Rin Kuga stared at Mai Sakurajima, his silence heavy with an exasperation he didn't bother to hide.
The realization that she had charged back into a life-and-death struggle out of pure concern for him left him more than just speechless—it felt illogical. In the world he remembered, the Mai Sakurajima he knew was a creature of ice and composure, a rational mind that prioritized survival. This impulsive, emotionally-driven girl standing before him felt like a glitch in the narrative.
Ever since the Ohma Zi-O Driver had integrated into his soul, Rin felt his thought processes shifting. The raw, chaotic emotions of youth were being slowly filed away, replaced by a cold, calculating rationality reminiscent of a certain cynical loner from Chiba. He recognized her kindness, her genuine fear for his safety, but it didn't change the fact that her return had been a tactical blunder.
Rin's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his eyes unreadable behind a mask of cold logic. He gave a slow, weary shake of his head.
"Fortune was on your side tonight, Sakurajima-senpai," he said, his voice as calm and indifferent as a winter morning. "But luck is a finite resource. Don't gamble with your life like that again."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel. He didn't offer a polite farewell or a lingering glance at the national idol whose beauty usually brought men to their knees. He simply walked.
He had work to do, and a King didn't waste his dusk hours on sentimentality. Besides, he knew the value of distance; a sovereign was never truly approachable. To handle a woman like Mai, one had to master the art of the push and pull.
Mai stood frozen, her mouth opening slightly as if to catch the words he had just thrown away. She had expected relief, perhaps a shared moment of vulnerability after surviving a nightmare. Instead, she was met with a wall of indifference. The dismissal stung more than she cared to admit.
Panic flared in her chest as she watched his silhouette pull away. She scrambled forward, her footsteps hurried on the pavement until she was close enough to reach out. Her fingers snagged the fabric of his sleeve, anchoring him in place.
"Hey! Wait! Are you even listening to me?"
Rin stopped. He turned his head slightly, his gaze dropping to where her hand gripped his blazer. The expression on his face was one of pure curiosity, as if he were examining a strange specimen.
Realizing how uncharacteristically forceful she was being, Mai felt a flush of heat crawl up her neck. She retracted her hand instantly, tucking it behind her back as she tried to regain some semblance of her usual poise.
"I... I wanted to say thank you," she stammered, the words rushing out in a single breath to hide her embarrassment. "You saved me from that... thing. Are you sure you aren't hurt? I need to know you're okay."
Rin turned fully to face her, his posture relaxed yet imposing. "The name is Rin Kuga. As for the monster, it's been dealt with permanently. And I'm fine—not a scratch on me. Now, do you have any other questions, Bunny Girl Senpai?"
The answers were too fast, too clinical. Mai blinked, her mind snagging on his final words. Now that the adrenaline was fading and the immediate threat was gone, the nickname finally registered.
She stepped closer, her cheeks puffing out in a rare, indignant pout that shattered her "Cool Beauty" persona. "Excuse me? What is with this 'Bunny Girl' nonsense? And you expect me to believe you just 'handled' that nightmare without getting a single bruise? Are you serious right now?"
She searched his face for a lie, for a hidden wound he was masking to keep her calm. Part of her heart softened, a wave of warmth washing over her at the thought of this boy playing the stoic protector just to spare her feelings.
Rin, however, was having a different realization. His habit of using his meta-knowledge from his previous life had slipped through again; to the world, she was the famous actress Mai Sakurajima, not the protagonist of a light novel he once read.
"Ah... forgive me," Rin said, his voice softening just a fraction as he corrected himself. "Force of habit, Sakurajima-senpai. I apologize for getting your name wrong. Now, unless there's anything else, I really must be going."
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