David sat alone on the rooftop of Seiryu Academy, legs dangling off the edge, chewing a Pocky stick like it was a stress cigarette. Below, the school buzzed with after-class noise. Above, the sky teased rain but refused to commit.
His H-System blinked quietly.
Route: Reika Saionji [Active]
Affection Level: 5
Status: Mildly Curious (Low Recall)
Complication: Rival Detected
He scrolled down.
Rival Identified: Sora Minazuki
Affection Towards Reika: HIGH
Danger Level: Moderate-High
Notes: Tends to punch first, ask later
"Great," David muttered. "He's hot, angry, and probably knows kung fu."
Earlier that day, Reika had agreed to walk home with him again. Things were going well. She laughed at his dumb jokes, made fun of his hoodie, and even bought them both bubble tea.
But then he showed up.
Sora Minazuki. All sharp cheekbones, narrow eyes, and unbuttoned uniform jacket. He leaned against a lamp post like a shoujo manga villain, oozing attitude.
"Reika," he said, voice smooth and deep. "You forgot we were supposed to train today."
Reika blinked. "Did I?"
"Of course. You never forget when it's just us."
David watched from the side, smile frozen.
"Uh," he raised a hand. "She's with me today."
Sora looked him up and down, unimpressed. "You're the transfer student. The one sniffing around her."
"I—what?! No sniffing!"
Reika groaned. "Don't start, you two. Sora, this is David. David, this is Sora. He's a friend."
The way Sora smiled said "friend" was a lie. A deep, possessive lie.
Back on the rooftop, David sighed.
Sora wasn't just a rival. He was the kind of guy who probably had sparring gloves in his backpack and a tragic backstory involving dead birds and rain.
And the worst part?
New Side Event: After-School Sparring Club (Sora & Reika)
Location: Gymnasium B
Time: 5 PM Today
Flag Chance: High (Shared Memories)
David groaned into his hands. "He's got a shared hobby flag."
He glanced at the clock. 4:30 PM.
"Fine. If I can't beat him in muscles, I'll beat him in mind games."
Gymnasium B echoed with the sounds of padded hits and grunts. Reika wore a sleeveless athletic top and gloves, her moves fast and precise. Sora faced her shirtless, showing off the kind of lean build that had zero business existing in high school.
David entered the gym in full PE uniform, holding a bottle of water and wearing the fakest smile of his life.
"Hey," he called, walking toward them. "Thought I'd check it out. Show some support."
Reika looked surprised. "You came?"
"I said I'd walk you home, didn't I?"
Sora wiped his face with a towel, smirking. "Didn't take you for a martial arts fan."
David shrugged. "I'm into... sports of all kinds. Especially emotional ones."
Reika chuckled, tossing her gloves aside. "Spar's over. I win."
"Only because I held back," Sora said smoothly.
"Sure," she replied. "Like always."
She walked over to David and took the water. Their fingers touched for half a second.
The system pinged.
Affection +1
Shared Hydration Moment Logged
Sora watched, smile fading.
"So," he said, eyes on David. "You joining the club?"
"Can't," David said. "I'm part of the... emotional resilience team."
Reika laughed again. "That's not a thing."
David turned. "Wanna grab takoyaki?"
"Sure."
Sora stepped forward. "Reika—"
She paused. "Hm?"
"…Nothing. Have fun."
She didn't look back.
Later that night, David sat under a vending machine glow, biting into fried octopus balls like they held the secrets of life.
Reika licked sauce off her fingers. "You're weird, you know that?"
"Yeah, but charming weird."
"You're... something."
There was a pause. Her expression shifted—like something flickered in her memory. A tiny itch in her mind she couldn't quite scratch.
"…Have we met before?" she asked.
David froze.
A beat passed.
He smiled softly. "Sort of. Maybe in a dream."
She studied him, then looked away. "…I don't believe in fate."
"Good. Because I'm here to mess it up."
She laughed, not knowing how true that was.
Back at the dorm, his system pinged again.
Event Update: Rival Path Branching
Sora's Suspicion Level: Rising
Route Stability: Shaky but Holding
David sighed and leaned against the wall.
One step closer to Reika.
One enemy closer to total collapse.
But hey—he still had takoyaki sauce on his lips, and her laugh stuck in his ears.
"Bring it on, anime villain."