Hina's Perspective
The first day of school had finally ended.
Normally, I would have felt relieved.
Instead, I felt exhausted.
Not because of the classes.
Not because of the homework.
Not even because of the student council announcements that seemed to drag on forever.
No.
The reason was one very annoying person.
Hanato Kisaragi.
Just thinking about him made my eyebrows twitch.
The boy had somehow managed to ruin my peace within a single day.
From his smug attitude to his constant teasing, everything about him irritated me.
How could someone be so confident and so annoying at the same time?
I let out a tired sigh as I walked through the front gate of my house.
The familiar scent of dinner drifted through the air.
Mom was already home.
The moment I stepped inside, I removed my shoes and greeted her.
"I'm home."
Mom looked up from the dining table.
Her sharp eyes immediately landed on me.
"You're late."
"I stopped by the convenience store."
She nodded before returning her attention to some documents spread across the table.
Even at home she was still working.
Sometimes I wondered if she ever truly rested.
"I'll be going to bed early," I told her.
She glanced at me again.
"You feeling sick?"
"No. Just tired."
A brief silence followed.
Then her expression softened slightly.
"Alright. Get some rest."
That alone was enough to surprise me.
My mother wasn't exactly the affectionate type.
She cared deeply.
She simply had a difficult way of showing it.
After saying goodnight, I headed upstairs and entered my room.
The moment I closed the door behind me, I collapsed onto my bed.
The soft mattress felt like heaven.
Within minutes, I was asleep.
When I opened my eyes again, darkness still covered the world outside.
For a brief moment, I thought I had overslept.
Then I glanced at my clock.
4:00 AM.
I blinked.
Then sat up.
Oddly enough, I felt completely refreshed.
The exhaustion from yesterday had vanished.
Maybe sleeping early really did work miracles.
I stretched my arms above my head before getting out of bed.
Today was important.
Class elections.
The thought alone filled me with anticipation.
After washing up, changing clothes, and finishing breakfast, I prepared to leave.
As I reached the front door, Mom suddenly spoke.
"I'll be coming home late tonight."
I paused.
"Another overtime shift?"
"Unfortunately."
She picked up her handbag.
"One of the company's branches is preparing for an inspection."
I nodded.
Mom worked for one of the Kisaragi Group's companies.
Which unfortunately meant she technically worked under Hanato's family.
Just another reason for me to dislike him.
Meanwhile, Dad worked overseas.
Because he was rarely home, Mom carried almost every responsibility by herself.
Perhaps that was why she pushed both herself and me so hard.
I understood her reasons.
That didn't make it any less exhausting.
"Be careful," I said.
She gave a small nod.
"You too."
At exactly six o'clock, I left the house.
The morning air felt refreshing.
A cool breeze swept through the quiet streets as the sun slowly began to rise.
Everything seemed peaceful.
At least for a while.
As I passed through the marketplace district, I noticed an elderly man struggling with several grocery bags.
The poor man looked like he was carrying enough supplies to feed an entire family.
Both of his arms trembled under the weight.
Several bags looked ready to tear apart at any second.
I checked the time.
I still had plenty of time before meeting Yuki.
Besides...
I couldn't just ignore him.
I approached him with a smile.
"Excuse me, sir."
The old man looked up.
"Hm?"
"Would you like some help carrying those?"
His eyes widened slightly.
"Oh? Are you sure, young lady?"
"Of course."
A warm smile spread across his face.
"Then I'd appreciate it."
The moment he handed me several bags, I immediately realized how heavy they were.
What exactly was inside these things?
Bricks?
Gold bars?
The old man chuckled at my expression.
"Heavy, isn't it?"
"Just a little."
"You're stronger than you look."
The next hour passed surprisingly quickly.
The old man turned out to be quite talkative.
He told stories about the town.
Stories about his grandchildren.
Stories about how different everything had become over the years.
Before I knew it, we had arrived at his home.
I checked the time.
My eyes widened.
Seven fifteen.
An entire hour and fifteen minutes had disappeared.
"Oh no."
The old man laughed.
"Running late?"
"Very."
"Then thank you, young lady."
I bowed quickly.
"No problem!"
Then I sprinted away.
The streets were becoming busier.
People filled the sidewalks.
