Rooftop — Some Time Later
Kazuma's body slumped against the railing, his breathing shallow, his vision blurred.
The world was spinning.
His arms and legs felt as heavy as iron.
Mitsuha leaned closer to him and lightly tapped his cheek with two fingers.
"Oi… still breathing? Turns out you're pretty weak."
Before Kazuma could process what was happening, the terrace door burst open with a loud bang.
"MITSUHA!?"
The teacher's voice tore through the air.
Her eyes fell on Kazuma—pale, motionless, barely conscious—and her face turned white.
"What did you do!? This boy— he's—"
She ran to him, checked his pulse, his temperature. Cold. Far too cold.
"Mitsuha, what did you give him!?"
Mitsuha slowly stood up, crossing her arms, her expression completely flat.
"Relax, Sensei. It's not that serious."
"Not serious!? Look at him! He can barely breathe!"
Mitsuha sighed, as if the whole situation was just mildly inconvenient.
"I gave him alcohol. Strong stuff. I didn't know he was such a lightweight."
The teacher's mouth fell open.
"Alcohol!? He's sixteen! Do you even realize what you've done? This is— this is—"
"A crime?" Mitsuha finished calmly, her voice cold and sharp. "Fine. Report it. Let's see how far you get."
The teacher froze.
Mitsuha pulled out a thick envelope from her blazer pocket and tossed it onto the bench.
"Here. Compensation for your… concern."
The teacher stared at the envelope like it was a snake.
"You're trying to bribe me!?"
Mitsuha's eyes turned icy.
"I'm not trying, Sensei. I'm telling you how this works." She stepped closer, her voice low and dangerous. "You know whose daughter I am. You know what kind of family I come from. So ask yourself— do you really want to make this a problem?"
The teacher's hands began to tremble.
Silence hung in the air like smoke.
Finally, the teacher's shoulders dropped.
"…You can't just leave him here," she whispered. "If you're going to do this, take responsibility. Take him home. Make sure he's safe."
Mitsuha's expression didn't change.
"Fine. Whatever."
She grabbed Kazuma.
"Come on, sleeping beauty. You're getting out of here, you fucking idiot."
Two Hours Later — Mitsuha's Apartment
Kazuma's eyes slowly opened.
The ceiling was unfamiliar. White. Clean. The soft hum of the AC filled the background.
Where…?
He tried to sit up— his body protested, sluggish and heavy.
"Oh, you're awake."
Mitsuha was sitting on the edge of a black leather sofa, legs crossed, eating chips like nothing had happened.
Kazuma's throat felt like sandpaper.
"…Where am I?"
"My apartment."
He blinked. Processed. Blinked again.
"Why… why am I here?"
"Because you passed out on the school rooftop and I couldn't just leave you there. The teacher told me to bring you. Don't be stupid."
He rubbed his face, trying to clear the fog in his head.
"What… what did you make me drink?"
"Alcohol."
"WHAT!?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Relax. It wasn't poison. Just vodka. Strong vodka. I thought you'd spit it out or something, but you drank every last drop like an idiot."
He stared at her in shock.
"You… you made me think it was poison."
"I never said it was poison. You assumed that yourself." She shrugged. "Not my fault you're so dramatic."
"I'm sixteen!"
"So am I."
"That's not the point!"
Mitsuha tossed another chip into her mouth.
"Look, a doctor already came. He said you were dehydrated and your blood sugar was low. That's why the alcohol hit you so hard. You're fine now."
Kazuma sat there in silence, trying to process everything.
"…So I'm staying here?"
"For now. At least until you stop being a flight risk."
"Flight risk?"
She gave him a flat look.
"You tried to kill yourself twice in one day. Yeah, that qualifies."
He looked away.
"There's food in the kitchen," she said as she stood up. "Pancakes. Go eat. I'm taking a shower."
She headed to the bathroom, then stopped at the door.
"Oh, and the lock is broken. So don't get any stupid ideas. I'll break your face."
Kazuma's face turned red.
"I would never—"
"Good. Because if you try anything, I'll break your legs."
She went inside.
Kazuma sat there in stunned silence.
What… the hell has my life become?
2:00 AM
"Okay, listen," Mitsuha stood in front of the bed holding a pi