Tokyo, Musashino City, Tama University, Room 3102.
"Did you guys listen to YOASOBI's new song that dropped yesterday? It was literally so good!"
"Right? I heard they're doing a live concert at the Budokan next month. Can you even imagine?"
"I want to go so bad, but getting tickets is practically a battle royale. It'd be a dream to hear Ikura's voice in person..."
"Huh? Takahashi, isn't that bag the same as the one Kaguya Shinomiya carries? I remember that it was like, seriously expensive—around 110,000 yen?"
"It's fine. I just loved it so much I had to get it. Now that I think about it, my wallet's crying in the corner though."
"But it totally suits you, you've got amazing taste..."
...
Girls are always like this, huddled together in little groups, their voices overlapping like sparrows on a wire. The topics never really change: relationship gossip, schmaltzy dramas, mind-numbing variety shows, or the latest must-have consumer goods.
It was the same in high school, and university hasn't changed a thing.
Shiratori Seiya honestly couldn't fathom how they found such things so endlessly fascinating. To him, it sounded no different from the old women gossiping at the neighborhood vegetable stand.
But none of that mattered right now.
Seiya's gaze was fixed on one of the girls in the center of the group, the one with the cascade of golden hair. It was undeniably striking, though the tips dyed a mint green felt like a bit much, a jarring note in an otherwise composed picture.
Her style was something straight out of a fashion magazine, minus the overly curated sex appeal.
Academy-style blouse, high-waisted mini skirt, black tights, and chunky Dr. Martens boots... It was the uniform of the so-called "gyaru," the trendy girls.
Seiya personally disliked the term "gyaru"; it always conjured images of delinquents and trouble. But he had to admit, the outfit did a fantastic job of highlighting Takahashi Mio's figure.
Especially her waist... He had to give credit where it was due. Takahashi Mio was objectively beautiful. Even though Seiya found her chattering personality equally grating, he could still objectively rate her face and physique an eight out of ten.
No wonder she held the center position among the girls.
But a flashy exterior didn't guarantee a spotless interior... Perhaps because Seiya's stare was a bit too intense, Takahashi Mio's perfectly shaped brows furrowed slightly. She turned her head and looked directly at him.
Their eyes met across the classroom. Two seconds passed. Seiya's gaze didn't waver. Takahashi Mio couldn't help but let out a small, irritated 'tsk'.
Being stared at by guys was nothing new. It happened constantly. But most of them, the moment they were caught, would look away like startled mice caught in the open.
This guy's blatant staring was just plain annoying.
She shot him a fierce glare.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Takahashi-san?"
Her sudden 'tsk' made one of her friends stop mid-sentence.
"Nothing."
Takahashi Mio turned back, her expression instantly melting into a bright, practiced smile as she rejoined the conversation.
But a tiny question nagged at the back of her mind. Had she seen that guy before?
She scrolled through her mental files. Someone had mentioned he was in the Kendo Club, maybe?
Whatever. Probably just some guy stunned by my beauty and forgot how to act. Not exactly a new experience.
Takahashi Mio's lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. A flicker of pride in her own appeal warmed her chest.
The rest of the Classical Literature lecture dragged on. She spent most of it fighting to keep her eyes open, her head bobbing dangerously close to the desk. The only thing that truly woke her was the chime of the dismissal bell.
Her stomach growled, a sharp reminder of lunch. She stood, tidying her things while mentally scrolling through cafeteria options, when a sudden, heavy bump sent her stumbling sideways.
'Kyaa!'
Her knee cracked hard against the corner of the desk. A bolt of white-hot pain shot through her, stealing her breath and crumpling her expression. She bent over, clutching her knee.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you blind idiot!"
Her friend beside her snapped, reaching out to grab the perpetrator, but the guy in the long-sleeved white shirt had already melted into the stream of students heading for the door.
She could only ask, "Takahashi-san, are you okay?"
Waving off her friend's concern with a shake of her head, Takahashi Mio scowled, her eyes narrowing as she searched for the figure who'd just body-checked her. She wanted to see exactly who it was.
