"Shiina-san's here."
"Truly an angel—sparkling as always."
"Yeah, she's gorgeous. If I could be her boyfriend, I'd gladly let my old man lose ten years of life."
"You're a real riot, but the angel only shows up with the class rep. Your dad could drop fifty years and it still wouldn't help."
"I'm just saying—I know someone like her would never look at an ordinary guy like me."
The moment Shiina Mahiru stepped into the classroom, several girls swarmed her. Though they were barely on nodding-terms, they acted like bosom friends; no one could guess what they were after.
After dealing with them, Shiina Mahiru returned to her seat, set down her bag, took out a bento, then stood and walked toward Shiraishi Shin at the back.
Every move she made drew the gaze of most of the class.
One boy sighed enviously, "A bento—don't tell me it's for the class rep."
"Oh my god, the treatment he gets—I couldn't dream of that even in my dreams."
"Damn it, divine retribution!"
The boys stared at Shiraishi Shin with jealousy; he was the textbook winner at life, the sort of main character you only see in novels and manga.
"Shin, your lunch."
Ignoring the onlookers, Shiina Mahiru handed him the bento. She didn't fear gossip, so she saw no need to hide. Her mind was made up; let people talk—she took it as their blessing.
"Thanks, Mahiru."
Shiraishi Shin stood, took the box with his left hand, and with his right gently ruffled Shiina Mahiru's hair.
"Whoa!"
The whole class erupted in unified heckling. Rumors had said the two were close, but at most they'd been seen walking to school together.
Now, with a bento delivered and a head pat given, the relationship was basically declared in front of everyone.
"Mmm…"
Even Mahiru hadn't expected Shiraishi Shin to stroke her head in full view of the class; shy yet thrilled, her heart raced.
"Gah!"
Alya on Shiraishi Shin's left stared wide-eyed—such intimacy meant Shiina Mahiru had truly become one of "his wings."
She felt envious, a twinge of jealousy, even regret for not having agreed earlier.
Chitoge Kirisaki on his right covered her mouth. She hadn't foreseen this twist—were they already a couple? She'd sensed nothing before.
Yet why did she dislike seeing them so affectionate?
Chitoge didn't dwell on it; maybe she just wanted an outstanding boyfriend of her own.
Unconsciously she thought of the Kamen Rider who had saved her twice—where was he now, still out there fighting Monsters to protect others?
Shiraishi Shin patted for five full seconds while Shiina Mahiru lowered her head, offering no resistance. The spectacle filled the class with second-hand embarrassment.
"Mahiru, go on back; we'll eat together at lunch."
"Mm."
She nodded, trotted back to her seat, though the class's teasing stares left her a bit flustered.
That head-pat would sweep through Seirei Academy by day's end—the price of fame; any ripple becomes gossip, let alone a head-pat kill.
Near noon, the teacher was mid-lecture when Shiraishi Shin stood, drawing every eye. Before the teacher could ask, he said, "Sir, I need to step out."
"Go ahead."
The teacher didn't question it—top-student privilege; no fear of grades slipping. He'd left mid-class before, so the teacher thought nothing of it.
Alya frowned, thinking, "Leaving in the middle of class—must be to fight a Monster. No wonder he's done this before; back when I didn't know he was a Kamen Rider I thought he was slacking. Now I realize he's heading off to battle silently for world peace."
The thought sent her fondness soaring; how could she not like a hero like that?
Kamen…
Rider.
She unclenched her fists; a girl had to keep some dignity—too eager and she'd seem easy.
After leaving campus Shiraishi Shin raced his motorcycle along the main road. His right hand twisted the throttle while his left pulled out the lost driver, fastening it at his waist, then activated the eternal memory.
[Eternal!]
Eyeing the road ahead, he slid the memory into the driver and gripped the handlebars again. A giant E flared as rings of golden energy spread outward.
"Henshin!"
He spoke calmly; without his pushing it, the right half of the lost driver swung back on its own.
[Eternal!]
As the driver read the memory data, a storm of white fragments and a few blue ones trailed Shiraishi Shin racing at a hundred kilometers per hour. In an instant they coated him, blue flames burst out, and a black cape formed behind.
"Holy—did I just see that?"
"He—he transformed!"
"Is that a Kamen Rider?"
"Shoot!"
Shiraishi Shin roared down the avenue, transforming in full view of drivers on either side and behind, all gaping in disbelief.
He didn't care what anyone thought; he cranked the throttle and sped on.
With the post-transformation enhancements of the Rider System—reaction speed and vision far beyond human—he weaved through traffic, even yanked the bike into a wheelie and soared over cars.
On the curb, a twenty-two-year-old traffic officer with long black hair was munching rice dumplings when she noticed something wrong. She spun to see a white motorcycle blasting past.
Eyes widening at the reckless speed, she hit the siren and gave chase, shouting through the loudspeaker, "White motorcycle ahead, this is Traffic Division officer Sumiko Ozawa. You're severely speeding—pull over immediately for inspection!"
Shiraishi Shin merely glanced at the mirror, ignored her completely, and even accelerated to leave her behind.
Outside a shuttered warehouse a battle was under way.
"Agh!"
A scream rang out as the bloated, gold-covered Money Dopant tumbled two-and-a-half times across the ground.
(Image Money dopant)
"Damn, two Memories really are something," it snarled, slamming the pavement hard enough to crack it.
Across from it, Kamen Rider W in Luna Metal form stepped forward with an iron rod, pointing it at the Dopant. "Talk. What did you do to that man—why did a coin on his forehead knock him out? What did you do to him!"