I changed my shoes and watched the group for a few more seconds.

Then the bell rang.

I had to go to my own classroom.

…

Sometimes it was even a little annoying.

Our lockers were right next to each other.

But still…

We weren’t together.

“If we were in the same class…”

“We’d probably see each other much more often.”

I smiled quietly at my own thoughts.

— Pull yourself together, Rin.

Classes passed calmly.

As usual, I answered the teachers’ questions, took notes, and barely got distracted.

But the moment the bell rang for the long break…

I was already gathering my textbooks.

— Sakamoto-san, where are you rushing off to? — my desk neighbor asked in surprise.

I smiled a little.

— I… have a group I want to join.

A couple of minutes later I was already approaching the familiar table.

Everyone was there.

Hayato.

Kurosaki-kun.

Yuki.

Miu.

Aya.

I sat down calmly.

— Good afternoon, everyone.

— Oh, Rin! — Hayato was the first to smile. — Hey.

For some reason, his usual greeting always lifted my mood.

Just a little.

But it was enough.

The conversation quickly became lively.

Miu, as always, couldn’t sit still.

— Hayato!

— After classes let’s go to the arcade!

— I’m definitely going to beat you today!

Hayato laughed.

— You’ve been saying that for a month already.

— Because one day it’ll finally happen!

— It definitely will!

Everyone smiled involuntarily.

At that moment Yuki cautiously raised her hand.

But it was no longer as timid as before.

— Hayato-kun…

— The new season of that anime is announced for tonight…

She smiled warmly.

— Maybe… if you have time… we could watch it together?

Hayato thought for a second.

— Oh…

— Right.

— I completely forgot.

Before he could finish, a familiar voice came from behind.

— Found you.

Satomi walked up to the table.

As usual — confident and composed.

She looked straight at Hayato.

— Don’t forget.

— Training after school today.

— I’ve already booked the hall.

— Don’t be late.

— Yeah — Hayato nodded. — I remember.

I watched silently.

“Everyone…”

“Taking turns.”

“No one’s giving up.”

Miu.

Yuki.

Satomi.

Even Aya sometimes threw in short remarks just to get his attention.

The competition was becoming more and more obvious.

I quietly set my cup of tea on the table.

Maybe…

It was my turn now.

— Hayato-kun.

Everyone looked at me almost at the same time.

I calmly met their gazes.

— After classes we’re starting the joint biology project, remember?

— I think we’ll have to stay late today.

— There’s quite a lot of work.

Hayato nodded immediately.

— Ah…

— Right.

— It completely slipped my mind.

He smiled guiltily.

— Then the project first.

— And everything else after.

For a few seconds the table went quiet.

Miu puffed her cheeks slightly.

— Eh…

Yuki also lowered her gaze a little.

— I see…

Even Satomi frowned for a moment, but quickly returned to her usual calm expression.

And I…

I just took another sip of tea.

“Sometimes…”

“The best way to win…”

“Is to plan everything in advance.”

And for the first time in a long while, it felt like today’s small victory stayed with me.

After classes the school gradually emptied.

Loud voices in the corridors were replaced by rare footsteps.

Some students had already gone home.

Some had gone to their clubs.

But we stayed in the biology classroom.

I sat opposite Hayato-kun, laying out the materials for the project.

Textbooks, printouts, and my neatly made notes lay on the table.

— You’ve already prepared everything?..

Hayato looked at the stack of papers and smiled in surprise.

— Yes.

I felt a little embarrassed.

— I’m used to planning everything in advance.

— It shows.

He picked up one of the sheets and examined it carefully.

— You even made a diagram.

— And divided who explains what.

I nodded.

— It’ll be easier this way.

For a few seconds there was silence.

Only the rustling of pages.

It felt strange.

This was the most ordinary school moment.

Just two students working on a project.

But for me…

It felt important.

I looked at him.

At how attentively he was reading my notes.

How he didn’t try to pretend he knew everything.

How calmly he asked if he didn’t understand something.

