Daiki looked at Kojiro.
And then his first for a second.
Then he pulled back and pumped it into the air.
"Hell yeah!"
Daiki was way happier than he thought he would be.
Kojiro immediately cut into his happiness like a blade.
"Calm down. You're still shit."
Daiki frowned immediately and crossed his arms.
"I'm shit that's improving."
That made Kojiro grin.
"Yeah, yeah. We still have a lot of work to do. You're dismissed, same time tomorrow."
Daiki tilted his head in confusion.
"Dismissed? Class hasn't even started yet."
Kojiro's grin widened.
"That was class."
"Wait... what?"
"I texted everyone to come here at different times, starting a couple of hours ago. You were the last one because you don't have a phone."
Daiki put his hand on his chin.
"...Wait. How long have you been awake for?"
Kojiro stared at him for a few seconds before answering.
"Sleep is for the weak. Now go eat or something."
With that, Daiki finally decided to take his leave.
And as soon as he climbed through the window, he realized he was exhausted.
But... it was different than the way he was before.
Way different.
His whole body felt less heavy. The pain was still there, but—
It was minimized.
Daiki grinned.
That maniac's training actually works.
Daiki marched his way to the cafeteria, his uniform soaked with sweat.
In the morning, the Shinyo Institute was far quieter than it normally was. The halls were almost empty, which made Daiki slightly uncomfortable.
It reminded Daiki of being home alone as a kid for too long.
Quiet enough to start feeling... wrong.
After a bit of a trek, Daiki opened the doors to the cafeteria and saw....
Almost nobody.
Except for Ren and Yui.
Daiki's eyes widened without him realizing, and then he made his way to his partners in crime.
"How long have you guys been awake?"
They both had different answers.
Yui, who looked worse for wear, answered, "...Four in the morning."
Ren, who unsurprisingly had a smile on his face, said, "Five in the morning!"
"And... did Kojiro say you were early for class and then end up training you alone?"
They both collectively answered:
"Yup."
"Kojiro's fucking crazy," Daiki muttered.
Ren glanced up at Daiki with a smile.
"How'd your training go?"
Daiki sat down in the seat across from Ren and Yui.
"It actually went... Well. I think?"
Ren tilted his head.
"What do you mean by 'I think'?"
Daiki shook his head.
"I don't know, I feel better than I usually do. Kojiro-sensei was actually saying things that make sense."
Then, Daiki looked over to Yui, who looked dead.
"Yui, are you alright...?"
Ren put his arm over her shoulder with a smile.
"She's been like this since I've gotten here! I don't think she can move her legs, so she's just been sitting here."
Yui let out a deep and long sigh.
"That man is a psycho."
Daiki swallowed.
"Was it really that bad for you?"
Yui turned, brow furrowing. "...He trained me like I was a super soldier in a comic."
Ren looked at Yui with a shocked expression.
"I didn't know you read comics, Tsukiko!"
Yui side-eyed Ren.
"....That's not the point, Ren."
Daiki put his hand on his chin.
"...Well, maybe he trained you so hard because he thinks you're strong."
Ren froze before speaking again.
"....Wait, he has a point. You made Kojiro draw his sword yesterday!"
Yui frowned.
"He would have done that eventually."
"No," Daiki said immediately. "No, no. He was talking like he only needed one finger to beat us. Not his Ketsugojin. Especially not his sword—"
Ren interrupted Daiki by putting his hand on his mouth, and then mimicked a dramatic unsheathing motion.
"Shink. It was legendary! The whole class gasped."
Yui sighed, cheeks faintly pink. "I didn't even hit him..."
Daiki slapped Ren's hand away before continuing.
"You almost did," Daiki said. "That counts."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
Ren chimed in. "That's a victory for you, Yui!"
Yui shook her head and rested her head against the table.
"....You two are difficult."
After that, Daiki fetched a small meal and ate it while catching up with the energetic Ren and letting the unresponsive Yui wallow in her exhaustion. The morning bell rang by the time Daiki had finished.
Daiki stood up from the table and looked around.
"Let's get out of here before everyone sees us like this."
Ren nodded in agreement. "Yup. Stand up, Yui."
He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her out of her seat.
They began to head back into the main building, footsteps combining with the gradually increasing noise as students woke up and began to make their way to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Every single one of them was far more awake and far more put-together.
That instantly made Daiki realize how wrecked they must look in comparison.
Except for Ren, he looked fine, surprisingly.
Ren squinted at a passing student. "Is it just me, or is everyone far more energetic than usual..?"
"I think that's your effect on people," Daiki muttered sarcastically.
They turned the corner.
And walked straight into "lions".
Not just normal lions.
They walked into the Top Three.
You could feel the air start to shift.
There was a subtle, rising pressure in the area.
Not physical, not aggressive, but heavy all the same.
Reputation.
Hierarchy.
Daiki felt it settle on his shoulders before he even saw any faces.
The Top Three.
