Riko's back at school, trying his best to act like that crazy city fight never happened.
The morning feels too bright, like the world's overcompensating to appear ordinary. Birds are extra chirpy. The sky is ridiculously blue. Car horns blare as if it's any old day. You'd never guess that a huge monster trashed Neo-Block City less than a day ago, or that a glitch nearly swallowed a whole block, or that a strange dude named Kaze told Riko he'd see him soon before turning into digital dust.
And here's Riko Mizuno, walking to school with his backpack over his shoulder. He's trying hard not to look like the guy who punched a super-powered creature through multiple buildings. His legs feel strangely strong, like he could take off running across the city, but he makes himself walk slowly. He needs to be normal, boring, invisible.
Just act normal, he mumbles to himself. Just… normal.
The crack on his tech is covered with bandages, hidden under his sleeve. It hasn't said a word since last night. No warnings, no glitches, no sarcastic comments. Just silence. Riko's not sure if he likes it or hates it. The quiet feels too close to Kaze's warning about being spotted.
He shoves this aside. Nope. Not now. School. Focus.
Students are hanging out in the courtyard, chatting, snacking, acting like homework is a suggestion. Everything looks so, so normal. The fountain's still broken. The graffiti behind the gym is the same. Someone's blasting music even though it's forbidden.
The world's the same.
But Riko isn't.
As he walks through the gate, a group of kids whisper near the bike racks. They glance at him, then look away, then back again.
Riko keeps walking, looking straight ahead.
More whispers follow him.
Hey, that guy…
…I think I saw him…
The punch! He…
…glowed, right? I saw that, didn't I?
Riko's stomach clenches. He'd hoped the fight was too fast and unbelievable for anyone to understand. But people noticed. Of course they did.
He walks faster, head down.
A classmate jogs up beside him. Hey, Riko! Did you hear about that crazy thing downtown? He sounds way too casual. He's fishing for info.
Riko shrugs. Nope. I was home, doing homework.
The guy squints. You? Homework?
Yep, Riko says. I was hit by a… homework wave.
That's not real.
It is now.
The guy raises an eyebrow, not buying it. If you hear anything, let me know. People say some guy punched a monster so hard the ground shook.
Sounds fake, Riko says.
The guy looks like he wants to ask more, but the bell rings. Riko gets pulled into the hallway with everyone.
He sits down in his classroom.
Students come in. Some look at his arms like they expect them to glow. Others are trying hard *not* to look but failing. Riko slouches down in his seat.
The teacher walks in. Okay, class. Attendance.
Names echo in the room. Riko tries to block them out. He's trying to breathe like normal and not seem like he could rip his desk apart.
He stares at the board, but all he sees is the screen. The screen becomes Kaze. Kaze turns into the monster.
Riko grips the edge of his desk so hard his knuckles turn white.
The teacher talks about math, but Riko can't focus. He keeps thinking about Kaze's see you soon, which sounded like a promise, not a threat.
The system knows.
What does that even mean?
Does the system have enemies? Does it hunt people? Does it pick people to fight? Why him? Why now?
He takes a slow breath. Stop thinking, he whispers. Just get through class.
The teacher assigns group projects. Students groan. Luna sits next to him.
Great.
She sits down. Hey.
Hey, he replies.
She glances around. You okay?
Sure, Riko lies.
You don't look okay.
I don't look okay most days.
She raises a brow. True.
They sit quietly while classmates chatter, clueless that the world nearly broke.
After the project and a long lecture, the bell rings. Riko rushes out of his seat. He needs air.
Students fill the halls. Riko tries to fit in, but some kids point and whisper. A girl stares at him like he's contagious.
Riko walks faster.
He just needs to grab his stuff so he can breathe and calm down.
Kaze said the system spotted him.
Does that mean the system is finding others?
What if there are more like him?
What if people get hurt?
What if someone shows up in the hallway?
He shakes his head. Stop it. You're at school. It's fine.
He turns a corner and almost bumps into three students talking fast.
I think I saw blue light…
That fight was real!
People saw a glitch…
Do you think it was a hero?
Or a monster?
Riko stops.
A hero?
He has to fight the urge to laugh.
He feels like anything but a hero. A hero doesn't freak out. A hero doesn't run. A hero doesn't almost let someone get hurt, and a hero doesn't freeze when he meets guys like Kaze.
He keeps his head down and moves past them.
Get to the locker.
Open it.
Grab your stuff.
Try to act normal.
He reaches the lockers. His is 4B-19. Familiar. Boring.
As normal as things can get.
Riko exhales. School. Normal. It's…
He spins the lock.
Left.
Right.
Left.
It clicks.
The door opens.
And then…
The screen under his sleeve starts to hum. Soft at first, then louder. The vibration crawls up his arm.
No, he whispers. Not here. Not now. Please, no.
Light shines. Blue. Bright.
Riko's chest hurts.
The hallway gets quiet as the world shrinks around him.
He knows what's going to happen.
He knows what the hum means.
He recognizes the glow.
He closes his eyes.
But it doesn't stop.
He forces his eyes open. Riko opens his locker — and the screen lights up.