Prologue: On A Date

At Shibuya Station, crowds of people were busy walking here and there. Some were busy on their smartphone, some walked hurriedly, looking at their watches while some walked slowly, chatting with their friends or colleagues. Even though it was the weekend, Shibuya was busy as ever.

Among the bustling crowds, there appeared to be a girl standing all by herself just outside the station. She was nearly age seventeen or so yet looked matured— like an adequate woman. Her strikingly long magenta hair— as pink as rose, waved elegantly like silky strands. Her black ribbon moved softly with the rhythm of her high ponytail.

The black turtleneck, belted sleek dress she was wearing looked magnificent on her. The high neck covered her skin yet the belt around her slim waist expressed her beauty to its utmost brilliance.

And the sheer black tights she wore, paired with her black boots, enhanced her charms , making her looks close to divine as she radiated stunningly, catching everyone's attention.

Though her elegance attracted the passing boys, men or even other girls, no one dared as to approach her. She seemed upset for some reasons, and her cute, charming green eyes carried a hint of irritation.

She had been waiting for a long time, continuously tapping on her smartphone.

A moment passed, and a boy, around the same age as her, appeared from the station. He was wearing a white shirt with sleeves folded near his elbows. On his left arm, he wore a casual-looking watch that resembled the one the girl was wearing—a couple's pair, perhaps. His black cotton jeans complemented his appearance, enhancing the glamour of his attire.

The girl, Sumanagi Reina, however, didn't notice his arrival and continued tapping irritably on her phone. The boy, Kawaragi Ryusaki, shaking his white spiky hair, approached her and said in a gentle voice, "Sorry for the delay, Reina. Something urgent came up."

Reina heard the voice of her beloved—her boyfriend, for whom she had been waiting so long. She stopped tapping on her phone, put it in her side bag, exhaled gently, took a long breath, and finally screamed, "What the hell were you doing, huh? I've been waiting here for almost two—"

But soon her words were cut short as she stared at his face in shock.

Ryusaki's crimson eyes were gentle as ever. However, his face wasn't in good condition. There was a long deep cut on his forehead with four or five stitches. The cut marks on his cheek seemed to be healed away yet they looked unimaginably deep. Even though the wound on his lips seemed awfully severed, there was no sign of blood.

Reina's cute green eyes froze, trembling in shock as she stared at Ryusaki's face. She came near him, and held both of his cheeks with her soft palms. Her lips trembled slightly as she stammered, "Oh my gosh! What happened to your face, Ryusaki?"

Her anger faded as the shadow of worry overtook her cute, charming face. Her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Yeah, about that." Ryusaki replied, turning his eyes away from her gaze, "Some stuffs happened, and I kinda tripped and fell on the sidewalk."

His smile clearly aimed to avoid answering the question. Shifting his gaze from Reina's eyes only made her more suspicious.

Her trembling eyes turned irritated once again, losing all signs of warmth. She forcibly made him look into her eyes and said, "So you tripped, huh?" Her suspicion grew. "Do you take me for a fool? Because I'm not gonna be convinced by your half-assed excuses."

"What do ever mean, Reina. Hee-hee." Ryusaki smiled, forcibly changing his expression, "I'm not lying, not in the least. What I said is the truth."

Ryusaki knew how hard it'd be to hide the truth from her, yet he still tried. But it had no effect on Reina. Instead, she began to doubt him even more. Her fading anger began to resurface.

"First, you made me wait here for two long hours. And when you finally arrived, you have these wounds on your face. And on top of that, you have the audacity to lie, especially to me—to your girlfriend!"

"Now, now, Reina..." Ryusaki still tried to convince her, smiling and twitching his eyebrows slightly, "Don't get mad like that. And besides don't worry about such a tiny detail."

"Tiny detail?" she screamed, drawing the attention of the passing crowd. "Did you even look in the mirror? How can you possibly tell me not to worry about that?" Her voice grew more sentimental, and a small tear peeked from the corner of her eye.

"Look at them." Someone whispered among the crowds, "Their lover's quarrel is turning entertaining."

"For sure. For sure." Another one whispered back, "I'm waiting to see their endgame."

'Man!' Ryusaki thought, twitching his left eye in irritation, 'People sure catch the flames real quick, huh. If I let this go any further, this might turn into an overdramatic show.'

"Reina, why don't we continue our conversation in the café?" he suggested, gesturing at the growing gossip around them. "You don't want to cause a scene, do you?"

That reminded her they were still in public, and many people had already stopped to overhear their conversation. She felt extreme embarrassment, her face blushing red like a ripe tomato as she lowered her gaze and started walking.

Ryusaki followed her, trying to convince her repeatedly. However, Reina was in no mood to listen to his excuses anymore—not after the embarrassment she had just endured. She remained silent and walked hurriedly yet gracefully, maintaining her elegant demeanour.

Not far from Shibuya Station, there was a small café known for its sweetest delicacies, especially cakes and pastries, which Reina loved the most. Perhaps this was why they always visited the place whenever they went out on a date.

The interior of the café was warm and radiant, small yet beautifully decorated. Its charm was irresistible, as were the various dishes displayed majestically near the counter. The assortment of cakes, pastries, crepes, and other desserts created a deliciously tempting atmosphere that lured customers in.

Under normal circumstances, Reina would start drooling the moment she entered the café. However, this time, she ignored the allure of the sweets entirely.

"Welcome—" a young waitress greeted her, but Reina brushed past without exchanging their usual pleasantries. She walked straight to a table near the window and sat down. Her irritation still remained evident.

Ryusaki entered shortly after. Seeing him, the waitress tried to greet him as well.

"Welcome—oh my god!" she exclaimed upon noticing his injuries. "What happened to your face, Kawaragi?" Her tone was dipped with concern.

"Oh, this?" Ryusaki replied casually, as though it were nothing. "It's nothing. I just kinda tripped and fell on the sidewalk."

"You know, Kawaragi," the waitress—Mira—said, tinging her voice with suspicion, "That explanation doesn't sound convincing. Not in the slightest."

"Yeah, I told him that too!" Reina almost yelled. Her anger flared again. "Here I am, worried sick like an idiot, yet Mr. Kawaragi Ryusaki has no Intention of telling me the truth. Hmph!" She turned her face away, still blushing from the lingering embarrassment

"You know, Kawaragi," Mira whispered near Ryusaki's ear in a teasing tone, much to his surprise, "you shouldn't make your girl upset, or she might find someone else. But don't worry—if that happens, I'll make sure to take care of you."

Ryusaki's cheeks turned bright red at her unexpected comment. He hadn't anticipated her playful remark—nor had Reina. Though Reina didn't hear everything Mira had said, the exchange made her dead serious as her piercing gaze fell on them.

"Hey, quit flirting with my Ryusaki," she said with a smile that didn't match up with her impression as a small vein twitched on her forehead. "Or else, I'll make sure you suffer the consequences."

"Kidding!" Mira laughed, sticking her tongue out in a playful manner. "Don't take it seriously. Go sit down, and I'll fetch your usual." She walked off with a grin.

Ryusaki obediently sat down, cowed by Reina's oppressive gaze. He couldn't summon the courage to meet her suspicious eyes.

'Come to think of it, this side of hers is rather adorable,' he thought, stealing a quick glance at her. 'But still, I can't tell her everything that happened three days ago. If Mom had let me have the High Serum, I could've avoided this situation. Though fortunately, I have a story that might convince her.'

Taking a deep breath, he finally looked at Reina with his confident crimson eyes. Gently holding her hands, he said, "Listen, Reina. The thing is…"