The sun rose over Seiryuu High, its light casting golden streaks across the fields as another day began. Sota sat at his desk, staring out the window with a faraway look in his eyes. Despite the lively chatter in the classroom, he felt oddly detached, his thoughts tangled in the web of recent events.
Ayane's arrival still lingered at the forefront of his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the weight of her words from the previous evening: "To face the past."
What did she mean by that? What was there to face? He clenched his fist on the desk, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. He didn't need this—not now. With Regionals just a month away, his focus should be on training, not reopening old wounds.
"Earth to Sota!"
A sharp voice snapped him back to reality. Aiko was standing beside his desk, one hand on her hip and the other holding a notebook. Her expression was a mix of concern and exasperation.
