The cicadas outside screamed so loudly it was hard to hear anything else. A young man sat slouched in the back row, forehead leaning against the cool glass of the window. His uniform jacket—black with sharp yellow buttons—was half-unbuttoned, as if even fabric felt like too much of a burden in this heat. His hair, parted down the middle, framed a pair of restless black eyes that stared anywhere but the front.
He let out a sigh, the kind that carried more exhaustion than boredom.
"Can't class end already? It's the last day before summer break…" He muttered under his breath.
At the front, their bald, middle-aged teacher adjusted a stack of papers in his arms. His voice cut through the hum of cicadas.
"You've got twenty minutes to finish this assignment. Hand it in before the bell."
Groans filled the room, followed by the rustle of papers being passed down the rows. He accepted his sheet without much thought, only to blink at the bold words across the top:
In the future, I want to be ____
The reason is ____
"…Seriously?" He stared at the empty lines. A simple prompt, yet it felt like a wall he couldn't climb. His pen hovered, tapping against the desk.
"What do I even want to be?"
After a moment, he leaned sideways, whispering, "Psst, Kagetsu."
The boy beside him lifted his head. His straight black hair fell just above sharp blue eyes. A cowlick stood on his head. "what's up, Zane?"
"What'd you write?" Zane asked, scratching his head like the answer might come loose if he tugged hard enough.
A grin crept across Kagetsu's face, wide and almost childish. "Easy. I'm gonna be a hero."
Zane blinked at him. The words hung there for a second, simple but powerful. Then, almost without thinking, he smirked. "You know what?"
Kagetsu raised a brow. "What?"
"Let's be heroes together." Zane extended his fist, the grin now spreading across his own face.
For a moment, Kagetsu only stared at him. Then his expression softened into something unreadable—half amusement, half… something deeper. He raised his own fist.
"Yeah. Let's do it."
Their fists met, a quiet promise sealed between the two of them.
The minutes bled away until the bell finally rang.
Ding… Ding… Ding.
Chairs scraped. The teacher clapped his hands to gather attention.
"Don't forget your sheets. And enjoy your summer, everyone."
Zane and Kagetsu rose with the crowd, slinging bags over their shoulders. They dropped their papers onto the stack at the teacher's desk, then stepped out into the hallway.
The world beyond the school doors was alive with impossible sights. A boy floated a few inches off the ground as naturally as walking. Another girl's skin shimmered faintly, like sunlight on water. In the distance, a kid stretched taller with each stride, his laugh echoing over the chatter of classmates.
Abilities. Gifts. Wonders. Things that belonged to everyone… everyone except—
"Tch." Zane clicked his tongue, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I hate that rule. No using abilities during school hours. What's the point of having powers if we can't use 'em?"
Kagetsu didn't break stride. His voice was flat. "Can't say I relate."
It took Zane a beat to remember. His mouth opened, then shut, then opened again. "…Oh. Right. You don't have one. Guess you're the only guy in the whole damn world without—"
A sharp glare cut him off. Kagetsu's eyes were calm, but his tone carried a quiet weight. "Such comforting words."
Zane winced, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean—"
But Kagetsu was already gazing ahead, eyes fixed on the setting sun bleeding orange across the horizon. His expression was unreadable, but his words came steady and cold.
"Ability or not, I'll be the greatest hero this world has ever seen."
Zane slowed, staring at him. There was no hesitation in Kagetsu's voice—just conviction, as if the world itself would have to bend to him one day.
They walked in silence for a while, weaving through streets alive with traffic and laughter.
Then Kagetsu spoke again, voice quieter but sharper somehow.
"Hey. Let's sign up for Tsubasa Academy."
Zane almost tripped. "Tsubasa? The Tsubasa Academy? You're joking, right? That's the number one hero school in the country! Only prodigies get in."
His laugh was hollow, more nervous than amused. "There's no way we'd make it."
Kagetsu shot him a sidelong glance, lips curling into the faintest smirk. "Giving up before even trying. That's pretty pathetic, Zane."
Zane blinked. His friend wasn't usually this blunt.
"I heard the entrance exam's in two months," Kagetsu continued, his tone casual, almost playful. But his eyes… his eyes burned with the same quiet fire from earlier. "Let's apply."
Zane hesitated, heart thudding. Tsubasa Academy. The place where legends were born. The place where failures were crushed. He should have said no. He should have laughed it off.
But instead—he grinned. "You know what? Fine. Let's do it."
Their hands slapped together in a high-five, loud and sure.