Standing in that ruined hallway wasn't going to find Aoi. If no one else was going to move, then it was about time I took action myself. She had to be somewhere. Now that the accursed trap was gone, I could finally access the teacher's staff room.
"Everyone's fine. They're just unconscious," the woman said flatly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
I spun on her, frustration boiling. "And how sure are you they're not dead?"
Her eyes narrowed, sharp as knives. "Just shut up and listen."
My fists clenched, but I bit down on my tongue.
She continued. "The rest of the boys left earlier and went home. I didn't find them when I came. It's been thirty minutes—so no, it's not that late."
Thirty minutes? It felt like hours inside that cursed loop. I muttered under my breath, "It felt like forever in there…"
Her gaze snapped to me, and for a second I swore she'd heard it.
Then she dropped the words like a hammer. "You're coming with us."
I blinked. "Yeah, I don't think so. I'm going home. I'm tired, I'm confused, and I don't even know who the hell you are."
The hallway seemed to shrink around us as the weight of her presence pressed in. She stepped forward, the air shifting with her.
"You don't have a choice."
I braced myself, ready to argue—but I never got the chance.
Her hand blurred, faster than I could track. A sharp jab to my temple. A twist of her wrist to my collarbone. Pain flared white-hot for a heartbeat, then everything dimmed.
The last thing I heard was her calm voice, distant and unshaken:
"I knew you'd resist. Sleep it off, loud mouth."
Darkness swallowed me whole.
I woke up with my head pounding like I'd drunk a whole bottle of cheap whiskey. A hangover—that's what it felt like.
Then I noticed.
"Why the hell am I wet…?"
I jolted upright, panic rushing in. I wasn't lying on the school floor anymore. I was in water. Warm, almost soothing, the kind that made your muscles want to melt.
I blinked, trying to adjust. The pool wasn't deep—just enough to cover my whole body but not my head. I ran a hand through my soaked hair, trying to piece things together.
The chamber around me didn't belong to any school I knew. The walls were smooth stone, faintly glowing with built-in lights that weren't harsh yet weren't dim either. Steam drifted lazily above multiple pools, the air thick with minerals and heat. On the far side, benches and racks of towels waited, like this was some kind of underground bathhouse.
For a second, I almost let myself relax. Almost.
Then it hit me. Where the hell am I?
That's when I saw her.
She was sitting ahead of me, her back turned. A woman—light brown skin glowing faintly in the mist, long silky hair spilling down her shoulders in waves. Her right arm propped her up casually against the stone floor, while her left hand held a book, the pages catching the soft golden light.
She looked… at ease. Too at ease, like she belonged here.
I froze, staring. My heart kicked harder.
Something about her presence tugged at me, familiar in a way I couldn't pin down. But my head was still fogged, too heavy, too slow to connect the dots.
So I just sat there, silent, watching her, not knowing whether to speak—or run.
She snapped the book shut and let it rest on her knee. "So you're finally awake, huh? Took you long enough." Her voice was flat, like she'd been waiting for this exact moment.
It was her.
"You knocked me out and kidnapped me," I spat, trying to shove the sleep fuzz from my head.
"Yeah — and I saved you. So we're even." She pushed herself up. Even with her back to me I could see she wasn't frail: toned, trained, but still feminine — curves softened by warm skin, not a single wasted muscle. The sight of her should've made me feel safer. Instead it made everything feel stranger.
She dusted off her hands. "Your two friends are awake. Been up for hours." Her tone turned businesslike. "Get out of the pool. Let's go. He's waiting for you."
"He's who?" I asked, but the fog in my skull made my voice sound stupid in my own ears.
She didn't bother to look back. "You'll meet him." No answer, no patience — only that same quiet command.
I had no choice. She wasn't threatening. She didn't have to be. The way she said it left no room for argument, and whatever answers I wanted weren't coming from a steaming pool in an underground bath.
We climbed. The stairs were stone, carved smooth from use, and the air got cooler with every step. She walked in front of me like she owned the route: measured, unhurried, a shadow that moved with purpose. Steam thinned and the ceiling rose; light shifted from gold to pale white until sunlight finally broke over the lip of the stairwell.
When we emerged, the world hit me with the smell of summer and the blind relief of real sunlight. We stepped out of one building and into a small court- yard. Across from us, another structure loomed — older, with heavy doors and a courtyard gate that looked like it hadn't been opened for ordinary people in a long time.
"This way," she said, and started toward the gate as if she'd been expected.
My heart pounded for reasons I couldn't name. Whoever "he" was, whoever she worked for — whatever Ruhbinders were — none of it felt simple anymore.
The gates creaked open, and what lay beyond made my eyes widen. Infrastructure that looked like a school—but far larger, with open space and archi- tecture that blended modern design with old-world tradition. There was elegance in every stone and curve, but also a heaviness, like this place had a history that refused to fade.
"Is this… a school?" I asked, still gawking.
"You could say that," she replied calmly.
The halls were wide, sun pouring in from tall windows. There were courtyards, towers, bridges connecting sections of the compound—an entire world hid- den behind gates. I barely had time to take it all in before she led me into a classroom.
The moment I stepped inside, I froze.
"Aoi? Sosuke?"
They were right there, sitting comfortably as if they belonged, their faces lighting up when they saw me.
"Zayne!" they shouted together, rushing toward me.
I exhaled, trying—and failing—to hide my relief. "You're all okay, huh."
Aoi smirked, her teasing voice cutting in. "I know you were worried."
Sosuke grinned beside her, nodding like a hype man.
"I was not," I muttered, glancing away. "I knew you'd be fine."
