The next world.

The room was dimly lit, with faint rays of moonlight streaming through the cracked blinds. Kaerith leaned against the doorway, staring at the peculiar girl sitting cross-legged on the desk at the center of the room. Her long, dark purple hair cascaded down her back, shimmering faintly in the moonlight, and her heterochromatic eyes—one blue and the other streaked with faint freckles of red—glimmered like shattered gems. She was talking animatedly to… no one.

"…I know, I know. It's not like I even care what they think. Who needs them, right? They're all just idiots who don't get it." Her voice was tinged with both arrogance and a strange sort of vulnerability.

Kaerith cleared his throat, making his presence known. The girl jumped slightly, spinning around to face him, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you, and why are you eavesdropping?"

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt… whatever this is. I got lost trying to find the dorms. This academy's massive—you'd think they'd at least hand out maps."

Her gaze softened slightly, though she still looked suspicious. "Well, you've found the wrong place. This is my space. And I don't need an audience."

Kaerith stepped into the room cautiously, his curiosity piqued. "I wasn't trying to spy or anything. But… were you talking to someone just now?"

The girl's cheeks flushed faintly, but she tilted her chin up defiantly. "Yes. That's my best friend."

"Oh…" Kaerith hesitated, glancing around the empty room. "So, uh… can you see ghosts or something?"

The girl scoffed, rolling her eyes. "No, idiot. She's my air friend. Obviously."

Kaerith blinked, unsure if she was joking. "Your… air friend?"

"Yes," she said, crossing her arms. "You know, the kind of friend you make when no one else is worth your time. She's loyal, understanding, and far better company than most people around here."

Kaerith couldn't help but chuckle. "An air friend, huh? I like that. Sounds better than the friendships I've had."

The girl raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting from suspicion to interest. "Oh? Let me guess—you're one of those types. The charismatic guy who acts like he has it all together but secretly has no one to rely on."

Kaerith rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Wow, you really just called me out like that, huh?"

She smirked. "I'm rarely wrong about people."

They ended up talking for hours—about the academy, about their lives, and most importantly, about how neither of them had ever experienced the kind of friendships that others took for granted. Kaerith learned that her name was Iyana Kazehara, and despite her sharp tongue and arrogant demeanor, there was a strange kindness beneath her words. But the was like the second week of school ago

Days later after the whole panty phantom and miu first key training session, Kaerith found himself wandering the halls of the academy again, somehow ending up in the same wing. As he turned a corner, he stopped abruptly. There it was—the same clubroom. A sense of déjà vu washed over him, and before he could stop himself, he opened the door.

Iyana was sitting at the desk again, scribbling something into a notebook. She looked up, her mismatched eyes widening in surprise. "You again?!"

Kaerith raised a hand sheepishly. "Uh… yeah. I didn't mean to—"

"Are you stalking me?" she demanded, though her tone was more playful than accusatory.

Kaerith laughed nervously. "No, no! I swear, I just ended up here by accident. Again."

She narrowed her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Hmm… suspicious. But while you're here, I've got a question. Did you know your reputation's completely tanked lately?"

Kaerith blinked in confusion. "Wait, what? My reputation?"

"Yeah." Iyana tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You used to be known as the playful flirt, right? Now people are calling you a delinquent."

Kaerith frowned, rubbing his temples. "What? Why?"

"Apparently," she said, smirking, "some people started a rumor that you beat up a member of the student disciplinary committee."

Kaerith groaned, his head falling into his hands. "It is what it is…"

Iyana chuckled, clearly enjoying his frustration. "Well, I guess you really are the 'bad boy' type now. Congrats."

Kaerith sighed, shaking his head. "This place is ridiculous. Anyway, what are you doing here? Don't you have better things to do than hang out in an empty room?"

Iyana's smirk widened. "Actually, this isn't just an empty room. This is the Misfits' Alliance Clubroom."

"Misfits' Alliance?"

"Yep. It's a club I started for people who don't have friends. Our goal is to help others with their problems and, in the process, maybe make a few friends ourselves." She paused, eyeing him mischievously. "And since you're here… congratulations. You're our newest member."

Kaerith stared at her, dumbfounded. "Wait, what? I didn't agree to this!"

"Too late." She scribbled something into her notebook with a flourish

Kaerith sighed in defeat as he watched Iyana jot something down in her notebook, her smirk practically glowing with satisfaction. "And just like that, you're part of something greater," she said, snapping the notebook shut and crossing her arms triumphantly.

"Something greater?" Kaerith raised an eyebrow. "You mean being roped into your little scheme to 'fix' people?"

"Exactly," she replied, unbothered by his tone. "You've got the perfect qualifications: a bruised reputation, questionable charisma, and apparently no actual friends. You'll fit right in."

"Wow, just so you know I do have two true friends" Kaerith muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "You're really selling it."

Iyana stood up, her long dark-purple hair swaying behind her as she walked toward him. Her mismatched eyes sparkled mischievously. "Face it, Kaerith. You're not walking out of here without signing up. I don't accept no for an answer."

Before he could argue, she reached into her bag and pulled out a sign-up sheet. She held it out to him with a flourish, as though she'd just presented him with a priceless treasure.

