December 19th, in classroom 2-A
On a morning where the biting cold of winter was slowly seeping into every nook and cranny of the city, Classroom 2-A, known as the classroom of the elite, was bathed in soft, golden sunlight filtering through the large windowpanes. Tiny dust motes floated in the light like miniature shooting stars in the small universe called the classroom. Mist from the students' breath drifted like thin smoke. Even though the heater in the room was working, the biting cold still managed to seep through the old window frames. A desk at the very back remained empty, the usual seat of Riku Lancaster, an older student who had repeated a grade and was often late or absent.
The ticking of the clock above the blackboard was the only clear sound in the still rather empty classroom. The second hand moved sluggishly, as if time itself shivered from the cold. A few students had just entered, rubbing their hands together for warmth. Many were slumped over their desks, lost in dreams before class began. Some sat reading quietly, their eyes weary from studying for exams the previous night. Lumine Komori herself was talking with two other girls at her desk in a voice so soft it was barely audible. Iris Mikazuki, the next student council president-to-be, with her cool blue hair and misty gray eyes, was nodding attentively to what Lumine was saying. Meanwhile, Himari Kanzaki, a girl with a ponytail and a bright smile, was giggling at something, before both Iris and Himari went to their own seats as class time approached.
As for me, "Leo Tsukino," I sat at my desk by the window. My fingertips, chapped from the cold, touched the frigid glass as my gaze drifted to the gray sky that stretched over the school building opposite. Large, dense clouds moved slowly past the tall building tops, like ships sailing through a gray ocean. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular then—just letting my thoughts drift with those clouds, dreaming of the distant summer.
But in truth, I was trying not to pay attention to her, sitting just a few centimeters in front of my desk...
"Lumine Komori." A girl who, despite not having any standout nickname in school, was known in Class 2-A for her intelligence and unique reservedness. Her face was as elegant as a perfect painting. Her skin, fair and smooth like freshly fallen snow. Those dark brown eyes held a subtle sparkle of strength and a hint of sadness, like a night sky where tiny stars shone amidst the darkness. Her straight, golden-brown hair, long enough to reach her upper back, swayed gently with the cool breeze from the open window. A faint scent of lavender shampoo wafted over when she moved her head.
She was engrossed in a book, her slender fingers turning the pages carefully. The sound of paper rustling, fainter than a whisper, yet it resonated in my ears like the crash of waves on the shore. Sometimes, she would tilt her head slightly upon finding an interesting passage, her thin, rose-colored lips moving faintly with the words she read.
Even as I tried to look outside, I couldn't help but steal a glance at her from the corner of my eye. It was just a fraction of a second, but I felt my heart skip a beat, as if time itself had stopped. This feeling wasn't just infatuation, but a sense of wonder at a beauty that seemed out of place in the dull atmosphere of the morning classroom. A beauty that made my chest feel hollow every time I saw it.
Suddenly, the sound of shoes hitting the hallway floor echoed from afar. The sound grew closer, faster, louder, like an approaching storm...
"Leo! Look at this!" A familiar, high-pitched voice echoed through the room as Zeno's figure bounded excitedly into the classroom, startling the sleeping students awake.
"Zeno Kazuma," a boy with fluffy black hair who always seemed excited about his inventions. His large, round brown eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and boundless energy on a morning when everyone else was still weary. He ran into the room, his backpack swaying with his rhythm, holding up a strange-looking device that resembled a metal box with wires wrapped around it and small, colorful light bulbs attached all over. His face was full of confidence and pride, as if he had just discovered a new version of the theory of relativity.
"I've invented an electrical energy converter! How about that, hahaha! It can convert kinetic energy into electricity! Cool, right?!" he explained, spinning the box in his trembling, excited hands. The small lights flickered erratically with the box's movement.
His laughter echoed throughout the room, amidst the mixed expressions of bewilderment and accustomed resignation from his classmates. Some sighed deeply, some smiled faintly, some shook their heads with a mixture of fondness and amusement. Zeno was always full of novel, creative ideas. Even though his inventions often ended in failure or small explosions in the science lab, his enthusiasm never waned. He was like a light on a gloomy day, a small flame on a cold night.
Even though he often caused a stir and regularly created chaos for his friends, no one ever got tired of Zeno. No one disliked him, because his cheerful demeanor and sincere smile made everyone smile along with him. Even I, who tended to be indifferent to everything, felt the corners of my mouth lift slightly whenever he burst into the room with excitement.
