Chapter 1: How the most powerful person fell in love with an ordinary high school boy
1 ─side Kurono Shia─
Kurono Shia is not your average high school girl.
Her true identity is that of an S-Class agent in the International Police Organization’s secret department, where she works tirelessly, without anyone’s knowledge, to take down criminal organizations around the world. She is a member of a justice-driven secret organization.
And now, she is walking to school, alone with the boy she likes.
"Kai-kun, do you have morning practice today?"
"Yeah. I just changed the strings yesterday, so I want to soften them up a bit by after-school practice."
The boy walking beside her is Kairo. He’s of average height, a little taller than Kurono at 160 cm, with slightly dull white hair—apparently his natural color.
Kurono briefly glanced at the side of his face. He had a soft, calm expression. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but his nose was well-shaped, and he had an aura of kindness.
His grades are average, and though he isn’t bad at sports, he doesn’t particularly excel at them either. Aside from his unusual hair color, he’s just an ordinary high school boy.
But Kurono... she liked him.
No, correction. She loved him.
(…Kai-kun. You’re wonderful again today. I’d say I could eat you up, but I’ll tone it down.)
"It’s already almost summer," Kai muttered, as if thinking aloud. "Next month is the cultural festival."
The June sun blazed down on the asphalt, its heat pressing in.
Kurono kept her eyes forward and immediately offered the appropriate information.
"The highest temperature today will be 34°C, with a humidity of 62%."
"You check the weather forecast every day?"
"Yes. I also check the news, both domestic and international. Do you have a favorite topic? Politics, economics, National Geographic—I’m ready to discuss anything."
"Giving your all to small talk? Well then, how about this? What did you have for breakfast today?"
"...I forgot to eat."
Kurono answered sheepishly, and Kai let out a wry laugh.
"Hmm. Well, did you, Kai-kun, have a proper breakfast?"
"Yeah. I had rice, miso soup, a piece of salmon, and asparagus."
"That’s healthy. I think that’s very good."
"Thanks. But when you get praised for just having breakfast, it feels a bit embarrassing."
He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.
By chance, they lived in adjacent apartments in the same building, attended the same school, and were in the same club. For about half a year now, they had often walked to and from school together.
(Alright. We’re chatting comfortably today too. ...Though, I’m hoping he’ll confess soon.)
Kurono’s gaze subtly carried a quiet expectation.
However, Kai seemed unable to pick up on her unspoken feelings, and he merely asked, looking puzzled.
"Uh? Is there something on my face, Kurono-san?"
"No. Sorry, it was just my imagination."
Kurono averted her gaze from his face, trying to cover up her actions.
"More than acquaintances, less than friends." That was the phrase that best describes the relationship between the two of them over the past year.
This was because, beyond walking to and from school together and talking, nothing else had happened.
Normally, one would sense that there was no romantic interest, but Kurono was not your typical girl.
Having spent her childhood training as an agent and immersed in missions, she had never attended regular school during her elementary or middle school years. She had never had the chance to interact with peers of the opposite sex. Needless to say, she had no experience with love.
For someone like Kurono, sensing the subtle dynamics of romance was an impossible task.
That being said, she had been thinking lately that it might be time to close the gap between them.
(Maybe I should confess first... but... but it’s so embarrassing, so scary... there's absolutely no way I can do it.)
Just imagining it made her throat dry up, and her heart felt like it might explode. Despite having faced off with some of the most dangerous and formidable criminals, she had never felt this nervous.
"...Uh, is there something on my face?"
"N-No, it’s nothing."
With an excuse, Kurono once again averted her eyes from Kai’s face, unable to stop looking at him unconsciously.
(Ugh~~... It’s Kai-kun’s fault. If he’s bothered by my gaze, he should be the one to ask me about it, or... he should be the one to get closer! Why doesn’t he make a move?)
Anger and affection mixed together in her chest as she tried to push those feelings away, and suddenly, Kurono remembered something.
