Months had blurred by since they bought lot of clothes, and Fumiko had spent long nights staring at their one-room ceiling, mulling over their 100 million credits. She'd decided—after chewed nails and pacing—to buy the entire building their apartment was.
She could've splashed on a mansion, but why? Big places meant big gaps—Ryuki and Saki might drift into their own corners, and she'd lose them to silence. This tiny box kept them close, elbows bumping, voices overlapping. Plus, she didn't want the world sniffing out their wealth. Ordinary life suited her fine.
Fumiko still cooked on a single burner, they bathed together, sleep together, life going on. She'd splurge sometimes—fancy dinners, weekend trips—but mostly, she stayed put, stitching their days together.
Saki, though, had demands. "Mom, I need a smartphone," she'd whined one evening, sprawled on their shared mattress, kicking her legs. "Everyone's got one!"
"No," Fumiko said, firm as she chopped carrots. "You're too young—waste of money."
"But Ryuki's got one!" Saki shot back, pointing at him across the room, where he scrolled on a sleek black device.
"Ryuki's smart with cash," Fumiko countered, not looking up. "He's doubled our pile already. You'd just buy games and break it."
Saki huffed, crossing her arms, but Fumiko held the line. Ryuki smirked, pocketing the phone.
Instead, Fumiko bought them bicycles—shiny, sturdy, perfect for school runs. Saki's was blue, matching her hair; Ryuki's black. Time sped up, pedals spinning, and suddenly, it was the first day of middle school.
Ryuki tugged on a crisp uniform, tie loose, his white hair combed neat for once. He was 3 feet of quiet buzz—middle school meant the third heroine, He'd changed many things in this world, but meeting her felt like a checkpoint he couldn't wait to hit. Saki bounced beside him, her blue hair wild, uniform skirt swishing. "Ready, bro?" she chirped, grabbing her bag.
"Yep," he said, slinging his over one shoulder. They wheeled their bikes out, the apartment door creaking shut behind them.
First stop: Yuta and Asuka's place. They gave Yuta and Asuka to drive, Ryuki hate peddling, so it was perfect for him, and Asuka wanted to train her legs, so she peddle while Saki clinging to her waist.
"Bro," Saki said, gripping Asuka tight, "We better be in the same class this year, or I'm burning the school down."
Asuka snorted, pedaling steady. "Same. I've never once landed with my idiot brother and Ryuki. Sick of it."
Yuta laughed, weaving through the street. "Don't know about you two, but me and Ryuki? Locked in. Every year, same class—fate's got our back."
"Did you bribe the school?" Saki asked, squinting at him suspiciously. "How's it always you and Ryuki?"
"Maybe," Asuka said, eyes lighting up. "If we pay, all four of us could be together!"
"Genius!" Saki nodded, her ponytail bouncing. "I'm telling Mom tonight."
Yuta frowned, pedaling faster. "What're you two yapping about? It's not cash—it's my bond with Ryuki. Too strong for fate to split us."
Ryuki yawned, arms loose around Yuta's waist, tuning out their squabble. He didn't care why but every they were in the small class even though he chaged a lot of things.
"Hey, what's all this noise?" Rena's voice cut through, her bike gliding up beside them. Ruby perched behind her, white hair fluttering. Rena's life had shifted—her father's affair exposed, divorce finalized, now living with her mom and Ruby. She pedaled smooth, her uniform crisp.
"Morning, Big Bro," Ruby said, smiling shyly at Ryuki.
"Hey, Ruby," he replied, nodding back, a grin tugging his lips.
"They're fighting about class divisions," Ryuki said,
Rena rolled her eyes, "Pointless, huh? Kids stressing over nothing."
Ryuki shrugged. "Let 'em. Keeps them busy."
Rena laughed, soft and light. She loved this. Being a kid was peak joy, she figured, pedaling alongside.
The six of them—Ryuki, Saki, Yuta, Asuka, Rena, Ruby—rolled into middle school. They parked bicycle by the gate. They head to broad where they would know which class they were going to be.
Yuta scanned it fast, puffing his chest. "See? Told you—me and Ryuki, same class. Fate's my wingman."
"Hateful," Saki growled, glaring at him. Her name was elsewhere—split from Ryuki.
Rena patted her shoulder. "Chin up—we three are together." She nodded at Asuka, their names aligned.
"I'm with Big Bro!" Ruby chirped, beaming at Ryuki.
"Good deal," he said, eyes flicking to the board. There it was—third heroine's name, right under his.