The soft clatter of dishes being placed on the table and the warm aroma of freshly prepared food diverted everyone’s attention for a few moments.
It was a welcome relief after the silent tension hanging over the group.
Touya picked up his chopsticks naturally and was the first to serve himself.
“Well, nothing calms people down like food.
Let’s eat before it gets cold.” Following his lead, everyone began eating.
The sounds of utensils and plates temporarily replaced words.
Isagi, hungry as always, immediately started devouring his meal.
There was nothing elegant about the way he ate, but, strangely enough, it was not unpleasant to watch.
He was not eating like a caveman or anything; he obviously had proper table manners.
Yuki observed him discreetly.
There was something different about him.
Not just his posture, but his physique as well.
When he adjusted the sleeve of his uniform to avoid staining it, she noticed the firmer outline of his arms.
The muscle was not excessive, but it was defined.
Subtle, yet noticeable to someone who had known him for so long.
“You’ve been training outside of football too, haven’t you?” she asked curiously.
Isagi looked up, chewing quickly before answering.
“Ah…
yeah.
I started weight training about a week ago.” “So that’s why you look more…
sturdy.
It’s not just my imagination.” Isagi rolled his eyes and said, “You still can’t really see much.
I’m impressed you even noticed….” “Of course I did.
Anyone paying attention would notice…” Yuki commented, placing her chopsticks beside her plate.
“You’re a little more toned…” The observation nearly made Isagi choke on his food.
“Hey, don’t exaggerate, Yuki!
I’m nowhere near toned yet.” Kaguya, who had remained calm until then, discreetly tightened her fingers against her lap.
“Hmm…” Alya murmured, resting her chin on her hand, her fork still balanced between her fingers.
Her gaze was sharp, but there was also something possessive hidden within it.
In Russian, low enough to almost sound like a whisper, she muttered a phrase filled with resentment: “Предатель…
Ты должен смотреть только на меня.” (“Traitor…
You should only look at me.”) Isagi blinked.
Again with the “traitor” thing?
They were not even dating…
Still confused, he asked: “Huh?
Alya, with the Russian again…
what did you just say?” “Ah.” She shrugged, returning to her usual cold expression.
“Nothing worth translating.
I was just thinking out loud.” Yuki slightly raised an eyebrow, though she kept smiling.
Kaguya, on the other hand, mentally noted every word despite not understanding the language.
She did not need a translation to notice the poison hidden behind those foreign syllables.
Trying to dispel the strange atmosphere, Isagi changed the subject: “By the way…
there’s something that surprised me.” He looked directly at Kaguya.
“You don’t plan on running for student council president, Kaguya?
I thought that would be natural for you.” The table fell silent for a moment, as if everyone was waiting for her answer.
Kaguya maintained her impeccable composure, delicately placing her chopsticks on her plate before replying: “I haven’t decided yet….” Isagi tilted his head slightly, curious.
“Seriously?” “Yes.
I’m no longer that interested in becoming student council president…” she answered, her voice calm, yet carrying a meaning that was difficult to ignore.
Isagi nodded casually.
“I see…
Well, whatever you decide, I’m sure you’ll do well.” That simple statement warmed Kaguya’s chest far more than she wished to admit.
Outwardly, she maintained her usual serene posture; inwardly, however, her thoughts were far from calm.
Meanwhile, Alya distractedly stirred the food on her plate, pretending to be uninterested.
Even so, her eyes kept drifting back toward Isagi.
With every compliment coming from Yuki or Kaguya, a silent irritation grew inside her.
Beside her, Hayasaka simply observed everything in silence.
To her, it was almost amusing watching that subtle competition unfold right before her eyes.
Touya, meanwhile, seemed genuinely entertained by the situation, calmly sipping his drink while observing their interactions.
Everyone returned to eating, though the atmosphere was far from neutral.
