After the previous day, both of them seemed to carry a quiet weight all the way into the next morning. Kaido leaned against the gate, trying to look casual, though his nerves betrayed him completely. The moment he heard the creak of the door, his heart picked up speed.

Asuka stepped out, eyes still half asleep.
“G-Good morning,” she said shyly, nearly stumbling over the words.
“Good morning,” Kaido replied in the same tone, a faint, awkward smile tugging at his lips. For a heartbeat, time itself seemed to hold its breath with them.

The silence between them grew heavier as they walked side by side.
“Why didn’t you come train yesterday?” Asuka asked, trying to sound casual — but her voice came out louder than intended.

Kaido shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Thought it’d be better to give you some time alone.”

Asuka stopped, frowning. A chill ran down her spine.
Give me time…? But… I was just mad…
What if he thought I did it on purpose?
Damn it… was I really that harsh yesterday?

“Give me time?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “Why would you do that?”

Kaido looked away, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
“After you spent the whole afternoon avoiding me… I figured that was the right call.”

Asuka’s eyes widened. The realization that she’d messed up made her cheeks heat up. She glanced at him timidly.
“I didn’t mean to… I was just upset.”

Kaido let out a small sigh, his smile softening.
“It’s fine. Lili must’ve really gotten under your skin this time. What did she say? I’ve never seen you like that.”

Asuka froze. Her heart thumped loudly, a quiet panic spreading through her.
Oh no… he noticed? No way I’m letting him know it was because of that idiot…

Instinctively, she lifted her hand to smack his shoulder — but Lili’s words echoed in her mind: “You shouldn’t be so rough…” She took a breath and instead tapped his shoulder lightly, almost shyly.
“It was nothing,” she muttered, turning her face away. “I just remembered something important.”

Before Kaido could ask more, she straightened up, trying to put her usual tough front back on, and faced forward.
“Besides, I’d never let someone like Lili get to me.”

Kaido raised a brow, clearly seeing through it.
“If you say so…” he murmured.

Asuka crossed her arms, looking at him seriously — though curiosity flickered in her eyes.
“And you… why did you blow up like that?”

Kaido scratched his head and looked away briefly.
“Uh… I was worried about you, and I guess Lili also got on my nerves.”

Asuka blushed lightly, eyes sliding away as she mumbled under her breath:
“Baka…” — before inhaling deeply to recover her composure. “But… you didn’t have to worry.”

They suddenly burst into laughter, the sound light and easy, breaking through the tension.
“She really is something else…” Asuka murmured, still smiling.

“Totally. She always finds a way to be everywhere and annoy everyone,” Kaido added. Their laughter mixed with the morning air, light and warm.

While they walked, Asuka suddenly raised an eyebrow, remembering something.
“Wait… your brilliant idea… I still haven’t seen anything.”

Kaido looked at her calmly, the corner of his lips curving into a subtle smile.
“You already had enough of Lili yesterday, so I didn’t do anything.”

Asuka frowned, confused for a moment. Then, slowly, the meaning dawned on her. A shiver of anticipation — mixed with dread — ran down her spine.
“Jaa… kore wa watashi ga kirai ni naru koto ni naru nda yo ne?” (Then… this is going to be something I’ll hate, isn’t it?)

She stepped closer to him, resting a hand on his arm, her tone serious.
“Setsumei shite yo!” (Explain yourself!)

Kaido didn’t answer. He just let that mischievous smile grow wider, his eyes shining with contained mischief.

The cafeteria was crowded. Conversations clashed with the sound of trays and dragging chairs. In the middle of everything, standing on top of a table, was Kaido — with a grin that could only mean trouble.

On the floor in front of him, Asuka stood with her arms crossed and a look of pure irritation.
“Kaido… get down. Now,” she said, her voice low and sharp.

He completely ignored her order, winking at her boldly before raising his voice to the entire cafeteria.
“Listen up, everyone! The Kazama Dojo is officially accepting new students!”

The chatter swelled instantly, dozens of eyes turning toward them. Asuka narrowed her gaze, silently asking herself what kind of mess he’d dragged her into this time.

Kaido glanced at her — that daring, I’ve got something planned look — then continued:
“But that’s not all!” He raised a finger theatrically. “There’s going to be a challenge! Anyone who can withstand Asuka Kazama’s Trap for more than five seconds…” — he pointed dramatically at her — “will earn a special training session with her!”

The cafeteria exploded. Cheers, whistles, laughter — everyone, boys and girls alike, lit up at the announcement.

Asuka froze for a second. Then, slowly, her face began to heat up, rage swelling like a wave about to crash.
“…Kaido…” she muttered, her voice low and dangerous.

