The welcome party was already breaking three fire codes.
Music thundered through the senior lounge, red cups littered the floor, and someone had decided karaoke was mandatory. Aika Morishima stood in the corner with a can of soda, clinging to sanity while her roommate Mina Takahashi danced in the middle of the crowd like she was auditioning for a music video.
"COME ON, AIKA!" Mina yelled, spinning with reckless joy. "Shake off that 'honor student' vibe! This is college, not prison!"
"I'm fine right here," Aika muttered, adjusting her glasses. She was not fine. Every flickering light, every laugh, every loud cheer made her feel like a fish out of water.
And then… she felt it.
The weight of someone's gaze.
Across the room, lounging on the arm of a couch like he owned it, was Kaito Renji. Of course. A red cup in hand, tie loose, shirt open just enough to draw stares. He didn't even need to do anything — people gathered around him naturally, as if he were gravity itself.
And his eyes… were locked on her.
Aika whipped her head away, cheeks burning. Ignore him. Ignore him.
But ignoring Kaito was like ignoring a fire alarm.
"New girl," he called, his voice cutting through the music like a knife. "Come here."
Heads turned. The crowd parted just enough for the spotlight of attention to fall on Aika. She froze.
Mina gasped dramatically. "Ohhh no. Nope. Not tonight!" She grabbed Aika's wrist. "Do not walk into his trap. He's a viper. A snake. A wolf in—"
"Mina," Aika hissed. "You're not helping."
But Kaito was already moving, pushing through the crowd with deliberate, unhurried steps. When he stopped in front of her, the music seemed to fade into the background.
"You really like hiding in corners, huh?" he murmured, leaning close enough for only her to hear. "Don't worry. I'll drag you out sooner or later."
Before Aika could reply, someone shouted:
"DARE OR DARE!"
The party roared in approval. A circle formed in the middle of the lounge, students pulling Kaito and Aika into the center before either could protest. A bottle appeared, spinning wildly on the sticky table.
When it stopped, it pointed… directly at Aika.
"Dare!" the crowd screamed.
Mina waved her arms desperately. "She's new! Pick someone else!"
But Aika's heart was hammering. Backing out now would make her look weak. Slowly, she lifted her chin. "Fine. Dare."
A wicked grin spread across Kaito's face before anyone else could speak. "I'll give her the dare."
The crowd howled. Mina shouted, "OBJECTION!" but no one listened.
Kaito leaned in, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I dare you," he said softly, so close she felt the warmth of his breath, "to spend five minutes with me. Alone."
The room exploded with cheers, whistles, and scandalized laughter.
Aika's face went red. "That's not— That's not even—"
"Rules are rules," someone shouted.
"LOCK THEM IN THE STUDY ROOM!" another voice yelled.
Before she could fight it, hands pushed her forward, shoving both her and Kaito into the small study room off the lounge. The door slammed shut behind them, cheers echoing on the other side.
Silence.
The room was dim, filled with bookshelves and a single desk lamp. Aika's pulse thudded in her ears. She spun around, pointing a finger at him. "You planned this!"
Kaito smirked, leaning casually against the desk. "Maybe. Maybe not. But you walked right into it."
"This isn't funny," she snapped.
"No," he said, voice dropping lower. "It's not."
Something in his gaze shifted. Less playful, more dangerous. For the first time, Aika realized he wasn't just toying with her for fun. There was something calculated behind his eyes, as if she was part of a much bigger scheme.
She swallowed hard. "What do you want from me?"
Kaito stepped closer, his shadow swallowing hers. He didn't touch her — not yet. But his presence wrapped around her like smoke.
"You'll find out soon enough," he whispered. "But remember this, Aika: on this campus… nothing is coincidence."
The door suddenly burst open.
Mina stormed in, panting like she'd fought a war to get there. "BREAK TIME'S OVER, DEVIL BOY!" she shouted, grabbing Aika's arm and dragging her out.
The crowd booed, but the spell was broken. Still, as Aika stumbled back into the chaos of the party, her mind replayed Kaito's words again and again.
Nothing is coincidence.
And for the first time since arriving at Sancalrfi3ld… she wasn't sure if she was ready for what came next.
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