Ryo and Kyou both tense at the threat in that casual tone, muscles coiled tight.
"Thank us??" (Kyou with a scoff.)
"For what?" (Ryo, wary.)
Kairos grins—sharp as a blade, dangerous as fire.
"For making things more interesting."
He vanishes as suddenly as he appeared, leaving behind a chill in the air and an uneasy silence…
…And a sense that their troubles are just starting.
🌀 End Of Chapter Thirty Eight