(Speaking of which, I remember seeing a manga ad yesterday where the characters grew closer after accidentally touching hands...)
Kurono’s sharp, predatory gaze locked onto Kai’s hand as it swayed beside him.
(Should I go for it?)
With determination, Kurono took a deep breath.
Then—her right eye glowed a vivid crimson, and time froze.
The breeze, the birds chirping, the whole morning world—all of it halted, and Kai’s movements stopped alongside it.
Kurono took his hand, gripping it tightly.
One second, two seconds, three seconds... more than a minute passed, then five, but even as time stood still, Kurono blushed, no longer merely holding his hand but stroking it as if savoring every moment.
(Wow~~ Kai-kun’s, his, his hand is... amazing! It’s rough, and firm, and warm... I could touch it forever.)
Needless to say, this was more than half sexual harassment, but there was no one around to stop her.
In a world without time, laws, ethics, and compliance meant nothing—only the heart of a girl in love.
Though she had strayed far from her original plan, Kurono had her own reasoning behind her actions.
Once she’d savored enough, she would release the time freeze, leaving Kai’s hand still in hers. That way, when time resumed...
"Kai-kun, you’re holding my hand without realizing it—does this mean you feel something for me?"
"Y-Yeah. Actually, I’ve liked you this whole time, Kurono-san..."
She plotted this outcome in her head, imagining how it would go, and after what felt like an hour of time in her subjective world, she realized...
"Ah, crap."
In her excitement, Kurono unknowingly reached the limit of her ability to stop time.
Just before time started moving again, she quickly released Kai’s hand.
By a hair’s breadth, she prevented her actions while time was stopped from being discovered. However...
Instead, her body lost its balance in the sudden movement and tilted backward.
At this rate, she would crash headfirst onto the asphalt. Her loafers had already left the ground, and there was no time to recover—less than a second until impact.
The time stop wouldn’t work in time. A consecutive activation of her power required at least a few seconds of interval.
But ultimately, a fall like this would cause no damage. Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, Kurono instinctively braced for the impact—but the expected shock never came.
"Eh...?"
Instead, there was the feeling of someone else’s hand supporting her back.
Kai, who must have quickly extended his arm, was holding Kurono’s body, preventing her from falling.
"Kurono-san, are you okay? ...That was a surprise. You fell so suddenly."
Kai, meeting Kurono’s dazed gaze, spoke with concern.
"Uh, did you get hurt anywhere?"
"…Y-Yes."
Dazed, as she realized the situation, Kurono’s mind exploded.
(Did, did I... just get... hugged by Kai-kun!?!?!)
It wasn’t a romantic embrace by any means; Kai was in a rather awkward position, holding her just above the ground, but the girl conveniently left out these details from her understanding.
Kurono felt her face heat up as blood rushed to her cheeks.
Her heart raced. She couldn’t contain herself.
So, the girl froze time once more and couldn’t stop herself from shouting.
"Ahhh, I can’t take it anymore~~! Kai-kun, I love you~~!!"
2 ─side Kurono Shia─
Shia Kurono, to put it simply, was popular.
Since the start of the school year, just over a year ago, she had been confessed to by more boys than she could count on both hands.
As a result, she was fully aware of her own objectively superior appearance.
And on this particular day, as Kurono was heading to her classroom after finishing morning practice, it happened.
"Excuse me. Could I have a moment, Kurono Shia-san?"
Kurono stopped walking and turned her gaze toward the voice coming from beside her.
Standing there was an unfamiliar male student.
A tall, muscular boy with striking red-dyed hair and thin glasses.
"I’m sorry for suddenly approaching you! I’m Marusu Auren from Class 2-5. I’ve fallen for you at first sight. If you don’t mind, would you consider going out with me?"
"Huh? No, thank you."
Kurono mercilessly delivered the final blow, as the boy let out a desperate, raspy sound.
"I’m sorry, but I have absolutely no interest in you. Excuse me."
With that, she walked away without any hesitation.
