"Shiro Sakamaki, don't mess with me like this, or I'll get mad too," Megumi Kato said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared at Shiro. There was a trace of resentment in her gaze, but oddly enough, her voice remained calm, betraying none of her inner frustration.
Now that Shiro was revealed to be a classmate from her year, the honorifics had shifted. No longer was he "senior"—he was now just "classmate."
"Haha, I'm sorry, Kato-san," Shiro chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "It's just that you're so cute, I couldn't help myself."
Megumi, unused to compliments, seemed slightly flustered. Although her face remained neutral, her earlobes, hidden under her short hair, had flushed a faint pink.
"I'm not cute," she muttered, shaking her head. "I'm just... a normal girl."
But despite her words, Shiro could tell there was a slight shift in her demeanor. Her mood darkened slightly, her voice quieter. "Anyway, Shiro Sakamaki, you'll forget all about this soon, like always. It's fine."
"No way!" Shiro immediately denied, shaking his head firmly. "I'll never forget a cute girl like Kato-san, I promise."
Before he could add anything more, his expression suddenly shifted. "Watch out!"
Without thinking, Shiro lunged forward and pulled Megumi into his arms just as a bicycle sped dangerously close. The cyclist had come out of nowhere, and if Shiro hadn't reacted, Megumi might have been hit.
But as soon as he'd saved her, something even more terrifying happened.
A large truck rounded the corner, its driver unable to stop in time. The speeding bicycle collided with it, and the impact sent the cyclist flying through the air, skidding across the pavement, his body dragging along the ground in a gruesome display.
Megumi gasped, her eyes wide in shock. For a moment, she seemed frozen in place, unable to process the scene. She didn't even realize she was still in Shiro's arms until a few seconds passed.
The truck driver quickly got out, his face pale with panic. Spotting Shiro and Megumi as witnesses, he began to scream, his voice frantic.
"I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it! He just rushed out in front of me! You've got to believe me!"
Shiro didn't even flinch. He pulled Megumi slightly away from the scene, urging her, "Don't just stand there. Call an ambulance, or this guy might actually die."
Megumi nodded, snapping out of her stupor. She quickly took out her phone, but before she could make the call, she recognized the cyclist on the ground.
"Wait… isn't that… Tomoya Aki from our class?" she murmured, her face paling.
Shiro raised an eyebrow in surprise. Of all the things he expected to happen today, running into one of the protagonists was not one of them. He did his best to hide his surprise and asked casually, "Is he your classmate, Kato-san?"
Megumi nodded. "Yes, he's in our class."
"Then you should contact your homeroom teacher right away," Shiro suggested, his voice calm and composed. "Tell her about the situation."
She quickly did as he advised, while the truck driver, still shaken, made the call to emergency services. The situation felt surreal, and it took a while before help finally arrived. Soon, paramedics rushed to the scene, stabilizing Tomoya Aki and placing him on a stretcher before loading him into the ambulance.
The teacher soon showed up, having been informed by Megumi. She quickly inquired about the details, notified Aki's parents, and then left with the ambulance, reminding Megumi to be careful on the roads.
Afterward, Megumi wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, her hands trembling slightly. "That was too close," she murmured, still reeling from the close call. "I was almost caught in that wind myself."
Shiro gave a nonchalant shrug. "Anyone in that situation would've done the same thing. I couldn't just stand there and watch a cute girl like you get hurt."
Megumi's face turned a little red at his words, but she managed to keep her composure. "Still, thank you, Shiro Sakamaki. I really owe you one."
"Don't mention it," he replied with a smile. "But since you're offering, how about I let you treat me to a meal sometime? After all, I saved your life, right?"
Normally, Shiro would never turn down such an invitation, but he already had plans for the evening. Misaki had invited him to play video games together, and he'd given his word.
"I'm sorry, but I already have plans tonight," he explained, scratching the back of his head. "I'm meeting someone, but we can always add each other on Line. I'm new to this area, so I still need to buy a few things. Maybe next time you can show me around?"
Megumi hesitated for a moment before pulling out her phone, showing him her Line ID. After they added each other, they exchanged a brief farewell.
"Thanks again for everything, Shiro Sakamaki," Megumi said softly.
"No problem," Shiro replied with a friendly grin. "I'll see you around."
They went their separate ways, each reflecting on the strange turn of events.
---
Later that day, Shiro found himself in a much lighter mood after meeting Megumi Kato. Despite the seriousness of the situation, it was hard to ignore the fact that he had just met one of the heroines from his previous life. Though her character was now more three-dimensional, it still brought a sense of satisfaction.
However, he wasn't going to let her status as a "paper-man's wife" change how he treated her. He was just being himself, which, admittedly, might have made him more favorable in her eyes.
As he made his way back, he stopped by the market, picking up fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit. He found it hard to believe how expensive the fruit was compared to the meat, but with his finances more than comfortable after Haruno Yukinoshita's generous contribution, it didn't bother him.
Shiro thought about buying some art supplies but decided to wait until after he moved into his new place. Packing everything now would only make it more complicated.
When he returned to Sakurasou Village, his purchases earned him surprised exclamations from Misaki and the others. Despite their own side jobs, they were still students, and the extravagance of his fruit wasn't lost on them.
---
That night, in a sterile hospital operating room, a tense and high-stakes operation was taking place. On the table was Tomoya Aki, still barely hanging onto life after the accident. His body was broken—several fractures, internal bleeding, and multiple life-threatening injuries.
The lead surgeon watched him with detached eyes, an eerie smile spreading beneath his mask. He had no empathy in his gaze, just a cold, calculating look.
"Let the experiment begin," the surgeon whispered to himself, as the life of the young man hung in the balance.
---