The rooftop battle ended with Kyle standing at the very edge, his back against the wind. Clara's aggressive swordplay and relentless strikes had backed him up to the edge, her katana just inches from his neck. Kyle flailed, trying to keep his balance as his heels teetered over the rooftop's edge.Clara held her position for a tense moment, her cold, calculating eyes locked on his. Then, with a deliberate slowness, she withdrew her sword and took a step back. "You owe me one," she said coolly, turning on her heel and walking away, leaving Kyle hanging on the edge in more ways than one.As she disappeared from view, a small smile played on her lips. "I couldn't win even if I tried," she thought to herself.On the other hand, Kyle collapsed to the ground the moment the tension snapped. He almost slipped off the roof, his body shaking as his heart pounded loudly in his chest."OH, I LIKE HER," Raknar's voice hissed with dark amusement in Kyle's mind.Later, as Kyle and Bart walked home together, Bart hurried to catch up with his friend, noticing something was off."Kyle! Kyle!" Bart called out, running toward him. Finally, Kyle stopped, allowing Bart to catch up. Bart bent over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily."That girl... her name is Clara," Bart said between breaths. "She's bad news, man. No friends, and rumor has it, any boy who gets close to her ends up seriously hurt." He looked at Kyle, trying to warn him, but Kyle just laughed it off."I'm not joking!" Bart insisted, playfully slapping Kyle's back. But Kyle kept laughing, glad to have a friend like Bart despite the warnings.That night, Kyle was alone at home, restlessly pacing. Unable to sleep, he decided to step outside for some fresh air."I feel like I can do anything," he whispered to himself, clenching and unclenching his fists. His eyes drifted to the roof of the house, and an idea sparked. He bent his knees and leaped, trying to land on the roof. The first attempt failed, and he fell back to the ground, but after a few more tries, he finally succeeded, landing on the triangular peak of the roof.Kyle lay flat on the roof, gazing up at the bright moon and twinkling stars. The night was beautiful, the cool breeze gently ruffling his hair, and for a moment, he felt at peace.Suddenly, his phone buzzed, breaking the tranquility. It was a call from an unknown number. Kyle hesitated but then picked up. "Kyle Damian speaking."On the other end was a familiar voice. "Hey, Kyle... it's Clara."Kyle's heart skipped a beat. "Clara?" he repeated, recalling how she had almost killed him earlier that day. "The samurai girl who tried to chop off my head?" he added, half-jokingly."Wanna go on a date?" she asked, getting straight to the point.Kyle jolted upright, his heart now racing for an entirely different reason. This was the first time he'd ever received a call from a girl—aside from his mom—let alone been asked out on a date. "A... a date?" he stammered."Yes, silly," she replied with a playful tone. "A date."Kyle blinked in disbelief. "When?" he asked, forgetting all about her earlier attempt on his life."Meet me after school tomorrow. Gotta go," she said quickly, then hung up before he could respond."I'M PROUD OF YOU, KID," Raknar's voice rumbled in his mind, sounding strangely like a proud parent. But Kyle was too lost in excitement to notice, his world suddenly seeming brighter and more colorful.The next day flew by in a blur. Throughout school, Kyle couldn't stop thinking about his upcoming date, his mind replaying Clara's words over and over."Hey, Kyle, you've been acting strange lately," Bart said quietly, noticing his friend's distraction during class. The sudden reality check snapped Kyle back to the present, the noise of the classroom rushing back into focus—the chalk scraping against the board, the chatter of classmates."Strange?" Kyle repeated, trying to play it cool. "Me? No way, I'm great," he said, a joyful grin spreading across his face.The school bell rang, and the students began to file out, heading downstairs and crowding the front of the school. The air buzzed with conversation as kids of all ages prepared to head home or waited for their parents.Kyle and Bart stood together as usual until Kyle spotted Clara waiting for him near the gate. With a quick nod to Bart, he approached her."Bart, this is Clara," Kyle said, introducing them. "Clara, this is Bart.""Hi, Bart," Clara greeted, her tone polite but distant. Bart, skeptical and protective, didn't return the greeting with much enthusiasm.Kyle leaned in, whispering to Bart, "Alright, bud, I'll catch you later." Bart nodded, though he wasn't happy about it. He didn't want to get in the way of his friend, but something about Clara unsettled him."Okay... good luck," Bart whispered back, watching Kyle walk off with Clara. As Bart walked away, he tried to convince himself not to follow them, but the temptation was too strong."I'm not going to spy on my best friend," he muttered under his breath, repeating it like a mantra. But despite his resolve, Bart found himself trailing them, unable to shake the feeling that something was off.Kyle and Clara walked to a nearby outdoor café called The Spot, where they sat at a simple white table with a small flower centerpiece. The setting was peaceful, and the two seemed to enjoy their date, laughing and talking. Meanwhile, Bart hid behind some shrubs, watching them nervously.To his surprise, Bart was soon joined by Larry, a classmate who used to bully both him and Kyle."What are you doing here?" Bart hissed, trying to push him away."I'm not here to cause trouble. I just couldn't resist," Larry replied, his tone surprisingly genuine. The two boys wrestled briefly, shaking the bushes, but were quickly silenced by another classmate, Trish, who was known as the class captain."Would you guys stop it? You're missing the best part!" Trish whispered urgently, her eyes glued to the scene unfolding before them.Startled, Bart and Larry looked at her in surprise but quickly put their differences aside. All three of them crouched behind the shrubs, watching intently as Kyle and Clara's date continued, each of them wondering what would happen next.