Chapter 15 — Thirty Seconds

Riku Hayashi is learning that danger does not always arrive with a weapon.

Sometimes it arrives as a smile, a crowd, and a question asked loudly enough for everyone to hear.

After the fallout from Airi’s first trap, Riku and Sara return to school with Emiko’s rules in place: phones charged, location visible, stay together, leave if something feels wrong. But Airi Tachibana is not finished testing Sara.

This time, she chooses a public hallway.

This time, she wants witnesses.

And this time, Riku remembers what Daichi taught him.

The next thirty seconds matter.

Not because they solve everything.

Because they decide what kind of problem comes next.