And suddenly I remembered.

The first day.

When I had only just arrived in Japan.

A different language.

Different rules.

A different culture.

I felt completely lost back then.

Everyone was staring at me.

Some out of curiosity.

Some simply because I was different.

And Hayato-kun…

He just walked up.

Not like to a “foreigner.”

Not like to something unusual.

Just like to a person.

— Rin?

I blinked.

— Huh?

— You spaced out.

I smiled quietly.

— A little.

— What were you thinking about?

I looked out the window.

The sun was already starting to set.

— About the time when I had just arrived.

Hayato looked slightly surprised.

— Back then?

— Yeah.

I put the pen on the table.

— I barely understood anything back then.

— Even school rules seemed complicated.

He smiled awkwardly.

— I didn’t do that much.

— No.

I gently shook my head.

— You did more than you think.

Hayato looked at me.

I continued:

— You showed me the school.

— Explained how everything works here.

— Helped when some classmates were too interested in me.

He smiled a little awkwardly.

— It just felt wrong.

— You looked like you needed help.

I held his gaze.

“There.”

“Exactly this.”

He never did anything for gratitude.

He never tried to look like a hero.

He just helped.

The same way he was doing now.

— You’re still the same.

— Hm?

— Nothing.

I smiled.

Hayato frowned.

— Now I’m curious.

I smiled quietly.

— It doesn’t matter.

He smiled back.

And that simple reaction made my heart beat a little faster.

We continued working.

After some time he suddenly noticed:

— Rin.

— What?

— You’re tired.

I was surprised.

— No.

— Yes.

He pointed at my hand.

— You’ve been holding the pen for ten minutes without writing anything.

I looked down.

And it was true.

I hadn’t even noticed.

— Do you always do that?

— Do what?

— Watch over other people.

He shrugged.

— Probably.

— Just a habit.

I smiled.

“He notices…”

Such small things.

Not loud.

Not beautiful words.

But it was exactly those things that once made me feel like I wasn’t a stranger here.

— Thank you, Hayato-kun.

He looked confused.

— For what?

— For helping me back then.

— And for helping now too.

He blushed slightly.

— Come on.

— These are just normal things.

I looked at him and smiled.

— Maybe for you.

— But not for everyone…

For a few seconds our eyes met.

He was the first to look away.

— Okay…

— Let’s finish the project, otherwise the teacher will scold us.

I laughed quietly.

Yeah.

That was exactly what he was like.

Not perfect.

Not the bravest.

Sometimes too slow.

But…

This was exactly the person I remembered.

The one who first made me feel at home.

— What a damn scene.

Ren stood behind the classroom door and watched them.

In front of him another event from the novel was unfolding.

And what irritated him the most wasn’t even that Hayato was sitting next to Rin.

It was how absurdly the system itself worked.

Hayato barely did anything.

He just sat opposite her.

Just listened.

Just answered.

And that was already enough to receive a huge amount of sympathy.

— Seriously?..

Ren frowned slightly.

After everything he knew about the route, this looked almost funny.

To change Yuki’s fate, he had to literally interfere in events, save her, break her fears, gradually return her confidence.

It was the same with Rin.

And Hayato?

He just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

And the game rewarded him for it.

— So this is the main character…

Ren smiled quietly, without a trace of amusement.

— The system itself drags him forward.

He continued watching through the door glass.

Rin was smiling.

Not politely.

Not because of status.

Genuinely.

And that irritated him the most.

Because Ren understood perfectly well.

Hayato wasn’t doing anything bad.

He was simply receiving what was written for him in the script.

And because of that, everything looked even more absurd.

Ren stood behind the door and watched this scene.

But no one noticed his face twisted with irritation.

Right now he really looked like a true antagonist.

— What a damn game…

Ren slowly stepped away from the classroom door.

Irritation still remained on his face.

Hayato didn’t even understand what was happening.

He was simply living inside the script.

Receiving points.

Unlocking events.

And then one day everything would lead to that same moment.