By the time she entered the classroom, the rumor had already spread.
"Hey, did you hear? Kurono-san was confessed to by Marusu-kun from the soccer club and turned him down!"
"No way, the handsome guy from Class 5? For real? Lucky, I’d totally say yes."
"Her standards must be ridiculously high, huh? I mean, she’s beautiful, but she’s probably too high up on her pedestal."
Kurono couldn’t care less. She easily shut out the gossip from the girls.
To Kurono, who was the world’s strongest ability user and an agent of a secret justice organization, the boys and girls of her age—including the one who had just confessed—were nothing more than microbes. They were bugs, not worth her attention or time. —But of course, there were exceptions.
"Good morning. It’s been a while since morning practice, Kai-kun."
"Yeah, good morning. This is our second greeting today."
Kurono sat next to Kai, who had already taken his seat.
It wasn’t a coincidence. Two months ago, on the first day of school, during the seat lottery, she had used her ability to subtly influence the result. To add a little more detail, all the girls in the class who were considered "cute" or "beautiful," except for herself, had been seated far away from Kai.
Shia Kurono. She was, unknowingly, quite possessive.
Back to the matter at hand, Kai was apparently working on an English assignment that was due today.
"Kai-kun, about that assignment, could it be that you haven’t finished it yet?"
"Yeah, I’m bad at English, so I kept putting it off..."
"If you’d like, I can help you. I’m good at English. Actually, I’m good at all subjects."
It wasn’t a lie or exaggeration. Using her ability, Kurono could create as much study time as she needed, and since she wasn’t bad at studying in the first place, keeping perfect scores across all subjects was an easy task for her.
"No, I appreciate the offer, but I should do it myself. It wouldn’t mean anything otherwise."
"I see."
However, Kai was surprisingly earnest. Kurono’s heart couldn’t help but add a few extra points for that.
"How about just a hint, then?"
"Well, if it’s just a hint..."
"The answer to Question 2 is B."
"…Thanks. I’ll do the rest myself."
As she watched Kai turn his attention back to the textbook, Kurono thought to herself.
(Come to think of it, Kai-kun, why... hasn’t he asked me about the confession I got from that strange guy?)
It was already all the talk among some of the classmates. Surely, it had reached his ears by now.
So why hasn’t he asked me about it? If he did, I’d explain it to him. That I have no interest in that guy and absolutely did not like him, so I rejected him on the spot.
(Maybe... maybe he’s just not interested in me that much...)
At the sharp pang of this thought, Kurono gently pressed her hand to her chest. Just then, the bell rang.
Then, slightly late from the start of homeroom, the homeroom teacher arrived.
"Good morning. Let’s take attendance."
"Teacher, aren’t you late?"
"What are you talking about? The moment I step into the classroom, that’s the start time."
"But the bell just rang."
"Ding dong ding dong. Yep, it just rang. So, that last one was just your imagination."
The homeroom teacher mimicked the chime in a playful manner. A small laugh rippled through the morning class.
Kai, sitting next to Kurono, also had a modest smile on his face.
In the midst of this, Kurono was the only one who remained expressionless, as if she were left behind.
Shia Kurono couldn’t smile. More accurately, she couldn’t move her face in front of others.
The reason for that was—suddenly, a distant memory from long ago resurfaced in her mind.
"Listen, Shia. Never show anyone a weakness. No, don’t even let a weakness appear in the first place."
Because—
"You are the most powerful, invincible weapon, and nothing else."
Kurono thought. Not being able to smile meant not being able to share emotions with others.
It meant being unable to face others and share the feelings of joy, of liking something.
However, to her, the majority of others didn’t matter in the slightest.
What was important was just one person.
(Kai-kun…)
She hated the fact that she couldn’t share joy with him, couldn’t connect her feelings with his.
She let out a small sigh. Her right eye shimmered, and as if to distract herself, Kurono froze time.
The classroom, now wrapped in complete silence, lost its movement.
