Japan.
Kanagawa Prefecture.
Spring had arrived quietly, and life was beginning to stir once more.
Cherry blossoms lined both sides of the streets, their petals fluttering gently in the breeze. The pink-white flakes danced through the air, wrapping the city in a soft, dreamlike veil.
The morning sun pierced through the mist, spilling its golden light over Kanagawa and slowly awakening this legendary prefecture from its slumber.
A new school year had begun.
Energy and excitement filled every campus across the region like a rising tide. It was as if the entire world was glowing with the fire of youth — vibrant, restless, and full of dreams.
Ryonan High School — outside the main gate.
The morning light glimmered across the bold four characters carved into the stone pillar: Ryonan High School.
The front entrance was already bustling with life.
Students in crisp new uniforms filled the walkway, chatting in small groups. Their laughter overlapped like a melody of youthful enthusiasm. Every face carried that unmistakable brightness of youth — passionate, eager, and full of hope for the future.
In the open plaza ahead, club booths had been set up in neat rows, creating a lively festival-like atmosphere.
Basketball Club, Baseball Club, Soccer Club, Light Music Club, Photography Club, Anime Club... you name it — it was there.
Senior students stood in front of their club tables, waving flyers and calling out to the new recruits with cheerful smiles and loud voices.
"Come check us out, freshmen!"
"Join the Baseball Club — the pride of real men!"
"The Literature Club has sweet and gentle senpai waiting for you!"
"The Swimming Club's full of beautiful seniors with perfect bodies! No gender restrictions — everyone's welcome!"
The scene was so lively it almost felt like a shopping district promotion — or a group of overenthusiastic salespeople competing for customers.
Amid the crowd, two striking figures slowly appeared, immediately drawing every gaze toward them.
A young man and a young woman walked side by side.
Even before they reached the gate, the air around them seemed to change — as if the noise of the world had momentarily softened just for them.
The young man had short, spiky bright crimson red hair and large eyes with vertical pupils. His face was sharp and well-defined, his features calm yet commanding — the kind of quiet intensity that wasn't often seen in someone his age.
His skin was fair but not delicate; there was a cool, steel-like strength in his presence.
But what truly stood out were his eyes — a pair of heterochromatic pupils.
His left eye glowed with a deep golden hue, burning like the midday sun.
His right eye shimmered with a cold crimson, like frozen blood under moonlight.
It was a gaze that seemed to pierce straight through you — sharp, perceptive, impossible to ignore. One look was enough to make people feel as if their very souls were laid bare.
And more than his appearance, it was the strange duality within him that drew people in.
At one moment, he seemed kind and approachable — calm, almost gentle.
The next, his aura shifted into something distant, commanding, and regal — as though a king stood behind that quiet smile, watching the world with indifference.
He carried both fire and frost within him — a harmony of contradiction that was beautiful, intimidating, and unforgettable.
Beside him walked a young woman whose beauty was equally captivating.
Together, they were like moonlight meeting flame — one soft and serene, the other bright and fierce.
Her features were delicate yet refined, as if carved by an artisan's careful hand. Her presence radiated grace and quiet nobility — not forced, but natural, as though she had been born to stand above the crowd.
Her posture was perfect, her movements elegant and measured. There was something ethereal about her, as if she didn't quite belong to the mortal world — like a saint who had wandered down from the heavens to walk among ordinary people.
Her long, glossy black hair flowed over her shoulders like strands of silk, the slightly curled ends catching the sunlight and adding a faint touch of playful charm to her otherwise cool demeanor.
But her most captivating feature was her eyes — a pair of brown pupils, gleaming under the morning sun. They seemed to hold both wisdom and mystery, with a light that could unsettle and enchant anyone who met her gaze.
These two were none other than Ake Ryu and Kamishiro Rukia.
"So this is Ryonan High School…"
Rukia clasped her hands behind her back, gazing up at the school gate with a faint, satisfied smile. Excitement sparkled in her eyes.
The campus was clean and bright. Rows of cherry blossoms stood in front of the main building, petals drifting down like a shower of pink snow, gently carpeting the path below.
"It looks nice," she said softly, her tone warm and approving.
Ake stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the bold engraving on the wall — Ryonan High School.
The sunlight brushed his face, outlining his firm jaw and calm, stoic expression.
"Yes," he replied quietly, a faint smile touching his lips, though a deeper emotion flickered in his eyes.
He hadn't expected to end up here for high school.
His decision to attend Ryonan traced back to a phone call six months ago.
That day, Sendoh had reached out unexpectedly, asking whether Ake was interested in joining Ryonan High.
At first, Ake had been puzzled. But later, he learned that the call came partly at the request of Ryonan's coach — and partly from Sendoh himself.
After entering Ryonan, Sendoh's basketball talent had immediately stood out. He dominated matches, impressing coaches and players alike — until Ryonan met Shoyo High School and Kainan University Affiliated High School.
They lost both matches and missed their chance at the national tournament.
The defeat hit everyone hard — even Sendoh.
But in the locker room afterward, Sendoh had murmured a single sentence that left the entire team stunned:
"If he were still here… we might have won the championship."
That one remark sparked curiosity throughout Ryonan's basketball club — especially from Coach Moichi Taoka.
When he asked Sendoh who "he" was, the answer shocked everyone.
Sendoh told them about Ake — about his skills, leadership, and the mysterious reason he had quit basketball in his final year of middle school.
The Ryonan members were astonished. None of them had ever heard of such a player.
Coach Taoka himself was skeptical — a player that talented, unknown to the basketball world? Impossible.
But the more he learned, the more intrigued he became.
He urged Sendoh to contact Ake and invite him to join Ryonan High.
Sendoh agreed, though he hadn't been optimistic. After all, Ryonan was just an ordinary private school — albeit a rather wealthy one.
To Ake, though, that hardly mattered.
Whether a school was private, public, or prestigious meant nothing to him.
With his brilliant mind and photographic memory, studying was effortless.
And so, after a brief consideration, Ake accepted Sendoh's invitation and enrolled at Ryonan.
It's also worth noting that the relationship between Ake Ryu and Kamishiro Rukia was no secret to their families.
Although they weren't officially dating, both families quietly approved.
The Ake family was indifferent — as long as Ryu was happy.
The Kamishiro family, on the other hand, welcomed the connection enthusiastically.
Aligning themselves with the Ake family would only strengthen their influence — and since then, the two families' business collaborations had noticeably increased.
"Let's go in," Ake said finally, pulling his gaze from the school gate.
Rukia nodded, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze, and followed him into Ryonan High School — the place where new stories were about to begin.