The walk home was suffocating.

Tenka didn't utter a word, her boots clicking against the pavement as she kept a few steps ahead. The distance was small but deliberate, like a wall she'd thrown up between herself and Kentaro. He'd seen her like this before, when her mind was chewing on something too heavy to spit out, but this time the air around her felt different. It wasn't just deep thought. It was cold.

Kentaro didn't press. He lagged a little behind, letting her pace lead them both while his own thoughts churned. Shaula's words circled like a curse in his skull. The play. The rules. The punishment. Why wager her powers for something so un-grand?

His mind drifted. Serica had been drawn to Kentaro thanks to her loneliness and Kentaro's trust and his word to never leave her alone. Yura's reasoning was loneliness, the ache of wanting people who truly cared. Aria, most recent of all, had given hers up for recognition, for love, for someone to stand by her side. They were all slightly different, yet threads of longing tied their wishes together.

But Shaula…

Her reasoning didn't fit. It didn't sound born from trauma or desperation. She hadn't cried out for love or belonging or safety. Instead, she seemed almost playful about it. Confident. Reckless. Or maybe… Dangerous. Kentaro didn't know, and the not-knowing gnawed at him.

He shook his head. "Come on, Kentaro", he said to himself. Right now, he couldn't afford to dwell on her motives. The priority was the play. They needed people, fast. He counted in his head: the Alberlines, Tenka, maybe Tengen and Tenka's friends that gave him eight. Still short.

He scratched his chin, staring at the ground. "Hmmm… Last time I checked, Sleeping Beauty needs at least eleven people," he muttered under his breath, as he began listing off each character one by one.

"Yes. Correct." Haruka's voice answered calmly in his ear. "If Commander asks her friends nicely, perhaps they can gather the remaining few."

Kentaro blinked, caught off guard. His memory flickered back to the classroom, to the looks of his classmates when they learned he'd be the MC. Faces twisting, voices groaning. No one had wanted to stand beside Kentaro.

"Yeah… But I doubt they'd help, especially after the reaction we had this morning," he muttered, his chest sagging with the weight of rejection.

"That reaction was tied to the princess role," Haruka replied flatly. "I doubt they'd object to playing a smaller part. Not everyone can be or wants to be royalty, but most will accept being part of the stage."

Kentaro's lips pressed thin. "…Guess you're right. All I can do is hope." Still, the heaviness lingered in his tone.

By the time they reached Kentaro's apartment, Tenka hadn't spoken once. Not even a glance over her shoulder. She lifted her hand and knocked. The silence was unbearable now. Kentaro could almost feel her anger simmering beneath the surface, wrapping around her like a cloak.

"Hey… Tenka?" he asked carefully, voice soft, like approaching a sleeping beast.

Her head turned slowly, her crimson eyes locking onto his. "What?"

No warmth. No teasing edge. Just flat, sharp steel.

Kentaro's throat tightened. "Ohhh, she's pissed", he said to himself as her eyes glimmered under the hall light, cold and unreadable.

He let out a nervous chuckle, desperate to ease the tension. "S-so… about the lead role. The princess. Who do you think should play it?"

There was a pause. Tenka's gaze slid back to the door. Her lips parted, and for the briefest second, her voice softened. "Maybe it should be m-"

The door swung open.

"COMMANDER! I THOUGHT YOU DIED!!!"

Shogo's booming voice split the hallway, and before Kentaro could brace himself, the man lunged forward.

"Tsch! Shut it, Shogo!" Tenka barked. She dodged his embrace with ease, pivoting into her trademark kick. Her heel crashed into his ribs, sending both Shogo and Kentaro tumbling backwards and out of the apartment like bowling pins.

"WHY ME?!" Kentaro cried as the two men hit the floor below.

"Idiots," Tenka muttered, stepping inside with icy calm.

Pinned under Shogo's weight, Kentaro wheezed. "Ngh! Get… Off me, man. You're heavy!"

Shogo didn't move right away. His voice dropped low, almost serious. "Yo, Kenny boy."

Kentaro stilled. Something in his tone was different, grounded. Almost… Wise. "What is it?"

Silence stretched. Cicadas buzzed faintly in the night. Then Shogo exhaled.

