"I wonder what Fee’s up to right now... I hope he isn't lonely..."
Staring up at the vast blue sky through his window, Yugo muttered the words before catching himself. He turned back with a sigh, mentally chastising himself for the number of times he’d repeated that exact sentiment.
A heavy gloom hung over him as he sat alone in his room, his eyes drifting toward the calendar on his desk.
A week had passed since the Insect Museum Incident—a span of time that felt simultaneously fleeting and eternal.
Fee had been wounded during the Magic Armor Beast attack, and while his injuries weren't life-threatening, he hadn't returned to the academy yet. Though he’d regained consciousness shortly after being rushed to the hospital, the doctors had kept him admitted as a precaution.
Yugo visited his brother’s hospital room every day, checking on his recovery and keeping him company. Yui, who had been attacked alongside Fee, and Yugo’s roommate, Ryuga, also made frequent visits to express their gratitude.
Yugo was profoundly relieved that his brother’s injuries weren't more severe, but that didn't stop him from worrying.
As for Egos, Uno had informed Yugo that a final disciplinary decision would be made once his current suspension ended, but Yugo couldn't have cared less about the man right now.
Fee’s injury had cast a dark shadow over many people, but Yui seemed to be suffering the most. The crushing weight of her debt—the knowledge that Fee had been wounded specifically because he had shielded her—was a burden she struggled to carry.
Worried about his sister, Ryuga had left the room earlier that morning, explaining that he wanted to spend the day by her side.
Yugo had also been told that he couldn't visit today because Fee was undergoing a full day of medical tests. Left with nothing to do, he had spent the afternoon lost in his own thoughts.
"When you get right down to it, Fee getting hurt is on me... If I’d handled things a little better, it never would have come to this."
He knew that Egos had planned a selfish revenge and used Fee to carry it out.
However, if he traced the problem back to its root, the reason Fee had been targeted in the first place was because of Yugo’s own past actions—or rather, the actions of the original Yugo Clay. Perhaps if he hadn't entered the situation with the reputation of being the absolute worst trash, things wouldn't have spiraled so far out of control.
It was likely that same reputation that drove Egos and the other Hero Candidates to view him with such excessive hostility.
Granted, the Hero Candidates were terrible people in their own right, but still... if Yugo had done more to earn the Trust of the students around him, perhaps things would have been different.
Thinking back to the student who had helped him during the exam before the Warrior Shrine Maidens, Yugo realized that his efforts to repair his reputation had been too little, too late. He felt a sharp pang of guilt. Because he had been too indifferent about clearing his name, the bill for his negligence had been served not to him, but to his precious younger brother.
Just as he was drowning in self-reproach, a knock at the door pulled him back to reality.
"Ryuga? Did you forget something?"
Calling out his Partner’s name, Yugo opened the door, only to freeze as he saw the person standing in the hallway.
With her pure white hair swaying, the girl offered a faint smile. Her features were almost too perfect to be real. She tilted her head slightly as she met Yugo’s gaze.
"Hello, Yugo. Sorry for the unannounced visit."
"Setsuna Kogarashi...? Why are you here...?"
Yugo was stunned to see Setsuna, one of the Warrior Shrine Maidens who had spoken to him during the incident. He let out a soft groan as he remembered that she had expressed a desire to talk to him. He had promised to find another time for her, but his mind had been so consumed by Fee that he had completely forgotten.
Setsuna spoke in a light, casual tone.
"I hate to impose, but could you hide me for a bit? I'm being chased by some very annoying people."
"Oh... uh, sure. I don't mind..."
"Thank you. Then, excuse me."
Hearing that she was in a bind, Yugo stepped aside and invited her in. Setsuna looked around the room with curiosity as Yugo closed the door.
"So, what's this about being chased? And why come to my room?"
"The Hero Candidates, I think they call themselves? They've been relentlessly trying to scout us, and it’s become a massive headache. They stake out the dorms, they intercept me whenever I try to go somewhere... they truly don't know when to quit. I have no interest in wasting my time on people like that. Besides, after seeing what their fellow candidate Egos was capable of, I've decided associating with their kind is a net loss. I was looking for somewhere I could effectively disappear from their sight, and well..."
"You thought of my place."
"Exactly. Besides, I've been wanting to speak with you anyway, so this works out perfectly, doesn't it?"
Apparently, she hadn't come here because she was impatient for an invitation; she was just using him as a convenient hideout.
As Yugo let out a sigh of relief, Setsuna’s expression softened.
"...I'm glad to hear your brother’s injuries weren't too bad. He’s still in the hospital, but he’ll be discharged soon, won't he?"
"Did you look into that? About Fee?"
"Yes, well... I was concerned about his condition, and I’ve become quite interested in the people you keep close to you. I have a lot I want to discuss, but I've never been one for small talk. Shall we get straight to the point?"
As she spoke, Setsuna began unfastening the buttons of her school blazer.
Yugo’s eyes widened as she pulled the fabric open, revealing the white dress shirt beneath. He stammered, caught off guard by the sudden move.
"Wait—what!? What are you doing? What do you mean, 'the point'?"
"Hehe... don't be so tense. Just relax. I promise you'll be absolutely enthralled in no time...!"
Setsuna gave a meaningful smirk as she gripped the edges of her jacket. Then, right before the stunned Yugo, she threw it aside with a flourish—!