Shiro Sakamaki marked Akihiro Kanou with a shadow seal, just like he did before—ensuring that no matter where the old man tried to hide, he'd be easy to track.
"Oh yeah, one more thing," Shiro said casually, just as he was about to leave. "I'm a patient man—but don't test that patience too much."
As his voice faded, the doctor's eyes widened in horror. The shadows on the floor—his own shadow—suddenly twisted unnaturally, coming to life with eerie fluidity. From it, razor-sharp blades of shadow split off and whipped through the lab like a storm of scalpels, reducing even metal surfaces to polished, mirror-like slices. The lab, once cluttered and humming with eerie equipment, was now a hollowed-out ruin.
Akihiro Kanou watched Shiro's figure vanish into the distance, swallowing nervously. A flash of manic excitement crossed his face—but it quickly faded beneath the weight of fear.
By the time Shiro returned to the surface, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
"Another sleepless night," he muttered with a sigh.
Once back at the apartment, he took a quick shower and straightened up the room. Checking the time, he remembered the Nakano sisters had been through quite a bit the day before. Pulling out his phone, he messaged Nakano Nino:
Shiro Sakamaki: [Nino, I won't be coming over for breakfast today.]
A reply came a few moments later:
Nino: [Got it. Do you want me to pack a lunch for you?]
Shiro: [Then thank you, Lady Nino!]
Nino: [Hmph, just make sure you properly thank me.]
Shiro: [By the way, how's Nanami Aoyama doing?]
Nino: [Our hospital's pretty reliable. You don't need to worry.]
Shiro: [Alright. Let me know how much the bill came to last night. I'll pay you back.]
Nino: [What? Feeling stingy now?]
Shiro: [It's not like that. It's just... complicated. Let's leave it at that.]
Nino: [If you're not going to explain, then fine. I don't care.]
Still, she sent over the bill after a few minutes.
Shiro took one look at it and couldn't help cursing under his breath. Hospitals are a damn goldmine... The Nakano family really is loaded.
"Well, it's another beautiful day... Time to drag myself to school."
The idea of attending class made his body ache. He hadn't even been a student there long, but he'd already taken multiple leaves. He was probably on some kind of watch list by now.
Then again, everything had been arranged by Hiratsuka. If anything, the blame lay with her.
He stopped by a convenience store on the way and picked up some bread and milk. Since he'd left early, the classroom was mostly empty when he arrived. He sat by the window, letting the breeze drift in while he slowly ate his breakfast. Gradually, more students filtered in, chatting away about club activities, TV shows, and gossip from the day before.
Cliques were clearly defined—one of the signature features of Japanese school life.
Unfortunately, this also contributed to the country's notorious issue with school bullying. That said, things were better at Shuchiin Academy. The students here were either from elite backgrounds or absolute academic monsters. The soil for bullying didn't really exist.
Still, that didn't mean there weren't exceptions.
Mavericks stood out—and those who stood out got left out. Shiro Sakamaki had barely been around, taking frequent leaves, and it didn't take long before he was quietly isolated. No one actively bullied him, but no group welcomed him either.
Not that he cared. With his current identity and strength, he was already leagues apart from the people in this classroom. Solitude suited him just fine.
After a few more minutes, a visibly tired Hiratsuka Shizuka walked into the classroom, sighing.
"Alright, everyone, settle down. Let's begin today's lesson."
The morning sun was pleasant—not too warm, not too glaring. Thanks to Japan's geography, most of the urban development was coastal, and the inland areas were rural countryside. Sea breezes swept through the city year-round, painting the sky in hues of deep blue.
With nothing better to do, Shiro pulled out his phone and continued working on the novel he'd started yesterday.
But writing turned out to be harder than expected. He kept writing, deleting, re-writing, re-deleting. Half the morning passed, and he still hadn't produced anything solid. Instead, he was just obsessing over settings and backstory tweaks.
When he looked back over what he'd written, embarrassment crept up on him.
Is this really how bad I am at writing novels?
No! It's just a novel. If I don't get embarrassed, then no one else can embarrass me. That's the rule!
Reinvigorated by shameless determination, he picked up the phone again. This time, he thought about reworking the exorcism encounter he'd had with his master into a symbolic, metaphorical arc—turning reality into story.
Boom!
His thoughts scattered as something heavy slammed onto his desk.
It was Nino—holding a lunchbox, her expression clearly spelling "annoyed."
"Wow, Lord Sakamaki, do I have to personally invite you to eat now?"
Snapping out of his trance, Shiro chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, Nino. I got caught up in something and lost track of time."
"Hmph, don't apologize to me—just eat before it goes cold. Don't waste my effort."
"Yes, yes. Thank you, Lady Nino."
A faint blush touched Nino's cheeks. "Hmph, just don't forget it."
She took a seat across from him as he opened the lunchbox and began eating.
"I've heard you've barely been here two weeks and already taken a bunch of days off?"
"Mhm," Shiro said with his mouth half-full. "Had a lot going on. Couldn't be helped."
"And your grades?"
"Haven't taken any tests yet, so no idea. But I'll probably be fine."
Nino scowled a little. Why does he get to slack off and still sound so confident? I'm in class every day and still can't pull my grades up...
"Yeah right. You barely show up—there's no way your grades are okay."
Finishing his bite, Shiro set the bento aside and pulled a cold drink from his desk. He handed a bottle to Nino, who accepted it without hesitation and took a swig.
"Let's make a bet."
"Huh?"
"If I get into the top 10 of our grade, you have to agree to one condition of mine. If I lose, I'll do something for you in return. Fair?"
Nino raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch? What kind of condition?"
"Relax," Shiro said with a grin. "I promise it won't be anything unreasonable or embarrassing. Something within your comfort zone."
She squinted suspiciously, then crossed her arms. Well, I can always refuse if he oversteps...
"Fine. Deal. But if I win—you're taking me out on that motorcycle of yours."
She'd noticed the machine from the start, and as someone who loved a little danger and had a soft spot for good looks, that bike pushed all the right buttons.
Shiro laughed. "Deal. Honestly, even if I win, I might still take you."
---
Enjoyed the chapter? Get early access to 100+ chapters on Patreon!
→ patreon.com/Arthorain