Cars flowed through intersections.
I hurried toward my destination.
Then suddenly—
A flash of movement caught my attention.
A young girl stood at a crosswalk.
She couldn't have been older than six.
The pedestrian signal was green.
She began crossing.
At the same moment, a large truck approached the intersection.
Fast.
Too fast.
My stomach dropped.
The driver wasn't slowing down.
He hadn't seen her.
Everything happened in an instant.
"Watch out!"
I threw myself forward.
The little girl's eyes widened.
I grabbed her arm and yanked her toward me.
The truck roared past.
A powerful gust of wind followed.
The vehicle missed us by mere inches.
The little girl began crying immediately.
My heart pounded violently inside my chest.
That had been far too close.
I crouched beside her.
"Are you okay?"
The girl nodded weakly.
Then her mother rushed over and embraced her.
"T-Thank you!"
I smiled.
"It's alright."
As I stood up, something strange caught my attention.
Across the street.
The old man from earlier was standing there.
Watching.
For a brief moment, our eyes met.
Then he simply smiled.
Something about it felt oddly mysterious.
Before I could think further, he disappeared into the crowd.
"...That's weird."
Still, there wasn't time to dwell on it.
I had somewhere to be.
And I was very late.
By the time I reached school, panic had completely taken over.
The clock near the entrance displayed the time.
7:55 AM.
Five minutes.
Only five minutes remained before classes started.
I sprinted across campus.
Students turned to stare as I rushed past them.
My lungs burned.
My legs ached.
But I couldn't stop.
Being late wasn't an option.
Especially not for me.
Mom would absolutely destroy me.
I finally reached the classroom.
Then my soul nearly left my body.
Ms. Temi was already there.
Ten minutes early.
Of all days.
Why today?
The teacher looked up from her desk.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I see you're a little late, Hina."
My heart sank.
I was doomed.
Absolutely doomed.
Ms. Temi slowly opened a drawer.
My eyes immediately locked onto the stack of warning slips inside.
The dreaded papers.
The papers that required parental signatures.
The papers that would eventually lead to my death at my mother's hands.
Maybe not literally.
Probably.
Hopefully.
I swallowed nervously.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Temi."
The lie formed before I could stop myself.
"There was traffic at the marketplace, so I couldn't arrive earlier."
The words felt horrible leaving my mouth.
I hated lying.
But survival instincts were powerful.
Ms. Temi adjusted her glasses.
Her expression suggested she wasn't entirely convinced.
Before she could respond—
The classroom door slid open.
Everyone turned.
Including me.
And standing there was the last person I expected to see.
Hanato Kisaragi.
Hanato's Perspective
I had just finished taking care of business in the bathroom.
A completely normal morning.
Nothing unusual.
Then I heard a familiar voice from inside my classroom.
Hina.
Naturally, I became suspicious.
Curious.
Concerned?
No.
Definitely not concerned.
The moment I approached the doorway, I heard her explanation.
"There was traffic at the marketplace..."
I nearly stopped walking.
Traffic?
Traffic?
This girl walked to school every day.
She wasn't stuck in traffic.
She was traffic.
There was no way that excuse was real.
I glanced inside.
Sure enough.
Ms. Temi looked skeptical.
Hina looked nervous.
Very nervous.
The kind of nervous that suggested she was moments away from being handed a warning slip.
I crossed my arms.
Normally, I'd enjoy watching her suffer.
Actually—
No.
I definitely would enjoy watching her suffer.
But there was one problem.
If Hina got punished, she'd spend the entire day sulking.
And teasing a depressed Hina wasn't nearly as entertaining as teasing an angry Hina.
Angry Hina was far more fun.
A slow grin spread across my face.
Well.
Looks like I had no choice.
I stepped into the room.
Immediately, everyone's attention shifted toward me.
Even Hina looked shocked.
Good.
I liked that expression.
"Sorry I'm late, Ms. Temi."
The teacher raised an eyebrow.
"And why are you late?"
I pointed casually toward Hina.
"There was traffic at the marketplace."
Silence.
Then realization slowly spread across Hina's face.
Her eyes widened.
A faint blush appeared.
Part embarrassment.
Part disbelief.
Part pure hatred.
Beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
I had never seen such a complicated expression before.