I turned to look at him with a wry smile, still leaning against the window, one hand ruffling my black hair, which was messy from the cold wind.
"What is it this time, Zeno? Why don't you show it off during science class?" I said in a flat tone, but couldn't hide a faint smile.
"No way! I have to show it now! This is an invention that will change the world, Leo!" Zeno shouted, holding his invention high above his head, like a king brandishing a sword of victory.
Then, not long after, the bell rang, calling students to the serious start of classes. The shrill sound of the bell vibrated throughout the room, causing many still-sleepy students to jolt fully awake.
Students began to trickle in. The once-empty desks gradually filled up until almost all were taken. Soft chatter interspersed throughout the room. There was faint laughter from a group of girls in the corner, where Leo glimpsed Himari waving a greeting to Lumine, who had just looked up from her book. And there were whispers from a group of boys hastily exchanging homework before class began.
"Um… I forgot to do the math homework. Can I copy yours…?"
A soft voice, tinged with embarrassment, from my side caught my attention. Ken Arisawa, my close friend sitting next to me, nudged my shoulder lightly and gave a wry smile, holding out an empty notebook. His gray eyes looked down, not daring to meet mine directly. His cheeks were slightly flushed with shame. Ken's face usually looked calm and composed, and he rarely showed his feelings. I was used to him asking to copy homework on the last day before it was due, as if it were a daily routine for us.
"I think you must have practiced basketball until you were dazed…"
I said jokingly as I handed him my homework notebook. Ken's eyes immediately lit up. He grinned widely before quickly snatching the notebook, as if afraid I would change my mind.
Ken was someone who kept his distance from the classroom's chaos. He was quiet, reserved, not very expressive, but he was passionate about what he loved: basketball. He was the star of the school team, taller than most boys his age, and his three-point shooting accuracy made the coach's eyes sparkle. But when it came to academics, he preferred spending time practicing basketball rather than reading, which often led to him having trouble with homework.
Yet, his guilt was evident on his face every time he had to ask to copy homework, and that made me unable to resist feeling fond of him and helping him out each time. He might not be a brilliant student, but he was a sincere friend who always protected me whenever I had trouble with older students.
The voice of Takumi Yoshida, another friend, spoke up as he walked in, dropping his lanky frame onto the chair beside Ken and covering his face with a book as he yawned widely. He glanced at the notebook Ken was copying from and said in his usual flat, emotionless tone,
"What math homework… That's a report on medieval world history, Ken. You must want to go back in time and become a Knight of the Round Table to be copying the wrong subject so diligently."
Takumi wasn't a big fan of studying. His eyes held the glint of an artist rather than a student concerned with grades. Even though he had a talent for mathematics, with a mind that could calculate so fast even the math teacher was amazed, his laziness and indifferent attitude often caused him problems with his studies. He would often drift off during lessons, lost in his own thoughts that no one understood. Sometimes he would sit gazing out the window, his eyes distant as if he were traveling to another world, or he would be engrossed in drawing something in his notebook, oblivious to everyone. Even now, he was quickly sketching the clouds outside the window with a pencil.
But he had his own charm. With a smile that rarely appeared on his face, yet when he said something deadpan, it always brought laughter or stunned silence from his friends. He was often the one who added color to the group with his dark humor that made everyone burst out laughing together.
Suddenly, Zeno appeared out of nowhere, standing behind Takumi in a strange pose. He raised both hands, making a ghostly gesture, his face contorted in what he thought was a scary, but actually comical, expression.
"History... History, you see, Ken-chan~ Teeheehee! Careful, or the spirit of a knight might haunt your dreams!" Zeno's voice rang out unexpectedly, making Ken jump, nearly dropping the notebook in his hand.
Ken quickly shoved the notebook back at me, his eyes wide with shock, and complained,
"Why didn't you tell me in the first place! I almost copied the wrong subject!"
I shrugged and smiled a little, mysteriously, before I had a chance to reply, because just then, the classroom door slid open slowly, with a certain heaviness, making the sound of the sliding door clearer than usual.
Dead silent… Everyone turned to look at the door simultaneously. The sound of heeled shoes scraping echoed in the silence. Thud… thud… thud… A familiar sound, yet one that made everyone in the room tense up.