For the remainder of the dinner, Touya, as the host, carried much of the conversation, while Yuki used her excellent social skills to maintain the natural flow of dialogue alongside Isagi.
Kaguya and Alisa, meanwhile, remained more like listeners; therefore, while there were no direct conflicts, there was not exactly harmony between them either.
Throughout the conversation, both Touya and Yuki repeatedly insisted that Isagi join the student council, but he refused every offer.
By the time they finally finished eating and left the restaurant, it had already grown completely dark outside.
“”””Thanks for the meal.”””” Isagi, Kaguya, Yuki, and Alisa thanked Touya as soon as he finished paying the bill and joined the group outside.
“No problem.” Touya nodded while beginning to lead them toward the parking lot.
When he noticed a familiar limousine slowly approaching, he continued: “Looks like Shinomiya’s ride is here…” He then turned toward the others.
“I know Alisa lives nearby, so she’ll walk home.
Yuki’s taking the train with me, but what about you, Isagi?” “Oh, I can walk home from here too.” Upon hearing that, Kaguya, as impeccable as ever, delicately brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before speaking with her usual controlled calmness: “Isagi-kun, I can offer you a ride.
It’s already late, and it would not be appropriate for you to walk home alone at this hour.” Her tone did not sound like a simple invitation.
It sounded more like a responsibility she had naturally taken upon herself.
Isagi widened his eyes slightly in surprise.
Before he could answer, he felt two things simultaneously: Alya’s sharp gaze, as cold as blades of ice pressed against the back of his neck, and Yuki’s gentle yet clearly forced smile, which seemed to hide something behind its perfect serenity.
For a moment, Isagi had the strange feeling that accepting that invitation would seal his fate right then and there….
Wisely, he chose to refuse: “Ah…
thanks, Kaguya.
Seriously.
But it’s okay.
My house is really close, so I’ll be fine walking.” Kaguya blinked slowly, absorbing the rejection.
“I understand.
In that case, take care.” She maintained her serene expression, though a small bitterness arose in her chest.
Part of her wanted to insist, but the pride of the Shinomiya Family spoke louder.
One wrong move could reveal feelings she still was not ready to expose.
The moment she finished speaking, a black limousine smoothly pulled up beside the sidewalk, stopping in front of the group.
The door opened before anyone even approached it.
Hayasaka was already there, her posture impeccable, as though she had predicted that exact moment.
“Milady.” She gave a slight bow while holding the door open.
The scene immediately drew everyone’s attention.
The imposing limousine and Kaguya’s refined posture made her seem as though she belonged to an entirely different world from theirs.
Kaguya entered the vehicle with her usual elegance, discreetly adjusting her skirt before sitting down.
Before the door closed, she cast one last glance toward Isagi….
“Good night, Isagi-kun.
Until next time.” The door closed softly right afterward, cutting off any chance for a response.
The limousine slowly drove away, leaving behind only the reflection of its red taillights shimmering across the wet street.
Isagi smiled faintly.
“She seemed pretty serious about that, huh?” Yuki maintained her gentle smile, although her eyes concealed discreet satisfaction that he had not accepted the ride.
“That’s just how Shinomiya-san is.
She always takes these things very seriously.” Alya, meanwhile, turned her face away and muttered something quietly in Russian, her tone rough and almost venomous: “Хорошо…
хотя бы ты знаешь, что твоя сторона со мной.” (“Good…
at least you know your side belongs with me.”) Isagi let out a tired sigh.
“Again with that, Alya?
I didn’t understand a thing, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a compliment…” She merely raised an eyebrow indifferently, not even attempting to explain.
Touya, who had been watching everything with an obviously entertained expression, patted Isagi on the shoulder.
“Good luck, my friend.
You’re going to need it.” “Hey, what are you talking about now?” “You’ll find out.” Yuki let out a quiet laugh while looking away, whereas Alya simply huffed and crossed her arms.
“All right then.
Walk Alisa home on the way.
