When Kentaro opened his eyes after traveling through the Teleportation Realm, he found himself in a place far too familiar.
The restroom.
But this ti... it didn’t sll like death. It actually slled fresh.
He didn’t even bother looking around. Just walked straight past the other guys and headed toward the exit.
They all watched him walk past without saying a word or smile.
"Did anyone see him co in?"
"Nah."
"Not a clue."
Two other guys shrugged mid-business, confused.
Kentaro stepped out into the hall. The atmosphere around him thick with an unsettling silence. It was a silence that felt almost oppressive, as if the very air was holding its breath. A sense of urgency tugged at him, compelling him to find two specific individuals.
Kira and Tengen.
He wandered through the corridors, his footsteps echoing softly against the soft carpet floor, until he finally reached the main lobby. There, he found the rest of his classmates scattered about, seemingly at unease.
His eyes widened when they stopped on three girls.
Mika, Rei, and Sumire spotted him imdiately.
Their faces ignited with a mix of fury and worry all at once.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?" They shouted in unison.
Kentaro stood frozen, his eyes wide as he sensed the fury reflected in their gazes, their stares piercing through him like daggers.
"Well, you see... um... Tengen and I may have gone a bit far, and uh, BOOM, there was an explosion, and we ended up, like, stuck... and now... here we are!" He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head while deliberately avoiding their eyes.
They weren’t buying his excuse.
"WHERE ARE KIRA AND TENGEN!?" they shouted once more, drawing even more attention.
The rest of the students turned his way as Mr. Tachibana approached, clearly worried.
"W-Well," Kentaro stamred, "They are in a different place right now, b-but there’s no reason to worry! They’re okay! They’ll be here soon, hehe..."
Mr. Tachibana squinted at him, finding Kentaro’s explanation sowhat questionable.
"...And what about Serica?"
His voice was calm, but his face showed signs of tension.
Kentaro’s smile wavered.
"S-she’s okay too... actually, she found us. Helped us co back. So she’s on her way... too."
But even that answer didn’t convince them.
Sumire leaned closer, speaking softly. "Tengen is coming. Kira is coming. Serica is coming. Are you completely sure you didn’t do anything to them?"
"I-what? No! No way!" Kentaro waved his arms rapidly. "It’s just th-".
"Hey, everyone!"
A familiar, sweet voice interrupted.
Kentaro turned around.
His breath caught.
There she was. Standing there. Smiling, her brown honey like eyes sparkling like nothing ever happened.
"SERICA!!" the girls squealed, shoving Kentaro out of the way.
He hit the ground with a thud as they tackled Serica like an oversized plushie.
"OHHH SERICA WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Rei cried, smushing her face into hers.
"I-I was just... out for a stroll..." Serica laughed nervously, barely able to breathe under the group-hug assault.
Kentaro sat up, brushing dust off his shirt, a smile breaking across his face.
The mont was wholeso, peaceful...
But not for long.
"I’m going to fi-" Kentaro started, turning to Mr. Tachibana-
"Hey there, husband."
A body slamd into him like a truck, knocking him flat on the floor again.
Dark hair. Tight grip. Cold voice. No emotion.
Kira.
"K-Kira?!" Kentaro gasped, struggling to push her off as she put her body weight on top of him. "C’mon, gim so space-!"
She didn’t budge like she was a brick wall but before Kentaro tried to push with more force. She whispered.
"About before... What I did... I’m sorry. But, I’ll never forgive Alberlines. Not for what they did to her."
She let go and stood up.
Kentaro sat there, stunned. Her words rang heavy in his ears.
He got up slowly. His voice softer now. "Then... maybe you could tell what happened? And maybe... we can work it out together?"
Kira gave the slightest nod.
"I will tell you my story. But know this, nothing will stop from my goal. Not even you."
Kentaro smiled, just a little.
"I think I can change your mind."
She didn’t respond, just nodded her head.
Then he looked past her.
Tengen.
For once, the loudmouth was quiet. Head lowered, hands fidgeting, eyes refusing to et Kentaro’s.
He stepped forward.
"Yo, Ken... I, uh... I’m sorry. For what I did before. I hope... You can forgive . Still be friends... maybe?"
Kentaro sighed. "There was no point in making a big deal out of a situation that couldn’t be helped." He said to himself.
He looked at Tengen, who was still looking down, before he smiled.
"I forgive you. Let’s just leave it there."
He extended his hand.
Tengen finally raised his gaze, and upon noticing Kentaro’s hand, he felt a surge of emotions he couldn’t contain.
"THANK YOU, BRO! YOU’RE AMAZING!!" he exclaid, brushing Kentaro’s hand away and enveloping him in a warm bear hug.
"Hey! Wai-" Kentaro shouted, but his voice was muffled thanks to Tengen’s big shoulders.
The three girls, of course, heard everything and couldn’t resist.
"HEY! TELL US THE GOSSIP! WHO FOUGHT WHO?! WAS IT OVER TENKA? OR SERICA?!" Mika demanded, practically vibrating.
Tengen finally let go of the suffocating Kentaro and waved his hands dramatically.
"Apologies, ladies, but n typically don’t share their inner struggles with those outside their circle. It’s simply not... manly." He lowered his voice when he delivered the final part.
"Is that even a thing?" Kentaro muttered to himself as he composed himself. But not after Tengen hit the girls with ’Secret man lore’, Serica tugged on Kentaro’s sleeve.
"Kentaro... is that true? T-that there are things you won’t tell ... because I’m a girl?"
Her eyes glimred with uncertainty.
Kentaro sensed his heart pounding as her gaze bore into him, but unlike the other girls, these eyes reflected genuine concern.
"No! No, no no!" Kentaro exclaid in a panic. "If there’s anything I need to share with soone, the first person I want to approach is you, Serica!"
