Ryo stood before the tall wooden door—his father's office.
His hand lingered on the handle, hesitation freezing him in place.
"This silence… it's the same as back then."
He opened it slowly.
Dim light. The smell of old leather. A heaviness in the air. Everything was exactly as it had been that day.
Two months ago, he had stood here and made the first real decision of his life.
"Do you want to leave the private school?"
His father's voice still echoed in his memory.
"Why?"
He remembered how heavy and difficult it was to answer that simple question back then.
He had stood there with his eyes steady, but his voice trembling.
"Because I'm tired. Tired of everything."
He clenched his fist tightly and raised his voice
"No one treats me like a human being there. As long as I'm not good at studying, I'm nothing but a failure, unwanted… even you, you see me that way!"
"What do you mean by that?" his father,Takahashi Makoto replied sharply.
"Every day I came home, you forced me to come here… before I could even think about anything else."
He gritted his teeth.
"And I stood in this cursed place right in front of you. Recounting every detail of my day, and to be scolded if I was late by a few minutes…"
His voice broke as tears fell.
"Do you really see me as your son? Or just some servant? Some employee? I'm not that. And I won't do it anymore."
"Ryo!!" Makoto slammed the desk and rose from his chair, his voice sharper now.
"You've gone too far."
"You… there's no way you'd ever understand how I feel," Ryo said, wiping his tears. Then, staring directly into his father's eyes with steadiness, he added:
"Let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"Give me my last year of high school. Let me live it freely—my way. I'll become one of the top students at the new school. If I succeed, you'll have no right to interfere in my life ever again."
"And if you don't?"
Ryo clenched his jaw for a few seconds and lowered his gaze.
"Then do whatever you want with me. I won't argue."
That was the deal. A reckless agreement, a bold decision—the first decision Ryo had ever made for himself.
And now, two months later, the deal still stood.
Ryo stepped into the office, closing the door softly behind him.
His father, Takahashi Makoto, sat behind a massive black wooden desk. On the side rested an old-fashioned wooden clock and scattered papers he was signing with a black pen engraved in gold.
Makoto did not raise his eyes from the paper in his hand.
"You're late," he said calmly.
His grayish-blue eyes flickered briefly toward his son—cold, almost empty.
"Sit."
Ryo obeyed, sinking into the leather chair opposite. He stayed silent.
"Tell me," Makoto continued, "what did you learn today?"
Ryo hesitated.
"It's a good school, the students are ordinary. The system there… I think I can keep up."
"Think?" Makoto tapped his desk.
Sweat pricked Ryo's forehead. The air felt suffocating.
"I'll work harder than ever before, to succeed in my own way. Because that's what I want."
Makoto rose, walking to the window. Tokyo's night skyline glittered before him, yet his sharp eyes held a trace of sorrow.
"This world doesn't care about what you want, Ryo."
"Do you think freedom is a right you own? It's not…"
Ryo looked straight at him.
"Freedom isn't owned. It's earned… through hard work… through sacrifices."
Makoto turned back to the desk.
"And even if you earn it, you can lose it at any moment. So don't cling to such things. Do you understand?"
Ryo clenched his fists and gave a faint nod.
"You chose this path, and I let you take it. After you abandoned everything I built for you, every opportunity crafted for your future."
"Don't disappoint me."
For the first time, Ryo met his father's eyes with genuine seriousness.
"Understood."
A brief silence hung, then Makoto leaned back in his chair with a sigh, as if the discussion were over.
"Very well. You may go."
Ryo turned to leave, but when his hand touched the doorknob, his father spoke again
"You only need to come here on Thursdays from now on."
He nodded silently, closed the door behind him, and finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding.
He stood still for a moment in the silent corridor, eyes lowered, the weight of the conversation heavy on him.
Then a soft voice broke the silence.
"Are you done?"
He looked up.
Miyako stood at the end of the hallway by the window, her hands loosely clasped in front of her, bathed in golden light filtering through the glass. Her soft brown hair cascaded over a long blue dress, her face brightened by a tender smile.
Ryo nodded slowly. "Yes, I think so."
She walked toward him lightly, and without a word, reached out and embraced him
her hand resting softly on his shoulder.
"What do you say we eat out tonight? Come with me."
Ryo didn't answer at once, but his expression softened, relief showing on his face.
"Alright."
The car slid through the glow of the evening city. Inside, Ryo sat quietly, eyes lost in the blur of passing lights, still echoing with his father's words.
Beside him, Miyako noticed the stiffness in his shoulders.
"You did well," she said gently.
"I don't feel like I did," he muttered, breathing heavily.
Miyako gave a calm smile.
"But you spoke honestly, and that's enough, isn't it?"
"I don't know. It feels like he still doesn't understand me… Even though I told him what I want, he's unconvinced."
"Why won't he try to understand me?"
"You know… your face now reminds me of when you were little, crying because you were forced to do something you didn't want."
Ryo gave a bitter smile, lowering his head.
"Was I stubborn even back then?"
Miyako tilted her head kindly.
"You still are," she said softly. "But that stubbornness is why I believe you'll get where you want to be—even if your father doesn't see it yet."
Ryo stayed quiet for a moment, looking down, eyes brimming with tears. Then he whispered
"I'm just a failure, not good at anything…"
"And yet, I'm stubborn, refusing to do things your way."
