Chapter 4: Cracks Beneath the Surface
By the next morning
Kaito Himura had already become famous.
Girls waited near classroom doors just to greet him.
Students from other sections came only to "accidentally" pass by.
Even some teachers seemed unusually polite.
It had taken him less than a day.
Yuto stared out the window at the growing crowd.
"This school is shallow."
Sora nodded.
"Very."
Daichi continued reading.
"Always was."
At the back row, Arata entered late as usual.
He glanced once at the crowd surrounding Kaito's desk.
Then walked past it.
Then sat down.
Then slept.
Yuto looked offended.
"How are you the calmest person here?"
Arata's voice came from the desk.
"I'm unconscious."
Kaito smiled politely as he answered another wave of questions.
"Yes, I transferred recently."
"No, I don't mind helping with studies."
"I played basketball at my previous school."
"Thank you, but I'm not that impressive."
The girls nearly melted.
Mika, watching from the front, looked disgusted.
"If he says one more humble sentence, I'll throw a chair."
Hina tilted her head.
"He seems nice."
Riku grinned.
"He seems trained."
Ayame said nothing.
Her eyes briefly moved to the back row—
where Arata was asleep.
Again.
Class began.
The teacher entered carrying answer sheets.
"We'll have a surprise quiz before lessons begin."
Groans filled the room.
Kaito smiled.
Ayame sighed.
Hina panicked.
Mika threatened education itself.
Arata did not move.
The teacher walked to his desk.
"Arata."
Nothing.
She hit the desk lightly.
"Quiz."
One eye opened.
"...Why?"
"Because you're a student."
"Debatable."
The class laughed.
"Sit up."
With visible disappointment in life, Arata sat upright.
Ten minutes later—
Pens stopped.
Sheets were collected.
The teacher began checking quickly at the desk.
Then her expression changed.
She looked up.
Then back down.
Then up again.
"Perfect scores... from Ayame."
Expected.
"Kaito."
Murmurs spread instantly.
Then—
She paused.
Her eyes narrowed.
"And... Arata."
Silence.
Then chaos.
"What?!"
"No way!"
"He guessed!"
"He can write?"
Yuto slammed the desk.
"I KNEW IT!"
Sora pointed dramatically.
"Fraud exposed!"
Daichi looked mildly unsurprised.
Ayame slowly turned in her seat.
Arata was already sleeping again.
The teacher stared at him in disbelief.
"...I dislike this child."
Lunch break.
The rooftop wind felt stronger today.
The boys sat in their usual circle.
Yuto leaned forward aggressively.
"Explain."
"No."
"You got full marks!"
"I wrote answers."
"You never study!"
"I dislike repeating myself."
Sora laughed.
Daichi chewed quietly.
Then Kaito opened the rooftop door and walked in carrying lunch.
"Mind if I join?"
"Yes," Arata said.
"I'll sit anyway."
He sat.
Yuto accepted this far too quickly.
Kaito looked at Arata.
"You're still hiding."
"I'm eating."
"You know what I mean."
"No. And I don't care."
Kaito smiled faintly.
"That part hasn't changed either."
Sora whispered to Yuto,
"I understand nothing."
"Same," Yuto replied.
At the front of the rooftop, Ayame and the girls had also arrived.
They usually sat farther away.
But today, Riku kept glancing toward the boys.
Then toward Ayame.
Then smiled dangerously.
"You're staring."
"I'm not."
"You looked three times."
"I blink."
"That excuse again?"
Mika crossed her arms.
"You're both weird."
Hina gasped softly.
"Wait... do you like someone?"
Ayame nearly choked on her drink.
"No."
Riku's smile widened.
"Interesting reaction."
Ayame stood up immediately.
"I'm going downstairs."
"You just got here," Mika said.
"I remembered something."
"You remembered panic," Riku muttered.
After school—
Rain had started unexpectedly.
Students crowded near the entrance waiting it out.
Ayame stood under the roof with her bag.
She hadn't brought an umbrella.
Neither had her friends.
Riku groaned.
"My hair is worth too much for this."
Mika looked ready to fight the sky.
Hina looked genuinely betrayed.
Then—
A black umbrella appeared overhead.
Kaito stood beside them.
"You can take this."
The girls nearby immediately began whispering.
"So kind..."
"He offered first..."
Ayame looked at the umbrella.
Then at him.
"Thank you, but—"
Another umbrella opened behind her.
She turned.
Arata stood there lazily, holding one umbrella in one hand.
Hair slightly wet.
Expression uninterested.
"You forgot yours."
Ayame blinked.
Riku's eyes widened.
Mika's eyebrows rose.
Hina covered her mouth.
Kaito's smile remained—
but sharpened slightly.
Arata looked at him.
Then at the umbrella.
Then back.
"Keep yours."
He placed his umbrella handle into Ayame's hand.
"Let's go."
Ayame froze for half a second.
Then quietly followed him into the rain.
Behind them—
Riku whispered,
"Ohhh?"
Mika smirked.
Hina was vibrating with curiosity.
Kaito watched silently.
Water dripped from the edge of his umbrella.
His smile slowly disappeared.
The walk home was quiet.
Rain tapped softly above them.
Ayame held the umbrella while Arata walked beside her.
"You came back for me?" she asked.
"No."
"You brought an umbrella."
"For myself."
"You gave it to me."
"I made a mistake."
Ayame smiled.
"You're bad at lying."
Arata looked ahead.
"You're annoying."
"You still came."
He said nothing.
That silence answered enough.
At the mansion—
They stepped inside.
The servants took their bags.
Ayame turned toward him.
"Thank you."
Arata began walking away.
Then stopped.
Without turning, he spoke.
"Don't accept umbrellas from strange men."
Ayame blinked.
"...He's our classmate."
"Worse."
Then he continued upstairs.
Ayame stood still.
Then laughed softly to herself.
Jealousy looked strange on him.
But she didn't dislike it.
Elsewhere—
Kaito sat alone in the back seat of a car.
Rain ran down the windows.
His phone screen displayed one photo.
Arata and Ayame leaving together beneath one umbrella.
He stared at it calmly.
Then smiled.
"So that's how it is."
His eyes darkened.
"This will be more fun than I thought."
End of Chapter 4