He walked over inside.
They were back at the clubroom...
The first thing he gives her was the Ice from the fridge. "You should put it on your hand. He said. It's gotten red." He turned and than was about to leave the room.
"Thanks." she said looking over his back...
He paused and nodded than left just after, like that. The door had closed of the room, but it didn't stay closed for long. "Five seconds. "Maybe, Ten.
Then the handle turned again. Reze didn't move from where she stood near the mirror. "Did You forgot something?" she asked without looking at him.
He stepped back inside. "No." That made her turn, His expression was different now, Not soft, Not warm. But Decided. "You said no emotions back than, right. He continued, calmly. "No pretending or faking but just physical."
She didn't blink. "Yes, she said. "And if we realize it's nothing, he added, we walk away."
"Exactly." Her voice was steady, Too steady. But somewhere again she didn't knew, what was going through his head. He studied her for a long second.
Than—
"...Fine I agree in your challenge." He said. her face looked too surprise by his words cuz she had never thought he'd agree. "but I have conditions..." He continued—
1. "You're sure. You can separate it?"
A faint smile curved her lips. "I have separated worse." That wasn't an answer. But it was very much Reze like.
He walked closer again, stopping in front of her. "Fine." Just one word he said, but it shifted the air entirely, cuz she didn't expect him to agree.
2. "but in the meantime, I will try to make you fall in love with me. She frowned. "What?" He continued. "It's a challenge for you, just as you put for me, saying that my love is just a lust throughwards you. Plus and if you fell in love with me in between this challenge."
"You will be my girlfriend, he said, without any pretending, or Faking it, but just being honest."
A flicker of surprise slipped through her face before she masked it back. "You're are still?" she asked quietly. "Yes." He said. Cuz I know since the beginning I have first met you, it wasn't lust or anything, I just fell in love with you the first time I saw you that day in the after party.
Her brows lifted slightly at his confession. "Fine, but if I didn't, I walk away out of this deal as I please later! That was easier than I thought, she thought. "Don't misunderstand, he said evenly, this isn't because I don't care."
"Oh?"... Than," she asked. "It's because I want clarity too. He said, I need to confirm too, what I feel throughwards you, Reze." She searched his face, trying to read between the lines, and He let her. Because for once —
He wanted her to underestimate him.
3. "While we are in this deal, as a sex partners, he said. "I don't want you to sleep around with anyone else while you are with me. She raised an eye brows. "Why?
"Cuz I don't want Stv Or Hiv infection thoughout into my body..." He said. "Heyyy! Just what do you took me for?" Than her voice really low, It's a deal I guess... than. He replied. "Yes a damn challenge to a challenge."
One gives a challenge to make him understand that, He only see's her in lust for sex, Just to have her once. Not in love or anything, and that he gets bored of her eventually."
The other gives her a challenge to run from her feelings if she could, and that eventually he will make her fall for him even harder. That she will accept him, and understand her feeling for him, wither she want to or not.
The word deal hung between them like a contract written in an invisible ink.
She extended her hand first, Not playful, or seductively, but formal this time. "Then it's a challenge," Reze said.
Senkai looked at her hand for a second before taking it, Her grip was firm, and warm, too steady. "Challenge," he agreed.
And just like that— They stepped into something far more dangerous than either of them admitted.
Silence settled again in the clubroom between them.
The festival lights outside flickered through the blinds, streaks of gold and red cutting across the floor.
Reze pulled her hand back first. "You're serious about the exclusivity?" she asked, folding her arms. "Yes," He said.
"You don't trust me?"
"It's not about trust." He said clamly, "It's about respect. If this is just physical, then at least let it be clean and clear."
She studied him, but there was no jealousy in his tone, or possessiveness, but Just boundaries. Interesting, she thought. "And you? she asked lightly, You won't wander around either?"
"I won't." That answer came too quickly. Her lips curved faintly. "You sound too confident." He shot back. "Cuz, I am." She tilted her head. "You really think you can make me fall in love with you?"
"I don't think, he said quietly, but I know that, I will." That should have irritated her. It should have. But Instead, something warm and sharp coiled in her stomach.
