The morning sunlight filtered softly through the cherry blossoms lining the quiet street outside Kana Hayashi's home, casting dappled patterns on the pavement.
It was early spring, and the air was crisp with a subtle fragrance of new blooms. Inside the modest yet cozy kitchen, Kana moved quietly, careful not to disturb the peaceful hum of the house.
She wore a light sweater and jeans, her dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail, a faint hint of the girl she used to be still visible in her gentle smile and bright eyes.
Across from her at the small kitchen table sat Akane, fiddling nervously with her lunchbox. Her new school uniform—a crisp white blouse, a dark pleated skirt, and a blazer bearing the school's crest—was slightly too big, as though she'd stepped into a role she hadn't quite grown into yet.
Today was her first day her new high school, and despite her natural athletic confidence, Kana could see a trace of apprehension in her daughter's face.
Kana placed a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder. "You'll be great today, Akane. Remember, they chose you for a reason. Just be yourself," she said softly, handing over a neatly packed bento box, complete with little vegetables shaped like flowers and slices of tamagoyaki.
Akane looked up, her face softening at the sight of the bento. "Thanks, Mom," she murmured, managing a small smile. She tightened her grip around the straps of her new school bag, drawing in a deep breath. "I'll do my best."
As they walked to the door, Kana felt a familiar pang—her little girl was growing up so fast. They lingered on the doorstep, the quiet street stretching out in both directions, cherry blossoms dancing in the gentle breeze.
Kana waved as Akane started down the path, her figure soon blending with the other students walking towards the train station. Kana watched until Akane disappeared from view, then closed the door, feeling both pride and a hint of longing in her heart.
The school courtyard buzzed with excitement as new students filed in, their eyes wide with anticipation. Rows of stands lined the main walkway, each decorated with colorful signs and posters inviting students to join various clubs.
Akane barely gave the other stands a glance—her eyes were locked on a small, somewhat shabby table toward the back. A simple sign above it read "Shoto High School Volleyball Club" in hand-painted letters.
Without hesitation, she walked briskly to the table. A relatively tall, athletic-looking boy with short dark hair and a confident stance was seated behind it, organizing stacks of paper with a laid-back air. When he noticed Akane approaching, he looked up and offered a polite smile.
"Hello! Are you here for the manager position? Our team actually needs one." he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly as he eyed her. Akane straightened her posture and shook her head, smiling with determination.
"No, I'm here as a player," she replied, trying to hide her excitement.
The boy blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "Oh! Sorry, that's awesome. I'm Keisuke Nakamura, the captain. Glad to have you on board!" He waved over a girl standing nearby, her hair pulled back in a tidy bun. "Hey, Tanaka-san, could you get her a sign-up form?"
Miki Tanaka, captain of the girls' team, handed Akane a form with a welcoming smile. "Here you go. Welcome to the club! We need all the players we can get." She winked, and Akane grinned back as she started filling out her details.
As she wrote, she felt a sudden jolt as something bumped into her lower back. She spun around, an annoyed frown on her face, only to come face-to-face with a tall, lean boy with striking red hair and piercing eyes. He looked just as surprised as she was, his hands raised in a quick apology.
"Ah—sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention," he said earnestly, his tone soft and sincere. Akane's irritation melted away at his polite apology, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of his athletic frame and sincere expression.
"No problem," she managed to reply as he turned back to Keisuke, asking for a form. While he filled it out, she couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, noticing the name he scribbled at the top: Ken Fuji.
Once both forms were complete, Miki turned to Akane with a thoughtful expression. "So, Akane-san… I should probably mention that we have a bit of an issue with the girls' team this year. We lost most of our members when the third years graduated, so we're too few to practice alone."
Akane's eyebrows knitted in concern. "Does that mean we can't play?"
"Not exactly," Miki replied, sighing. "We'll just have to train with the boys' team for now."
Akane's gaze flicked over to Ken, whose mouth hung slightly open in surprise. He looked between Miki and Keisuke, visibly uncomfortable. "Wait…train with the boys? Are you serious, senpai?"
His voice trailed off as a slight blush spread over his cheeks, hinting at the awkward situations he imagined. Akane felt her own cheeks warm as she picked up on his unspoken concerns.
Miki waved a hand dismissively. "It's not ideal, I know, but we've had this arrangement for a while. You see, there are two gymnasiums, but the basketball club—a top team nationally—uses one full-time. So volleyball gets the other one, and since the girls only have three members, our coach decided it'd be best for them to practice with us. That way we can get proper practice, at least until the new members join."
"Plus," Keisuke added, "our previous captains were close, so the two teams have always been on good terms. We just have to make the best of it."
Miki nodded. "The current team members are used to it, and you new players will have to adjust too. Just focus on the game, and you'll get used to playing with the boys."
Akane exchanged a hesitant glance with Ken. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, she felt a thrill at the thought of practicing alongside the boys. She clenched her fists, already anticipating the first practice.
Ken let out a low sigh, his broad shoulders drooping slightly. "I wasn't expecting something like this from a school like this," he muttered, his voice laced with disappointment. "But it is what it is. No point in complaining I guess."
With a resigned shrug, he handed his completed form to Keisuke and walked off, his bag slung casually over one shoulder. Akane watched him go, still slightly flustered from their earlier interaction.
Taking a steadying breath, Akane respectfully handed her form to Miki. "Thank you, senpai," she said with a polite nod before heading toward the auditorium for the welcome ceremony.
The large hall was filled with first-year students, all seated in neat rows. Akane took her place among them, her gaze wandering as she listened to the principal deliver a speech that could have been lifted straight out of an old textbook.
It was a monotone monologue about tradition, excellence, and responsibility, and the words seemed to drag on endlessly.