Kaerith hesitated, narrowing his eyes. "And what exactly does this club do besides hang out in empty rooms and talk about air friends?"

Iyana ignored the jab. "We help people, obviously. Students come to us when they have problems, and we solve them. That could mean tutoring, mediating conflicts, or even just being someone to talk to." She leaned closer, her voice dropping slightly. "And for people like us—people who don't exactly fit in—it's a chance to connect. To make something meaningful."

Kaerith blinked at her, surprised by the sudden sincerity in her tone. For a brief moment, her usual arrogance was replaced by something softer, something… familiar.

There was something about her words, about the way she carried herself, that tugged at the edges of his memory. He couldn't place it, but he felt as though he'd heard this voice before, seen those mismatched eyes in a different time and place.

"Hey," he said slowly, his brow furrowing. "Have we met before? Like… before the academy?"

Iyana tilted her head, the smirk returning to her lips, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. "What makes you ask that?"

"I don't know," Kaerith admitted. "It's just a feeling. Like we've… crossed paths before."

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked away, her gaze distant. "Maybe we have," she murmured, almost to herself. Then, just as quickly, she snapped back to her usual self, her smirk widening. "Or maybe you're just imagining things. Either way, you're still signing up."

Kaerith sighed, grabbing the pen from her hand. "Fine, fine. But if this turns out to be some elaborate prank, I'm walking."

Iyana grinned as he scribbled his name on the sheet. "Welcome to the Misfits' Alliance, Kaerith. Your life is officially about to get interesting." Kaerith mumble to himself. " yeah like it wasn't chaotic enough."

Later that night, Kaerith lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his dorm room. He couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu that had struck him during his conversation with Iyana.

Her name… her voice… even her quirks—they all felt oddly familiar, like fragments of a dream he couldn't quite remember.

And then there were her words: "Maybe we have."

It wasn't just a dismissive answer. There had been something in her tone, something almost wistful, like she knew more than she was letting on.

Kaerith rubbed his temples, his thoughts swirling. "Who are you, Iyana Kazehara?"

Meanwhile, back at the clubroom, Iyana stood alone, staring out the window as the moonlight illuminated the empty room. Her fingers grazed the edge of the desk, and a faint smile played on her lips.

"Still the same as ever," she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even now, you have no idea who you are, do you?"

Her mismatched eyes flickered with a strange light, and for a moment, the air around her seemed to shift, carrying the faintest echo of another time, another life.

With a soft sigh, she turned away from the window, her smile fading. "Guess I'll just have to remind you. Piece by piece."

She closed the clubroom door behind her, leaving the night in silence.

Kaerith leaned against the desk, watching Iyana fiddle with her pen. She seemed unusually fidgety, her usual confidence dimmed.

"So," he began, breaking the silence, "how many people are actually in this club?"

Iyana froze for a moment, then sighed, letting the pen drop. She rested her chin on her palm, looking both amused and exasperated. "Congratulations, Kaerith. You're looking at the entire membership of the Misfits' Alliance."

Kaerith blinked. "Wait, what? You mean it's just us?"

"It's not like we've been around forever," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "I started this club last week. You're technically the first person I've recruited."

"Last week?" Kaerith raised an eyebrow. "And here I was thinking I joined something established."

"Hey, everything great has to start somewhere," she shot back, crossing her arms. "Besides, you're here now, so it's officially a club."

Before Kaerith could respond, there was a sudden knock at the door. Both of them turned to look, and Kaerith frowned. "Were you expecting someone?"

Iyana shook her head. "No. Maybe it's a teacher or something."

Kaerith walked over to the door and opened it, only to find a girl standing there—a girl with long blonde hair, a butterfly pin glinting in her hair, and… a figure that immediately drew attention. Her blue eyes sparkled with a mix of determination and nervousness.

Before Kaerith could say anything, Iyana appeared beside him and slammed the door shut with surprising force.

Kaerith turned to her, stunned. "What the hell, Iyana?"

"We don't allow people like that," she said bluntly, her tone icy.

Kaerith's confusion only grew. "People like what?"

"Her," Iyana said with a huff, leaning against the door. "She's clearly got tons of friends. She's one of the most popular girls in school, for crying out loud. Her dad's a diplomat, she has perfect grades, perfect attendance, and guys practically line up to talk to her. She's the definition of 'not a misfit.' She doesn't belong here."

Kaerith frowned, feeling a strange sense of kinship with the girl outside. He couldn't explain it, but her presence reminded him of his own struggles. "Just because she seems popular doesn't mean she's happy, Iyana. You can't just assume."

Before Iyana could argue, Kaerith opened the door again. The girl, who had been leaning against it, stumbled forward and fell ungracefully to the floor.

"Ow…" she muttered, looking up at Kaerith with an embarrassed flush.

"Are you okay?" he asked, offering her a hand.

She took it, her cheeks still red. "I'm fine. Thanks."

Iyana sighed heavily, arms crossed. "What do you want, princess?"

The girl looked between the two of them before bowing her head slightly. "Please let me join your club!"

