🗨️ [tomatojuiceXL]:
nah bc how did a SCHOOL CLUB outdo most anime finales?? like HELLO?? 💥🔥
(3 Likes)
🗨️ [pocky_broke]
10/10. Would fight a corpse mecha for them.
(5 Likes)
🗨️ [melonpanxoxo]
okay real talk… what was that dice club thing 😭😭
were they acting or like actually fighting??
It felt literally felt like the wolf girl climb a corpse wall.
(12 Likes)
🗨️ [kawaii_neko]
lowkey? best act of the showcase.
didn't feel scripted.
felt like watching an anime episode play out in real time.
(7 Likes)
🗨️ [tsundatachi]
y'all trippin it wasn't THAT deep
half of it was probs improv
tho that samurai dude was kinda cute ngl
(39 Likes)
🗨️ [@Harubi_VT]:
Wasn't expecting much from a school play
But that act?
Solid presence and surprisingly moving
And the swordsman?
Careful with that voice, sweetheart
A girl might start expecting more
— H 💋
(12.7k Likes)
🗨️ [FujiCarboNaru]:
wait wait wait HARUBI??
like the succuqueen vtuber Harubi???
(90 Likes)
🗨️ [soba.beats]
Wait did HARUBI just comment?? Yo Dice Club kinda famous now.
(104 Likes)
🗨️ [yabai_yabai]
I was sitting second row. swear to god the magic felt real.
like—not just cosplay fx. like real. idk how to explain it.
(23 Likes)
🗨️ [trythetempura]:
or maybe u were just really into it 💀💀
I mean props to them, immersion was wild. they even got the student council prez on|
board lmao
(82 Likes)
🗨️ [saltysenpai]:
kinda cringe tbh. felt like they were taking it too seriously
(4 Likes)
🗨️ [ramen.love]
Honestly thought they were gonna summon an actual demon.
(21 Likes)
🗨️ [umesakura]:
10/10 performance
but someone pls tell me who kissed the samurai dude in the fog scene
I NEED TO KNOW
(153 Likes)
🗨️ [anon_kitsune]
me: i don't even like fantasy stuff
also me after 3 minutes: 😭😭😭
(28 Likes)
"Naru-kun. You've been staring at that screen for over an hour. You're going to get retinal burn."
Rika's voice sliced through the low hum of chatter and clinking chopsticks. Calm. Sharp. As always.
Naru didn't flinch. She was flat on the floor of my apartment, head nestled in Rika's lap like it was her designated beanbag. One sock halfway off. One hand wrist-deep in a bag of consomme chips. The other holding her phone two inches from her face.
"Nope. The screen's gonna get Naru burn," she mumbled, cheeks puffed mid-crunch. "Besides, you should see what they're saying about us. We broke the internet. We're literally famous."
"I wouldn't go that far," I muttered, still at the kitchenette trying to portion out too much curry with too little rice.
"Ya-hah!" Naru rolled halfway onto her side and held up the phone. "Look! Nine thousand views already. And my favourite VTuber commented!"
Rika didn't even glance at the screen. "Trivial. And also…" she peered down at the tangle of hair in her lap "you've occupied my legs long enough. Please relocate."
"Nope," Naru replied, casually stuffing a second handful of chips into her mouth, cheeks puffing out like a smug squirrel.
Iroha breezed past, balancing a tray of mismatched mugs like a cocktail waitress from another dimension. "Get used to it, Honour Girl," she said with a grin. "You're the designated Naru-pillow now."
Rika sighed.
I set the last plate of curry on the kotatsu. "Crazy how someone was recording our performance and posted it on ViewTube. The edit's actually kind of professional."
Naru rolled halfway onto her back, chip bag rustling. "They added slow-mo and everything. There's literally a dramatic zoom when I fell over that bush."
"You're proud of that?" Rika asked.
"I gave the people what they wanted."
"You tripped," Rika said flatly.
"And got 9,000 views," Naru countered.
Iroha sat cross-legged beside the kotatsu, balancing a mug between her hands. "To be fair, you did make the crowd laugh. That kind of presence is… memorable."
Naru beamed. "See? Senpai gets it."
"That wasn't praise," Rika muttered.
"You're just mad someone clipped your 'Broken Sky!' shout and looped it over eurobeat."
Rika's eyebrow twitched. "It was a concentration spell. Not a dance track."
