The gymnasium was massive.
Ren had never in his life seen a school gym that massive. It was rows upon rows of chairs stretched across the polished wooden floor, all facing a raised stage at the far end of the room.
Colourful banners hung freely from the ceiling with the Sakura High's crest of cherry blossoms stylised into perfect circles of crimson and white.
The walls were lined with trophy cases that shone bright under the flashing lights, showcasing decades of academic and athletic achievements on full display for all those in the room to marvel at.
But really what stood out for Ren the most wasn't just the number of awards showcased but the sheer number of students in the room. They were hundreds of them all dressed in identical black gakuran and sailor uniforms and seated orderly in their chairs.
But the noise from the gym was something else. It was an overwhelming mix of different conversations jammed over each other. There was the sound of laughter and chattering bouncing off the high ceiling and then the annoying scraping sound of chairs being adjusted.
"What are you standing there for Ren, come on let's go there. There's seats over here!" Sudo yelled, grabbing Ren helplessly by his sleeve and dragging him toward a section marked with a 1-C sign.
Ren let himself be dragged along comically, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd. What he was looking for if you asked him, he wasn't sure either.
Someone who looked like a gang leader?
Someone who matched the weight of the name Hasegawa Fujimoto?
But everyone just looked like typical students. There were the nervous first-years clutching their bags tight, the bored second-years slumped in their chairs and then third-years who looked like they'd rather be anywhere else but here.
Normal.
All of them looked frustratingly normal.
Fubuki waved from a few rows up, having saved seats. Sudo bounded over, and Ren followed more slowly, still taking in his surroundings.
The stage was mostly empty except for a podium and a long table where several stern-looking teachers were seated. One of them, an elderly man with silver hair and deep-set wrinkles sat in the center, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable.
The principal surely Ren had guessed correctly.
Ren gently slid into the seat between Fubuki and Sudo. Fubuki gave him a small, encouraging smile sending a blush through him. Ren looked to the side to see Sudo was already talking to another student on the row, something something about study plans after school Ren was able to make out.
Hana sat a few rows ahead of them, her ponytail visible among the sea of dark-haired students. She didn't look back even once.
"Pretty big, right?" Fubuki said softly, noticing Ren's wide-eyed survey of the gym. "My middle school ceremony was tiny compared to this. "
"Yeah," Ren agreed, his voice distant. "It sure is big."
The lights dimmed suddenly. It was still bright enough to see, but enough to signal to the students that the ceremony was about to begin. The student chatter slowly dropped to murmurs, then to near perfect silence.
One by one, alumni and guests took the stage, their speeches full of promise and platitudes. Ren's name was eventually called. He stood, nodded, and sat again. For a brief second, it felt like he was part of something bigger. But the feeling didn't last much longer.
By the time it was the elderly man's turn to take to the stands, he approached the podium gently his footsteps echoing across the quiet gym.
"Good morning, students of Sakura High." His voice was deep, gravelly, the kind that had spent decades commanding attention. It carried easily through the space without needing a microphone, though there was one clipped to his collar anyway.
"I am Principal Hanagaki," he continued. "And I welcome you both our returning students and our new first-years to a new academic year. "
Polite applause rippled through the gym. Ren didn't clap. His hands stayed in his lap, fingers brushing the edge of the paper in his pocket.
Hasegawa Fujimoto. Are you here now? Are you listening to this?
"As we begin this year," Principal Hanagaki said, his tone shifting into something that felt rehearsed, "I want to remind you all of the values that define Sakura High. Tradition. Honor. Academic excellence. These are not merely words they are the foundation upon which this institution was built."
Ren's attention drifted away to the crowd. He couldn't help it. The principal's speech was so generic the kind of thing every school authority figure said at these kind of ceremonies.
Talks of "New beginnings" and "bright futures" and "reaching your potential." Empty phrases that meant nothing to someone like him... someone whose brother was in a coma.
His eyes wandered across the crowd instead.
Most students looked about as interested in the speech as Ren was. Some of them were already were clearly fighting back the sleep, their heads nodding forward before jerking back up. Others were whispering to nearby friends, with their hands covering their mouths to hide the conversation. A few were actually paying attention, probably the type who took notes on everything.
But then Ren noticed something else in the crowd. There were certain students all scattered throughout the crowd. They sat differently. Straighter.. more alert their eyes tracking the principal with an intensity that didn't match the boring speech.
And when Ren looked closer, he could see it again, those coloured armbands. The white ones, the red ones all hidden under jacket sleeves but visible if you knew where to look for them.
Gang members.
They were all listening now. No not to the speech itself, but for something else. Waiting for something.
"—and that is why it is crucial that I must address an issue that has plagued this school for far too long. "
Ren's attention snapped back to the principal. The man's tone had changed drastically now. It was harder and more aggressive than before.