The morning after felt unreal.
Students buzzed around campus, gossiping about the upcoming Cultural Festival — costumes, food stalls, and, of course, the infamous "Confession Booth" where unlucky souls would get teased into revealing their crushes.
For everyone else, it was just college chaos. For Aika, it was hell.
Every time she caught sight of Kaito across the courtyard, leaning against the wall with that lazy grin, her chest tightened. The words from last night rang in her ears:
You'll burn.
---
"AIKAAA!"
Mina crashed into her like a meteor, nearly toppling them both. "Guess what guess what guess what!"
Aika groaned. "Mina, it's too early for earthquakes."
"They just announced the Festival Committee pairings." Mina wagged her brows. "And youuu are stuck with…" She paused dramatically. "…Devil Boy himself!"
Aika's blood drained. "No. No way."
"Yes way." Mina shoved the paper in her face. In bold letters:
Festival Planning – Aika Morishima & Kaito Renji.
Aika's scream echoed down the quad.
---
The first committee meeting was chaos. Students shouted about budgets, decorations, performances. But Aika's chaos was internal — sitting across from Kaito, pretending she didn't know what he was capable of.
Kaito caught her staring and smirked. "You'll burn, remember?" he whispered under the table.
She kicked him in the shin.
He barely flinched. "Fiesty."
The others just thought they were flirting.
---
Later that afternoon, Mina dragged Aika to help with costume prep. The room was filled with outfits — maid uniforms, knight armor, even a bunny suit someone had smuggled in.
"Try this one!" Mina shoved a frilly maid outfit at her.
Aika sputtered. "I am NOT—"
The door opened. Kaito strolled in. His gaze flicked to the outfit in her hands, then up to her flushed face.
"Cute," he said flatly.
Aika hurled a hanger at him. Mina nearly collapsed laughing.
---
But beneath the laughter, Aika couldn't shake it. Kaito's words. His secrets. The girl from last night.
And when the room finally emptied and she was left alone with him, his voice came low, almost intimate:
"You play the part well. Sweet. Innocent. But sooner or later, your mask will slip, too."
Aika's breath caught. "You don't know anything about me."
Kaito leaned close, eyes sharp. "Don't I?"
For a second, it felt like the world tilted — like their rivalry was something more dangerous, more personal, than either of them wanted to admit.
And then Mina barged back in carrying three lopsided bunny ears. "GUYS! Which one makes me look hotter?"
The tension shattered. Aika shoved past Kaito, her heart pounding, while Mina chattered obliviously.
But as she left the room, she knew:
This wasn't just a festival anymore. It was a stage. And Kaito wasn't just her enemy. He was the only one who saw through her mask.
---