Tokyo, Japan.
At Tokyo University, Gakuen-sai's night.
June 18th, 2026
8:20 PM 23° Celsius/73.4 Fahrenheit
The Gakuensai glittered under the moonlight, like a living dream woven from paper lanterns, laughter, and fleeting joy. Yet, outside the reach of the glowing lights and bubbling voices, two figures stood still—watching, calculating, remembering.
Ryuji Takahashi's eyes narrowed.
In the distance, beneath a string of crimson lanterns, Ray Shigeyoshi strolled leisurely alongside three stunning women, Reina, confident, laidback, and smoldering in every move. Kitsune, mysterious and unreadable, her shadow black hair glinting. And -
Ryuji's gaze locked on the third.
His breath caught.
A beat passed in silence.
Maria, standing beside him, noticed the sudden tension ripple through his frame. She turned her head slightly.
"What is it?" she asked.
Ryuji didn't answer right away. His eyes stayed locked on the girl walking just a few steps behind Ray. Her violet yukata. Her hesitant gait. The way she never took her eyes off Ray, as if caught between fear and something unspoken.
Finally, he spoke, voice laced with disbelief. "Her."
Maria followed his line of sight. "Which one?"
"The one behind him. Violet yukata." He added while pointing at Arashi.
Maria studied the girl's face. "You know her?"
"Yeah," Ryuji muttered. "I know her."
Maria turned to him fully now. "Who is she?"
Ryuji's voice softened, strangely distant. "Arashi. Arashi Himura. We knew each other… years ago."
He didn't elaborate at first.
Maria, impatient, folded her arms.
"And?" Her tone dismissive.
"We had something," Ryuji said.
"Or, at least, it felt like something back then. She was the only one who… saw me before I became what I am now. It was quiet, kind. She used to believe in people. In me." His jaw tightened. "Then one day, she ended it. No explanation. No goodbye. Just disappeared." He added.
Maria raised a brow, unimpressed. "So what?"
Ryuji grinned, the fondness vanishing from his face like melting ice.
"So...."
"I can use her." Ryuji said slowly
Maria's eyes narrowed.
"I'll bait that devil bastard with her. Separate her from the rest, lure Ray into an isolated location where no one can help him. No cameras. No crowd. No distractions. Just me and him." He explained
"And what about the plan? "The masked girl's orders? Maria asked.
Ryuji scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Fuck her and her plan. We do this now. Without her. Ray's here. Arashi's here. That's the sign."
Maria didn't answer immediately. Her cold eyes studied Ryuji, as if weighing the risks. She didn't like disorder—she was a strategist, a tactician. But she also didn't like wasting time.
And deep down, she wanted this over.
She nodded once. "Fine. One chance. If this fails, we follow the woman's plan. No improvisation next time."
Ryuji flashed a dangerous grin.
"Trust me, Maria-chan. That fucking bastard will falls."
Elsewhere, at the heart of the festival, the air was easier, more relaxed, on the surface.
Ray stood beside a booth where students debated philosophy over matcha tea. Reina leaned in slightly, her arms crossed, listening with a faint smirk to Kitsune's snide remarks about Arashi's taste in literature. Kitsune rarely spoke, but when she did, it was sharp as a blade and oddly charming.
Ray smiled faintly, though his eyes often flickered behind him—checking for Arashi.
She stood a few meters away, still disconnected, half in the world and half in the memories of a nightmare she hadn't escaped. Her gaze never left Ray. Every breath she took seemed tethered to the images she couldn't purge—her three male friends on the floor, Ray standing over them, silent, cold, distant. Her heart ached, yet some inexplicable gravity kept her close to him.
Suddenly, the crowd surged.
A group of visitors pushed through in excitement, students running to see the fireworks demonstration on the far lawn. Arashi was swept slightly aside, her eyes darting as the festival thinned out in spots and thickened in others.
Ray turned his head—but Arashi was no longer in view.
She was gone.
But, he couldn't care less.
Arashi blinked, confused. The noise had dimmed.
Her surroundings had changed, she stood now between two quiet buildings, away from the lights, the crowd far behind. Her heart began to pound.
"Hello?" she whispered, turning..
A strong arm clamped over her mouth. Her scream never made it out.
She kicked, thrashed, but the grip was iron.
Then—
"Arashi," a voice said.
She froze.
It was a voice from another time.
The hand moved away.
Arashi turned slowly, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Ryuji stood before her, smiling gently, almost boyishly. The memory of that smile once comforted her.
Now, it chilled her.
Beside him stood a tall woman with blood-red hair and eyes like razors - Maria, stone-faced and watching.
Arashi's lips trembled.
"…Ryuji-kun?" she whispered.
The name tasted unfamiliar on her tongue.
Like calling out to a ghost.