No Alibi – I Friend I Chose

Once they all left, she turned to me. "Someone saw you holding this cup in the restroom. Did you leave it there?" She asked.

"I might have," I admitted. "But what does that have to do with the coffee incident?" She explained that they had already examined the cup. "Only your fingerprints were found, and it was the same exact coffee in the lockers."

I had nothing to say to that, because deep down, I knew… if no one believed me, I wouldn't even know how to defend myself. It was just coffee, just lockers and fingerprints. But to me, etting expelled from Zaikoku High was never an option. I didn't care about friends or school spirit, I came here because I had a goal, a real one. To become a hunter, to stand where only the strongest stood, and the smallest stain on my record even something as dumb as this, could be the thing that dragged me off course.

So maybe I looked calm and cold, but inside? I was rattled, not because I was guilty, but because I couldn't afford to lose this path. Whoever did this had planned it carefully, too carefully, I started to wonder, was my fingerprint part of their plan all along?

Then the thought hit me, Hiyori.

I had run into her in the hallway near the boys' restroom earlier, she had called out to me, almost like she was trying to stop me from going in or say something, was I not her target? But just before the restroom is the academy's emergency equipment storage room, maybe she wasn't coming from the restroom after all, maybe she was coming from that storage area. Could she have used it to get what she needed? Was she behind this?

I shook the thought off, but it clung to me like a shadow. I asked Ms. Yuna, "Why exactly did you call the four of us? Was it something those girls said?"

She shook her head. "No, the girls didn't mention you four specifically, they just came to report what they saw on their lockers. That's it, they never said anything about you." As she returned to her sit.

"...Then why us?" I asked. She paused for a second, almost like she was figuring it out herself. "Honestly, I followed my gut, those two you found here were fighting in class, so I figured it wouldn't be too suspicious if I called them in." She continued. "I didn't want to single you out by calling only you in. And no, I didn't tell the girls anything about the fingerprints."

So... everything she'd been implying... was just her own theory? I let out a breath, that fear, being misunderstood, falsely tied to something ugly, it crept under my skin. "Did you really think I'd play some ridiculous, childish prank... all for a girl?"

She smiled a little. "Of course not, that's why I called you in privately. I didn't believe you'd do something like this. But I had to ask... do you know anyone who might?"

Then she added, "To be fair, I don't think you're even close to Kyoko. If someone mentioned Ayumi, I'd at least consider the connection. But you... you don't seem to have any romantic feelings for Ayumi either." That part caught me off guard and just stared at her.

"So... the three other boys—why drag them into this?" I asked. "They were just... a distraction," she admitted.

Tch. I held back a scoff. "Then instead of asking me all this, you should've made sure that hallway had a security camera installed. That would've saved everyone the trouble." She remained silent.

I added flatly, "You better put effort into this investigation, because those girls will definitely coming back for answers." And with that, I turned and walked out of her office.

Ms. Yuna didn't threaten me, but the way she phrased things, it felt like I was standing on thin ice. She had the power to expel us if she wanted, and even if she didn't plan to... that fear? It was real enough. I'd been here before, people deciding my fate in rooms I wasn't invited into.

---

Meanwhile...

On Hoshigawa street, the sun beat down gently over the quiet afternoon streets, the occasional honk echoed from passing cars as Nay Raman stepped out of the gate, adjusting her shoulder bag and shielding her eyes from the light.

She walked briskly toward the main road, her sandals tapping the pavement with every step, a gust of dry wind blew her scarf back slightly as she raised her hand, trying to flag down a cab, but it zoomed past with a low hum, completely ignoring her. "Tch… typical," she muttered.

With a sigh, she continued down the sidewalk, weaving past a row of parked bicycles and under low-hanging trees, each step rustling fallen leaves. Just as she rounded a corner near the next block —WHUMP!— She collided shoulder-first with someone coming just as fast from the opposite side, both women staggered back with sharp gasps.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Nay stammered, instinctively raising her hands, the other woman stood still, her narrow eyes locked onto Nay with a cold, piercing stare. Her brows furrowed, lips pressed into a line, it was like facing off in a boxing ring, the tension crackled, Nay froze.