"And it slowed me down on my way to school."
The classroom remained silent for several seconds.
Then Ms. Temi sighed.
A long, tired sigh.
The sigh of a teacher who had already dealt with too much nonsense for one morning.
"I see."
She looked between the two of us.
Then shook her head.
"Take your seats."
Victory.
No warning slips.
No parental signatures.
No angry mothers.
Mission accomplished.
As I walked toward my desk, I passed Hina.
She glared at me.
Hard.
If looks could kill, I would have died instantly.
I leaned closer and whispered.
"You're welcome."
The glare somehow intensified.
Interesting.
I hadn't thought that was possible.
Then again—
This was Hina.
And making Hina angry was one of my favorite hobbies.
The school year was definitely going to be fun.
Hina's Perspective
I was still trying to process what had just happened.
Hanato Kisaragi.
Late.
The very idea sounded ridiculous.
The boy practically lived at school.
Every morning, he somehow managed to arrive before everyone else just so he could prepare another one of his stupid pranks.
Whether it was hiding my notebooks, placing fake insects inside my desk, or replacing my lunch menu with embarrassing notes, Hanato always had something prepared.
That was why I found the situation so unbelievable.
The fact that he was late was strange enough.
The fact that he used the exact same excuse I had just given Ms. Temi was even stranger.
I glanced toward the back of the classroom.
Hanato had already taken his seat.
The annoying smirk on his face told me everything.
He knew exactly what he had done.
And he was enjoying every second of it.
Idiot.
Complete idiot.
Ms. Temi adjusted her glasses before looking at both of us.
"Well, since both of you have a valid reason for being late, please take your seats. Class is about to begin."
Relief immediately washed over me.
No warning slip.
No parent signature.
No angry mother waiting for me at home.
I quickly walked to my seat beside Yuki.
The moment I sat down, I felt her stare.
I didn't even need to look.
I already knew what kind of expression she was making.
Slowly, I turned my head.
Sure enough.
A mischievous smile was plastered across her face.
Great.
Just great.
Yuki had noticed everything.
"Why were you late?" she whispered.
I opened my notebook.
"I wasn't."
"Really?"
"Really."
Yuki leaned closer.
"You were lucky Hanato saved you."
My eye twitched.
Saved.
I hated that word.
Especially when it involved Hanato.
"I was late because of traffic."
The lie left my mouth automatically.
Yuki stared at me.
Then she stared some more.
Then she looked completely unconvinced.
"Hina."
"What?"
"You walk to school."
"..."
"There is literally no way traffic made you late."
I immediately looked away.
Unfortunately, my silence only made me look more suspicious.
Yuki giggled.
"You don't have to lie to me."
I sighed.
There was no escaping her.
After years of friendship, she could practically read my thoughts.
"I took a little detour."
"A little detour?"
"That's all."
Technically it wasn't a lie.
Helping the old man had caused me to be late.
Saving the little girl had delayed me even more.
But explaining everything felt embarrassing.
Especially after Hanato had bailed me out.
Yuki rested her chin on her hand.
"Well, you're lucky Hanato lied too."
I rolled my eyes.
"Don't remind me."
She laughed softly.
"There's no way that prankster was actually late."
Unfortunately...
She was right.
That was exactly what bothered me.
Hanato had intentionally helped me.
And somehow that annoyed me more than if he had exposed my lie.
The classroom slowly settled down as students returned to their seats.
Morning conversations began to fade.
The sounds of chairs moving across the floor gradually disappeared.
Ms. Temi stood near the front desk with the attendance sheet in hand.
"Alright everyone."
The teacher smiled.
"Let's begin attendance."
One by one, names were called.
Each student answered.
"Present."
"Here."
"Present."
The routine continued peacefully.
A completely normal school morning.
At least...
That's what I thought.
"Reno?"
Ms. Temi looked around the classroom.
No response.
She checked the attendance sheet.
"Reno?"
Still nothing.
The room remained silent.
A student from the back raised her hand.
"I haven't seen him today."
Ms. Temi frowned slightly.
"Absent?"
She looked genuinely concerned.
Reno wasn't exactly known for skipping classes.
Just as she was about to continue—
BOOOOOM!!
The entire classroom shook violently.
The explosion-like sound echoed through the room.
