Sunlight flowed through the classroom windows, revealing motes of dust that floated lazily in the warm air. The low murmur of students chatting and the sound of the teacher writing on the board filled the room.
Haruya stretched in his seat, blinking against the brightness. His nap had been short but heavy, leaving him slightly dazed as he stretched and rubbed his sleepy eyes.
Around him, classmates whispered to one another or bent over their books, completely absorbed in their own worlds.
Scratching his chin, he looked around the room and observed his surroundings for a while.
He let out a soft sigh, leaning back just a little, listening to the quiet rhythm of the room.
For a moment, it felt like nothing mattered beyond the slow ticking of the clock and the lazy warmth of the sun.
Then, someone giggled nearby, a cheerful sound beside him that made him turn his head. Haruya smiled faintly at the person.
"How was your nap, Haruya-kun?"
A girl with short, purple hair stared at him. Her head leaned on the table as she held the side of her chin.
Her eyes seemed to sparkle brightly with every blink, seemingly due to the innocence of a child.
"As good as any afternoon naps could be. I might do it again tomorrow, too. Wanna join me, Nagisa?" Haruya replied, showing a playful grin at the girl.
"Mou~! You're gonna be slacking again!" Nagisa Kubo puffed her cheeks.
Haruya raised his hands in surrender and laughed.
"Alright, alright. I won't do it tomorrow. But you do know I'm still able to maintain my position as top of the class, right?"
Nagisa crossed her arms, leaning back slightly. "Hmph! We'll see about that. You better not slack off too much, Haruya-kun."
Haruya chuckled, resting his chin on his hands. "Don't worry, I've got it all under control."
Nagisa tilted her head, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Someday, I'll definitely replace you as the top of the class!"
"Hey!" Haruya laughed again, raising both hands. "Aren't you still relying on me to teach you math? Are you sure you wanna say that now?"
The two of them continued their quiet back-and-forth, voices low enough to be barely noticed over the classroom murmur—but not quite quiet enough.
"Alright, that's enough," the teacher's voice suddenly cut through, sharp but calm. Both Haruya and Nagisa froze, glancing up at the front of the classroom.
Haruya shifted in his seat as the teacher stared at them both with eyebrows raised. "Sumeragi Haruya, Kubo Nagisa, I think you two have plenty of time to chat after class. How about you focus on the board for now?"
The rest of the class laughed.
Nagisa huffed softly, cheeks puffed, but gave a small nod. Haruya grinned sheepishly, sinking slightly in his seat as the teacher moved on.
Once the coast was clear, Haruya leaned slightly toward Nagisa again and whispered, "Guess we'll have to plan our next nap chat more carefully…"
Nagisa hummed quietly, shaking her head, but her eyes twinkled like she stared at Haruya's side profile.
After Class.
The school bell had finally rang just as the teacher, Takuomi-sensei, had put down his book.
"Alright then, class is over. Please make sure not to linger around and head straight home. I'll see you all tomorrow."
He walked straight to the exit and left.
Students soon started to stand up from their seats and take their bags from beside the desk, immediately packing their things.
Like a dragon reawakened, Haruya stretched his arms wide.
"Haaa, class is finally over. A few more days before our winter break. I can't wait for Christmas!"
Nagisa, who was beside him packing her stuff, heard his remark.
"Are you looking forward to doing anything special this Christmas, Haruya-kun?"
"Nothing in particular, I just enjoy walking around the city and feeling the vibe. How about you? Any plans for the holiday with your family, Nagisa-san?"
Nagisa shrugged lightly, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Not really. Probably just staying home and helping out with some chores... and maybe baking something with Akina nee-san." She gave a small smile.
Haruya grinned. "That sounds nice. I guess I'll also try baking with my mom. After all, she's been nagging me lately about learning her skills. Although I do admit that she definitely makes the best cakes."
Nagisa smiled softly. "You always think about food, don't you, Haruya-kun?"
"Well…" Haruya leaned his face close to Nagisa, pretending to ponder seriously. "It's an important part of the holiday experience. Don't tell me you don't get excited for sweets either."
Nagisa's cheeks tinted faintly pink. "I... do like them," she admitted quietly, averting her gaze for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "But only a little."
Haruya laughed quietly. "Only a little, huh? You should come over sometimes. I'm sure my mom's pastry will make you feel like you're in heaven."