They stood there like they belonged. Like the hallways belonged to them by default.
1st — Mei Kanazaki, Class 1-A
She was front and center.
Perfect posture. Aura that just oozed "elegance". Dark brown hair that was neatly tied with a jeweled clip that looked out of place when you look at everyone else. Her uniform was immaculate, untouched by sweat or strain.
Her sharp eyes swept over the trio in less than a second.
She immediately judged them.
"You three are in Class 1-F," Mei said coolly. "Aren't you?"
Daiki blinked. "Uh.... yeah?"
Her gaze hardened. "...Judging by your condition," Mei continued, eyes flicking briefly to Daiki's sweat-soaked and dirt-stained collar, Ren's slightly scuffed shoes, and just the mess that was Yui's entire uniform, "I assume you've just come from extended conditioning."
Ren crossed his arms. "Yup! We just went through training!"
"Looks inefficient," Mei replied flatly. "Proper training should not leave students looking like stray animals."
Daiki opened his mouth. "We—"
"Then again," she interrupted, eyes narrowing slightly, "this makes sense, considering your role."
Ren bristled. "What are you saying?"
"Class 1-F exists to absorb failure," Mei said. "To filter out those who can't keep up."
Daiki felt something starting to twist in his chest.
Before he could respond, a soft chuckle cut in from the side.
2nd — Riku Shinohara, Class 1-A
Riku leaned lazily against the wall beside Mei, hands in his pocket, posture loose with a deceptively relaxed look on his face.
He had the look of someone who existed to be a pain for others.
White hair that was tied into a ponytail fell to his shoulders. He had sharp, red eyes gleaming with curiosity. He had two thick golden rings around both of his ring fingers.
He smiled.
It was condescending as hell.
"Well now," he said lightly. "Aren't you being a bit harsh? They look lively to me."
He stepped closer, eyes flicking over the trio with open curiosity.
"Calling our classmates strays isn't nice, Mei!"
Ren's face melted into a frown, "I don't like how you smile."
Riku stopped in front of Daiki, tilting his head.
"You just smell like desperation."
Daiki blinked.
"...What?"
"Nothing," Riku said cheerfully. "You must've had a fun morning."
"...Why are you even talking to me?" Daiki shot back.
Riku laughed. "I like him."
"What?" he shrugged. "He's got spirit. You can see it all over him!"
And then, he moved his head to the side.
"It may be sloppy and messy, but it's still spirit."
Ren snapped, "We're right here, ya know!"
"I know," Riku replied pleasantly. "That's why I'm talking to you face-to-face."
He reached out and gave Daiki's shoulder a brief and friendly pat.
"You guys are like baby birds," he said thoughtfully. "Flailing. Loud. Ugly and cute at the same time."
Daiki recoiled immediately. "Do not touch me."
3rd — Jimmu Ayanami, Class 1-A
"...Yo."
Jimmu stood a few steps back, hands in his pockets, expression distant and half-lidded.
Daiki brightened just a bit.
"Hi Jimmu."
He nodded.
"You look worse than usual."
"Thanks," Daiki muttered.
Mei turned sharply.
"Jimmu, stand straight. You're representing Class 1-A."
"I don't care."
Her eye twitched.
Mei stepped forward, reclaiming the space with practiced ease.
"The Inter-Division Exchange Event is approaching," she said. "Class 1-A will set the standard, as expected."
Riku hummed. "Yup."
Mei's eyes locked onto Daiki.
"If you intend to participate," she continued, "understand this: reckless effort will not make you stronger. Passion without discipline is just wasted potential."
Daiki met her gaze, jaw tightening.
"We'll just have to see then."
Riku's smile widened. "Oh?"
Yui finally spoke up, albeit hesitantly.
"....We're not here to be ignored."
Ren crossed his arms.
"Or be stepped on."
For the first time, Mei hesitated.
Just for a second.
"...Very well," she said coolly. "Then prove it. But do not think attention is respect."
Riku leaned in closer to Daiki, voice low and amused.
"I love underdogs," he whispered. "They either surprise you... or shatter spectacularly."
He straightened and waved cheerfully.
"Don't disappoint, baby birds!"
Mei turned on her heel.
"We're leaving."
Jimmu followed, but as he passed Daiki, he paused.
"...Ignore them," he said quietly. "You'll do good, probably..."
Then he kept walking.
Silence began to settle in the hallway after they left.
Ren immediately interrupted it.
"DID HE JUST CALL US BABY BIRDS...?"
Daiki exhaled slowly.
"...They're looking at us like we already lost."
Ren put his hand on his chest to calm himself down.
"...Good. Let 'em."
His frown turned upside down into a smile.
"Makes it better when we ruin everything."
Yui folded her arms, thoughtful.
"Then... let's get strong enough that nobody can talk to us like that again."
Daiki glanced down the hall where the Top Three disappeared, heart still pounding.
Underestimated.
Perfect.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's destroy everything."