Chapter 4: Fated Encounter

Chapter 4

Ding-dong~ ding-dong ding-dong~

Kure Ragna had just adjusted his sunglasses in the bathroom when the doorbell rang.

Who the hell was visiting at this hour?

With mild curiosity, he stepped out and peered through the peephole. Outside, Yukinoshita Haruno stood in the corridor, flanked by several students from Class D—both male and female. Among them were Kikyo Kushida, Yosuke Hirata, and, surprisingly, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Yamauchi and Ike Kanji were also there, with Ike draping an arm over Yamauchi's shoulder as they whispered among themselves—probably scheming something dumb. The girls, as expected, ignored them completely.

Kure let out a quiet sigh. He wasn't in the mood for whatever this was, but ignoring them would only make things worse.

He unlocked the door and, with a completely straight face, swung it open a crack.

"FBI! OPEN UP!"

Ike flinched so hard he nearly fell over.

"Wha—!?"

For a second, there was stunned silence. Then, Haruno burst into laughter, and even Kushida let out a surprised giggle.

"Not bad," Haruno smirked. "But that only works if you actually open the door, you know?"

Kure rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So, what do you all want?"

"It's almost lunchtime. Kure Ragna, are you done settling in? How about grabbing lunch together?"

Ragna patted his trouser pocket, ensuring his phone and student ID were with him. After slipping his room key into his pocket, he stepped out.

"Let's go."

Kure was about to move when he noticed Ayanokoji standing slightly apart from the group. Unlike the others, he wasn't making any small talk or reacting to the banter. Instead, he was watching Kure with that usual unreadable expression.

Then, in a barely audible voice, he spoke.

"You're good at handling people."

Kure raised an eyebrow.

Ayanokoji continued, his tone neutral. "I wish I could be like that."

Kure smirked slightly. "That so? Didn't take you for the social type."

"I'm not," Ayanokoji admitted. "But people expect you to be."

"Hah. Sounds annoying."

"Mm."

The entire exchange lasted only a few seconds, quick and quiet enough that no one else noticed.

However, with so many people, they had to split into two groups—boys in one elevator, girls in another.

When Ragna stepped into the boys' elevator last, the overweight warning beeped instantly.

Yamauchi and Ike whined about how unfair it was that they had to suffer for this, but Ragna ignored them and casually switched to the girls' elevator without hesitation.

The doors closed just as Yamauchi lunged forward, trying to force his way in—only for Hirata to yank him back.

Ayanokoji, who remained with the boys, watched the situation unfold with his usual unreadable expression.

---

In the Girls' Elevator

As soon as Ragna stepped in, the spacious elevator suddenly felt cramped.

Without his usual school jacket covering him, his neatly tucked-in shirt and well-defined physique were on full display. His presence alone radiated heat, like a small human-shaped sun.

Haruno's sharp eyes flicked toward him. "Kure Ragna, do you practice martial arts?"

"Hmm? Oh, I used to do some MMA," he lied effortlessly.

In reality, the unrestricted nature of underground boxing allowed techniques far beyond MMA's limitations. Anything banned in MMA was fair game in his world.

"No wonder you have such a great build!"

The admiration came from a blonde girl—Kei Karuizawa, her hair tied in a high ponytail.

Beside her, short-haired tomboy Satsuki Shinohara smirked knowingly, elbowing her friend. "Kei, don't tell me you…"

Karuizawa's cheeks flushed. She lightly swatted Shinohara's shoulder, clearly flustered.

---

In the Cafeteria

The Class D students gathered around a table.

"Any plans for the afternoon?" Haruno started the conversation.

"There's a club recruitment event in the gym," Ragna replied between bites of his barbecue rice. "The student council is also scouting, so I might check it out."

Compared to the others, his meal was far more luxurious—an extra-large, meat-heavy set. Hirata, Shinohara, and the others had balanced meals, but Ragna? Pure protein.

"I was thinking about joining the football club," Hirata mentioned.

"Forget clubs!" Yamauchi scoffed. "I'd rather check out the electronics store in the commercial district. They've got new game consoles in stock. I still have points left, so—"

Ragna rolled his eyes. Didn't you brag about being a national-level pool player and an ace baseball pitcher? Now you're ditching sports for video games? Keep your story straight, man.

Before he could comment, a soft voice nearby caught his attention.

"Bring your lunch here, miss~"

"Thank you, Hashimoto-kun. My legs aren't in the best condition, so I appreciate the help."

The conversation was nothing unusual, yet Ragna's hand froze mid-bite.

He turned sharply, startling the others at the table.

At a nearby table sat a silver-haired girl, her neatly trimmed hair accentuating a face so delicate she resembled a gothic doll. Dressed in an elegant black beret, her petite frame gave off an almost unreal presence—like a noble from a fairy tale.

As if sensing his gaze, she glanced over.

The moment their eyes met, something flickered in her gaze.

A quiet, suppressed joy.

Her lips moved soundlessly.

—Long time no see, my dearest one.

Ragna's expression remained unreadable, but his grip on his chopsticks tightened slightly.

Ayanokoji, who had been sitting next to him the entire time, observed this with mild interest.

"You seem surprised, Ragna."

Ragna exhaled slightly. "Didn't expect to see her here."

Ayanokoji didn't press further, simply taking a bite of his meal.

Haruno, sensing the shift in atmosphere, clapped her hands. "Alright, enough of that. Since we're all here, why don't we enjoy lunch together?"

Ragna pushed the thoughts aside for now.

Yeah… there's no need to rush.

For now, he would observe.

And when the time was right…

He would act.