The student council room was quiet and peaceful as the
student council president Hayato Arima leaned back in his chair, fingers locked,
eyes fixed on a folded form labeled: "Class 2-A – Class Representative
Nominees."
" So both transfer students applied?" he asked without
lifting his gaze.
Shiori, the vice president, nodded as she reviewed the
notes. "Neither is willing to backed down, as we speak the class is preparing
to vote, the tension is already thick."
Hayato smirked.
"A vote would just split the class. And honestly, we can't
waste time watching them play tug-of-war over a chair."
He stood and walked to the window, watching the students
arrive.
"Besides," he continued, "Tokai and Tanaka aren't just
students. They're contender. However, there are two people I want to react to
this change."
Shiori raised an eyebrow. "So… what's your plan? Flip a
coin?"
Hayato adjusted his glasses.
"No. We change the system. Effective immediately: Class 2-A and Class 2-B will have two class
representatives—one male, one female."
"That'll raise eyebrows," Shiori said.
"Exactly," Hayato replied. "And eyes. We want the school
watching."
The class buzzed with morning chatter until the door slid
open and the homeroom teacher walked in—accompanied by a student council rep in
uniform.
"Good morning, everyone," the teacher said. "Settle down."
Students fell into silence.
"I have an announcement from the student council," she
continued. "Due to… unusual circumstances in this class's representative
nominations—"
A few students chuckled. Eyes turned to Niso and Tokai, who
sat on opposite ends of the room, equally calm, equally unreadable.
But before the teacher could continue, a hand shot up from
the back row.
Minato Onabara,
raised an eyebrow. With his face on the desk. "Why the sudden change?"
Next to him, Mia Katagawa, beautiful and composes posture
with crossed arms on her big chest.
"Agreed. Since when did the rules change mid-game?"
The classroom tensed. These weren't just any students.
These were Tokyo Academy High's very own geniuses:
Mia Katagawa: Reigning national essay contest champion,
undefeated debate finalist, and top scorer in mathematics three semesters
running.
Minato Onabara: Captain of the coding Olympiad team, winner
of the All-Kanto chess invitational, and consistently ranked #2 in the national
academic rankings.
They weren't just top-tier.
They were legends last year.
The student council rep stiffened slightly but recovered
quickly. In her mind, however, the thought was clear:
"Our focus was on the transfer students… and we forgot we
already have our own monsters. Mia Katagawa and Minato Onabara. These two are
just as dangerous as Tokai and Tanaka."
Before the tension could boil over, the rep stepped forward.
"Effective immediately, Not only Class 2-A will operate
under a new structure also Class 2-B: one male and one female class
representative."
A ripple of shock swept the room.
"Lad Tokai and Niso Tanaka will serve in those roles."
"Minato Onabara and Mia Katagawa will also have those
roles?"
Niso blinked, once.
Tokai's pen paused mid-stroke.
Then, two sets of eyes—Mia's and Minato's—locked onto the
new reps like hawks sighting prey.
Minato stood slowly, hands in his pockets. His gaze was
fixed on Tokai.
"Don't get comfortable," he said. "You're not here to
rule. You're here to challenge me. I'm your only rival, Tokai. Male to male."
Mia followed, her gaze cutting toward Niso.
"I don't care what school you came from," she said flatly.
"You haven't met pressure until you've gone head-to-head with me. Girl to Girl—I'm
the wall you'll never climb."
The class fell into stunned silence.
Even the teacher didn't know what to say.
Tokai turned his head slightly toward Minato, his face
unreadable.
Tanaka stared back at Mia, lips tightening—not in fear, but
in something more dangerous.
The bell rang. Students poured out of Class 2-A like bees
from a hive, buzzing louder than ever.
> "Did you see Mia's face?"
"Minato basically declared war!"
"Why is this school suddenly so intense?"
Under a cherry blossom tree, Niso Tanaka sat alone with a
carton of juice.
Miyo had been pulled away for club duties, leaving her in
silence—with the words echoing in her mind.
> "I'm the wall you'll never climb."
She stared at the sky. Wall huh?
No. She'd climbed steeper ones.
Still… the challenge had landed.
And for the first time in a long time, she felt something
besides control— A flicker of excitement and confusion.
Why did her heartbeat spike—not when Mia spoke—but when she
looked across the room and saw him Lad Tokai. Unreadable eyes and posture like
stone. You didn't even flinch not once.
> "We're not competing..." she muttered, then frowned. "...Are
we?"
Across campus, Tokai stood beside the library window,
staring at his reflection in the sunlit glass.
Kai had gone ahead to the cafeteria. Something about rice
balls and war stories—Tokai hadn't listened.
His mind was stuck on one line: > "I'm your only rival.
Male to male." Minato Onabara.
Tokai leaned forward slightly, brushing the cold glass with
his fingers.
> "I don't care about rivals," he said quietly. "I only
care about results."
But even as he said it, something cracked inside him.
A sound from long ago.
FLASHBACK – Furano, Hokkaido – Age 10
> "Why are you smiling, boy?!!!"