"I kept telling myself I was right, and you were wrong… Just because I thought no one understood me."
His voice trembled.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a burden."
Miyako embraced him , her warmth melting the weight in his chest.
"You're not a burden. No one sees you that way."
"From the moment I gave birth to you, I was proud—because you're my son. My only treasure, Ryo. I will always love you, no matter what happens."
Unable to hold back anymore, Ryo broke into silent tears, a pure smile spreading across his face. A warm feeling washed over him, as if the heavy weight in his chest had finally lifted.
The next morning, Ryo stood before the mirror in his room, adjusting his neat school uniform and slowly tying his tie.
This time, he left early. Yamazaki drove him to school.
"Here we are, young master," Yamazaki said with a light smile as the car stopped at the school gate.
"Thanks, Yamazaki," Ryo replied, grabbing his bag.
The schoolyard was empty.
Ryo entered, greeting the gatekeeper with a wide smile before heading inside.
Morning light reflected off the hallway, his footsteps echoing softly as he made his way to class.
Opening the door, he found the classroom completely empty.
He stopped at the entrance.
"It feels different when no one's here," he murmured, looking around.
He placed his bag on his desk, pulled out his chair, and sat slowly, gazing through the window at the clear morning sky.
Leaning on his hand, fingers against his cheek, his eyes half-closed.
Then—
The classroom door opened.
Ryo turned his head slightly.
It was Haru.
The boy walked in quietly, face cold, indifferent as always.
He glanced at Ryo briefly, then ignored him, taking his seat without a word.
"Maybe now's the right time," Ryo thought.
"Good mor—" he nearly said, but the words stuck in his throat.
"No… not yet." He turned back to the window.
The bell rang, beginning the school day.
In math class, the teacher wrote long equations on the board.
Nakajima Kaito whispered:
"Man, do you understand any of this?"
Ryo chuckled lightly, writing in his notebook without looking up.
"I understand one thing… that I'll need someone to save me if exams come soon."
Kaito burst into laughter, some students glancing over with smiles. The barrier between Ryo and the others began to melt.
The next class was Japanese literature. The teacher asked students to read aloud.
When it was Ryo's turn, he read with overly serious intonation, making his voice sound theatrical. The room filled with small laughter.
He smiled faintly and said:
"Sorry."
Laughter grew, even the teacher smirking slightly before telling him to continue.
In science class, he listened attentively, trying for the first time to prove to himself he could focus.
Yet in a brief lapse, he scribbled in the corner of his notebook:
"Time passes so slowly."
Finally, the bell signaled the end of the morning classes. Ryo stretched in relief.
The halls swelled with voices as students poured out.
"Come on, I'll give you a quick tour of the school," Kaito said, adjusting his glasses.
The corridors gleamed with light. Lockers lined the walls. Bulletin boards were neatly pinned.
Kaito pointed things out:
"We're in the science wing. Lab's this way. At the end of this corridor, you'll find the library. The gym's in the other building… and those stairs lead to the roof—"
They passed groups of students chatting, leaning against windows or sitting along the walls. Ryo noticed sharp looks in his direction—the curious stares reserved for newcomers.
"Alright, let me introduce you to the school's top-ranked students," Kaito said.
"Since you're here now, it's your duty to aim for the top ranks. Knowing your rivals is a good start."
"Yes, please," Ryo replied eagerly.
Class B-3 The boy with neatly styled hair, reading a textbook. "That's Tanaka Eiji, second in the school ranking."
Class D-3"Himari Sato," a girl with short black hair and sharp eyes. "She's held third place for two consecutive years."
Class E-3"Fujimoto Eri," in fourth place.
Class C-3"Sato Rina," ranked fifth.
Finally, Class A-3"The famous boy, Naoki Haru. First place at Daichi High for the past two years, and expected to stay there again this year."
Ryo's gaze followed Haru. The boy never raised his head, simply jotting notes in his notebook or something similar.
"Everyone avoids him… yet he's at the top."
"I really want to know what goes on in his head."
"Well," Kaito said,"the road is tough. Good luck reaching second place."
"Why second?" Ryo asked.
"You still don't get it, huh… Students here have already given up trying to reach first place. They compete for second now."
"You underestimate me," Ryo said.
"No, you don't understand the gap between us and him."
"I'll do my—"
"Impossible," Kaito cut in. "Absolutely impossible."
"But—"
"I said im-po-ssi-ble, got it?"
Ryo sighed. "Fine, fine. Calm down."
Kaito smiled lightly.
"How about we head to the cafeteria? I'm a bit hungry."
"I'm fine, you go ahead."
"I'll introduce you to our classmates one by one later. See you."
They exchanged smiles before parting.
Ryo lingered a little longer, watching Haru, who had already left the classroom.
Almost unconsciously, Ryo followed him quietly.
Haru walked calmly through the hallways until he reached the stairs leading to the roof.
"The roof!?" Ryo thought, hiding so Haru wouldn't notice.
He waited a few seconds, then continued after him, hearing the creak of the door opening.
"He's already there."
Ryo climbed the stairs softly, stopping at the steel door. He pushed it open, a faint creak escaping.
A cold breeze swept his dark brown hair.
There, leaning against the railing, sitting on the ground by the door—
Was Haru.
Ryo stood at the entrance, hesitating for a moment.
But—
Something had changed this time.
Enough to make him take a step forward.