The soft glow of dawn crept through the curtains of my apartment, a reminder that another day of orchestrating someone else's love life was about to begin. I groaned, feeling the weight of reality pressing down on me as I lay tangled in my sheets. My alarm hadn't gone off yet, but my body had grown accustomed to the subtle changes in light that indicated morning. Begrudgingly, I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and running a hand through my white hair, which had become a tangled mess overnight.
Staring into the mirror, I blinked slowly at my reflection. My usually sharp, composed appearance was nowhere to be found. Instead, I looked like a ghost that had been electrocuted. My hair was sticking up in random directions, and my gray eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion.
"Fantastic," I muttered, reaching for the nearest brush. "Another day of dazzling Tokyo High with my 'disheveled genius' look."
After a quick shower, I threw on my school uniform. The polished, dark jacket contrasted sharply with my pale skin, as it always did. I adjusted my collar absentmindedly and glanced at the clock. I still had time to spare. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I slumped onto the couch and began scrolling through my feed.
"I used to be entertained by things like this—trending memes, stupid videos, random posts from classmates I barely knew back in London. But now... nothing grabs my attention anymore. I guess I've gotten too used to Rika being my main source of entertainment."
I sighed, scrolling past a few half-hearted attempts at jokes on my feed before locking my phone and tossing it onto the coffee table. Leaning back against the couch cushions, I stared up at the ceiling.
"At least it's Friday," I mumbled to myself. "Friday's my favorite day of the week." With one last glance at the clock, I grabbed my schoolbag and stepped out of my apartment, ready to face whatever chaos awaited me.
The streets were quiet as I walked to school, the crisp morning air keeping me alert despite my grogginess. The sun had barely risen above the rooftops, casting a pale light that made everything look soft and hazy. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and strolled leisurely, still half-asleep.
And that's when it hit me.
I stopped dead in my tracks, a sudden shiver running down my spine. Something felt... off. I instinctively checked myself over. My uniform was fine. My hair, though probably still a little unruly, wasn't disastrous. My schoolbag? Right where it should be. Everything seemed normal.
So why did I feel like I'd just wandered into the lion's den?
I squinted, looking around for some sign of impending doom. But the street was as peaceful as ever.
"Everything seems fine," I muttered, but the unsettling feeling didn't go away.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Good morning."
My body froze, the color draining from my face. I recognized that voice. Slowly, like a man about to face execution, I turned around. And there she was—Yuna Kishimoto, standing a few feet behind me with a thick stack of papers balanced precariously in her arms.
"Why is she here? Why now?" My mind spun, searching for an escape. I couldn't run—she'd see me. Maybe I could pretend I hadn't heard her? No, that wouldn't work. Ugh, I was trapped.
"Could you help me carry these papers?"
She gestured to the stack in her arms, clearly struggling with the weight. I stared at her for a moment, my brain still lagging behind in processing what was happening. Without thinking, I nodded and stepped forward, grabbing the documents from her. They were surprisingly light, but I wasn't about to say anything. The last thing I needed was for her to think I was showing off.
Yuna raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by how easily I lifted the papers. I was silently praying that she wouldn't mention anything embarrassing as she turned and started walking toward the school, leaving me no choice but to follow.
The walk to school had never felt so long. As I followed Yuna in resigned silence, my mind spiraled into full-blown panic mode. How was this happening? Why was this happening? What did I do in a past life to deserve this level of suffering?
"How do I get out of this? Should I just bolt and leave her standing there with the papers? No, she'd probably track me down. I could pretend to faint. Dramatic, but that might draw too much attention."
I was so lost in my own thoughts that I barely noticed Yuna glance over her shoulder at me.
"About that pajama incident…"
My heart stopped. No. No, no, no, no.
Without thinking, I interrupted her.
"Please, I'll do anything, just don't tell anyone about it."
I didn't even care how desperate I sounded. I was ready to get on my knees and beg if I had to. The image of me, Raven Gray, reduced to a meme about pajama-wearing transfers from London was too much to bear.
Yuna's lips curved into a sly smile. It wasn't the polite, aloof smile she showed the rest of the school. No, this one had a glint of mischief behind it, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
"Anything, you say?"
