April 12, 2026. Tokyo University secondary round results day.
Sora sat on her bedroom floor, laptop balanced on her knees, phone clutched in one hand. The page loaded slowly—too slowly.
Akira was on video call—his face filling her screen, calm but eyes intense.
"You've got this," he said.
Sora laughed—nervous. "I might throw up."
"Don't. I like your breakfast."
She stuck her tongue out.
The page refreshed.
Status: Accepted.
Full marks in secondary evaluation. Conditional offer—enrollment contingent on final high-school grades (which were already excellent).
Sora stared.
Then screamed.
Akira's smile broke—wide, real.
"You did it."
Sora laughed—teary, joyful. "I did it!"
Akira leaned closer to the camera. "I knew you would."
Sora wiped her eyes. "I thought… maybe second place again. Maybe rejection. But… accepted."
Akira's voice softened. "You're not second. You're Sora. And you're coming to Tokyo U. With me."
Sora's heart swelled.
She whispered, "With you."
They stayed on the call—quiet, smiling—until Sora's parents burst in.
"Accepted?" her mother asked.
Sora nodded—still crying happy tears.
Her parents hugged her—proud, loud.
Akira watched from the screen—smiling softly.
When they left the room, Sora picked up the phone.
"I love you," she said.
Akira's breath caught.
"I love you too."
They hung up.
Sora stared at the acceptance letter on screen.
Tokyo U.
With Akira.
The future just got a lot closer.
And a lot scarier.