Scene 1
Haruto stood outside the academy gates, a small bag slung over his shoulder. His whole body trembled nervously as he muttered under his breath.
"Ugh, seriously… they told me to come early, but they're the ones who are late. They didn't even tell me where to sit or what to do once I got here."
A stern voice broke his thoughts. "Hey, kid! What are you doing out here? Go inside already. Are you new? I've never seen you before."
Haruto turned, scratching his head with an awkward smile. The man was an academy gatekeeper—an older-looking guard with simple clothes, no weapon, and a strict but not unfriendly presence.
"Y-Yeah, I just got here," Haruto said. "Could you tell me where I'm supposed to go?"
The guard frowned. "Alright then, tell me—what class are you in?"
"I don't know… I was just told to come here, so… here I am."
Looking at you, I'd say you'll probably be in the lowest class. Come along, I'll show you"
He gestured for Haruto to follow, leading him through the academy gates. Beyond the entrance lay a wide training ground, alive with activity. A stone path stretched straight toward the main academy building. Around the path, students were busy practicing—not fighting, but training their control over various magics.
Haruto lifted his gaze nervously, his eyes darting left and right at the sight of students showing off their abilities. His throat tightened.
The guard noticed. "What's wrong? Why're you so nervous?"
Haruto shook his head quickly. "N-No, it's nothing… It's just my first day, so I feel a little nervous."
Then, almost hesitantly, he asked, "By the way… do you know Reina and Naoki? Where are they?"
The guard let out a laugh. "Hah! Reina and Naoki? Those two troublemakers? Naoki's been annoying the entire academy, and Reina's not much better. They're always late."
Haruto scratched his cheek awkwardly. "…And Renzaki? Doesn't he come here?"
"Oh, Renzaki. He's a talented one, but he skips more classes than he attends. Shows up only when he feels like it. Honestly, he probably won't even talk to you unless you prove you're strong."
The two of them finally reached the main academy hall. It wasn't too tall—just a solid, two-story structure with stone walls and broad doors at the front. The guard walked up a short flight of stairs with Haruto at his side, and together they stepped inside.
The noise inside grew louder: dozens of voices mixing, students chatting and laughing. Haruto's hands tightened on his bag strap, his nerves twisting again.
No one spared him a glance. Everyone was too busy talking with their own friends.
Which class am I supposed to be in…? There are so many classrooms here. Which one's mine? Haruto thought, glancing nervously at the rows of doors.
The guard stopped at last. "Here you go. This is your class—Class 1!" He clapped Haruto lightly on the shoulder, then turned away. "Well, I've got other things to do. Go on, kid. Enjoy your first day."
With that, he left.
Haruto exhaled slowly, relief washing over him as he peeked into the classroom. It was empty. His lips curled in a small smile as he stepped inside.
"Haaaahhh… Thank goodness no one's here. Now I can—"
His words froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened.
There, right in front of the blackboard, was… a huge inflatable swimming pool, filled to the brim with water. And inside it—half the class of boys, shirtless, splashing around like it was summer vacation.
One dove in with a loud splash. Another sat on the pool's edge, legs dangling in the water. A group threw water at each other, laughing loudly. One kid just leaned back against the inflatable wall, arms crossed like he was sunbathing.
Haruto froze in place, his face twitching as shock ran through him. It looked less like a classroom and more like a summer pool party.
A boy with glasses sat half-submerged, wiping droplets from his lenses in frustration. "Hey! Don't splash so much! My glasses keep fogging up—I can't see a thing!" His tone was flat, monotone, almost lifeless.
"…Seriously, who even wears glasses in a pool…" he muttered, sipping lazily from a coconut with a straw, his voice dragging like he could fall asleep any second.
A masked boy sitting nearby pointed silently toward the door with a simple finger gesture.
The coconut boy turned—and spotted Haruto standing frozen at the entrance. "Looks like we've got a new student." he muttered, voice dragging like he could barely be bothered.
Another boy, hair spiked in every direction, perked up with boundless energy. "Hey, new kid! Come join us! Teacher won't be here for a while anyway!"
