The room was silent, heavy like the air before a storm. Kentaro sat on the tatami floor with Serica and Aria on both his left and right, all three hunched on their knees, the kind of sulking posture that told Tenka she had walked into something she shouldn't have. At least not here, not in her best friend's apartment, a place were a boy who just a month ago couldn't speak to any girl accept her without having a full blown panic atttack.

Kentaro sighed, eyes closed, head bowed. "Why does she always find the worst times to walk in…" He muttered under his breath. Even without opening his eyes, he felt Tenka's gaze drilling into him, sharp, flicking from him to the girls.

Her stare stopped on Serica the girl on Kentaro's right. The scared yet also annoyed girl jolted, tugging at her dress, trying to keep the fabric from slipping where it had tightened awkwardly around her breast and her waist.

"Serica," Tenka's voice cut like glass, stern and cold. "I understand you want to be with Kentaro all the time I get it. But there are some lines that must not be crossed. Like that whole stick, that you did, you can't cross that line, okay? Do you understand that? "

Serica swallowed hard, her eyes wide. "Y-Yes, ma'am! B-but I want to stay close to Kentaro, i'm i not allowed!"

"You are but-" Tenka's mouth opened, but she closed it back, letting out a small sigh. "Fine, but just not that close."

Tenka's gaze shifted past Kentaro, sweeping across the low partition wall until it landed on Aria. Aria didn't dare meet her eyes, head bowed like a scolded child.

"Aria," Tenka said, voice narrowing to a blade's edge. "I understand you see Serica being close to Kentaro. That's fine. But, as I said, there are limits. I'll let you off since you're new around here, but like I said with Serica, there are limits. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am…I'm sorry..." Aria's voice was barely more than a whisper.

Kentaro tried to cut the tension, raising his hands in surrender. "Hehehe… They were just pampering Yura. She was acting funny all day, and one thing led to another, and suddenly I was the one getting pampered. That's all. Really nothing to get too worried about, ya know, hehe?"

But Tenka's narrowed eyes pinned him where he sat, and he flinched under the sheer pressure.

"This feels like Yura's Domain, but worse somehow!" Kentaro thought as his eyes stayed down, daring not to look up.

"Yeah," Serica muttered, puffing her cheeks out, "Tenka's probably just jelly she couldn't give Kentaro better spa treatment than us…"

Kentaro could see the tick mark forming on Tenka's forehead, her patience ready to snap.

"S-Seri-"

"SO!" Kentaro shot to his feet, desperate to redirect. "Tenka, what did you find out back at HQ?!"

The storm cloud over her face softened, flattening into a neutral look. His plan had worked. She blinked before letting out another sigh, as she brushed past him before opening the fridge.

"First, I'm hungry. Feed me, Kentaro." Her voice dropped into something childlike, punctuated perfectly by the loud growl of her stomach.

Kentaro chuckled despite himself. "Sorry. I don't have the ingredients for your favourite, omelette rice."

Tenka's shoulders slumped. Before the silence grew, Aria popped up like a spring.

"Me and Serica will get the ingredients!" She shouted with sudden determination, startling Kentaro. Her eyes shone with purpose as she looked from Tenka to Kentaro.

Kentaro sighed but smiled softly, turning to the pouting Serica. He reached out and patted her head, gentle and reassuring. "Want to go with her? Or should I?"

Serica blinked up at him, face flushing, then reluctantly nodded. And just like that, the two left for the convenience store, Aria bouncing with resolve, Serica guiding with quiet reluctance.

That left Tenka and Kentaro alone.

Kentaro smiled faintly, patting the couch cushion beside him. "C'mon. Sit."

Tenka hesitated, still standing next to the fridge, after all, she did just scold him, and now he wanted her to sit next to him, "S-sure", she replied, heat rising in her cheeks, but finally shuffled over. When she sat down, their shoulders brushed. Kentaro's smile lingered. For him, being close to Tenka felt natural, like air. But Tenka jolted, then masked it with an awkward cough.

Silence settled over them. The ticking of Kentaro's wall clock filled the space. Somewhere faintly, Yura's soft snore drifted from the bedroom. Normally, such silence would be suffocating, but with Tenka, it felt… Familiar.

