The weekend had passed peacefully.
And now—
A new school day had begun.
Morning sunlight streamed through the classroom windows as students chatted noisily before class.
Hina sat in her usual seat.
Beside her sat Haku, who looked unusually quiet.
After what happened with Hotaru and Gaku, he had been checking on her more often than usual.
Though, of course, he pretended not to care.
“So.”
Haku leaned back in his chair.
“You okay?”
Hina looked at him.
Then smiled softly.
“Yeah.”
“I’m okay.”
Haku stared at her for a moment.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“…Good.”
He quickly looked away.
As if embarrassed by his own concern.
Meanwhile, directly in front of them—
Yui and Itsuki were arguing.
Again.
“Rock.”
“Paper.”
“Scissors!”
Yui gasped dramatically.
“YES!”
“I WON!”
She jumped up from her seat.
Then pointed at Itsuki.
“I’m officially better than you.”
Itsuki sighed.
“You won one game.”
“That means I’m superior.”
“That’s not how that works.”
“It absolutely is.”
Yui immediately turned toward Hina.
“Hina!”
“Tell him!”
“I’m amazing, right?”
Hina couldn’t help giggling.
A small, genuine laugh escaped her lips.
“Yeah.”
“You’re amazing.”
Yui placed both hands on her hips proudly.
“See?”
Itsuki looked exhausted.
“Someone save me.”
The girls laughed.
Even Haku smirked slightly.
Then—
The classroom door opened.
The teacher entered.
Instantly, the room became quieter.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, Sensei!”
The teacher nodded.
Then looked toward the doorway.
“Today, we have a transfer student.”
Immediately, the classroom erupted.
“A transfer student?”
“In the middle of the semester?”
“Seriously?”
Then—
A tall boy walked into the classroom.
Black hair.
Sharp features.
Dark red eyes hidden partially behind thin glasses.
The moment he entered—
The room strangely quieted.
Not because he was loud.
But because of the opposite.
He carried himself with an unsettling calmness.
Like someone observing everything.
Calculating everything.
His expression barely changed.
And yet—
Something about him felt dangerous.
The teacher smiled.
“Introduce yourself.”
The boy stepped forward.
Then spoke smoothly.
“Hello everyone.”
“My name is Reiji Kurotsuki.”
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Almost too controlled.
“It’s nice to meet all of you.”
“I hope we get along.”
Several girls immediately started whispering.
“He’s handsome…”
“So handsome…”
“His voice is amazing…”
Hina watched quietly.
For a brief moment, she tried reading his emotions.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
His eyes revealed almost nothing.
Hina frowned slightly.
Then remembered.
Glasses.
His glasses prevented her from reading his emotions.
A small sigh of relief escaped her.
“I’m probably overthinking it.”
The teacher pointed toward an empty seat beside a boy.
“You can sit in the back row.”
Reiji nodded.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
But somehow—
It felt strange.
Not warm.
Not friendly.
Almost like a mask.
Then he walked toward his seat.
Coincidentally—
His seat was directly beside Haku and Hina’s desk.
As class began, Hina occasionally noticed him.
Every now and then—
From the corner of his eye—
Reiji seemed to be watching her.
Only for a second.
Then he would look away.
As if nothing had happened.
Eventually, the lesson continued normally.
And before long—
The class ended.
The moment the teacher left—
Conversations exploded throughout the room.
Yui immediately turned around to talk to Hina.
Then—
Hina accidentally dropped her pencil.
It rolled across the floor.
Before she could pick it up—
A hand reached down first.
Reiji picked it up.
Then handed it to her.
“You dropped this.”
Hina accepted it.
“Thank you.”
Reiji smiled.
A polite smile.
Yet somehow—
That strange feeling remained.
“My name is Reiji.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hina Takahashi.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Likewise.”
Then suddenly—
Yui appeared.
“Wow!”
She stared directly at Reiji.
“You’re really handsome!”
The entire classroom froze.
Including Reiji.
Including Hina.
Including Haku.
Yui continued.
“Now our class has two handsome boys.”
She pointed dramatically.
“Haku.”
Then pointed at Reiji.
“And Reiji.”
“What a blessed classroom.”
Haku immediately grabbed his chest.
“Yui.”
“You’ve wounded me.”
“What?”
“You only called me handsome.”
“Not amazing.”
“Not cool.”
“Not incredible.”
Yui blinked.
“Those were implied.”
“I require verbal confirmation.”
Yui laughed.
“You’re impossible.”
