Chapter 17: Akari Declares War

  Scene 1: Akari’s Outburst

  Kenji barely had time to react before Akari seized his wrist and yanked him away from the stunned crowd still reeling from Sakura’s public confession.

  “Oi—what the hell?!” Kenji stumbled, barely keeping up as Akari stormed through the school hallway, her grip tight enough to cut off circulation. Students jumped out of the way, eyes wide as they watched the chaos unfold.

  They finally skidded to a stop inside an empty classroom. Akari shoved Kenji inside and slammed the door shut behind them, crossing her arms with a fury that could burn down the entire school.

  “EXPLAIN.”

  Kenji blinked. “Explain what?!”

  Akari’s hands curled into fists. “OH, I DON’T KNOW—MAYBE START WITH WHY THE HELL SOME YAKUZA PRINCESS JUST CONFESSED TO YOU IN FRONT OF HALF THE SCHOOL?! SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE A SECRET FIANCéE?!”

  Kenji exhaled loudly, dragging a hand down his face. “I DON’T HAVE A FIANCéE! I DON’T EVEN KNOW HER!”

  Akari’s eyes narrowed. “Bullshit. Girls don’t just confess to random guys and claim they’re destined lovers.”

  “I—WELL—SHE THINKS I’M SOMEONE ELSE!” Kenji snapped, throwing his arms out in exasperation.

  Akari scoffed. “Oh yeah? And who exactly does she think you are?”

  Kenji’s mouth snapped shut.

  Akari’s eyes glinted. “That’s what I thought.” She leaned in, voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. “You’re still not telling me everything, Fujimura. First Takashi starts poking around, now some crime family heiress is throwing herself at you? You seriously expect me to believe it’s all a coincidence?”

  Kenji groaned. “Look, I’m just as confused as you! I woke up today thinking my biggest problem was passing math, and now I’m involved in some Yakuza soap opera!”

  Akari let out a sharp, frustrated sigh, pacing the room. “Unbelievable.” She suddenly stopped and pointed an accusing finger at him. “I KNEW IT. I KNEW YOU WERE TOO SUSPICIOUS TO BE A NORMAL DELINQUENT.”

  Kenji glared. “I AM a normal delinquent, thank you very much.”

  Akari gave him a flat look. “No, you’re not. You don’t even fight.”

  Kenji flinched.

  Akari squinted, her mind working faster than he could deflect. “Now that I think about it… every time there’s trouble, someone else steps in before you have to throw a punch. Tetsuya. The delinquents. Even Reina.”

  Kenji shuffled uncomfortably. “...That’s just luck.”

  “Bullshit.” Akari crossed her arms. “You’re hiding something, and I’m gonna find out what.”

  Kenji sighed, preparing to argue when—

  Click.

  The door slid open.

  Reina stood in the doorway, adjusting her glasses with an unreadable expression. Notebook in hand.

  “I’m simply here to observe,” she said, stepping inside.

  Kenji wanted to throw himself out the window.

  Akari turned to Reina, crossing her arms. “Great. Maybe you can talk some sense into this idiot.”

  Reina hummed, flipping to a blank page in her notebook. “So far, this situation suggests a high probability of deception.”

  Kenji’s eye twitched. “You can’t just DIAGNOSE me like I’m some kind of case study—”

  Reina ignored him, calmly writing in her notes. “Subject appears distressed. Defensive posture. Avoiding direct answers.” She paused, tilting her head. “Fujimura, are you experiencing any symptoms of chronic dishonesty?”

  Kenji threw up his hands. “OH, FOR THE LOVE OF—”

  Akari smirked. “Oh, I like this. Keep going, Prez.”

  Reina continued writing, expression thoughtful. “A dangerous woman has entered the equation. Increase observation of Fujimura.”

  Kenji choked on air.

  “I—EXCUSE ME?!”

  Reina closed her notebook with an air of finality. “I will be monitoring this situation closely.”

  Kenji groaned, dragging his hands down his face. “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS.”

  Akari grinned. “Welcome to hell, Fujimura.”

  Kenji leaned against the desk, staring at the ceiling. He had no idea how to get out of this one.

  Scene 2: Reina Tries to Stay Logical

  Kenji sat at his desk, staring blankly at his textbook.

  It was the next morning, and he was already done with the day.

  After yesterday’s disaster, he had barely managed to escape from Akari’s interrogation, only for Reina to start taking detailed notes on his supposed “suspicious behavior.”

  Now, sitting in class, he could feel her watching him.