That same flag.

That same branch.

Ren took out his phone.

— You want to play like this?

His finger quickly moved across the screen.

The familiar system opened.

Menu.

Assets.

Investments.

He remembered this moment perfectly.

One of the vilest flags on Rin’s route.

A company connected to the Sakamoto family.

A systemic error in asset valuation.

In the original, one person took advantage of it.

He bought part of the assets through a loophole and then created pressure on the family.

And then came blackmail.

A scandal.

Destruction of reputation.

And Rin was gradually driven into a corner.

Ren calmly scrolled through the information.

— In the original you used this first.

He pressed several buttons.

Purchase.

Confirmation.

Another purchase.

The ownership percentage began to grow.

— There’s just one problem…

He looked at the screen.

— Now it’s no longer your card.

A notification came a few seconds later.

Operation completed.

Ren put the phone back in his pocket.

His face became calm again.

As if nothing had happened.

But the decision had already been made.

He wasn’t going to just watch.

If this world was a game…

If every event had its own trigger…

If every character moved according to the prescribed logic…

Then he could play too.

Just by his own rules.

Ren turned around and walked down the corridor.

After the project was finished, Rin stared at the laptop screen for a few more seconds.

Everything was ready.

And for some reason she really didn’t want to leave right away.

A strange feeling.

Right now she was sitting after school alone with the person who once helped her settle in Japan first, and she felt like she was in love.

— Hayato-kun…

He looked up.

— Yeah?

Rin felt a little awkward.

For her this was unusual.

She was used to controlling herself.

Words.

Emotions.

Behavior.

But next to him it somehow became harder.

Time was approaching evening.

She should have been leaving.

But instead they both sat in silence for a few seconds.

Finally Hayato suddenly said:

— Maybe we could have dinner?

Rin froze.

— Together?

— Yeah.

— We worked a lot today anyway.

— We can celebrate finishing the project.

Her heart trembled slightly.

It was an ordinary phrase.

An ordinary suggestion.

But for some reason it felt warm inside.

— Okay.

They chose a small quiet restaurant not far from school.

Not too expensive.

Without unnecessary pathos.

Just a calm place where you could talk.

For Rin it turned out to be even better.

She told him about life in America.

About how strange it was to get used to Japan.

About the things that still felt unfamiliar to her.

Hayato listened attentively.

He didn’t interrupt.

He didn’t get distracted.

He asked questions.

And Rin caught herself constantly smiling.

“Why is it so easy next to him?..”

She was used to people who tried to get something from her.

Because of the family.

Because of her appearance.

Because of her status.

But Hayato was simply there.

When the food arrived, he was the first to notice that she had barely touched one of the dishes.

— You don’t like it?

Rin was surprised.

— What?

— You’ve barely eaten it.

She looked at the plate.

— Ah…

She hadn’t even noticed.

Hayato smiled.

— So you still do that.

— Do what?

— Space out and forget about everything around you.

Rin blushed.

— You… remember?

— Of course.

And it was exactly this simple attentiveness that hit her even harder.

She quietly lowered her gaze.

After dinner the Sakamoto family car was already waiting for her at the exit.

Rin stopped in front of the car.

For some reason she didn’t want to leave.

— Thank you for today, Hayato-kun.

— I’m glad too.

He smiled.

— It was fun.

She nodded.

Then got into the car.

When the car started moving, Rin looked out the window.

The city lights reflected on the glass.

And her face still kept a light smile.

She pressed her fingers to her chest.

Her heart was still beating faster than usual.

“This was just dinner…”

She understood that herself.

But then why did it feel like this inside?

As if something important had happened.

As if she would remember this ordinary evening for a long time.

Rin closed her eyes and smiled quietly.

— Hayato-kun…

The name slipped from her lips on its own.

And then she suddenly blushed from her own action.

There was no one else in the car.

But she still felt awkward.

The car slowly drove onto the Sakamoto estate grounds.

Rin sat for a few more seconds, looking out the window.

