The morning sunlight spilled across the classroom, painting the desks with long, sharp shadows. Kae sat upright in her usual spot, arms loosely folded, exuding a quiet confidence that drew attention without effort. She didn't fidget, whisper, or glance nervously around—she simply existed, and the world noticed.
I slouched into my seat, trying to look casual but failing miserably. My eyes were still crusted from a late-night gaming session, and I could feel every pair of eyes in the room flicking toward me.
"You're late," Kae said, voice steady but not scolding. There was a quiet authority in it, the kind that made you think twice before speaking unnecessarily.
"Uh… morning traffic?" I said weakly, hoping to salvage some dignity.
Her lips curved into a small, amused smirk. "Morning traffic? At this hour? You really are slow to start."
I shrugged. "Some of us operate on a different schedule."
Kae's gaze met mine briefly, sharp but not hostile. "Try not to make a habit of it. Laziness spreads easily."
I leaned back, grinning despite myself. "Noted."
She let out a soft laugh, glancing around the classroom as if noting who else was present. "Control is good, mediocrity… not so much."
I scratched the back of my neck while giving a thumbs-up. "Right. I'll… do my best."
Around us, the other students whispered and shifted, trying to sneak glances or awkwardly introduce themselves. Kenta leaned toward me, whispering with wide eyes: "Dude… you're sitting next to her. You're basically the chosen one."
I gave him a weak thumbs-up. "Yep. Chosen… to sit quietly and not make a fool of myself."
Another boy, braver than the rest, cleared his throat and said, "Kae… welcome. I mean, it's nice to have you here." His hands twitched, ready to offer a gift or favor.
Kae glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. "Thank you. I hope your intentions are genuine." Her tone was calm, but unmistakably firm; she wasn't impressed by empty gestures.
The boy swallowed hard and retreated, muttering something about 'better luck next time.'
The lecture began, and Kae quickly immersed herself in the teacher's words, occasionally raising an eyebrow at the material. I tried to focus, but my eyelids felt like lead. Every so often, I caught her glancing at me—not in judgment, but in quiet curiosity, as if she were assessing whether I was hopeless or just… interesting.
By lunch, the room buzzed with hushed conversations about Kae. Students tried jokes, compliments, or awkward attempts at connection, but nothing seemed to penetrate her composed exterior. Each failed attempt only highlighted her calm, measured poise, and a faint, amused smile would appear on her lips when someone made a particularly clumsy move.
After school, I found myself walking beside her on the path leading home.
"You… handle everyone pretty well," I said quietly.
She tilted her head, letting the sunlight catch her hair. "I've had practice. People tend to… underestimate me. It's amusing to watch them try."
I chuckled, kicking a pebble along the path. "Yeah, well, most people don't expect a mayor's daughter to show up at Kurokawa High. You're like a plot twist nobody saw coming."
Kae's smirk returned, sharper this time, her amber eyes glinting like she knew something I didn't. "Plot twists are my specialty, Souta. Stick around, and you might get used to them."
The sun dipped low over the school, painting the courtyard in a warm orange glow. Kae walked toward the waiting limousines, her posture calm, controlled, as if the world moved around her rather than her through it.
A small group of boys lingered at the gates, lingering just long enough to wave or call out.
"Goodnight, Kae!" one shouted.
"See you tomorrow!" another added.
"Take care!" a third chimed in, their voices a mix of excitement and awe.
Kae raised a hand in polite acknowledgment, a faint, imperious smile curling her lips. "Goodnight. Try not to make a fool of yourselves," she said lightly, as though dispensing a gentle warning rather than a scolding.
I watched from a distance, leaning against a fence, trying to mask the unease building in my chest. She slid into the limousine gracefully, the door closing behind her with a soft click.
Everything seemed normal.
Until the van appeared.
Not a clumsy, screeching vehicle—but a sleek, black armored van that mirrored the limousine's movements. The driver didn't honk, the tires didn't squeal. Everything was… professional.
From inside, figures in tactical gear moved silently. One tapped into the limousine's communication system, overriding the radio. Another mimicked the driver's gestures, expertly maneuvering the vehicle to a stop.
"Everything is under control, ma'am," one of them said smoothly through the limousine's intercom—perfectly timed to Kae's confused glance.
Before she could react, the professional team slipped in. Two masked operatives held the real driver at gunpoint—but with precision, not aggression. One operative opened the rear door and gestured politely.
"Miss Asamiya, please come with us. It's… urgent," the operative said, calm and almost courteous.
Kae's eyes narrowed, but the professionalism of the operation gave nothing away. She didn't scream or struggle. She followed their instructions with a measured grace, as if weighing every possibility.
The van pulled ahead, seamlessly blending with traffic, leaving the school gates eerily quiet. Even the boys frozen at the gates had no chance to intervene.