Kurono turned her chair to face Kai.
"What do you think I should do, Kai-kun?"
There was no answer. Time had stopped.
Suddenly, Kurono turned her gaze toward the window, and for the first time, she formed a smile, one that resembled a genuine expression.
In this world where no one could see her, Kurono was able to move her facial muscles.
But it didn’t matter.
What happened in this frozen time couldn’t be shown to him, nor could it be conveyed.
"What should I do... to get closer to you?"
Again, there was no answer. In the frozen world, true silence settled in.
With a deep sigh, Kurono buried her face in her hands.
It was something she had never imagined. The S-Class agent of the International Police Organization’s secret division, the strongest and invincible Kurono Shia, being swept away by such emotions.
How did this happen?
Kurono, in the stillness of frozen time, idly thought about the trigger for all of this.
She poked at the side of Kai’s face as she pondered.
3 ─side Kurono Shia─
A little over a year ago, at the end of April, after the cherry blossoms had finished falling, Shia Kurono entered a high school in Tokyo.
This decision was influenced by the Ethics Committee within the International Police Organization, to which she belonged. They explained that, in order to respect the human rights of the underage ability users within the organization, it was necessary to provide them with appropriate educational opportunities.
She moved into an apartment in Tokyo, and when she was given all the necessary documents for enrollment, Kurono was told this.
"In other words, it’s part of your benefits package. This is a once-in-a-lifetime high school experience, so please make sure to make some friends and enjoy it."
To this, Kurono responded coldly.
"I don’t care."
She didn’t need friends. Boys and girls her age were no more significant to her than pests.
For Kurono, what was important was only the mission.
To fully demonstrate her invincible abilities and prove her strength. Everything else was irrelevant.
Thus, she had no motivation for the blossoming high school life, and from the beginning, she had planned to get through it with minimal effort, only attending classes and ignoring everything else.
However—
"Oh, and you’re required to participate in club activities and events."
"Why?"
According to the person in charge, the Ethics Committee’s goal of ensuring a fulfilling youth experience for students was something that came with an obligation to participate. They would also conduct score checks, and if the scores were low, experts would intervene to guide their youth.
It was troublesome. Very troublesome. But, since it was an order, she had no choice but to comply.
That’s how Kurono ended up reluctantly opening the pamphlet handed out during orientation after the entrance ceremony, which introduced various club activities.
"Volleyball, basketball… I’ll skip team sports. If there’s something individual or cultural… huh?"
What caught Kurono’s attention, with her faintly reddish eyes, was the page for the archery club.
Kurono did a double take. Archery, meaning they would be using bows and arrows.
"…In this day and age? It’s Reiwa, right?"
(T/N: Reiwa (令和) is the current era of Japan, which began on May 1, 2019, when Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicated.
In Japanese history, each emperor's reign is marked by an era name (gengō), and Reiwa replaced the previous era, Heisei (平成). The name Reiwa is derived from classical Japanese literature and is officially translated as "Beautiful Harmony.”)
Having spent her childhood training and on missions instead of attending compulsory schooling, Kurono had little knowledge of typical school clubs or sports. Thus, her response was blunt but honest.
"Interesting. It’s so primitive that it makes me curious."
After reading the introductory page, it seemed that they were offering a trial for new students to try out the club.
(Well, I’m an invincible active combat agent, so using any outdated weapon should be a piece of cake for me.)
With full confidence and half in jest, Kurono decided to attend the after-school trial session.
The archery dojo was located on the edge of the school grounds. It wasn’t exactly dilapidated, but the building was old. Moreover, since it wasn’t a particularly popular club, there were only a handful of senior members and trial participants, totaling about a dozen people.
"Alright, this is the Japanese bow we use in archery. It’s dangerous, so don’t nock any arrows just yet."
Alongside the other trial participants, Kurono mimicked the others and drew the bow. Then—
"Ah."
With a snap, the carbon fiber Japanese bow was mercilessly snapped in half, likely due to Kurono’s inhuman strength.
