The day was like any other. Shizuka sat in silence at his desk, eyes wandering across the room, noticing every movement, every habit. He wasn't merely observing, he was analyzing. Patterns. Behavior. Weaknesses.
And then the door slid open.
"Good morning, students," the teacher called out as he entered. "I have an important announcement to make. On the last day of this week, we'll be holding a special assessment covering all subjects. So, you'd better start preparing."
A wave of groans and murmurs rippled through the class, but Shizuka remained still, focused. A perfect opportunity.
As the teacher described how the test would be administered, Shizuka focused on the guy a few seats to his right, calm, collected, keen-eyed.
Mikhailov.
Shizuka leaned forward without hesitation. "Want to be friends?"
Mikhailov shot him a sidelong look. "I'm afraid I must decline that invitation."
Shizuka scrunched up his eyes. Why?
"I just met you," Mikhailov went on. "I don't know that I can trust a stranger."
Shizuka's lips curved into a subtle smirk. "Then let's make it interesting. A wager. Whoever gets the higher mark on the special assessment wins. If I win, we're friends. If I lose, I won't trouble you again."
Mikhailov relaxed a little, interested. "Ohh… this just got interesting. I accept, but on one condition."
"And what might that be?" Shizuka asked.
"Easy," Mikhailov replied. "I get to choose the subject we test on."
Shizuka nodded readily. "Agreed."
Mikhailov then said. "I will tell what subject were competing on by tomorrow"
Shizuka readily nodded. "So, it's settled"
Mikhailov looked at him with a raised brow, then extended his hand.
"By the way," he said, "I'm Mikhailov."
Shizuka took his hand and gave a brief nod. "Shizuka," he replied, his voice cool.
His gaze became piercing.
"Let the game begin."
"This won't be hard," Shizuka thought. "Now, time to go home."
As he walked through the quiet streets, something caught his attention. In a nearby alley, he noticed one of his classmates—a girl—being cornered by a drunk old man. Shizuka quickly hid behind a wall, ears alert.
"Come on, just let me touch you, just once," the man slurred.
"NO!!" the girl cried, desperation thick in her voice.
She tried to scream again. "Hel—!" But before the word escaped, the man clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Stop shouting, or else," he growled.
Paralyzed by fear, the girl did the only thing she could—bit down on his hand hard.
"HELP!!" she screamed as the man recoiled.
The man's eyes burned with rage. He raised his fist to strike—but it never landed.
Shizuka stepped in, catching the man's wrist mid-air.
"What the—who are you?!" the drunk spat.
He swung again, an uppercut aimed at Shizuka's chin. Shizuka dodged with precision and retaliated with a sharp right hook that sent the man staggering. Before he could recover, Shizuka launched an uppercut straight to his jaw, knocking him out cold.
Breathing calmly, Shizuka turned to the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked, as he acted concerned
"Y-Yes… I'm fine. Thank you," she replied, still shaken.
"Aren't you from Class C?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes, I am," she nodded.
"How did this happen?" he asked.
Her voice trembled. "I… I dropped a coin. It rolled into the alley, and when I went to pick it up, that guy appeared out of nowhere and started harassing me."
Two days had passed, and now it was time.
Shizuka sat quietly at his desk, fingers lightly tapping the wood, his eyes on the door.
Then, right on cue, Mikhailov stepped into the room. Their eyes locked, and the air between them grew still.
"You ready?" Shizuka asked, calm and composed.
"Of course," Mikhailov replied with a faint smirk. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Shizuka gave the slightest nod.
"as I thought."
"This is where it begins."
Shizuka's eyes softened. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. But you're safe now. Let's get out of here. Do you have someone you can call?"
"Yes… my brother's coming to pick me up soon," she said.
"Then I'll wait with you until he arrives."
She shook her head. "No, it's okay. You've done enough. You can go."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure."
Shizuka gave a small nod. "Alright. Be careful."
He turned and walked away, fading into the dim light of the street.