Chris looked as elegant and androgynous as always — his golden hair catching the soft, warm glow of the hallway lighting, thin glasses perched neatly on his nose, and a small stack of papers held casually under one arm.

He was dressed in his usual refined style: a crisp white shirt with the top button undone, revealing a hint of smooth skin, slim black trousers that accentuated his graceful figure, and a light coat draped effortlessly over his shoulders.

The sight of him standing so close, almost unexpectedly, made Hanako’s heart skip a beat, her breath catching for a brief moment as she took in his composed presence.

"Isn’t that Chris?" Hanako said, her voice coming out louder than she intended, carrying clearly down the narrow hallway.

The words slipped out with genuine surprise, drawing immediate attention from the others.

Chris turned his head smoothly and gracefully, his expression shifting from mild surprise to a polite, composed smile as he recognized the three girls standing there.

His blue eyes behind the glasses sparkled with quiet amusement, and he gave a small, elegant tilt of his head in acknowledgment.

Hinata’s cheeks flushed instantly with a soft, warm pink that spread across her face and down her neck.

She felt her pulse quicken noticeably, a rush of heat blooming in her chest as memories flashed vividly through her mind —

the heated encounter in the occult club room, the way Chris’s hands had moved with such skilled confidence on her skin, the intense waves of pleasure that had left her breathless and trembling for days afterward.

She had been harboring a deep crush on him ever since that day, though she tried her best to hide it behind her usual calm and composed demeanor.

Her hands fidgeted slightly at her sides, fingers twisting the hem of her light-blue blouse as she tried to steady her breathing and appear normal.

The hallway suddenly felt warmer, the air thicker around her as her heart continued to race.

"What are you doing here, Chris?"

Hinata asked, her voice coming out softer and a little breathier than she had intended, carrying a subtle mix of nervousness, excitement, and lingering affection.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her practical white sneakers making a soft sound on the floor, her light-blue blouse suddenly feeling a little too warm against her flushed skin as she fought to keep her composure.

Chris responded elegantly, his smooth, neutral voice carrying that effortless charm and warmth that always made him stand out in any setting.

"Oh... and what do we have here?"

He tilted his head slightly to the side, a small, beautiful smile playing on his lips as he took in the three girls standing in the hallway.

His golden hair shifted lightly with the movement, and his blue eyes behind the thin glasses sparkled with genuine interest and quiet amusement, making the simple greeting feel intimate and welcoming.

His tone light, conversational, and perfectly poised. "Well, I live here."

He gestured casually with his free hand toward the door beside him, the movement graceful and unhurried.

"And why are you girls here?" He asked.

Hinata replied, trying her best to keep her voice steady even as her heart continued to race and her cheeks remained warm.

"We’re here to visit my brother."

She offered a shy, small smile, her ponytail swaying gently as she glanced between Chris and the still-closed door, her mind replaying fragments of their club room encounter —

the heat of his body, the skilled touch of his hands, the way he had made her feel desired and overwhelmed in the best possible way.

While Satoru stood in front of the girls, his sharp, observant eyes scanned his sister and the two beautiful girls she had brought with her.

A slight, almost imperceptible lewd grin tugged at the corner of his mouth for a brief moment before he quickly masked it with a polite, neutral expression.

He was dressed in his usual simple black outfit that helped him blend seamlessly into any background — black shirt, black pants, black shoes — his short dark hair neatly combed, his posture relaxed but always alert. As an SCO agent living next door specifically for surveillance, he was used to staying invisible and professional,

but the unexpected sight of three attractive young women at his door stirred a quiet, private interest he pushed aside almost immediately.

His gaze lingered for a fraction of a second longer than necessary on Akane’s red sweater and Hanako’s modest yet flattering outfit before he refocused.

Satoru, realizing he had been momentarily forgotten in the surprise of seeing someone else , cleared his throat softly and stepped forward a little, bringing the girls’ attention back to him.

"Emmm... hello girls?"

His voice was calm and polite, with just a hint of dry amusement as he raised one eyebrow, his black sleeve shifting slightly with the small movement.

Hinata blinked, then smiled warmly at her brother.

"Oh, hello Onii-chan."

Chris looked between them with polite curiosity, his elegant features softening into a gentle smile.

"He is your brother?"

Satoru leaned his head out a little further from behind his partially open door to see who they were talking to. When his eyes landed on Chris, his expression shifted subtly — a flicker of professional recognition mixed with careful caution crossing his face for a brief moment. He asked Hinata, his tone casual but with a probing edge,

"Wait, you know Chris?"

Hinata nodded, trying to sound relaxed and natural even as her crush made every small detail about Chris feel amplified.

"Well yeah... he attends our school with Rin." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

She kept her voice light, but inside her heart was still beating faster, her mind replaying the intimate club room memory as she stood there in the hallway.

Satoru’s eyes narrowed just a fraction before he recovered with a smooth, polite smile.

"Oh, that’s true." He turned toward Chris with practiced ease.

"Well, Chris, this is my little sister Hinata."

He gestured with an open hand, his black sleeve shifting slightly as he introduced her.

Chris offered a graceful nod and a warm, charming smile that reached his eyes.

"Hello y’all . It’s nice to see familiar faces outside of school."

Akane and Hanako’s eyes widened almost simultaneously as realization dawned on them.

The apartment next door belonged to Chris —

which strongly implied that Rin’s apartment was right here too, just on the other side of the wall.

Their expressions shifted from surprise to uneasy excitement, hearts beating faster as they processed the unexpected coincidence.

Akane’s red sweater suddenly felt a little tighter around her chest, and Hanako’s cardigan sleeve brushed nervously against her side as she exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with Akane, both girls feeling a sudden flutter of nervousness and anticipation at the possibility of seeing Rin so close by.

Akane asked, her voice carrying a mix of curiosity, surprise, and a hint of unease,

"Chris... is Rin in there?"

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her comfortable brown boots making a soft sound on the floor as she tried to keep her tone casual, though the slight tension in her shoulders betrayed her inner flutter of emotions.

The hallway fell into a brief, charged silence as the pieces connected — the close proximity of the apartments, the hidden layers of surveillance, and the overlapping lives of everyone involved creating an invisible web of tension and coincidence beneath the seemingly ordinary afternoon visit.

Satoru watched the interaction with sharp, professional interest hidden carefully behind his calm facade, while Hinata tried to steady her racing pulse, her crush on Chris making the entire moment feel even more intense and charged than it already was.

The afternoon visit had taken an unexpected and intriguing turn, with old connections, hidden roles, and quiet secrets quietly humming in the background of this ordinary-looking apartment complex hallway.