"Eh, uh… wow, you’re, you’re amazing…"
"…Sorry."
Kurono apologized to the clearly flustered senior member, while also feeling a bit shocked herself.
Indeed, she had completed numerous missions that would be impossible for any ordinary person.
But those tasks were simple and straightforward. Stop time, punch, kick, and sometimes shoot. That was all.
In other words, Shia Kurono wasn’t as skilled as she believed herself to be. In fact, she was more the opposite—an outright musclehead.
For someone like her, who lacked the finesse and balance required to use her body properly, could she truly excel in archery, a sport that demanded full-body coordination, concentration, and calmness?
Of course, there was no way she could.
"…This is humiliating."
However, her pride, which had once underestimated the sport as primitive, could never allow her to admit, "I still can’t do it." That was simply not in her nature.
Therefore, she tried apologizing again and asked to borrow a new bow.
"Uh, sorry, the bows are actually pretty expensive... So, you know? I’m really sorry, but how about you just go over there and watch for a bit? I’ll give you the instruction manual."
The senior’s face, with a slightly awkward smile, told her everything—he couldn’t handle the situation.
Thus, on her very first day in the trial club, Kurono was expertly isolated to the corner of the dojo.
Reluctantly following the instructions to observe, Kurono overheard a conversation from a distance.
"She’s got such a pretty face, but what kind of muscles does she have…?"
"She’s basically a gorilla, but still, she’s a total beauty…"
"The most beautiful gorilla in the world."
Kurono memorized their faces. She thought to herself that misfortune would visit them by tomorrow and silently muttered her vengeance.
That’s when it happened.
"Um, Kurono Shia-san. Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"...Who are you?"
The one who had called out to her was another boy, dressed in a gym uniform, seemingly also a trial participant.
He had short hair, a medium build, and an overall unremarkable appearance, with only his slightly dull white hair standing out in a peculiar way.
"Sorry for suddenly calling out to you. Uh, I’m in the same class as you—"
"...Zoulimushi."
(T/N: "Zoulimushi" (ゾウリムシ, Zōrimushi) refers to Paramecium, a type of single-celled microorganism commonly found in water.
In casual or humorous conversation, calling someone "Zoulimushi" can imply that they are insignificant, weak, or not worth remembering—like a tiny, microscopic creature. In the context of your story, Kurono initially calls Kai "Zoulimushi" because she doesn’t remember his name and sees him as unimportant at first.)
"Why am I a Zoulimushi?"
"Sorry, I don’t remember the names of my classmates."
Kurono, irritated, thought to herself that it didn’t matter, as she was busy and just wanted him to go away already.
"Here."
He handed Kurono the bow he was holding.
"…You’re lending this to me?"
"Yeah. The seniors aren’t watching right now, and I saw what happened earlier. You looked really frustrated. I figured you should try drawing the bow yourself. You can’t really get the feel for it without trying."
Kurono briefly thanked him and reached out to take the bow. Then, the boy said.
"Next, try drawing it without using your arm strength."
"Huh?"
Kurono, unable to hide her suspicion, shot the boy a doubtful look.
"What are you talking about? If I don’t apply strength, I won’t even be able to draw it."
"Yeah, I mean, that’s true, but that’s not really the point. When you use your arms, you tend to pull too much. And since you’re a bit… well, you’re a bit like an overpowered human, if you rely on arm strength, like you did earlier, the bow just can’t take it."
"Even so, you still need to apply physical force to draw it."
"Yeah, that’s true. But, to avoid over-drawing, you need to use your back."
The boy’s voice became more confident as he explained.
"Move your shoulder blades, and imagine your body entering the bow as you open it. Your arms are just there to assist, so you just need to keep your elbows in check and not let them get pulled."
He then took the bow from Kurono’s hands and demonstrated the movement right in front of her.
Kurono thought. He’s good. No, his movements were just… so graceful.
"Are you really a new student like me?"
