"Mahiru, this card has eight hundred thousand Yen—consider it my meal allowance for now."
Back in Shiina Mahiru's room, Shiraishi Shin produced a bank card holding eight hundred thousand Yen, roughly thirty-five thousand RMB. To him it was pocket change.
Shiina Mahiru waved her hands hastily. "That's far too much; I don't need anything like that."
Shiraishi Shin pressed the card into her palm. "It's not. I'll be eating here long-term, so don't mention it again."
"Well… all right, then."
"Right, it's getting late—I'm off."
"Okay, I'll see you out."
Shiina Mahiru walked him to the door.
"See you tomorrow, Mahiru."
"Tomorrow, Shin-nii."
Shiraishi Shin's brows lifted; he pushed his luck. "Say it once more."
"I won't. Go already."
Shiina Mahiru smiled and shut the door. A few seconds later she cracked it open again, just in time to see Shiraishi Shin unlocking his own. She poked her head out, swallowed her shyness, and softly called, "Sh-Shin-ni-nii."
With that she pulled back and closed the door for good.
Shiraishi Shin chuckled, satisfied, and went home. After a shower he stood on the balcony nursing a bottle of YLTO while the night breeze drifted past.
He glanced at the system tally: twenty-nine Monsters slain. One more and he could draw a second Rider System.
"Second set—wonder what I'll get."
A new Rider System was exciting, but as a devotee of looks he preferred villainous Riders who were drop-dead gorgeous—
—Evol Black Hole, Ryuga, Dark Kabuto, Dark Kiva, Eternal, Ohma Zi-O, Calibur…
Not only stylish but top-tier in power, all boss-grade Riders who needed no lengthy upgrade chains; their base forms were essentially their finals. Like his current Cronus, they combined superb stats with broken abilities.
He finished the YLTO, watched the stars a moment longer, then went inside and fell asleep.
Eyes closed, eyes open—night gone.
Shiraishi Shin got up to brush his teeth. Drowsiness vanished the instant he saw the handsome devil in the mirror.
He ran a hand over his collagen-rich face and sighed, "As expected of me—devilishly handsome. No wonder I attract beauties. I almost envy my future wives; they'll wake up beside this face every morning. If I ever strut down the street, other women will die of envy. A sin, truly."
Breakfast was simple: two slices of toaster bread, a pair of fried eggs, a glass of milk.
While eating he opened the chat app and tapped Shiina Mahiru's window.
[Mahiru, what's in today's bento?]
A moment later she sent a photo: meat and veggies perfectly arranged.
Shiraishi Shin: [Looks delicious. Thanks for getting up early to make it.]
Shiina Mahiru: [I pack one for myself anyway; one more is no trouble.]
Shiraishi Shin: [Meet at the gate at 7:40. We'll walk together from now on.]
Shiina Mahiru: [Sounds good.]
Chat over, he wolfed down the rest, rinsed the dishes, and left. They met and headed to Seirei Academy together.
"April's gone; the cherry blossoms have already fallen."
Walking, Shiraishi Shin glanced at the bare roadside trees. A month earlier they'd blazed with pink petals; now the blooms were gone, the branches waiting for next year.
Shiina Mahiru followed his gaze. "Yes, it's mid-May and getting hotter. Summer break is less than two months away."
Closer to campus, more uniforms appeared. Shiraishi Shin and Shiina Mahiru naturally became the center of gossip—yesterday they'd arrived together; today they were side-by-side again.
Some students already assumed they were living together, sparking envy.
"Yo, Shin."
An arm hooked his neck—his buddy Tabata Hidenori.
"You and Student Shiina strolling in like this—so the rumors are true? Living the dream, man. Damn, when will I score a girlfriend that pretty?"
Shiraishi Shin shoved Tabata's leaning face away. "Cut the nonsense. I don't care, but Mahiru's a girl—save her the embarrassment. We just met on the road, that's all. Spread that around and kill the gossip."
Tabata nodded. "Got it—leave it to me."
Shiina Mahiru stayed silent, cheeks pink. She didn't mind the rumor; she just hadn't expected the spotlight. Fame has its price—ordinary couples go unnoticed.
Tabata switched topics. "By the way, you're viral."
Shiraishi Shin shrugged. "Aren't I always? With this face I'm headline news."
Tabata rolled his eyes. "As much as I hate your ego, you do have the goods. But I mean online, not just at school."
"Online?"
Shiraishi Shin paused, then smirked. "The bandits I beat up?"
He remembered the crowd outside the store.
Tabata nodded. "Exactly. Someone filmed you thrashing those robbers—over a million views already. Turns out they were the wanted Shocker Bandits. People are singing your praises. Only gripe: the cops didn't catch them; they limped off. A few keyboard warriors ask why you didn't wait for the police, but most are defending you—'Plenty of people outside; why didn't they block four beaten crooks?' and so on."
Shiina Mahiru puffed her cheeks. "That's unfair. Shin isn't an officer; he's a civilian. Helping is kindness, not duty. Why criticize him?"
Shiraishi Shin patted her shoulder. "People love to type behind screens. In real danger they'd run faster than anyone. Forget them—I do my part."
Tabata whistled. "Your composure amazes me. I'd be fuming."