Byakuya took the lead, leaving Arima and Uruka Minami alone together.
Arima instinctively wanted to follow him.
But with Minami-who was very likely the ghoul "Lantern"-right beside him, it wouldn't be wise to act suspiciously.
So, he had no choice but to walk with her.
"Yesterday morning, you and Uchiha-kun left with Fura-kun for a while, right?"
Uruka Minami suddenly struck up a conversation.
"Nothing happened, I hope? I mean… Fura-kun is kind of a delinquent, isn't he…?"
Arima's expression remained indifferent.
"Mm… nothing happened."
His voice was flat, emotionless.
The cold response made the atmosphere awkward, and the conversation stalled.
"Ah… that's good, then."
Minami smiled.
"I was a little worried that you might turn into a delinquent too, Arima-kun."
Silence fell between them again.
Minami's delicate, quiet face flushed faintly-perhaps embarrassed by Arima's distant attitude.
Byakuya reached the classroom first.
He noticed that Fura Taishi was back in school today.
His childhood friend, Sasada Aki, was there too.
As for Ryou, he was in another class.
"Fura, Sasada-"
Byakuya greeted them.
"How are you guys feeling? Any better?"
"Still a little shaken… but I guess I'm okay."
Fura's voice was low.
"Aki was really freaked out last night, though. She even insisted on staying over at my place. But she seems a lot better this morning."
"…What?!"
Hearing her name, Sasada Aki immediately turned around.
She smacked Fura over the head with her book.
Her face was burning with embarrassment.
"Taishi, you idiot! You big idiot!"
The hit wasn't hard at all.
But Fura was still baffled.
"What? You were scared last night, weren't you?"
"That's not the point!"
Sasada Aki's face turned even redder.
Fura Taishi still looked completely lost.
Byakuya, however, immediately understood why Sasada Aki was so flustered.
It wasn't just about being scared.
It was about staying over at a guy's house and yet, Fura Taishi was so dense he had no clue.
Byakuya lost interest in their little drama.
There were more important matters to discuss.
"About that ghoul from yesterday-"
His tone turned serious.
"I need to warn you guys-if you keep riding your motorcycles and racing on the streets, you could get attacked again."
Fura Taishi frowned.
"…Why? What does street racing have to do with that ghoul?"
He personally wasn't that into it, but Ryou and Aki probably wouldn't want to give it up.
"That ghoul didn't attack you for no reason."
Byakuya explained.
"I don't know exactly why yet, but I strongly suggest you guys lay low; Nothing is more important than staying alive-"
"But… I guess that's something you only truly understand when you're staring death in the face."
"Alright! If talking doesn't work, I'll just beat some sense into them!"
Fura Taishi rolled up his sleeves, determined.
Even if he got beaten up instead, he was not letting Ryou and the others keep doing this.
After what happened last night, he was convinced-Uchiha and Arima were dangerous people.
If they said something was serious, it was serious.
But it never even crossed his mind that they might be CCG investigators.
Most ordinary people barely knew anything about ghouls or the CCG, much less high school students.
"…Aki."
The first person Fura needed to convince was right in front of him.
"Mm."
Sasada Aki nodded.
"I'll listen to you, Taishi but you have to agree to one condition."
Fura Taishi blinked in surprise.
"Sure! Anything, as long as I can do it!"
He hadn't expected Aki to agree so fast.
"You used to love baseball-"
Before Aki could finish, the classroom's back door opened.
Arima Kishou and Uruka Minami walked in.
Fura Taishi immediately turned to look.
Minami was smiling, chatting with Arima like they were close friends.
Fura Taishi frowned.
His chest felt uncomfortably tight.
"Ahem."
Byakuya cleared his throat.
"Fura, Sasada is still talking to you."
"Ah? Oh-oh!"
Fura quickly turned back.
Only to see Aki glaring at him, her cheeks puffed up in frustration.
"Idiot Taishi!"
"You really have a crush on some other girl, huh?!"
"Wha-?! N-no! Wait!"
Fura Taishi panicked.
"Don't say that out loud! What if someone hears?!"
"So what?"
Aki huffed.
"You're an idiot anyway! You might as well be publicly humiliated!"
Fura immediately backed down.
"No, no, no! My bad! My bad, okay?!
Look, what was that 'condition' you wanted?"
"I don't feel like saying it anymore."
Aki turned away, sulking.
"Maybe later."
"…Oh."
Fura Taishi was completely lost.
Why was she this mad?
Was it just because he didn't listen to her earlier?
But that couldn't be that big of a deal… right?
Meanwhile, Byakuya just stared, completely speechless.
Fura Taishi was so dense it was almost impressive.
"Uh… Uchiha."
Fura Taishi lowered his voice.
"Could you keep all that… a secret?"
Byakuya nodded.
"Sure."
But then, he added:
"Friendly advice; You should probably give up."
Fura Taishi blinked.
"Huh?"
Of course, humans could fall in love with ghouls, it wasn't unheard of.
But last night…
If Byakuya and Arima hadn't intervened in time, then Minami would've slaughtered all of them.
If Fura Taishi ever found out that the girl he liked was the same ghoul that almost killed him…
He'd probably drop his feelings real quick.
Instead of chasing an impossible fantasy…
Maybe he should look at the person right in front of him.
The childhood friend who had always been by his side.
Of course, in the original timeline…
Sasada Aki did end up becoming Fura Taishi's wife.