"Yeah, but I’m an experienced archer. There was a dojo near my house when I was in elementary school."
The boy finished drawing the bow and handed it back to Kurono.
As she took it, her fingertips brushed against his palm.
The boy’s hand was rough and calloused. It was clear that it had become this way after drawing the bow many times. He had approached her, most likely out of genuine kindness, and was smiling.
However, what dominated Kurono’s heart was a fighting spirit, akin to anger.
His experience didn’t matter. He was just an ordinary person.
There was no way the world’s strongest, invincible human weapon like herself would accept losing.
(––I’ve made up my mind.)
"Um, Zoulimushi… no, you are..."
"Uh, Kairo. I did a self-introduction in class, but…"
"I see. I’ll remember that. Anyway, are you joining this club?"
"I’m not sure yet, but for now, I think I will."
"Then, I’ll join too. And—"
She glared at the boy, who was slightly taller than her, with a chilling gaze, and declared.
"I absolutely won’t lose to you."
4 ─side Kurono Shia─
From then on, Kurono set the goal of becoming better than Kai, better than anyone else.
"After all, it's just a sport for ordinary people... I just miscalculated the force a little last time."
And for that, she had her time-stop ability.
The limit for each stop was one hour, but if activated consecutively, she could stop time for two or three hours. With enough practice—far beyond the limits of a single 24-hour day—it should have been easy to overcome any clumsiness. Or so she thought. But, however...
"...? This is strange."
Kurono tilted her head. Not only had she not improved, but in fact, it was getting worse.
The reason was simple. In archery, repetitive practice can be effective, but only when the basic stance and form of shooting are properly established.
For a beginner who doesn’t have the correct posture, mindless repetition doesn’t lead to improvement. In fact, in most cases, it strengthens bad habits and makes things worse.
Ideally, one should first learn the proper posture and form from an experienced instructor, but in Kurono's case, that wasn’t an option.
As a result, her self-practice quickly showed its effects. Of course, in the wrong direction.
"...Why?"
In no time at all, Kurono had gone from being bad to hopelessly bad.
Her senior members and the club advisor tried to step in to offer guidance, but her emotionless face and the inexplicably worsening situation—no matter how much they tried to teach—led them to give up. Within a week, no one was eager to help her, and after about two weeks, Kurono had become isolated within the club.
Still, she didn’t give up.
Practicing alone in the corner of the archery dojo, the only thing that kept her going was sheer stubbornness.
"..."
The shattered pieces of her pride stabbed at her chest, throbbing painfully.
It was a trivial setback. Any normal high school student would have experienced something like this during their mandatory education.
However, for Shia Kurono, this was the first time in her life that she truly felt her own helplessness.
"This isn’t how it was supposed to be..."
She didn’t know. She didn’t know that being unable to do something could be this painful.
Useless, worthless. The more she tried to peel away the labels she had placed on herself, the more she hated her own incompetence.
Yet, Kurono couldn’t give up.
In her mind, the words that had been etched into her consciousness rang like a bell.
"Don’t show weakness."
She couldn’t ask anyone for help.
"Don’t cry."
She couldn’t shed any tears. Because—
"Shia, you are—an invincible weapon, and nothing else."
Those were not options allowed to a weapon.
And then, at that moment...
"Um, Kurono-san..."
Startled, Kurono turned around to find the boy standing there.
The same boy from her class, who was called... Kairo, if she remembered correctly.
"What is it?"
"If you don’t mind, how about we practice together and give each other some advice?"
"No, thank you."
She turned him down without hesitation. However, Kai simply nodded, saying, "I see," before taking a seat right next to her and began drawing his bow.
Kurono instinctively stopped her practice and, with a tone of resistance, spoke.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"What? Well, I’m practicing."
"There’s no need to do it so close to me, is there?"
"Well, I won’t get any better practicing alone."
"I don’t think so. And as for you, you must have other people to practice with. Why come next to me?"
"That’s... um..."
