“As you’re all aware, we’re entering the mandatory club suspension period starting today to prepare for next week's midterm exams. With the exception of a few clubs with upcoming tournaments, practice is prohibited. Go straight home and hit the books. These are your first regular exams in high school—the first major hurdle, you could say. Stumble now, and you'll be in for a world of hurt~”
Standing at the podium during the end-of-day homeroom, Mr. Azuma let a smirk tug at the corner of his mouth.
His threatening tone drew groans from all corners of the room, but since this was a college prep school with high entrance requirements, most of the students nodded with serious expressions.
Even for a student like me—someone firmly in the 'unmotivated' category—I wasn't about to blow my first set of exams. I owed it to my father and stepmother, who had allowed me to live on my own, to at least make a decent showing.
“It’s good to see you all so focused. Unlike the placement tests back in April, this time we’ll be releasing total scores and individual subject rankings. It’s a perfect chance to see where you truly stand. I’ll be putting a lot of effort into writing these questions, so look forward to them.”
That seemed to be the last of the announcements. Homeroom concluded with the monitor’s command to bow.
Some students scrambled to be the first out the door, while others gathered around their friends, smartphones in hand, to coordinate study plans.
“Hey, Haruka! Help me study! I’ll buy you Starbucks!”
“Ugh, again? You still haven't paid me back for the last quiz.”
“Gwah, you’re right! Okay, okay, let’s go to Starbucks right now! I’ll treat you for both times, and we can study while we’re there!”
“Haruka, could I join too? I’m really nervous about math…”
“Of course! But sorry, I actually have plans today. How about tomorrow? And Miki, don’t say ‘while we’re there.’ You really need to get into the habit of studying properly...”
“Oh, are you guys having a study session? I want in!” “Me too!” “Akase is seriously a goddess!”
“Hey, you guys! You’re just after Haruka! Get serious!”
“You’re one to talk, Miki! Honestly...”
The classroom grew quiet all at once as the most popular group in class, centered around a girl with flaxen hair, filtered out of the room.
At Nishikawa High, classrooms are available for self-study until 6:00 PM during the club suspension period, so a few students immediately began spreading out their textbooks.
I was one of them. I knew that if I tried to study in my apartment, I’d inevitably end up slacking off.
Just as I pulled my math textbook from my desk, Mr. Azuma called out to me.
“Yanagida. Got a second?”
“Me? ...Sure.”
When I walked up to the podium, I saw stacks of cases containing the school-issued tablets. One for every student in class. They’d been collected for maintenance this afternoon, but... I had a feeling I knew where this was going.
“Sorry to ask, but could you help me carry these to the faculty office? It’s a bit much for one person.”
“I don’t mind, but... isn’t forty units a bit much for two people, too?”
“I brought a cart, but I couldn't fit them all on it. I’ll take about eighty percent of them on here; I just need you to carry the rest.”
“...Understood.”
Ten tablets were still pretty heavy, but as a former athlete who still kept up with my training, I could handle it.
I shouldered the remaining tablets and walked down the hallway alongside the teacher as he pushed the cart. The corridors were mostly empty. As we walked, Mr. Azuma spoke up in a casual tone.
“How have things been lately, Yanagida? With your studies, or just school life in general?”
“Fine, I guess. ...You sound like my dad.”
“You’re living alone, right? Keeping an eye on things where parents can’t reach is part of the job.”
Mr. Azuma laughed heartily. There was a genuine sense of care for his students in his voice.
When I first moved out, I’d shared some of my "circumstances" with him shortly after enrollment. He’d kept in touch with my guardians and my old middle school teachers, and ever since, he’d been looking out for me in his own way.
I couldn't thank him enough. I truly thought he was a good man.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join a club? It’s only May; it’s not too late.”
“I thought about it, but I’ll pass. Joining with half-baked feelings would just be a nuisance to everyone else.”
“It’s just a club; I don’t think you need to take it so seriously. You’d probably make some friends if you joined.”
“...Maybe.”
I felt a twinge of guilt. His words were clearly born out of concern for my social standing.
It had been a month since I started high school. I—Tatsumi Yanagida—still hadn't made a single friend.
I was what people called a 'loner.' In Class 1-A, I was categorized as one of the gloomy kids, and I spent my days acting exactly like the label suggested. It wasn't that I was being bullied or shunned; I could talk normally during group projects, and people relayed information to me when necessary.
However, no one ever approached me just to chat. Not a single soul.
