"Kazuki, give me back my sandwich, bro!" Crimson yelled, leaping toward the taller boy, who was holding a neatly wrapped sandwich just out of reach. Crimson's headphones dangled around his neck, the music blasting so loud that even Kazuki could hear it.
"It's not stealing if you didn't put your name on it," Kazuki replied, grinning as he held the sandwich high above his head. At six feet tall, he had a definite advantage over Crimson, whose repeated jumps barely grazed his arm.
Kai stood off to the side, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You two are gonna get detention before the first bell rings," he said, crossing his arms. "At least wait until we're in class."
"Oh, lighten up, lover boy," Crimson shot back, giving up his pursuit. He yanked a slice of pizza out of his backpack instead. "Who carries sandwiches on the first day, anyway?"
"Normal people," MJ muttered from his perch on the edge of a nearby bench. His nose was buried in a textbook, even though school hadn't officially started. "You know, people who actually care about stuff like nutrition."
"Says the guy who ate gummy bears for breakfast," Leon chimed in, his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. He reached into Crimson's open bag and snatched the pizza slice with an effortless smirk. "Thanks for sharing, by the way."
"Leon!" Crimson yelped, lunging at him. But Leon was already darting away, pizza in hand, zigzagging through the courtyard like he was dodging imaginary defenders on a football field.
"This is why I hang out with you guys," Kazuki said, laughing as he finally tossed the sandwich back to Crimson. "You're all idiots, and it's great."
The bell rang, and the group trudged reluctantly to their homeroom. They shuffled into the classroom, which was already buzzing with chatter, and found seats near the back—a strategic move to minimize teacher attention.
The teacher, Mr. Yamamoto, strode in moments later, carrying a stack of papers and a mug of coffee that looked like it was the only thing keeping him alive. He adjusted his glasses and scanned the room. "Alright, settle down, everyone. Welcome to another school year. Let's keep things simple today."
Simple wasn't exactly in this group's vocabulary.
As Mr. Yamamoto droned on about class expectations, Crimson leaned over to Kai, whispering loudly enough for half the room to hear. "Ten bucks says I can sneak out and come back without him noticing."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You'll get caught in two seconds. But go ahead, I'll be here to laugh when you get detention."
"Bet." Crimson slid out of his chair, moving with exaggerated stealth as he crouched-walked toward the door. He hadn't even made it halfway when Mr. Yamamoto's voice cut through the room.
"Crimson, sit down."
The entire class burst into laughter as Crimson froze mid-crouch, looking like a deer caught in headlights. He slunk back to his seat, muttering, "You win this round, Yamamoto."
Meanwhile, Leon had been busy tying one of MJ's shoelaces to the leg of his desk. MJ, oblivious as usual, didn't notice until he tried to stand up and nearly toppled over, his textbook crashing to the floor.
"Leon!" MJ hissed, glaring at him while the rest of the group tried and failed to suppress their laughter.
"What? You've gotta loosen up, man," Leon said, grinning. "It's the first day; live a little."
Kazuki, ever the peacekeeper, reached over to untie the knot. "Alright, you two, save it for after class. Let's at least pretend to be functional human beings for Yamamoto's sake."
By lunchtime, the group had reconvened at their usual spot under a massive oak tree in the courtyard. Crimson was still sulking about his failed escape attempt, while Leon and MJ were debating the best way to get revenge on each other.
"I'm telling you, glitter in his locker," Leon said, gesturing emphatically. "It's impossible to clean up."
MJ shook his head. "Too obvious. We need subtlety. Like swapping out his earbuds with ones that only play polka music."
Kazuki leaned back against the tree, watching the chaos unfold. "You guys realize you're already planning a prank war on the first day, right?"
"It's tradition," Crimson said, his mood brightening as he stuffed another slice of pizza into his mouth. "This school wouldn't be half as fun without us."
Kai rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his grin. "You're all going to drive me insane. But hey, at least it'll be entertaining."
As if on cue, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The group groaned collectively and made their way back inside, already scheming about their next escapade.
Little did they know, Mr. Yamamoto was waiting for them with a pop quiz—and he wasn't about to let their antics go unnoticed.