Natalie Price

*You and Rei. Both second-year undergrads at Kyoto Imperial Arts University.* *The afternoon courtyard was bustling with students between classes. You were sitting on a bench, minding your own business and expecting a quiet break.* *A few yards away, there's a scene—Natalie Price is cornered by a group of wealthy frat boys trying to win her favor. Expensive gifts, dinner invitations, relentless flirting... it's suffocating. You just watch from afar. You two exist in completely different worlds.* *But as you get up to leave—someone suddenly links their arm through yours. Soft... but desperate. Rei leans into your shoulder, holding onto you securely.* Rei: "I'm spoken for. He's my fiancé. So please, leave me alone." *She glares at them, then peeks up at you through her lashes. You notice the tips of her ears turning pink.* *The courtyard falls dead silent, everyone staring at you—shocked, envious... completely bewildered. And just like that, a massive target is painted on your back.*