She hummed in response, smiling faintly, looking outside the classroom window and back towards Haruya.
"Sure!"
"Then let's head home."
The two put on their coats and walked out of the classroom together, their footsteps echoing softly in the hallway as the chatter of other students surrounded them.
Outside, the cold wind of the coming winter made Nagisa shiver a little.
"Is it cold? Here, luckily, I brought my scarf."
Haruya brought out a scarf from the side of his bag and wrapped it around Nagisa's neck.
"Unfortunately, I didn't bring any winter gloves. Make sure to put your hands inside the pockets of your coat for now," Haruya spoke as he adjusted the scarf.
"Aren't you also cold, Haruya-kun?"
Nagisa looked up to the boy's gentle face.
She reached out to his hand and held it to try to feel its temperature.
Surprisingly, the cold hand she was expecting to touch was quite the opposite.
'It's so warm...'
"Warm, isn't it?"
"I have pretty good adaptability, so the cold weather doesn't affect me too much."
Haruya chuckled and reached out his other hand for her to feel as well.
Before Nagisa could react, Haruya started to walk forward with her hand in his.
"Let's go home. It gets dark faster during the winter season, so we shouldn't linger around too long," Haruya added. "You can just hold on to me for now; your hand is pretty cold, so let me at least warm it up."
Nagisa was a bit shy about this situation, but said nothing else. She and Haruya had been close friends for years, ever since he transferred to her school.
They had always ended up as seatmates and got close with each other naturally.
At first, she was a motivated student and wanted to be just like her older sister; however, studying didn't seem to come as easily to her as it should. It all changed when Haruya came and started to teach her himself.
As playful and lazy as he first might seem, Nagisa had never met someone her age as smart and clever as he. She had always been grateful for him and thought of him as her closest friend.
Although it's a bit unknown whether that friendship will bud into something else completely...
While Nagisa was having her own inner monologue, Haruya was having his own as well.
'Good adaptability, huh. I'd say it's probably more than good.'
Haruya stared at the screen that only he could see in front of him.
There was not much written, to be exact, but it made his young blood boil from excitement every time he looked at it.
[Adaptability - Level 1]
Haruya's eyes flicked to the small screen, the faint glow catching his attention. Every time he saw it, a quiet thrill ran through him, making ordinary days feel a little different.
It had appeared three years ago, out of nowhere, when he was just settling into his new school. Adaptability helped him adjust faster than most kids, like learning new lessons, understanding tricky problems, and even noticing subtle hints from teachers.
Level 1 meant it wasn't perfect; he still had to study and practice. But it made things smoother, like a secret helper tucked in his mind.
He didn't obsess over it and just enjoyed the convenience, the cool little edge it gave him.
Although he had no idea how to improve its level, he didn't really care too much. It could stay level 1 forever and still give him a crazy advantage over anyone.
The two children walked together for a while until eventually reaching a fork in the road.
Haruya turned to Nagisa and shook her hand playfully.
"This is as far as it gets. Unfortunately, we don't live in the same area, but at least we're quite close to each other. Do you want me to accompany you back?"
Nagisa shook her head. "It's okay, I'll take it from here. Thank you Haruya-kun."
Haruya rotated his arm and struck a thumbs-up pose.
"No problem, Nagisa-san. Get home safely, I'll see you tomorrow!"
The girl smiled and said, "You too!"
The two waved each other goodbye and went their separate ways back to their homes.
After a couple more minutes of walking, Haruya had finally reached his home.
In front of him was a small manor, with dark wooden walls and wide windows catching the last rays of the winter sun.
A small fountain bubbled quietly in the garden, surrounded by neatly trimmed shrubs.
As soon as he approached, the front doors swung open, and two maids greeted him with polite smiles. "Welcome home, Haruya-sama," they said in unison, holding the doors open for him.
Haruya stepped inside, the warmth immediately washing over him. The foyer stretched wide, leading to a cozy living room with soft sofas, a bookshelf, and a piano tucked in the corner.
He leaned in a bit as he smelled something that was seemingly trying to lure him into the kitchen.
With a smile, he walked inside and saw a beautiful brown-haired woman wearing an apron discussing something with another maid while cooking.
Seeing this, Haruya walked over with a bright smile.
"I'm home, Mom!"