The sunset at Moon Beach was still burned into the back of her eyelids. After that, on her way home, Kiriko kept replaying Ranga's words over and over in her mind. (*"Thanks, Kiriko"... huh.*) She lay in her futon, gazing intently at the photo of Ranga she'd put up on her bedroom wall. A shot she'd taken on the sly—his profile, completely absorbed in skateboarding. His light blue eyes fixed solely on the course ahead. "[gentle]...I'm not giving you to anyone." She murmured the words quietly, then buried her face in her pillow. Sunday night. The muggy heat hadn't let up, and the abandoned hangar "Hangar 7" at the old Camp Falcon site was filled with a stifling, dusty air. Through a broken window in the ceiling, moonlight fell in thin bands onto the concrete floor. Today, too, Kiriko stood right behind Ranga, her high ponytail swaying. To be precise, close enough that she was practically pressed against his back. "[gentle]Your weight shift still has a little wobble. You need to gather your strength more... deep in your core, like this." As she spoke, she gently wrapped her hands around Ranga's waist. The warmth of his body, felt through his hoodie, spread gradually across her palms. (*Today, please, today of all days, notice...!*) Kiriko's heart was pounding so loudly she thought she must sound ridiculous. Her face was hot. She could feel her ears turning red. "[surprised]Hey, you feelin' hot again? I'm tellin' you, you've gotta have a cold or somethin'." Ranga glanced back over his shoulder and said. He was dead serious. A face that was completely, purely worried about his childhood friend's health. Kiriko mentally face-planted. "[angry]N-No, I don't! This is just, you know, my body temperature rising from motivation!" "[gentle]Yeah? Well, don't push yourself. You've always been like this since we were kids, clingin' to me all the time 'cause you get lonely." Ranga laughed cheerfully and turned back around. Kiriko, having lost all will to argue, gently pressed her forehead against his back. (*Why... why don't you get it...*) Kiriko let out a small sigh—and it was exactly at that moment. *Creeeeak...* The massive iron door of Hangar 7 suddenly began to open with a sound like a scream. Kiriko's body went rigid. She instantly grabbed Ranga's arm and stepped forward, shielding him behind her. Her narrow, dark eyes glared sharply into the depths of the darkness. The mysterious figure from last time flashed through her mind. (*No way, the one from back then...!*) But what appeared was a presence far beyond her imagination. In the moonlight, a figure oozed into view. Tall. Probably around 185 centimeters. Long silver hair slicked back and tied at the nape of his neck. On his face, a white, expressionless mask. Countless silver rings on his fingers glinted sharply, reflecting the moonlight. The absolute king of S, Adam. A living legend in the community, boasting 9,800 followers. The moment he took a single step inside, the atmosphere of the hangar transformed completely. It was as if an invisible, crushing pressure bore down on them. Behind the mask, golden eyes swiveled, sizing the two of them up like prey. Kiriko felt a cold sweat run down her spine. "Ah..." But, completely ignoring that abnormal pressure, Ranga let out a clueless sound. "[excited]Oh, did you wanna use this place? Sorry, we'll be done in about thirty minutes, so could you wait just a little longer?" With the casualness of waiting for a turn on the swings at a park at night, Ranga pressed his hands together and asked Adam. A strange silence fell over Hangar 7. Adam's movements stopped dead. Beneath the mask, his golden eyes widened at Ranga in surprise. Kiriko wanted to hold her head in her hands. (*Th-This guy... has absolutely zero ability to read the room...!*) After a beat, Adam laughed lowly—*kukuku*. The laugh sounded delighted, yet at the same time, it had a chilling resonance that crawled down the spine. "[gentle]...Beautiful. You must be the rumored 'Snowman' boy." Adam spread his arms wide with an exaggerated, theatrical gesture and slowly approached Ranga. Kiriko immediately stepped between them. "[cold]Don't come any closer." Her voice was low and freezing. But Adam, as if her presence didn't even register in his eyes, gently placed a hand on Ranga's chin. "[excited]Ah... even more excellent than in the Vortex footage. Keeping my adorable little boy all to yourself in a dark, lonely place like this—you're a cruel girl." Adam's golden gaze turned toward Kiriko. Even through the mask, she could feel it—clear hostility and a possessive desire bordering on madness. Kiriko felt every pore on her body prickle open. "[scared]D-Don't touch him! Get away from him!" Kiriko pulled Ranga's arm, yanking him away from Adam. Meanwhile, the Ranga in question was looking back and forth between the two of them with a blank expression. "[surprised]You two know each other, Kiriko? Anyway, that mask is insane. It's so legit. Where'd you buy it?" Ranga fired questions at Adam with eyes sparkling with pure, genuine curiosity. Adam's movements stopped again, just for a moment. Kiriko's mouth fell open, too. (*This natural-born idiot...!