I’ll take care of Yuki.” “Okay.” The fact that Isagi agreed so readily, with the naturalness of a true gentleman, made their respect for him increase even more.
Yuki, however, suddenly raised her hand.
“Ahem.
President, I really appreciate the concern, but I already have a car coming to pick me up.” “You do?” “Yes.
I’ll wait here until it arrives, so you don’t need to worry about me.” “…Right.
See you next week, then.” After watching Touya head down the street toward the station, Isagi and Alisa’s eyes met.
“Ready to go?” “You don’t need to walk me home.” “Aw, come on, don’t be like that.” He smiled casually.
“Let’s go.
See you later, Yuki.” “Have a safe trip home.” “See you later, Yuki.” “See you later, Alya.” Isagi and Alisa began walking in the opposite direction from the one Touya had taken, while Yuki gave them a small farewell bow.
Inside, however, she felt slightly frustrated.
Honestly, she had wanted to spend a few more minutes by his side.
“How far is your house?” Isagi asked, breaking the silence between them.
“About twenty minutes on foot.” “Oh.
That’s kinda far.” “And yours?” “Mine?
About fifteen minutes, more or less.
Depending on how fast we walk, it might not even be much closer than yours.” “Oh.” Silence settled between them again.
They walked side by side while a tension difficult to define lingered in the air.
Then suddenly, the door of a nearby barbecue restaurant burst open, and a group of men in suits stumbled out onto the street.
“Tsc.
Those guys from development have no respect for us in sales!” “I think you drank a little too much, boss.” “Mr.
Isoyama, we should keep our voices down…” A middle-aged man with a flushed face and eyes clouded by alcohol loudly spoke in the middle of the street, completely ignoring his subordinates’ attempts to restrain him.
The moment Isagi noticed the group approaching, he instinctively pulled Alya toward the inner side of the sidewalk, discreetly placing himself between her and those men.
He looked away, clearly uninterested in interacting, but the drunk man noticed them anyway.
“What the hell?
What are these kids doing outside this late?” He narrowed his eyes before letting out a mocking laugh.
“Are you dating?
Then hurry up and kiss her already!
Kids these days only know how to fool around.
You should be home studying!” “Mr.
Isoyama!
Shhh!” “Boss, that’s enough.
Let’s go.” “Shut up!” He shoved one of his subordinates aside before staring more closely at Alya.
“…Huh?
What’s this?” His drunken eyes stopped on her silver hair, and a rough laugh escaped his throat.
“What are you, some gray little mouse?
What kind of irresponsible parents let their daughter dye her hair like that?
What a disgrace.” Alya stopped immediately.
Her body went still, but the expression in her eyes turned dangerously cold.
“Alya, hey…” Isagi murmured quietly, trying to calm her before she exploded.
He knew very well how much comments about her appearance irritated her, especially coming from strangers….
“What’s disgraceful is a man your age acting like this….” Alya replied coldly.
Her voice was low, yet sharp as a blade.
“You should know better.” The subordinates fell silent for a moment, clearly surprised by her boldness.
Isoyama, however, only grew more irritated.
“Insolent brat…” he growled, pushing his coworkers aside as he advanced toward her.
Alya did not step back even once.
She merely raised her chin slightly, holding his gaze with icy composure.
But before the man could get any closer, Isagi stepped forward and positioned himself between the two of them.
Then he smiled.
It was a calm smile, almost friendly, completely out of place in that tense situation.
Even so, there was something about that expression that made even the subordinates unconsciously hold their breath.
“Pathetic old man…” Isagi said calmly.
“Aren’t you tired of embarrassing yourself in front of your own subordinates?
Was failing at work not enough?
Now you need to take your frustration out on teenagers too?” His smile remained unchanged.
“You really must have a miserable life…..” Silence fell instantly.
The subordinates widened their eyes, shocked by the sheer level of insult delivered in such a calm manner.
