Morning light filtered through the classroom windows, the air carrying a faint smell of chalk and disinfectant. Tetsuo sat at his desk, his pencil unmoving over the half-finished notes. His gaze drifted ahead, but his focus wasn't on the lesson. Thoughts of Tomoe sat in his mind like an unshakable presence. The soft shuffle of papers and the low hum of voices blurred into the background.
"Tetsuo, are you doing okay?" Hayami asked.
There was a pause. Tetsuo blinked once and turned his head slightly. "Tetsuo, are you hearing me?"
"Oh, yes. I'm doing just fine. I just dozed off a bit," he replied in a flat tone.
"Okay, if you say so. Be sure you're getting enough sleep."
"Yes, I'm sleeping well." He returned his gaze to the front without expression.
Sachiko, seated nearby, watched him quietly. Her brows knit together, her lips pressed in a thin line. When he looked away, her gaze lingered, the worry unspoken.
The bell rang sharply. The scraping of chairs and chatter filled the room. Tetsuo stood, moving to the door with quick, measured steps.
"Come on, dude, again with this crap? Where are you even running off to every day?" said Noboru, annoyed.
"Behind him, a chair scraped against the floor, and hurried footsteps followed. "Come on, dude, again with this crap? Where are you even running off to every day?" Noboru's annoyed voice cut through the hallway noise.
Tetsuo stopped briefly. The faint echo of other students' chatter filled the corridor. "Aren't I free to go wherever I want on my break? Why do I have to sit and eat lunch with you?" His tone held no edge.
"Well, it's because we are a team, goddammit. We have to strengthen our bond to better improve our teamwork," Noboru shot back.
"Stop it, Noboru, he does have a point. If it's his choice, there's nothing you can do about it, and plus, sticking around someone like you is a total pain," said Makoto as he ate his lunch.
"Noboru turned sharply, fists clenching. "What did you say?!"
Makoto finally looked up, calm but cold.
"Can you take your nonsense elsewhere? Can't you see that I'm eating?"
Naomi let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head. "Honestly, Noboru, you pick a fight with everyone. One day, someone's going to teach you a lesson."
Sachiko kept her eyes on Tetsuo's retreating figure. "Naomi… is it just me, or is Tetsuo acting strange today?"
"Not really," Naomi replied, arching an eyebrow. "But you seem worried. Could it be you like him?" Her tone carried a teasing lilt.
"That's not it," Sachiko said quickly. "He just seems… more distant than usual."
Tetsuo ignored their words. His steps were steady, his breathing calm as he moved through the corridors. He opened the literature clubroom door. The hinges creaked lightly. Inside, the room was empty. The faint smell of old paper was gone, the shelves bare.
"I thought as much," he muttered, voice low and steady.
He turned and walked toward Class 2-O. Inside, students sat in small groups, some whispering, some glancing his way. Their eyes followed him, sharp and mocking.
"Poor kid," a boy whispered, leaning toward his friend. "He doesn't know she's got a leash around his neck."
A girl sitting nearby smirked. "To think she managed to trap a basketball team member… the famous shooting guard, no less. They say she ruined her brother's future. That girl's cursed."
Tetsuo's gaze swept the room without reacting. He didn't see Tomoe, but he did spot Liam standing near a desk, talking to a girl.
"Your skin is so smooth," Liam said, running his fingers along the girl's arm. "What do you use? It's beautiful."
Stay away from me, creep!" she shouted as she slapped him in the face. "Cut Liam some slack, Ume. He's only being nice, and where he came from, that wasn't a boundary," said another girl.
The girl recoiled, her face twisting. "Stay away from me, creep!" She slapped his hand aside.
Another girl nearby tried to smooth the tension. "Cut him some slack, Ume. He's just being nice. Where he's from, it's not a big deal."
"I don't care," Ume snapped. "It's still weird."
Liam leaned forward, smiling in a way that made the girl flinch. "Oh, come on. Share your secrets."he towered above the girl and smiled, causing her to stagger backward in fear.
"Liam," Tetsuo said evenly.
Liam turned, surprise flickering for a moment before his usual grin returned. "Oh, Tetsuo! What's up? What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Tomoe Yukimura. Did she come to school today?"
"Yes," Liam said, nodding. "She's in the library now, arranging her books."
"Thanks."
As Tetsuo turned to leave, another voice came from nearby. "I didn't know you knew Tomoe," Hayato said.
Tetsuo stopped and glanced back. "Do you know her personally?"
Hayato shook his head slightly. "Not really, I've never spoken with her that much, so I can't say I know her. I missed a lot after I got injured. But… her older brother, Hiroki Yukimura, was on the basketball team. He played small forward. He was on another level entirely."
"I see." Without another word, Tetsuo walked out.
The library smelled faintly of polished wood and paper. A thin layer of dust caught the light near the windows. The room was quiet except for the soft shuffle of pages. Students at nearby tables watched him enter, their whispers low but sharp.
"Tomoe," he said, voice low and steady.
