The next day began like any other.
Early morning training. A meal to refuel. Then, off to Chiba Academy.
At the gate, Mei was already there—waiting.
"Morning, Ash!" she waved with a bright smile.
"Morning," Asher replied with a nod. Her greetings had become routine now—familiar, almost comforting.
Day by day, Mei seemed to grow closer to him. Whether walking together, chatting between classes, she was always nearby. But with her attention came the inevitable backlash.
Some students clearly didn't like it.
Whispers followed him in the halls. A few tried to pick fights, hoping to provoke him. Girls even spread baseless rumors, accusing him of things he hadn't done.
Asher never rose to it. He denied the lies calmly and walked away from every threat.
He wasn't here for attention. He didn't need their approval.
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Later that day — PE class.
Inside the boys' changing room, Asher changed into his gym uniform. As he pulled on his shirt, he felt it stretch a little too tightly across his shoulders and arms.
"…Getting small," he muttered. "Need a new one."
He folded his school uniform neatly into his locker, locked it, and stepped out.
The gym was already buzzing. The PE teacher stood at the front, arms crossed, watching the students gather.
Asher picked a random spot and sat down on the gym floor, leaning back slightly, relaxed.
"Anyone sitting here?" a familiar voice asked beside him.
He turned his head.
It was Mei, already lowering herself beside him.
"Nope," he said, shifting slightly to give her more space. "All yours."
She smiled. "Thanks."
The PE teacher's voice cut through the chatter.
"Alright, male students warm up over here. Female students, over there."
Groans echoed from some students.
"Today, you'll start with warm-ups, then a few laps around the school field," the teacher continued. "Extra laps for the boys, of course."
"Not again…" some muttered.
"Hurry up if you want an early lunch break," the teacher added.
Asher didn't complain. Running was just more training—and he welcomed it.
He got to work: jumping lightly to loosen his legs, raising his knees in rhythm, rotating his arms. Then came push-ups.
Down, up. Down, up.
Halfway through, he felt a sudden weight on his back.
Someone had sat on him.
Snickering came from behind—someone clearly trying to mess with him.
But Asher didn't say a word. He kept going—push-up after push-up, as if the extra weight wasn't even there.
After finishing the set, he stood up quickly.
The student on his back lost balance and dropped to the ground with a yelp.
Asher looked down at them—expression calm, but eyes cold. He snorted faintly, then turned and walked away, not sparing them another glance.
A few moments after the warm-ups ended, the PE teacher gestured for the students to follow him out of the gym and onto the field.
Asher silently trailed behind the group.
Then, soft footsteps approached beside him.
He turned his head slightly and saw Mei catching up, walking alongside him with her usual gentle smile.
He nodded in greeting.
Behind them, a storm of gazes bore down on his back. If looks could kill, Asher would've been a pile of ashes by now.
He wasn't sure if this attention was good or bad—but what caught his eye was Mei.
She seemed… relaxed. More herself.
He remembered how she looked when surrounded by her usual group—always smiling, yes, but something about it felt strained. Forced. Like she was performing.
But right now, walking quietly beside him, she looked more at peace.
Maybe it was better this way.
Asher shook his head, trying to dismiss the thoughts.
"Ash?" Mei's voice gently pulled him back. "What are you thinking about?"
He let out a small breath of amusement. "Just wondering if too many eyes staring at your back can actually burn it."
Mei blinked, confused. She tilted her head slightly, not understanding.
Asher chuckled softly.
She looked behind them, then paused.
"…Oh," she said, finally noticing the small crowd of students trailing them, most of whom were glaring at Asher with poorly hidden jealousy or suspicion.
"You know, Mei…" Asher started, his hands slipping into his pockets. "You're really popular around here."
"I'm not," she said quietly, eyes falling to the ground. "It's just my family name. That's all people care about."
Asher glanced at her.
He smiled—softly, genuinely.
"Mei, I think you're misunderstanding something."
She looked up at him, eyes curious.
"Other than your family name… aren't you kind too?" he said. "You always treat people with care. You're gentle, strong, thoughtful… You carry so much and still smile through it."
He paused, his voice lowering a bit.
"That's not just a name, Mei. That's you. That's why you're popular."
Mei stared at him for a moment.
Then a quiet smile spread across her face—soft, honest. A faint pink blush reached the tips of her ears as she looked away and walked a little ahead of him.
"…That's why I'm glad I met you, Ash," she said under her breath.
Asher smiled, watching her small figure lead the way.
"Yeah… me too."
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Out on the school field, Asher ran a few steady laps along with the other male students.
The female students had already finished and were now sitting on the sidelines, chatting and resting.
By the end of the run, most of the guys collapsed onto the grass, panting and drenched in sweat.
Asher, though, stood tall—only a light sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it calmly.
The PE teacher walked over, raising an eyebrow.
"Asher, you sure you don't want to join the track club?" he asked.
"No, teacher," Asher replied, almost out of habit.
He'd gotten the same question from several teachers already. Whether it was track, martial arts, or even student council—he always gave the same answer.
"Well, let me know if you change your mind," the teacher said, giving him a pat on the shoulder before turning to the others. "Alright, that's all for class. You guys can go—early break today!"
