Year 2014 – Shizuoka, Japan.
The classroom buzzed with soft whispers and the shuffle of papers.
Haruto Akihara sat near the window, sunlight dancing across his desk. His brows furrowed as he stared at the math problem in front of him. He tapped the eraser end of his pencil against the wood. It was a school-wide placement test—a rare event for students at his level.
He glanced at the clock. Twenty minutes left.
The questions were far more difficult than usual, even for him. Haruto had studied hard for this, but his heart still pounded. Behind him, he could hear the subtle scratch of a pencil moving too smoothly, too confidently.
He didn't need to turn around.
He knew who it was.
Ren Akihara.
Just one year younger, but already solving problems that made the other students scratch their heads. Ren sat in the back row today, among students a grade above his own—an exception the teachers had allowed without question.
Because Ren had never given them a reason to doubt.
"Time's up! Pens down, everyone," the teacher announced.
Ren calmly closed his booklet. No expression, as always. Haruto, however, exhaled with relief.
Later that day, the results were posted.
Haruto scanned the board. His name was high on the list.
Third place.
He smiled proudly. That was better than most of the older students. But then, his eyes drifted upward—and there it was.
First Place: Ren Akihara
Haruto froze.
The name glared back at him like cold truth. There were whispers nearby.
"Wait, Ren-kun's in second grade, right?"
"How did he beat everyone?"
"Is he some kind of genius?"
Haruto's chest tightened. He felt something foreign mix into his pride.
Envy.
---
Later that evening, back home.
Ayaka Akihara placed two bowls of curry rice on the table. "Eat up while it's warm, boys."
Haruto sat down with a subdued smile.
Ren sat opposite, calm as ever.
"You did amazing, Haruto," Ayaka praised as she stroked his hair.
He nodded. "Thanks, Mom."
Then her eyes turned to Ren. "And Ren, first place? That's incredible."
Ren only smiled politely. "I just got lucky."
Haruto stared at him. That face again. Always gentle. Always soft-spoken.
But inside Haruto, something had begun to shift.
And Ren—Ren already knew.
He had planned this.