Outside, the courtyard shimmered under the morning sun. The air smelled faintly of sakura petals drifting from the trees, covering the stone path like pale confetti.
A crowd gathered near the bulletin boards where class assignments were posted. Kaito leaned closer, scanning the names.
"Class 1-A… you're here too."
Ren glanced over. "Figures."
"Lucky you," Kaito said with a quiet chuckle. "Another year of my company."
Ren gave a small sound that could've been agreement—or resignation. "Right."
They walked toward the classroom building, the hallways alive with first-day energy. Groups of students chatted, some shyly, some already forming small circles.
They made their way through the corridor. The floors gleamed, the air smelled faintly of disinfectant and sakura petals drifting from open windows. Students filled the hallway — some exchanging introductions, others already forming groups.
"You can feel it, huh?" Kaito said quietly. "Everyone trying to figure out where they fit."
Ren's eyes followed a few students ahead. "They'll stop pretending soon enough."
Kaito smiled faintly. "You always say things like that."
When they reached Class 1-A, a few students were already inside, arranging desks and chatting. The sunlight fell perfectly across the polished floor, scattering warm glints of gold over the rows of new uniforms.
Kaito took the seat beside the window, tossing his bag on the desk. Ren sat next to him, resting his arm on the chair and looking outside — quiet, unreadable.
The room slowly filled with new faces. Voices mixed — laughter, introductions, awkward greetings.
Then, a tall boy with neatly combed brown hair walked in, his smile as bright as the morning.
"Hey, hey! Looks like everyone's still quiet," the boy said cheerfully. "Name's Shun Takeda — let's get along, okay?"
He greeted everyone with easy confidence, stopping at each row to introduce himself. When he reached Ren and Kaito's seats, he grinned.
"You two look chill. Mind if I join your side of the room?"
Kaito returned the smile. "Sure thing. I'm Kaito Fujimoto, and this guy—" He gestured toward Ren. "—is Hayashi Ren. Don't mind his silence, he's not ignoring you. That's just how he is."
Shun laughed lightly. "Cool, cool. I'll take that as a challenge to make him talk at least once today."
Ren glanced up, his expression calm. "That sounds unnecessary."
Shun blinked, then grinned wider. "Okay, that's once already. Progress."
Kaito chuckled. "You're good at this."
The lighthearted mood continued until the door slid open again.
Two girls stepped inside — one with long black hair and serene eyes, the other with short brown hair and a cheerful smile.
"Oh! It's Sakuragi Mei and Yui Tanaka, right?" someone whispered.
Yui waved enthusiastically. "Yup! That's us!" She scanned the room and pointed. "Hey, there's an empty spot beside the window! Let's sit there, Mei!"
Mei gave a small nod, her movements graceful and quiet. She sat a few rows ahead of Ren, while Yui immediately started chatting with nearby classmates.
Kaito leaned back, whispering, "That girl's got more energy than half the class combined."
Ren's gaze flicked briefly toward Mei, who was neatly arranging her pens. She felt the glance and looked up for a second — their eyes met, calm and wordless, before she looked away.
Before the quiet could linger, Yui turned around brightly.
"Hey, you guys seem cool! I'm Yui, and this is Mei!"
Kaito smiled. "Fujimoto Kaito. And the guy beside me—"
Ren interrupted softly, "Hayashi Ren."
Yui grinned. "Nice to meet you, Hayashi-kun! You're the calm type, huh?"
Ren didn't respond, just gave a polite nod.
Shun, now leaning back in his chair, laughed. "See? I told you he's not much of a talker."
"I like that," Yui said without hesitation. "Quiet people usually notice things others don't."
Ren's eyes shifted to her — not with surprise, but slight interest.
Before the conversation could continue, the classroom door slid open once more, and a woman stepped inside — her posture straight, her expression composed yet approachable.
"Good morning, everyone," she said with a polite smile. "Welcome to Seiryu High. I'm your homeroom teacher, Ms. Ayaka Sato. I'll be in charge of Class 1-A this year."