"C-Calm down," she chuckled nervously, her palms still raised. "That wasn't intentional, I wasn't looking where I was going." But the woman's expression didn't change, not for a second.

Then —BAM!— A loud slap of laughter broke the air. "Pff—HAHA! I got you there!" the woman cackled, clutching her stomach. "You should've seen your face!" Nay blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter herself, exhaling the tension.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" she said, playfully swatting her. The woman wiped a fake tear from her eye, still chuckling.

"Ah, it's been a while since I pulled that one on someone."

They both finally calmed, still smiling, as a market cart wheeled past behind them, the vendor calling out, "Fresh daikon! Two for 100 yen!"

"So," the woman said, tilting her head, "Are you… Ms. Raman?" Nay adjusted the strap of her bag. "Yeah. Nay Raman."

"I knew it," the woman grinned. "I'm Akane Fuji. Your new neighbor, we just live down the block."

"Oh!" Nay lit up. "I heard someone moved into the green-roofed house, but we never got to meet, when did you move in exactly?"

"About a year ago," Akane replied. "Back then, my son was attending a different academy, but when we moved here, he had to transfer to Zaikoku."

Nay's eyes widened, her earrings softly jingling as she turned her head. "Wait—Zaikoku High? My son goes there too! He's in second year now… and his younger brother just started first year."

Akane's grin deepened. "No way. My boy's in second year too!"

They stared at each other for a second, then laughed again, this time like old friends discovering a long-lost link. By now, the noise of distant chatter, bicycle bells, and market calls blended into a soft street symphony around them. The scent of grilled mochi wafted from a nearby vendor as the two women started walking side by side.

"So," Nay teased, "your son... is he the quiet, brooding type or the class clown?"

"Definitely brooding," Akane snorted. "But don't let that act fool you. He eats like a beast."

---

Back at school...

The hallway felt colder than usual, I could still hear Ms. Yuna's words echoing in my mind… It wasn't the temperature but the stares I thought I saw or imagined, either way, it was enough to make my footsteps echo louder than they should have.

At the class entrance, I checked the time and it was 3:00pm already, it was time to head home, immediately I cought sight of Ayumi and told her to handle everything else for me. My gaze was locked on Ayumi, as I realized she was the only one who saw through me without trying, but right now, this mess... this silence... I was starting to see what it meant to choose someone.

I decided to go after Ike on my way from the academy, following him quietly and steadily, he had no idea, but as I tailed Ike, I noticed someone trailing behind me, too. It was Kaito, he probably thought I hadn't noticed but I did from the very beginning.

Still, I didn't stop, I was already on this path, and I wasn't about to turn back, I followed Ike all the way to his house and he never once looked back so he probably never realized. The moment he reached the door and stepped inside, his mother greeted him warmly, and then she noticed me, standing just outside.

She smiled, it was the kind of smile that belonged to someone's safe world, a world I didn't think I'd ever fit into. "Oh! You too, come in, come in!"

Ike turned in confusion, wondering who else his mom was talking to... he froze when he saw me. His eyes went wide, shocked didn't even begin to describe it, and then just behind me he spotted Kaito, his brain had clearly short-circuited. "Wait, whattttt?!... What are you guys doing here?!"

I shrugged. "I didn't come with this guy, so you might wanna ask him what he's doing here." Ike frowned. "I am asking the both of you," he shouted.

The truth was, I followed Ike because I didn't know where he lived and honestly, I knew he wasn't ready to talk to me. So... I had to create a situation where avoiding me would be nearly impossible. As for why Kaito came along? Yeah... I still have no clue. Ike just stood there, mouth slightly open, staring at both of us like we were glitching in his reality.

