Miyoyu waited outside for Len, trying to keep a low profile by wearing a mask, though it ultimately backfired. His golden eyes glowed under his hat, drawing even more attention from passersby. Groups of girls circled around him, whispering and giggling. Miyoyu had been standing there for two days now, waiting for Len, which only fueled the rumors.
As they chatted, some girls tried to sneak a photo of him. But before they could, Miyoyu disappeared from their line of sight, reappearing behind them as if he'd teleported from their shadows. Startled, they screamed.
Random Girls
"KYAAAAAH-!"
Random Girl 1
"Oh god, you scared me... It's just you, you're like a ghost!"
Miyoyu
"Haha—yeah, sorry about that. But I can't let you take a picture of me. Or even have me in the camera's direction."
Random Girl 3
"Huh? Why? Are you doing this without your agency knowing?"
Miyoyu
"Yep, something like that."
Random Girl 2
"We're sorry, really! We weren't even going to post it, just keep it for ourselves, we swear—"
Random Girl 1
"Didn't you say you wanted to post it on the school blog?"
Random Girl 2
"Ehe..."
Miyoyu
"Lol, anyway, try not to take pictures of me. It's kinda bad luck for me." He made up an excuse.
Random Girl 3
"What? Is it like a family thing?"
Miyoyu
"Sorta."
Just as Miyoyu finished explaining, Kairi appeared behind them, her pink hair bouncing with every step. She was dressed in athletic wear, fresh from volleyball practice. Kairi attempted to scare Miyoyu but, of course, he sensed her presence well before she could.
Kairi
"Boo!"
Miyoyu
"Ohhh, I'm so scared!" he said playfully.
Kairi
"Heh! You better be! I'm real terrifying! Anyway, Miyoyu, what brings you here? I heard a guy with black hair and glowing golden eyes was standing here, so I knew it was you!"
Miyoyu
"Nothing much, just waiting for Len to finish his class. Are the rumors really that widespread? Don't a lot of people wait for others?"
Kairi
"Yeah, but when a hot guy does it, it's definitely different!"
Random Girl 2
"Wait, Kairi, you know him?"
Kairi
"You bet! We're kinda acquainted. I know him from Len. They're boyfriends or something!"
Miyoyu
"Huh? What made you think tha—"
Random Girl 1
"I knew it! Ha, you owe me 20 dollars!"
Random Girl 2
"GODDAMMIT! Ugh, whatever."
Miyoyu
"Wait, that's not the—"
Random Girl 3
"You owe me 15 dollars 'cause I was kinda right!"
Miyoyu
"Wai—"
Random Girl 2
"THAT'S NOT FAIRRR!"
Kairi
"They're lively people, huh?" she chuckled.
Miyoyu
"Wait, it's a misunder—"
Before Miyoyu could finish explaining, the bell rang. The girls and Kairi ran off to their next classes, leaving Miyoyu standing there with his words stuck in his throat. As he was left speechless, Len appeared, walking toward him.
Len
"Hey, Miyo, you look dumbfounded. That's rare. Did something happen?"
Miyoyu
"Uhhh, nothing. Don't worry about it. Just... maybe don't look at your school's social media board... I think."
Len
"...Okay..."
Len looked at Miyoyu worriedly, but, deciding ignorance was bliss, chose to follow his words.
Miyoyu
"Anyway, before we head to the dungeon, do you wanna buy something? Like, maybe a magnifying glass?" Miyoyu hinted.
Len
"Wait, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?"
Miyoyu
"Hmm~? I don't know what you mean~."
The two of them headed to the school supply store located in the college canteen, gathering what they needed, including a magnifying glass and a pair of scissors. As they left, Professor Okuri appeared, walking up to them with a stern expression.
Professor Okuri
"Ah, young man, I was worried something might have happened, so I've been looking for you. You forgot to come to my office yesterday. It's very concerning that the top student in strategy hasn't attended a single class in four weeks. And there have been reports of you... dying. There's even a video of it..."
Len
"Ah, well, circumstances happen. As for those videos, it was probably someone else—bless their soul. You know how I have a lot of lookalikes. I think my face is fairly common. Blonde hair, dark eyes, glasses... They probably thought it was me because I was wearing the same thing that day!"
