Airi Akizuki's emerald-green eyes lingered on Blake, still processing everything that had just happened. She wasn't the type to get flustered easily, but this entire situation had caught her off guard.
Not only had she been cornered in an alley, but a silver-haired stranger had swooped in and effortlessly saved the day like some kind of action movie protagonist.
And now... he was just walking away?
"Ah, uh, I'm fine..." Airi stammered, snapping herself out of it. She waved a hand in front of her face, trying to appear unbothered.
Blake nodded. "Glad to hear it. Be careful next time."
He turned on his heel, clearly ready to leave.
Airi's eyes widened slightly. Wait, that's it?
Most guys would've at least tried to milk the moment—maybe acted smug or hinted at getting something in return. But Blake? He looked like he couldn't care less.
"Hey, wait—" she blurted out. "I'm Airi Akizuki. Just call me Airi. What's your name?"
Blake paused, glancing over his shoulder. He smiled slightly, his crystal-blue eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Airi, huh? Got it. My name's Blake Silva. I'm a visitor from the USA~"
The playful tilt in his voice made her eyebrow twitch.
Airi folded her arms, studying him more carefully. A silver-haired, blue-eyed, drop-dead gorgeous foreigner... and he just happens to be casually strolling through my school's alleyways?
Yeah, sure. Totally normal.
She wasn't buying it—but before she could question him further, Blake's entire demeanor shifted.
His posture stiffened, and his gaze flickered toward the crowd.
Airi noticed the change immediately. "Silva-kun? What's wrong?"
Blake didn't answer. Instead, his expression darkened, and he murmured under his breath:
From within the gathering crowd, a pair of piercing eyes locked onto Blake with the intensity of a predator.
Standing behind the students was a middle-aged man, dressed in an expensive-looking suit, his sharp features twisted into a mask of barely-contained rage.
Blake met his glare head-on, his own gaze turning ice-cold.
Malice. Pure, seething malice.
Not just the petty jealousy he'd felt earlier from random students—no, this was something worse.
Someone wanted him dead.
"Sia," Blake murmured. "Scan."
In a blink, Sia's sweet voice chimed in his mind, delivering the results.
> Human: Kouzou Akizuki
Evaluation: A child of luck in a low-tier world.
Blake's eyebrow twitched. Oh. It's him.
Airi's stepfather. The one guy he'd already pegged as trouble.
And just because Blake had exchanged a few words with Airi, this man was practically foaming at the mouth.
Dude, chill. It's not that deep.
Blake sighed, shifting his weight slightly as he glanced back at Airi.
"Sorry," he said, his tone casual. "I just remembered I have something to take care of. Looks like fate's on our side, though—I have a feeling we'll meet again."
He flashed her one last lazy grin—then, in the blink of an eye, melted into the crowd.
Airi stared after him, dumbfounded.
Then her fingers twitched in frustration.
He saved her. Flirted with her. Vanished without a trace.
And didn't even leave his number.
Airi let out a huff, kicking a nearby rock. "Seriously?! What kind of guy does that?"
A deep scowl crossed Kouzou Akizuki's face as he pushed through the lingering students, his gaze locked onto Airi.
He had seen everything.
His stepdaughter—the girl he had painstakingly raised—had actually smiled at another man. Worse, she had looked at that silver-haired brat with genuine interest.
That was unacceptable.
Kouzou reached Airi's side, his voice dropping into a tense, forced calm.
"Why are you in this alley?"
Airi, still annoyed at Blake's mysterious disappearing act, barely spared him a glance.
Kouzou's eye twitched. "I'm your father."
"Hah," Airi scoffed, crossing her arms. "Stepfather."
The utter disdain in her voice hit like a slap.
Kouzou's expression stiffened, his anger barely hidden beneath his carefully crafted mask of authority.
> She had never spoken to him like that before.
And the reason was clear—Blake.
That boy had already poisoned her mind.
As Airi turned on her heel and walked away, Kouzou's hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms.
His teeth clenched, his face darkening with pure possessiveness.
You forced my hand, Airi.
He slipped a hand into his pocket, fingertips brushing against a small vial—a liquid swirling ominously inside.
> No one else would have her.
Not Blake. Not anyone.
And as Kouzou turned, he didn't notice the silver-haired figure watching from a distance.
Blake walked casually down the street, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
"I need an identity here. Something official."
Sia's voice perked up. "Ooooh! You mean, like, forged documents, history, and a legitimate student record?"
"Exactly," Blake muttered. "If I don't have a proper background, it'll be a pain in the ass to move around."
Sia giggled. "I can do that easily! Want me to make you a third-year transfer student at St. Maple Academy? Maybe... put you in a class next to Airi's?"
Blake smirked. "Make it happen. And while you're at it—set up my residence near the Akizuki estate."
Sia whistled playfully. "Stalking already, Master?"
Blake rolled his eyes. "More like preventative measures. I don't trust that bastard stepdad of hers."
Sia hummed approvingly. "Ooooh~ Protective much?"
"Alright, alright~ But fabricating a fully functional identity will cost 10 luck points!"
Blake barely hesitated. "Fine."
After all—you have to spend money to make money.
Or, in this case—spend luck to change fate.