"What is this, some kind of prank?" he muttered, eyes darting between me and Kaito. "You two teamed up or something?" I leaned casually against the wall. "Don't flatter yourself, like I said, I don't even know why he's here."

Kaito, arms crossed, looked just as confused. "Don't drag me into your drama. I was just... walking."

"Walking?" Ike raised an eyebrow. "Behind him? All the way to my house? What are you, a lost puppy?" Kaito clicked his tongue, avoiding eye contact. "Tch. You're not that interesting."

Ike's mom popped her head from the hallway. "Boys, are you coming in or planning to hold a meeting on the doorstep?" Reluctantly, Ike stepped aside. "Fine. Whatever, come in." The tension followed us inside like an uninvited ghost,

Ike slumped onto the couch, clearly annoyed. "You gonna explain why you're stalking me? Or is this just how you make new friends?" It stung more than it should have, not because I didn't expected a welcome but because I didn't expect him to sound like I was the problem.

I sat across from him, keeping my gaze level. "I need answers, and you know exactly what I'm talking about." Kaito stayed standing, arms still folded, watching us both like a referee at a boxing match. Ike scoffed and ran a hand through his hair, his hand twitched, like he wanted to reach out but it just fell limp on the couch.

"If this is about Kyoko... I told you, I had nothing to do with it." He said looking away. "Then prove it," I said. Then the air dropped, heavy and cold.

I looked Ike in the eyes. "I'm serious, Ike, I want to know what exactly happened and we still need to talk about this morning, you clearly kept ignoring me, like I didn't exist."

Kaito sat down beside Ike on the couch, arms folded like he was settling in for a show. He kept shifting his gaze between us, quietly observing, he never says why nor speaks up. Just... stares, maybe he's trying to understand me, or maybe he already does, whatever his problem is he seems to follow me like a shadow.

I turned back to Ike. "What exactly happened? And why did you take the blame? You made it obvious you wanted them to think you were the culprit, but I know it wasn't you."

Ike let out a sigh, leaning his elbows onto his knees. "I saw you head to the restroom this morning before Kyoko returned to class. He continued. "And I know some students saw you leave too... If it had been you they pointed fingers at, it would've turned ugly. You don't even have an alibi, and with all that drama about me being drugged in the story they made up... it would've been easier for them to believe I did it. So I just... acted like I did."

He said it so casually, like it didn't cost him anything but I saw the way his voice dropped, the way he couldn't look at me right after, he was scared for me. He didin't know Ms. Yuna made that all up? I narrowed my eyes. "So you took the blame on purpose? Why?"

"I didn't want them to start rumors about you, you already get enough stares." That line hit harder than I expected, he said it like it was nothing, like he cared, and that made it worse.

I paused for a moment, letting that sink in. "Do you... like Kyoko or something?" I asked. He looked at me, half-annoyed, half-amused. "If I did, you'd be the first to know, Kyoko's not exactly hard to look at, but I'm not into her, that's just facts."

I stood. "Then let's go talk to her." But Ike stopped me. "Her friends already told her what happened in class, she came to talk to me not long after I left Yuna-sensei's office."

He leaned back, eyes toward the ceiling. "She said the reason she wasn't in class was because Hiyori spilt juice on her while she was coming out of the restroom then Hiyori asked her to take it off and let her clean it. But she took so long, so Kyoko couldn't come out either, she was stuck in there the whole time. That's why she never showed up.

Sounds like a dumb accident, but... it's not nothing, being asked to strip in a school restroom, that doesn't just wash off with juice.

I blinked. "So all that drama... was because of juice and a missing shirt?" He nodded. "Basically, but that's not all."

I sat down again, he looked me dead in the eyes, not angry or smug, just... tired. I knew that look, I'd seen it in the mirror too many times to count. "Kyoko also apologized... and told me that Hanazaki is her brother. They're fraternal twins." I stared. "What?"

"Yeah, they don't act like siblings, but that's because Hanazaki doesn't like making it obvious, still... he cares about her." For a second,

I remembered how Hanazaki reacted in class... and how protective he seemed. "I thought maybe he liked her," I muttered. Ike smirked. "You're not the only one, but now we need to ask him what he meant by that stuff he said earlier."