Iyana snorted. "Why? You clearly don't need us. You've got everything—a perfect life, a perfect reputation. What could you possibly want from the Misfits' Alliance?"

The girl hesitated, then met Iyana's gaze, her expression sincere. "It's true that a lot of people talk to me… but none of them are really my friends. They only care about my grades, my father, or how I look. I've never felt like anyone truly wanted to know me."

Kaerith's chest tightened at her words. He knew exactly how that felt.

Iyana's sharp gaze softened, and she looked away, almost embarrassed. "You're serious?"

The girl nodded. "I just want a place where I can be myself. Please… let me join."

Iyana sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine, but if you're lying, you're out. Got it?"

The girl's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you! I promise I won't let you down!"

Kaerith couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "What's your name?"

"Sena Kanazawa," she said, straightening up.

"Right," Iyana muttered, glancing at Sena's chest with a mix of irritation and envy. "Guess I'll call you 'Meat' from now on."

Sena blinked, confused. "Huh? Meat? Why meat?"

"No reason," Iyana replied with a smirk.

Kaerith sighed, rubbing his temples. "And just like that, this club gets weirder by the second."

Sena tilted her head, a playful grin forming. "Weird is good, though, right? Isn't that what this club is about?"

Kaerith chuckled despite himself. "Yeah, I guess it is."

And just like that, the Misfits' Alliance gained its third member, and the clubroom felt a little less empty. The clubroom was unusually quiet, save for the faint hum of a laptop. Sena leaned forward on the table, her blue-and-red eyes sparkling with excitement as she navigated the menu of a dating simulator called Hearts Ablaze.

"I can't believe you've never played a dating sim before," Sena said, her voice equal parts disbelief and giddiness. "This is a rite of passage!"

Kaerith, sitting next to her with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure how playing a virtual romance game is going to help me in real life."

Iyana was sprawled on the couch in the corner, her long purple hair draped over the cushions as she read a book. Without looking up, she muttered, "It won't. But it'll be hilarious to watch you fail."

Sena ignored Iyana's snide remark and scooted closer to Kaerith, practically shoving the laptop into his lap. "Come on, it's not that hard! You just pick dialogue options and try to win the affection of the character you like."

Kaerith sighed but took the laptop. The screen displayed an animated school setting with several characters to choose from: the shy librarian, the athletic childhood friend, the cool delinquent, and the mysterious transfer student.

"Alright," Sena began, pointing at the screen. "Who's your type? Pick wisely."

Kaerith studied the options, his expression unreadable. "The transfer student seems interesting."

Sena clapped her hands. "Great choice! Mysterious and aloof is always a win!"

Iyana finally looked up from her book, raising an eyebrow. "Figures you'd go for the edgy one."

Kaerith ignored her and clicked on the transfer student, a pale-haired girl with sharp features and piercing eyes. The dialogue began with her sitting alone under a cherry blossom tree, reading a book.

"Alright, first choice," Sena said, leaning over his shoulder. "You can either compliment her book, ask if she's okay, or awkwardly stand there and say nothing."

Kaerith smirked. "Let's go with the awkward option."

"No!" Sena shrieked, trying to wrestle the laptop from him. "That's the worst choice! You'll lose affection points!"

"Too late." Kaerith clicked the option, and the screen displayed the transfer student glaring at the protagonist and walking away without a word.

Sena groaned. "You're hopeless."

Iyana snickered from her corner. "This is already more entertaining than I thought it'd be."

"Fine," Kaerith said, handing the laptop to Sena. "Let's see you do better."

Sena eagerly grabbed the laptop and restarted the game, choosing the athletic childhood friend as her target. She navigated the early choices with ease, charming the character with playful banter and thoughtful compliments.

"See? This is how you win," Sena said smugly.

But her streak ended when the game presented a cooking mini-game to impress the character. Sena's frantic clicking resulted in a charred omelet and a deeply unimpressed childhood friend.

"No!" Sena wailed as the screen displayed a massive "-20 Affection Points" notification.

Kaerith burst out laughing. "And you said I was hopeless."

Iyana, now fully invested, walked over and plopped down next to them. "Let me show you amateurs how it's done."

She selected the shy librarian, quickly navigating through her soft-spoken dialogue and earning points by choosing introspective and intellectual options. By the time she reached the second act, she had the librarian blushing and stammering at every interaction.

"Wow," Sena muttered. "You're scarily good at this."

"It's just basic psychology," Iyana said with a shrug. "People—virtual or not—respond to empathy and understanding."

Kaerith leaned back, smirking. "Sounds like someone's got experience in manipulation."

Iyana shot him a glare. "I call it being observant."

The three of them continued playing, taking turns and laughing at each other's mistakes. Kaerith managed to accidentally insult the transfer student again, Sena got friend-zoned by the childhood friend, and Iyana nearly broke her streak when she chose a sarcastic response that upset the librarian.

By the end of the session, the clubroom was filled with laughter and lighthearted teasing.

"I have to admit," Kaerith said, shutting the laptop, "this was surprisingly fun."

"See? I told you!" Sena beamed.

Iyana rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. "Well, it was more productive than sitting around doing nothing."