  Slowly, he turned his head.

  There she was.

  Reina sat at her desk, notebook open, pen tapping rhythmically against the paper. She wasn’t looking at him directly, but every few seconds, she’d glance up, scribble something down, then nod to herself like she’d just uncovered a vital clue.

  Kenji squinted.

  …Was she writing a report on him?

  He leaned over slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the page.

  At the top, neatly underlined, was the heading:

  “Case Study: The Fujimura Situation.”

  Kenji froze.

  “Oi.” He whispered. “What the hell are you writing?”

  Reina, without looking up, adjusted her glasses. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

  Kenji narrowed his eyes. “No, see, when someone says that, it usually means it’s something I need to worry about.”

  Reina calmly flipped to another page, hiding her notes. “I document all notable irregularities within the student body.”

  Kenji gave her a deadpan stare. “Irregularities?”

  Reina nodded, completely serious. “A dangerous woman has entered the equation. Increase observation of Fujimura.”

  Kenji choked on air.

  “I—EXCUSE ME?!”

  Akari, who had been half-asleep behind them, perked up instantly.

  “Oh, this just got interesting.” She propped her chin on her hand, smirking. “Keep going, Prez.”

  Kenji threw his hands up. “I AM RIGHT HERE.”

  Reina ignored him and continued writing.

  "Subject exhibits continued evasiveness regarding identity confusion. Further investigation required."

  Kenji groaned. “Are you seriously studying me like some kind of science project?!”

  Reina finally looked up, her expression as calm and unreadable as ever. “Do you have something to hide, Fujimura?”

  Kenji opened his mouth.

  Then closed it.

  Then groaned even louder.

  Akari grinned. “Oh yeah, that reminds me—” She turned to Reina. “You noticed how Sakura keeps calling him ‘Ryuji,’ right?”

  Reina tapped her pen against her notebook. “It would be impossible not to.”

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  Kenji shoved his hands in his pockets. “And? Are you going to believe some random transfer student over me?”

  Reina was silent for a long moment.

  Then, slowly, she wrote something else down.

  Kenji leaned forward to read it.

  "Lies are best measured over time."

  Kenji stared at her.

  “…What the hell does that mean?”

  Reina calmly closed her notebook. “It means I’ll be watching.”

  Kenji slumped against his desk, already exhausted.

  Scene 3: Sakura Isn’t Backing Down

  By midday, the entire school had reached a unified, undeniable conclusion:

  Kenji Fujimura was in the most dangerous love triangle of the century.

  Or maybe it was a square.

  Kenji had officially given up trying to categorize it.

  The main issue, however, was that Sakura wasn’t backing down.

  Kenji sat at his usual table in the cafeteria, silently praying for an uneventful lunch. His reputation was already in shambles, Reina was taking notes on his downfall, and Akari looked like she was about one snide remark away from flipping a table.

  The last thing he needed was—

  “Ryuji~”

  Kenji’s entire body locked up.

  He knew that voice.

  Sakura Aizawa glided toward him, effortlessly graceful, completely ignoring the growing whispers of the cafeteria.

  Before Kenji could react, she slid smoothly into the seat beside him.

  Kenji tensed. “Oi.”

  Sakura smiled, resting her chin on one delicate hand. “Hello, dear.”

  Kenji nearly choked on his drink. “D-Don’t ‘dear’ me! What are you doing?”

  Sakura tilted her head, eyes full of amusement. “I’m sitting with my fiancé.”

  Kenji pressed his palms against his temples. “For the last time, I’m not—”

  Before he could finish, Akari slammed her tray onto the table.

  Hard.

  Kenji flinched.

  Akari narrowed her eyes at Sakura, practically radiating fury.

  “What the hell do you mean ‘fiancé’?”

  Sakura, completely unfazed, took a sip of her tea. “Oh? Did Ryuji not tell you?”

  Kenji groaned.

  Akari leaned forward, voice dangerously low. “Tell me. What?”

  Sakura placed a delicate hand on Kenji’s arm. “Our families have been connected for generations. An arranged marriage was always a possibility.”

  Kenji jerked his arm away so fast he almost knocked over his tray.

  Akari’s eye twitched. “Yeah, well, he’s not interested.”

  Sakura blinked, feigning innocence. “Oh?”

  She leaned closer to Kenji, her golden-brown eyes gleaming. “Is that true, Ryuji?”

  Kenji looked around the cafeteria.

  Everyone was watching.

  Phones were out.

  He could see Reina at another table, writing in her notebook.

