The gentle breeze blew as the setting sunlight cast a warm glow on the campus buildings. Yon, a young man, stood nervously, clenching his fist and holding his breath as he faced Sam Valentine, his childhood friend and first love. Sam, a petite and athletic girl with short crimson hair and chocolate brown eyes, had always captivated him. His heart raced with anticipation, unsure of how she would react to his confession.
"Sam, I love you," Yon declared, taking a step closer to her. His fist clenched even tighter, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He felt a surge of confidence mixed with anxiety. As the wind picked up, Sam's hair danced in the air, causing Yon to momentarily close his eyes. When he opened them, he found Sam looking back at him, about to respond, when suddenly a loud, piercing noise shattered the moment.
BZZT, BZZT. "What is that noise?"
BZZT, BZZT. "The current temperature is thirty-two degrees Celsius, with a fifty-two percent chance of rain."
A robotic voice echoed through the air, accompanied by a sharp ringing chime. Yon groaned and rolled over, struggling to focus on the source of the annoying sound. "What is that?" he muttered in annoyance. Yon fully opened his eyes, and the noise became clear—it was his alarm. He reached over and turned it off, slamming his hand down on the button.
"It was only a dream," he muttered, rubbing his face in frustration, disappointed that his peaceful sleep had been interrupted. "All I want is to go back to bed." He groans and covers himself back up in his blanket, birds chirp outside his house, and cicadas scream as the morning sun awakens everything in its basking light, everything except for Yon.
Yon Kinichi, a timid yet tall and strapping young man, possessed striking red eyes and messy brown hair. Fresh out of high school, he had just embarked on his first year as a college freshman. Despite being 19 years old, Yon had never experienced dating, but he held onto a dream of one day confessing his feelings to his crush, Sam Valentine. Having grown up together, Yon had developed an unwavering affection for her. Little did he know what awaited him as he set foot on the college grounds, with the winds of change permeating the air.
The campus bustled with students and staff as they made their way into the Utopia College building. In the distance, a chime signaled the beginning of the homeroom class. A frantic and bewildered Yon searched for his first class of the day, feeling alone and nervous. "Class 1-A... Class 1-A... Where is Class 1-A?" he muttered in frustration.
"I knew I should have joined the orientation group. I'm so lost," he lamented, his spirits dampened. Just when he felt all hope slipping away, a familiar voice caught his attention. "Yon! Is that you?" an excited voice called out. Startled yet elated, Yon looked up to see his best friend from high school, Lincoln Hart, charging toward him.
"Lincoln! I'm so glad to see you!" Yon exclaimed, a bright smile spreading across his face. In an instant, his demeanor transformed, becoming more lively. Lincoln and Yon were inseparable, sharing countless adventures and even covering for each other in class. Though they had graduated high school without knowing which colleges they would attend, their bond remained as strong as steel, despite not sharing personal interests or spending much time together outside of school.
"So, um... Lincoln, you wouldn't know where Class 1-A is, would you?" Yon nervously rubbed the back of his head, a light blush spreading across his face as he felt embarrassed about being so lost.
"Class 1-A? That's the class we're standing in front of right now," Lincoln responded, sounding a bit confused.
The two friends stared blankly at each other for a moment, Yon slowly lifting his gaze to notice the class card clearly stating "Class 1-A." He then looked back at Lincoln and they exchanged expressionless glances.
"So, I've been here this whole time..."
"Yep."
"And I was panicking for nothing?"
"Mhmm."
"I must have looked like an idiot."
"You sure did."
A sharp pang of embarrassment pierced Yon's heart at Lincoln's immediate agreement. He slouched in defeat, feeling ghostly as he contemplated how foolish he must have appeared. However, Lincoln broke the tension with a laugh.
"Don't worry about it, man! First-day jitters are expected. Come on, let's get in there before we're late."
Slapping Yon's back, Lincoln caused him to stumble into the classroom. None of the students took notice, as they were engrossed in their own conversations, eagerly anticipating the first day. Lincoln followed Yon into the classroom, and they made their way to the back, finding some empty seats. Once Yon settled down, he took a moment to look around, wondering if Sam would be part of his class. They had talked extensively during the break after graduating high school, and Yon was thrilled to learn that she would be attending the same college as him.
"She must be in another class..." Yon thought to himself, assuming that Sam wasn't in his class. Just as he resigned to that idea, Sam walked into the room, her bag in hand, looking as beautiful as ever. She sported a sailor-like school uniform with a loose red bow around her neck. The short skirt showcased her athletic figure perfectly.
