They say dreams come true in Tokyo.
Maybe they do…
But no one tells you how fast they can turn into nightmares.
The sharp morning sun glinted off the golden gates of Haikawa High School, one of the most elite and respected schools in all of Japan.
Its white-walled buildings looked like something out of a student brochure —clean, majestic, and proud.
I was finally here...
After seventeen years in snow-covered Hokkaido, my family moved to Tokyo last month. Everything changed… new city, new home, and now, this new school.
My dream school.
I've imagined this moment for so long... new friends, a fresh start, a new Arin."
I tightened the straps of my bag and walked through the hallway.
Clean tiles. Polished floors. Students in perfectly ironed uniforms.
And yet… something felt off.
---
IN CLASS 3-A
"Everyone, we have a new student joining us today," the teacher announced with a bright, welcoming smile.
"Please give a warm welcome to Arin Hakawa, who just transferred from Hokkaido."
I stepped forward, bowed slightly, and introduced myself.
"Hello… I'm Arin. I'm seventeen, and I just moved to Tokyo. It's nice to meet you all."
No one clapped. No one smiled.
The room stayed still. Cold. Silent.
That's when I noticed it.
The faces.
Almost every student had this empty, sunken look in their eyes—
as if life had been quietly sucked out of them.
Some had faint bruises near their lips. One had a fresh cut near the eyebrow.
Bandages peeked out from under uniform sleeves. One boy's hand trembled slightly while gripping his pen.
"What the hell is this…? This is supposed to be a top school, but these students... they look like they've been tortured."
"Are there fights here? Or is the punishment system messed up?"
And then...
I saw her.
A girl by the window.
Long black hair. Pale skin. Eyes that looked straight into mine — but without blinking.
She didn't look away when I noticed her staring.
No emotion. No smile. Just... a hollow gaze, like she was trying to warn me without speaking.
"Who is she...? And why is she staring at me like that?"
"Arin," the teacher called, snapping me out of it.
"You can take that seat… by the window."
She pointed to the empty desk right beside her.
My heart skipped a beat.
"The window seat. Next to her. The girl who hasn't taken her eyes off me since I entered."
"What the hell is going on in this school?"
I picked up my bag and walked toward the desk.
As I passed the other students, no one even turned their head.
It was like walking through a room full of mannequins — except mannequins didn't have bruises.
I sat down, stole one glance at her.
She didn't speak. Didn't move.
But in her lap, her fingers were clenched into a tight fist — so tight, I saw the nails digging into her skin.
The bell rang.
A brief silence fell over the classroom… like the pause before a storm.
"thank you, sir," the students echoed in unison, their voices flat — robotic, as if rehearsed a thousand times.
The teacher gave a nod and stepped out of the class, closing the door behind him with a gentle click.
I waited.
Five seconds…
Ten…
Fifteen…
Stillness.
No one moved. No whispers. No stretching, no sighs. Nothing.
I could almost hear the silence — heavy and unnatural.
I turned slightly, scanning the room.
Everyone looked… afraid.
Their eyes didn't meet. Their backs were unnaturally straight, hands on their desks, perfectly still. Like prisoners waiting for a warden to leave.
"What the hell is going on?"
And then…
BANG!
The door slammed open so hard it shook the wall.
And that was the moment I realized — this school wasn't normal.
And maybe, just maybe… I had walked into something I wasn't ready for...