"I've made a grave mistake."
I could feel my palms start to sweat. I had walked right into her trap.
"I'll think about it. For now, just help me carry these papers."
I sighed heavily, realizing there was no escaping this. She was toying with me, and I had no choice but to play along—for now.
As we neared the school gates, the whispers started. I could feel eyes on us from all directions, curious gazes boring into my back.
**Snippets of Dialogue from the Onlookers:**
"Is that Yuna Kishimoto with a guy?"
"Who is he? He's pretty cute."
"Isn't that the foreigner who's always with Rika?"
"Is his hair natural? No way it is."
"Great. Now they're going to think we're a couple. Just what I needed."
I grimaced, keeping my head down as we walked past more students. The comments about my height and appearance didn't help. My reputation at this school was already strange enough without people thinking I had some sort of secret relationship with the Ice Queen.
For a brief, fleeting moment, I wished I could transform into that crow from the other day and just fly away. Being a bird seemed far easier than dealing with this mess.
As we entered the school building, I spotted Rika out of the corner of my eye. He was standing by the lockers, adjusting his tie, when he saw me walking next to Yuna. For a moment, his expression faltered. I could see the gears turning in his head as he processed the scene before him.
And then, with a knowing smile, he gave me a thumbs-up from across the hallway.
"Traitor."
The word echoed in my mind, and I felt a pang of betrayal. It was like that crow all over again—just leaving me to fend for myself in a world of misunderstanding.
Rika clearly misunderstood the situation, but I couldn't even muster the energy to explain. Not with Yuna right next to me, likely plotting her next move.
Finally, after what felt like hours, we arrived at the student council office. Yuna turned to face me, that unreadable expression back on her face.
"Well, that's all. Thanks for the help."
She took the papers from my hands, and I narrowed my eyes at her. I wanted to say something—anything—to express just how much I resented this whole situation. But instead, I just nodded, silently accepting my fate.
As I turned to leave, I heard her mutter something under her breath. It was too quiet to make out, but it sent another shiver down my spine.
"What did she just say? Should I turn around and ask? No... better not."
I picked up the pace, eager to get as far away from the student council office as possible. Whatever Yuna was planning, I wanted no part of it.
When I finally made it back to my classroom, I was greeted by more curious glances. It didn't take long for the rumors to spread—Yuna Kishimoto, the Ice Queen, seen walking to school with a guy? That kind of thing didn't just fly under the radar.
"Of course. Now everyone's going to think I'm dating her."
I sighed, dropping into my seat and laying my head down on the desk. The whispers were already starting to get louder, and I could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on me.
"Good morning, Raven-san."
I lifted my head just enough to shoot him a sarcastic glare. "Yeah, good morning."
Rika grinned, completely oblivious to the suffering he'd caused me. "Tired from your stroll with Kishimoto-san?"
"Oh, he's going to regret that." I made a mental note to plot something devious for him. Payback was inevitable.
As the classroom continued to buzz with whispers and speculation, an idea began to form in my mind. Maybe this whole situation wasn't as bad as it seemed. Maybe... I could turn it to my advantage.
"Should I make it seem like she's hopelessly in love with me? That could be fun. And it would definitely take the heat off me."
A sly grin crept across my face as I sat up straighter, glancing around the room. This was the perfect opportunity to start a new rumor—one that would give me the upper hand.
"Well, yeah, as soon as I stepped out of my apartment, she found me. Who knows if she was waiting for me or something? Then she asked for help carrying some student council papers—though they were pretty light."
A few nearby students perked up, their ears practically twitching with interest. Rika, sitting next to me, looked at me with wide eyes, clearly impressed.
"It's only been four days since school started, and you've already got the student council president head over heels for you. Wow."
I smiled inwardly, imagining the chaos this little rumor would cause when it eventually reached Yuna. She'd definitely have something to say about it—and I couldn't wait to see how it played out.
"This is going to be fun."
With that thought, I leaned back in my chair, resting my head against the wall. I had a feeling this was only the beginning of what would surely be a very eventful day.