Still up there, he shaped the words with his lips silently: “Trust me.”

“Is that true?!” someone shouted from the crowd.

The cafeteria fell into near-perfect silence. Dozens of faces turned toward her, waiting for her answer. Asuka still glared at Kaido, fists clenched, jaw tight. The tension in the air was almost tangible.

Kaido stretched his hand toward her — a silent gesture for her to come up.

“Not a chance…” she whispered, barely moving her lips.

But his eyes remained firm, confident, with that mischievous grin that only made things worse. For a second, the crowd around her felt like a sea closing in, everyone waiting for her reaction.
Damn it, Kaido… I hate you… so much.

Reluctantly, Asuka inhaled deeply, rolled her eyes, and placed her hand in his. Kaido pulled her up effortlessly, helping her onto the table. The cafeteria burst into screams and applause — Asuka Kazama herself, at the center of attention.

Her face burned with a mix of embarrassment and restrained fury. She turned to Kaido, leaning in and whispering through gritted teeth:
“Kaido… baka.”

He only smiled, pleased, as if everything was going according to plan.

Asuka straightened up, arms crossed, her stance powerful. Alright then… you want to play? Let’s play.

She faced the crowd, drew a deep breath, and with a firm voice that echoed through the cafeteria, she declared:
“Yes. It’s true.”

The cafeteria erupted again. Cheers, laughter, bets being shouted down the hall.

Kaido’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction, as if to say, I knew you’d play along.

She shot him a sharp glare in return — a silent promise of payback.

On the other side of the cafeteria…

Lili sat surrounded by a small group of girls giggling and showering her with sugary compliments. But her eyes weren’t on them — they were fixed on Kaido and Asuka in the center of the room.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across her lips.
“C’est le moment parfait pour un nouveau duel.” (It’s the perfect moment for a new duel.)

The girls around her glanced at each other, confused, not understanding a single word she’d said. Lili sighed theatrically, stood with the grace of someone stepping onto a runway, and started walking toward the crowd.

Meanwhile, Asuka and Kaido were in the middle of yet another heated argument atop the table. The crowd cheered and laughed, feeding the chaos like wood to a fire.

“Kaido, kichigai!” (You’re crazy, Kaido!) Asuka pointed at him, furious.

“Come on, Asuka… it was just an innocent joke,” he replied with that infuriating grin.

TAC… TAC… TAC…

The sound of her heels sliced through the noise.
Each step turned more heads — until everyone was looking.

“Excusez-moi…” Her melodic voice slid through the crowd, parting it like silk.

Bit by bit, the noise died down. All eyes turned toward the blonde walking through with radiant confidence.

Asuka paused mid-argument, still irritated, and turned. Lili stood right in front of the table, chin tilted up, her gaze saying everything without a single word.

The cafeteria fell silent.
The two faced each other like opposing forces about to collide.

Asuka could barely wait to return yesterday’s provocation, fists clenched, ready for action.
Lili, on the other hand, carried that cruel lightness of someone who knew she owned the room.

The silence was so thick it could be sliced.

The crowd held its breath. Some whispered, others clutched their phones like they were watching a championship final.

Lili tilted her head slightly, savoring the tension in the air.
Asuka stepped forward. The atmosphere grew heavier.

And right at that moment — a static burst crackled through the school’s speakers.

“Attention. Student Asuka Kazama, report to the principal’s office immediately. I repeat… Student Asuka Kazama, report to the principal’s office immediately…”

The silence that followed wasn’t just heavy — it was cruel.

The tension shattered like glass.
The crowd let out a collective, disappointed:
“Oooh…” — like children robbed of their toy mid-game.

Lili blinked slowly, savoring the interruption.
“Ah, quel dommage!” (Ah, what a pity!) she said, her smile sharp with mockery.

Asuka clenched her teeth. The urge to kick her in the face was almost palpable… but she sighed, turned, and jumped off the table with a dull thump.

Kaido leaned forward slightly, still trying to process what had just happened.
“What did you do this time?” he asked with a nervous half-smile.

Asuka shrugged, as if she truly had no idea. “Shiranai.” (No idea.)

She stepped down firmly, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Kore wa mada owaranai.” (This isn’t over.) Her voice carried a threat sharp enough to make it clear: he was in trouble later.

She threw him a cutting look before turning to Lili — the silence between them said more than any words could.

Then she clicked her tongue. “Tsk.”

The disdain cut through the air sharper than any speech. She strode past like a silent storm.

The crowd parted for her. Each step of her shoes echoed softly down the hallway, filling the cafeteria with murmurs and attentive glances.

Kaido sighed, scratching his head. Yeah… this might actually be the day I die.