The fault likely lay with my own lack of initiative and poor social skills. Since the entrance ceremony, I hadn't made any effort to talk to my classmates. Because of my "circumstances," I’d moved here from far away, meaning I had zero acquaintances in my class—or even the entire grade.
While there were others in the same boat, they had the social flexibility to talk to people from day one and integrate themselves into the community. That was a feat beyond my capabilities.
Between my frame, which was a size larger than most guys my age, and my naturally sharp, intimidating eyes, I’d struggled to make friends since elementary school. I’d reached the age of sixteen without ever overcoming that hurdle.
Even the other guys who seemed bad at socializing usually managed to bond over shared hobbies like anime or games. Unfortunately, I wasn't familiar with those things, so joining them was difficult. In middle school, I’d been in a club, so I had at least a few people I could call friends... but without a catalyst like that, this was the result.
I didn't think I was particularly weak to solitude, but spending every lunch break sneaking off to some deserted corner to eat alone was starting to feel hollow.
“Hey now, don’t go getting that dark look on your face. If things are really tough, you need to tell me.”
“Sorry. I’m fine. Thank you, though...”
The teacher’s kindness stung. I felt like tears were about to prick my eyes.
By then, we’d reached the faculty office. I followed him inside and set the tablets down in their designated spot. Even though they were small, carrying a bunch of electronics at once had taken its toll.
I rubbed my slightly numb arms, thinking useless thoughts about how much easier this would be if they were the latest ultra-thin models, when Mr. Azuma handed me a can of coffee.
“Here, payment for the manual labor. It’s black; can you drink it?”
“Thanks. I don't mind black... but is it okay to give stuff like this to a student?”
“As long as I’m not handing you cash, it’s fine. Club advisors treat their kids to meals all the time, right? Just drink it somewhere private if you’re worried.”
“Fair point. I’ll take it, then.”
“Yeah. Thanks for the help; you were a lifesaver. I’ll be here until final dismissal, so come by if you need anything.”
A teacher’s shift was supposed to end at five, but final dismissal wasn't until seven. I felt a brief wave of sympathy for how grueling the profession could be.
I gave him a deep bow and left the office. As for a private place to drink... I figured my usual lunch spot would do.
The can was still cold from the fridge. I started walking, tossing the coffee between my palms.
“...Oh.”
I was about to head downstairs when a flash of flaxen hair caught my eye.
I recognized the girl descending from the floor above immediately. She was a celebrity at this school; there wasn't a single freshman who didn't know her name.
Haruka Akase was a genuine beauty.
With her silky semi-long hair and perfectly refined features, she looked like she had stepped straight out of a magazine. Her large eyes held a certain spark of defiance, yet when she smiled her infectious, friendly smile, she could captivate anyone regardless of gender.
Even through her uniform, her slender yet feminine curves were hard to miss, and there was a natural grace to every movement of her long limbs.
She was in my class, and she was the undisputed idol of our grade. On top of her looks, she was brilliant—rumor had it she’d nearly aced the entrance exam—and more athletic than average. Combine that with her impeccable communication skills, and she was in a league of her own.
I’d heard she was constantly being approached or asked out by upperclassmen and varsity aces. So far, the rumors said she’d rejected every single one of them. Despite her slightly flashy appearance, she was trusted by the teachers and served as our class representative.
She sat at the very top of the social hierarchy. To someone like me, she was essentially a celestial being—someone to be admired from a distance, never touched.
She usually treated everyone equally and would even greet someone like me with a smile. But right now... she had a look of utter distress on her face.
Just a few minutes ago, she’d been radiating charm as she left the classroom with her friends. Now, even though I was clearly in her line of sight, she didn't even glance my way.
It wasn't that I was being full of myself; it was just that she always gave me a friendly greeting whenever we crossed paths in the hall. Every time she did, I’d leave the encounter feeling disgusted by my own social anxiety because I could only manage a blunt nod in return.
As I stood there making excuses to myself, Akase disappeared down the stairs with a hurried, frantic pace, as if she were being chased.
“...”
I stood frozen, staring after her.
I felt like I’d seen that expression before. When was it? Whose face was I remembering?
Then it clicked. It was the face of my stepsister during the summer of my third year of middle school—the look she had when we first met.
It was the cornered look of a person drowning in a problem they couldn't solve, yet unable to ask anyone for help.
“...Dammit.”
Cursing under my breath, I took the stairs two at a time to follow her.
Akase and I were total strangers. We were just classmates; it was debatable if we even qualified as acquaintances. This could all be in my head. I might just be overreacting.
