A soft breeze rustled through the cherry blossoms, their petals drifting like whispers in the moonlit air. The world around him felt weightless. He stood under the shade of the trees as the gentle wind brushed against him. And in the midst of it all, she stood there—
A girl.
She stood before him, her presence both familiar and mysterious. Her face was blurred, yet his heart ached as if he had known her forever. The way she turned to him, the warmth in the air—her voice…
A soft whisper echoed through the air—
"Found me."
Just as he was about to react—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The sharp ring of an alarm shattered the silence.
Reikou jolted awake, tangled in his sheets like a fish caught in a net. His hand smacked the alarm clock as he groaned.
"Huh… again?!"
He rubbed his face, still caught between the dream and reality.
"So that was just a dream, huh?" he mumbled.
Shaking off the daze, he glanced at the time—then froze.
7:43 AM.
His entire body tensed.
"WAIT, TODAY'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!"
Panic surged through him. In a flurry of chaos, he scrambled out of bed, shoved on his uniform, grabbed a half-worn sock, and tried to brush his teeth while hopping into his shoes.
"This is so stupid! This is NOT how a main character is supposed to start his story!" he yelled.
Now running through the streets, a piece of toast clamped between his teeth, he groaned.
"I'm late on my first day…"
By the time he burst through the school gates, his heart was pounding, his lungs screaming for mercy. Students were already inside. Before he could even catch his breath, the classroom door slid open.
He rushed in.
The teacher stared at him with an expression that clearly said:
"Seriously?"
"Ah… You must be the new transfer student," the teacher said.
"Yes, sir," Reikou managed, still breathless.
"Late on your first day? What a foolish entry," the teacher sighed. "Fine. I am Jiro Yinglan." Adjusting his glasses, he turned to the class. "Alright, we have a new student today. Introduce yourself."
Reikou took a deep breath and stood up straight. But instead of a normal introduction, he placed a hand over his chest, closed his eyes for a second, then—
"I am Reikou Shion."
"There are only three rules I live by."
The room fell silent. Some students leaned in.
Reikou raised one finger.
"Rule one: Food is life."
"Without food, life is meaningless. If you eat, you're happy. If you're happy, you're strong."
Murmurs spread. A few students nodded in agreement.
He raised a second finger.
"Rule two: Sleep is necessary."
"I take my sleep seriously. If you wake me up without a valid reason, I will consider you my greatest enemy. No exceptions."
Some students chuckled. Others covered their mouths, trying not to laugh. Even the teacher sighed.
"Alright, that's enough," Mr. Yinglan said.
But Reikou raised a third finger, his voice dropping to a dramatic tone—
"Rule three: I believe in fate."
The class went quiet.
He slowly opened his eyes, scanning the room.
Then—laughter erupted.
The teacher sighed. "Just take the window seat, and don't make me regret accepting you into this class!"
"Huh…"
Reikou walked to his seat, still catching his breath. As he sat down, his eyes drifted to the girl beside him—
And the world seemed to freeze.
It was her.
The girl from his dream.
His breath caught in his throat. Her face was no longer blurred. Her dark, silky hair framed her face perfectly. Her emerald eyes were sharp yet distant, like walls no one could climb. She was beautiful—but not in the way people wrote about in poems.
No, she was the kind of beautiful that made his heart stutter. The kind that demanded attention without even asking for it.
"What is this feeling…?"
"I don't know… but I've never felt this before."
Before he could process his thoughts, she finally turned to him—her emerald gaze locking onto his.
Then, her expression hardened.
"Are you seeing a girl for the first time, pervert?" she deadpanned.
Reikou nearly choked.
Before he could defend himself, an arm suddenly wrapped around his shoulders.
"Yo, new guy!"
A boy with messy blond hair and a mischievous grin pulled him close.
"I'm Ryuuto! Ryuuto Ketsuhiro. You seem fun. Let's be friends!"
Reikou blinked.
"That was… fast."
THWACK!
A chalk piece smacked both their heads.
"Enough talking," Mr. Yinglan grumbled.
"Both of you—Reikou and Ryuuto—go stand outside!"
"But—!! MM!!"
Reikou groaned as he stepped outside, leaning against the wall.
"Late on my first day. Punished within ten minutes. My legend is off to a great start," he muttered.
"Hey, at least we're in this together!" Ryuuto grinned.
"Yeah… Thanks for that, partner in crime."
They both laughed.
Then, Ryuuto smirked.
"So, what was that back there?"
"What?" Reikou raised an eyebrow.
"You totally fell for Meiyu Sazanami, huh?"
"Meiyu… Sazanami?" Reikou repeated the name in his head.
"I don't know why, but when I saw her… I felt something. Something special. Something I've never felt before," he admitted.
"Love at first sight?"
"N-No! I mean… maybe?"
Ryuuto laughed.
"So, are you going to confess on your first day?"
"WHAT!?"
Reikou nearly stumbled.
"No way! My first day is already bad enough—I don't want to make it worse!"
Ryuuto shrugged. "If you don't, someone else might beat you to it."
Reikou frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"There's a rumor that some guy from another section is going to confess to her."
"But Meiyu isn't exactly the romantic type. She has her own rules, just like you do."
Reikou narrowed his eyes.
"Rules?"
"Yeah. Not sure what they are, but you'll find out soon enough," Ryuuto grinned.
Reikou fell into thought.
"She has rules, huh…?"
"What are they?"
"I have to find out—"
"No matter what."