The faint chirping of birds slipped through the half-open window, carried by the soft breeze of early morning.
The light was gentler than usual — not the harsh glare that forced him awake, but a quiet glow that crept across the room and brushed his face.
Ren's eyes blinked open slowly.
He turned toward the clock on his desk.
6:00 a.m.
For a second, he just stared. He never woke up before the alarm — not without Akari's yelling echoing from downstairs.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The house was quiet, except for the faint clatter of dishes and the soft hiss of a stove below.
Ren opened his door and leaned slightly over the railing.
In the kitchen, Akari was already moving around — hair tied neatly, apron on, flipping tamagoyaki with calm precision. Sunlight pooled across the counter, making the scene look like something out of a quiet morning show.
"Morning," Ren said, voice still low from sleep.
Akari jumped a little, almost dropping the spatula.
"Ren?! You're awake?!"
He blinked once. "Apparently."
She squinted suspiciously. "You… woke up on your own? No yelling? No alarm?"
"Seems like it."
She crossed her arms, pretending to think deeply. "Hmm… What did you do with my real brother?"
Ren sighed. "You're too loud for this hour."
"Hey! You're the one breaking character by waking up early!" she said, laughing lightly. "Go take a bath first, breakfast will be ready soon."
He gave a small nod. "Yeah."
Ren's footsteps echoed softly against the floor as he headed to the bathroom.
Steam filled the mirror minutes later, blurring his reflection.
He stood there a while longer than usual — not because he was tired, but because the silence felt… peaceful.
The water was warm, the air still, and for the first time in a while, there was no rush.
When he stepped out and buttoned his uniform, the morning light filtered through the window, catching faint dust in the air.
He tied his necktie with quiet precision, the same habit he'd done every day — but it somehow felt different today.
Downstairs, Akari had already set the table.
"Perfect timing," she said brightly. "I didn't have to yell once today."
Ren sat down. "Don't get used to it."
She smiled as she poured miso soup into a bowl. "Even if it's once, I'll take it."
They ate in calm silence — only the sound of clinking dishes, the soft hum of the city outside, and the faint breeze moving the curtains.
Akari leaned back a little, watching him with a small, content smile.
"It's nice, you know," she said. "Having mornings like this."
Ren glanced up, curious. "What do you mean?"
"You, me, Mom…Dad… all together, even if it's just simple days." She paused, then smiled a bit wider. "I missed this."
Ren looked down briefly at his bowl, then replied quietly, "Yeah."
When he finished, Ren slipped on his shoes and adjusted his bag.
"I'll go early," he said.
Akari raised an eyebrow. "You're leaving before me? You're full of surprises today."
He simply replied, "It's quieter that way."
Akari laughed softly. "Don't go back to sleep on the way."
"I won't."
The street outside was wrapped in calm.
The morning breeze carried the faint scent of wet pavement and cherry petals drifting from the trees.
The usual noise of bicycles and chatter hadn't started yet — only the distant hum of the city waking up.
For once, Ren didn't feel like blending in or disappearing.
He just… walked, hands in pockets, listening to the rhythm of his footsteps against the quiet road.
He passed the convenience store, the closed café, the bus stop where students usually gathered.
The air felt lighter somehow — not because anything had changed around him, but because he had.
Ren paused near the school gate, looking up at the sky.
The light was warmer than usual, gold seeping through scattered clouds.
He exhaled softly.
"…It's not a bad morning."
Then, with calm steps, he continued toward the school — unaware that soon, the same morning peace would start to shift again.
The quiet of the morning followed Ren all the way to school.
When he stepped through Seiryu High's gate, the courtyard was still mostly empty — just a few students sweeping petals from the path or chatting sleepily near the lockers.
He changed into his indoor shoes and headed toward Class 1-A.
The door slid open with a faint creak.
Only a few students were there — mostly the diligent types arranging their desks or rereading notes. The sunlight stretched across the room, painting gold stripes over the floor.
Ren walked to his usual seat by the window and set his bag down.
The room was so quiet he could hear the flutter of curtains from the open window.
He rested his chin on his hand and gazed outside. It felt strange — being early, seeing the classroom like this.
Peaceful, but not empty.
A few minutes passed before the door burst open.
"Ren?! You're already here?!"
Kaito stood frozen at the doorway, hair slightly messy, tie half-done, eyes wide.
Ren didn't look away from the window. "Morning."
"Don't 'morning' me! Did you sleep here overnight or something?"
Ren blinked slowly. "No. Just woke up early."
Kaito walked closer, still in disbelief. "You?! Woke up early?! Is the world ending?"
Ren sighed quietly. "You're loud."
Kaito groaned, slumping into the chair beside him. "Unbelievable. My best friend turned into a morning person before my eyes."
Before Ren could reply, the door slid open again.
"Yo! Morning, early birds!"
Takeda Shun strode in with his usual grin, followed closely by Aizawa Rika — energetic as ever, waving both hands like she owned the place.
"Wow, everyone's actually early today!" Rika said cheerfully. "Did I miss some secret meeting or something?"
Kaito smirked. "Apparently Ren woke up early."
"Ohh, so you're the late type, huh? What brings you early today, Hayashi-kun?" Rika teasingly asked Ren.
Ren looked up from his notebook. "Just woke up early."
Rika raised a brow. "Just like that? No reason?"
Rika placed a hand on her chest. "I don't believe it. Hayashi Ren, the silent shadow of Class 1-A, joins the land of the living before 8 a.m.? What's next, you smile at someone?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "That won't happen."
Kaito laughed. "Yeah — his sister will faint if she ever witnesses it."
