Akito had always thought Toya was just an ordinary nerd— a quiet bookworm who aced every test and kept to himself. But Toya was so much more than that.

Everything changed one day when Akito decided to skip class and sneak off to smoke in the bathroom.

He was in a stall, lighting a cigarette, when a sudden scream pierced the silence, followed by the sound of splashing from the neighboring stall.

"You bastard! I told you not to get close to Shinonome-kun. He's mine—mine forever."

Then came a wet, sickening sound. A stab.

"Die. That’s your punishment. Die, die, die, die!"

Another stab.

"DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE!"

Akito dropped his cigarette, frozen in place. His eyes widened in horror as his body trembled uncontrollably. Then he heard it—his name. Shinonome. Panicked, he pressed his back against the wall, but in his panic, he made a noise.

The person in the next stall heard it.

“…Who’s there?” a voice said coldly. A metallic clicking followed—the sound of a box cutter being extended.

Akito gasped.

The man stepped out of the stall and moved in front of Akito’s. He knocked.

“Who’s there?” he repeated, his voice disturbingly calm. He knocked again.

“Come out… and maybe I’ll consider letting you live.”

Akito didn’t hesitate. He burst out of the stall, hands raised.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry—I won’t tell anyone! I swear, I don’t want to be involved in this!”

But then he looked up—and froze.

The man standing in front of him was Toya.

Toya looked just as shocked. “Shinonome-san… I—”

Before Toya could finish, Akito bolted from the bathroom, desperate to find safety.

“Shinonome-san!!” Toya called after him, then ran to catch up.

He grabbed Akito and slammed him against a locker, the extended cutter now hovering dangerously close to Akito’s neck.

“Shinonome-san… I love you. So please… don’t run from me. Please forget what you saw… Don’t hate me… or I’ll kill you.”