---
The soft glow of the sunrise crept into the room. A clock on the nightstand blinked before letting out a robotic voice:
"Wake up. Wake up."
Suddenly, a memory flashed.
A group of children stood beneath a cherry blossom tree. One boy stepped forward and raised his pinky.
"Let's make a promise," he said. "We'll be best friends forever."
The others grinned and raised their pinkies.
"Yeah!" they all shouted, linking fingers.
Back in the present, the clock blared louder:
"WAKE UP."
A boy opened his eyes. He slowly sat up in bed, looked around the silent room, and sighed.
"…I'm still alive."
He stood, walked over to his desk, and glanced at the calendar.
"Is it that day already…" he muttered.
He got dressed in silence.
My name is Kiro Tsukihara. Just a normal high school student. Nothing special.
He slung his bag over his shoulder, opened the door, and stepped outside.
As he walked through the streets, people passed by, chatting with their friends.
"Did you watch that show last night?"
"Yeah! It was crazy!"
Kiro kept walking, hands buried in his pockets, head down, not saying a word.
When he arrived at the school gates, the building loomed over him. Inside, students bustled around.
"Join our club!"
"No, join ours!"
Kiro walked past them all without a glance.
Down the hallway, he stopped in front of a classroom door.
This is my class, huh...
He sighed, opened the door, and stepped in.
Most of the seats were empty—except one.
At the back of the room, a girl with long black hair sat silently, reading a book.
Kiro paused for a moment, then sighed.
At least I'm not the only one here early.
He walked to the back, dropped his bag, and sat beside her.
The girl looked up at him and frowned.
"Why sit here? There are plenty of empty seats."
Kiro laid his head on the desk, one eye barely open.
"…To be alone. Where no one notices me."
He closed his eye.
"And so I can sleep."
The girl looked startled, then glanced away, whispering,
"You're just like the others…"
Kiro peeked at her. "What's your reason for sitting back here?"
"…To be alone," she answered softly, then returned to her book.
Moments later, the bell rang.
Students began pouring in, chattering loudly.
"Did you see that movie?"
"Yeah, it was so good!"
Kiro ignored them, face buried in his arms.
Suddenly, the teacher walked in and shouted, "Sit down! We're starting!"
No one listened.
He slammed a ruler against the board.
"I SAID SIT!"
Everyone went quiet and took their seats.
One boy muttered, "Man, I thought our homeroom teacher would be a lady…"
The teacher raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
The boy laughed nervously. "N-no, sir."
The teacher smiled slightly.
"My name is Reiji Kazenari."
He wrote it on the board.
"Before I go over the school rules, let's do introductions."
A tall boy stood up confidently.
"My name is Riven Kurogane. I'm planning to join the soccer club."
Students clapped.
Kiro peeked through his arms.
He's probably going to be the leader type.
Next, a stylish girl stood up, one hand on her hip.
"Sarina Amagirl," she said proudly.
Popular girl. The others will probably follow her, Kiro thought. She might be useful.
More students introduced themselves.
Kiro kept his eyes closed.
When the bell rang, he yawned and stretched.
The girl beside him glared.
"I can't believe you slept through class AND missed the school rules. Useless."
Kiro chuckled. "So, what did I miss?"
She sighed. "You don't even know my name…"
She stood up, frustrated.
"My name is Yuki Aokami. And don't forget it!"
Kiro blinked. "Right… I'm Kiro Tsukihara."
He stood as well.
Yuki crossed her arms.
"The school rules say we all start with 1,000 points, given by the government. You can spend them on food, items… even powers. But if your points hit zero, you're expelled—and no school will take you after that."
Kiro raised an eyebrow. "Wait… powers?"
Yuki pulled out a sleek phone.
"Here. The teacher said I had to give this to you since you were sleeping."
She handed it to him and turned away.
Kiro turned it on. A holographic screen lit up. His profile appeared.
Points: 1,000
Ability: Immortal
Kiro stared.
"Immortal…?"
His heart sank.
"…That means I can't die?"
His eyes widened.
"No… no… I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to live forever…"
Yuki waved her hand in front of him. "Hey! You still there?"
He shook his head. "Yeah… Thanks."
He turned to leave.
But Yuki stood up.
"Wait."
Kiro stopped.
"You're joining my club."
"Huh? Why?"
"You owe me for explaining all that," Yuki said, arms folded. "And besides… you're the only one who hasn't spent any points yet. Maybe I still have a chance."
Kiro stared at her, then sighed.
"Fine."
Yuki smiled faintly and led the way.
Kiro followed with his hands in his pockets.
Damn… I hate my life.
They arrived at a dusty club room. Yuki opened the door—
A broom fell.
Inside, the room was mostly empty, just a table and a few chairs.
"This is perfect," Yuki said, walking in and taking a seat.
Kiro sat across from her and sighed.
"Not bad."
"So," he asked, "what's your ability?"
Yuki narrowed her eyes. "Why should I tell you?"
Kiro shrugged.
"Seems fair. You saw mine."
Yuki looked surprised.
"You figured it out that quickly…"
She looked down.
"Fine. My ability is… I can block any ability."
Kiro raised an eyebrow. "That's a strong one."
Yuki turned away.
Kiro looked around the room.
"This school is messed up. I have to play these games just to survive… And if I fail…"
Another flashback.
A dark room. Cold and empty. Kiro sat across from an AI, playing chess.
A voice echoed in the darkness—his father's voice.
"My son is always one step ahead. My masterpiece. One day, the world will see my genius."
Kiro stared forward with hollow eyes.
---
To be continued...
---