As Asher wiped his forehead, Mei walked toward him, holding a bottle of water.
"For me?" Asher asked, surprised.
"Mm-hmm." Mei nodded, offering it to him with a small smile.
"Thanks, Mei." He took the bottle, opened the lid, and took a few refreshing gulps.
"By the way, Ash…" Mei began.
"Hm?"
"Do you mind if I eat lunch with you again today?"
Asher smiled faintly. "Sure, I don't mind."
Mei's smile brightened. "Let's meet on the rooftop again!"
With that, she turned and walked away, her steps light.
Asher watched her go, then sighed softly to himself and headed toward the changing room.
A short while later, after changing back into his uniform, Asher went to the cafeteria and grabbed his usual—melon bread and a milk carton.
With his small lunch in hand, he made his way to the rooftop.
When he opened the door, he spotted Mei already sitting there, a bento box in her lap.
She looked up and waved enthusiastically.
"Ash!" she beamed.
He walked over and sat down beside her, unwrapping the plastic on his melon bread. Just as he was about to take a bite, he noticed Mei looking at him with an expression full of anticipation.
"Hm?" Asher raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Mei?"
"I made lunch today," she said, eyes sparkling. "I want you to try it."
Mei cooked? He remembered hearing that she was pretty good in the kitchen, but… something about that memory felt fuzzy. Like he was forgetting something important.
He shook the thought away.
"Sure," he said simply.
Mei smiled warmly. She opened her bento and picked up a meatball with her chopsticks.
"Here. Try this," she said, holding it out to him.
Asher stared at the meatball, then at Mei's expectant face.
He opened his mouth, letting her feed it to him.
The moment he bit down, his face twitched slightly.
"…So?" Mei asked eagerly, leaning closer.
"…It's a bit salty," Asher admitted, trying to be polite. "But it's still edible. You made this yourself?"
"I'm glad you like it," Mei said, looking relieved. "Yes, I did! The chef at home taught me. I followed the recipe, I think… But the chef said I added a little too much salt. But it seem like they wrong I only add a bit more salt."
"I think you should trust your chef next time," Asher replied, concerned.
"Yeah… probably," Mei mumbled, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
Before he could say more, she picked up another meatball and offered it to him.
"Here, one more—"
Asher stared at the meatball… then at Mei… then at the meatball again.
In his thoughts: It's really salty, Mei…
But he sighed in surrender.
"Okay," he said quietly, leaning in again.
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The next morning, Asher woke up earlier than usual, but instead of getting up, he lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Mei's voice echoed in his mind—"Tomorrow, I'll try making another lunch box."
He sighed.
"…I'm a lab rat now, huh?" he muttered to himself.
He remembered it clearly—when Mei first started cooking, it was… rough. But over time, especially as she kept feeding Kiana, her cooking had improved a lot. And now, with her chef guiding her from the start, maybe today's food would actually taste better.
He hoped so.
Asher finally sat up, dragging his feet off the side of the bed. He rubbed his face with both hands, then shook his head.
"I feel lazy today… Maybe just a short jog?"
No.
He clenched his fists. That wasn't him. He couldn't slack off.
With a short groan, Asher stood, washed his face, and stepped outside to begin his daily routine.
A quick warm-up. A few laps around the neighborhood. The usual rhythm.
He passed by a few neighbors, offering casual nods and short greetings.
But something felt… off today. The atmosphere was strangely heavy. Gloomy.
He glanced at the sky—Clear. No sign of rain. No dark clouds.
Maybe it was just his imagination.
After finishing his run, Asher returned to his apartment, took a quick shower, and checked the time.
Still early.
He grabbed his phone, scrolling through the news while drying his hair with a towel.
Nothing unusual. Nothing concerning. Nothing at all.
He closed the screen with a sigh.
Stepping outside again, Asher walked his usual route to the small morning restaurant he often visited. It was comforting—warm smells, familiar faces.
But today… it was closed.
He checked the time. Weird. It was never closed this early.
Sighing, he adjusted his course and took a longer walk toward the nearest convenience store—FamilyMart.
At least that one was always open.
As he stepped inside, he picked out two onigiri and a canned coffee. After paying, he sat on the bench just outside the store.
He quietly unwrapped one of the rice balls, eating while checking the news again.
Still nothing.
No updates. No strange incidents. No reason for this uneasy feeling growing in his chest.
He finished his meal in silence, threw away the trash, and checked the time once more.
Time for school.
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Chiba Academy.
As he passed through the school gate, Asher's eyes instinctively looked toward the familiar spot—just to the right, near the courtyard tree.
That was where Mei usually stood. Smiling. Waiting to greet him.
But today…She wasn't there.
He slowed his steps. Looked again. Scanned the faces of students passing by.
Still no sign of her.
His chest tightened slightly, though he tried to shrug it off.
Maybe she's just late… or forgot.
But in class, he found himself staring at her desk.
Still empty.
No bag. No books. No Mei.
A sinking feeling settled into his stomach.
Something's not right.
He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
Did something happen to her?
Why didn't she call or text?
Where is she?
And why…did it suddenly feel like today was going to be anything but normal?