"Is this the the Third Dimension Space?"

  After school, Ryuji didn't head home immediately. Instead, he found a quiet spot to test out his new ability.

  Looking around at the barren, rodscape and the eerie, lonely atmosphere, he realized he had fully ehe Third Dimension Space.

  "It's like having a personal ste dimension," Ryuji muttered to himself.

  This space could e in handy. If he stored things here, there'd be o worry about losing them.

  "Now, let's try virtualization."

  Ryuji had already tested dist spad entering the Third Dimension. The hing to try was the most broken aspect of the Third Dimension's ability: virtualization.

  Virtualization would allow him to enter a state where he became pletely immuo any physical attack.

  "The trick is to leave my body ihird dimension while projeg an image of myself in the real world. That way, no attack d on me," Ryuji expio himself, remembering how it worked.

  After all, with his true body in another dimension, how could he be hit?

  In time, as he grew more profit, he'd even be able to phase only parts of his body, achieving partial virtualization.

  "Looks like this will take some practiaster," he muttered, testing it out. The ability itself wasn't difficult to activate, but he'd o hone his skill to use it effectively in battle.

  As Ryuji immersed himself in mastering the virtualization ability, elsewhere…

  ---

  Yumiko, Yui, and Hina didn't go to their usual club activities that day. Instead, the three of them were walking toward the school gates.

  "Are we really going?" Hina asked, a bit uain. After school, Yumiko had suddenly suggested they head to Tobe Sho's pce. As a friend, Hina didn't refuse, but she was still fused.

  What was the point of going to see Tobe?

  "Hmph, I just want to clear things up. I didn't say anything wrong that day. He couldn't hahe truth and had a breakdown. That's on him," Yumiko huffed, clearly still upset. She bmed Tobe's dropout on her words, but she wasn't going to take it back. It wasn't her fault if Tobe couldn't handle criticism.

  "Uh…" Hina sighed, realizing this was Yumiko's way of dealing with her feelings. She g Yui, who had been strangely quiet for a while now.

  "Yui? Yui!" Hina called out after notig her friend wasn't paying attention.

  "Huh? What's up?" Yui blinked in fusion, finally snapping out of her thoughts.

  "What's up with you? You've been out of it since school let out," Hina asked, frowning. Yui had been ag strange all afternoon.

  "I…" Yui hesitated. She wao say something but stopped herself. If Ryuji really has superpowers or something, and I tell my friends… what if it puts them in danger?

  After thinking it over, Yui forced a smile and shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

  Hina didn't press further. She could tell Yui was hiding something, but if Yui didn't want to talk, she wouldn't push her.

  "Let's catch up to Yumiko. She's getting ahead of us," Hina said as she noticed Miura already walking ahead.

  ---

  Meanwhile, Ryuji, who had ed up testing his abilities, decided to stop by Shizuka's pce to che her.

  He sent Miko a quick text, letting her know he'd be busy for a bit and would head home after her club activities were over. Then, he left the school.

  "Here he es."

  Yukino's older sister, Haruno, had been waiting outside the school. When she saw Ryuji leaving, her eyes lit up, and she hurried over to intercept him.

  "Excuse me!" she called out, deliberately tripping over her owo stage a fall.

  "Huh?"

  Instinctively, Ryuji stepped forward and caught her.

  Huh… smells nice, Ryuji thought absentmindedly.

  "Thank you so much," Haruno said, still holding onto his arm, her voice full of mock embarrassment.

  Yukinoshita Haruno? Ryuji quickly reized her. She looked almost identical to her younger sister, Yukino.

  But there were subtle differences. pared to Yukino, Haruno appeared more vibrant, while Yukino looked slightly malnourished.

  Ryuji lingered on Haruno's face for a moment lohan necessary, then smiled and shook his head. "No problem."

  "..."

  He's a scumbag, Haruno thought, instantly reading his expression. She was great at reading people, and the way Ryuji's eyes ged told her everything she o know. (Bruhhh???)

  This only firmed her suspis. If it weren't for me, someone as naive as Yukino would be easily fooled by a guy like this.

  "My ankle feels a little twisted. you help me to my car?" Haruno asked, her voice soft and fragile.

  "Sure," Ryuji replied casually, not seeing any reason to refuse.

  As they walked, Ryuji spotted Haruno's fshy sports car parked nearby. It was the same model as Hiratsuka's, only in a different color.

  "Thank you so much," Haruno smiled sweetly after settling into the driver's seat.

  "You're wele, Miss Yukinoshita," Ryuji responded with a grin.

  Haruno's smile faltered for a split sed.

  "How do you know my name?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. She hadn't introduced herself yet.

  Ryuji shrugged. "You look way too simir to your sister. Figured it out pretty easily."