The alarm blared loudly in the early morning, just enough to awaken the person who had set it so late. With a sleepy swipe, an arm reached out and silenced the alarm. In a swift movement, the blanket was tossed aside, and bare feet met the floor.
"It's morning!" a voice chirped, as gentle as the first autumn breeze, as soft as freshly made mochi, and as quiet as a leaf settling on a still lake. That's how many perceived her voice. Rolling out of bed, she stood and switched on a bedside lamp, illuminating her room.
Ami Tachibana slowly approached the bags already packed. Today marked her first day at Shinrin High School, an institution that had recently produced numerous national-class athletes. Athletics were Ami's world. As she prepared for the day, she selected her outfit and then headed to the bathroom, passing a shelf laden with trophies, medals, and other mementos of her accomplishments. With a decisive sweep, she opened the bathroom door, hopping from foot to foot as she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste. "You're here! Tachibana Ami! You poured your blood, sweat, and tears into becoming one of the best! Give it your all!"
As her alarm blared, Rika didn't even attempt to silence it until the door opened. "Rika~ Rika~" a voice whispered, and suddenly Rika felt a hand on her head. It was her mother, who knew she had overslept again and understood that even the loudest alarm in existence wouldn't wake her.
"Wake up Rika, it's time," her mother repeated. With a few soft groans, Rika slowly lifted her face from her desk, yawning loudly and rubbing her tired eyes. "Good morning, Mom," she replied. Her voice was calm yet weary, lacking a feminine lilt but possessing the soft, delightful tone of a gamer girl with big dreams.
Rika paced her room for a moment before taking off her shirt and tossing it onto the bed. She selected a set of clothes to wear and headed to the bathroom, where she removed the rest of her attire. Her long black hair cascaded onto her shoulders as she stepped into the shower, beginning to hum the melody of an old song she used to love.
Her mother entered Rika's room, noticing the one bag already packed for her trip to Shrinrin High School. With a smile, she picked up another bag and began packing more items, carefully navigating around scattered papers and pencils near Rika's desk. This desk was the cornerstone of all her efforts to become a manga artist, to have her name recognized globally for her imaginative work, her boundless ideas, and everything she felt and was driven by to achieve her dreams.
Ami began drying her hair, finding it simpler to manage with her teeth clean and after her shower. She wrapped a towel around herself and slightly opened the door. Seeing the coast was clear, she stepped out, but as she expected, her younger brother Kouta was in her room, sitting on her bed. This startled Ami so much she almost screamed.
"Kouta, what are you doing here? Get OUT RIGHT NOW!" Ami angrily turned and walked back to the doorway. "Mom! Kouta is in my room and I'm only wearing a towel!" she yelled. Kouta jumped off the bed and looked around the room. He wasn't his usual self; he didn't say anything mean or tease her, he just sat there, which made Ami pause. "Kouta... can you please leave so I can get dressed?" she asked. Kouta nodded and walked out, and Ami closed the door behind him, getting ready to put on her clothes.
Down at breakfast, her mother and father were already seated, but Kouta was missing. Ami looked around the table, and then her father spoke. "Ami, can you go get your brother from his room? He should be dressed by now." Ami didn't complain and went upstairs. When she entered Kouta's room, he was dressed, but his head was down, and he was just lying on his bed.
"Is something wrong, Kouta? You seem down today," Ami asked, sitting on the bed near him. Kouta looked at her and slowly started to tear up. "Hey, hey, hey, what's the matter, Kouta?" Ami asked, looking at him. Kouta then sat up and hugged her, which was unusual. Kouta was never a clingy brother; he was more of an annoying brat.
His voice choked as he began to cry, "Y-you're leaving us today. I won't see you." Then it finally clicked for Ami, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Don't be silly, Kouta. You'll see me during summer break and at Christmas. You'll just have to wait for those times, but I know you can manage," she said, surprised by his reaction. He knew she was going to Tokyo for school, and she was heading to Tokyo for her studies and would reside there until graduation. This news initially gave her pause, but she swiftly dismissed her hesitation and began gently patting Kouta, aiming to soothe him.
