The cold of the asphalt from last night still lingered on the soles of her feet. My calculations have completely fallen apart——. Saki repeated those words over and over in her head as she walked down the hallway of Ichi Middle School. Kurogane Alliance—the largest underground organization in the Kanto region with thirty-two hundred members. Its successor was her boyfriend. No matter how she thought about it, it didn't make sense. The moment she opened the door to Class 2-3, Saki froze. There were roses on her desk. Twenty of them. Unmistakably twenty. Red and white alternating in perfect height. A card was stuck between them. Saki pulled it out with trembling hands. "Looking forward to another day with you" No sender. All thirty classmates were staring at Saki. Thirty pairs of eyes, all at once. "[whispers]Um, who are those from……" "[whispers]There's no name on the card. But those flowers are definitely expensive" That's when a face in a black suit appeared through the hallway window. All thirty students turned at once. When the man's eyes met Saki's, he bowed deeply. "[serious]Young lady, I trust you are well today" The girl in the next seat let out a high-pitched shriek. "[surprised]Huh!? Wait, young lady!?" The classroom exploded. "What do you mean young lady!?" "Whose young lady!?" "That guy in the black suit was at the school gate yesterday too!" ——voices flew everywhere, and Saki, clutching the bouquet, felt her face burning hot. (Why am I a young lady!!) She screamed it in her head, but no sound came out. Tatsuya, arriving late, slipped smoothly into the last seat by the window as if nothing was wrong and collapsed onto his desk. Silver slicked-back hair——different from last night, back to his usual messy black hair. The scar on his left cheek was hidden by his bangs now. From any angle, he looked like a normal, sleepy middle schooler. Saki, still holding the bouquet, walked over to Tatsuya's desk. "[sarcastic]This is your doing?" Tatsuya lifted his face, eyes half-closed. "Yeah" Then he sank back down. "[angry]Not yeah! What do you mean young lady!? I'm not a young lady!!" Tatsuya's eyes were already closed. Even breathing. The sound of complete sleep. Saki put the rose bouquet back on her desk and sat down forcefully in her own chair. Apparently, he'd arranged for Midori from Flower Shop Leaf to deliver them every morning——the moment she heard that, something inside Saki reached a critical point. That flower shop's average daily order was twelve thousand yen, or so she'd heard. That's not something a middle schooler does. --- After school, Saki dragged Tatsuya by the sleeve all the way to Asahi Street Shopping District. Three minutes' walk from Minase Station, in the middle of a shopping district that still smelled of the Showa era, there was Tomo Café. The master, Tomo, was a former band member, and an acoustic guitar hung on the wall. Pancakes were three hundred eighty yen, and Saki loved the amount of butter they used here. She'd thought it was a place where they could be a normal couple. "Welcome! Oh, Saki, it's been a while——" Tomo's smile froze. Outside the shop, three black luxury cars. Doors opened, and six men in black suits lined up in front of the shop at equal intervals. All the license plates read "964." A play on words for Kurogane. Saki had learned that last night. A regular salaryman started to open the door, saw the men in black outside, and silently made a U-turn. An elderly couple did the same. They pushed the door, stopped, and turned back. "[sad]Um... the customers are getting scared and running away..." Tomo looked at Saki with a troubled expression. Saki pointed at the table toward Tatsuya. "[angry]See!? This is what I mean by not normal! Why is the outside full of security guards just because I came to a café with my boyfriend!?" Tatsuya was opening the menu. Looking at the pancakes page. "Because you like it" "[angry]That's not the point!!" Tatsuya ordered two pancakes and leaned his elbows on the table. With that sleepy face, he looked at Saki. "[gentle]You're not normal. Not since you chose me" The way he said it was infuriatingly calm. A softness that left no room for rebuttal, but delivered the truth with certainty. Saki started to open her mouth——and stopped. Tatsuya was smiling slightly. The corner of his vague face lifted just a little. Her heart skipped. (Why did my heart just skip) The moment her pancakes arrived, Saki stabbed at them with her fork almost out of spite. Butter flew. Tatsuya said nothing. The pancakes were delicious. She'd admit that much. --- Two days later, at lunch break, Haruki from the boys in Class 2-2 next door came to Saki with a pale face. "[scared]Um... did I do something wrong?" "Huh, what?" "[scared]When I opened my locker... this was inside..." He handed her a small folded piece of paper. When she unfolded it, neat handwriting said one thing. "There won't be a next time" Saki looked at the paper, then at Haruki. "Did you talk to me recently, Haruki?" "[scared]In the hallway about a handout... for like five seconds..." Saki looked up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath. Tatsuya had reacted to a five-second conversation. (This guy is absolutely insane) "Sorry, I'll apologize on my behalf. It won't happen again" "[sad]Really...?" Saki watched Haruki's limp figure disappear, then searched for Tatsuya. By the window in the classroom. In his usual seat, collapsed on his desk as