Rika gasped. "Oh! Speaking of your sister!" She leaned forward eagerly. "You were called to the student council room yesterday, right? What happened? Did they make you president already?"
Shun grinned. "Yeah, come on, man — spill it. Did you join them?"
Ren replied plainly, "No."
Both of them blinked. "That's it?"
"Yes."
Kaito chuckled. "Told you — nothing ever changes with this guy."
"Man," Shun said, shaking his head, "you've got the personality of a locked door."
Before Ren could respond, more voices filled the room.
Fujimori Arata stepped in, hands in his pockets, his usual confident air following behind him.
Right beside him, Tanaka Yui was chatting softly with Sakuragi Mei, her laughter bright against Mei's calm tone.
Arata spotted Ren and Mei almost immediately.
"Oh, morning, Hayashi. Sakuragi."
Ren nodded politely. "Morning."
Mei followed with a small bow. "Good morning, Fujimori-kun."
"Man," Kaito whispered, "even your greetings sound like a business meeting."
Rika, who'd been listening, blinked and leaned closer to Ren. "You actually know Mr. Top one??"
Ren glanced at her. "Apparently. His brother's the vice president of the student council. Sakuragi-san's sister is the secretary. We all got summoned yesterday to 'join' them."
Rika's eyes widened. "Whoa, hold on — you three are siblings of the student council officers?"
Shun whistled. "No wonder they called you in. That's like, Seiryu's elite family circle right there."
Kaito laughed. "The top three scorers and they're all related to the council? Yeah, that explains a lot."
Rika grinned. "Man, the rest of us are just background characters in this school, huh?"
Ren sighed. "Please don't start that again."
Rika winked. "Too late."
Before the teasing could continue, the classroom door slid open again.
Their homeroom teacher, Ms. Sato, stepped inside — papers in hand, her usual calm smile in place.
"Good morning, everyone," she greeted. "I'm glad to see you all so lively this early."
Rika whispered loudly, "It's only lively because some miracle happened."
Ms. Sato raised an eyebrow, amused. "Should I be concerned about what kind of miracle, Aizawa-san?"
Rika quickly waved her hands. "Ah—nothing, Sensei! Just… morning energy!"
A few chuckles rippled through the class.
Ms. Sato smiled, placing her folder on the desk. "Alright, let's start homeroom. As you all know, we'll be choosing a class representative today. We'll need one student to help with announcements and class coordination."
A murmur went through the room.
Shun raised his hand. "I nominate Ayanami Riku. He's already keeping the attendance sheet tidy every morning."
Riku froze mid-note. "Eh? Me?"
Several students nodded. "Yeah, you're perfect for it!"
"You're reliable, Ayanami-kun!"
Riku hesitated, then smiled awkwardly. "If everyone's fine with it… I don't mind."
Ms. Sato nodded approvingly. "Then, Ayanami Riku will serve as Class 1-A's representative. Thank you, Ayanami-kun."
Polite applause filled the room. Riku bowed slightly, clearly flustered but pleased.
"Alright," Ms. Sato continued, "since that's settled, I'll move on to a few announcements about club orientations this week—"
Her voice blended into the background hum of a typical morning.
Kaito leaned toward Ren. "Lucky. If she asked for volunteers, I was ready to fake a stomachache."
Ren gave a small shrug. "You didn't need to. She never calls on you anyway."
Kaito frowned. "That's… fair."
Rika laughed quietly. "Wow, you two really have this down to a system."
The class buzzed with light chatter as Ms. Sato wrapped up the homeroom.
Outside, sunlight filtered through the windows, casting soft patterns across the desks.
Ren looked out, eyes distant but calm.
It was just another morning — simple, ordinary — yet it felt different.
A quiet shift he couldn't quite name.
The morning classes went by in a quiet rhythm — chalk against the board, breeze of the wind and the occasional murmur of half-awake students.
Ren sat by the window, pen in hand, gaze drifting between his notes and the sunlight reflecting off the schoolyard.
Kaito leaned back in his chair behind him.
"Hey, Ren," he whispered. "You're seriously focused today. Did you hit your head this morning?"
Ren didn't look up. "I'm just taking notes."
Kaito chuckled. "Right, right. Next thing I know, you'll be raising your hand in class."
Ren turned his head slightly. "Don't count on it."
Kaito grinned. "That's my guy."
The bell rang, signaling the end of the morning period.
Students stretched, yawned, and began pulling out lunch boxes and drinks. The classroom filled with chatter and laughter — the kind of easy noise that came with familiarity.
Ren quietly opened his bento. Akari's cooking, simple as always: tamagoyaki, rice, and pickled vegetables.
"Yo," Kaito said, pulling his chair beside him. "Mind if I also eat here?"
Ren shrugged. "Yeah"
A few minutes later, Rika and Shun approached their desks, trays in hand.
"Hey hey, mind if we join?" Rika asked, already sitting before anyone answered. "The back corner's boring."
Kaito rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. Pull up a chair."
As they sat down, Rika looked at Ren's neatly placed lunch box and smirked.
"Well, well… why are you eating here now. What's wrong, Hayashi-kun? Don't want to be spotted by your sister again?"
Kaito nearly choked on his drink. "Pfft—oh yeah! Last time she saw you, she asked you to go to the student council room!"
Shun burst out laughing. "Ahh, that explains it! He's hiding in plain sight!"
Ren let out a quiet sigh. "You guys are overreacting."
Rika leaned closer, teasingly. "Sure, sure. Classic big-brother trauma response."
Kaito grinned. "Man, imagine being afraid of your own sister."
Ren looked at him flatly. "You would be too."
That shut Kaito up for a moment — which only made Rika and Shun laugh harder.