The Returnee’s Quiet Journey Through High School – A Roshidere Fanfic

I hadn’t planned on talking to anyone today. Yet somehow, I found myself in a conversation with two people—people I probably shouldn’t have interacted with.

Masachika Kuze... He was... well, something. Seemed casual, maybe even careless on the surface. But that kind of ease—it wasn’t natural. No, it was something else. He played along too well, made the conversation flow a little too smoothly. Most people would’ve let a moment of tension slip through, but not him. He knew how to mask it, didn’t he?

And her... ‘Aliya’.

She was different. I could sense it the moment she spoke. Quick to react, emotionally charged... but not reckless. That’s what struck me the most. For all her temper, she was precise. Maybe it was pride or something more, but it drove her to act—sharply, decisively. That’s what people like her do, isn’t it? They don’t just sit back but act instead.

It was something that I admired deep down.

The thought lingered for a moment before I pushed it aside. I wasn’t supposed to care about any of this. They sat down, we talked, and that should’ve been it. But why did it feel like something else?

I let out a small breath as I walked away. It’s not as if I didn’t see it coming, though. The Student Council will be there. It’s obvious. What’s the point of hiding it? They didn’t mention it outright, but Kuze and... that girl... they weren’t there just to talk. There’s always more going on with people like them.

I shook my head, half-amused, half-annoyed. I could’ve avoided them from the start. Could’ve taken a different seat, could’ve brushed them off. But here we are.

A thought flickered across my mind—nothing concrete, but enough to make me uneasy. Was it a mistake to let them sit with me? Maybe. Encounters like that are never simple. One small interaction, and suddenly you’re on someone’s radar.

Doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.

Still, something gnawed at me. I’m pride myself to be careful. And yet, this meeting—this random conversation—it didn’t sit right with me. There’s always a chance it was harmless, but...

I stopped that line of thinking before it spiraled.

No use worrying about it now.

If they’ll be involved, I’ll just have to brace myself to deal with it.

But then, there was something else that had bothered me during the conversation.

“Prodigy,” she said. Alya called me that. I glanced back at the moment briefly, trying to make sense of it.

I hadn’t expected anyone outside the administration or the Student Council higher-ups to know anything about my so-called "abilities." The fact that Kuze and Alya seemed to be aware of it, even casually mentioning it, left me wondering.

Since when had this information spread? And why them specifically?

Questions began popping up in my head relentlessly.

To the public, I’m just another student—a loner, maybe, but nothing worth paying attention to. The administration, however, had files, assessments—things they’d apparently been analyzing behind closed doors.

And for reasons I hadn’t fully grasped yet, they’d kept most of it quiet. Only the select few seemed to have been looped in.

So when she called me a prodigy, it felt... off. Strange, even.

Did they know something I didn’t? Or was it a slip-up?

Either way, it left me uneasy. The more people started using that word around me, the harder it would be to stay under the radar.

I glanced back briefly, just for a second, before continuing on my way. Could’ve avoided this whole thing. I should’ve. But now... who knows?

The deliberation ahead, the way they’re eyeing me—it’s going to get complicated. It always does when people expect something from you. And now that word, "prodigy," was floating around in their heads.

I’d have to tread carefully.

***

Inside the student council room, the atmosphere was unusually tense.

“Alya-chan, you seem down. Is everything okay?” Maria—Masha to those close to her—asked with a worried expression as she noticed her younger sister's demeanor.

“Masha… It’s nothing,” Aliya replied, briefly glancing at her sister before turning her gaze elsewhere. Her tone was distant, and it was clear to Masha that it wasn’t “nothing.” She could read the unease in Aliya’s face, the kind of discomfort that words wouldn’t easily uncover.

Masha frowned slightly but decided not to push too hard. Instead, she turned her attention to Kuze, standing nearby. “Kuze-kun, do you know what’s going on?”

Kuze hesitated, his expression a little strained. He had promised Masha that he’d look out for Aliya, but the situation was delicate. After all, what had happened earlier between Aliya and Arima wasn’t something easily explained.