He stepped back toward the door. "So when does this challenge begin?" she asked.
"It already did," he replied while leaving. And shouldn't you go to the rooftop. You own senna an apologie." Than he left, The door closed.
And this time—
It stayed closed. and she stood alone in the room, than let out a slow breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding. He wasn't reacting the way men usually did. No chasing around her or begging her to take him.
He didn't showed immediate hunger like she had expected. But he showed Just his patience and that unsettled her more. Because her plan and original challenge had been simple: Prove that he only wanted her physically.
Let him get bored. Let him leave first or make him leave.
But now— He had reversed it.
He wasn't trying to possess her body, but he was trying to reach her romantically imitately, emotionally with the care and consideration.
And little did she knew he was trying to dig something she had buried deep inside.
Dangerously....
———
"Rooftop."
— Night Air & a Unfinished Words...
The rooftop door clicked shut behind her. For a moment—Reze didn't move.
The night stretched wide above her, deep blue Sky fading into black. Below, the festival burned bright—lanterns swaying, music clashing, and laughter spilling like something alive. But up here—
It was quieter. "Not silent… but distant enough that everything felt… slower.
She walked forward, heels softer now against the concrete, stopping near the railing. Her fingers rested lightly against the cold metal.
The wind brushed past her again. But this time—she didn't fight it. "…You're late." Senna's voice came from behind. She didn't turn immediately. "I told you to celebrate first."
"I did, Senna replied, stepping closer. But I figured… this mattered more." That made her glance back at her. Senna wasn't smiling the way she usually did. No elegance, no stage presence, but Just… pure honestly was in her look.
For a second—Reze said nothing. Then quietly, "About earlier… during rehearsals." Senna tilted her head slightly. "You mean when you used to pushed me harder than everyone else?"
"I crossed a line." Reze said. And that surprised Senna cuz Reze, she never actually admited her mistakes before, didn't ever say things like that either. "I wasn't directing, She said, but maybe I was… correcting something personal through you."
A pause.
The wind moved between them again—but this time, it carried less tension.
Senna stepped closer, stopping beside her at the railing. "Maybe you just wanted the perfection Senpai." Reze said softly. "No. I wanted control.
"Let's say due to some unfortunate events, she said. I'll started controling everything around me, the people I have, friends I have, family, everyone. I myself have realized that recently too."
A flicker in her eyes as senkai face came into her mind for a moment. "Maybe due to someone."
That landed.
Senna looked at her, not judging, or offended, but just… understanding more than she had expected to. "And?" She asked again. Her gaze drifted back to the lights below.
"…You didn't deserve that. You are made to be a star, I knew that from the first day, I saw you at the entrance day. She said. Maybe it was a bit of my selfishness too, of trying to make you into the perfect actress I ever wanted."
She continued. "But I learned in time that somethings just look better imperfect."
A small silence followed them.
Then—"I know, Senna said lightly, that made Reze look at her again. "And I also know, that you wouldn't have pushed me like that if you didn't believe I could handle it."
She didn't reply but something in her expression shifted—just slightly. "You're not as cold as you pretend to be Senpai," Senna added. "…Don't misunderstand, she said, almost automatically. I'm not," Senna smiled faintly. "I'm just… seeing you, and looking at you properly now."
And That—
That unsettled her more than any accusation could.
She exhaled slowly. "…Still. I apologize."
Senna blinked once—then smiled properly this time. "Apologie accepted." She said. Simple, clean, and with no drama. Yet somehow—
That made it heavier for me.
They stood there for a moment longer, side by side, watching the festival lights. Then Senna stretched slightly. "You should come down later Senpai, everyone's celebrating down there."
"I'll think about it." she said. "You won't, I know that." Senna added. "…Probably not," she smiled faintly.
Senna laughed softly. "Goodnight, than senpai."
"…Goodnight, Senna." She said pulling a smoke out of her jacket. And just like that—
She left.
The rooftop door closed again. Leaving her alone.
———
"The silence had returned."
But it wasn't the same as before.