Kaito was still staring, those eyes, unreadable and oddly intense, there was something weird about that gaze and it was getting on my nerves. It wasn't just curiosity, it felt like being dissected, like he was trying to see something even I hadn't figured out yet. Even while I was looking at Ike I could feel his gaze on me for long without blinking. Without turning my gaze, I picked up a pillow and tossed it right into his face.

"Dude, you should seriously do something about the way you stare." He blinked, finally breaking eye contact, and muttered under his breath, "I was just... watching the drama unfold."

"Yeah, well, next time, try blinking once in a while." But deep down, I was grateful for this strange, quiet mess of a moment because for once... I didn't feel alone.

I crossed my arms and looked Ike dead in the eyes. "Now tell me why you kept avoiding me this morning?" Ike glanced at Kaito, then back at me. "Are you really sure you want to have this conversation in front of him?"

I tilted my head slightly and smirked. "If I didn't, I would've gotten rid of him while we were still on the way." Ike's eyes shot wide. "Wait, you mean he followed me and you let him?

Well, not that he was following him but me. Who knows for whatever reason

I shrugged. "Well, I figured you could use some more friends, so I just… let him tag along." He slumped back with a dramatic sigh. "Unbelievable…"

Then his voice softened. "It's just… I thought maybe that's what you wanted." I frowned. "Huh?"

He avoided my gaze for a moment, staring at his own hands beforehe spoke up. "Until that day… we weren't even close, not really, so I figured… maybe you wanted to keep it that way. Especially after the dungeon, maybe you didn't want anyone to find out we went together."

There was a long pause, I asked him quietly, "Don't you consider yourself as my friend?" He looked up. "I'd love to be your friend, but… that's not up to me to decide."

"Tch," I muttered, moving closer. "Do you think I'm heartless or something?" His eyes widened a bit at that.

"I do want friends," I said, slower now. "Just… in my own way. When I decided to take you to dungeons, I wasn't doing it for fun, I trusted you and I still do and I want you to be my friend." Although I wasn't sure about that.

Ike didn't say anything at first, but his lips curled just slightly at the edges. Although Ike did mention what he saw, I felt the presence that day and yeah, it was human, given the way he acted when I came out… it was obvious. He's good at keeping secrets, I'll give him that.

Then his gaze drifted to Kaito. "What about this dude? Is that why you let him come too?" I turned and gave Kaito a sideways glance. "That guy… is really hard to read, I honestly don't know if I could've gotten him off my back even if I tried."

Kaito blinked slowly, his face still unreadable.

"But no," I continued. "That's not why I brought him. I think… he wants to be your friend too. So give him a chance."

For the first time since we got there, Kaito's stoic expression melted. His lips parted slightly, his eyes rounded, and he looked oddly like a kid handed a candy for the first time. Now that is something you won't see everyday, it caught me off guard, not just because of how he looked, but because I didn't know he could look like that.

Ike blinked. "...Did he just make a baby face?" I snorted. "He totally did."

"...Creepy," Ike whispered, still staring. "Still counts," I said, turning toward the door. "Friends come in all weird shapes."

I looked at Ike and said calmly, "I'm heading out and tomorrow… if we see Hanazaki, we're going to ask him everything. I have a lot of questions, and so do you."

I started for the door, pausing briefly. "Oh, and get ready. We're going back to the dungeons, that place isn't finished with us."

Just as I slipped my shoes on, his mom peeked from the hallway. "Are you leaving already?" I nodded with a half smile. "Yeah. I've got lessons. I could've done them here, but… I wasn't exactly prepared to stay this long."

Behind me, Ike suddenly shouted, "Hey, don't leave this dude here! Take him with you!"

Of course, Kaito didn't need the invitation. By the time Ike spoke, he was already standing behind me, hands in his pockets, ready to follow.