In the blink of an eye, morning arrived.
The sun was shining, and the sky was clear and cloudless.
Inside the dormitory, Kure Ragna lay on his bed, fully dressed, his feet planted on the floor. Normally, at this time, he would have put on his shoes and left for breakfast.
But today, he was waiting for someone.
Based on his calculations, if he walked quickly from the dormitory to the classroom, it would take about five minutes. If he stopped by the cafeteria to buy breakfast, that would add another ten minutes—making it fifteen minutes total.
If he left the dormitory at 7:10, he would reach the classroom by 7:45. Even if he decided to eat at the restaurant first, it would only take an extra five minutes, meaning he'd still be in class by 7:50.
The morning homeroom started at 8:00 sharp, which meant he had 15 minutes of buffer time—plenty of time for Karuizawa Kei to wake up and still make it.
In other words, even if she didn't come down until 7:30, they could still grab breakfast and get to class without rushing.
But if he waited any longer, those extra minutes would disappear.
"Tch. This much trouble never happened when I took care of Sakayanagi Arisu."
Forget it, I'm not waiting anymore.
Making up his mind, Kure Ragna sprang off the bed, grabbed his uniform jacket from the chair, and walked out the door.
As he left, he quickly sent a message to Karuizawa Kei:
> I woke up early, heading straight to class. I brought you breakfast.
Cafeteria
The cafeteria buzzed with students chatting and eating. Groups of classmates sat together, laughing and enjoying their meals.
At this hour, there was still enough time to finish breakfast before heading to class.
But Kure Ragna had a different task—he had to bring breakfast for Karuizawa Kei. And if he didn't hurry, she'd have to eat in class or worse, wait until after homeroom, when her food would be cold.
Just the thought of sitting in class, stomach empty, while the scent of a freshly packed breakfast lingered from a plastic bag under the desk—pure torture.
And what was even worse?
Opening that bag after homeroom only to find that the once-warm breakfast had turned cold and unappetizing.
Despair.
Without wasting time, he ordered a set meal at the self-service machine, paid with his points, and grabbed the printed meal ticket.
As he walked to the pickup counter, he noticed a familiar figure ahead in line.
A girl with long purple hair tied into a side ponytail.
Masumi Kamuro.
He had seen her before. Arisu had mentioned her once or twice.
"Oh, you're Sakayanagi's classmate, right?" Kure Ragna called out. "Kamuro-san, if I remember correctly?"
Kamuro Masumi turned slightly, frowning at the unexpected greeting.
"You are... ah," she paused, realization dawning. "So, you're the one Sakayanagi mentioned. But you're not from Class A..."
"I'm from Class D," Kure Ragna replied with a casual smile. "Just call me Kure Ragna."
Raising the meal ticket in his hand, he asked, "Are you here to pick up breakfast too?"
"Yeah, more or less..." Kamuro sighed. "Sakayanagi says her legs are weak, so she made me buy it for her."
"Aha. Sounds like a hassle."
"It's fine," she shrugged. "At least she ordered breakfast for me too. Not a total loss."
As she spoke, her gaze briefly flickered toward Kure Ragna's meal ticket.
She wasn't particularly curious about his food preferences, but she noticed something.
The long list of items printed on his receipt.
It was nearly twice the length of hers.
He's bringing food for someone too?
Kamuro Masumi didn't ask. Their conversation was short—just a polite exchange between two students from different classes. She took her food and left.
Kure Ragna soon did the same.
Classroom
By the time Kure Ragna arrived, Karuizawa Kei was already there, chatting and laughing with her friends.
She looks completely normal despite skipping breakfast.
Was she used to waking up late and just skipping meals altogether?
Not a good habit.
With that thought, he walked over and pressed the warm breakfast bag against her cheek.
"Ah—!?"
The sudden heat startled Karuizawa Kei, making her jump and let out a panicked yelp.
Her friends, equally surprised, turned to stare.
When Kei saw who it was, she quickly calmed down.
"What the hell—oh, it's just you, Ragna."
"Here." He handed her the bag. "Breakfast."
"Oh... thanks."
She accepted it hesitantly, sneaking a glance at him from beneath her lashes.
"...Sorry, I overslept this morning."
Kure Ragna, now unpacking his own meal, barely glanced at her. As he tore the wrapper off his straw, he flicked it lightly—right onto the top of her head.
A soft thunk.
"Ow—!?"
He spoke in a casual yet instructive tone.
"This is why I told you to wake up early—even on weekends. If you keep skipping breakfast, you'll get stomach problems. Then, everything you eat will make you nauseous, and even if you want to eat, you won't be able to. Got it?"
With each sentence, he knocked her forehead with the straw like a monk tapping a wooden fish.
"Ow—! I get it, I get it!" Kei covered her forehead with both hands, laughing but also pleading for mercy. "Stop hitting me, I'll turn stupid at this rate!"
Kure Ragna smirked. "Good. Then eat up—there's still time before Chabashira-sensei arrives."
Kei mumbled a quick "Mmm" and turned away—only to be stopped by her friends.
The first to speak was Shinohara Satsuki, one of her closest friends.
"Kei—"
"You're not..."
"Already dating Kure Ragna, are you?"
Their teasing gazes made Kei's face heat up.
Damn it. She should've spent last night researching how to announce relationships in front of classmates instead of watching anime.
Meanwhile, Kure Ragna returned to his seat.
His seatmate, Yukinoshita Haruno, leaned over with a mischievous smirk.
"So... you're dating Karuizawa-san?"
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Obviously."
Haruno narrowed her eyes. "You say it so easily. But why does it feel like you're taking care of a younger sibling, not a girlfriend?"
Kure Ragna gave her a side glance. "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"
"Of course not."
"Then what do you know?"
Haruno shrugged. "I do have a younger sister, though. So I can tell."
"No, you can't."
Their playful argument ended there.
Not because of Chabashira-sensei's arrival—but because of two familiar figures standing at the classroom door.
One of them was Tachibana Akane, the secretary who had once chased after Horikita.
"Excuse me," she called out. "Is Kure Ragna here?"
He stood up, half a steamed bun in his mouth.
"(I am, I am.)"
Tachibana remained at the doorway and spoke formally.
"Kure Ragna, please report to the Student Council office during the lunch break."
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