I had no idea what her situation was. Even if I found out, there was no guarantee a stranger like me could do anything. I might just make things worse.
Yet even as my brain listed all the reasons to stay away, my body was already moving.
I reached the first floor near the lockers, but Akase was nowhere to be seen. I considered checking the shoe lockers to see if she'd left, then winced at how creepy that would be.
Suddenly, a girl’s voice, sharp and bordering on a shriek, reached my ears.
“—I’m telling you to shut it!!”
“...That way.”
The voice was faint, but in the silence of the nearly empty building, it carried. It was coming from behind the school.
The area was tucked between the emergency exit, a storage shed, and the perimeter fence. It was structurally hidden from view and almost always deserted.
Angry shouts combined with Akase’s distressed expression... my mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario. I hurriedly swapped my shoes and ran outside.
“...I’m saying you shouldn't get too ahead of yourself. Do you understand? Playing the perfect little honor student just to flirt with all the guys?”
“I’m not doing that. I didn't...”
“Hmph. Whatever. But rumors spread fast, you know? And we heard something very interesting.”
“Interesting...?”
When I rounded the corner, I found Akase with her back against the storage shed, surrounded by three girls.
I recognized them. They were the popular girls from our class—arrogant, typical "mean girl" types. The leader was Makabe, followed by her shadows, Morita and Ito.
They were high up the social ladder, too, but they didn't hold a candle to Akase. They clearly hated how much the boys liked her. I’d seen them make snide remarks to her before, only for Akase to brush them off with a smile.
So far, it didn't look like things had turned physical. Akase was trying to stay composed, but her expression was strained. She looked terrified, but strangely, it didn't seem to be the girls themselves she was afraid of.
As I hesitated, unsure of whether to step in, Morita pulled out her phone and shoved the screen in Akase’s face.
Akase’s entire demeanor shattered.
Her face went pale, and she stared at the screen with such intensity she might have burned a hole through it. Her lips trembled as she tried to find words that wouldn't come, and her whole body began to shake.
I was still reeling from the sudden change when Makabe’s next words hit me like a physical blow.
“Morita’s boyfriend went to Maki Junior High. He’s the one who told us. You were a bullied little shut-in back in middle school, weren't you?”
“...!”
“This is your middle school photo... You look like a different person. Is this what they call a 'high school debut'? God, what a hideous face. You don’t have to be so scared, though. Just... you know, if you do a little favor for us—”
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“!?”
Before I realized it, I had stepped out into the open.
My body was acting on its own again. Is this a poltergeist? I joked to myself, my mind weirdly detached. But deep down, I was feeling an anger so cold it had turned into a strange sort of calm.
“Who are you...?”
“Wait, he’s in our class...”
I walked toward them in silence. Makabe and the others instinctively backed away.
In moments like these, I was finally grateful for my size and my resting-thug face. I’m sure I looked terrifying right then.
Makabe, realizing she’d been intimidated by a bottom-tier loner like me, flushed with anger. She opened her mouth to snap at me, then saw the smartphone in my hand and went silent, looking frustrated.
I wasn't actually recording them, but she’d clearly reached that conclusion on her own.
“...Tch. Let’s go.”
“Y-Yeah...”
Deciding that three girls were no match for a guy my size, Makabe chose to retreat. As she stomped past me, she gave me a look of pure venom. I glared back with everything I had, and she quickly averted her eyes in fear.
I felt the anger in my gut subside just a fraction.
“...Well.”
“…………”
The girls were gone. It was just the two of us now.
I was internally panicking over how to talk to her when a loud metallic clack echoed through the air.
I spun around to see Akase leaning heavily against the storage shed door. Her legs, clad in black knee-highs, were trembling so violently she eventually collapsed, hugging her knees to her chest.
“Ah—”
“…………”
Should I leave her alone? No, leaving a girl in this state in a deserted place felt wrong.
I watched her shoulders shake as she buried her face in her knees. I swallowed the sigh that was building in my throat.
I checked my phone. It was 5:30. We still had plenty of time before the final bell.
I moved as quietly as I could and sat down on the ground, leaving a respectful distance between us. As I settled in, I felt the weight of the coffee in my pocket.
It was lukewarm now. For a split second, I thought about offering it to her, but receiving a drink from a guy she barely knew would probably just be frightening.
I popped the tab and took a long swig. It was a brand I’d had plenty of times before, but today, it tasted a little more bitter than usual.