The morning air at Sakura High felt heavier than usual.
Even the sky looked tense.
Students flooded through the gates in uneasy waves, their chatter reduced to whispers, formulas murmured under breath, notebooks clutched like lifelines. The notice board stood tall near the entrance, bold letters screaming what everyone already felt in their bones:
FIRST TERM EXAMINATIONS — DAY 1
Haruto walked in with his usual calm steps, but even he could feel the tremor in the atmosphere. Beru matched his pace quietly, her fingers twisting around the strap of her bag again and again. Souta bounced beside them with forced energy, cracking jokes that landed a little too loudly. Luna walked with composed grace, but the tightness in her shoulders betrayed her calm. Tadao adjusted his glasses in silence. Ren and Aira followed close behind, both visibly nervous.
The Cosmic STAR Club walked in together.
Not as rivals to the exam.
But as soldiers marching into war.
The first bell rang like a warning shot.
And they were swallowed by the examination hall.
Rows upon rows of desks stretched endlessly. The ticking wall clock was louder than any heartbeat. The invigilator's footsteps echoed like fate itself as question papers were placed face-down on every desk.
Beru inhaled slowly.
Haruto rested his pen between steady fingers.
Souta cracked his knuckles and instantly earned a sharp glare from the invigilator.
Luna closed her eyes for one brief second.
Then—
"You may begin."
Pages flipped.
Pens flew.
And silence exploded.
The first subject hit hard—calculation-heavy, time-devouring, merciless. Minutes slipped like water through trembling hands. Some brows furrowed in focus. Others in panic. Souta froze halfway through the paper, staring at a question as if it might bite him. Tadao worked in clean, steady lines. Luna moved methodically, eyes sharp. Beru hesitated on one section, then pushed forward with quiet determination.
Haruto finished only seconds before the final bell.
The sound that followed—the end bell—wasn't relief.
It was survival.
Outside, chaos erupted.
"How was it?!" "I messed up question five!" "The last one was brutal—" "I think I did okay… I think…"
Souta fell to his knees dramatically. "It's over for me. I'm done. My academic career ended today."
Beru laughed nervously. Luna sighed. Haruto gave Souta a light knock on the head. Tadao simply muttered, "It was fair."
No one fully relaxed.
Because the second paper loomed only hours away.
By the time the afternoon sun reached its peak, exhaustion had already begun sinking into their bones. The second subject demanded theory, memory, and speed. Aira's hands trembled as she wrote. Ren clenched his jaw through every ticking second. Halfway through, Beru's vision blurred—but she forced herself to breathe and continue.
When the final bell rang for the second time that day, the hallway echoed with groans instead of relief.
Day 1 consumed them.
At night, lights glowed in windows across the town. Open books. Cold tea. Quiet desperation. Messages flew between group chats—last-minute doubts, reassurance, memes sent at 2 a.m. just to keep spirits alive.
Sleep came in fragments.
And then Day 2 arrived without mercy.
Rain tapped against classroom windows as the third subject began. Souta stared blankly at the paper for a terrifying moment—nothing made sense. Panic crept up his spine. His breath hitched.
Then a memory of Luna's steady voice explaining the same chapter surfaced in his mind.
He swallowed and started writing.
That paper drained more than energy—it drained confidence. When the bell rang, Souta walked out silent. Beru noticed immediately. She didn't ask. She simply walked beside him.
The fourth subject that afternoon broke what little strength remained. Somewhere near the last twenty minutes, Aira's eyes filled with tears as she scrambled through unfinished answers. Tadao discreetly slid his eraser off his desk so it rolled near her feet—just enough kindness to steady her breath.
By evening, silence replaced conversation.
Even laughter was tired.
Day 3 came like a storm.
Two more subjects.
Heavy.
Detailed.
Unforgiving.
Brains felt stuffed with noise and dust. Luna made one tiny mistake and felt like the world cracked open inside her. Ren blanked on a key formula for a full terrifying minute. Beru's hand cramped halfway through. Souta nearly laughed hysterically in the middle of the paper from sheer stress.
The afternoon subject was worse.
Eyes burned.
Pens slipped.
Time mocked them.
When the bell ended Day 3, no one cheered.
They simply walked.
That night, phones stayed dark.
Even worry was tired.
Only one day remained.
The final stand.
Day 4 dawned clear and strangely quiet.
The seventh subject began under pale sunlight streaming through classroom glass. Every student wrote with slow, aching determination. No panic now.
Only endurance.
When the morning paper ended, something strange filled the air.
Hope.
The last paper awaited in the afternoon.
The eighth subject.
The final bell.
The end.
The hall felt unreal—like the world had narrowed to ticking seconds and breathing lungs. Pens moved slower now, but steadier. Every stroke carried exhaustion, memory, effort, fear, and stubborn will.
Ten minutes.
Five.
One.
The bell rang.
And silence shattered into thunder.
Chairs scraped violently. Papers flew into the air. Laughter burst from broken throats. Some students cried openly. Some collapsed onto desks. Some just stood still, staring at nothing.
The four days ended in one overwhelming breath.
Outside, under the wide evening sky, the Cosmic STAR Club gathered.
Souta laughed loud and free for the first time in days. "IT'S OVER!!"
Beru sank onto the steps in relief. Aira hugged her suddenly. Ren exhaled so deeply it felt like he hadn't breathed in years. Tadao gave the softest smile imaginable. Luna closed her eyes and let the wind hit her face.
Haruto looked at all of them.
And felt something warm settle in his chest.
They had survived.
Together.
No grades yet.
No results.
Only release.
Four days of silence.
Four days of thunder inside their hearts.
And now—
The long exhale.
---
To be continued...