His father's voice was low
Lad Tokai stood in the kitchen of their cold little
house—hands numb, socks damp with snowmelt.
In his hands, a worksheet: 82%, circled in red.
> "I thought I did okay…" he whispered while dropping
tears with fear.
The hand came first. Then the sting.
> "Okay isn't good enough. You chose this for yourself, I
laid out a future for but you chose not live this pathetic life only results
boys!!"
The heater was broken. The air smelled of old wood and
silence. On the shelf: a cracked photo of his mother, still smiling.
Tokai said nothing.
The first time he cried—it got worse.
The second time—he didn't eat.
So he stopped crying.
Stopped smiling.
Stopped being himself.
There was a time when he used to laugh, he drew robots and stayed
up watching fireworks with his mom. But that version of him no longer existed.
> "No one respects failure," his father would say.
"Only results protect you."
Back to Present
Tokai's fingers rested against the glass, unmoving.
The warmth from the sun didn't reach him.
Not really.
His eyes drifted back across the courtyard.
"Only results protect you." with that, the memory faded but the weight
stayed.
Kai slammed his tray down beside Tokai's with theatrical
flair, nearly toppling a bowl of miso.
"Rice balls of destiny acquired!" he declared,
sliding into the seat.
Tokai didn't react. He hadn't touched his food.
Kai leaned in, inspecting him. "Still frozen, huh? What's
going on in that nuclear brain of yours?"
Tokai blinked slowly. "Minato Onabara."
Kai nodded, popping open a soda. "Ah. The icy prince of
calculation. Bit intense, huh?"
"He's not the problem," Tokai muttered. "It's what he
represents, it pisses me off,"
Kai tilted his head. "Which is?"
"Expectation," Tokai said. "Competition. The idea that
someone's always watching, waiting to be better than you… or to prove you're
not enough."
Kai paused, suddenly serious. "You sound like you're back in
Furano."
Tokai's eyes narrowed slightly. "I never really left."
A silence stretched between them. Then
"You're not alone anymore, you know," Kai said quietly.
"You've got us. And her."
Tokai didn't ask who. He didn't have to.
Kai" tell you what let's go out for karaoke just you and me.
If Reen was here it would have been like old days come let's go have some fun."
Tokai agreed without suspecting what Kai was planning.
Niso Tanaka walked with deliberate steps along the garden
path, her notes clutched in one hand.
Mia's words hadn't left her.
"I'm the wall you'll never climb."
Tanaka stopped beneath the same cherry blossom tree from
earlier. The petals were starting to fall soft, slow, unbothered by gravity.
"She thinks I've never been tested," Niso
whispered.
And maybe Mia had a point. In her old school, Niso was the
standard, untouchable, feared and praised in equal measure.
But this wasn't her old school.
And Mia Katagawa wasn't a student she was a storm.
A rustle from behind made her turn.
It was Mia, walking calmly, arms folded. No pretense.
"I wasn't looking for a fight," Tanaka said plainly.
"Neither was I," Mia replied, stopping three feet away. "But
competition doesn't ask for permission."
They stood like chess queens unmoved, unshaken, but
calculating.
"You're good," Mia added. "Maybe even great."
Tanaka's eyes narrowed. "But not enough?"
Mia's lips curled faintly. "That's what we're here to find
out."
As Mia left Tanaka met up with Miyo looking tense.
Mia" Tanaka are you okay?", she asked.
Tanaka" I'm just tired with everything that has happened in
the last 2 days first it was Keikyu boy now it's Mia."
"Let's go out for karaoke like old times without Hiroshi"
said Miyo.
Tanaka agreed without asking anything.
Minato Onabara stood at the edge, arms spread against the
railing, staring down at the tennis court below.
A voice joined him low, calm, steady.
"You were harsh," Shiori said, appearing beside him.
Minato didn't glance at her. "Truth is rarely kind."
"They're new."
"They're strong."
Shiori observed him. "So this is a challenge?"
Minato turned, eyes sharp. "It's recognition."
He stepped away from the railing.
Tokai stepped into the karaoke room behind Kai. He scanned
the space: dim lights, padded bench seats, a huge screen, and two microphones
resting on a small table.
"This place is loud," Tokai muttered, looking unimpressed.
"That's the point," Kai said, flipping through the song
catalog. "Time to shut your brain off for once."
Tokai slid into a corner seat, arms crossed.
The door slid open.
Tokai glanced up.
Tanaka stood in the doorway, blinking.
Behind her, Miyo peeked in. "Huh… This isn't Room 6?"
Tokai's brows narrowed slightly. Tanaka didn't move.
"…What are you doing here?" they both said at the same time.
Kai clapped his hands dramatically. "Surprise~!"
Tanaka turned to Miyo, eyes narrowing. "You tricked me."
Tokai turned to Kai. "You definitely tricked me."
Miyo shrugged, stepping inside like she owned the room. "You
two have been way too tense. This is a detox night."
