Volt's Point of View
I raised my head toward the sky—only to find every gaze fixed on me.
Not that it mattered.
I hadn't intended to lose the ball in the first place.
A thought surfaced quietly in my mind.
Will I return to being a nobody, like before?
…Tch. As if that matters.
My eyes shifted toward Klein.
I realized then that I had never properly described him.
Snow-white hair, almost unnaturally pristine, and eyes dyed in a glacial shade of blue.
Objectively speaking, he was likely the most attractive student in the entire school.
Then there was Rin—blond hair, pale blue eyes.
Both were good-looking.
However, attraction is not determined by appearance alone.
It is defined by presence. By control. By the way one carries oneself.
In that respect—
I held the advantage.
…Wait.
We were in the middle of a match. This wasn't the time for pointless observations.
What should I do now?
Withdraw? Or continue playing like a fool?
"I don't care either way," I thought.
"Volt. Focus on what you're doing," Klein said quietly.
"Volt—"
"Sorry," I replied. "I lost myself for a moment."
"There's no time to hesitate," Klein continued.
"You either play—or you step off the court. That's all."
"I hate losing to girls who don't even understand the game," he muttered, his gaze burning straight ahead.
The referee's whistle pierced the air.
A girl struck the ball, sending it flying toward us.
I didn't turn my head. I only traced it with the corner of my vision.
The boy responsible for returning it raised his arms and deflected it back across the court.
Then—
Someone leapt.
Brown hair. Calm, sharp eyes. A white jersey.
It was me.
I struck the ball cleanly.
It slammed into the ground—right beside Hina.
Silence followed.
Who would be remembered as the one who changed the flow of the game?
Obviously— Me.
Volt.
The whistle sounded again.
"Point to the left team."
Countless gazes turned in my direction.
I didn't meet them.
My eyes remained forward, my expression emotionless.
Cold.
Empty.
Unreadable.
The cheers erupted moments later.
"Well done, Volt," Klein said.
Rin clicked his tongue. "If I were in your position, I could've done better."
"If you were in his position," Klein replied immediately,
"you would have slipped and embarrassed yourself."
"What did you say, you idiotic vice president?"
"Klein, Rin—enough," I said, stepping between them.
Before either could respond, a girl shouted:
"Everyone! All students, please gather! The exam results have been posted!"
So it's finally time.
I thought of it as something distant—almost trivial.
We moved toward the results board together.
The exam had been simple in structure, yet cruel in execution.
A set number of rules had to be written.
Five rules meant failure.
Six was the minimum to pass.
I wonder how many will disappear today,
I thought, covering my mouth to suppress a quiet laugh.
"Hmmm… the number of students being expelled is—"
The teacher spoke while holding the list.
"One."
The air grew tense.
"And that student is—
Saito Yamato."
Her gaze rested on him, filled with unmistakable pity.
He was standing right beside me.
"That's impossible!" he shouted.
"I wrote five rules! This is unfair!"
"Do you seriously not understand what that means?" Rin said calmly.
"You needed to write six."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Which means you're being expelled—
by your own ignorance."
He laughed.
"Rin, stop," Klein warned.
"So how long do you plan on standing here?" Rin continued.
"Go home already."
Saito snapped.
He lunged at Rin, swinging wildly.
Before he could reach him, I stepped forward.
My right foot extended.
He tripped.
As his body tilted forward, I caught his collar—reducing the impact before pulling him back upright.
I looked directly into his eyes.
Do you know who he was?
The same student who had tried to start a fight with me on the court—and abandoned the game.
"What Rin said," I told him calmly,
"is the truth."
"So why can't you accept it?"
His eyes trembled violently.
The murmurs began.
"…Is that really Volt?"
The girls whispered among themselves.
"That's terrifying…"
Hearing it, I understood something clearly.
I had changed.
Irreversibly.
Saito picked up his bag and left the school, escorted by the teacher.
The bell rang.
The day had come to an end.
Students dispersed toward their homes.
As I exited the school grounds, bag slung over my shoulder, Klein called out to me.
He was accompanied by the student council members—
Including the president.
"Hey," he said casually.
"Why don't we hang out at my place tonight?"
"I'm in," Klein said with a smile.
"I agree," Ciela added.
"I'm fine with it," Dana said coldly.
"Yes! I'm in!" Helena said, brimming with excitement.
"What about you, Volt?" Klein asked.
"I have something important to take care of tonight."
"Come on," Rin said, casually draping an arm over my shoulder.
"We won't stay long."
…At that point, refusal was meaningless.
"…Alright," I said.
"I'll come."