Akira watched as Sakura stopped just outside his personal space; her posture was perfect as always, but something about her seemed different… less certain.

Her gaze drifted momentarily to his chest, tracing the way his damp shirt clung to his newly defined muscles, before snapping back to his eyes, a faint flush colouring her cheeks.

This was the first time she had addressed him since Halloween… since the night she had crushed his spirit in front of the entire school, cementing his status as the "Creep King" with a single, icy rejection.

"That was... impressive, Kanzaki-kun," she said. Her voice was as smooth as silk, but there was a tremor of uncertainty there that hadn't existed weeks ago.

Akira didn't smile.

He didn't even adjust his posture to be more inviting. He looked at her with the same detached neutrality he might use for a stranger on the street. "Sakura," he said simply.

She flinched visibly at the use of her first name without honorifics. It was a subtle breach of social etiquette, a small assertion of dominance that hit her like a physical slap.

She was used to being looked at with longing or fear, not with cold, bored recognition.

"I... I wanted to say that was quite a performance," she continued, her arms crossing tighter over her chest as if protecting herself. "You look different, too."

"People change when they stop caring what others think, Hanamura-san," Akira replied. He let his gaze wander past her, looking at the exit.

"Ai, option A."

[OPTION A CONFIRMED]

There was a moment of silence where she seemed to be processing that, her usual mask slipping just slightly to show genuine discomfort.

Sakura bit her lip, a gesture so human it almost looked out of place on her porcelain face. "I was hoping we could talk. Privately."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[SAKURA ROUTE: INTEREST INITIATED]

Then the prompt from before flashed before him.

A few weeks ago, he would have crawled through broken glass for an invitation like this. Now, it felt like an obligation he didn't have time for. He looked at her one last time, seeing the way she was waiting for him to cave, to show that old flicker of desperation.

"Actually…" Akira said flatly. "I'm busy right now."

Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked away.

Behind him, he heard her sharp intake of breath. The 'Ice Queen' had just gotten her first real taste of rejection, and she clearly didn't know how to handle it.

[CHOICE A CONFIRMED]

[PP: 1,835 → 1,885]

[CONFIDENCE: +10]

[SAKURA INTEREST: PEAKED - She will pursue you]

"Bold move, darling," Ai purred in his mind. "Making the Ice Queen chase. I approve."

—

The atmosphere inside the apartment that evening was a complete 180 from the tension of the school day.

The smell of ginger-glazed pork, steaming rice, and savoury miso soup filled every corner of the living space. Mei had gone all out, laying out a spread that looked like it belonged in a five-star Ryokan.

"Congratulations on making the team, Akira-kun!" Mei chirped as she set a final plate of tempura on the table. She looked radiant, her eyes sparkling with a secret joy that only Akira understood.

Akira took his seat, feeling the appreciative stares of the women surrounding him. "I'm not actually sure I'll be joining, Mei-san. It's a lot of commitment."

"What? You have to join!" Rina exclaimed, shoving a piece of pork into her mouth. "You were like a god out there. If you don't join, the school might actually riot. I've already had ten people ask me if we are really dating just because I was sitting near you."

"Hmmm…" Mia

"She's right," Aoi added softly. "You have a real talent, Akira-kun. It would be a waste to let it go. Besides, it makes you look... very reliable."

Even Mia, who usually preferred Akira kept all his time for her, leaned in. "You should do it, Akira-kun. I like seeing you win. It makes me feel like I made the right choice in choosing you." She reached under the table, her hand finding his knee and squeezing it possessively.

"Darling, are you listening to this?" Ai's voice hummed in the back of his mind. "Accepting the spot puts you in the ultimate spotlight. More fans, more rivals, more routes. It's a buffet of PP."

"And Mia?" Akira thought back.

"Oh, it's a suicide mission for her sanity," Ai giggled. "She thinks she wants you to be a star, but she's forgetting that stars attract moths. I doubt she'd be able to handle the girls throwing themselves at you."

"So it's a trap?"

"More like a ticking time bomb. But potentially profitable. Let's just say it's going to be a beautiful disaster, and I can't wait for it."

Akira looked around the table at all the expectant faces. "If you all think I should, then I'll consider it," Akira said aloud, offering a small smile.

"Good!" Mei clapped her hands. "Now, everyone eat! We have a lot to celebrate tonight."

For a few minutes, the scene felt almost normal. They laughed, they shared food, and the girls bickered over who got to sit closest to him.

Akira felt a strange sense of peace. He was no longer the outcast; he was the centre of a world he had built from nothing but grit and a mysterious system.

But the peace was short-lived.

Akira's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, shielding the screen from Mia's prying eyes.

[NEW MESSAGE: MEI] "Hope you remember you promised you'll be spending the night with me? My door will be unlocked at midnight. Don't make me come find you..."

Akira looked up from his phone. Across the table, Mei was sipping her tea, but her eyes were locked onto his over the rim of the cup. They were dark, filled with a hunger that the dinner hadn't satisfied.

She tilted her head slightly, a silent reminder of the heat they had shared in the pantry.

Beside him, the air suddenly grew heavy. Mia had stopped eating. She didn't look at his phone, but she didn't need to.

Her Yandere intuition was a finely tuned instrument. She noticed the way Mei was looking at him, and she noticed the subtle shift in Akira's posture.

Her eyes narrowed into thin, dangerous slits. She didn't say anything, but her hand on his knee tightened until her nails began to dig into his skin through his jeans.

"Is the food good, Akira-kun?" Mia asked. Her voice was sweet, but it had a jagged edge to it, like a razor blade dipped in honey.

"It's great, Mia," Akira replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Good. Make sure you get proper rest tonight. You wouldn't want to be distracted by anyone else, would you?"

His phone buzzed again, and Akira checked to see who it was.

"What's that?" Mia asked in a deceptively sweet voice. "That's the second one in about 3 minutes."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Hmmm… Who texted you, Akira?"

"It's just someone from school," Akira said smoothly. "I don't know who gave out my number, but I'm getting congratulatory messages."

"Show me."

"Mia…"

"Show. Me."

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