Her hand unconsciously brushed her wrist—
Where the faint red mark still was.
Then—Her mind drifted away. Not to the Kazama. Not to the play. But to him.
"…It already did." The way he said it. Like that the challenge wasn't something starting—
But something inevitable. Her fingers tightened slightly against the railing. "…Troublesome," she murmured again. But this time—
There was no irritation in it. But was only something quieter, and More dangerous. Because for the first time—
She wasn't thinking about how to win. But she was thinking about how not to lose...
———
Meanwhile...
"— Back at the Festival Grounds."
The energy down below was the complete opposite. "MOVE—MOVE—MOVE!" Tyson said, Oi! You're stepping on my costume! "Shikamaru, you idiot, where were you?!" Masamune said.
"Relax, relax, I was handling… some important matters." He said. "By 'important. You by mean flirting, right?" Masamune said. "No. I meant Strategic interaction."
"YOU LEFT ME ALONE AT THE STALL FOR AN HOUR!" Masamune He looked like he was about to commit a crime. Shikamaru raised his hands lazily. "You survived, You know." He shouted. "Just Barely!"
Kai stood between them, already in his Soran dance outfit, shaking his head. "Can you two not kill each other before My performance?Masamune snapped back. No promises." He said.
"Focus, Kai said. We're on in ten." That shut them up—barely. Then—
A familiar voice came from behind.
"You guys are loud, He said. They turned. Senkai walked toward them—calm as ever, costume slightly loosened now, expression composed.
Masamune narrowed his eyes immediately. "…You." senkai paused. "Me?" He continued. "You traitor." senkai says "…What did I do?" He said, "You joined the theater club full of a beautiful girls and didn't even invited us." Kai snorted.
Shikamaru nodded seriously, "Unforgivable." He stared at them for a second. Then— "…You would've gotten us banned in a week." Masamune went. "That's not the point!"
"It is." He replied back. Masamune pointed at him accusingly. "You've changed," Senkai. "I haven't." He said. "You have, you're calmer now." Shikamaru said. "I was always calm." He short back.
"No—you're worse now." Tyson, said from behind.
Kai stepped in before it had escalated further. "Ignore them. You came to watch, right?" He nodded slightly. "Yeah."
A pause.
Then Tyson leaned closer, smirking. "…Or are you running away from something upstairs?"
Senkai's gaze flickered—just for a second. Too small for the most people to notice, but not for them. "…Maybe," he said simply. Masamune blinked. "…That was honest.
"Don't get used to it." he replied evenly, and why are you in a soran dance costume Masamune? Shikamaru?" Tyson said. Two people ditched us last moment so they are filling in.
Kai clapped his hands once. "Alright, enough. Positions!"
The announcement echoed across the courtyard. "Next performance—Soran Dance Team from our favorite Festival club!" The crowd gathered fast, Energy rising. Noise building.
The stage lights flared. Kai stepped forward with the group, Masamune reluctantly following, Shikamaru still adjusting his headband like he didn't care—but clearly did.
He moved to the side—standing near the edge of the crowd. "Watching. But maybe not the stage, least not yet. His gaze drifted upward—
Toward the rooftop. Just for a moment.
Then—
Back to the stage...
The drums hit first. Deep. Rhythmic. Grounded.
"DOKKOI!"
The shout echoed across the courtyard. Dancers moved in unison—sharp, powerful, alive. Kai led from the front—precise, controlled. Masamune followed with raw energy—less refined, but impossible to ignore. Shikamaru—
Somehow lazy and perfect at the same time.
The crowd clapped along, energy surged. The festival reached its peak at that moment—
Lights, sound, movement, everything blending into something unforgettable. And Senkai, He just watched quietly. Hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable like always. But his mind—Wasn't entirely here.
"…It already did." A faint exhale left him. Not regret. Not doubt. But Just— Acceptance. Cuz Because for him—
The challenge wasn't about winning. But It was about proving something real. Even if it meant it will cost him something.
And Up above—On the rooftop—
She stood alone, Reze watching the same lights. Hearing the same music. Feeling something—She couldn't control.