The professor narrowed his eyes, then turned to Miyoyu.
Professor Okuri
"And this handsome man you're with is?"
Miyoyu
"Ah, hello, professor. I'm Miyoyu. I used to go here. Don't mind me; I'm just hanging out with Len."
Professor Okuri
"Hm... Oh, you must be the one, then. Black hair and gold eyes... You're definitely the one the board has been buzzing about. Well, congratulations to you both on your relationship, but Len, don't get too distracted. You still have a lot of catching up to do."
Miyoyu
"It spread that quickly? Dayum."
Len
"Huh? Wait, what do you mean—"
Before Len could finish, some students ran toward Professor Okuri, shouting about a fight. The professor excused himself in a hurry, leaving Len and Miyoyu standing dumbfounded once again.
Len
"Okay, what the hell? What did you say?"
Miyoyu
"Some girls thought we were in a relationship because Kairi blurted something out. It's no big deal though."
Len
"No big deal?! My reputation is gonna get ruined!"
Miyoyu
"Woah, chill there, homophobe. It's not like it's a bad thing. Now we have an excuse for me to be around sometimes, maybe."
Len
"First of all, I'm not a homophobe. I'm just worried about what people will think of me after—"
Miyoyu
"After what? Dating a hot guy? Chillax, dude. It's not like we're doing anything scandalous. Or that they think we are... I think... I hope."
Len
"Ugh, I'll just let it be for now. But we have to clear this misunderstanding soon."
Miyoyu
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, darling." He said sarcastically.
Len
"Never say that again, or I will blind you permanently."
Miyoyu
"Ehe."
As Len and Miyoyu headed toward the dungeon, trying to avoid distractions, they quickly noticed someone following them. With Miyoyu's keen golden eyes, nothing stayed hidden for long. The person tailing them was attempting to be discreet, but it didn't work. Miyoyu appeared behind them with a swift movement.
Miyoyu
"Boo, stalker."
???
"AAAAAAAHHH—!"
Len
"H-huh? Miyo, what are you doing?!"
Miyoyu
"This person was following us and tried to take a picture of me too. I don't do those for free, you know."
Len
"Yuna? It's alright. She's probably harmless physically, but she could cause us trouble with a single post."
Yuna
"H-HUH?! Has my public image really gone that rotten?? I'm just a photographer for the City's Social Board! A picture can't hurt that much!"
Len
"Ah, sure. Like that time you wrote something wrong about a random lady you photographed, and the next day she lost her job and got into a lot of trouble. I had to step in and clear up the misunderstanding because you didn't notice your mistake."
Yuna
"I know, I know! That was a mistake! I promised I'd never make that kind of error again!"
Miyoyu
"So, what were you planning to do with the picture?"
Yuna
"Oh, uhm... I actually didn't plan to write anything new. The board is already buzzing with stories about you two being close. I just wanted to take a picture so people who haven't seen you both could see the most popular pair in town! See? No harm done."
Len
"Ugh... Thank goodness you stopped her, Miyo. I really don't want more people talking about us being a couple. Why would anyone care anyway?"
Miyoyu
"It's just some fun gossip. Nothing serious. Plus, now I have a good excuse to be seen hanging out with you more often."
Len
"Ugh, I'll let it go for now, but we really need to clear this up at some point."
Miyoyu
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, darling," he teased sarcastically.
Len
"Didn't I tell you to not- ugh why bother."
Miyoyu
"Ehe."
Miyoyu let Yuna go, stepping aside as the boys continued on their way. Yuna grinned as she walked away, she had camera's everwhere already, taking pictures and videos with every angle, already imagining the views the photos would generate. Len felt a brief sense of unease but brushed it aside, focusing on their mission.
Yuna
"Hehe... This is going to get a lot of views..."
Len shook his head.
"That girl really knows how to stir things up."
Miyoyu
"Yeah, but she's mostly harmless, right? Besides, who cares about some rumors? We've got bigger things to deal with in the dungeon."
Len
"I guess you're right. Let's stay focused on the task at hand."
The two continued on their way to the dungeon, with Len's stuff ready, he was prepared to go in fearless, kind of, but he was somewhat more suited up than before!