The message was short, typed hastily on my phone as I hid behind the stairwell door.
"Ayanokōji. Hurry up. Your little girlfriend's in deep trouble.I don't know how long I can buy time."
I pressed send and exhaled quietly, my breath visible in the cold winter air. My heart hammered, but I forced myself to keep a straight face. The rooftop beyond that steel door had already become a battlefield — one I had no business stepping into.
But I wasn't about to stand by and watch Karuizawa get crushed.
1. The Entrance
I pushed the door open. The metallic creak sliced through the rooftop's silence.
Eight eyes turned toward me — Ryūen's cold, predatory glare; Ibuki's startled frown; Ishizaki's confusion; Albert's unreadable expression; and Karuizawa's tear-stained face that flickered between hope and disbelief.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw me. The faintest spark of relief shone there — as if she'd just glimpsed light through the cracks of her collapsing world.
"Soshi…?" she whispered, voice trembling.
Great. Now everyone knew my name.
"Huh?" Ryūen blinked, momentarily thrown off. "And what the hell is this supposed to mean?"
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "Ah, sorry for barging in. I, uh… might've taken a wrong turn?"
Ryūen's expression twisted into one of mild annoyance. "Albert. Why did you bring him here?"
Albert, towering and impassive, looked down at me. "He said he was X," he answered in his low, rumbling voice.
The rooftop fell dead silent for half a second.
"...Ha?" Ryūen blinked again, his smirk faltering.
Ibuki frowned. "Wait, what?"
I forced a laugh. "Yeah… about that. Total misunderstanding. Wrong marketing strategy. I should've gone with 'friendly neighborhood idiot' instead."
Ryūen's lips curled into a half-amused, half-disgusted grin. "You're kidding me, right? You seriously told Albert you were X?"
"Look, I was improvising, okay?" I said quickly, raising my hands in surrender. "Thought it might get me an audience."
"Then get out," he said flatly, pointing to the door.
"Gladly," I said, nodding vigorously. "See you, everyone. Pretend I was never here."
I turned to leave, my steps light but deliberate. Just as I reached the door, I felt her eyes on me again — Karuizawa's wide, desperate eyes, silently pleading.
Don't go.
I hesitated. Damn it. This was supposed to be a quick in-and-out, not some hero stunt.
The door handle was just inches away when—
"Stop."Ryūen's voice sliced through the wind like a blade.
I froze. Slowly, I turned back around with a nervous smile plastered on my face. "Um… yeah?"
He tilted his head slightly, a cruel smile forming. "You think you can just waltz in, call yourself X, and leave? Cute. But not happening."
I sighed inwardly. Here we go.
2. The Bargain
I stood at attention, trying my best to look harmless. "Is there a particular reason you want me to stay? I don't swing that way, Ryūen."
Ishizaki snorted. "Ha! With that attitude? You're asking to get punched, idiot."
Ryuuen's eyes narrowed. "Let's make this simple. You saw something you shouldn't have. If you don't want trouble, swallow everything that happened here. Got it?"
"Swallow?" I repeated. "Not exactly my favorite word, but I get your drift."
He smirked. "Good. Then leave quietly."
"Yeah, about that…" I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "What if I don't?"
Ibuki groaned. "Oh, for god's sake…"
Ryūen's grin turned predatory. "You planning to play hero now, Miyamoto?"
I shrugged. "Not a hero. Just a negotiator. How about we make a deal?"
He blinked. "A deal?"
"You let Karuizawa go, and I pretend I didn't see anything. We all walk away like civilized human beings. No reports, no drama."
Ishizaki barked out a laugh. "This guy's an idiot! You think you can make deals with Brother Ryūen?"
Even Ibuki smirked faintly, though I could tell she was uneasy. Albert, as usual, stood silently behind me like a wall of quiet menace.
Ryuuen stepped forward until there was barely a meter between us, his breath visible in the freezing air. "Do it," he said softly.
Before I could react, thick arms wrapped around me from behind. Albert. My feet lifted off the ground like I was a toddler being picked up by a gorilla.
"Okay, okay!" I wheezed, my toes dangling. "This is highly unprofessional negotiation etiquette!"
Ryuuen tilted his head, smiling faintly. "You don't get it, do you? Deals are made between equals. You're not equal to me."
"Fair," I managed to grunt, "but worth a shot, right?"
Ryuuen's smirk widened. "You really think threatening me will save her?"
"Well," I said between gasps, "it's not about saving anyone. It's about buying time."
