The Attack

As they continued walking toward the school, the atmosphere felt slightly awkward. Hikaru could still sense Risa glancing at them now and then, probably still suspicious about the situation. Lina, as usual, remained unbothered, her expression unreadable. The morning breeze rustled through the trees, and the sound of students chatting filled the air as they neared the schoolyard.

Just as they approached the main entrance, they spotted Sakura walking toward the building, her bag slung over one shoulder. The moment Risa saw her, her face lit up with excitement. Without hesitation, she dashed forward, practically launching herself at Sakura and wrapping her arms around her.

"Sakuraaa!" Risa's voice rang out, drawing the attention of a few passing students. "I missed you so much! Even though we just saw each other yesterday, but still!"

Sakura staggered slightly from the sudden impact, her eyes widening in surprise before she sighed, patting Risa's back in a halfhearted attempt to calm her down. "You're way too energetic in the morning..."

Risa pulled back just enough to grin up at her. "Of course! Gotta start the day with some love!"

Hikaru exchanged a glance with Lina, who merely raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. Risa always had a habit of being overly affectionate with her friends, and Sakura, despite her quiet nature, seemed used to it.

Looking over at them, Risa suddenly smirked. "Oh, by the way, guess who I just caught walking to school together this morning?"

Sakura turned her gaze toward Hikaru and Lina, tilting her head slightly. "You two?"

Hikaru felt his stomach tighten. He knew what Risa was trying to do. "It's really not a big deal," he said quickly, trying to brush it off. "We just happened to take the same route."

Lina gave a small nod. "Coincidence."

Risa pouted, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. "Tch, you're both no fun."

Sakura, however, seemed to be thinking about something else entirely. She glanced between Hikaru and Lina, then looked at Hikaru more closely. "You look tired," she noted. "Did you not sleep well?"

Hikaru hesitated, the memory of his time in the mirror world flashing through his mind. He had woken up feeling like he had been through an actual battle, and despite resting afterward, he still felt drained.

"Just stayed up late," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Sakura didn't push the topic, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer before she finally nodded. "You play game too much right?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Oh oh, my lovely juniors are all gathered here, huh?"

Everyone turned to see Aoi Tanaka, a member of the student council, strolling toward them. She carried a bag slung casually over one shoulder, her usual confident smirk in place.

"Aoi-san," Hikaru muttered, already sensing trouble.

"Ah, Hikaru-kun! Perfect timing." She clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me to the student council room. I need some help with something."

"Why me? I'm still a junior, you know..."

Before he could protest further, Aoi suddenly kicked his calf—not too hard, but enough to make him stumble.

"Come on, come on!" she laughed, already turning away.

"Ouch!" Hikaru winced, rubbing his leg. "What the hell was that for?!"

Aoi just waved over her shoulder, completely ignoring his complaint as she walked off.

Hikaru glanced at the group and shrugged. "You guys go ahead, I've got something to do."

"Yeah," Sakura nodded without question.

Risa, however, gave him a deadpan look. "It's still morning. Do you really need to go to the student council room?"

"I am a member, you know," Hikaru said, trying to sound convincing. "See you guys."

As he walked off, the three girls watched him disappear into the building, following Aoi inside.

Lina frowned. "How is he even in the student council?"

Risa crossed her arms. "The president just picks random people she thinks are lazy."

Lina blinked. "...That explains a lot."

As Hikaru followed Aoi through the hallways, he sighed, rubbing the spot where she had kicked him earlier. "Did you really have to do that?"

Aoi smirked, glancing over her shoulder. "If I didn't, you'd just make excuses and run off, right?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So what exactly do you need me for?"

Pushing open the door to the student council room, Aoi stepped inside like she owned the place. Without hesitation, she dropped her bag onto a chair, stretched, and pulled out a laptop.

"You're helping me sort these," she said casually.

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Sort what, exactly?"

"Spreadsheets." Aoi opened her laptop and began clicking through files. "I figured you'd be faster at it than me."

Hikaru sighed, already regretting following her. "Why do I feel like I just got scammed…?"

Aoi patted the chair next to her, a playful grin on her face. "Come sit."

Hikaru eyed her suspiciously. "Why do I feel like this is a trap?"

She gasped dramatically. "Wow. The lack of trust. I'm hurt."

"Yeah, yeah." With a sigh, Hikaru pulled out the chair and sat down. "So, what exactly am I looking at?"

Aoi spun her laptop toward him, revealing a mess of spreadsheets filled with numbers, names, and notes. "Student council budget reports, club funding requests, and some other boring stuff I don't wanna deal with."

Hikaru groaned. "And you dragged me here for this?"

Aoi smirked, leaning on her elbow. "I dragged you here because you're smart and fast. Also, because I don't want to do it alone."

Hikaru shot her a deadpan look. "So basically, free labor."

"Exactly," she said without shame, nudging the laptop toward him. "Now get to work, junior."

Hikaru sighed in resignation and cracked his fingers before getting to work. His eyes scanned the cluttered spreadsheet, and he quickly began organizing the data into something that actually made sense. His fingers moved across the keyboard as he sorted club names, adjusted budget allocations, and removed duplicate entries.

Aoi, meanwhile, pulled out a stack of papers and leaned back in her chair. "Alright, so we need to add the updated requests from the clubs. The kendo club wants new practice gear, the drama club is asking for funding for their next play, and..." She flipped through the papers. "Oh, the art club wants better paint supplies—again."

Hikaru glanced up. "Didn't they just get new ones last semester?"

"Yep. Apparently, they 'ran out' because someone decided to paint a full mural on the gym wall."

Hikaru paused, raising an eyebrow. "That's kind of impressive, actually."

Aoi chuckled. "It is, but the principal wasn't happy. Anyway, add them to the list, and I'll check what we can actually approve."

As Hikaru typed, he found himself getting into the rhythm of the work. It was surprisingly satisfying to clean up the mess, even if he had been dragged into it unwillingly. Aoi occasionally leaned over to check his progress, nodding in approval.

***

Ayami padded silently through the dense undergrowth, her feline form moving effortlessly over the uneven terrain. The morning sun cast golden streaks across the misty mountainside, and the crisp air carried the scent of damp earth and pine.

Her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, ears twitching at every rustle and distant birdcall. She wasn't just wandering—she was searching. For what, exactly, she wasn't sure yet. There had been a strange presence lingering in this area lately, something just beyond her usual senses. It was subtle, like a whisper in the wind, but enough to draw her attention.

As she climbed onto a rocky ledge, she paused, her tail flicking. Below, the valley stretched out, peaceful and undisturbed. But Ayami knew better. Something was out there.

Her nose twitched. A faint, unfamiliar scent drifted past her.

Not human. Not animal.

Something in between.

She narrowed her eyes. "Interesting..."

Ayami's fur bristled slightly as she crouched lower against the rock, her claws digging into the stone. So, my instincts were right... She inhaled deeply, the scent lingering like a ghost in the air. Takemikazuchi-no-Okami... the one who led his people to hunt me down.

Her golden eyes burned with an old, simmering fury. It had been decades, but the gods never truly left her alone, did they? If that presence was here, then something was stirring.

She flicked her tail, her mind already calculating her next move. Should she follow the scent? Observe from a distance? Or would she finally have to face the god's influence head-on?

To Be Continue.