An ordinary afternoon.
A gentle breeze swept across the schoolyard, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass. Birds chirped from the tall trees, blending with the familiar шум of students enjoying their break.
Hajime walked slowly through the school gate.
His posture was straight, his back slightly arched, each step steady—as if the attention surrounding him was simply a given.
Two close friends walked at his sides.
Hajime:
"Ready?"
Chad rolled his wrist lightly, joints cracking softly. The muscles beneath his uniform tightened with each movement.
Chad:
"Same as every day. Nothing special."
Daniel walked on the other side, hands in his pockets, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. His eyes swept over the schoolyard as if he were surveying a familiar chessboard.
Daniel:
"Come on, you two. They're just admiring us a little too much."
Chad:
"I know, but when I see that crowd gathering, it still feels overwhelming."
Before they could take a few more steps—
A shout rang out.
"Hajimeee!"
"That's Chad!"
"Daniel! Look over here!"
A crowd surged in from all directions, mostly female students. Rapid footsteps, giggles, voices calling their names all overlapping.
Within seconds, the three were completely surrounded.
Chad raised a hand high, flashing his usual smile.
Chad:
"Easy, everyone…please stop pushing ."
The cheering only grew louder.
Daniel let out a quiet sigh, but kept his polite tone as he tried to manage the crowd, then glanced at the watch on his wrist.
Daniel:
"Alright everyone, we really need to get to the class before the bell rang"
While Chad and Daniel struggled to handle the crowd, Hajime said nothing. His face was cold, as if none of it mattered.
He lifted his gaze to the sky.
A pale blue sky, a few clouds drifting lazily. Everything felt… too perfect. Too familiar.
Boring.
The thought surfaced naturally in Hajime's mind, almost like a reflex.
Hajime's thoughts:
"Every day is the same. These looks, these shouts, this admiration… repeating over and over."
"These people…always so annoying, screaming for no reason"
He looked down at the crowd surrounding him.
Excited faces. Eyes filled with expectation, all turned toward him.
Hajime's thoughts:
"If everything keeps going like this… how is today any different from yesterday?"
Hajime clenched his fist slightly.
"If I had a wish…"
"I want this boring life to change."
"I want something new."
The wind picked up just a little.
Hajime instinctively looked upward—toward the rooftop.
There, three figures stood by the railing.
Three male students.
One of them was staring at the sky, his expression eerily similar… to Hajime's own.
That moment lasted less than a second.
Then—
The world shattered.
There was no blinding light.
No explosion.
No warning of any kind.
Just the sensation of the ground vanishing beneath his feet.
Hajime jolted and looked down—the schoolyard was gone.
In its place was grass.
Endless green grass stretching as far as the eye could see.
The sound of birds disappeared, replaced by panicked screams, crying, voices desperately calling out names.
Hajime looked up.
The sky… was different now.
Wider. Deeper. Terrifyingly unfamiliar.
Hajime:
"…What is this?"
He turned to either side.
Chad stood frozen, eyes wide, his body not yet able to process what was happening.
Daniel narrowed his eyes, breathing fast, his usual calm completely gone.
Chad:
"What kind of… joke is this?"
Daniel:
"…This can't be real."
The three of them looked at one another.
In the middle of an unfamiliar world.
No schoolyard.
No crowd.
No familiar path leading back.
Three voices—trembling but clear—rang out at the same time:
"What the hell is going on?"