"Yeah... I've noticed people staring at her too," Sakura added.

I shrugged. "I mean... she's from another country."

Risa glanced at me, her smirk widening. "Oh? So you do think she's interesting?"

I groaned. "That's not what I meant."

Sakura giggled, but before she could add anything, a sharp whistle echoed through the gym, signaling the end of the game. Lina's team had won, and a few of the guys clapped her on the back, clearly impressed. She wiped some sweat from her forehead before glancing in our direction. For a brief moment, our eyes met—but I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on something else.

"See? Even she's looking at you now," Risa teased.

Sakura stayed quiet, simply watching my reaction with mild curiosity.

"Hah, she's just looking around..." I muttered before turning on my heel and leaving the gym.

I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would clear my thoughts, but it didn't do much. The past few days had been too quiet—too normal. No calls from Ayami, no messages, nothing. It was like she had just disappeared.

As I shook off the excess water, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Lina walked up beside me, leaning against the sink with that usual unreadable expression of hers.

"Any news from Ayami?" she asked, her voice low. "It's been three days now. We've just been... living normal lives."

I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my damp hair. "Nothing. She hasn't called or texted."

Lina nodded like she expected that answer. A brief silence settled between us before I finally spoke up.

"Hey... can you help me get stronger?"

She raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. "What?"

I met her gaze, determined. "I've been watching you these past few days. You're strong. I can tell. I need to get stronger, and you might be able to help me."

For a moment, she just stared at me before letting out a small chuckle. "Of course, I'm strong," she said, crossing her arms. "But why do you suddenly want to train?"

I looked away, gripping the edge of the sink. "...Because if something happens again, I don't want to be useless."

She tilted her head, studying me like she was trying to figure out if I was serious. Then, a smirk tugged at her lips.

"Alright," she said.

"So... after school?" I asked, glancing at Lina.

"Yeah, after school," she confirmed. Then, with a slight tilt of her head, she added, "Oh, and this time, how about we actually walk home together? Instead of just... you know, acting like strangers until we get there?"

I blinked. "You sure you want to do that?"

"Why not?" She shrugged, completely unfazed.

I scratched the back of my head, unsure how to respond. Walking home together wasn't exactly a big deal, but with everything going on, it felt... weird.

"Alright, I guess," I muttered.

Lina smirked. "You guess?"

"Fine. We'll walk home together," I said more firmly.

She gave a satisfied nod before turning back toward the school building. "Good. See you after class, then."

I watched her go, still not entirely sure what to make of her. Just a few days ago, she was someone trying to kill Ayami. Now, she was sitting at my table, living in my house, and casually suggesting we walk home together.

I sighed, shaking my head. Guess this was my life now.

After the last bell rang, I grabbed my stuff and made my way to the lockers. The hallway was buzzing with students packing up and heading out, some chatting about their plans, others just eager to get home.

When I reached my locker, Lina was already there, switching out her shoes. She glanced up as I approached and smirked. "Took you long enough."

I rolled my eyes as I crouched down to swap my indoor shoes for my regular ones. "Not all of us can just speed through things like you."

She chuckled, closing her locker with a soft click. "Fair enough."

Once I finished, we stepped out of the school together. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pavement, and a cool breeze rustled through the trees. For a moment, neither of us spoke. It was weird—walking home with someone like this. Usually, I either went alone or with Ayami when she decided to drop in.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Lina broke the silence first. "So... this is normal, huh?"

I glanced at her. "What?"

"Going to school, hanging out, walking home… just doing regular things," she said, looking up at the sky. "It's kinda nice."

I scoffed. "Didn't think a trained killer would care about 'regular things.'"

She smirked but didn't deny it. "Well, let's just say it's a new experience."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just kept walking. Whatever this was, I had a feeling my so-called "normal life" wouldn't stay normal for long.

We walked side by side, the sounds of the city settling into the usual rhythm of the afternoon—cars passing by, the distant chatter of students heading in different directions, the occasional barking of a dog from a nearby house.

Lina walked with an easy confidence, hands tucked into her pockets, her gaze wandering as if she were still getting used to the world around her. I wasn't sure if she was enjoying herself or just pretending to blend in.

"So," she finally said, breaking the silence. "You really want to get stronger?"

I glanced at her. "Yeah. I don't want to just sit around while things happen around me."

She smirked. "Good answer. But what exactly do you want to get strong for? Self-defense? Revenge? Impressing a girl?"

I scoffed. "None of those. I just… don't want to be useless when it matters."

Lina gave me a look, as if she were trying to figure out if I was being serious. Then she nodded. "Alright. I'll help."

I raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," she echoed with a shrug. "You're interesting, and I don't mind teaching someone if they're willing to learn. But don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," I muttered.