Usually after school she immediately switched to work.

Studies.

Family duties.

Content.

But today her thoughts kept returning to one person.

To how calmly Hayato listened to her.

To how he remembered small details.

To how he simply said that she was an ordinary girl.

Rin smiled quietly.

— Stupid…

She didn’t even notice how she said it out loud.

But the smile disappeared when she entered the house.

The servants greeted her as usual.

Everything was calm.

Too calm.

She immediately felt that something was wrong.

— Rin.

Her father’s voice stopped her in the corridor.

She turned around.

Father stood by the study.

It was clear from his face — this wasn’t a usual conversation.

— Come in for a few minutes.

Rin nodded silently.

The father’s study always seemed too serious a place to her.

A large desk.

Documents.

Old family photographs.

Here she usually felt not like a daughter, but like an heiress.

She sat opposite him.

— What happened?

Father was silent for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts.

Documents lay on the desk.

Not family reports.

Not school matters.

Stock market data.

Rin frowned.

— Is this related to the company?

Father nodded.

— Today there was an unexpected move.

He turned the tablet toward her.

On the screen was the name of the new large shareholder of a major block of shares.

Rin froze.

— Kurosaki-kun?..

For a few seconds the room was silent.

— Yes.

She looked at her father.

But there was no anger in his voice.

Only seriousness.

— He acquired a significant portion of the shares.

Rin slowly lowered her gaze.

— Why?

Father sighed.

— That’s exactly what we need to find out.

She expected to hear irritation.

An order.

A pressure plan.

But there was nothing like that.

— You don’t want to take them back by force?

Father looked at her.

— Rin.

— Do you really think that after everything he’s done, I would immediately treat him as an enemy?

She fell silent.

Father continued:

— This man saved you.

— More than once.

Her gaze became more serious.

She hated even remembering that.

But Ren had been the one who stopped everything again.

Not for profit.

Not for money.

Simply because he considered it wrong.

— Besides…

Father looked at her.

— I know about your joint photoshoot.

Rin instantly blushed.

— Father…

He calmly raised his hand.

— I’m not blaming you.

— I saw the materials.

— And I saw not only the photographs.

He paused.

— I saw how he treated you.

Rin lowered her gaze.

Memories of those moments surfaced.

How embarrassed she had been back then.

How calmly Ren reacted to her nervousness.

How he constantly controlled the situation.

— Therefore, right now…

Father placed his hand on the documents.

— We cannot pressure him.

Rin raised her gaze.

— But he can put the family in a difficult position.

— Yes.

— But that doesn’t mean we have the right to forget everything else.

He looked her straight in the eyes.

— The honor of the Sakamoto family is more important than our financial condition.

Silence.

Then he said:

— I want to ask you for one thing.

Rin already understood.

— Talk to Kurosaki-kun?

— Yes.

— But not as a family representative.

— Not as the daughter of the company head.

— But as someone who knows him.

Rin thought about it.

She felt strange.

Because until recently she had perceived Ren simply as an incredibly strong person next to her.

And now it turned out that with one decision he could influence an entire yakuza family.

— I’ll try.

Father nodded.

— Thank you.

Rin stood up.

But before leaving she stopped.

She hesitated a little.

— So you don’t consider him a dangerous person?

Sakamoto-san thought for a moment.

— Dangerous?

He looked out the window.

— A person who is capable of changing the situation around himself is always somewhat dangerous.

Pause.

— But danger and bad intentions are two different things.

Rin remembered these words.

Later, already in her room, she sat by the window.

The phone lay nearby.

Kurosaki-kun’s contact was open on the screen.

Her finger hovered over the message button.

She didn’t know how to start.

“ We need to talk about the shares…” sounded too cold.

“Thank you for your help” sounded too simple.

Rin sighed quietly.

— Why is everything so complicated with you…

She put the phone down.

But deep down she already understood.

Tomorrow she would have to meet with Ren.

And for the first time talk to him not as before.

But as with a person who now held part of her future in his hands.