The city lights were dimmed, casting a quiet, lonely glow over the apartment complex. In the heart of the night, everyone was trapped in their own little world, anchored to their respective beds, contemplating the invisible threads that connected them.
Kenzuki lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, his aching hand resting on his stomach.
Thinking about everything happened today... The inner monologue was slow, a sluggish river of thoughts. The sandwich, the onigiri, the alleyway... Goro. That was stupid. I could have been killed. Or arrested. But I wasn't. I'm still here. Still a loser. The pain in my hand reminds me I actually did something. Gross. No plan for tomorrow. Just the usual cycle: sleep, wake up, eat something barely edible, pretend to learn things, come home, sleep. Keep things Bare Minimum. That's the secret to happiness. Or at least, the secret to not being miserable.
He closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep with a faint, cynical smile.
In the luxurious, sprawling Kataromi Mansion, Aris was curled up in her king-sized bed, surrounded by plush pillows, yet she felt utterly alone. She was staring at her phone, scrolling through pictures of her and Hitashi when they were kids.
Why can't things go back to how they were? Her inner monologue was a chaotic storm of emotions. We were inseparable. But now... it's all Ruki this, and Ruki that. He doesn't even look at me the same way. And then... there's Kenzuki.
She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest.
Kenzuki Goddomori. The boy who ate my heart-shaped onigiri with such genuine appreciation. The boy who took down five delinquents with a broken chair leg. He's... he's nothing like Hitashi. He's lazy, he's poor, he's unmotivated... but he saw me. He actually saw me when I was at my lowest. I need to know more about him. I need to make a plan. Tomorrow, I'll talk to him again. I'll make sure he's okay. And maybe... maybe I can use him to make Hitashi jealous? No, that's terrible. But... it might work.
Meanwhile, in a cozy, smaller apartment, Hitashi Monoki was lying on his back, his hands behind his head, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to his ceiling.
Ruki-chan is so smart, he thought, a goofy smile spreading across his face. She's beautiful, too, even if she acts cold. I need to study harder so I can be in the same league as her. But I don't want to lose Aris as a friend, either. She's always been there for me. It's hard... love is complicated. And then there's that Kenzuki-san I met in the park.
He shifted, thinking about the quiet, lazy boy.
He's so mysterious! He said he was a side character, but he looked so cool when he talked about the sunset. I want to be friends with him. I'm going to make him come out of his shell. Tomorrow, I'll ask him to eat lunch with us on the rooftop. It'll be fun!
And in a perfectly tidy, minimalist room, Ruki Osawan sat at her desk, studying under the glare of a desk lamp. Her textbook was open, but her mind was analyzing the social dynamics of Class 2B. She was a planner, and she had everyone's capabilities and marks calculated to the decimal point.
Monoki-kun... she thought, her pencil hovering over her notebook. He's good, but not perfect nor best. His grades are inconsistent, probably because he's too distracted by... well, everything. He needs discipline.
Kataromi-san... She frowned slightly. Above average, but she's letting her emotions affect her performance. She's too focused on Monoki-kun.
Goddomori-san... She stared at the name, genuinely baffled. Very average... 50 marks in all subjects. Precisely 50. Every single time. HOW? That takes more effort than actually failing, or getting a 100. Is he doing it on purpose? A deliberate act of mediocrity? It's fascinating. And terrifying. My plan is to maintain my top rank while ignoring the chaotic distractions, but... I feel like I need to figure out Goddomori-san. He's an anomaly.
The next day, the sun rose, indifferent to the complex schemes and emotional upheavals of the students of Jerochiko General Academy. Kenzuki sat in his classroom, clad in his uniform, staring out the window, practicing his favorite hobby: doing absolutely nothing.
The door to Class 2B slid open with a violent crash.
Goro stood there, looking even more menacing than he had in the alleyway, his head bandaged. He was a third-year, and his presence immediately caused the room to fall silent.
So he attends this academy, Kenzuki thought, his heart instantly hammering against his ribs, though he kept his expression perfectly neutral. I didn't know that. Please don't notice me. Please don't notice me! If he recognizes me, I'm a dead man. A dead, poor, average man.
Goro didn't look at Kenzuki. He was scanning the room with fury.
"Where is he?!" Goro shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "Where's that pretty boy who thinks he can flirt with my girlfriend?!"
He was looking for Hitashi.
"Monoki! Come out here, you piece of garbage!" Goro roared, walking down the aisle, intimidating students as he passed.
Hitashi, who was walking back to his desk, stopped, looking genuinely confused. "Uh, Goro-senpai? What's going on?"
Goro grabbed Hitashi by the collar, pulling him close. "You think I didn't see you? Carrying her books? Smiling at her? She's MINE, you idiot!"
"Goro-senpai, I was just helping her! Her books were heavy!" Hitashi explained, his voice calm, which only seemed to make Goro angrier.
"Don't lie to me!" Goro yelled, preparing to swing a punch.
The entire classroom held its breath.
Kenzuki didn't think. He didn't formulate a plan. His body just reacted, driven by sheer, panicked instinct. He stood up, knocking his chair back slightly, and picked it up. He held the chair in one hand, not to fight, but just to have it... just in case. He was standing right there, in his place, looking out the window, his back partially to Goro.
Goro, in the middle of his rampage, glanced toward the window. He saw Kenzuki standing there, adjusting the chair, looking calm, detached, and completely unfazed.
Goro froze.
His eyes widened as he recognized the figure from the alleyway. The guy who had taken him down with a chair. The guy who had looked at him with that terrifying, lazy indifference.
Goro's rage evaporated, replaced by a sudden, cold sweat.
He slowly released Hitashi's collar.
"Uh... Misunderstanding..." Goro muttered, his voice suddenly quiet, almost polite. "My bad."
Hitashi blinked, bewildered. "Huh?"
Goro straightened his own uniform, looking terrified. "You were just helping her. Okay. Got it. Don't do that again. I mean... whatever. I'm leaving."
Goro turned and bolted out of the classroom, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.
Hitashi looked at the door, then at Kenzuki, who had sat back down and was calmly staring out the window again, as if nothing had happened.
"Wow," Hitashi whispered. "That was... weird."
Later at lunch, the atmosphere was a bizarre mix of confusion and awe. Kenzuki found himself standing on the school rooftop, surrounded by the main characters of his own tragicomic drama.
"First of all," Kenzuki said, looking around the rooftop, his voice filled with genuine, exhausted confusion, "WHY THE FUCK AM I HERE?"
He was looking at Aris, who was blushing; Hitashi, who was beaming; and Ruki, who was observing him with calculated intensity.
To be continued.