always. That afternoon, when Saki muttered "my nose feels itchy," it was just talking to herself. It wasn't even directed at anyone. Yet after school, Tatsuya said: "[serious]I've reserved the entire outpatient building at the hospital for first thing tomorrow morning. Go get checked out" Saki froze for three seconds. "[angry]...The entire building?" "The outpatient wing. Thirty-three beds" "[angry]My nose is just a little itchy!!" Tatsuya tilted his head. "[surprised]Not enough?" "[angry]It's not about enough!!" Saki dragged Tatsuya to a corner of the hallway. The landing of the stairs, out of sight of classmates. She grabbed both his sleeves and looked straight at his face. "[serious]Like with Haruki, do you understand? What I mean when I say I want to be a normal couple?" Tatsuya said nothing. "[serious]A boy from the next class talks to me for five seconds and you threaten him. My nose feels itchy and you reserve an entire hospital building. How is any of that normal? I told you I didn't like that kind of thing. Why won't you understand?" Her voice shook a little. She wasn't sure if it was anger or frustration. Tatsuya's vague expression disappeared. Those usually sleepy eyes looked straight at Saki. The scar on his left cheek was clearly visible in the twilight. "[serious]Protecting you is my job" Short. Serious. Saki had no words. (Job) That one word caught somewhere in her chest. She couldn't defend against it. She wanted to be angry, but the shape of her anger crumbled. She tried to build a counterargument, but Tatsuya's eyes were in the way. Not a joking face. Not a calculating face. Just a serious one. (Why is he so serious about this) Saki stayed silent and looked out the landing window. Evening was beginning in Minase City. The Asahi River glowed orange. "[serious]...Are you angry?" "[sarcastic]I'm angry" "I see" Tatsuya went up the stairs without looking back. Saki stood alone on the landing for a while. --- She couldn't seem to go home. She didn't understand why. Had she not vented her anger enough? Or was it something else? Her feet had carried her to the front entrance of Tower Grants in Minase City's Central Ward. A thirty-two-story building. The tallest structure in Minase City. The top three floors were the headquarters of Kurogane Alliance——something Saki had only learned last night and still hadn't fully processed. She had no idea what she was doing here. "Young lady" When she turned around, a large man was just coming out of the front entrance. Probably in his fifties. His height seemed to exceed one hundred eighty centimeters, and his suit shoulders were abnormally broad. His face was shaped like a rock overall, with thick eyebrows and deep wrinkles carved around his mouth. A scary face. But the moment he saw Saki, that face became just slightly troubled, slightly embarrassed. "I am Gonzo. I serve the young master" Young master——that was Tatsuya. Saki looked up at Gonzo. Was this man one of the executives of Kurogane Alliance——one of the Uchigashira? She thought she'd heard that the leader was a strong-faced man in his fifties. "If I may ask one thing" Gonzo seemed to hesitate. It was strange to see a strong man hesitate. "The young master... before he met you, he never smiled. Not since the day he became successor" Saki couldn't say anything. "That is all" Gonzo bowed deeply and got into the waiting black car. License plate "964." The engine made no sound as it glided away into the night. Saki was left alone in front of Tower Grants. She looked up at the thirty-two floors. Lights were on in the windows. (He never smiled) Those words slowly spread through her mind. Not since the day he became successor. ——When was Tatsuya when that happened? Before anyone taught him how to smile, he'd been carrying something heavy all alone. Wait a second. I don't know anything about this person, do I? I was just doing calculations. Unpopular. Doesn't cheat. Peaceful. ——When she lined up all the conditions she'd set, Tatsuya himself was nowhere to be found. His personality, his emotions, his loneliness——nowhere. She'd been choosing him as just an "existence that met the conditions." Something in her chest warmed slowly. A strange feeling. Not an unpleasant one. The opposite, actually. Which was why it troubled her. --- The next morning, Saki was eating toast while watching TV in the living room. It was local news. The announcer read in a bright voice. "A new talent agency, Violetta Productions, has opened in Minase City's Central Ward. It's drawing attention, particularly among young women——" Saki had no idea what it was about. A new agency opened, that's all. When she got to school, another new bouquet was on Tatsuya's desk. Today it was deep purple roses and white baby's breath. Saki's shoulders drooped. But. When she sat down and glanced at the flowers, she thought the combination of purple and white was prettier than she'd expected. Just thought it. Saki quickly looked away and opened her textbook. Her face was a little warm because she'd walked here and worked up a sweat. Definitely just that. Tatsuya was collapsed on his desk by the window again today. Drool was coming out. From any angle, he looked like a normal sleepy middle schooler——nothing like the person who'd lit up the thirty-second floor of Tower Grants last night. Saki sighed quietly. (I just wanted to be a normal couple) Yet now, just a little, she found herself liking the color of those flowers.