Haruto laughed nervously, raising both hands. "N-No thanks. You guys enjoy yourselves. I'll just… sit here." He slipped onto a nearby desk, trying to stay out of attention.
Suddenly, the floor shook. A plump boy was climbing a staircase made of desks the students had stacked by the pool. The sight made everyone panic.
"Stop him! He'll kill us all!" the coconut boy shouted.
"Oh no, not again," the glasses kid groaned. "If he jumps, I'll have to clean my lenses again…"
The plump boy spread his arms wide—then leapt.
SPLAAAASH!
PWOOOOOOOSH!
The inflatable pool burst open with a deafening pop, water exploding everywhere. In an instant, the entire classroom was drenched, students tumbling over one another as the flood soaked every corner.
"MY COCONUT WATER!" The coconut boy howled, scrambling to his feet, his drink lost forever.
Haruto shielded his face as water sprayed over him. "Wha—!?"
The spiky-haired boy fell to his knees, tears streaming dramatically down his face. "Our beautiful pool… we worked so hard to find it… repaired it with our own hands… and now it's gone…"
The plump boy rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly. "Hey, at least I reminded you that the teacher's coming any minute now. You should thank me!" He quickly pulled on his uniform shirt.
Another boy, earrings glinting as light caught them, called out while yanking his own shirt from the window sill. "He's right! Hurry up and clean before the girls come in and rat us out!"
Haruto stood, holding up his hand timidly. "Should I… help too?"
The coconut boy pulled out a water bottle from his bag, stuck a straw in, and took a slow sip before replying lazily. "No need. This is our daily routine. You just got here—sit back."
But Haruto shook his head, already unzipping his bag and pulling out a clean cloth. "No, I want to help too. I'll clean with everyone."
The plump boy grinned and tossed him a mop. "Then here! Knock yourself out."
Buckets were dragged out, mops swished across the floor, the pool was folded up and shoved aside, and desks and chairs were quickly restored to neat rows. By the time they were done, the classroom looked perfectly normal again—except for one spot they had completely forgotten to clean.
Just in time.
The door swung open, and a group of girls walked in.
Immediately, the earrings boy jumped up, pointing at them furiously. "Where have you been!? Thanks to you, the teacher always scolds us for being late!"
A short-haired girl with tiny spikes in her hair snapped back, shouting, "Shut your mouth! You idiots were the ones wasting time—who put a swimming pool in here!?"
The two charged at each other.
"P-Please… d-don't fight…" a shy girl with a small ponytail whispered, clutching her hands to her chest. Her face burned red with embarrassment, her voice barely louder than a squeak.
Other girls sighed as they sat down "Sigh… those two started again."
Haruto sat hunched over, both hands clutching his head as he groaned inwardly. Seriously… after all those fights before, Sensei told me to rest and recover… and now I get this noise?
He pressed his forehead against his hands on the desk, shoulders slumping.
Then—SWISH!
A dart sliced cleanly through the air, flying between their faces. They froze mid-argument.
At the back of the class, a girl with a ribbon in her hair lowered her hand, smiling faintly. "Be quiet. You're giving me a headache." Her smile lingered a little too long, a little too sharp—unnervingly eerie.
"E-Eek!" The ponytail girl tugged the spiky-haired girl's foot from below, trembling. "P-Please, stop already!"
The spiky-haired girl snapped her head toward the ribbon girl, pointing an accusing finger. "You think you run this class just because you're the oldest? Don't forget—it was your idea to drag us all outside!"
Before the argument could escalate, the energetic spiky-haired boy shouted, "Quiet down! Teacher's coming!"
Everyone scrambled back to their seats, acting perfectly innocent.
Haruto straightened, forcing a calm face.
And then—
Step.
A foot entered the classroom, ripples of water spreading from the puddles left behind.
The room fell silent. Goosebumps prickled Haruto's arms, his eyes widening as a suffocating aura filled the air.
The teacher's shadow stretched long across the floor.
But just as the tension peaked, his second step slipped on the wet surface—
THUD!
The teacher fell flat into the puddle with a heavy crash.
The entire class froze in stunned silence.