Meanwhile—
Reiji simply watched.
Observing everyone quietly.
Especially Hina.
Lunch arrived.
The group gathered in the cafeteria.
Hina.
Haku.
Yui.
Itsuki.
As usual.
Then—
A voice interrupted.
“May I sit here?”
Everyone looked up.
Reiji.
Yui immediately lit up.
“Of course!”
“Come sit with us!”
Reiji thanked her and took the empty seat beside Hina.
Haku immediately noticed.
And for some reason—
He didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
A few moments later—
Ryu arrived.
He sat across from them.
Beside Itsuki.
Reiji looked toward him.
“My name is Reiji Kurotsuki.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Ryu nodded.
“Ryu Hoshino.”
“Likewise.”
The exchange seemed normal.
But something felt off.
Ryu noticed it.
Haku noticed it.
Even though neither could explain why.
Reiji was calm.
Too calm.
Like someone carefully choosing every word.
Every expression.
Every reaction.
As if he were studying people.
Not talking to them.
Meanwhile—
Yui started another conversation.
“Hina!”
“We should all go karaoke sometime!”
Hina smiled.
“That sounds fun.”
“I’m in.”
Haku raised his hand.
“Obviously I’m coming.”
Itsuki sighed.
“If Yui goes, I have no choice.”
Yui pointed proudly.
“See?”
“Everyone loves me.”
“No.”
Itsuki replied.
“We’re being held hostage.”
Yui immediately smacked his shoulder.
Itsuki laughed.
Even Hina giggled.
Then she looked toward Ryu.
“You should come too.”
Ryu glanced at her.
His emotions flowed into her senses.
Tenderness.
Then smiled.
“Sure.”
“I’d like that.”
At that moment—
Hina looked at Haku.
Her power activated briefly.
She noticed something.
A small flash of irritation.
From Haku.
Not anger.
Not hostility.
Just irritation.
Very small.
Gone almost immediately.
Hina blinked.
“That’s strange…”
She murmured to herself.
Before she could think further—
Yui dragged her into another conversation.
And the moment passed.
School eventually ended.
The afternoon sky glowed orange.
As usual—
Haku and Hina walked home together.
For several minutes—
Silence.
Then—
Haku suddenly spoke.
“What do you think of Reiji?”
Hina blinked.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.”
Haku scratched the back of his head.
“Something about him feels weird.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t explain it.”
Hina thought for a moment.
Then shook her head.
“I only met him today.”
“I don’t really know him yet.”
“That’s fair.”
Haku nodded.
Then became quiet again.
Much quieter than usual.
Hina noticed immediately.
“You’re really quiet today.”
“Hm?”
“You’ve been thinking about something.”
Haku laughed nervously.
“Nah.”
Hina was right.
Because two things had been bothering him all day.
First—
Reiji.
Something about him felt wrong.
Not dangerous exactly.
Just…
Uncomfortable.
And second—
Hina.
The strange feeling he experienced whenever he was around her.
The feeling that appeared when she smiled.
When she laughed.
When she looked at him.
It wasn’t unpleasant.
If anything—
It was the opposite.
Which only confused him more.
Because he’d never felt anything like it before.
Not for anyone.
“You’re definitely thinking about something.”
Hina said.
Haku quickly smiled.
“Nope.”
“You’re lying.”
“Probably.”
That made Hina laugh.
Then—
After a brief silence—
She suddenly stopped walking.
“Haku.”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
Hina looked strangely nervous.
Like she was debating something important.
Then she spoke softly.
“What would you say…”
“If I told you I have a secret?”
Haku blinked.
“A secret?”
She nodded.
“A really big one.”
The playful smile disappeared from Haku’s face.
He listened carefully.
Hina took a deep breath.
Then looked directly into his eyes.
His emotions entered Hina’s senses.
Confusion.
“What if…”
“You became the first person I ever told?”
For a moment—
Haku froze.
The evening wind moved quietly around them.
Then—
A small smile appeared on his face.
A genuine one.
“If that’s what you want…”
“I’d be honored.”
Hina stared at him.
Then smiled.
A warm smile.
One that reached her eyes.
“Okay.”
“Then I’ll tell you.”
And for some reason—
Haku’s heart skipped a beat.
The two continued walking beneath the evening sky.
Neither of them noticing—
That somewhere else—
A pair of cold eyes watched from afar.
And behind those emotionless eyes…
Reiji Kurotsuki smiled.
A smile no one should have trusted.
End of Chapter 12.