  Kenji gritted his teeth. “I—”

  Sakura leaned in even closer. “Say it.”

  Kenji hated everything.

  Before he could form an answer, Reina stood up.

  “That’s enough.”

  Silence fell.

  Sakura turned her attention to Reina, raising a delicate brow.

  Reina adjusted her glasses. “Fujimura is a student of this school, not some heir to a crime empire. If you insist on spreading misinformation, I will be forced to intervene.”

  Sakura smirked. “Oh? And what will you do, Class President?”

  Reina’s eyes narrowed. “I have my methods.”

  Kenji wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or terrified.

  Scene 4: Reina’s Internal Struggle

  Reina Takahashi prided herself on being rational.

  Logic was absolute.

  Emotions were secondary.

  Which is why this entire situation was absolutely ridiculous.

  She sat at her usual desk, her notebook open, pen tapping lightly against the paper. Around her, the classroom buzzed with post-lunch gossip.

  Whispers filled the air.

  “…I still can’t believe it. Aizawa really confessed to him.”

  “…And in public. Bold move.”

  “…Do you think he actually likes her?”

  Reina’s grip tightened on her pen.

  She wasn’t listening.

  She had work to do. Important, student council-related work.

  Her gaze drifted toward the source of all this nonsense.

  Across the room, Kenji Fujimura was slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling as if questioning every decision that led to this moment.

  At his table, Akari was still fuming, stabbing her pen into her notebook with unnecessary force. Sakura, in contrast, looked entirely unbothered, delicately flipping through a magazine.

  Kenji, as always, looked tired.

  Reina wasn’t watching him.

  She was observing.

  Analyzing.

  At least, that’s what she told herself.

  Her pen hovered over the page as she carefully wrote out her next notes.

  Case Study: The Fujimura Situation.

  Her handwriting remained perfectly neat, her strokes deliberate.

  Subject: Kenji Fujimura

  Primary Observation: Increasingly evasive under direct questioning.

  Secondary Observation: Repeated misidentification as "Ryuji" by multiple sources.

  Possible Hypothesis: A past connection to Ryuji Sakamoto or an elaborate misunderstanding?

  Reina paused, tapping her pen against her chin.

  A misunderstanding this persistent seemed unlikely.

  Her eyes flickered back toward Kenji.

  He was staring blankly at the front of the classroom, completely oblivious to the fact that she was writing a full behavioral analysis on him.

  A small frown formed at the corner of her lips.

  She turned the page and wrote:

  Lies are best measured over time.

  She hesitated.

  Then, as if to reassure herself, she underlined it. Twice.

  Reina closed her notebook with a soft snap.

  Kenji glanced over.

  Their eyes met.

  Reina adjusted her glasses. “Something wrong, Fujimura?”

  Kenji narrowed his gaze. “I feel like you’re writing something insulting about me.”

  Reina tilted her head. “Oh? Why would you assume that?”

  Kenji scowled. “Because I know you.”

  Akari, who had apparently recovered from her rage spiral, smirked. “Yeah, Prez, what are you writing?”

  Reina remained perfectly composed.

  “Nothing that concerns you.”

  Akari leaned forward, intrigued. “Oh, now I really wanna see.”

  Reina calmly placed her notebook inside her bag.

  Kenji let out a sigh. “Seriously, can I have one day where I’m not under constant surveillance?”

  Reina tapped her fingers lightly against her desk. “You’re an irregularity.”

  Kenji blinked. “What the hell does that mean?”

  Reina picked up her pen, absentmindedly twirling it between her fingers. “It means I’ll be watching.”

  Kenji groaned, dropping his head onto his desk. “Of course you will.”

  Scene 5: A Dangerous Warning

  Kenji Fujimura wanted to disappear.

  Or, at the very least, he wanted a reset button on his life.

  Because the moment he stepped into the school hallway after class, he felt it.

  The shift in the air.

  The lingering stares.

  A silent, heavy tension that hadn’t been there before.

  His shoulders stiffened.

  Whispers danced just at the edge of his hearing.

  “…I heard Aizawa’s family is already moving.”

  “…They’re saying he’s gonna be a dead man soon.”

  Kenji exhaled slowly.

  Fantastic.

  He didn’t even have time to deal with this, considering he had just spent the last period dodging Reina’s attempts to "study" him like a goddamn science experiment.

  And now, apparently, he was about to be assassinated.

  Perfect.

  As he approached his locker, Kenji felt another presence beside him.

