Passion.

Outside the classroom window, two birds played in the sky. Their red feathers glittered in the shuttering sunlight until a cloud passed by, cascading me and my desk with a brief shadow. When the sun came back out, they were gone.

"Ms. Yūga. Could you please remind the class of the formula needed for this equation?" The instructor at the front asked.

My hand swiped to the side, causing a holo screen to appear in front of me. I wrote while looking out the window, then slid the screen to the front of the room.

"Very good, Ms. Yūga. But regardless, you need to pay attention."

I nodded, laughter echoing around the room.

"Just a reminder to study this formula for next week's exam." The instructor tussled back her brown hair and smiled. "Class dismissed."

The rest of the class raised from their brown desks and bowed.

"Thank you for the lesson!" They exclaimed in unison.

Laughter and chatter filled the room as the instructor exited through a sliding door.

I looked down at my Proatrix, scrolling through my contacts and ending up on Toshiaki's name. A sigh escaped my lips, then I pinned my forehead onto the desk and rubbed my arm.

It still hurts a little, even after yesterday. Should the game be so vivid? I mean, I felt everything... it was almost like it was real. I didn't know what to expect, but not that.

And that little girl... who was she? No... she wasn't a girl, she was a player. A 'demoness' or whatever. I wonder what she could've had planned for-

I shook my head.

Wait... am I getting invested into this stupid game? No. No, I refuse. He took advantage of me and sent me to that... sick and twisted world. If I see him, I'm gonna-

"Yo, Reina."

I turned onto my cheek and sighed.

"Oh, it's you, Tiger."

A slight smile curled onto his lips as he bent down so that we were face length.

"You a'iight? If you're sick, go see a nurse."

I rolled my eyes.

Right now, this is the last person I wanted to see. It's his fault I'm feeling like this.

"You still haven't told me where you went yesterday. What happened to you?" Tiger asked.

Wait... when the hell was this guy even in my class? And why the fuck is he coming up to me like we're friends? Does he think we're all buddy-buddy just because I played his stupid game? God, what a nuisance.

"Let me make something clear." I said and rose from my desk. "The reason I played that ridiculous game yesterday was because I wanted to prove that games are just a time waster. It truly was a waste of time."

Tiger quickly stood up and placed his hands behind his head. "I see. If that's how you feel, I'll stop bothering you about it."

He turned and made a peace sign.

"Wait! Wait!" I said. "I'm not done yet!"

Tiger then turned around mid-step. "What is it now? I'm pretty sure we've come to the understanding that you despise playing games and that you hate me by proxy. Even though yesterday you were crying in my arms like a ba-"

I lunged toward him, covering his mouth and pushing him outside the classroom as several students stared.

Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! I can't believe he would bring that up in public! Does he have no shame? Does he not care about my status?

"H-hello Tiger..." a sheepish voice said. "Is she the one you wanted me to meet?"

A student, her hair powder-blue, stood across the hall. She wore a neatly pressed all-black uniform, with a red choker featuring a heart design.

I nudged Tiger to the side and shook my head.

"You know this school doesn't allow-"

As I approached, her hair resembled a tornado, twisted into a messy bun with uneven edges.

How is her uniform so neat but her hair such a mess?

"Um, hi..." the girl said in a quick whisper. "My name is Paige."

"Why should I care?" I said, then pointed at her hair. "And Seya doesn't allow dyed hair, you know. You're a first year, so I'll let you off with a warning, but get it fixed."

"Oh... it's... m-... ow-... ha-..."

"What? I literally couldn't hear you."

"It isn't... dyed..."

"And now you're lying to a council member? You've got some nerve-"

Tiger stepped in between us with a smile. "Hey, Reina! This is Paige, our third club member!"

A sinking feeling pitted into my stomach.

"Wait... you actually want to join? Is he forcing you? Are you okay?"