Fireworks burst across the sky. Bright. Loud. Beautiful. Gone in seconds.
But the impact—Stayed maybe in both their hearts...
———
Next day...
"In the usual Sky Bar of Hotel Di caprio..."
Kenji was polishing glasses.
"And you agreed. He said, "I didn't agreed, but I made a deal." Kenji continued, "Yeah a deal, where you are granining absolutely nothing, come on you've could have done better than this."
"Why are you turning more worst than me?..." Kenjii sighed.
"Worst than you. He said, "I'd just thought, I take this chance and make her fall in love with me, and than there's something else I have got curious into too."
Kenji replied evenly. "And she will use you for her pleasure in the meanwhile.I'm telling you take back your words he said, you still have a time Senkai don't get into this shit or you will never recover from this. If you get too attached in the meanwhile, it will become a mess."
"I know that much. He said, and I know what I'm getting into and how dangerous she can be, but, "...but he didn't look uncertain when he said it, Senkai leaned back against the counter the dim amber light of the bar casting shadows across his face. "But I have never walked away from something just because it was complicated."
Kenji stopped polishing for a moment, watching him carefully. "Complicated?" he repeated. "That's what you're calling her?"
He gave a faint exhale, almost amused. "That's the simplest word I can use."
A pause stretched between them.
The quiet hum of the bar, the distant clinking of glasses, the low murmur of conversations—it all faded into the background. "She's not just complicated, Kenji said finally. She's controlled. Calculated, and she doesn't lose."
His gaze shifted slightly, thoughtful—but not shaken. "Then maybe she's never been in a situation where losing meant something." Kenji frowned. "And you think you're going to be that 'something'?" for her.
He replied calmly. "I'm not trying to win against her, but I'm trying to make her stop running."
That answer lingered.
Kenji shook his head with a quiet scoff. "You're either the bravest idiot I know… or the most dangerous one." Senkai didn't argue. Because somewhere, deep down—
He knew it wasn't bravery, wasn't even a confidence. But It was something far more... Maybe his recklessness. "I just…" he paused, choosing his words carefully, "don't want to walk away wondering what it could've been."
Kenji looked at him for a long second, then sighed. "And what if she breaks you before you even get close to that answer?"
A faint smile touched Senkai's lips—tired, but real. "It's all right than least I know it was real and... People crave intimacy, yet fear being truly seen... And so they'll settle for the shallow connections."He said, "than start's calling lust as a love, while quietly dying inside of loneliness..."
"I'm just going to make her remember. He said, how the actual love felt like.. "
Kenji exhaled in exhaustion. "And what did you mean by you got curious into her?"
"Let's say... my sister told me something's about her that, I didn't knew of and the name pop out of her ex Lemon kannawa and I believe he is the reason she had become like this..."
"Hm... Lemon Kannawa?" Rings a bell in the head Kenji said, don't tell me it's the same lemon we are talking about... Is he rich?" Senkai Jumped up from his stool for a moment. "You know him?"
Kenji leaned back shocked. "Ah... So it's her, Hóng Nàruì." He let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck like the name itself had weight. "Hóng Nàruì…" kenji repeated quietly, almost to himself this time.
The bar light flickered faintly above them, casting a sharper edge to his expression. He didn't sit back down. His fingers pressed against the counter, tension clear now. "You do know her right."
Kenji glanced at him, then away again—as if deciding how much to say. "Know of her, he corrected. People like her… you don't really 'know' them. You just hear things. Stories. And maybe warnings."
"That doesn't answer me." He said.
Kenji exhaled through his nose, setting the glass down with a soft clink. He didn't answer immediately this time.
The name Lemon Kannawa lingered in the air, heavier now—not just a rumor, not just a passing reference. "…I wouldn't say I am close with him," Kenji began, voice more measured now. "Not the kind of guy, you grab drinks with every weekend. I met him, a few times, due to the Business." He folded his hands. "I needed investment's, and He is one of the people I pitched to."
That caught His attention. "And?" Senkai asked.