Students screamed.
Several desks tipped over.
The floor trembled beneath our feet.
For a split second, nobody understood what had happened.
Then the classroom door exploded inward.
Wood splintered everywhere.
Fragments scattered across the floor like deadly projectiles.
The force of the impact sent a powerful gust of wind through the room.
The entire class froze.
My heart stopped.
Standing where the classroom door had once been was something that shouldn't have existed.
A monster.
A real monster.
The creature towered over everyone.
At least three meters tall.
Its body resembled a horrifying combination of an alligator and a dinosaur.
Gray metallic scales covered its massive frame.
The scales reflected sunlight like sharpened steel.
Rows of razor-like spikes protruded from its back.
Each spike looked large enough to impale a person.
Its claws were long and curved.
Sharp enough to tear through concrete.
Its tail dragged across the floor behind it.
At the end of the tail was a massive spear-shaped blade.
The blade scraped against the ground, leaving deep cuts in the classroom floor.
Most terrifying of all were its eyes.
Bright red.
Burning with hatred.
The room fell deathly silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The monster slowly stepped forward.
CRACK.
The floor shattered beneath its weight.
Students immediately began backing away.
Some started crying.
Others were too terrified to even scream.
I couldn't move.
My body refused to listen.
Every instinct inside me was screaming danger.
The monster scanned the room.
Its red eyes moved from student to student.
Searching.
Looking.
Hunting.
Then suddenly—
Its gaze stopped.
"Lilie Shiniki."
The monster's voice shook the room.
It sounded like metal grinding against metal.
Several students flinched.
The creature pointed one enormous claw toward a girl sitting near the center row.
"Lilie Shiniki."
The girl froze.
Her face turned completely pale.
The monster's mouth twisted into a terrifying grin.
"You will pay."
The temperature inside the room seemed to drop.
"I'm Razorblade."
The creature spread its massive arms.
"And I'm here to destroy you and every spoiled brat in Tokyo!"
Panic erupted instantly.
Students screamed.
Several people rushed toward the back of the classroom.
Others hid beneath their desks.
Someone began crying loudly.
Even Ms. Temi looked shocked.
Yet despite the fear visible on her face, she stepped forward.
"Everyone stay calm!"
Her voice trembled.
But before she could do anything—
The monster moved.
Fast.
Far too fast.
One moment it was standing near the doorway.
The next moment it was directly beside Lilie.
The entire class gasped.
Lilie screamed.
"R-Reno?!"
The name echoed through the classroom.
For a brief moment, confusion appeared on everyone's faces.
Reno?
What did she mean?
The monster's grin widened.
An expression that somehow confirmed her fear.
Then it grabbed her.
One enormous claw wrapped around her body.
Lilie cried out in terror.
"LET ME GO!"
The monster ignored her.
Students rushed forward instinctively.
"Stop!"
"Put her down!"
"Someone help her!"
But it was too late.
Razorblade turned toward the classroom windows.
The creature tightened its grip around Lilie.
Then—
BOOOOOM!!
It smashed straight through the wall of glass.
Windows shattered.
Fragments exploded outward.
The creature leaped from the second floor carrying Lilie in its arms.
The entire classroom rushed toward the broken window.
I was among them.
Below us, Razorblade landed on the school grounds with enough force to crack the pavement.
Dust exploded into the air.
The monster didn't stop.
It immediately sprinted away.
Carrying Lilie.
Taking her somewhere unknown.
The terrified girl's screams gradually faded into the distance.
Then silence returned.
An awful silence.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
The reality of what had just happened slowly sank in.
A monster had appeared.
A student had been kidnapped.
And we had been powerless to stop it.
Ms. Temi finally stepped forward.
Her face was pale.
But she was trying her best to remain calm.
"Everyone..."
The classroom turned toward her.
She took a deep breath.
"School is dismissed for today."
Nobody argued.
Nobody questioned her decision.
"Please return home immediately."
Her voice was firm.
"The authorities will handle the situation."
The room remained silent.
Fear lingered in every corner.
I looked at the shattered window.
At the destroyed doorway.
At the empty seat where Lilie had been sitting only minutes ago.
My hands trembled.
Something felt terribly wrong.
Because deep down...
I had a feeling this was only the beginning.