Isoyama turned red as a tomato.
“You…
insolent brat!” He roared and suddenly lunged forward, raising his fist toward Isagi’s face.
Alya instinctively took a step forward but stopped upon noticing his absurd calmness.
The punch came quickly, yet completely uncontrolled.
Isagi merely shifted his body one step to the side.
The fist struck empty air.
The very next instant— Whoosh!
The dry sound of impact echoed through the street as Isagi’s kick violently sank into the man’s abdomen.
The blow was so brutal that even the subordinates recoiled in shock.
Isoyama immediately collapsed to his knees, eyes wide as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
It felt as though all the air had been ripped from his lungs.
He gasped desperately, unable even to scream in pain.
Isagi remained standing before him, looking down at him from above.
The smile had disappeared.
Now his expression was cold.
Not explosive or furious, just calm in a way that was almost frightening.
“If you had touched her…” he said quietly, “…I would have done far worse.” The subordinates exchanged tense glances, completely intimidated.
Beside him, Alya discreetly clenched her fists, but it was not anger; it was merely a desperate attempt to hide how fast her heart was beating.
The subordinates took several seconds to react.
The impact still echoed in their minds, and the sight of Isoyama coughing blood onto the ground seemed too absurd to process immediately.
“B-boss!” one of the men finally rushed toward him, kneeling beside him.
“Are you okay?!
Hang in there!” Isoyama groaned while trying to catch his breath.
Every inhale came out painfully, as though something inside his body had been crushed.
His hand trembled as he tried to support himself on the ground, but he could barely hold up his own weight.
Another employee stared at Isagi, clearly nervous.
“S-student…
do you realize what you just did?
This could end very badly for you—” “Badly?” Isagi interrupted in a low, cold tone.
He slightly tilted his head while looking at the man kneeling on the ground.
“The only problem here is a drunk adult who doesn’t know how to control himself.
If you truly care about him, take him away before he humiliates himself even more.” The subordinate swallowed hard, unable to reply.
There was something deeply unsettling about Isagi’s calmness.
The way he shifted from a friendly smile to such direct violence made it seem completely natural for him.
Beside him, Alya took a deep breath, trying to hide the confusion within her own chest.
Her heart was still beating fast, overwhelmed by a strange mixture of relief, admiration, and nervousness that she refused to analyze too deeply.
Isoyama, still kneeling, raised his face covered in sweat and blood.
“You…
damn brat…” he tried to curse, only to be interrupted by a violent cough that splattered more blood across the asphalt.
“That’s enough, boss!” One of the subordinates grabbed him by the shoulders.
“There’s no point!
Let’s get out of here!” With visible effort, the three men managed to lift Isoyama and began dragging him away.
Even though he tried to protest, his voice was already too weak to sound threatening anymore.
Little by little, their footsteps disappeared down the street.
Silence once again dominated the area.
Alya stared at him silently for several long seconds.
Then she huffed and looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“…thanks,” she muttered, almost against her own will.
Her voice came out low, nearly inaudible.
“Not that I needed your help or anything.
I could’ve handled him myself.” Isagi smiled lightly, genuinely, and shrugged.
“Don’t worry about it.
Anyone would’ve done the same.” “No.” Alya raised her chin stubbornly, looking back at him.
“Anyone else would’ve looked away and pretended not to see anything to avoid trouble.
You’re not ‘anyone else.'” For a moment, Isagi seemed surprised by the seriousness of her statement.
He blinked, then let out a quiet chuckle and resumed walking.
“Let’s go already.
We still have part of the way left.” Alya hesitated for half a second, but soon fell into step beside him.
Silence settled between them once more, though now it was different, lighter, carrying something unspoken within it.
_____________________ (A/N: First of all, thank you for reading this story.
Your support there also helps a lot in keeping the story updated consistently.
I hope you continue enjoying Isagi’s completely cursed new life in this crossover world.)