Kai scratched his head awkwardly and said,
"Look, Kurono-san, are you having fun right now?"
"No."
Kurono answered immediately.
"I don’t need fun. I decided I would improve. So, I’ll just keep repeating it until I achieve my goal. My emotions have nothing to do with it."
But to that, Kai said,
"I see... but still, I think it’s better to enjoy practicing. People often say that the ones who enjoy what they do are the ones who win."
"──Huh?"
The completely opposite viewpoint Kai had just expressed froze Kurono’s thoughts.
Kai continued.
"When I first started, I didn’t enjoy it at all... but, you know, after getting advice from others, being praised, and gradually getting better, it became fun. Archery is actually pretty interesting. So, it feels like a waste to just do it mechanically. I know it’s a bit of a bother, but I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve grown attached to it. I want you to at least understand what makes it enjoyable."
And with that, Kai bowed deeply.
"Please, let me practice with you. I beg you."
Kurono couldn’t understand any of it.
She didn’t know what enjoyment was. She couldn’t comprehend it.
Because she had been told that in her life, there was no need for enjoyment or happiness...
So why, now, was he bringing such things in front of her?
It would have been easy to reject him. But one second, two seconds...
Staring at the back of his white-haired head, Kurono muttered quietly.
"If you say so... then do as you please."
From then on, Kurono began practicing with Kai.
"When you draw, focus on your shoulder blades and chest muscles instead of your arms, and go slowly..."
"Like this?"
"Yeah, exactly. That’s it."
A little over a week later, in the archery dojo after school, the sound of an arrow hitting the target rang out loudly, like a drumbeat.
On this day, during a formal practice session, Kurono managed to hit all four arrows she had, achieving a perfect score.
Thanks to Kai’s guidance, Kurono grasped the technique in just about a week, and from there, progress came rapidly.
As a result, the other club members, who had been keeping their distance from her, started to see her in a new light.
"That girl... she’s gotten really good all of a sudden..."
"She’s not just a gorilla anymore, she’s practically a goddess now."
"The birth of the Artemis Gorilla."
The hushed voices from a distance still reached Kurono. Internally, she issued a final warning for them to prepare their will within twenty-four hours, and then she left the target area.
Regardless, her mood wasn’t bad. As she followed Kai’s advice and correctly drew the bow, watching the arrows hit the target almost as if guided, a sense of achievement filled her chest. She couldn’t quite say it was "fun," but her mood was definitely lifted.
So, as a matter of common sense, she thought she should thank him.
Kurono tried to call out to Kai, who was packing up his bow near the wall.
"Um..."
However, for some reason, even such a simple request wouldn’t come out of her throat.
Strangely, even though she hadn’t been running, her heart was beating faster.
(What should I even call him? Now that I think about it, I’ve never actually called his name before… Um, well, anyway, I have to say something.)
As Kurono pondered for several seconds, Kai seemed to sense her presence and turned around.
"Yes?" He looked at her with a questioning gaze, and in front of that, Kurono became flustered.
"Ah, um, well..."
Something she couldn’t quite identify blocked her chest, making it hard to find the words. This was the first time she’d ever felt like this.
After a brief silence, Kurono finally managed to express her gratitude.
"...It’s thanks to you. Thank you."
And then, the blockage in her chest shifted into a heat on her face.
Since then...
"Kai, could you take a look at my form?"
"Sure, no problem."
About two months after joining the club, Kurono had surpassed Kai in terms of technical skill.
Therefore, logically, she no longer needed his advice.
She didn’t need to talk to him. She shouldn’t. But...
"How does it look? I can’t really see it from my angle."
"Well, I think it looks pretty good, but if I had to point something out, your right elbow might be a bit..."
But, she found herself making excuses, creating reasons, just to speak to him.
Each time, her cheeks inexplicably flushed, and she felt a tightness in her chest.
Yet, when asked whether this discomfort was unpleasant, the answer was clearly no.
Why it happened, though, Kurono had no idea.