I leaned against the counter, watching the three of them volley like they'd done this for years. The curry smelled amazing. The kotatsu hummed. And Naru was still firmly planted in Rika's lap like it was legally her property now.
Naru crunched another chip. "Okay but like... standing ovation? Screams? Literal crowd gasps? Feels like a win to me."
Iroha glanced up from her tea, half-lidded and smug. "Technically, it wasn't a contest," she said. "It was a showcase. No instant results. The board meets next week to finalise which clubs get to stay."
I paused mid-pour at the rice cooker. "Wait… so we won't know until next week?"
She nodded. "Friday morning. The list goes to the council first. Then it gets posted."
"Lame," Naru muttered. "We literally risked imaginary lives out there."
Rika adjusted her glasses, but there was no bite to her voice this time. "It's standard procedure. They're evaluating consistency, impact, structure... not just spectacle."
"But spectacle helps," Iroha added, flicking a glance at me. "And we delivered."
Her smile lingered just a moment longer than expected.
I looked around the room. Curry plates, mismatched mugs, cozy heat from the kotatsu. The four of us in the same space, for once not fighting to prove something. Just being.
We didn't know for sure.
But deep down, I think we already did.
Naru suddenly sniffed the air, lifting her head from Rika's lap like a puppy catching a scent. "Wait. Is that… curry udon?"
"Plate's ready," I said, setting the last tray beside the kotatsu.
She rolled onto her knees like it was instinct. "Yatta! Bless this messy mortal world."
But then she paused. Blinked. Pointed. "Wait. Why are there five plates?"
I didn't get a chance to answer.
The front door clicked. Light footsteps. Then a familiar voice floated in from the hallway.
"Smells good in here…"
Naru froze, udon halfway to her mouth.
Rika looked up from her tea, expression unreadable.
Iroha raised one eyebrow like she was bracing for impact.
I scratched the back of my neck. "Uh… right. Forgot to mention. There's someone else coming."
Senna stepped into the room like she lived there, which, to be fair, she practically did. Wearing my school hoodie and a pair of grey sweats, hair tied up, glasses sliding slightly down her nose.
"So this is the famous Harem Ra-chan keeps avoiding talking about," she said, tossing her keys in the bowl by the door. "You made enough for me, right?"
"Of course," I said, already scooching over to make room for her beside me.
Senna dropped down without hesitation, slouching into the space like it was reserved, shoulder bumping mine like it meant nothing. Or maybe everything.
Naru blinked. "Hey! We're not his harem. If anything, they're my harem!"
Iroha's eyes narrowed. "Ra-chan?"
Rika set her cup down with casual precision. "You must be the neighbor that sleeps with him on occasion."
Iroha choked. "Wait, what?"
Senna laughed, flicking her hair off her shoulder. "Aha, it's not like that. Ra-chan here would shut down if a girl got too close." She pinched my cheek.
I swatted her hand away. "Anyway, this is my neighbor, Senna Mori. We've known each other for a long time."
Senna gave a lazy wave. "Yo."
Naru, still chewing, gave a thumbs-up with her free hand.
Iroha adjusted her skirt and gave a small bow. "It's nice to meet you, Mori-san."
Senna raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, pres. No need to be so formal. I'm chill. And thanks for having me." She grabbed a spoon and started digging.
Iroha's eyes followed her for a beat too long. Her smile bloomed slowly, warm and polite on the surface, but with a subtle edge.
"So, Senna…," Iroha said, tone sweet but calculated. "Why haven't I seen you around school before?"
Senna didn't even blink. "Because you haven't," she replied, slurping udon with zero shame.
Iroha didn't answer. Her eyes dipped, not to her face, but to the oversized hoodie Senna was wearing. One she recognised.
Senna caught the stare. "Oh, this?" She plucked at the fabric. "It's Ra-chan's. Our laundry got mixed up."
The silence that followed was brief but nuclear. Iroha's smile didn't fade, but she picked up her spoon like it was a scalpel and started eating. Very deliberately.
Senna raised her brows. "So I heard last night's performance went well?"
"Yep," Naru chimed in, mouth full. She swallowed. "It was so kickass. Pretty sure that guaranteed our club's survival for, like, the next five years."
Senna looked impressed. "I saw a few clips online. Killer stuff. You guys really went all out."
Her eyes slid toward me with a teasing grin. "Especially you, Ra-chan. Who knew you had main character energy?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Ahaha… I mean, I didn't do it alone." I gestured around the table. "Couldn't have pulled any of it off without Iroha-san, Morisaki-san, and Naru-chan."
