Yuto Kimura woke up in the least mysterious way imaginable: drooling on his pillow, completely sprawled out, and with his bedroom door wide open. Wide open. At his age. Not because he was fearless or rebellious, but because he had absolutely zero secrets to hide. His mom once joked that even burglars would be disappointed entering his room.
He blinked awake slowly, hair sticking in every direction, and dragged himself out of bed with all the grace of a zombie with knee pain. The hallway smelled faintly of miso soup. That meant his mom was already in the kitchen.
The breakfast table was its own strange ecosystem. His mom stood by the counter packing lunches while humming a tune she probably made up. His dad sat at the table sipping tea like he was narrating his own calm documentary. His older sister occupied the seat opposite Yuto's, legs crossed, wearing the smug look she saved exclusively for tormenting him.
"You're up," she said. "Shocking. I thought we'd have to stage a rescue mission."
He dropped into his usual seat. "I always wake up."
"You don't," she shot back immediately. "Last week you tried to sleepwalk into the washing machine."
His dad coughed into his tea to hide a laugh.
Breakfast was warm, crowded, and hopelessly noisy. His sister poked at his messy hair. "Seriously, fix this. You look like someone tried to blend a mop."
Yuto swatted her hand away. "I am focused. Like Pedri. And Kimmich. Romantic distractions are beneath me."
His mom smiled fondly. "He gets that confidence from his father."
His dad held up his hands defensively. "Hey now, I was actually cool when I was young."
"No you weren't," his sister said.
Yuto took a bite of rice, trying to pretend the chaos around him wasn't secretly comforting. They teased him, but they also doted on him in that quiet, persistent way that made him feel weirdly protected. Not that he'd ever admit it.
When he finished eating and grabbed his bag, his dad ruffled his hair again, undoing any progress the comb had made.
"Stop doing that!" Yuto snapped.
"It builds character," his dad replied.
His sister shouted after him, "Try to come home with a girlfriend!"
He slammed the door behind him more dramatically than necessary.
The outside air was cool, carrying a faint smell of damp pavement from last night's drizzle. Yuto breathed it in deeply. This was his favorite part of the day, the walk. He liked the way the world felt bigger when he stepped outside. The distant chatter of students, the whir of bicycle wheels passing by, the rumble of buses in the next street over… everything felt alive in a way he could never quite explain.
He walked alone with practiced ease. No footsteps matching his, no side chatter, no responsibilities. Just the steady rhythm of shoes on concrete.
But as he approached the highway, the silence thinned. Students gathered in clusters like migrating birds. Some shared snacks, some shouted across the street, some were talking about upcoming tests or club activities. Yuto felt the social energy of it all sweep past him like wind. There was a strange pang inside him—a mix of longing and stubborn denial.
I am a loner.
I walk alone.
I have an aura.
Sure. Whatever helped him sleep at night.
"Kimura!" someone called.
He turned, mildly startled. Shouta Hoshino and Koda Yamada jogged toward him.
"You're walking alone again?" Yamada asked.
"Yes," Yuto answered plainly. That was kind of the whole point. His lone-wolf aesthetic depended on it.
"Congrats on making the soccer team," Hoshino said.
Yuto blinked. He hadn't told a single soul. "How did you know?"
"It's all over the first-year rumor chain," Yamada said.
Rumor chain? Yuto had completely forgotten that normal students communicated. He thought news spread through… osmosis or something.
They started walking together. Yuto didn't join the conversation, but he listened, quietly absorbing every word they said like a human antenna. Hoshino talked about the baseball club declining. Yamada explained how the volleyball club was hunting for a setter like a desperate RPG NPC. Then they both started hyping the badminton club.
"At its peak this year," Hoshino said. "Because of the king and queen."
"Masaru Kyo and Tsukiko Takahashi," Yamada added.
Yuto felt something stir—interest, curiosity, maybe a tiny spark of competitive spirit. He wanted to see what people meant by 'king.' The way they said it made Masaru sound like a final boss.
He decided he'd check out the badminton club after classes. Just a look. Not joining, obviously. That would require being social. Ew.
As they reached the school gates, Yuto tried to quietly peel off toward his classroom.
"Kimura," Hoshino said, stopping him. "We've got thirty minutes before class."
Yamada grinned. "Want to check out the badminton club early? Rumor says the king practices in the mornings."
Yuto hesitated. His heart said yes. His persona crossed its arms dramatically and said no.
His feet? Already moving with them.
The three boys walked toward the gym together, morning light stretching ahead of them.