She had a long memory for slights. She could be petty, even vindictive. If he thought he could just disappear, he had another thing coming. She'd make sure he regretted it in the next class.
An apology wouldn't cut it. She'd demand at least fifty thousand yen in compensation.
The 'suspect' who'd made her wince in pain seemed to want her to remember him. He paused deliberately at the doorway, turned his head, and met her glare head-on.
What?
Takahashi Mio blinked, then felt a fresh surge of irritation at his audacity.
Before she could even let out an indignant huff, the guy at the door pointed at her bag, then vanished from sight.
She looked down automatically. Her handbag, still on the desk, was slightly open. A crumpled piece of paper lay on top.
>>>>
1:00 PM.
Takahashi Mio hurried up the stairs to the rooftop of Building A, her jaw tight and her expression icy.
But beneath the frosty exterior, her insides were churning with a confusing mix of anger, anxiety, and a cold knot of fear.
After grabbing a quick lunch with her classmates, she'd slipped into the restroom and finally smoothed out the note the guy had slipped into her bag.
The message had been so shocking she'd nearly dropped her phone.
[You wouldn't want your mom to find out about the loan, would you? I can help. 1 PM, Building A rooftop. Come alone.]
How had he found out about her online loan debt?
Were these lending apps so blatant about leaking customer info now?
Damn it. She wasn't even behind on payments yet. How did this happen?
Her mind racing, Takahashi Mio pushed open the heavy iron door to the rooftop.
'Kreeeeak.'
A wave of hot air, thick and heavy, rushed out to meet her, carrying the screech of rusty hinges. The sudden glare of the sun stung her eyes, and she raised a hand to shield them.
When her vision adjusted, a figure solidified in front of her.
The guy in the long-sleeved shirt was sitting with his back against the railing, watching her approach with an unnerving stillness. His dark eyes held nothing but quiet scrutiny.
This bastard. Wearing long sleeves in the middle of a sweltering Tokyo summer. Hope he keels over from heatstroke.
Maybe it was like how some people believe in love at first sight. For Takahashi Mio, the moment she laid eyes on him, she felt nothing but pure, incandescent rage.
A gust of wind slammed the iron door shut behind her with a hollow 'clang'.
She stalked over to him, stopping just short of where he sat. Arms crossed tightly over her chest, she glared down, her voice sharp with irritation:
"Who the hell are you? What do you want?"
"No need to be so worked up."
Shiratori Seiya rose smoothly to his feet, meeting her glare with unnerving calm.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Shiratori Seiya. Looking forward to working with you."
"Pleased to meet me? Did you hit your head? Thanks to you, my knee is still screaming. Is this your idea of 'looking forward'?"
"My apologies. It was careless of me to cause you pain. But please, don't dwell on such small things. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to interact from now on."
"You!"
It took a second for the insinuation in his words to sink in. Then, a hot flush of shame and anger bloomed on Takahashi Mio's delicate features.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she barely stopped herself from slapping that infuriatingly calm face.
"Stop with the slick talk! What did you mean by that note?!"
As her voice rang out, a flicker of unease crossed her face. She glanced around nervously, only relaxing slightly when she confirmed they were alone. Her beautiful eyes snapped back to Seiya, demanding an answer.
"Hm?"
At her outburst, the young man before her tilted his head, a picture of genuine confusion.
"Is it really that hard to understand?"
"Takahashi-san, you owe money, don't you? Two million yen. And you're juggling new loans to pay off the old ones..."
"Don't call me that!"
It was as if the word had touched a live wire. Takahashi Mio's eyes flew wide open, her gaze sharp enough to draw blood, as if she were a cornered dog ready to bite.
Seiya remained utterly unfazed. He tilted his head the other way, shifting his flat, lifeless gaze to the designer bag on her arm.
"This hundred-and-ten-thousand-yen bag. You bought it with a loan last week."
"Takahashi-san, you're seriously lacking in foresight. You have absolutely no control over your own future."
"Do you want me to tell you just how dark your future is going to get?"