Serica’s expression brightened upon hearing those words; he could sense the relief washing over her.
"Great! I’d love for you to talk with about anything, Ken!" she exclaid in an adorable tone.
Kentaro grinned, yet as she began to speak, he had no idea that her next words would unleash a catastrophic dilemma for him.
"So Kentaro... when are we heading out on our date?"
Kentaro gasped for air, as if he had just swallowed a ghost.
"D-d-date???" He shouted.
It was then that Kentaro could practically feel the icy daggers of a death stare piercing through his back; it was so intense, it made Yura’s glares feel like warm hugs.
Kira’s eye twitched like a cat on a hot tin roof.
"A date now? So the howrecker gets to go out while I’m left here like a forgotten Halloween decoration?"
"Wait, what?! No-no, it’s not what you think! I only ntioned I’d give her a tour of the island!"
Kira crossed her arms, her expression as flat as a pancake, but he could sense the inner pouting brewing like a storm.
"You’re taking out, and I demand to see the island as well!"
Serica stepped in like a bouncer at a club.
"Kira, go away! It’s just and Kentaro!"
Kira squinted like she was trying to read the fine print on a contract.
"No, sis. You already had your mont in the spotlight. This ti, it’s my turn. He’s my husband!"
"Sis?! What! When does Kira say that?! Wait Hold on- hey, girls, could you chill for a sec!" Kentaro begged, stuck in the middle of the chaos.
"HE DOESN’T LIKE YOU, KIRA! YOU’RE JUST A ROBOT IN A HUMAN BODY!" Serica bellowed.
"AND YOU’RE JUST A CRYBABY WHO RUINS EVERYTHING!.... AND ALSO A HOWRECKER!!" Kira retorted, cranking up the volu.
"WHY THROW IN THE HOWRECKER!!!" Serica hollered in response.
Kentaro was trapped in a shouting match that he definitely didn’t sign up for.
He tried to stop them, but they weren’t listening to anything he was saying, so his last option was to let it play out and hopefully it’d die down.
So he walked away slowly, making sure he was discreet.
But.
"Please, wait," Tengen said, stopping him just far enough away so Kira and Serica’s argunt wouldn’t get in the way.
Kentaro stopped looking at the nervous Tengen.
"What’s up?" He replied, slightly tilting his head in confusion.
Tengen froze for a second before he spoke.
"I-i just wanted you to really understand why I did it."
Kentaro didn’t need to ask he already had the gist of his situation.
"Your sister... right?" he spoke softly
Tengen froze before he looked at Kentaro and nodded.
"She just... collapsed. Coming ho from school. They said it was a coma, but no one knew why. Not the doctors. Not even us..."
He paused, voice shaking.
"Then this guy from this company called Spire... i think he’s the chairman, i think his na was Reiden, and he shows up. Says he knows how to help her, but only if I keep you distracted. I’m not sure how he knew I was in the sa school or the sa class as you, but he said it was for an experint. I didn’t understand it, but I... I just wanted her to wake up, man."
Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks, just thinking about his sister made him feel upset, and also guilty of what he did to Kentaro.
"But after getting to know you...Serica... and Tenka... I just couldn’t keep lying. I’m sorry. I really am."
He bowed deeply. "I’M SORRY!"
Kentaro furrowed his eye brows, "A coma randomly happening, could be sothing to do with a Fracture Bloom?" He said to himself before he tapped his comms.
"Tenka... is there any way we can help him, and I’ve heard that na before?" he whispered.
There was silence on the other side for a second before Tenka spoke.
We’ll get Haruka to examine his sister.
Should there be any action we can undertake... we will do so, and indeed, it appears he is becoming deeply entangled in this matter now. Enough to the point he’s willing to target you personally, so it clearly shows that he’s onto you and your ability," She said with concern.
Kentaro nodded before he looked at Tengen, smiling.
"Tenka knows soone who should be able to help. She’s brilliant when it cos to your situation. She’ll be in touch soon."
Tengen’s eyes widened as his mouth fell open, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Y-you serious...?" Tears flowed again.
"THANK YOU, KEN!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT ANS!!"
He pulled Kentaro into another hug, crying all over his shirt again.
After a mont of crying into Kentaro, Tengen composed himself. Realising sothing as he let out a small grin,
"So uh... does this an I get Tenka’s number?" he said as his eyes were now puffy from crying.
Kentaro sighed knowing that he would say sothing like that. "Don’t get any weird ideas."
Tengen’s smirk transford into a full-blown grin as he gave Kentaro’s shoulder a friendly pat. "Co on, buddy, it’s obvious she’s got a crush on this handso devil right here," Tengen winked with a cheeky glint in his eye.
Kentaro, however, was too busy being awkward to respond. He just let out a nervous chuckle.
"If he says that one more ti, I’m going to take him out," Tenka’s voice echoed through the Commns, sounding like a dramatic movie villain.
Kentaro didn’t say a word; he just chuckled a little louder, as if that would sohow save him from the impending doom.
Tengen tilted his head to the side, his eyes finally landing on Kentaro’s unfortunate choice of clothing, which could only be described as a fashion disaster.
"And by the way... how long were you planning to wear that ripped shirt, huh?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Kentaro’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He looked down at his shirt, his heart sinking.
"OH NO WAY!" he exclaid, realization dawning on him.
In a panic, he spun around, ready to sprint back to his room to change his outfit-
BANG!
He crashed into soone, his lips squishing against sothing toasty. His hands found themselves on sothing... suspiciously squishy.
"OH-HO-HO! KEN, YOU RASCAL!!" Tengen bellowed.
Kentaro blinked in disbelief.
His eyes focused.
And he saw...
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