  Tetsuya Arakawa, ever the silent shadow, leaned against the lockers with his hands in his pockets.

  He didn’t say anything at first.

  Just stood there. Watching.

  Kenji huffed. “Alright, go ahead. Say it.”

  Tetsuya didn’t look at him. “Say what?”

  Kenji shot him a glare. “Whatever it is you’re thinking.”

  Tetsuya finally turned his head, his expression unreadable. “You’re an idiot.”

  Kenji rolled his eyes. “Right. Thanks for that. Really insightful.”

  Tetsuya’s stare didn’t waver. “I mean it, Kenji. You’re playing with fire.”

  Kenji scoffed. “Oh, come on. Sakura isn’t—”

  Tetsuya’s eyes sharpened.

  Kenji stopped.

  That reaction…

  Kenji straightened. “What?”

  Tetsuya exhaled, voice low. “You don’t get it, do you?”

  Kenji blinked.

  Tetsuya reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Without a word, he turned the screen toward Kenji.

  A text message.

  Unknown Number:

  "If you hurt Sakura, expect consequences."

  Kenji’s stomach dropped.

  His mind raced.

  “Where—” He stopped, voice suddenly hoarse. “Where did you get that?”

  Tetsuya pocketed his phone, expression dark. “I didn’t.”

  Kenji’s phone vibrated.

  He yanked it out, already knowing what he’d find.

  The same message.

  He stared at the words for a long moment, his grip on the device tightening.

  This wasn’t just school drama anymore.

  This was real.

  Tetsuya leaned against the lockers again, watching Kenji closely. “You understand now?”

  Kenji swallowed. “They’re actually watching me.”

  Tetsuya nodded. “And they’re waiting.”

  Kenji ran a hand through his hair, feeling a headache forming. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

  Tetsuya shrugged. “I dunno. But whatever you do—do it fast.”

  Kenji exhaled, his mind racing.

  He needed to figure this out.

  Because whoever sent that text?

  They weren’t bluffing.

  Scene 6: Takashi Tightens His Grip on Reina

  Reina Takahashi hated loose ends.

  She thrived in order, logic, and structure. Every problem had a solution. Every equation had an answer.

  And yet—

  Her pen tapped against her notebook as she stared at the words she had written earlier.

  "A dangerous woman has entered the equation. Increase observation of Fujimura."

  Her fingers tightened around the pen.

  Because the longer she studied Kenji, the more she realized something didn’t fit.

  And she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

  A voice broke her thoughts. “You look troubled, President.”

  She didn’t have to look up to know who it was.

  Takashi Hanekawa leaned casually against the doorframe of the student council room, his signature smirk firmly in place.

  “I’m not troubled,” Reina replied, flipping the page in her notebook as if the conversation bored her.

  Takashi hummed. “Is that so? Because I’ve been noticing something.”

  Reina finally glanced at him. “Oh?”

  Takashi strolled into the room like he owned it. He stopped just short of her desk and tilted his head. “You’ve been watching Kenji a lot lately.”

  Reina stiffened.

  Takashi chuckled. “I assume that means you’re starting to see what I see.”

  Reina’s eyes narrowed. “And what exactly do you see?”

  Takashi leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

  “I see someone pretending to be something they’re not.”

  Reina’s grip on her pen tightened.

  “I see someone,” Takashi continued, watching her too carefully, “who has everyone fooled.”

  Reina kept her expression neutral, but something in her stomach twisted.

  Because part of her agreed.

  She had spent weeks telling herself that Kenji was simply an anomaly—a reckless idiot who got caught in ridiculous situations.

  But then Sakura happened.

  And then the name ‘Ryuji’ kept coming up.

  And now?

  Now she was starting to think she had been ignoring something important.

  Takashi studied her reaction, his smirk widening.

  “I can help you figure it out,” he said smoothly.

  Reina scoffed. “And why would I need your help?”

  Takashi chuckled. “Because you hate being wrong.”

  Reina’s jaw tensed.

  He was right about that.

  But what he didn’t understand was that Reina wasn’t someone who could be manipulated.

  She didn’t jump to conclusions.

  She didn’t trust easily.

  And most of all—

  She didn’t take orders from anyone.

  So she closed her notebook, stood up, and leveled Takashi with a calm, unreadable look.

  “I don’t need your help,” she said coolly.

  Takashi’s smirk didn’t fade, but there was something sharper behind his eyes now.

  “You sure about that?”

  Reina brushed past him without answering.

  Because she wasn’t.

  Not anymore.