"C'mon, don't try to hide it," Aoi pressed, laughter in her eyes.
Before I could fire back, a voice interrupted.
"Heiyoooo."
We all turned.
Leaning against the doorway was a man I had never seen before, but his presence hit immediately. Relaxed posture, hands stuffed in his pockets, a smile that was equal parts playful and dangerous. His hair fell messily across his forehead, and his eyes—half-lidded—seemed to pierce through everything at once.
"You must be Zayne, Aoi, and Sosuke, right?" His tone was sing-song, playful, almost mocking. Then he chuckled. "Nah, I'm kidding. I already know who you are."
He stepped inside slowly, the air bending with him. He wasn't loud, wasn't threatening, actually the opposite he seemed relaxed.
"Thanks, Kamilah, for gathering them here."
The woman stiffened slightly. She turned her face away, muttering, "Hey, don't mention it."
Kamilah…
So that was her name.
For the first time since I'd seen her, she didn't look serious. Almost like he had cracked through her armor in one effortless line.
"I'm gonna go check on Kuro see if he's doing okay "she added abruptly, avoiding his gaze. Then, without waiting for a reply, she left the room, her steps steady but quick.
I glanced back at the man. His grin hadn't faded; if anything, it widened as he studied the three of us like a scientist examining new specimens.
"Alright, rookies," he said, his voice smooth, dripping with amusement. "Welcome to the other side of the world."
"Hey, sir, my mom is probably looking for me," Aoi said hesitantly. "I don't mean to sound rude, but… can I leave now?"
"Sir?" He laughed, loud and unbothered. "Do I look that old? Name's Kenta Takahashi. Skip all the formalities. And don't worry—I understand completely."
From his pocket, he pulled out a phone, twirling it lazily before handing it to her. "Here. Call her."
Aoi's eyes narrowed, but she took it. She dialed, tensing up as the line connected.
"Hello, Mom…"
"Oh, hello Aoi! How was the study night?"
"Study… night?" Aoi stuttered, caught off guard, then quickly improvised. "O-oh, yeah. It was fun. I enjoyed myself."
"Good to hear! I'm heading off to work, have a good day. Oh, and congratulations on your scholarship! I'm so proud of you. I always knew you'd go places—"
"Y-yeah, thanks, Mom…" Aoi said, voice shaky, staring at Kenta with a wtf face.
"Alright, I'll see you when you get back," her mother said before hanging up.
Aoi lowered the phone slowly. "What the hell was that about?"
Kenta only smirked. "Who's next?" His eyes scanned us like it was a game. "Basil? Want to call home?" He pointed the phone at Sosuke.
"Yeah, I'll pass," Sosuke replied flatly.
"Zayne?" Kenta's gaze shifted to me.
I took the phone, dialed, and after a few rings
"Zaynee! How are you, sweetheart? Are you doing well? How's life in the big city?"
"It's… great," I said, narrowing my eyes at Kenta. "I've met some very… interesting people."
"Oh, so you've finally made some friends?" she said warmly. "I'm happy to hear that. And your new school—how's it going? I heard you passed your ex- ams in Shinjuku High and got a scholarship to a bigger school! I'm so proud of you, Zayne. I knew I could trust you."
"Yeah," I muttered. "I wouldn't want to disappoint you."
"Oh—and say hello to Kenta for me, will you? He's such a charming young man. He should visit one of these fine days so I can thank him for helping you with that scholarship."
"…Yeah. I'll bring him someday."
"Goodbye, Zayne. Study hard, and come visit during the holidays."
She hung up.
The phone felt heavy in my hand. I looked at him, but Kenta just grinned wider.
"See?" he said, spreading his arms. "I'm here to solve your problems."
At this point, I was too drained to ask how or why.
Kenta leaned back against the teacher's desk. "By the way, Basil—called your parents too. Told them you got a scholarship. They were… excited."
Sosuke shrugged, swinging his chair lazily with his arms folded behind his head. "Yeah, they wouldn't care. They're always on business trips. Money's the only thing that matters to them." He smirked. "You should've called our maid—she's the one who actually gives a damn."
"I did," Kenta said smoothly.
Sosuke yawned, completely unbothered. "Well, whatever. You saved my ass, and honestly? This is way more interesting than Shinjuku High. I'm in."
"So it's settled then—"
"Wait." Aoi raised her hand, eyes sharp. "Not so fast. You've got a lot to explain."
Kenta picked up a piece of chalk, then turned his head toward us instead of facing the board. His expression softened, the grin easing into something warmer, almost reassuring.
"Of course, of course," he said gently, still smiling at the three of us. "I'll answer everything."
The warmth in his voice made the room feel lighter for a moment, but the weight of the situation hadn't gone anywhere. If anything, it left me wonder- ing—
was he genuinely kind, or just that good at making people believe he was?
"You probably want to know what happened to Miss Yamaguchi, your homeroom teacher Mr. Sato, and your classmates… right?" Kenta said, his tone shifting as he leaned against the desk. "And what about the girls, the ones Miss Yamaguchi called away?"
He turned his gaze to Aoi, his smile still there but softer now. "Aoi, can you tell us?"
Aoi shook her head, frowning. "…I can't remember."
Kenta nodded slowly, almost knowingly, then chuckled as if to lighten the heavy air. "Well, I figured. You all got knocked out and slept through most of it anyway."
The tension broke just a little, but not enough to erase the unease. Kenta tapped the chalk against his palm, then glanced at each of us in turn.
"Don't worry," he said warmly, though there was something unreadable beneath that grin. "You'll understand soon.
None of us spoke. His words hung in the air—half comfort, half warning.