Rika stared at the open door and the girl standing in it, completely confused by her reaction to the scene around them. Half-unpacked bags lay on the floor, sheets of paper scattered everywhere, covered in half-formed ideas and unfinished sketches.
"H-hello…" Rika murmured, instinctively pulling her hood farther over her face, uncomfortable with being seen. "I'm Nanase Rika," she added quietly, her words stumbling out in awkward fragments.
Ami caught her breath when she took in the state of the room. She was a person who valued order and cleanliness, and this chaos made her tense. It reminded her far too much of her messy little brother something she absolutely despised.
"I'm Tachibana Ami," she replied, her voice controlled, though strained. "C-can you explain… all of this?" she asked, gesturing to the disorder around them.
Rika glanced around the room, trying to understand what exactly was so wrong. To her, everything felt normal. She looked back at Ami, confused.
Ami was tall incredibly tall nearly one hundred eighty centimeters, maybe more. Her lean frame and rolled-up sleeves revealed toned muscles built through years of training. Her short brown hair had a slightly feminine touch to it, though its style was mostly boyish.
Meanwhile, Ami observed the girl in front of her: short, barely reaching one hundred sixty centimeters, with long, tangled hair that could hide her face in an instant. Beneath the oversized clothes, her true appearance remained a mystery.
"I don't see anything wrong…" Rika replied. Ami let out a tired sigh.
"You really don't? The room is a disaster and you haven't even unpacked," she said at once. Rika glanced around again. To her, everything looked normal, but she had to admit that compared to Ami's standards, it was definitely messy.
"I'm sorry… I'm just used to this," Rika said softly, beginning to gather the scattered papers and pencils.
Ami watched her in silence for a moment, then sighed again before stepping further into the room to help. As she bent down and picked up a small stack of papers, she couldn't help but look at them. The drawings were beautiful detailed, unique, and surprisingly realistic.
"You're really amazing at drawing," Ami said without thinking.
Rika looked up at her sharply. "Y-you really think so?!" she gasped, the edge of her hood slipping back, revealing more of her face. It was the first time someone outside her family had ever seen her work and praised it.
"Yeah! I'm guessing you came to Shinrin because of its history with art talent, right?" Ami asked. Rika nodded quickly.
"Y-yes, that's right! I wanted to come here to fulfill my dream! My favorite artists graduated from Shinrin Yamato Yamagi, Odo Machuro, and Ogawa Tenma!" All of them had been young prodigies, famous for their success in Shōten Jump and their incredible manga series.
"Odo Machuro… the mangaka?" Ami's eyes widened as she recognized the name. It was the creator of a series her little brother adored. She had never expected to meet someone who actually wanted to become a mangaka herself.
Ami smiled softly and handed the collected papers back to her. Then she turned toward the door. "I almost forgot I still need to grab my own things. I'll see you in a bit, Nanase," she said before stepping out of the room.
Left alone again, Rika returned to cleaning up. After all, starting today… she wasn't alone in this room anymore, and she needed to respect her new roommate.
The door clicked shut behind her as she moved down the hallway, passing groups of students who could become her classmates, her friends, or maybe even something more. For now though, it was just a noisy corridor filled with unfamiliar faces and voices.
As she descended the stairs, she let out a quiet sigh. A mangaka, huh? she thought. Why did I have to end up with someone so… so- Ami couldn't quite find the right word. Her emotions tangled inside her: irritation at the mess her roommate lived in, but also an odd sense of admiration for Rika's determination to chase her dream.
When Ami finally reached the gym where students' belongings had been placed, she searched for her own bag. While doing so, she glanced around. The gym was massive and spotless, far more impressive than any she had seen before.
She really wants to become a mangaka… The thought returned as she bent down to pick up her things. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag, and suddenly another memory surfaced.
"You are the pride of this team, Ami! You have to give everything and never let us down!"
Those were her coach's words. She had always pushed herself to be the best not only because she was told to, but because she truly loved running more than anything else.
On her way back, she suddenly heard the sound of someone running on the track. It was a rhythm she could recognize anytime, anywhere. Curiosity took over, and she went to investigate. Before her stretched a beautiful track field, bathed in sunlight, the last warm rays of early autumn touching the ground. Out on the field there was only one person running.
It was a girl in the school's traditional gym uniform a white shirt with the name "Saito Hana" printed on it and red training pants. She continued running without pause. Ami moved closer and sat down on a nearby bench. A quiet longing stirred inside her as she watched, an old familiar urge to run creeping back into her heart.
After a while, the girl finally stopped, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She noticed Ami, waved cheerfully, and jogged over to her.
"HEEEY! ARE YOU INTERESTED IN RUNNING?!" she called out, stopping right in front of Ami, whose eyes widened at the sudden burst of energy.
Without hesitation, the girl grabbed both of Ami's hands and shook them enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Saito Hana the captain of the track and field club!" she announced with pride.
"E-eh!? The track and field captain?!" Ami thought, freezing for a moment before lifting her gaze.
"I'm Tachibana Ami… I already joined the track and field club," she replied.
Hana burst into laughter at Ami's reply.
