Prologue
Back then. She was there—in the corner of the elevator hall.
In front of her stood a grown man. His expression, even his hair, looked stiff, as if he considered everything around him utterly dull.
The man spoke.
[—Choose your friends.]
Low, heavy, thick. A voice brimming with authority, as if declaring a universal truth.
Even though I was hiding in the shadows of the distant hallway—where he couldn’t possibly notice me—for some reason, his words felt like they were directed at me.
Maybe it was because I instinctively knew—those words were about me.
It was as if even that man, who found everything boring, was talking about the one thing that bored him most that night.
[You have to do it. That’s your role.]
The girl stood silently in front of him, listening obediently.
She was my friend. Thanks to her, what should’ve been an unbearably dull night became something fun. We’d just met—a precious friend, if only for a single night.
[Good.—Natsuki.]
[Understood… Father.]
She answered quietly.
She was a good girl. And good girls listen to adults.
So it couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t her fault. If anything, I was the one unworthy of her company. No betrayal had taken place—
────────────
A bird’s chirp echoed from outside the window. Morning light seeped through the curtains.
A textbook-perfect awakening. My back shivered slightly—maybe from the lingering chill of a spring morning.
“…Had a bad dream.”
Nothing is as pointless as reliving the past in dreams.
It had been a while since I last dreamed of that night. If I was still haunted by a past I should’ve already overcome, my future looked bleak—and today of all days was the worst possible timing.
Checking my phone, the time read just past 5 AM.
I’d woken up earlier than my alarm, but I’d planned to rise early today anyway.
Thanks to the nightmare, at least I wouldn’t be late. Better to stay positive.
After all, today—April 8th—was my high school entrance ceremony.
“Alright… Good morning.”
I muttered the words aloud, as if convincing myself.
The rest of my family was probably still asleep. I’d grab breakfast at a convenience store on the way. For now, I got out of bed to start the day.
The meet-up time was 7:30.
Still plenty of time, but unfamiliar routes could bring surprises. Better to leave early.
Stripping off my pajamas, my eyes landed on the brand-new uniform hanging on the wall.
—Seishinkan Academy High School.
That was the name of the school where I’d spend the next three years.
※
7:20 AM.
I arrived at the school gate ten minutes early.
No other students were around. The ceremony started at 10, and students only needed to arrive by 9:30. No sane person would show up two hours early on the first day.
But this didn’t apply to me.
Because Seishinkan was primarily a combined middle-high school, and while they accepted transfers, hardly anyone used that option. This year, I was apparently the only one.
In other words, at Seishinkan, I—Kageyuki Sou—was the new stranger.
It took courage to dive into an environment where everyone already knew each other, but this was a choice I had to make.
—To live the exact opposite way I had before.
Calculatingly. Transactionally. Building relationships based on mutual benefit.
That was my new creed for high school.
If I was going to do things differently, I had to commit fully.
Choose who you associate with.
Base connections on shared interests.
—That was the kind of person I’d decided to become.
“Guess I’ll be waiting a while…”
Leaning against the gate, I let out a small sigh.
The silence made me wonder—had they forgotten about me?
Just then, a girl walked through the gate.
—Someone else actually came this early?
My surprise must’ve shown, because our eyes met instantly.
“────”
For a split second, I felt like a frog pinned under a snake’s gaze. An inexplicable pressure.
But that couldn’t be. She was just… standing there.
No—wait. Her lips had curled into a smile. A calming, gentle, flower-like smile.
The kind of expression that seemed to say, “This is how you make people like you.”
Every bit of her demeanor radiated approachability. Then, she broke into a light jog toward me—
“I’m sorry! Did I keep you waiting?”
The uniformed girl asked, slightly flustered.
Her refined tone gave an air of nobility—or maybe that was just my bias toward this wealthy school. Either way, the earlier intimidation was gone.
Stunned, I stared at her.
My silence must’ve unsettled her. She tilted her head, concern flickering.
“…Um, hello? You’re… Kageyuki Sou, right?”
“Huh? Oh—yeah. That’s me. Kageyuki Sou.”
Couldn’t stay silent forever.
Nodding hastily, I saw her clap her hands softly, smiling.
“Great! I thought so—since we were supposed to meet here—”
“—Uh…”
“You did get the message, right? The student council asked me to guide you.”
She patted her chest in relief.
The reason I’d come early today was to pick up textbooks and other materials beforehand—my transfer meant my schedule was slightly off.
“I see… I assumed a teacher would be guiding me.”
I forced a smile, excusing my earlier silence.
Honestly, having a student guide me was lucky. If things went well, I might even make my first friend before school started. A same-sex guide would’ve been preferable, but this was fine—she seemed easy to talk to.
“Sorry for the early hour. Thanks for today.”
I kept it polite but casual.
She responded with a warm smile.
“No need for formalities! I’m a first-year too.”
“Oh… Really? I figured guides would be upperclassmen. Today’s full of surprises.”
“Normally, yeah. But I’ve been here since middle school, so I know my way around. Oh, and—I always talk like this, so don’t mind it.”
“Got it… You kinda give off ‘rich young lady’ vibes.”
“Do I? Probably just your preconceptions about this school.”
Giggling, she shook her shoulders, suppressing laughter.
—That was the moment a strange déjà vu hit me.
For some reason, I felt like I’d seen her before. A faint, distant memory—like we’d crossed paths once, long ago.
My fingertips trembled slightly.
“…Is something wrong?”
My prolonged staring must’ve confused her.
She tilted her head curiously.
“Ah—sorry.”
I bowed awkwardly, then added:
“Just… felt like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
“……………………”
This time, she fell silent.
Mistake. That sounded like a terrible pickup line.
“Never mind. Probably just my imagination—”
“—Tch.”
A sharp, clipped scoff cut through the air.
It took me a second to realize it came from her.
“Shouldn’t have bothered with the nice girl act.”
I froze.
For a second, I wondered if she’d been replaced by a completely different person.
The air around her had shifted so drastically in a single second, it felt surreal.
“Thought I’d be nice to the new kid, but this is annoying. Your way of talking makes my shoulders stiff, and that nonsense just now—you thought so too, right?”
I couldn’t respond.
The girl, now radiating hostility, glared at me like needles.
—She’s ridiculously pretty.
A belated realization.
Reddish-brown hair grazing her shoulders. Beneath it, large eyes—sharp with willpower—glared with an intense light.
Her displeasure only accentuated her cuteness, making her beauty almost terrifying. I hadn’t even noticed until her hostility made it undeniable.
“So? Where’d you see me before?”
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