Not yet.
5 ─side Kurono Shia─
One day in August, during her first year of high school, Kurono overheard a rumor in the archery dojo after school.
"Hey, have you heard about Kai from the first year?"
"Yeah, I heard he’s moving. Something to do with his family situation, right?"
"Is he transferring schools?"
(──────What?)
The moment the meaning of the words reached her ears, Kurono instinctively froze time.
It was a defensive reaction, an unconscious response to recognizing that she had suffered a significant blow.
Naturally, Kurono hadn’t been physically hurt.
But the shock that ran through her chest, the painful ache rising up inside her, was as intense as if she had been shot, it hit her with such force that she felt like she had been struck down.
In the frozen time, Kurono’s knees buckled.
The complete silence of the still world echoed painfully in her lowered ears, ringing too loudly.
"Kai-kun..."
She whispered his name, but didn’t understand why.
Her chest ached unbearably, and she didn’t know what to do with herself.
"Um... may I have a moment?"
After the practice that day, Kurono stopped Kai.
"Yeah. What’s up, Kurono-san?"
"It’s not a big deal, but... I heard you’re moving."
Kai gave a face that seemed to say, "Not this again."
His expression was casual, as though it was nothing important.
"Yeah. It’s just that, because of my parents, I’m moving out of my family’s place."
"I see."
Kurono couldn’t ask any more questions.
Because Kai seemed so calm about it.
So unlike her.
"Goodbye, Kurono-san."
"...Goodbye."
After that, when Kurono returned home, she leaned against the closed door with her bag still in hand.
Her expression was as blank as always as she stared up at the ceiling.
But a single tear slid down her cheek.
The large droplet fell onto the tip of her shoes, still on her feet.
She didn’t understand. She didn’t know why she was crying. Kurono couldn’t figure it out.
But she instinctively knew that this feeling, this emotion, was inappropriate for an agent.
So she knew she had to discard it right away.
But no matter how hard she tried, the tears wouldn’t stop.
Her chest was heavy with pain.
––So, the girl stopped thinking and collapsed onto the mattress.
The next day was a holiday.
"…So noisy."
Kurono slowly woke up to the loud noises coming from next door.
Unsurprisingly, she felt at her worst, and her mood was the absolute worst it had ever been.
Without thinking, she impulsively sprang up and threw open the front door, turning to glare at the source of the noise.
She planned to etch a complaint into the noise-maker’s mind along with a few painful memories, glaring at them with an icy stare.
And then, there, standing before her was—
"Kurono-san?"
"…Huh?"
It was the boy she had casually said goodbye to the day before.
Kairo.
"Sorry. The fridge was stuck in the hallway, so it was noisy."
Kai scratched his white hair awkwardly. Realizing Kurono hadn’t fully understood what was going on, he started to explain.
"I moved into this room today..."
"...I see."
"The room’s next door."
"Looks like it."
"Uh, yeah, what a coincidence, huh?"
Kurono asked,
"Transfer?"
"Huh?"
"…Wasn’t you supposed to transfer?"
"No, I’m not transferring."
Kai asked, "Did someone say that?" but his voice didn’t register with Kurono’s ears anymore.
"Kurono-san. Are you... mad?"
The dark emotions that had been nesting in her chest were swept away in an instant.
In their place, something unbearably warm surged up from deep inside her chest.
And she realized that this feeling was happiness.
"Sorry. The noise was really my fault—"
Kurono froze time.
And before she knew it, she had clung to Kai, holding onto him tightly.
"That’s right. It’s your fault... Kai-kun."
Because of you.
"I’ve ended up feeling like this..."
This shouldn’t be happening. It’s wrong.
These emotions surely aren’t allowed for someone like her.
But still.
"I’m glad it wasn’t... a goodbye."
She truly thought that from the bottom of her heart and couldn’t stop herself.
As she cried on the boy’s chest, the warm tears only wet her cheeks.
"──I love you, Kai-kun."
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