He frowned. "What?"
I smiled faintly. "You think I came up here alone just to play pretend? Someone else knows what's happening right now."
That made him pause. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes — the first real crack in his composure.
"Oh, don't look so serious," I added, lowering my voice. "You wouldn't want the school to find out about this little rooftop party, would you? Pouring water on a classmate? Cameras or not, rumors spread fast."
Ryūen's expression hardened. "You think I'm bluffing about the cameras? They're disabled. Even if you squeal, there's no proof."
"True," I said. "But proof isn't the point. Reputation is."
Ibuki's gaze darted toward me, uncertain. Ishizaki's smirk faltered slightly. Even Albert hesitated for a brief moment.
I could feel the shift in their air — the first seeds of doubt.
3. Words Sharper Than Blades
I looked down at Karuizawa, who was still trembling on the wet concrete. Her uniform clung to her skin, her eyes distant.
"You know," I said, my tone softening, "you're misunderstanding something, Ryūen."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You think she's scared of you." I pointed a finger toward Karuizawa. "But that's not it. She's scared of being seen. Scared of anyone realizing she was ever bullied. That's the kind of fear that breaks people."
Ryuuen stared at me, unimpressed. "And your point?"
"My point," I said calmly, "is that if I expose this — the great Ryūen Kakeru torturing a girl who's already been broken once before — it won't matter if there's evidence or not. The whole school will turn against you."
He clicked his tongue. "Tch. You talk too much."
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
He took a slow step closer, the sound of his shoes scraping against the wet rooftop. "So what's your play, Miyamoto? Keep me talking until your imaginary reinforcements arrive?"
I met his gaze, smiling faintly. "Exactly."
He blinked. Then laughed — low, sharp, amused. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
I forced a grin. "Thanks. I'll put that on my résumé if I survive."
Albert still held me tightly, but his grip had loosened slightly. He wasn't cruel by nature, and I could tell he wasn't enjoying this.
"Hey, Albert," I said casually. "You seem like a good guy. How about letting me down? My toes are starting to cramp."
There was a pause — and then, surprisingly, he did. My shoes touched the ground again.
"See?" I said, brushing off my uniform. "Kind man. Maybe you should lead Class C instead."
"Enough," Ryūen snapped.
4. The Tightrope
The tension was coiling tighter now — like the string of a bow pulled to its breaking point.
Karuizawa's lips trembled. "Soshi… just go," she whispered weakly. "It's okay…"
I shot her a look. "You seriously think I can walk out after all this? I've already made myself the villain in this story."
She didn't answer, only lowered her head, her wet hair falling like curtains.
Ryuuen shoved his hands into his pockets, exhaling lazily. "You're stalling," he said. "But I've got all day."
"Do you?" I countered. "It's the last day of the semester. The teachers are probably still around. You really think you'll get away with this if someone comes up?"
He tilted his head. "They won't. I planned this perfectly."
I shrugged. "Maybe. But you forgot one thing."
He frowned. "And what's that?"
"I'm very, very annoying," I said cheerfully.
That earned a snort from Ibuki — the kind that slips out before you can stop it. Ryuuen shot her a glare, and she quickly looked away. But the damage was done — the atmosphere cracked just a little.
5. The Echo of Footsteps
The wind howled briefly across the rooftop. The kind of silence that follows right before something big happens.
And then, faintly, through the metal door behind me — footsteps.
Measured, calm, unhurried.
The sound of inevitability.
Ryuuen noticed it too. His eyes flicked toward the door, suspicion flashing. "...What the hell?"
I smiled slightly. "Guess my bluff wasn't a bluff after all."
The door creaked open.
A figure stepped out — hands in pockets, expression unreadable, the gray winter light catching the edges of his hair.
Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
Ryuuen's grin froze. "...You."
Ayanokōji's gaze swept across the scene — Karuizawa shivering on the ground, the puddles of water glistening around her, me standing awkwardly with a faint smile, and Ryuuen surrounded by his followers.
"I see," he said softly. "So this is what you've been doing."
Ryuuen's smirk returned, sharper now. "Took you long enough."
I exhaled in relief and muttered under my breath, "Finally."
Ayanokōji shot me a small, almost imperceptible glance. "Good work, Miyamoto."
I smirked. "Don't mention it. Just promise me you'll handle the crazy guy, yeah?"
Ryuuen's laugh echoed across the rooftop. "So this is it, huh? The great X finally shows his face."