He let out a soft sigh, scratching the back of his head. “It’s... nothing serious, really. Just a bit of a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” Masha asked, her tone soft but still concerned.

Kuze glanced at Aliya, who seemed absorbed in her own thoughts. He didn’t want to embarrass her, and at the same time, he wasn’t going to betray Arima’s request for privacy.

Arima had made it clear that he wanted to handle his situation on his own terms, and Kuze respected that. There was no need to make a bigger deal out of it than necessary.

“Yeah,” Kuze continued, his voice light but careful.

“You know how Aliya can get sometimes—she’s just... a bit hard on herself when things don’t go as planned. She’s been thinking about something that didn’t quite sit right with her earlier. But it’s nothing to worry about.”

Masha’s gaze softened, understanding but still curious. “Ah, I see...”

Kuze offered a reassuring smile, even though the situation wasn’t as simple as he made it sound. He avoided mentioning Arima’s name on purpose, not wanting to bring him into the conversation. After all, Arima had asked for some discretion, and Kuze respected that boundary.

“Don’t worry,” Kuze added gently, “I’ll talk to her after the meeting. She’ll be back to her usual self soon.”

Masha nodded, trusting Kuze’s judgment but still keeping a watchful eye on her sister. “Thank you, Kuze-kun. I know you’re always looking out for her.”

Kuze chuckled softly. “Of course. Always.”

Before he could say more, Masha moved to her sister’s side and wrapped her arms around her, stroking Aliya’s head with gentle affection. “Yoshi~ yoshi~,” she cooed softly, petting Aliya as if she were a cute, flustered animal. It was Masha’s way of comforting those she cared about, and despite her usually teasing nature, there was a tenderness in how she held her sister.

Aliya tensed at first, clearly not used to receiving affection so openly—especially in front of Kuze. She opened her mouth to protest, but the words didn’t come out as Masha continued to gently stroke her hair.

Kuze watched the whole scene unfold with quiet amusement, his usual laid-back demeanor masking the laughter building inside him. Ah, classic Masha, he thought to himself, she does this all the time. He couldn’t help but recall the times he had been on the receiving end of Masha’s affectionate displays. It always felt like she had a sixth sense for knowing when someone needed comfort—or just to mess with them.

Honestly, Kuze mused, if it wasn’t Aliya, it could’ve easily been me in that spot. He smirked at the thought, grateful to not be the one getting the full Masha treatment this time.

Aliya, however, was less amused. Realizing what was happening, she shifted uncomfortably in Masha’s embrace. Her eyes flicked toward Kuze, who was standing nearby with a grin that quickly vanished the moment their eyes met.

He tried—really tried—not to laugh, but his expression betrayed him, and Aliya could tell he had been enjoying the spectacle.

Oh no... Aliya’s heart raced. She could feel her cheeks heating up, the flustered sensation spreading across her face. Why is he looking? Why did I look at him? She quickly averted her gaze, trying to maintain her composure.

“W-Will you stop it already, Masha?!”

Aliya finally managed to sputter out, pushing her sister away with all the flustered energy of someone caught off guard. She gave Masha a half-scolding glare, even though her embarrassment was mostly directed at herself.

Masha, ever the playful older sister, smiled sweetly.

“Oh, don’t be so shy, Aliya-chan! You’re cute when you’re like this.”

She ruffled Aliya’s hair one last time for good measure, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

Aliya shot a quick glance back at Kuze, hoping he hadn’t noticed just how red her face had gotten, but it was too late. Kuze had already seen it all. His eyes met hers briefly, and he immediately pretended to look somewhere else, whistling nonchalantly as if he hadn’t been watching the entire interaction with great interest.

Ugh, why does he always have to be here for things like this? The thought frustrated her, but it also stirred something else—a feeling she was not about to acknowledge out loud.

It wasn’t strange for Masha for doing something like this. Especially, since rest of the members hadn’t arrived yet. Masha herself would be clearly a bit embarrassed in doing those things in front of others.

Strangely, she didn’t seem to mind Kuze’s presence as she fussed over her younger sister.