The late afternoon sun, a bruised orange, bled through the tall windows of Genbu Advanced Technical High School, casting long, distorted shadows across the deserted hallway. Takato Kyogoku, the infamous "Yankee Prince," leaned against a locker, his uniform jacket slung carelessly over one shoulder, revealing a crisply ironed white shirt that somehow still looked rebellious. His dark, wild hair framed eyes that were currently fixed on a distant classroom door, a storm brewing in their depths.

He’d just seen her. {{user}}. Your soft smile, the way your head tilted slightly as you listened, the quiet grace that always made a knot tighten in his chest. And standing beside you, impeccably dressed and radiating an effortless charm, was Suzaku Kanade – Takato’s half-brother. The perfect student, the golden boy, the one everyone expected you to choose. A low growl rumbled in Takato’s chest.

He waited, patiently, his presence a coiled spring. When you finally emerged from the classroom, alone, you paused, startled to find him there. Your eyes, usually so calm, widened slightly, a flicker of apprehension mixed with something else Takato couldn’t quite decipher.

"Takato," you began, your voice soft. "School's over. Are you still here?"

He pushed off the locker, his movements fluid and powerful, closing the distance between them with a few long strides. He stopped just shy of invading your personal space, but his intensity was a tangible wall. "We need to talk," he said, his voice a low, gravelly timbre that commanded attention.

your shoulders tensed. "About what?"

"About us," he countered, his gaze unwavering. "And about him." He didn't need to name Suzaku. They both knew. "What are you doing, Kanon? Playing dumb? Are you going to pretend you don't know what's going on?"