The courtyard looked ordinary in the afternoon sun.
Concrete glinted faintly where it had been worn smooth by years of footsteps. A few students passed through in loose clusters, laughter rising and fading like waves. Everything felt calm—too calm, the kind that only showed up when something was waiting its turn.
Akira sat on the bench near the entrance, blazer draped loosely over his shoulders, tie undone, shirt half out of place. His fingers tapped lightly against his knee, a quiet rhythm that didn't match anything around him.
His eyes were fixed on a tree across the courtyard.
Not the leaves.
Not the trunk.
Something beyond it.
Kenji noticed first. He always did.
"Yo," Kenji said, leaning forward, squinting at him. "You even here, or did your brain clock out early?"
No response.
Akira didn't blink. Didn't shift. Didn't seem to hear him at all.
Nikki stood and walked over, crouching just enough to force her way into Akira's line of sight. Her blazer sleeves were half swallowed by the colorful hoodie underneath, hair catching the sunlight in sharp streaks of violet and blue.
"You spacing out again?" she asked. "You've been like this all afternoon."
Akira's lips parted slightly.
"Just… thinking."
The words came out soft, almost accidental.
Vincent stepped closer, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed but attentive. His tie was loosened, blazer worn properly—but there was nothing casual about the way his eyes studied Akira.
"About Yokosaki," Vincent said, "or something else?"
Akira didn't answer.
A few feet away, sitting apart from the group, Miylen leaned back on a shaded bench. She spun her bo staff lazily between her fingers, watching with open curiosity. Beside her, Onori sat upright, calm as ever, hands folded in her lap.
Miylen tilted her head. "He always looks like that when something's on his mind."
Onori's gaze didn't leave Akira. "He's carrying more than he lets show."
Kenji scoffed lightly, trying to cut the tension. He tossed a small rubber ball toward Nikki without warning. She flicked it back immediately—too hard.
It bounced off Vincent's shoulder.
He didn't even flinch.
"Careful," Vincent said flatly. "Someone's going to get hurt if this keeps up."
Miylen snorted under her breath, amused. "They're… funny."
Akira's attention hadn't returned yet. His eyes followed a group of younger students laughing near the far end of the courtyard, unaware of the weight hovering just outside their lives.
Nikki nudged his shoulder with two fingers.
"Hey," she said. "Come back. We're actually talking to you."
Akira blinked. Once. Then again.
The courtyard snapped back into focus.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "I'm just thinking about what comes next. Summer changes things."
Kenji leaned back, hands behind his head, smirking. "Yeah, but you can't plan everything up there." He tapped his own temple. "Sometimes you gotta jump in."
Akira's mouth curved into a faint smirk—but it faded just as fast. His gaze drifted again, pulled by thoughts he hadn't shared yet.
From the shade, Miylen watched him with open interest. "He's different," she said. "All that thinking… like a storm waiting to break."
Onori nodded slightly. "Even the strongest minds drift sometimes. It doesn't make them weak."
Vincent glanced at Akira again, something unreadable behind his calm expression. "He's not just spacing out," he said. "He's calculating."
Kenji and Nikki exchanged a look—concerned, but not doubtful. They trusted Akira, even when they didn't understand what he was carrying.
The sun dipped lower, stretching long shadows across the courtyard. The warmth shifted, turning heavier, slower.
Akira finally stood. He straightened his blazer, rolled his shoulders once, and let out a quiet breath like he'd been holding it all day.
"Summer's coming," he said. "And we'll need every advantage."
Kenji grinned. "Alright. We trust you, man. Just don't drift off too long."
Nikki smirked. "Yeah, Edge Lord. Keep your head in the game."
Miylen spun her staff once more, smiling brightly. "Can't wait to see what happens next."
Onori's smile was softer, steadier. "We'll all be ready," she said. "Together."
Akira walked with them as they left the courtyard, laughter slowly filling the space he'd been sitting in.
But he lagged just a step behind.
They don't know it yet, he thought. But summer will change everything.
Every choice.
Every fight.
Every alliance.
The wind carried the sound of voices ahead of him as dust floated through the golden light.
Something was coming.
And even now—before the heat—his mind was already there.