"I think Commander's off. Her kick wasn't as hard this time. There wasn't much… Pleasure in it. Like, there's this feeling I get every time she kicks me, and like this time it just wasn't there, you know? You get me right?"

Kentaro's face went slack; disappointed was a better description. "…Really? You can tell that from a kick?"

"Of course I can." Shogo finally rolled off, then offered a hand to pull him up. His expression was uncharacteristically sober. "That's our connection, Kenny. I know her kicks. Usually they're fiery, passionate. Tonight… They felt hollow. Something's wrong... We need to find out."

For a fleeting moment, Kentaro considered it seriously. Maybe Shogo wasn't entirely crazy. Maybe even his obsession gave him insights Kentaro overlooked.

But then Shogo's hips began to swivel, his voice slipping back into a moan. "Ohhhh, usually her kicks are filled with so much love! The fire! The bite!"

"Right. Forget it." Kentaro sighed, brushing dust off his clothes. Still… Shogo's words lingered. Was it because of me? Something I said? Surely Tenka wouldn't be bothered by that… Would she?

He trudged back up the stairs, his thoughts knotted.

The door to his apartment was still cracked open. He heard voices, Aria's soft tone mixing with another. Pushing it gently, he stepped inside.

On the couch, Tenka sat stiff, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the blank television as if she could force it to turn on. Beside her sat Serica, finally conscious, and Aria, chatting lightly.

The moment they spotted him, both girls' faces lit up. Their eyes widened, filling with relief.

"Ken!" They shouted in unison.

"Hey guys, we're bac-"

Before he could react, they leapt forward, colliding into him.

"Whoa!" Kentaro grunted, staggering backwards under their combined weight. He managed to shield them from the fall, landing hard but keeping their bodies safe against his.

Aria's warmth pressed into his chest. Serica buried her face into him, muffled sobs dampening his shirt.

"We were so worried!" Aria whispered.

"Yeah! I thought you'd left us, Kentaro!" Serica cried, her voice trembling.

Kentaro's head spun, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of emotion and closeness. "It's fine, it's fine! I'm glad you're both safe."

He gently pulled them upright. Their guilty expressions melted his irritation away. Smiling faintly, he rubbed their heads.

"Your safety is my number one priority. It always will be okay?"

Both nodded, eyes glistening, before returning to their seats. Kentaro followed, but his attention snagged on Tenka.

"Something is definitely off about her..." Kentaro thought to himself

She hadn't moved. Her arms stayed locked. Her gaze stayed glued to the dead screen. Her silence weighed heavier than all their cries.

Serica leaned closer to Kentaro, her whisper hushed. "Hey… is it just me, or is Tenka off? She seems angry. Did you do something?"

Kentaro frowned, eyes sliding to Tenka's rigid profile. "…I don't know. She's been like this since we saw Shaula."

At the name, Serica flinched. "Shaula?!" she blurted, startling Kentaro.

He blinked, then realised she'd been unconscious during all of it. Quickly, he filled her in. Serica's expression darkened as she processed.

"I see," she said finally, clapping her fist into her palm. "Then it's obvious. Tenka wants to be the female lead."

Kentaro's jaw dropped. "R-really? You think so?!"

Even Aria nodded firmly. "Yeah. It has to be."

Before Kentaro could argue, Tenka's voice snapped like a whip.

"How long are you going to stand there whispering?!"

The room jolted, silence swallowing the space.

Kentaro forced a chuckle, ushering Aria and Serica to sit with him. "Hahaha… sorry about that. We were just talking about Shaula and the play."

Tenka finally turned her head. Her crimson eyes glinted, sharp enough to slice. "Then let's discuss what we're going to do. About the play. And about Shaula."

Her voice was clipped, precise, leaving no room for laughter.

The girls went quiet. No one dared prod further.

But Kentaro… Kentaro couldn't let it go. Her attitude was rubbing him the wrong way. This was the first time in a while that he was getting annoyed with Tenka.

"Tenka." His voice was firm.

Her eyebrow twitched. She turned her head slowly, gaze piercing his soul.

Kentaro didn't flinch. He'd had enough of tiptoeing around; now there was no time for it. Pointing his finger at her like some fool in a shojo drama, he shouted:

"I want you to be the princess in the upcoming play!"

The air shattered. All three girls gasped, eyes wide as the words hung in the room like a lightning strike.

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