The sharp clang of the school bell echoed through the corridors, releasing a tide of students that surged toward the cafeteria.
Under the steady hum of fluorescent lights, some students eagerly lined up for steaming trays of rice and miso soup, while others carried neatly wrapped lunch boxes.
Not far away, Noboru flashed a confident smile and walked over to a small group of girls.
"Good afternoon." He straightened his posture and brushed a hand through his hair. "Would any of you lovely ladies care to have lunch with me today?"
The girls looked at one another.
"...No," one of them said.
"Sorry," another added with a small shake of her head.
"I already promised my friends," the third said.
Noboru froze for a beat before letting out a quiet sigh.
"I get it." He nodded once. "You're just shy."
One of the girls stared at him.
Her eyebrow twitched.
The nerve on this guy...
Sachiko's pulse quickened.
I need to know. But how am I supposed to talk to him?
Come on, Sachiko... You've never had trouble talking to people before.
She pushed herself out of her seat.
"Hey, Kawaguchi!"
No response.
Her eyes drifted toward his desk.
The classroom was almost empty.
She blinked.
"He already left?"
"Sachiko, let's have lunch together," Naomi said as she unwrapped her bento with a soft rustle of cloth.
Sachiko gave the doorway one last glance before nodding.
She slid her desk beside Naomi's.
Far down the corridor, Tetsuo walked as sunlight spilled through the classroom windows, stretching across his tall frame.
A small group of girls chatted nearby until they noticed him.
Their voices dropped to hushed whispers as he passed.
"Wow... that guy is seriously tall... and he's really cute. Do you think he's single?" one girl asked, her cheeks warming.
The girl beside her gave her a sideways look.
"He's a first year. Why are you interested in someone a grade below us?"
"When it comes to love, age doesn't matter." The first girl lifted a finger with a confident smile.
The other girl let out a quiet sigh.
"What am I supposed to do with you?"
Tetsuo's attention drifted to the window.
His eyes settled on the athletic field outside.
As he rounded the corner, someone rushed past.
Thump.
A girl bumped into him, and the books in her arms slipped free, scattering across the floor.
"Sorry," he said, immediately stepping back.
She crouched to pick them up, her expression remaining calm.
Tetsuo knelt beside her and reached for one of the books.
"Don't bother," she said quietly. "I can... manage."
She looked up.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
She lowered her gaze, gathered the last of her books, then straightened.
With a bow, she continued down the corridor.
In another wing of the school, Makoto stretched as a yawn escaped him.
I'm glad I studied hard to get in. This place is more relaxing than I expected.
Well then... guess I'll go buy some lunch.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Kurai, wait up!"
Makoto glanced over his shoulder.
Who's that?
A boy hurried toward him before stopping a few steps away.
He bent over with his hands on his knees, catching his breath.
Wait... isn't he in my class? What was his name again? Katsuragi?
"What is it?" Makoto asked.
Shino straightened and held out a book.
"You left this on your desk." His fingers fidgeted around the cover.
Makoto's eyelid lowered.
Is he an idiot?
Our classroom doesn't change until fifth period.
He took the book from Shino's hands.
"If that's all, I'll be going."
Makoto turned to leave.
Shino hesitated.
"W Wait a second! Please... wait!"
Makoto let out a quiet sigh before turning back.
"What is it now?" he asked.
Shino avoided his gaze.
"I... I was wondering if you'd come with me to the basketball club." He rubbed one hand against the other. "I want to sign up, but... I'm nervous about going by myself."
So that's what this was about...
Makoto watched him fiddle with his hands.
This guy can't even hold a normal conversation. He's definitely going to end up getting picked on.
Another yawn escaped him.
I guess I'll go with him.
What a pain.
Makoto closed his eyes for a moment.
"Is that a yes?" Shino asked, his voice low.
Makoto let out a slow breath.
"Yeah. But this is the first and last time, so don't bother me after this."
"You got it!" Shino said with a relieved smile.
As the two started down the schoolyard, Makoto slipped his hands into his pockets.
Why did he pick me out of everyone in our class?
The rhythmic thump of a basketball grew louder as Makoto and Shino neared the gym.
Sneakers squeaked across the polished wooden floor, and voices echoed through the open doors.
Inside, a player pivoted from side to side with the ball before turning to face his defender.
The defender lowered his stance, both hands raised.
The ball handler bent his knees and lifted the ball over his head.
The defender jumped into the air.
A grin spread across the ball handler's face.
He brought the ball back down, took one hard dribble, and slipped past him.
"This is it," Makoto said.
He glanced at Shino.
"Don't take too long, got it?"
"R Right."
Shino clutched the front of his shirt.
The moment he looked up, his eyes widened.
A figure soared through the air before slamming the ball through the rim.
Bang!
The net snapped upward as the basketball crashed onto the floor with a heavy thud.
The player landed lightly on both feet.
"Whoa..."
Shino's mouth fell open.
"That was amazing..."
"And that's game!" the boy who dunked said with a laugh.
He lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"Not bad, Takahiro, but you still haven't beaten me."
"Well, that's because you're still as agile as ever, Yukio," Takahiro said with a smile.