Kai gave a mock bow. "Welcome to the Inter-Class Peace
Treaty Lounge."
Tokai sighed but didn't stand.
Tanaka hesitated. But when she saw that he wasn't leaving,
she gave in and sat — on the opposite end of the booth.
"I'm not singing," she said firmly.
Tokai echoed, "Neither am I."
Kai and Miyo exchanged knowing smirks.
"Cool. That means we get the first duet." Miyo grabbed a
mic.
Kai leaned in to Tokai and whispered, "By the way, we paid
for two hours."
Miyo belted out a pop hit with wild energy, dragging Kai
into a goofy dance that didn't match the beat. He leaned into the chaos,
spinning her once before they both collapsed onto the couch laughing.
Tokai sat still, staring at the song list without reading
it.
Tanaka nursed her drink, lips pressed tight.
Occasionally, their eyes would meet—only to quickly look
away.
Kai stood suddenly and stretched.
"Okay. Emergency," he said, dramatically patting his
stomach. "I'm either going to explode or refill."
Miyo tossed her hair. "Translation: he wants soda."
She stood as well. "Come with me. I don't trust you near
vending machines alone."
As they reached the door, Miyo turned and shot a mischievous
look back. "Don't kill each other while we're gone."
Alone in the Room
For a few seconds, the silence was unbearable.
Tanaka leaned forward, crossing her arms. "This was a
setup."
Tokai nodded. "Obviously."
She eyed him. "Did you know?"
"No," he said simply. "I wouldn't have come."
"…Same."
Another pause. Longer this time.
Finally, she broke it.
"So… you sang before?"
Tokai's brow furrowed. "No."
"Good. I didn't want to be the only one bad at this."
He looked at her again. "What do you think about Minato?"
Tanaka exhaled. "He's just like you cold, lazy and Unreadable
The door slid open with a soft click.
Kai and Miyo stepped back in, each holding a drink. Miyo had
two straws in hers.
"Still breathing?" Kai asked with a grin, handing Tokai his
soda.
Miyo dropped onto the couch beside Tanaka. "Miss me?"
Tanaka raised an eyebrow. "That was a long bathroom break."
Kai and Miyo exchanged a glance.
It was subtle—but obvious if you were watching.
Tokai was.
So was Tanaka.
Kai scratched the back of his head. "Sooo… We were actually
going to wait till next week, but…"
Miyo sighed, nudging him. "You're stalling again."
Kai looked up. "Okay. Fine. We're dating."
Tokai blinked once.
Tanaka choked slightly on her drink.
"You're what?" she asked.
Miyo nodded calmly, sipping from her double-straw drink.
"Yep. For about three months now."
Kai added, "We weren't hiding it. We just… weren't
advertising it either."
Tokai stared at them like someone had just handed him a math
test in the middle of a song.
"You—Kai—you're dating her?" he asked slowly.
Kai mock-glared. "Wow. I'm wounded. What does that even
mean?"
Tokai looked to Miyo. "You're dating him?"
Miyo smiled. "Yes, and I haven't thrown him off a building
yet. Personal growth."
Tanaka was still processing. "I… didn't see that coming."
Kai leaned back, slinging his arm behind Miyo without
hesitation now. "Yeah, well, it happened. Turns out sarcasm and chaos are
compatible."
"And you kept it from us?" Tokai asked.
Kai gave him a pointed look. "You barely tell us your
favorite color."
Tokai considered that. "…Fair."
Tanaka leaned forward. "Is this why you tricked us into
karaoke together?"
Miyo didn't deny it. "We thought you two could use a break.
And maybe… figure something out since you will be working together."
Kai chimed in, "Also, I wanted to hear you sing. That was
incredible, by the way."
Tokai shifted slightly, clearly unsure how to respond.
Tanaka exhaled slowly, then turned to Miyo. "So... you're
dating a cartoon character."
"I prefer the term 'anime protagonist,'" Kai said.
Miyo nodded thoughtfully. "He's not wrong."
Everyone laughed.
Kai stood and grabbed two mics.
"One more song before we go," he announced. "Duet."
Miyo stood with him. "Our song."
Tokai and Tanaka shared a glance.
"Wait—you have a song?" Tokai asked.
"Of course we do," Miyo said. "We're adorable."
As the intro played, Kai reached over and dimmed the lights.
The screen lit up with a warm glow. The lyrics started.
They sang—clumsily, off-beat, teasing each other the whole
time. But together. Happy.
By the time they finished, the room felt warmer.
Calmer.
Connected.
The four of them stepped into the night air.
Tokyo lights flickered beyond the buildings, a breeze
rustling past.
Kai and Miyo walked ahead, still bickering affectionately.
Tokai and Tanaka followed in silence for a few steps—until
she broke it.
"They make it look easy."
Tokai nodded. "It's not."
She looked over. "Do you think they're right?"
"About what?"
She smiled faintly. "That we needed this."
Tokai didn't answer right away.
Then, quietly:
"…Yeah. Maybe we did."
Both asked each other at the same time.
" We're not competing…are we?"