Her voice carried a calm authority — not too strict, but firm enough to quiet the room immediately.
"Let's start the day by introducing ourselves," she continued, placing her attendance sheet on the desk. "Tell us your name, where you're from, and something you'd like to achieve this year. Don't worry, I don't bite."
A few students chuckled nervously.
The first few went by quickly — some stiff, others trying too hard to sound friendly. Then, a tall student with neatly parted hair and a serious expression stood up.
"I'm Ayanami Riku, from Setagaya. I like organizing things and… keeping things in order, I guess. I'll do my best to help the class if anyone needs it."
He bowed slightly before sitting down.
Ms. Sato smiled. "Ayanami-kun, you sound dependable already. Maybe we've found our future class representative."
A few murmurs of agreement followed. Riku adjusted his glasses modestly, clearly the responsible type.
The introductions continued, the tension slowly easing.
Then it was Yui Tanaka's turn.
She stood up energetically, waving her hand.
"I'm Yui Tanaka, from Nerima. I like photography and sweets! I'll probably end up taking pictures of all of you eventually, so please smile when you see me!"
The class laughed lightly, her cheerful energy contagious.
Ms. Sato chuckled. "Thank you, Tanaka-san. I can already tell you'll be the life of this class."
Next, Sakuragi Mei rose quietly from her seat. Her posture was straight, her voice calm and steady.
"I'm Sakuragi Mei, also from Nerima. I like reading and observing things around me. I hope to learn more about people this year."
Ms. Sato nodded thoughtfully.
"Ah, Sakuragi-san — our number two scorer in the entrance exams. Congratulations, that's quite an achievement."
The class murmured in quiet awe. Mei bowed slightly, her expression modest.
"Thank you, Sensei," she said softly before sitting down.
Yui leaned over with a teasing grin. "Nice, Ms. Number 2 scorer-san."
Mei pouted and said, "Stop it, really!"
A few more students introduced themselves before it was Kaito's turn.
He stood casually, scratching the back of his head.
"Fujimoto Kaito, from Suginami. I like sketching, though I'm still learning. My goal is just to enjoy high school without making it too complicated."
His easy tone drew a few amused smiles.
Then, Ren Hayashi stood up beside him. His gaze was calm, his expression unreadable — but there was quiet composure in every movement.
"Hayashi Ren, from Suginami. I don't have much to say. I just plan to get through the year without regrets."
A brief silence followed — not awkward, but attentive.
Ms. Sato smiled lightly.
"Short and simple. For those who don't know, Hayashi-kun ranked third overall in the entrance exams. Congratulations, too."
Ren gave a polite nod and sat down without another word.
Kaito leaned slightly toward him and muttered, "You really have no idea how to stay out of the spotlight, do you?"
Ren didn't answer — his eyes just drifted toward the window, where sakura petals floated past.
Finally, Shun Takeda stood up. His voice was bright and confident.
"Takeda Shun, from Setagaya! I like sports, especially basketball. My goal? Make friends — and maybe beat some of you in grades while I'm at it."
Laughter spread again, easing the tone.
Ms. Sato smiled. "We'll see, Takeda-kun. Hard work first, bragging later."
And right after, another student rose with calm confidence and a grin.
"Fujimori Arata, from Setagaya as well. I like challenges — academic or otherwise. My goal? To make this class a little more interesting."
A few laughs followed, and someone whispered, "That's the top scorer, right?"
Ms. Sato nodded, amused. "Indeed. Our number one. I expect great things from you, Fujimori-kun."
Arata chuckled. "I'll try not to disappoint, Sensei. No promises, though."
With the introductions done, Ms. Sato clapped her hands lightly.
"Alright, Class 1-A. You've got quite the mix of personalities — talented, energetic, and maybe a little too relaxed."
Her eyes swept briefly over the room — from Mei's composed calm, to Ren's quiet detachment, to Yui's energy, to Riku's steady posture, to Arata's grin, and Shun's confident ease.
"Let's make this a good year. You might not realize it yet, but these faces around you — they'll be part of the story you remember someday."