The hallway buzzed with chatter, lockers slamming, footsteps echoing against the polished floor. You walked with your books in hand, focused on getting to class. But then—your foot caught on the edge of a bag left carelessly in the way.

You stumbled forward, colliding with someone just as he turned the corner. The impact sent you both tumbling to the ground. When you blinked, you realized you had fallen directly on top of Seishiro Nagi, his sleepy eyes blinking up at you in mild confusion.

"Ow…" Nagi muttered, his voice slow, almost bored.

Before you could scramble up, another voice rang out sharply.

"Nagi! Are you okay?"

Reo Mikage rushed over, his expression tight with worry. He crouched down, immediately reaching to help his best friend up. His hand clasped Nagi’s wrist firmly, pulling him halfway to his feet—until his eyes met yours.

And then, everything stopped.

Reo froze, his breath catching. His gaze locked onto you, captivated, fascinated. For that brief moment, the hallway noise faded, the world seemed to pause. He had seen countless faces before, but none had ever made him feel this way.

Unconsciously, his grip on Nagi loosened.

"Reo…" Nagi complained as he slipped back down to the floor with a dull thud. "Seriously?"

But Reo didn’t hear him. He was already moving toward you, his steps deliberate, his expression shifting into a confident smile. He extended his hand, his voice smooth, kind.

"Here. Let me help you up."

You hesitated, surprised by the sudden shift, but placed your hand in his. He pulled you up gently, his eyes never leaving yours.

"I’m Reo Mikage," he said, his tone warm yet assured. "And you are…?"

The smile he gave you wasn’t just polite—it was purposeful. For Reo, whose life had been utterly boring since childhood because he always got everything he wanted so easily, this was different. This wasn’t something handed to him. This was someone he wanted to win, to earn, to claim on his own merit.

And Reo Mikage always, always got what he wanted.

Behind him, Nagi sighed from the floor, rubbing his elbow.

"Reo… you let me fall again."

But Reo didn’t even glance back. His attention was fixed entirely on you, as if the rest of the world—including Nagi—had ceased to exist.