Sakuramine Academy, Class 2-B – 2:15 PM
The desks had been shoved to the edges of the room, leaving a wide open rectangle in the center. Masking tape marked the edges like a makeshift stage.
Naomi stood at the front with a clipboard and a sharp pencil, tapping it against her palm.
"Alright, here's how we're doing this," she said. "Kazuki and Aoi are our main performers. But we're not giving the other classes any free previews, so—" she glanced around the room, "—no singing today. We're working on stage positions and movement only."
A few disappointed groans rose from the class.
"Good," Naomi said flatly. "That means you understand why we're keeping it secret."
Kenji raised his hand. "Wait… you're saying there's industrial espionage in the school music festival?"
Naomi didn't even glance at him. "Yes."
Hana shot her hand up immediately. "I volunteer for backup."
Kazuki looked at her. "Since when do you dance?"
"Since right now," she said without hesitation. "Someone has to make sure you don't trip over your own feet."
Naomi made a mark on her clipboard. "That's one."
Shun shifted in his seat. "…I'm terrible at this stuff."
Ayame turned toward him. "So? That's not the point."
He frowned. "I'll be in the way."
"You'll be part of the team," Ayame said simply. "That's worth more than being perfect."
Shun studied her for a moment, then exhaled. "…Fine. But if I trip, I'm blaming you."
She smiled. "Deal."
Within minutes, Naomi had roped in eight more volunteers — some eager, some dragged in by their friends — until there were ten backup dancers total.
"Alright," she said, surveying her lineup. "Main performers center. Backup in two lines. Hana, stage right. Shun, stage left. We rotate for the chorus."
Kenji cupped his hands around his mouth. "Kazuki, you better nail this or the dance squad's going to unionize."
Kazuki ignored him.
Aoi stepped forward, glancing at Kazuki. "We'll make it work."
There was something in her smile — calm, steady — that made him think of the people he used to perform with.
Sakuramine Academy, Class 2-B – 2:37 PM
They ran the opening sequence again and again.
No vocals, just Naomi's steady voice counting the beats.
"One… two… three—Hana, don't drift left—four… five… Shun, good recovery—six… seven—Kazuki, stop looking at the floor—eight."
Kazuki exhaled through his nose. "…Fine."
Naomi smirked faintly. "Better."
The backup dancers were a mixed bag — two of them moved like they'd done this before, one had a habit of spinning the wrong way, and another tripped over the masking tape for the third time.
Hana grinned every time she passed close to Kazuki, while Shun focused so hard he looked like he was doing mental calculations with each step.
Aoi stayed perfectly in time, her movements sharp but fluid. Even without singing, there was a natural rhythm to the way she moved — something Kazuki couldn't help noticing.
Halfway through the next run, Ayame's eyes flicked toward the door.
Two students from another class had slowed their walk past the room, glancing inside casually… too casually.
Naomi's gaze sharpened. "Break," she called, clapping twice.
The dancers relaxed, but the two "passersby" didn't stick around — they kept walking, whispering to each other once they were out of view.
Kenji leaned against the wall. "See? Spies."
Kazuki shook his head, but the thought lingered.
Naomi stepped back into the taped square. "Alright, one more run before we wrap up."
The group reset their positions. On the count, the lines shifted in perfect symmetry, Aoi pivoting gracefully to face him at center stage.
Even without the music, even without a single note sung, the timing hit just right — the steps were clean, the spacing perfect.
It wasn't polished. But it felt alive.
Kazuki realized he was smiling without meaning to
Sakuramine Academy, Class 2-B – 3:04 PM
Naomi clapped her hands once. "That's enough for today."
Groans and sighs rippled through the room as the dancers began drifting toward their desks and bags. Someone flopped dramatically onto the floor; someone else asked if this counted as PE.
Aoi stepped out of formation, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "You're better at this than you think," she said to Kazuki.
He raised an eyebrow. "I barely did anything."
She smiled. "Exactly. You don't have to try too hard. You just… fit into it."
For a moment, Kazuki didn't know how to respond. The way she said it reminded him of back when performing felt effortless, like the music did all the work and he just happened to be there.
From the other side of the room, Hana watched the exchange, her smile faltering for half a second. She looked away before anyone could notice.
Shun was lingering by the door, hesitating.
"You're not heading out?" Ayame asked.
He shrugged. "Just wondering if I'm dragging the group down."
"You're not," she said, matter-of-fact. "And even if you were, it wouldn't matter. We're all still going to show up for each other."
He gave a small huff of laughter. "…Guess I'm stuck then."
"Good," Ayame replied, and moved past him to grab her notes.
As they packed up, Kazuki found himself humming under his breath. Not enough for anyone to really hear, but enough for him to feel it.
It wasn't the same weightless hum from before — this one had energy. A pulse.
Maybe Naomi was right.
Maybe this could be fun.