Paige nodded, glancing downwards. "No... he didn't force me... I just wanted to join a fun club and make some friends. I'm new to this district and..."

My thoughts drowned out whatever the fuck she was talking about.

What are the odds of this happening? Why waste time playing games when you could be productive?

And then... that game out of them all... it's screwed up!

"... around the time my mom and me started playing VR-"

"Wait, wait, wait. So, you've played the game before?" I interrupted.

"Oh, Callixtus? Yes... I have..."

"So you're okay with experiencing, this?" I said and pointed at my arm.

Paige tilted her head, then glanced at Tiger. "I'm sorry... I don't understand..."

"Is that part of what happened yesterday?" Tiger asked.

"What? You two don't know what I'm talking about?"

They both shook their heads.

What the hell? Was that stupid player right about the experience being so incredibly low?

"Just tell us what happened. Maybe we can help figure it out." Tiger said.

I sighed, then turned around. "Forget it. I will not play again, so what's the point of talking about it?"

"Man, you're difficult." Tiger said with a groan. "Will you just send the club forms over to Paige? I won't waste any more of your time."

Difficult? How dare he! I dislike getting close to others for this reason. Regardless of my higher status, they feel entitled to speak to you however they want.

"Yeah, whatever."

"It-It was nice meeting you, Reina," Paige said with a quick bow.

I turned around and bowed as well. "You as well, Puella."

"It's… it's Paige…"

"Right, my mistake."

I could give two shits about your name. God, being around these nerds is giving me a headache. Maybe I should tell that girl to meet me outside the clubroom for her form. I'd rather stay away from that room and those machines.

"Wait," I turned around with an outreached hand. However, they were both halfway down the hall, wide with smiles, as they were probably talking about their stupid game.

As I turned, I almost bumped into another student. We exchanged glances, and her eyes lit up.

"Your Reina. The advisor for the High Royals club, right?"

"Yeah… do I… know you?"

Her eyes were concealed by a gloomy shadow, created by her long black bangs and eyeshadow, in an attempt to hide her subtle eye-bags. Aside from that detail, the rest of her face was petite, featuring a button nose and small, red, glossy lips. She was almost like a real-life doll, despite the malevolent aura coming from her eyes.

"Just wanted to say it was cool of you to green light that club. The culture at this school dictates what can and can't be done. Glad we got someone in our class that's trying to stir things up." She said.

I stared at the adornment of piercings in her ear, then shook my head.

"Wait, you heard about that? How?" I asked.

She shrugged. "People talk. Anyway, I'm gonna use my free study off campus. See you around?"

"Yeah… I'll see you.."

She walked off, disappearing into a group of students talking near the edge of a stairway.

Who was that girl? She didn't even give me her name… Hold on. 'People talk' about council politics? It seemed like it was all just for appearances. Even a school like this must address such matters seriously. I need to act more carefully.

I started walking down the hall with a smirk while crossing my arms.

Yes, I should be careful with how I act around the student body. If students care about this club, thinking it's rebellious or whatever; What better way to boost my reputation than to act like I'm a part of their little triad? It won't be believable if I don't visit the club room except during advising sessions. Regularly attending will surely fuel student gossip.

I pull a hand over my mouth to hide the growing smirk widening on my lips.

Sometimes, I forget how deceptively clever I am.

As I made my way down the club corridor, the waft of cinnamon and freshly made bread consumed the hall from the baking club's room. A student offered small baskets of three hand-sized muffins that popped with chocolate chips on a floating silver tray.

Smiling, I took a basket and thanked them with a bow before walking down the hall. Waiting in front of the High Royals clubroom was Toshiaki, leaning against the door while scrolling through a set of holo screens. His left arm was posed under his chest, fiddling with his Proatrix in the form of a silver watch. His scrunched nose and closed eyes hinted at a preoccupied mind.

"Toshiaki, dear, I thought you were going to wait at the station so we could—"

He raised his hand and opened his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"