Makoto reached up on instinct and caught the white beret as it drifted toward him.
He looked up. A girl in a Shuchiin Academy high school uniform stood on the slope ahead, her black hair cut to shoulder length, features delicate, carrying herself with a quiet, understated grace.
Something about this scene felt familiar.
"She's beautiful..."
Before he could place it, a voice came from behind. He turned to find a boy on a bicycle, black-framed glasses, unremarkable face. Aki Tomoya.
Right. Now he remembered.
This was the opening scene of Saekano.
Makoto's enthusiasm died on the spot.
Up on the slope, Katou Megumi jogged down toward him, her tone flat with a hint of apology. "Sorry, could I have my hat..."
She trailed off mid-sentence.
She'd recognized him. The boy holding her beret was the same classmate who'd killed someone at yesterday's opening ceremony.
Katou Megumi was famous in anime circles for being about as emotionally reactive as still water, but even she tensed up in front of a verified public murderer.
Then Makoto flipped the beret over and plopped it back on her head.
And walked away.
Megumi stood there, blinking.
He was... more normal than she'd expected.
About ten meters out, Makoto stopped. Something occurred to him. He half-turned, his gaze cutting back to her.
"When you're looking for a man, make sure he's a strong one."
"...Huh?"
Megumi blinked, bewildered. Was he talking to her?
Makoto raised a hand and pointed at the boy on the bicycle. "That one definitely won't cut it."
She followed his finger to the bespectacled kid, confusion written all over her face.
Makoto had no idea how things turned out for Megumi after she ended up with Aki Tomoya in the original story.
But he doubted it was anything worth envying. Tomoya's entire doujin game circle only functioned because he'd guilt-tripped Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri into doing all the real work.
Throughout the whole development process, the guy's sole contribution, as far as Makoto could tell, was "having an idea."
What happened to people like that once they left school and entered the real world was anyone's guess. And it wouldn't be pretty.
More importantly, the Reincarnation Game had arrived.
A "heroine" like Megumi and a "protagonist" like Tomoya were almost certainly going to get dragged in. If Megumi still picked Tomoya as her partner when that happened...
She'd be dead before she understood why.
Tomoya heard every word. Humiliation hit him like a slap.
He bit down, ready to fire back, but the retort died in his throat the moment he got a clear look at Makoto's face.
Setting aside the fact that Tomoya was a total coward who never dared to argue with anyone, the guy standing in front of him was a murderous lunatic.
Makoto said nothing more and walked away.
Only after his figure vanished at the end of the street did Tomoya dare to mutter under his breath.
"Tch... so what if he's killed someone? Big deal. The cops'll have him locked up soon enough..."
Then, as if remembering something, he spun toward Megumi, enthusiasm snapping back into place like a mask. "Hey, are you into galge by any chance? Want to join my club? I'll make you the heroine of the greatest galge ever made!"
But Megumi wasn't looking at him.
She was staring down the street where Makoto had disappeared, something thoughtful flickering behind her eyes.
What he'd said just now... what did he mean by that?
...
Over the next few days, the internet exploded.
#Shuchiin Chemistry Professor Violated By Animals#
#Makoto Nishikado Kills Again#
#First Investigation Division Helpless Against High School Suspect#
#Makoto Nishikado Displays Superhuman Abilities#
Headlines like these burned across every platform, cementing themselves at the top of every trending list and refusing to come down.
The ones hit hardest, naturally, were the Shuchiin students who'd witnessed Makoto kill Sawanaga Taisuke with their own eyes the day before.
Class 1-F. The class Makoto was supposed to be attending.
The room sat in funeral silence.
Every few minutes, someone would steal a glance at the two empty seats: one by the window, one by the door. Makoto's and Taisuke's.
Saionji Sekai checked the trending topics on her phone and whispered to the boy beside her. "This is terrifying... he's not going to show up at school, right?"
Itou Makoto didn't respond. His head was down, eyes glued to his screen.
Sekai leaned over, curious, and found him staring at a photograph, completely transfixed.
A girl, sitting in a train seat, reading a book.
Quiet elegance. An angelic face. And a figure that could only be described as devastating. Even Akizuki Airi, their own classmate, couldn't compete.
"Wait, isn't that Katsura Kotonoha from Class A?" Sekai's eyebrows shot up. "Itou, you've got expensive taste!"
He nearly fell out of his chair. "Wh-when did you sneak over here?!"
Sekai pressed on, ignoring him. "She's the daughter of a food company CEO. A Pureblood student. I don't think you've got much of a shot."
As she said it, something dim and fleeting passed through her eyes.
Not even her closest friends knew she'd been harboring a crush on Itou Makoto this whole time.
"Mind your own business!" he grumbled.
He knew it was a long shot. But he wanted to try anyway. What if it worked?
Sekai bit her lip, as if steeling herself for a decision. "What if... I helped you?"
She wasn't stupid enough to play matchmaker for the boy she liked out of sheer selflessness. The calculation was simpler than that: being his "go-between" meant more time together, more conversations. And maybe, somewhere along the way, she could get ahead of the competition.
The rest of the day crawled by under that strange, heavy atmosphere.
When the final bell rang, some students headed to club activities. Others went straight home.
Yukinoshita Yukino, who had not yet founded the Service Club, packed her bag and left Class 1-B. She was heading back to her apartment, the one her parents rented for her. She lived alone now.
She'd barely cleared the school gate when she spotted a familiar black luxury sedan.
Her brow creased. She walked toward it anyway.
The rear window glided down, revealing her sister Haruno's striking face, bright and beautiful as ever.
"Yukino-chan! School's out? Hop in." Haruno beamed at her the way she always did, all warmth and dazzle.
Yukino's frown deepened. "I told you, while I'm living on my own, I can get home by myself."
The smile didn't waver. "Your big sister has something she'd like to discuss with her adorable little sibling. Is that okay?"
Yukino frowned again.
Knowing Haruno, whatever she wanted to "discuss" was guaranteed to be trouble.
But in the end, she got in the car.
The sedan pulled away from the curb.
After a while, Haruno brought it up as if it were nothing. "Yukino... that Makoto Nishikado. Do you know him well?"
Yukino looked at her sister, puzzled. "Why are you suddenly asking about him?"
Haruno feigned indifference. "Just curious. He did bully my precious little sister, after all."
A pause. Then Yukino said, carefully and seriously, "Don't go anywhere near him."
She knew exactly what her sister was like when it came to her.
And she was genuinely afraid of what would happen if Haruno went after Makoto. Though to be precise, it wasn't Makoto she was worried about.
Yukinoshita Haruno was a complicated creature who lived for amusement.
When she found someone interesting, she was like a cat spotting a mouse. She'd toy with them, prod them, push them, and more often than not, she'd break them without meaning to.
Maybe it was her way of coping. Growing up as the legitimate heir to the Yukinoshita family, under that kind of pressure, everyone needed an outlet.
But the thing about outlets was that you had to pick the right target.
Makoto Nishikado was no mouse. He was a bear.
If Haruno went after him... who'd end up destroying whom was genuinely up for debate.
Hearing her sister's warning, Haruno kept that breezy smile firmly in place. Underneath it, she was quietly panicking.
The problem was... she'd already poked the bear.
But all she did was call the police. And there'd been so many people around at the time. It should be fine...
Right?