Takahiro's eyes drifted toward Shino and Makoto.
Yukio's gotten just as good as his older brother. Now all he needs are better teammates than last year.
"Hey, Yukio." He pointed toward the newcomers. "Looks like that dunk got their attention. How about doing your job as captain and recruiting them?"
Yukio turned.
"Good idea." A smile crossed his face. "It's worth a shot."
"And don't mess it up," Takahiro said, resting a hand on his hip.
Yukio walked over to Makoto and Shino.
"He's coming over..." Shino whispered, glancing around nervously.
"Hey." Yukio stopped in front of them with an easy smile. "You two are freshmen, right? I'm Yukio Hamaguchi, a third year and captain of the basketball team."
Shino gave a quick bow.
"N Nice to meet you! I'm Shino Katsuragi!"
He hesitated.
Go on... Makoto thought.
"I I came to ask if I could join the club!"
His cheeks warmed.
Yukio chuckled.
"I like your enthusiasm."
He nodded.
"Sure. If you're interested, you can start training after school today."
His gaze shifted to Makoto.
For a split second, his eyes widened.
"And what about you? Are you thinking of joining too?"
Makoto turned his head slightly.
"No."
"I'm not really into basketball."
"Too much work."
He pointed a thumb toward Shino.
"I just came because this coward needed someone to tag along while he asked to join."
"W What?!"
Shino looked at him.
"I'm not a coward..."
The school bell rang through the building.
Makoto let out a quiet sigh.
Lunch is over...
Now I'm going to be hungry until school ends.
"I'm sorry," Shino said, lowering his head.
"You can make it up to me by buying me something to eat after school."
Makoto turned to leave before glancing back.
"Let's go, Katsuragi. Class is about to start."
"Wait up, Kurai!"
Shino bowed toward the upperclassmen.
"See you later!"
He hurried after Makoto.
Yukio watched them disappear down the schoolyard before letting out a slow breath.
He walked back toward the basket.
"So?" Takahiro asked.
"Looks like we got another member," Yukio replied. "But... I'm not sure if he has any experience."
He sat down beneath the hoop.
"Oh, right."
He raised a finger.
"Did you know the lazy one used to be famous for basketball back in junior high?"
Takahiro raised an eyebrow.
"Makoto Kurai."
"He was one of the best point guards in the district."
Yukio looked toward the gym entrance.
"But he quit playing a while ago..."
"I wonder why."
He slowly lifted his hand toward the ceiling.
"This year's going to be different."
"I can feel it."
"One step at a time, Captain," Takahiro said. "First, we have to qualify for the tournament. If we don't, we won't even get the chance to compete at the Inter High."
Yukio smiled.
"We will."
"I'll make sure of it."
In the classroom, Hayami sensei's voice carried through the room as she wrote across the chalkboard.
"We've learned how to factor quadratic expressions. Now let's apply that to solving an equation."
She underlined the expression.
x² − 8x + 16 = 0
"If we factor this, we get..."
She wrote beneath it.
(x − 4)² = 0
"Since this factor is squared, the equation has one repeated solution."
She circled the factor.
"So, x = 4."
Hayami sensei set the chalk down and turned toward the class.
"For tomorrow, I'd like you to try solving the remaining problems on page thirty four. You'll also begin graphing quadratic functions, so make sure you're comfortable with today's lesson before..."
The school bell rang, its sharp chime echoing through the classroom.
A few students immediately began closing their notebooks.
Hayami sensei smiled.
"And there's the bell."
She gathered her textbooks and notes.
"That marks the end of the day. Please read ahead on the next topic, and remember that starting tomorrow, I won't be teaching every subject. The handbook you received during orientation has your class timetable."
She looked around the room.
"I'll see all of you tomorrow."
The classroom filled with the sounds of chairs sliding back and bags being zipped.
Sachiko's heart thudded against her chest.
I can't let my chance slip away again.
She spun toward Tetsuo's seat.
"Hey, Kawaguchi..."
Her voice trailed off.
The hallway beyond the classroom door was already empty.
She blinked.
Not again...
"Hey, Sachiko! Come on!" Naomi called, waving with an excited grin. "Karaoke's waiting for us!"
Sachiko let out a quiet sigh.
"All right. Just give me a second to pack my bag."
Outside the school gates, Usagi waited patiently.
The moment she spotted Tetsuo, her face lit up.
"Usagi, sorry for keeping you waiting," Tetsuo said as he walked over. "Have you been here long?"
She shook her head.
"Nope. I just got here."
"Okay."
Tetsuo gave a small nod.
"Let's head home."
Usagi smiled and happily linked her arm with his.
"So, how did you do on the entrance exams?" she asked. "Did you get a good ranking?"
"You could say that."
"I finished first."
"W What?!"
Usagi's steps slowed.
"Big Brother!" Her eyes sparkled. "What was your score?"
"I got a perfect score in every subject."
"Whoa!"
A bright smile spread across her face.
"That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!"
"It's not a big deal."
Usagi puffed out her cheeks.
"Honestly..."
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"I expected nothing less from you."