Rika, already dressed, was seated at the table with her parents. Her father was engrossed in the newspaper, while her mother was busy with food preparation. Her two younger siblings, Kiwi and Lemon, then joined them. Kiwi, an eight-year-old girl, and Lemon, still a toddler, sat down. Kiwi looked at Rika and, with a smile, asked, "You'll bring us something back, right? From Tokyo! You'll call us, won't you?!" Kiwi seemed unbothered by Rika's departure, more focused on potential souvenirs. Her mother, on the other hand, hushed Kiwi and sat down, teasingly saying, "Don't be so greedy, Kiwi. You should be crying and hoping she returns. What if she stays there? What will you do then?" Her mother's words had an immediate effect, as Kiwi's eyes welled up, and with a runny nose, she rushed to Rika, exclaiming, "You won't stay there, will you?!? You'll come back!" Even Rika, who struggled with conversations, patted Kiwi's head. "Of course not, I'll come back to you and Lemon," she replied, bringing a smile not only to Kiwi but to everyone present. "Are you sure you can handle it? You had trouble in middle school with your anxiety, are you sure you can manage?" her father inquired, looking at her as if seeing a little girl rather than his eldest daughter. "There's a school that focuses on art and it's closer than Shinrin," he suggested, but Rika shook her head. With determination, she looked at him and smiled, "I can do it, Dad. I know I can!"
After breakfast, both fathers started their cars while Ami and Rika carried the bags they had prepared, loading everything into the trunks before setting off.
Ami sat in the front seat beside her father, who looked tense.
"You're going so far away… Are you sure you don't want a school closer to home?" he asked. He wasn't against her choice, just uneasy about it. "There are plenty of sports academies nearby. Why choose the one on the other side of the country? There'll be so many talented students you might struggle to keep up, or get overwhelmed, or… I don't know, even want to quit. Why do I keep letting you choose? Maybe I should've just said no."
Ami let out a soft laugh. "Dad, I know you're worried. Mom told me you've been stressing about it, but I can do great things there. And you know I don't give up easily. Who taught me that hope dies last? Who pushed me to get through every obstacle? You did, Dad. So now… just trust me a little."
She smiled at him, and he sighed heavily.
"I should really say no… but Miyaki would kill me if I did," he muttered. "Ami, you're my greatest pride. I'll support you in anything you do, alright? If you ever need something just one call. That's all."
Rika sat quietly in the backseat, pulling her hoodie over her head. The silence in the car felt heavy, almost suffocating, until she finally glanced at her father behind the wheel.
"Are you really that worried I won't be able to take care of myself?" she asked, gripping her seatbelt tightly.
Her father chuckled. "It's not that I think you can't handle yourself. I'm just afraid you might've taken on more than you're ready for. Is it so strange for a father to worry about his daughter?"
Rika hissed under her breath. "I'm not a child. I'm… I'm practically an adult woman now! And I chose to study at the biggest institute Tokyo has!" she snapped, even though a part of her knew he wasn't wrong. She was introverted, spent most of her days drawing or practicing, and hardly talked to anyone.
"Rika, we support you," her father said gently. "If this is what you really want, then I'm with you. But if it ever feels too much if you feel like you can't continue tell us. We'll come help you, no matter how far it is." He offered her a reassuring smile.
The ride felt longer than it was, but eventually they reached Shinrin Academy. Seniors waited outside, welcoming new students and trying to recruit them into their clubs. Once the crowd died down a bit, Rika received her dorm assignment: Room 212.
The dormitory wasn't anything fancy a tiny bathroom and a single shared room. But what bothered Rika the most was the second bed.
"So… I guess I'll have a roommate," she muttered. "That's… great, right? Hopefully someone quiet, maybe an introvert like me…"
Meanwhile, Ami was all smiles as she immediately signed up for the track and field club. Her seniors welcomed her warmly and guided her to the dorms. Ami clutched her key with excitement, hoping her roommate would be a sports-loving girl she could bond with.
But the moment Ami opened the door to her new room, she froze.
Papers scattered across the floor. Pencils everywhere. And in the middle of that chaos sat a long-haired girl in a hoodie, munching chips like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Panic surged through Ami's body. She loved clean spaces this looked like someone had thrown a grenade into the room.