Even though a heavy rain had poured down in the middle of the night, by morning, the sky was a brilliant blue, not a single cloud in sight. The only proof that last night's storm wasn't just a dream was the scattered puddles on the ground, shimmering under the sun.
The summer sunlight was as bright and energetic as ever, urging everyone to shake off their sleepiness and start the day with enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, Anon was absolutely exhausted.
"What was I even thinking last night…? I was already wide awake, and I still went and made tea…"
Although she was forcing herself to stand tall and keep up with the bustling crowd, the truth was that she had been running on autopilot for quite a while now.
The bitterness of last night's tea still lingered on her tongue. Every time she moved it, she could almost taste the memory, a sharp reminder that kept jolting her awake every time she had tried to sleep. It wasn't until nearly 4 AM that she finally managed to doze off, so there was no way she could be feeling refreshed now.
Leaving a sluggish first impression on the first day of school was the last thing she wanted. Anon shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it.
She had already stepped onto campus. There was still some time before they had to gather in their assigned classrooms, and this period was meant for new students to wander around and get familiar with the school.
Maybe I should find a vending machine and grab a can of coffee or something…
She brushed a hand through her hair. Today was the first step in her fresh start—she could not afford to mess this up.
Walking around the school seemed like a good idea. She had only spent two months in London, just a short summer break, yet it was enough to make her own school life in Japan feel strangely unfamiliar. Before she got swept up in socializing and meeting classmates, she wanted to take a moment to reconnect with the rhythm of a Japanese high school.
Anon was an outgoing person, but that didn't mean she would just walk up to a stranger and declare, "Hi, I'm Chihaya Anon!"
Instead, she took in her surroundings, subtly listening to the conversations of students passing by. And just as she had suspected—
Haneoka was a unified school, meaning students could advance from elementary to middle school to high school without needing to take any entrance exams.
That meant that even though this was the start of high school, a lot of students had already formed their own social circles back in middle school.
Anon let out a thoughtful hum, lightly biting her lip as she wondered how she was supposed to break into one of those groups.
Sure, there were probably other students like her who had only enrolled in high school, but their numbers were limited. And as for students who had moved up from middle school but still didn't have a friend group… well, there were only two explanations for that: either they were extremely introverted, or they had some major personality flaws that made people avoid them.
After mulling it over, Anon decided to change her approach. Instead of worrying about who to approach, why not make them come to her instead?
She had confidence in her ability to pick things up quickly, and her bright personality had made her popular with classmates—and even underclassmen—back in middle school.
If she wanted to attract attention and become well-liked, she needed to find something she could excel at. Ideally, something trendy—something that would naturally draw people in.
After all, making friends wasn't her only goal. If she was going to restart, she wasn't going to settle for just being part of a small friend group.
She wanted to be recognized.
Still, for a school that was supposedly focused on academics, Haneoka's atmosphere was surprisingly laid-back.
The campus was lined with well-maintained trees, clearly cared for with attention and effort. Around the school buildings, she even spotted decorations that seemed like leftovers from past school festivals, still hanging on the walls as part of the scenery.
According to the student handbook, Haneoka also had a pretty active club culture.
As she wandered, Anon came across a narrow gravel path, hidden away between neatly trimmed hedges. It stretched forward, winding out of sight.
Ooh, this spot has a bit of a romantic secret hideout vibe.
Would definitely make for an interesting conversation starter—something like "Did you know there's a hidden scenic spot on campus?"
She was about to turn and leave—after all, it was almost time to head to her assigned classroom, and she wanted to arrive early to get settled—
But then, she heard something.
A faint rustling sound, coming from behind the bushes.
Was it a small animal?
Anon curiously peeked through the bushes.
But instead of a cat or a dog basking in the sun, she spotted a small girl—adorable enough to resemble a little woodland creature herself.
The short-haired girl was crouched alone behind the shrubbery, completely unaware that she was being observed. She was utterly focused on the ground, carefully picking up stones one by one with her bare hands, not at all bothered by the dirt clinging to her fingers.
The bushes weren't particularly tall, but they still obscured part of Anon's view. From her angle, all she could see was the serious expression on the girl's face. A flicker of curiosity passed through Anon's light gray eyes as she leaned in and asked,
"Hey… did you drop something?"
The gray-haired girl was Takamatsu Tomori. But at that moment, she didn't seem to hear Anon at all. Completely absorbed in her own little world, she happily picked up another stone—one shaped just like a raindrop.
With great care, she placed it into her already stuffed pocket, which was bulging with other collected stones. Only then did she finally register that someone had spoken to her. Lifting her head, she met Anon's gaze.
Her pink hair, neatly combed, cascaded down her back. The soft glow of daylight reflected off her glasses, adding a sharp highlight to her light gray eyes. The thick black frames gave her a slightly bookish appearance, making her seem more approachable despite her striking waist-length hair. And when she spoke, her little fang would occasionally peek out, as if reminding others of its presence.
Tomori had always known she was a little different from others.
Would this girl think it was weird that she collected rocks?
That thought, along with the sudden realization that she had been watched, sent a shiver down her fingers. She flinched—and the stones in her pockets tumbled out, scattering onto the ground.
It was only then that Anon fully understood—Oh, so she was collecting rocks.
Hurriedly, Tomori bent down to gather them up again. Her movements were especially quick when she picked up the raindrop-shaped one, tucking it safely back into her pocket. Then, without a word, she nodded at Anon—the quick, jerky kind of nod people gave before making a getaway—and darted off.
"Ah—"
Anon barely had time to react before Tomori had already disappeared into the school building, sprinting off like a startled animal.
Everything about her, from her panicked expression to the way she scurried away, really did remind Anon of a small creature.
She could only watch, unable to call out in time.
Well… guess that was a thing.
Just as she was about to brush off the encounter, a cool, flowing voice rang out from behind her. It had the kind of refreshing clarity that evoked the image of a gentle summer stream.
"Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, stranger."
Anon turned around.
There stood Kikukawa Kyo, hands clasped behind her back. At some point, she had silently approached, and now her deep blue eyes blinked slowly, filled with quiet curiosity.
"Do you know that girl?" she asked.
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T/N:
Hey everyone, thanks for reading. If you're enjoying the translation, dropping some Powerstones would really help out your hardworking translator (100 stones = 1 bonus chapter, 200 = 2 chapters, and so on—easy math, right?).
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Anyway, see you in the next chapter~
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