The corridor behind the main courts was quiet, lit by stained glass. Ren dragged his bag along, exhaustion sinking into his bones. Another unfair bracket. Another wall. How long before they finally erase me?
Then he heard it. A hum. Off-key. Familiar.
His chest jolted. That song... the same one she used to hum on rainy days.
Earth – 6 Years Ago
The rain always seemed heavier on the days Ren forgot his umbrella.
High school, second year. He stood at the gate, water dripping down his bangs, uniform clinging to his arms. His broken umbrella hung limply at his side, more decoration than shelter.
"Idiot," a familiar voice huffed.
He looked up. Hinata Mio, holding her umbrella steady, stepped beside him. Her chestnut hair shimmered damp in the streetlight. Without asking, she tilted the umbrella so the rain no longer touched him.
"You'll catch a cold like this."
Ren shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Mio tightened her grip on the handle. "...It matters to me."
He blinked, words caught in his throat. The station bell rang in the distance. They walked together, Ren silent, Mio humming softly to fill the gaps.
Earth – 5 Years Ago
The library, exam season. Ren stared at blank pages in his notebook, eyes hollow.
Mio sat across from him, her notes stacked neat, handwriting sharp. She noticed his empty book, sighed, and without a word slid half her notes across the desk.
"You don't have to thank me," she whispered, eyes on her textbook. "Just... don't disappear, okay?"
Ren clenched his pen. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words never came.
Earth – 4 Years Ago
Graduation day. The cherry blossoms swirled as their class tossed caps into the air. Ren lingered at the edge of the crowd, hands buried in his pockets. Mio found him there, holding two sodas from the vending machine. She pressed one into his palm.
"Don't look so gloomy. You're free now, Ren."
"...Free to do what?" he muttered.
She looked at him for a long moment. "...To find something that makes you want to keep going."
Ren opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a group of friends pulled Mio away, laughing. She glanced back once, smiled, then disappeared into the crowd.
That was the last time he saw her—until now.
Present
He turned the corner.
There—Hinata Mio. Chestnut hair, soft brown eyes, her smile trembling through tears. Wearing the same academy uniform from Earth, absurd in this cathedral of padel.
"...Mio?"
Her voice cracked, but it was steady. "Ren. I found you."
Ren staggered forward. "How...? How are you here?"
"I don't know." She shook her head, eyes glistening. "I kept dreaming—of you. Walking alone in the rain, carrying something too heavy. And when I opened my eyes... I was here."
Memories crashed against him, suffocating. Umbrella. Notes. Soda. Don't disappear.
His throat tightened. "...You shouldn't have come."
She stepped closer, hand trembling as it reached for his. "I couldn't let you be alone again."
The warmth of her touch hit harder than any rally. For the first time in this world, someone saw him not as "Substitute Messiah," not as a glitch—but as Ren. Just Ren.
Before he could speak, a sharp voice cut the air.
"...What's going on here?"
Shizuka stood at the end of the corridor, arms crossed, eyes icy. Maria wasn't far behind, her grin playful, green eyes glinting.
Ren froze. Oh no.
Mio didn't falter. She clasped Ren's wrist firmly, her gaze fierce despite her tears. "I don't care who you are. I came here for him."
Shizuka's eyes narrowed. Maria smirked wider.
Ren's stomach sank. My bracket was already impossible. Now my life is, too.
Mio's hand locked on Ren's wrist, her warmth undeniable, while Shizuka's glare and Maria's smirk loom over them. Three heroines, one battlefield.