When the ceremony finally ended, Akane felt a wave of relief. She followed the flow of students to the classroom assignments posted on the walls, quickly locating hers. Sliding the door open, she stepped into the room and scanned the seating chart posted on the board.
Her heart skipped when she noticed a familiar head of bright red hair near the window. Ken was already there, seated at the desk right next to hers, gazing absent-mindedly out of the window.
The sunlight streaming through highlighted the sharp angles of his face, his features relaxed yet distant, as if he were lost in thought.
Akane hesitated for a moment before heading to her seat. She placed her bag on the desk and sat down quietly, sneaking a glance at Ken. He didn't seem to notice her presence, his eyes fixed on the world outside.
As Akane settled into her seat, her attention was drawn to Ken's desk. A notebook lay open on it, and from where she sat, she could make out a detailed sketch on the page.
It was of a woman with long, flowing hair and a warm, almost ethereal smile. The smile was innocent and childlike, yet radiated a quiet maturity that made it captivating.
Akane's breath hitched. The sketch reminded her of her mother, Kana. Though her mother still smiled often, Akane realized it hadn't held that same radiance since she had started middle school.
Back then, Kana's smiles seemed to light up every room; now, they felt softer, perhaps more tired, though no less loving. Akane wondered if she had been too preoccupied with her own life to notice the change earlier.
She was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of giggles. A group of girls had gathered around Ken's desk, their voices bright and eager.
"Hi! You're new here, right?" one of them asked, leaning in slightly. "What's your name?"
Ken looked up, his sharp eyes momentarily locking on the girl before he nodded politely. "Ken Fuji," he said simply, his voice steady but devoid of enthusiasm.
"Fuji-kun, huh?" another girl chimed in, her tone playful. "Where did you transfer from? Do you play any sports?"
Ken's responses remained polite but curt. "I came from Kamiyama Middle School. Yes, I play volleyball," he said, his eyes briefly flicking back to the window as though wishing the conversation would end.
Despite their best efforts, the girls couldn't draw out much more than a few polite acknowledgments. His demeanor wasn't cold, but it was clear he wasn't interested in engaging further.
Akane observed the interaction quietly, her thoughts still lingering on the sketch. She felt a pang of curiosity about the woman in the drawing. Who was she, and why had Ken chosen to capture her in such a tender way?
As the girls eventually gave up and moved back to their seats, Ken returned to his absent-minded gaze out the window, leaving Akane with more questions than answers.
Akane tapped her fingers lightly on the desk, stealing a glance at Ken. The notebook with the sketch was still open, its presence tugging at her curiosity.
She felt a growing urge to ask him about it, to find out more about the boy with the intense yet detached demeanor sitting beside her.
'Just say something,' she thought, clenching her fists briefly before relaxing them. She rehearsed a few casual lines in her head, but each one seemed to fall flat. After all, they'd barely exchanged a word, and what if he thought she was prying?
Still, the sketch lingered in her mind, pulling her toward action.
She leaned slightly in his direction, her lips parting as she gathered her courage to speak—
Riiiiing!
The piercing sound of the bell shattered the moment. Akane jumped slightly, immediately straightening in her seat.
A tall woman with long brown hair neatly tied in a bun strode into the classroom, a stack of papers in her hands.
"Good morning, everyone," she said, her voice calm yet authoritative. "I'm Fujita Aiko, your homeroom teacher. Let's begin."
Ken shifted in his seat, finally turning his gaze from the window. Akane sat back, her cheeks warming with frustration and a tinge of embarrassment. The opportunity to speak to him had slipped through her fingers—at least for now.
Fujita adjusted the papers in her hands and scanned the room. "All right, let's start with introductions. Please stand up, tell us your name, the middle school you attended, and anything else you'd like to share. We'll go row by row."
One by one, the students stood and introduced themselves. Most kept it brief—just their names and schools, with a few adding hobbies or aspirations.
Ken's turn came and went; he introduced himself in the same polite but reserved tone Akane had heard earlier. His gaze returned to the window as soon as he sat down.
Finally, it was Akane's turn. Her heart pounded as she stood, feeling every pair of eyes in the room on her. "My name is Akane Hayashi," she began, her voice steady but slightly nervous.
Ken's head turned toward her at the sound of her voice, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he realized she had been sitting next to him all along.
"I attended Nishikawa Middle School," Akane continued, her hands clasped in front of her. "I'm a volleyball player, and I want to compete at the national level, and hopefully become a professional in the future."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the classroom erupted into laughter. Akane blinked, confused, as students exchanged amused glances.
Whispers rippled through the room—"Doesn't she know?" "Is she serious?"—and the weight of their reactions began to sink in.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she tried to keep her composure, but her embarrassment was clear. She stole a glance at Ken, who was watching her with a neutral expression, as if trying to gauge her reaction.
Before she could sit down, Fujita-sensei raised her hand, and the laughter quickly died down. "That's enough," she said firmly, her gaze sweeping across the room.
Turning back to Akane, she gave a small smile. "It's good to have big goals, Hayashi-san. Playing at the national level is no small goal, and with hard work, you can surely achieve it. You have three years here—make the most of them."
Akane's embarrassment eased slightly at Fujita's words, though the faint warmth in her cheeks lingered. She bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, sensei," she said quietly before taking her seat.
As the introductions continued, Akane stole a glance at Ken again. He was still looking at her, his expression thoughtful, before turning his gaze back out the window.
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I think the concept is not bad but I'm not gonna write a novel based on its story without getting your feedback. If you think this story has potential then comment it and if you have any suggestions then say it.
I won't be making any changes to this book, and it'll be updated till I finish the first blood call event for the free coins. After that, depending on how you people feel it is, I'll take it down and rewrite the story.