The final bell rings
Immediately, chairs scraped against the floor and conversations returned to life. Students packed bags, stretched lazily, and escaped classrooms like they had been trapped all day.
Meanwhile—
Ren Akihara
Ren remained completely still.
“…I’m exhausted.”
Beside him, Aiko slowly placed books into her bag.
“You sat all day.”
“I sat academically.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It means I suffered.”
Aiko closed her bag and stood.
“We’re leaving.”
“We?”
She paused.
Then looked at him.
“…Actually, no.”
Ren blinked.
“Huh?”
“I’m going to club activities.”
Silence.
Ren stared.
Then stared harder.
“…You actually go somewhere after school?”
Aiko looked mildly offended.
“Yes.”
“I thought you just disappeared and respawned the next day.”
“…You’re an idiot.”
Ren stood up immediately.
“Now I have to see it.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Aiko narrowed her eyes.
Ren smiled proudly.
Aiko sighed.
Again.
Somehow she had been doing that more lately.
“…Fine.”
Victory.
Ren raised both hands dramatically.
“I knew friendship would win.”
“Friendship had nothing to do with this.”
As they walked through the hallways, the school slowly changed around them.
Morning noise was different from after-school noise.
Lighter.
Looser.
Sports clubs gathered outside.
Students laughed near lockers.
Upperclassmen crossed hallways carrying equipment.
The academy suddenly felt larger than classrooms.
Ren looked around.
“…There are way too many people.”
“You say that every day.”
“And every day I’m right.”
A few steps behind them—
Hana Kurose
Hana walked silently down the same hallway.
Not with them.
Not far from them either.
Just… existing along the same path.
Ren looked behind briefly.
“Oh.”
Hana looked back calmly.
“…What?”
“Nothing.”
Silence.
Then:
“Are you going home?”
“Yes.”
Short answer.
Normal Hana answer.
Ren nodded.
“Okay.”
“…Okay.”
And she continued walking.
Aiko stared at him.
“What was that?”
“What?”
“That conversation.”
“What conversation?”
“That thing you just did.”
Ren looked genuinely confused.
“We talked.”
“You exchanged two words.”
“That still counts.”
Aiko rubbed her forehead.
A few minutes later they arrived at the third floor of the old school building.
Unlike the main building, this side of the academy felt quieter.
Less crowded.
Sunlight stretched through long windows, lighting empty hallways.
At the end—
a wooden door.
A small sign hung outside:
Literature and Arts Club
Ren stared.
Then looked at Aiko.
Then back at the sign.
Then back at Aiko.
“…No way.”
Aiko immediately looked suspicious.
“What?”
“You voluntarily come here?”
“…Yes.”
“To read?”
“Yes.”
“…For fun?”
Aiko looked like she regretted existing.
The door opened before she could answer.
Sora Amemiya
“Well, this is unexpected.”
Sora stood at the doorway holding several books under one arm.
He looked between them.
Then smiled.
“Aiko brought a visitor.”
“I didn’t,” Aiko said immediately.
Ren pointed dramatically.
“She surrendered under pressure.”
“She annoyed me into accepting.”
“Same thing.”
Sora laughed.
Then stepped aside.
“Come in.”
The room felt different from classrooms.
Smaller.
Softer.
Bookshelves lined the walls.
A few students sat quietly reading.
Near the windows, warm light covered tables filled with notebooks and papers.
The atmosphere felt strangely calm.
Ren looked around.
Then whispered:
“…This place feels expensive.”
“That's not a feeling,” Aiko replied.
Across the room—
someone raised a hand lazily.
Mika Hoshino
“Oh great. Loud guy followed you.”
Ren pointed immediately.
“You’re here too?!”
Mika looked unimpressed.
“I joined because club rooms have snacks.”
“…That’s actually genius.”
“Thank you.”
Sora placed books on a table and looked toward Aiko.
“You missed yesterday.”
“I know.”
“Assignment?”
Aiko nodded once.
Sora glanced briefly toward Ren.
Then smiled.
“…Ah.”
Ren immediately narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t ‘ah’ me.”
Sora only smiled more.
From beside him—
Aiko suddenly looked very tired.
Very, very tired.
And for some reason—
Ren had a bad feeling.
A really bad feeling.
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