*) Kiriko screamed in her mind. Beneath the mask, Adam laughed lowly, sounding amused. "[laughing]...*Kuku*, wonderful. You really are interesting." Saying that, Adam pulled a smartphone from his pocket. He tapped the screen with practiced fingers and launched Vortex's live streaming function. The camera pointed at him, and he could tell that hundreds of followers were instantly flooding into the stream. "[serious]Now then, the opening act ends here." The tone of his voice suddenly turned cold and hard. As if to announce that playtime was over. "Citizens of the S community, and you, the cool young lady over there. I hereby declare an official beef." The color drained from Kiriko's face. Ranga tilted his head and peered at the smartphone screen. "Me, and you. What the winner takes is—a date with the boy." Adam's words echoed through the abandoned hangar. The comment section of Vortex exploded as if a dam had burst. *Lolwww a date rightwww* *Adam-san's at it again www* *Whoa whoa whoa, they're fighting over the new guy!* *It's a beef, a beef—!* In the blink of an eye, thousands of comments flooded the screen. The S community was now in an uproar over the bomb Adam had just dropped. Kiriko clenched her fists tightly. Her hands trembled with rage. A pure anger at Ranga being treated like an object blazed up from deep in her chest. "[serious]...Fine. I'll take that beef." She stared straight into the camera of Adam's smartphone. There was no longer any hesitation in her dark eyes. "I'll win. I'm not giving Ranga to you." At her declaration, the comment section boiled over even more. *WHOOOOOAAAA! SHE ACCEPTED!* *Kiriko-san is so cool!* *It's a love battle!!!* Adam twisted his mouth beneath the mask, looking satisfied. "[gentle]Very well. It's decided." At that moment, Ranga, who had been peering at the screen the whole time, opened his mouth with a troubled look. "[surprised]Huh, wait a sec. I can be a bet condition for a beef? Like, how does that work, rules-wise?" It was a pure, truly genuine question. Adam and Kiriko both looked at Ranga's face at the same time. (*That's what you're worried about?!*) Kiriko mentally face-planted again. Adam also stopped moving for a moment, then, as if unable to hold it in any longer, let out a low laugh. "[laughing]*Kukuku... Kuhahahaha!*" His laughter echoed eerily through the empty hangar. Having finished his beef declaration, Adam ended the stream, turned his back, and slowly began walking into the darkness. However, just before the iron door, he stopped once. From behind the mask, his golden eyes glanced back at Ranga alone. "[whispers]I'm looking forward to it, my boy. The next time we meet, you will be mine alone." The words were a sweet, and yet terrifyingly cold, whisper. The light of maddening obsession dwelling in his gaze. Kiriko didn't miss it. A shudder ran through her entire body. (*Those eyes... he's serious.*) The iron door closed again with a *creeeak*. Adam's figure vanished, and a heavy silence descended. After a pause, Ranga murmured quietly. "[gentle]He was an amazing skater. But, I dunno, he got way too close and it was kinda scary." Kiriko let out a long breath. Then, she spun around to face Ranga. "[serious]Ranga." Unusually for her, she let her emotions show and grabbed both of his shoulders. "You absolutely cannot go near that man. No matter what he says to you, don't try to meet him alone." "[surprised]Why? He was an incredible skater, wasn't he?" "[angry]That's exactly why he's dangerous!" Ranga's eyes went wide at Kiriko's loud voice. Kiriko immediately thought she'd said a bit too much and let go of his shoulders. Then, clasping her hands tightly in front of her chest, she continued, her eyes downcast but her voice clear. "[gentle]...That's why I'll definitely win. I won't give you to anyone. Absolutely not. To no one." She raised her face and looked straight at Ranga. Her dark eyes were utterly serious. Ranga felt a jolt near his heart at the intensity of her gaze. (*What is this... I don't really get it, but Kiriko's dead serious.*) He didn't understand the true meaning of her words. But he could certainly feel the heat of the unwavering flame burning inside her. "[gentle]...Alright. If you're that serious about it, I'll be careful." When Ranga said that, Kiriko let out a small, relieved sigh. "[gentle]The next training session is going to be even tougher. To beat Adam, the way you are now isn't good enough." Her "Love Body-Touch Operation" was accelerating into a battle of love. Kiriko's one-sided crush had transformed into a fierce determination not to give him up to anyone. Faced with the colossal wall that was the absolute king, Adam, her quiet fighting spirit had now, without a doubt, been ignited. Only the moonlight streaming from the ceiling of Hangar 7 quietly illuminated the two skaters, as if they stood before a violent storm about to begin.