"Then I guess that makes us teammates!" she said, reaching for Ami's hand. The moment their hands touched, something strange moved through Ami a flutter of embarrassment, or perhaps just dizziness she couldn't explain.
"Y-you were training, right?" Ami blurted out. "You looked so focused… I'm sorry if I interrupted you." Even as she said it, she knew she hadn't really done anything wrong.
Hana just smiled and suddenly pulled her into a warm hug. Her skin was surprisingly cool, and the soft, sweet scent around her made Ami's senses spin like honey mixed with sunlight and the faint rubber smell of the track.
Ami noticed the beads of sweat on Hana's temple, the rise and fall of her chest as she caught her breath, and the effortless way she still held herself upright.
Then Hana leaned back, tilted her head, and grinned.
"You're tall!- incredibly tall. And look at these legs!"
Before Ami could react, Hana crouched down, her hands lightly gripping Ami's legs. Heat rushed to Ami's face.
"W-what are you doing?!" she yelped, stepping back in a hurry.
Hana smiled as she pulled her hands away.
"Just kidding," she said, then glanced at her watch as it buzzed softly against her wrist. "Ah, it's almost time. Let's meet at the club activities, Tachibana Ami! And don't forget to come to the welcome ceremony!"
With that, she turned and ran off, leaving Ami standing there, stunned. Ami slowly placed a hand on her chest, her heartbeat strangely fast. What's wrong with me…? Why do I suddenly feel so warm…?
Rika finished tidying up the room. It hadn't taken much effort, but it looked clean enough to count. She flopped onto her bed with her Nintendo in hand, losing herself in a game while she waited for something—anything—interesting to happen. Still, her thoughts kept drifting.
Did my roommate really like my art? Or was she just being polite…?
She shook the thought away and focused on the screen instead.
The sound of water striking the tiled floor echoed through the empty changing room. Hana stood under the warm stream of the shower, humming her favorite tune. Then the door creaked open.
"Hana, it's me," a male voice called out as someone sat down on the bench. "I'll just wait here."
Hana lowered the water slightly, a small, knowing grin forming on her lips.
"Mikio!" she called back.
Shiraki Mikio, the current secretary of the student council, let out a tired sigh. "Yes, Hana?"
A moment later, she stepped out in front of him with a towel wrapped around herself.
"I'm glad you came all this way," she said playfully, "but I left my clothes in the locker. Could you go bring them to me, please, Miki~?"
Mikio looked away the moment he noticed she had stepped out of the shower area.
"Hana… you could at least warn me before you come out…" he muttered, turning his head toward the lockers with a faint pink trace across his cheeks.
"Relax, relax," she laughed softly. "It's just a towel. I'm properly covered, Mr. Student Council Secretary."
He ran a hand through his damp hair with a tired sigh. "That isn't the point. You really don't think about how things might look, do you?"
"That's because I don't care how they look," she replied, sitting down on the bench across from him and stretching her arms lazily. "Only how they feel."
Mikio was quiet for a second. He adjusted his glasses, his expression slipping back into something more serious.
"You were running again. Even though practice doesn't officially start until tomorrow."
"And?" she tilted her head, eyes bright. "A captain should always be the first one on the track."
"You push yourself too hard," he said quietly. "If the teachers find out you're straining yourself before the season even starts-"
"They won't," she interrupted with a confident grin. "And even if they do, what are they going to say? 'Stop being so dedicated'?"
He clicked his tongue softly. "You always have an answer…"
"Of course I do." She leaned a little closer, resting her chin on her hands. "That's why you keep coming to check on me, right?"
His gaze flicked back to her, just for a moment too long.
"…You're trouble," he murmured.
"And you like it," she replied with a wink.
A short silence filled the room not awkward, but loaded. Finally, Mikio stood up.
"I'll go get your uniform," he said. "Just…don't disappear while I'm gone."
Hana watched him walk to the lockers, her playful smile softening into something more thoughtful.
New year… new students… new runners…
I wonder how long the calm will last.
Her fingers unconsciously drummed against the bench.
"…Tachibana Ami, was it?"
She smiled to herself.
This one is going to be interesting.
Mikio handed Hana her uniform, then moved to sit on the farthest bench he could find. He paused for a moment, thinking carefully before speaking.
"How is it… Hana? The way you said it about running… the only time someone can really outrun anything?" he asked, catching a soft giggle from her in response.
"The only time a human can outrun everything," she replied, "is when they know it's the last time they'll ever run." She glanced at him to make sure he wasn't staring too closely.
"Why are you asking, Miki?" she said, already sensing that he wasn't joking.
"Why do you run, Hana?" he asked again, more earnestly this time. "Why do you really like to run?" Hana tilted her head, frowning slightly as she considered the question.
"Because I love the feeling of freedom," she finally said. "Like birds in the sky or fish in the water it's natural for them. Running… it makes me feel like myself."
With that, she finished changing into her uniform. Mikio looked away, letting out a soft sigh. "So… you know this year is your last real chance to win, right?" he said quietly.
Hana froze. Since she had joined the Shinrin track and field club, she had never won a single competition.