"I'm so sorry! I won't be late again," Sam apologized, her voice filled with sincerity.
"That's alright, Ms. Valentine. Please take your seat," the teacher responded kindly, gesturing toward some open seats near Yon and Lincoln. A joyful expression filled Sam's face, almost making her glow. She made her way toward the boys, throwing her belongings under the desk and sitting down backward, facing Yon and Lincoln. Her legs wrapped around the chair, her skirt and the back of the chair perfectly covering her lower area.
"Hey, guys! Isn't it crazy that we have the same class together, just like in high school?" During their time in high school, the three of them had shared classes every year. They were close friends, spending time together at karaoke sessions, parks, and even studying together after school. Yon smiled, reminiscing about their post-school hangouts, lost in thought as he stared down at his desk with a slight grin on his face.
"I guess some things never change," he mused. Sam snapped her fingers in front of Yon's face, bringing him back to the present. He looked up quickly, feeling a tinge of embarrassment. "Hmm? Oh! Yes, it's great that we're all back together again!"
"You're so hopeless, Yon. It's only the first day, and you're already spacing out," Sam teased, joined by Lincoln's laughter. Yon felt a growing sense of embarrassment about his first-day blunders.
The teacher silenced the class to review the expectations for the first week and the course schedule, and Yon's attention was caught by a brief mention of an upcoming mandatory class trip. He jotted down various notes when someone lightly tapped his shoulder."Could you get my eraser..." A sweet, quiet voice whispered to Yon, almost incomprehensible. He paused his note-taking, looking over to see a pair of innocent eyes gazing at him shyly.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. What was that?" Yon asked, leaning in to catch the girl's words. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she turned her head slightly to hide her shyness. With a slightly raised voice, she pointed down at a pink eraser beside Yon's foot. "M-My eraser... I dropped it."
Yon glanced down and spotted a small pink eraser near his foot. He picked it up and held it out toward the girl. "Is this it?" She reached out, her hand slightly brushing against Yon's as she took hold of the eraser. Her blush deepened, and her anxiety seemed to increase. "T-Thank you... I'm Yui... Yui Kanazawa," she introduced herself with a nervous stammer.
Yui Kanazawa, a mysterious girl who had transferred from a high school outside the city to attend Utopia College. She had short black hair with bluntly cut bangs, allowing her big blue eyes to shine brightly. Her appearance was undeniably beautiful, with a slim figure that boasted unexpectedly generous curves in her chest and thighs. Despite her outward beauty, a nasty rumor had been circulating about her past.
Yon smiled, hoping to ease her anxiety, but his gesture seemed to heighten her emotions instead. "If you ever need me to pick up your eraser again, Ms. Kanazawa, just let me know!" Yui's cheeks turned tomato red, and she swiftly turned around without uttering a word. Yon was taken aback, worried that he may have come across as rude or mean to her. However, he decided not to press the situation, assuming that she was simply shy. The class continued, and soon the lunch bell chimed through the room. Lincoln stretched and groaned before getting up for lunch.
"Finally, time for lunch! Do you two want to go together? Wouldn't want Yon to get lost," Lincoln suggested, his tone lighthearted but causing Yon's expression to shift into shock. His mouth hung open, unable to believe that Lincoln had just exposed his navigational struggles. Sam burst into laughter at the sudden revelation.
"Come on! At least I wasn't late!" Yon shouted defensively. "What was that?" Sam stood up abruptly and stormed toward Yon's desk, slamming her hands down onto it. A menacing aura emanated from Sam, and her intense glare loomed over Yon, who looked up in fear for his life. The two of them bickered back and forth for a moment, their voices growing louder.
Meanwhile, Yui stood up to leave for lunch, making quite a bit of noise in the process. The commotion caught the attention of Sam and Yon, causing them to pause their argument and watch as Yui left the classroom. Confusion filled the air as the three friends exchanged perplexed glances, wondering what had caused Yui to leave in such a manner.
"What's her problem?" Lincoln muttered, voicing the question on their minds.
Sam and Yon both stood up, picking up their bags and showing their readiness to leave for lunch. Lincoln, in his excitement, wrapped his arms around both of them, squeezing them tightly. While Sam and Yon were slightly annoyed by his closeness, their immediate concern was the pressure on their necks, making it difficult to breathe. The trio made their way down the hall, with Lincoln laughing excitedly while Sam and Yon struggled to catch their breath.