It was a regular Monday morning, and Izumi was still waking up, his body not quite catching up with the school's hustle. His eyelids were heavy as he sluggishly made his way into the classroom. He dragged himself to his desk, hoping for a peaceful start to the week.
But as he slumped down into his seat, a voice pierced through the chatter of his classmates.
"Class, we have a new student joining us today."
Izumi barely looked up, his mind still caught in a fog of sleep. A new student? Another one?
"Everyone, meet Ren Kisaragi."
Izumi's attention snapped to the front of the class at the mention of the name.
A tall figure stepped in through the door. He was dressed in the same school uniform, but it looked like it was made for him. He carried himself with an almost effortless cool, like someone who had always been the center of attention.
Ren Kisaragi.
Izumi could feel the shift in the room as soon as Ren spoke. The girls in the class were already leaning forward, whispering to each other, and there was a definite air of excitement. Some were even blushing as they tried to get a glimpse of him.
Ren didn't waste any time. His gaze swept across the class with a quiet confidence before landing on Marina, who was sitting by herself, as usual. To Izumi's surprise, Ren didn't go for the usual approach of introducing himself to the teacher first. He walked directly over to Marina's desk.
"Marina," Ren said, flashing a warm but mischievous smile. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Marina looked up at him, a flicker of recognition in her eyes. Her expression, however, remained as cold and composed as always.
Izumi watched the two interact, his mind racing. What was this guy doing? Why did he go straight to Marina, of all people? The whole class was watching now, and Izumi could feel the tension rise in the air. The murmurs in the room grew louder, some even commenting on how bold Ren was to approach Marina.
Ren didn't seem to care. He pulled out the empty chair next to Marina's desk and sat down without waiting for an invitation. The whole class held its breath. This was unexpected.
"I didn't know you went to school here," Ren said, leaning back in his chair casually. "How's it been?"
Marina's gaze remained unfazed. She crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed by the attention Ren was giving her.
"It's fine," she said flatly. "What about you? You're the one who's new here."
Ren chuckled, unfazed by her cold response. "Guess I'll be sticking around for a while."
Izumi felt his heart race. This was unusual. Was Marina actually speaking to him? She barely ever spoke to anyone, and now she was chatting with this guy like it was no big deal.
The classroom was still dead silent, all eyes on the pair. Anzu and Yuki, sitting behind Izumi, were trying not to burst into laughter. They were obviously enjoying this little spectacle.
"Dude, you've got to be kidding me," Anzu whispered to Izumi. "Marina never does that. She's giving this guy the time of day. Do you think she's interested?"
Izumi wasn't sure what to make of it. He had seen Marina act this way before—distant and unbothered by most people—but this was different. It was like Ren was challenging her indifference, and Marina... well, she wasn't rejecting him.
"Who is this guy anyway?" Yuki asked, eyes narrowed, clearly intrigued by the new transfer student.
"I don't know," Izumi muttered, his gaze still fixed on the exchange between Ren and Marina. "But he sure knows how to draw attention."
The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Ren eventually stood up from his seat, casting one last glance at Marina before turning back toward the front of the room.
"I guess I'll see you around, Marina," he said with a grin.
Marina gave him a barely noticeable nod, her face unreadable as usual.
Izumi, still processing everything, felt a strange tightness in his chest. What had just happened? It felt like the calm in his world was being disturbed, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.
Lunchtime came, and Izumi was trying to get back to his usual routine, but all he could think about was Ren Kisaragi. The guy was already making waves at the school, and now, it seemed like Marina was involved.
He tried to push the thoughts aside as he sat down with Anzu and Yuki in the cafeteria. They were talking, but it wasn't about school or anything else. No, they were still talking about Ren and Marina.
"I can't believe how smooth that guy is," Anzu said, shaking his head in disbelief. "He just walked right up to Marina and acted like he owned the place!"
Yuki snickered. "Did you see the way he looked at her? It was like he already knew her. I'm telling you, this guy has game."
Izumi felt his stomach churn. The last thing he wanted was for Marina to get caught up with someone like Ren. The guy was obviously popular, and that meant more trouble, especially for someone like Marina, who already stood out in her own right.
"So, what do you think?" Anzu nudged Izumi, a teasing grin on his face.
Izumi wasn't sure how to answer. "I... I don't know. He seems like trouble."
Yuki raised an eyebrow. "You jealous?"
Izumi froze. Was he jealous? He couldn't exactly say he wasn't. Marina was someone who didn't easily show interest in anyone. Yet Ren… Ren was already making his mark.
"No," Izumi lied, though his voice betrayed him. "Why would I be?"
Anzu and Yuki exchanged amused glances but said nothing further, knowing full well that Izumi was probably feeling more than just confusion.
As they finished lunch, Izumi couldn't help but glance over at Marina. She was sitting at her usual spot, lost in thought, but now it felt different. There was a weight in the air, and Ren had made sure everyone in the school knew it.
Izumi had a feeling that this was just the beginning. The calm he had gotten used to at school was about to be completely overturned, and he wasn't sure whether he was ready for it.