She broke it first. "What we found… Wasn't much, nothing much that we don't know anyway... But we can confirm Shaula is an Alberline. And she did use her powers the night you saw the pink light."

Kentaro's brow furrowed. He had known deep down, but hearing it confirmed made his chest tighten.

Tenka pulled out her phone, tapped quickly, and placed it on her lap. The screen glowed black. Kentaro leaned in to watch and rested his head lightly on her shoulder.

Tenka stiffened, her cheeks burning. Kentaro caught it. "You good, Tenka?" He whispered, voice brushing her ear.

"Of course," she snapped too quickly, then softened. "I-it's just… Been a while since we've been this close."

Her ring didn't glow; she was in her normal state. Kentaro found this version of her almost… Cute. He poked her cheek, teasing. "Aww, Tenka's flustered over little old me~"

"Dummy!" She smacked his head with a chop. He laughed, catching her hand, holding it until her face turned even redder. He let her hand go, still smiling.

"Weird… Tenka's never been this shy around me," Kentaro thought. He studied her face, the way her lips pressed thin, the nervous dart of her eyes. She felt his stare and nudged him.

"Watch the video, not me," she muttered, voice small.

Kentaro blinked, flustered. "R-Right, my bad."

She pressed play. The video opened in darkness. A faint creak, then light flooded in. The grainy footage revealed a room Kentaro knew too well.

"T-that's… My apartment?" He whispered.

Tenka nodded. "Yes. This was the footage of the day Shaula's break-in."

His eyes widened as the silhouette entered, flicked the switch, and transformed, her pink light flooding the camera as her attire shifted into casual clothes. The exact glow he remembered that night.

"So it really was her…" His fists clenched. "But why me?"

Tenka turned off her phone, her tone firm. "I don't know. But you'll ask her. Alone. She won't answer if there's a crowd. Tomorrow, if she's there at college, you go. Be sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We'll keep an eye on you from a distance."

Kentaro nodded, though sweat pricked at his brow. Questions swarmed his head: What if she attacks me? What if she hurts the girls? What if I can't stop her?

"But what if-" He paused, because he felt Tenka's weight lean gently onto his shoulder.

"T-Tenka?" He whispered.

She smiled faintly, though he couldn't see it. "It's been a while since it's just been us… Hasn't it?"

He froze, then softened. "Yeah… Ever since meeting Serica, life's been one wild rollercoaster."

Tenka giggled, but her voice wavered as she continued, almost trembling. "Promise me you'll prioritise your safety, Kentaro. If I lose you… I don't know what I'd do."

He rubbed her head, laughing weakly. "Don't worry. I've got you, Halcyon, the girls… I'm not alone."

But Tenka snapped back faster, voice tinged with fear. "No, you don't understand. Anything can happen. Tokyo, Kentaro, you literally got stabbed, cut open twice."

The name hit him like a hammer. His mind reeled, Yura's trembling voice from that conversation replaying in his ears. His mouth opened. "That's it… I never asked you about the thing with me and my power."

As those words slipped from Kentaro's lips, Tenka's mood shifted dramatically, a complete 180. "Yeah, that…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as the weight of unsaid emotions hung in the air. Her gaze fell to the ground, heavy with unexpressed thoughts. "I wanted to talk to you about that," she continued, her voice trembling slightly as if every syllable was a battle for her to voice.

There was a long, painful pause, and Kentaro could feel the tension thickening between them. It was as though she were bracing herself for impact, preparing to reveal a truth that had been bottled up for far too long. "The truth is... Kentaro"

"What is it... Can't be that b-"

Before he could finish, Tenka shot upright, nearly hitting his head.

"WHAT! You're serious?!" Her voice exploded into the empty room. She wasn't looking at him; her eyes were glazed over, listening to someone else. Halcyon.

Kentaro's chest tightened. "Tenka, what's going on?!"

Slowly, she turned. Her face was pale, drained of all warmth. Her voice broke the silence with a weight that froze Kentaro's blood.

"Kentaro… It's Serica and Aria. They've been attacked."

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