Quick heads up:
( ) = Kaze's inner monologue
<" "> = Whispers
The black-and-gray sedan crawled forward amid the dense traffic, its movement slow and restrained, much like the silence inside it. Takuya Kaze sat in the back seat, his posture straight but tense, eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. Neon signs, pedestrians, and unfamiliar streets flowed by in a continuous blur, yet none of them truly registered in his mind. His father sat in the driver's seat, hands steady on the steering wheel, expression unreadable. His mother occupied the front passenger seat, composed as always, her presence alone enough to impose an unspoken pressure on the entire space.
"So, Kaze," his mother spoke at last, her voice calm, measured, and impossibly gentle, "how was your day at your new school?"
"Yeah…" Kaze replied after a brief pause. "It was… good."
The answer slipped out automatically, lacking weight or conviction. He hesitated, fingers tightening slightly against his trousers, before continuing in a quieter tone.
"C-Can I take a rest today? I'm tired… I don't really want to attend tuition anymore."
The air inside the car seemed to freeze.
No one spoke. Even the faint hum of the engine felt distant.
"Kaze," his mother said, breaking the silence, "this is for your future."
"It's too much," he replied, unable to keep the strain from his voice. "Some of them are useless, too…"
And it was true.
At just seven years old, Kaze's daily life was already dictated by an unforgiving schedule. Primary school ended at 12:30 p.m., but there was no sense of release. By 1:00, he had to be seated in Japanese language tuition, where he remained until 3:00. From 3:30 to 5:30, mathematics tuition followed without pause. At 6:00, he attended a specialized English class intended for Japanese students, where the pace and difficulty far exceeded what was expected of a child his age. At 8:30 p.m., when most children were already at home, he was placed into an "Advanced Education" program designed for high school students. His mother insisted. The teacher agreed, praising his intelligence and labeling him an exceptional case.
Yet even that was not the end.
When he finally returned home late at night, exhaustion was not an excuse. One hour and thirty minutes of revision awaited him, followed by school assignments. Beyond academics, his schedule was filled with countless extracurricular lessons — piano, violin, chess, judo, taekwondo, karate, badminton, basketball, billiards, swimming, shodō, language courses, and more, each assigned to different days. His life was not structured like a childhood; it was engineered like a system.
That day, something within him finally gave way.
A sharp click echoed as the car door unlocked.
"What — ?"
Before his mother could even turn around, Kaze had already pushed the door open.
"Kaze — !"
He jumped out of the car when there's a traffic jam and into the crowded street.
"Kaze!!!" his mother shouted, immediately leaving the vehicle and running after him.
Years of athletic training lent strength to his small frame. He ran faster than expected, weaving through gaps between vehicles, his breath steady despite the panic. Behind him, hurried footsteps followed desperately.
Beep — beep!
The sound cut through the noise.
Then —
Crash.
Bam!!!
Kaze stopped.
Slowly, he turned around.
A body lay sprawled on the asphalt, twisted unnaturally, blood spreading beneath it like a dark stain seeping into the road.
"H-Huh…?"
(That was the stupidest reason to lost a loved one, come on...)
He approached. Then the world spun. He felt light-headed, then he blinked for a long moment, long enough for him to rest for a bit.
…
Kaze jolted awake with a sharp gasp in his bed, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his eyes flew open. Morning light filtered through the curtains, illuminating a familiar ceiling. He lay frozen for a moment, disoriented, his heart still pounding violently against his ribs.
He turned to his right.
His nose collided softly with another nose.
"E-Eeeeh?!"
The girl beside him stirred, eyes half-open, her expression sleepy and unfocused.
"Huh…? Kaze, don't make such a big noise in the morning…"
"A-Aneki (slang for Onee-san) ?!" Kaze shot upright instantly. "You're still sleeping here? I thought you had work today! No — why are you even in my bed?!"
The girl laughed lightly.
Takuya Yua — his older sister (It's mentioned in Chapter 3) . Teasing, carefree, and completely unapologetic.
"Oh, relax," she said with a grin. "The maid let me in. Also, I brought you a little surprise."
She clapped her hands.
The maid stepped into the room, smiling stiffly with her eyes closed. A cat-ear headband sat awkwardly on her head.
"Ta-daa~ A neko maid!"
"Hehe, cute, isn't it?" Yua said cheerfully, patting the maid's head. "Come on, say it."
"Yes, Yua-sama," the maid replied obediently. "Nya~"
…
Kaze jumped out of bed without hesitation, removed the headband from the maid's head, and placed it aside.
"I'm heading to school."
"Okee~" Yua replied casually.
Later, as Kaze walked alone toward the school, the remnants of the nightmare clung stubbornly to his thoughts.
(That dream… It's been years. And yet, it still feels new.)
Upon entering the classroom, the first thing he noticed was someone occupying his seat.
"Hello, Kaze-kun!" Yagami Kazumi greeted him brightly.
"Hi…"
"Hm?" She leaned closer. "You seem tired. Thinking about me all night?"
Kaze sighed and gestured for her to move. After she reluctantly left his seat, he sat down, placing his bag beside him. Before he could settle, another presence approached.
"Good morning, Ka — Takuya-kun…" Sato Itsuki greeted.
(It seems like she wants to call me by my first name.)
He exhaled softly.
(Names are meaningless. Just codes to identify people. Why are they so attached to them?)
"You can just call me by my first name," he said calmly. "No need to be shy."
Itsuki froze.
"R-Really…?"
"Yeah. I'm fine with it."
"Kaze-kun…"
"Tch — don't say it so loud."
He turned away, trying to hide his faint blush. Itsuki, meanwhile, looked delighted, completely unaware of his reaction.
(She's really a fool.)
Kazumi then leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Hey, Kaze-kun. How about we have a bet?"
Itsuki blinked. "H-Huh? A bet?"
"The first-term exam is coming up," Kazumi said lightly. "If one of us gets a higher rank in the class…"
She leaned closer to Itsuki and whispered:
<"She gets to go on a date with Kaze-kun~">
"Wait," Kaze snapped immediately. "Why am I involved? Whoever wins, there's no benefit for me!"
"Oh?" Kazumi smiled wider. "Then let's make it fair. If you beat both of us, Kaze-kun, you can order us to do whatever you want. Deal?"
"Sounds good," Kaze replied without hesitation.
(I could just tell them to shut up for the rest of high school.)
Itsuki's eyes sparkled at the mention of a date, her mouth forming a small "o."
"…"
When class began, they returned to their seats. Just before sitting down, Itsuki leaned toward him again.
<"I'll win, Kaze-kun. And if you win… I will grant you one wish, whatever you want!">
<"O-Okay…">
…
(So that's how it is. They're fired up now...)
(At least this means they'll focus on the lessons… And stop 'forgetting' their textbooks.)
End of Chapter