I stood there in amazement. This wasn't some amateur kidnapping—it was a full-scale, perfectly executed operation. Every guard, every move, every reaction… choreographed to perfection.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut: whoever had done this wasn't playing around. And neither could I.
The city seemed unnaturally quiet after the limousine vanished. I stood frozen, staring at the empty street where Kae's car had been, my chest tight, throat dry.
*She… she's gone.*
Around me, students whispered nervously, but their voices felt distant, almost like I was underwater. I barely noticed the flashing lights until a police car screeched to a stop nearby. Officers spilled out, radios crackling, expressions taut with urgency.
"You—Souta Renjiro?" one of them asked. His voice was sharp, no-nonsense. "You were the last civilian to see the victim. We need everything you know."
I opened my mouth but nothing coherent came out. My hands fidgeted with the straps of my bag. "I… I just saw her get into the limo… then a van… everything happened so fast…"
The officer's eyes hardened. "Fast isn't fast enough for them. They were professionals. They knew the guards, the timing, the routes… even the driver. Whoever did this planned it meticulously."
"Yeah, no shit". I replied redundantly. "So we can't go after her?"
"No," the older officer interrupted, shaking his head. "Any direct pursuit could risk her life. This isn't a simple snatch-and-grab. They've accounted for everything."
*This doesn't look good, at this rate… the mayor would be forced to probably pay ransom…*
The city had already fallen into night, but the streets below weren't quiet. Sirens screamed in the distance, headlights streaked past in sharp lines, and somewhere, a helicopter thrummed like an impatient heartbeat. Inside my room, the hum of traffic did nothing to drown out the storm inside my chest.
I hadn't moved from my chair for hours, eyes locked on the black book sprawled across my desk. Its chains glimmered faintly in the dim light, like steel that remembered every misstep I'd ever made. Tonight, it felt heavier than ever, pressing down on the air itself.
A police officer's voice broke the silence. "We've got nothing, Souta. No trace of the vehicle. No comms. No ID on the hijackers. They've… vanished."
I rubbed my temples. "No… no, that's impossible," I muttered. But deep down, I knew the truth. Whoever had taken Kae wasn't sloppy amateurs. They were professionals.
Time dragged, each minute measured by the buzzing of my phone. Every notification from the police made me flinch, only to reveal more dead ends: surveillance cameras with blurry shadows, traffic footage that ended mid-street, eyewitness accounts contradicting each other. The city itself seemed to tighten around me, a cage made of neon and night.
Finally, the phone vibrated differently — sharp, insistent. I snatched it up. A single encrypted message glared back:
"If you ever want to see Kae Asamiya alive again… follow our instructions. Failure to comply will lead to her demise."
A second message arrived immediately after:
"Ransom: One billion yen. Delivery instructions will follow."
One billion yen. My stomach twisted.
I nearly dropped the phone. "One… one billion? Yeah, let me just check under my couch cushions real quick."
Even if I sold everything I owned, even if I lived fifteen lifetimes, I wouldn't have quarter the amount.
The officers shifted nervously behind me, tension coiling in the room like a spring.
"There's… there's no way we can reach them, can we?" I asked, voice tight.
The lead detective shook his head, jaw tight. "We've tried everything. GPS, drones, comms… nothing. They're like ghosts. I'm afraid you're the only one—"
I cut him off with a strangled laugh. "The only one? The only one who can what? Hold a bake sale of one billion cupcakes?"
But even as I spoke, I felt the weight of every second slipping past. Every second was Kae, trapped somewhere I couldn't find… even though she was just my classmate.
My eyes drifted toward the black book. Its chains glimmered faintly in the dim light. It felt… aware.
I bit my finger.
*I really want to save her but I can't. I have no resources, no power, no leverage… unless…*
The thought made my pulse spike. My fingers brushed the edge of the contract page. The shadows in the room seemed to bend toward it, coaxing, urging, whispering to the part of me I'd always hidden: the part that wanted more, the part that refused to be helpless.
I swallowed hard as my throat burned. "I… I wish…to save Kae."
The air shivered and the room froze, along with everyone in it except for me. The Unknown's took a humanoid form as its voice slid into the silence like a blade.
"How exactly? By putting her out of her misery? I hear cliffs are in season."
"At least try to sound like you're helping," I muttered.
"You are not clear enough… how do you want to save Kae?"
"'Ctrl+S', or saved for later like leftovers?"
"…By being the richest man in the world, you otherworldly fraud."
The words tumbled out before I could stop them. If I had everything—money, power, influence… maybe I could make the world hand her back. It was desperate, ridiculous, and yet it felt like something. Being around her, even a little, made me feel a notch above mediocrity—and I wasn't about to give that up anytime soon. Or maybe I just wanted to have a little bit of fun.
Then the Unknown snapped his fingers, and a blinding light surged outward, wrapping the entire Earth in its brilliance.