Sunlight streamed through the bus windows, glinting off the boy's golden collar. Quickly, he tucked it inside his shirt, hoping no one had noticed. Sitting near the back, he guessed a few passengers might have seen it when he boarded.
"Oh, man…" he muttered with a troubled look.
Maybe it was his current situation weighing on him. He didn't know what to do after everything that had happened. Why did he have this collar? Why was he caught in the middle of all this? And why, of all things, was his cousin's hand on his thigh?
"Jessy, not here," Sekai hissed, his voice a low whisper. "Someone will see..."
"Oh, come on, Sekai. I love touching you! You're so sensitive… But if you kiss me, I promise I'll stop."
Jessyka was in the same grade as Sekai, slightly shorter, her long reddish hair draping over his shoulders like a soft blanket, a bracelet of twenty pearls glimmering on her right wrist.
Sekai was fifteen years old and stood roughly 170 centimeters tall.
They were on their way to the first day of the new school year. It was still summer, and the heat outside clung to the air.
"Jessyka… I'm not kissing you! And keep your voice down, everyone's listening…"
"Who cares if they are? What matters is our pure love!"
"Yes, yes… fine. But get your hands off me!" Sekai said, gently prying her fingers away.
"No! You didn't kiss me, so you have to pay!" Jessyka declared, hugging him tightly and peppering his cheek with kisses.
"Stop it, girl!"
A few students turned toward the commotion, making Sekai even more uncomfortable.
"Jessy, stop! We're family…"
"And what's stopping us from being an even closer family? All that matters is love, Sekai! Hehe…"
"Oh man… this is going to be a tough school year."
"Years, darling. Years!" she replied with a sly grin.
The other students, confused by the scene, simply assumed they were a weird couple.
—
At school, Sekai and his overly affectionate cousin headed to the auditorium. Sekai studied the school uniform with mild curiosity: The boys wore blue pants with a black belt and a black stripe running down each leg, along with white button-up shirts featuring a false pocket on the chest, shaped by two overlapping triangles — one white and one black.
The girls wore long blue skirts and black button-up shirts, also adorned with a false pocket on the right side of the chest in the same design of white and black triangles. It was an intriguing design. But he chose not to dwell on it.
Upon arriving at the auditorium, Sekai spotted an empty seat between two other boys and thought it would be a good place to sit. Before he could move, Jessyka grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him toward a different seat—one with an empty spot right next to hers.
"Ouch! Jessy! That hurt! And why are you so rough?"
"I saw you aiming for a seat where I couldn't sit next to you. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"And you had to manhandle me just to sit beside me?"
"Shut up, or I'll sit on your lap instead."
Gulp
Sekai swallowed hard at her threat, though luckily no one seemed to hear. Jessyka seized his arm, holding it tightly with a victorious smile.
Sekai simply resigned himself to his fate.
The lights dimmed, leaving only a few spotlights shining on the auditorium podium. A beautiful blonde girl stepped forward, holding a script in one hand and a microphone in the other.
"Welcome to our beloved high school!"
Her voice was clear and warm, echoing through the hall. To Sekai, it sounded almost angelic.
"First Red Cherry High School welcomes you all," she continued in a softer tone. "You're probably feeling stressed, nervous, maybe even a little lost about what's to come."
Sekai lowered his gaze, her words stirring something in him.
"Perhaps you're wondering, 'What should I do?' or 'Will everything be okay?' or 'What's expected of me?' What I can tell you is: do not fear fate."
Sekai looked up, eyes fixed on the girl.
"This is just one small step in the journey ahead. You'll meet people—some kind, some harmful. You'll face challenges, gain experience, and grow as a person. There will be moments when you wonder if it's worth it, if you made the right choices, if you deserve to be here… and other times when you'll blame yourself for what's been lost. But again, I say: do not fear fate."
Sekai felt as if she were speaking directly to him—about his life, his choices, his future.
"Don't be afraid to accept your fate, and don't be afraid to challenge it when necessary. Do what must be done. And no, I'm not talking only about school—I'm talking about the future."
Sekai's hand drifted to the hidden collar under his shirt.
"A future for me, for you, for all of us. The battles of life are endless, and they start here. Become people who know how to fight for what is right. Thank you—and once again, welcome."
The students rose to their feet, applauding. The speech might have been generic, but it was far from meaningless—some students were moved to tears, others inspired.
The girl calmly stepped offstage, disappearing behind the curtains. Moments later, a tall man in a suit—likely in his forties—took the podium.
"Alright, settle down. That was indeed a fine speech from our student council president. Now, I'd like to welcome all the new freshmen to the school. We hope you have a wonderful time here. Let me take a moment to explain our facilities and school rules…"
As the man spoke, Sekai found his mind drifting back to the blonde girl's words, wondering what the future held.
"It's okay, Sekai. I'm with you," Jessyka whispered, smiling warmly.
Her smile always seemed to ease his tension—perhaps because of how close they were.
"I'm your girlfriend, after all," she added with a playful wink.
"You are not!"
"Of course not… I'm your wife!"
"Oh, man…" Sekai muttered, his hand brushing against the hidden collar.
A faint warmth pulsed from it—like a heartbeat.