She grinned. "Good. Then after dinner, we start."

I sighed, already regretting this. "This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

"Oh, absolutely."

As we walked in silence, Lina glanced at me again before speaking.

"Hey... I'm still kinda scared of your power."

I let out a small breath. "Oh... that's not me, but—"

"I know," she interrupted. "The other you. You've said it before. I get it." She paused, her gaze drifting ahead as if recalling something. "But that power… it could take down anyone. Hypnotizing people, pulling their souls into the mirror world, leaving their real bodies soulless and paralyzed..." She shook her head slightly. "That's smart... terrifying, but smart."

Her words made me tense. I wasn't sure how to respond. It wasn't like I enjoyed knowing what Mirror Man could do—it scared me, too.

We arrived at my house just as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the quiet streets. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, kicking off my shoes. Lina followed, doing the same, her eyes scanning the familiar space like she was still adjusting to the idea of living here.

"I'm home," I called out.

My mom's voice came from the kitchen. "Welcome back! Lina, dear, how was school?"

Lina perked up slightly, putting on that polite, well-practiced smile of hers. "It was good. Everyone was really nice."

My mom beamed. "That's wonderful! Oh, and dinner will be ready soon, so don't go filling up on snacks, alright?"

Lina nodded, but as soon as we headed toward my room, her expression dropped back to something more neutral.

I shut the door behind us and leaned against it. "Alright... so about training."

She raised an eyebrow. "You really want to do this?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." I crossed my arms. "I don't want to be useless when things get bad again. If I don't learn to control my power, I might end up hurting people... or worse."

She studied me for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But don't expect this to be easy."

I nodded, already bracing myself. "I wasn't expecting it to be."

Lina crossed her arms and gave me a once-over, her sharp eyes scanning me from head to toe. I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah… no. Before we even think about training your power, you need to train your body first."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She smirked. "It means exactly what it sounds like. Your power is dangerous, but if you can't even last in a fight, what's the point? Strength isn't just about abilities, you know."

I groaned. "Great. So what, you're going to make me do push-ups and run laps?"

"Obviously," she said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "You're too stiff. Too slow. If you ever get caught off guard, you're done for. We need to fix that before anything else."

I sighed, already regretting asking for her help. "Alright, fine. When do we start?"

Lina grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Tomorrow morning. Early. Before school."

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me. No excuses." She turned toward the door. "Now get some rest. You'll need it."

I let out a long sigh as she walked out.

After Lina left the room, I stood there for a moment, letting her words sink in. Train my body first, huh?

With a sigh, I turned to the mirror hanging on my wall. My reflection stared back at me—same messy hair, same tired eyes. I leaned in slightly, studying my own face.

Was I really that weak? Sure, I wasn't the most athletic guy, but… was it that obvious?

I flexed my arm, trying to see if there was any muscle definition. Not much. I wasn't completely out of shape, but compared to Lina—who moved like a trained fighter—I probably looked pathetic.

My gaze drifted lower, and for a moment, I swore I saw something shift in the reflection. My heart skipped a beat.

I took a step back.

Mirror Man…?

Nothing. It was just me.

I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled. I need to get stronger... not just for myself, but to control this power before it controls me.

I turned away from the mirror, shaking off the uneasy feeling, and headed for bed.

As I lay on my bed, still lost in thought, a soft knock came from the door before it creaked open.

"Hikaru," my mom's voice called gently. "Dinner's ready."

I sighed and pushed myself up. "Yeah, I'm coming."

Dragging myself out of bed, I made my way to the dining room. The familiar scent of home-cooked food filled the air, and as I entered, I saw my father already seated, flipping through his phone as usual. Lina sat across from me, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp, scanning the table.

"Ah, finally joining us," my dad said without looking up. "You've been staying in your room a lot lately."

"Just tired," I mumbled, taking my seat.

The meal was simple—rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and some side dishes. My mom always put effort into making balanced meals, even if my dad and I weren't the best at showing appreciation.

Lina took a bite of her food and hummed. "Your mom's cooking is really good," she said.

My mom beamed. "Oh, thank you, dear! You should eat plenty. You're so slim—are you eating enough?"

Lina chuckled. "I eat just fine."

I just focused on my food, barely listening as my parents chatted with her. It was still weird—having someone like Lina here, acting like she belonged.

Then my dad suddenly spoke. "So, Lina, what are your plans while you're here?"

Lina paused for a second, then smiled. "Oh, just adjusting to school, getting to know the area." She glanced at me briefly before continuing. "And maybe helping Hikaru with a few things."

I nearly choked on my food. My mom gave me a concerned look. "Hikaru, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," I muttered, glaring at Lina. She just smirked slightly and kept eating like she hadn't just said something suspicious.

To Be Continue.