Iroha stirred her curry slowly, her expression unreadable.
Rika's gaze flicked toward me just once before returning to her tea.
Naru gave me a chip-crumb salute. "Damn right."
Senna let out a soft laugh, nudging her elbow against mine. "He's come a long way, huh?"
I blinked. "Huh?"
Senna scooped up another bite of curry and spoke between chews.
"You know guys, all Ra-chan ever did was stay in his room playing superhero after school…" Senna swallowed, not looking at anyone in particular. "If it weren't for you guys pulling him out of his shell, I'd probably still have him all to myself."
Iroha's spoon paused mid-air.
Rika adjusted her glasses, just slightly, but didn't look up.
"You two seem awfully close for just neighbors," Iroha finally spoke, tone casual, but with a pinpoint aim.
Senna smiled. "We've known each other since we were kids. Don't worry…" she waved her spoon lazily, "...that ship has long since sailed."
That made Rika finally look up.
I shrank a little in my seat. "Can we not?"
"What? Water under the bridge, Ra-chan. It's fine," Senna trolled, grinning like she lived for the chaos. "Anyway, you've apparently become the school's latest heartthrob."
She nudged my shoulder.
Iroha and Rika both turned slightly pink at the same time, then (almost like it was instinct) they glanced at each other.
I scoffed. "Doubt it."
"Doubt all you want," Senna said, already pulling out her phone. "They're literally making thirst edits of you."
She turned the screen toward me. A clip from the showcase was playing, me mid-swing, fog curling around my feet, cut between slow-mo close-ups and way-too-dramatic angles. Some sparkly lo-fi beat played under it, syncing perfectly with every blink and step I took.
Naru leaned over and squinted. "Whoa! Wicked, Samu-chan. You became an idol!"
My face flushed. "It's just a dumb edit."
Senna giggled. "Told you. If you smiled on purpose just once and half the girls at your school would melt."
A pause.
"You know… If I was actually love-struck? I'd swoop in and make you mine… before anyone else gets the chance to."
I groaned.
"Even if that were true… Like I said, love is not a priority."
The room fell quiet for a moment, only the clink of spoons against ceramic filling the space.
And just barely, just for a heartbeat, I heard it.
A soft, synchronized exhale from opposite ends of the kotatsu.
Iroha and Rika, subtle, almost imperceptible.
But I caught it.
And suddenly, I wasn't so sure they were breathing the same way they were a moment ago.
Then—
Naru's phone buzzed.
She glanced down. Her smile dimmed, just a little. "Ah. Shoot. I gotta go."
"What?" I blinked. "But we were gonna start the first episode, weren't we?"
"We were," Iroha said, surprised. "You were the one hyping it."
"Sorry, sorry," Naru waved her hands, already gathering her things. "It's… a thing. I can't miss it."
She slung on her jacket, one sleeve still inside out.
I stood up. "I'll walk you to the station."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to."
That seemed to settle it. She flashed a little grin. "Thanks, Samu-chan."
Iroha stood, brushing off her skirt. "We'll clean up while you're gone."
"I'll help too," Senna offered, stacking plates already.
"No need," Rika said, a little too fast. "We've got it."
Iroha nodded in agreement.
Senna tilted her head, then shrugged. "Alright. I was gonna shower anyway."
As I helped Naru with her bag, Senna stood up, fingers absently twisting the cord of her earbuds as she grabbed her keys from the bowl by the door. Without a word, she slipped out at the same time as us.
"Don't worry," Naru called over her shoulder. "I'll catch up to wherever you guys end up!"
"You'd better," Iroha called back, half-smiling.
Naru gave a playful wink, poked out her tongue, and flashed a peace sign. "See ya!"
The door closed behind us.
Senna was already strolling down the hall toward her own apartment, just a few doors away.
"You wanna watch anime with us when I come back?" I asked.
Senna turned, walked backward a few steps, and grinned. "Nah, I've got stuff to study. Plus, we already have our own show to finish together, ceebs starting a new one."
"Alright," I said.
She slowed, then called over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow, Ra-chan."
Then, just as she turned the corner, she added with a little smirk. "Bye, Wolf-kun."
Naru laughed, waving. "Bye!"
And just like that, it was quiet again.
Except behind that closed door, where two girls were left alone.
Still cleaning.