Kenji let out a faint, almost humorless chuckle. "And he's exactly what you'd expect at first glance. Rich. Polished. The kind of guy who walks into a room and doesn't need to say a word for people to start adjusting themselves."
He mumbles. "Sounds like someone who gets everything he wants." Kenji muttered. "Yeah, that's what I thought at first too."
Then Kenji his expression shifted—subtle, but real. "But he doesn't," he added quietly.
Senkai frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
Kenji now his eyes drifting somewhere past him—as if He was recalling something he hadn't thought about of in a while. "People like him grow up with everything handed to them,"
He said, "Money, power, expectations. & Especially expectations." His tone sharpened slightly. "You don't get to be yourself in a families like that. You just become what they need you to be."
Senkai sat down back at the bar stool and listened quietly without interrupting.
"I saw it the second or third time we met," Kenji continued. "We were talking about normal stuff numbers, investments—Shares. But there was this moment…" He paused, searching for the right words. "He just… zoned out for a second. Like he wasn't there anymore."
Kenji let out a quiet breath "And when he came back—he wasn't seem like the same person sitting across me. Not a cool, arrogant and the polished version of himself. But someone who was Just… seemed tired."
Silence settled briefly.
"So he's messed up," He said simply. Kenji gave a small nod. "Yeah. In a way that doesn't show unless you're looking for it."
"And Reze?" Senkai asked.
Kenji's gaze hardened. "…That's where it gets different."
Senkai's posture straightened slightly.
Kenji ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.
"I didn't hear about her from gossip," he said. "I heard about her from him."
Senkai his eyes widened. "He talked about her?"
"Not directly," Kenji replied. "Not like a guy, who was bragging about his girl or anything. It was... quieter than that." He frowned slightly, recalling it. "More like… everything he said that day circled back to her somehow."
"Let's say we both just clicked over a one drink and we both understood that our hearts were closed and somehow there was only one person in it who was able to make a place in it. And later in the time we understand that one person took it whole and we couldn't move past them to make space for the another person."
"Since than from later on we just become a drinking buddy's. Kenji said, Someone who we can just talk our past to without ever feeling ashamed." His gaze didn't move from kenji.
Kenji continued, voice lower now. "There was one night—we'd just wrapped up a meeting. He'd had a bit to much too drink, not enough to lose control, but enough to drop that perfect image he usually keeps up." A faint pause. "And that day he said something I didn't expect."
Kenji looked at Senkai, serious now, than continued. "He said, that 'If loving her means she gets to be happy without me… then that's what I'll choose. After their breakup I heard. If anything, Kenji continued, that's when she changed. Or maybe… that's when she stopped pretending."
"She started believing after her that everything is a just transaction," he said. "Feelings, trust, even love. You give something. You get something in return. That's how she started surviving maybe."
A pause.
"And Lemon Kannawa?" Senkai asked.
Kenji he said. "…Yeah. I've heard of him," he admitted. "That he left for the England, without a anyword to anyone, but I can tell he might have thought a lot before making a decision like that. Their relationships wasn't a some simple breakup."
Kenji let out a quiet breath. "Cuz back than that day. He didn't sound like a guy who was playing games, than he added. But that sounded like someone who'd already decided he was going to lose."
Senkai asked, "What happened, than?"
Kenji hesitated this time. And that alone said enough. "When it ended," he said slowly, "it wasn't clean. And I don't say that she didn't come out of it untouched. But if anything, that's when she started controling everyone around herself. Or maybe… that's when she buried the young and innocent Hóng Nàruì and a wild and dangerous Amano Reze was born."
Silence settled again between them. The low hum of the bar returned, distant but present.
Senkai finally picked his drink up again, while taking the sip, his gaze drifting somewhere past the bottles lined on the wall. "So that's it," he murmured. "That's the version of her everyone believes in."
Kenji frowned. "That's not a 'version,' Senkai. But that's reality." He said. "Is it?" He asked quietly.
Kenji didn't answer.
Because there was something in Senkai's tone—not denial, not ignorance—but a certainty.
A dangerous kind.
Senkai finally spoke, slower this time. "Then why did He leave her?"
———
To be continue...
———