She looked up briefly, then back to the book. "Oh. It's you, Tetsuo." She avoided his eyes.
"Why is the club vacant? I thought you wanted to revive it."
"Well… you see…" Her voice wavered slightly, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with unsteady fingers.
"I… voluntarily disbanded the club," she said, pausing briefly as if the words felt heavy. "There was no point in it anyway… no one would join."
Her gaze dropped to the neatly arranged shelves. "So… my books are all here," she murmured quietly, "placed on these specific shelves…" She gave one a light tap.
"…so I can come here whenever I please," she finished, her lips pressing together, "to read… in silence."
"That's what I thought. However, the stares I'm getting from those students… make me feel really uncomfortable," Tomoe said softly. Her fingers tightened around the edges of her book, and with a slight shake in her hands, she lifted it to hide her face.
"Then, if that's the case and you don't feel comfortable here," Tetsuo said flatly, his expression unreadable, "why don't you come over to the basketball court instead? You could read there during lunch or after school. And… you can watch us play too."
He paused briefly, his gaze steady but without warmth. "I can't promise none of them will bother you or make you uncomfortable, but they're all good people at heart. You'd get along with them just fine. Plus, it's better than staying here, where they're constantly staring and mumbling your name."
Tomoe blinked, her shoulders easing slightly. "You're right…" she said softly. "Since you say they're good people, I'll come there after school every day to read, then."
A faint, tentative smile appeared on her face.
The final bell rang. Students gathered their things. Noboru stretched as he stood. "Finally! I thought class would never end. Time to shoot some hoops."
Shino followed, his movements quiet, precise. "Yes. I'm looking forward to training."
Makoto yawned, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Nanaho's training is going to kill me. I might have to skip class just to recover."
"You should be smart like me," Noboru said smugly. "I stayed awake the whole class. Take your education seriously."
Makoto gave him a bored look. "Says the guy who can't remember a single formula."
Noboru stiffened. "Say that again!"
Shino stepped between them. "He's not wrong, Noboru. Don't get so worked up."
"What? Shut up, amateur. I wasn't talking to you." Noboru's voice turned sharp.
"Hey, didn't you stop calling me that?"
" Wait—where's Tetsuo?" Noboru glanced around. "He already left? Is he that eager for training?"
"Or maybe he just wants to get away from the noise you're making," Makoto muttered.
"Don't make me kill you," Noboru growled.
Meanwhile, in her classroom, Tomoe sat rigid as whispers filled the room. The sharp glances and quiet laughter pressed on her like weight. She lowered her head to the desk, hiding her face.
Then the door slid open. Tetsuo walked in. He didn't speak. He simply took her hand and guided her out.
At the basketball court, the echo of sneakers on the polished wood and the faint scent of varnish greeted them.
"Tomoe," he said, his tone flat. "Don't let what they say get to you. We know it isn't true."
"Yes," she whispered. "I'll… try to stay strong."
Near the court, Nanaho clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone's here." She glanced around. "Wait—where's Tetsuo? Has anyone seen him?"
"He left before us," Noboru replied.
"Then we'll start without him," Yukio said. "Oh, look. There he is."
Hayato blinked. "And he's with Yukimura…"
Tetsuo led Tomoe to the bench. "You can sit here," he said.
"Thank you," she replied softly.
Noboru stared, confused. "Where the hell have you been? We've been waiting ten minutes. And who's that beautiful girl?"
"That's Tomoe Yukimura," Nanaho said. "Hiroki's younger sister."
"I thought so," Tetsuo said evenly. "Then you know the rumors too."
Nanaho nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. It's one of the hottest topics among the older students. But they're lies. They were made to destroy her reputation."
"I'm confused," Noboru muttered.
"Don't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong," Nanaho said sharply.
"She'll stay here after school to read. She won't distract anyone," Tetsuo said.
"That's fine," Nanaho said with a small smile. "She's welcome anytime."
Liam walked over, curiosity in his eyes. "Wow, she's really cute now that I can see her up close." He reached out and touched her cheek.
Tomoe froze. Her fingers stiffened around the edges of her book, the paper crinkling slightly under her grip. A faint tremor ran through her shoulders as her breathing grew shallow. Her gaze flicked away, unfocused, landing somewhere on the floor as if searching for an escape.
For an instant, her mind flickered to a memory she didn't want—a hand reaching toward her face, a voice she once trusted twisting into something threatening, the weight of realization that she wasn't safe. Her stomach tightened.
"Liam," Tetsuo said, his tone level but firm. "Don't do that."
Liam blinked, then withdrew his hand. "Oh. Sorry." His smile softened, but the awkwardness lingered in the air.
Noboru muttered under his breath, "He may be foreign, but damn, give her some space."
Tomoe's grip on the book tightened further, her knuckles paling. A cold sweat prickled the back of her neck, and her shoulders hunched inward as though she wanted to make herself smaller, less noticeable. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out—just a soft exhale that trembled with unease.