A young man was having a dream—one that felt warm, familiar, and for once, good.
"There you go. I'm so proud of you, my son," a gentle woman's voice echoed in his mind, full of love and pride.
"Thanks, Mom!" a much younger version of himself said with a bright smile, his eyes shining with determination. "I'll keep doing my best! I'm going to stay the number one student in my grade!"
"I know you will." She leaned down and placed something cool and metallic around his neck—a small locket pendant. "And here… this is for you. If anything ever happens and I'm not around, I want you to remember something." She cupped his face in her hands. "This locket will always be a symbol of my love for you, my son."
He smiled back at her, the warmth of her touch making everything else in the world fade away.
Then—he woke up.
His eyes snapped open. Dull ceiling. Faint creak of a fan overhead. The smell of dust and cheap cologne. Morning sunlight cut sharply through his cracked blinds, falling across his chest like a cold slap.
"...Today makes five years, huh?" he murmured, voice rough from sleep. He sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, and exhaled through his nose. "I haven't had a dream like that in a long time…"
He ran a hand through his messy hair, exasperated. His fingers brushed against the familiar chain at his neck, and he let them linger there a moment.
"Damn… Alright. I guess I'll try to go to school today—for your sake."
Dragging himself from the bed, he moved stiffly through the cramped apartment, each step creaking on the worn wooden floor. He opened the closet, revealing a pristine school uniform—blazer, shirt, slacks—that had been untouched for two months. A fine layer of dust floated off as he lifted it.
The locket around his neck caught the morning light, gleaming faintly.
Once dressed, he walked past a garbage bin overflowing with empty beer cans. He stared at it for a second, then sighed and picked it up. The clatter of cans filled the silence as he dumped it outside.
Once ready, he grabbed his keys and helmet from a rusted hook, gave the locket a small glance, and headed out.
Outside, the early morning air hit him like a splash of cold water—fresh, but biting. He stepped over the broken step from his apartment door and walked over to where his motorbike sat parked against the wall.
The bike was a beaten-up dark blue Yamaha, its body scratched and patched, but still dependable. He swung his leg over it, slipped on the helmet, and turned the key.
The engine growled awake with a low, throaty rumble.
He revved it once.
"Can't believe I'm actually going. Am I stupid or something?" he muttered under the helmet as he pulled off.
The streets blurred past him as the bike sped down familiar roads. Wind slammed against his back. The city was waking up—commuters filing onto buses, students in uniforms rushing to school, the sharp smell of bread drifting from a nearby bakery.
It should've felt like any other morning.
But today, something felt different.
As he slowed at a narrow intersection, a voice caught his ear—wrong tone, wrong energy.
He eased off the throttle and rolled to a quiet stop near a shadowed alley. Letting the engine idle, he listened.
"Hey, you look nice. You a freshman?" said a man, voice dripping with fake charm.
"Y-Yes… I am…" a girl answered, trembling.
"Relax, we're just being friendly," another man said with a smirk. "Don't be scared. We just want to talk."
"C-Can I go? I'll be late for school…"
"Nah, not yet." One of them grabbed her arm, shoving her lightly against the wall. "We didn't say you could leave."
Tadao kicked down the stand with a clang, silencing the engine with a twist of the key. The air seemed to hold its breath.
"Hey, douchebags!" a voice called out. "Why don't you leave her alone? You guys are sickening, ganging up on a high school girl just because you have no game with real women. It's pathetic."
The two men turned to face the newcome.
"And who the hell are you? I dare you to come over here and say that, you son of a—"
Before the man could finish his sentence, he rushed at him, catching him off guard. With a solid punch to the face, he knocked him out cold.
"Shit! You'll pay for that!" the other man shouted, his face twisting in fear as he got a better look at him. "Wait... you're tall and strong, just like that kid who thrashed a biker gang—Tadao Hoshiguma!"
Tadao smirked. "My reputation even reaches lowlifes like you? That's touching. Now, get lost before I kick your ass too."
The man quickly grabbed his unconscious friend and ran off.
Tadao turned to the girl. She was frozen in place, eyes wide, shaking.
"You alright?" he asked, voice softer.
But she didn't reply. She just grabbed her bag and ran toward the main road, shoes slapping the concrete.
Tadao scratched his head. "Yeah… figures. I wouldn't trust me either."
Meanwhile, Toshigawa Academy's first-year Class 1-T was alive with chatter. Desks clustered in small groups. Voices overlapped. The smell of cafeteria bread and pencil shavings filled the air.
Makoto yawned loudly, leaning back in his chair with his eyes shut. "Training was really tough this morning..."
"You can say that again. Nanaho really did a number on us. I'm completely worn out," Shino groaned.
Tetsuo sat nearby with his head down, face buried in his arms.
"Well, that's a rare sight," Noboru remarked, glancing at Tetsuo. "Looks like training is finally getting to him. Nanaho must've really pushed us if even he's folding."
"Look at their faces," Sachiko said, peering over her book. "Pure suffering. I kinda feel bad for them."
"Yeah, poor guys," Naomi said, plopping into her seat. "I can relate to their pain," Naomi added.
At the front of the classroom, Rie quietly updated the duty roster. She glanced over her shoulder at Shino, who was rubbing his legs in exhaustion.
"You're working so hard, Katsuragi," she whispered to herself. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "I hope you become great at basketball… and maybe… I'll finally have the courage to say thank you."
The peaceful rhythm of morning chatter was suddenly broken by Naomi gasping dramatically.
"Oh no! This is the end! I'm doomed!"
Sachiko blinked. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Naomi looked like she was about to cry. "I completely forgot about our literature homework! I was wiped after track practice yesterday, and I just passed out! Wait—it's due today, right?!"
Sachiko nodded slowly.
"I didn't write a single sentence!!" Naomi wailed, grabbing her head. "Sachiko! Please! Can I just see yours real quick? Just to get an idea—"
Sachiko blinked. "Naomi… are you trying to copy my homework?"
Naomi gave her a flat look. "Get an idea, not copy."
"Alright, alright, I was just teasing." She passed her notebook over. "But hurry."
As Naomi started flipping through it, a rhythmic tapping filled the room. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Noboru…" Naomi growled, "do you have to do that right now?"
He just smirked and tapped louder.
"Noboru!" she snapped. "You're being so annoying!"
"Oh? Didn't realize you were so delicate, Princess," he said with mock sweetness. "Guess I'll tap louder next time."
Naomi clenched her teeth. "Maybe if you spent half as much effort on your classes as you do annoying me, you wouldn't be failing math."
"Like I care about math," Noboru snorted. "Unlike you, I'm not married to my textbooks."
Naomi crossed her arms. "Right, because you're too busy being the class clown."
"Hey, at least I'm having fun. You should try it sometime."
"You're impossible!"
Hayami-sensei stepped in, setting down her books with a loud thud.
"Unless you two want to extend your conversation into detention, I suggest you quiet down."
The two groaned in unison. "Yes, sensei…"
Meanwhile, Tadao rolled up to the school gates, dismounting his bike. He stood still for a moment, staring at the tall white building in front of him, its windows gleaming in the mid-morning sun.
The hum of students filled the air. A faint breeze rustled the trees lining the walkway. Somewhere nearby, the chime of a school bell echoed through the campus.
"So this is Toshigawa Academy, huh…" he muttered, adjusting the collar of his uniform. The locket sat cool against his chest. "Looks like a decent place."
And with that, Tadao stepped forward, into a new chapter—one he wasn't sure he was ready for… but one he'd face anyway.