And for the first time tonight... with no one else around.
The air outside was cooler than I expected.
Crisp. A little damp. The kind of chill that settled in your sleeves and made the world feel quieter than it really was.
Naru walked beside me, hands stuffed in the sleeves of her oversized hoodie, hood half up, half down. Her usual spring in her step was… still there. But it felt rehearsed. Like a habit instead of energy.
"Sorry for making you walk me," she said, without actually sounding sorry.
"I offered."
"Still counts," she mumbled, then kicked at a pebble hard enough to send it skittering ahead.
I smiled a little. "Sad you couldn't stick around. Are you always this busy on a Saturday night?"
"Only when I'm mysteriously summoned by a higher power," she said, lifting her hands like she was receiving divine orders. Then she blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Or, y'know… life stuff."
It wasn't what she said, it was how she said it. Like life stuff was something brittle. Something she'd been holding too long without being allowed to drop it.
"You okay?" I asked, gently, like it might spook her.
She gave a short laugh. "Me? Please. Peak mental stability. I only cry into my instant ramen twice a week now."
She shot me a grin, crooked and fast, like it had to land before the silence did.
"Naru-chan."
She glanced at me, still smiling.
"You don't have to pretend."
The wind stirred again. A vending machine across the street let out a mechanical hum.
"I'm not pretending," she said and then, after a pause too short to hide behind "Okay, maybe a little. But it's just… don't worry."
"Is it a school thing?" I asked gently. "Club stuff?"
"Nope. Just… one of those things that can't not happen." She scratched her cheek. "It's dumb. Doesn't matter."
"If it's dumb, then I'm allowed to hear it."
She hesitated. I caught her glance down at her phone again. A message had buzzed earlier. She hadn't looked at it since. But her fingers hovered near the screen.
"Maybe someday," she said, softer this time. "Not tonight."
I nodded.
Then—
"Samu-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"You know when you said love isn't a priority… what did you mean by that?"
"Oh. Uh…" I scratched the back of my neck. "I guess… I meant I've never felt the need to rush into it? Like… it's not something I've ever chased."
"So… does that mean you don't like anyone?" she asked, quieter this time.
A pause.
That one hit like a wave. Fast. Deep.
I remembered it then, the kiss. The fog. That moment I still hadn't made sense of. And suddenly, I wasn't sure I believed myself anymore. About any of it.
"Uhh, earth to Samu-chan." Naru waved a hand in front of my face.
I blinked.
I had stopped walking.
We were already at the station.
"Ah… sorry," I mumbled. "I was just…"
She raised an eyebrow.
"…I'm not sure," I admitted.
She stared for a second longer. Then stepped in.
Her arms came around me. Slow, warm and deliberate.
A hug. Quiet. Unrushed. Strangely familiar. Like she'd been carrying that gesture for a while now, waiting for the right time to hand it over.
I froze. Only for a second.
Then I hugged her back.
She pulled away gently, turned toward the platform, and tossed a glance over her shoulder with a grin. Too big, too easy.
"Well if you ever feel like not being unsure," she said, backing away, "you know where to find me."
I smiled. Nodded. "Wait, but… where—"
Gone.
I stood there for a moment, watching the corner she disappeared around.
The wind tugged softly at my sleeves. The station lights flickered overhead like they were thinking about going out.
I wasn't cold. But something in me felt unsettled. Like the stillness that comes right after a boss battle. Like when you win, but the music doesn't change.
We'd done it. The showcase was over. The applause was real. The team was closer than ever.
And yet…
I still don't have a clue what happened within that fog.
And Naru's hug had felt like another question I didn't know how to answer.
Maybe it was nothing.
Lately, it felt like everything meant a little more than it used to.
A word. A look. A pause.
And somehow, I kept being the last one to catch up.
I stood there, listening to the hum of the trains and the quiet space she left behind.
I exhaled.
Then—
Buzz.
I pulled out my phone.
###ERROR/ENTITY.404### — 9:03 PM
Bravo, Samurai.
You've awakened.
🎲 RANJIRO — 9:04 PM
…who is this?
###ERROR/ENTITY.404### — 9:04 PM
We'll be in touch.
That was it. No name. No number. No trace.
I stared at the screen, heart suddenly beating harder than before.
Not because I recognised the message.
But because I didn't.
The air felt colder than a second ago.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and turned.
Rika and Iroha were waiting.
And I couldn't shake the feeling…
That someone else was, too.