Tokyo, 6:20 AM.
The alarm went off.
And was ignored.
The room was silent, except for the soft sound of Renji's breathing as he lay there, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.
Five seconds later, the alarm rang again.
He reached out to silence it but ended up knocking his phone onto the floor.
"…Perfect start to the day," he muttered to himself, finally picking up the device and turning off the alarm.
He stayed there for a few more seconds, staring at his phone screen, with no real desire to get up. Morning sunlight was already filtering through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.
The routine was always the same.
He let out a sigh and finally sat up in bed. Running a hand over his face, he tried to shake off the sleep and glanced around.
His room was simple. A desk cluttered with notebooks and a few books on business and economics. A shelf lined with trophies he'd won in chess and debate competitions at school. A small wardrobe and a single bed.
Nothing flashy. Nothing that screamed "Tachibana."
He knew he could have been living in a mansion, driving a luxury car, and enjoying a life fit for a prince. But no. His father didn't want that.
"You won't be a true Tachibana until you learn to live on your own."
That was what Kaito Tachibana, CEO of the Tachibana Corporation, had been saying all his life.
The Tachibana Corporation was more than just a company; it was an empire in the world of luxury hotels, dominating not only the Japanese market but expanding internationally as well.
The company had become one of the biggest forces in the hospitality industry, with a network of lavish establishments scattered across Japan. The Tachibana name was synonymous with exclusivity, class, and excellence.
And Renji had always known that one day, he was meant to succeed his father.
The problem was, Kaito seemed to enjoy testing his patience.
Every time Renji thought he was ready, his father would tell him it still wasn't time.
"You're almost there, Renji."
"I want to see a bit more from you."
"There's still something I need to confirm."
And now, maybe today would be different.
Over the past few weeks, Kaito had seemed more pleased than usual. He'd been sending more upbeat messages, congratulating Renji on his progress and expressing pride in what he'd been doing. And the night before, he'd said he wanted to see him after school.
Renji didn't want to get his hopes up…
…but maybe this was finally the day he'd be called into the Tachibana Corporation.
"…I just hope he doesn't make me wait another few years."
He got up, stretched, and headed straight for the bathroom.
Looking in the mirror, he saw his hair a mess and his face still creased with sleep. His eyes showed a faint weariness, but nothing unusual.
He put on his uniform — white shirt, slightly crooked tie, navy blazer with the school emblem on the chest. He picked up his phone and saw that Kaito had sent him a message.
[Kaito Tachibana]
6:32 AM
"Awake?"
Renji raised an eyebrow. Since when did his father care about that?
He typed back.
[Renji]
"If I weren't, I couldn't answer, could I?"
[Kaito]
"Excellent! We'll meet later. I have good news for you."
A small grin tugged at Renji's lips. So that was it.
Good news.
That could only mean one thing.
He grabbed his bag and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He bit into a piece of bread and checked his phone again. Another message from Kaito.
[Kaito]
"And don't be late for school. The principal has already called me twice about your absences in P.E."
Renji let out a groan, rolling his eyes.
[Renji]
"You're the one who said a true Tachibana doesn't need muscles, only brains."
[Kaito]
"And a true Tachibana also needs to know how to escape an angry principal."
Renji couldn't hold back a laugh.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and stepped outside.
The neighborhood was peaceful, the streets slowly filling with students on their way to school. Renji walked at his own pace, music playing in his earbuds.
Even when he tried to blend in, there were always eyes on him from other Yamato Gakuen students — the elite school he attended.
He was a Tachibana. And although he wasn't as famous as his father, his name carried weight.
Not all those looks were kind. Some people admired him, others envied him, and some judged him without even knowing him.
But Renji was used to it.
"Hey! Watch it!"
Before he could react, something — or rather, someone — slammed into him with force, followed by the sweet scent of cherry blossoms and something else… expensive. A perfume that definitely didn't fit the average school uniform.
Renji felt the impact and instinctively took a step back, his water bottle tumbling out of his bag and clattering to the ground.
"Watch where you're going, idiot!" snapped a female voice as she crouched to pick up some papers scattered around her.
"Huh?" Renji muttered, stooping to grab his bottle, not immediately understanding through his muffled headphones.
"Ugh! Do you have any idea how important these papers are?" the girl complained, visibly irritated.
"Hey! You're the one who came barreling through like a tornado!" Renji shot back, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"You're so annoying. Can't even help me… Ugh, forget it. Get out of my way!" the girl finished, giving Renji a shove as she stormed off with quick, determined steps.
Renji stood there, blinking, trying to process what had just happened, when he heard someone calling his name from a few meters away.
"RENJI!"
An energetic voice rang out.
It was Hazuki, a boy with tousled brown hair and a bright, lively expression, running toward him as if carrying world-shattering news. Hazuki was Renji's best friend and one of the only people he truly trusted since enrolling at Yamato Gakuen.
"Oh… it's you, Hazuki?" Renji blinked, surprised.
Hazuki skidded to a stop beside him, catching his breath. "Dude, you're not gonna believe this! There's a rumor that we're getting a new student in our class!"
"And that's supposed to be exciting? We practically get transfer students every week at Gakuen…" Renji rolled his eyes, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips — tinged with curiosity.
"Aw, come on! You're telling me you're not at least a little interested? She might be cute, man!"
Renji shrugged. "I should've known this conversation was headed there. You know I have more important things to focus on, right?"
"Hey, sometimes you've gotta take a break from all the business stuff…" Hazuki said, popping a piece of gum into his mouth.
The two of them continued walking toward the school, chatting.
The towering Yamato Gakuen building soon came into view.
As they crossed the gates, a few heads turned in Renji's direction.
He was used to it.
Most of the students knew who he was.
Some wanted to get close for the connections. Others simply loved gossip. But Renji ignored it all.
He entered the classroom and settled into his seat by the window, just behind Hazuki. He leaned back, arms folded behind his head, as the room slowly filled with students.
Renji and Hazuki were chatting about random topics, as usual.
"Hazuki Harano and Renji Tachibana!" barked the teacher from across the room — a woman wearing glasses and a white lab coat, tapping her desk with growing impatience.
Instantly, all eyes turned toward the two of them, especially after hearing the name "Tachibana." Renji and Hazuki snapped back to attention.
"Ahem! Well, as some of you might already know, today we have a new student joining our class," the teacher announced, moving to the center of the room.
"A new student?" "Where's she from?" "Is she pretty?" "Even if she is, what chance do you think you have?" "Hey, you never know!" students murmured among themselves, curiosity buzzing through the room.
"Well, rather than me introducing her, it's better if she introduces herself!" the teacher said, stepping closer to the door and turning the handle.
The door swung open.
First, silence.
Then a collective gasp rippled through the classroom like a shockwave.
She entered at an unhurried pace, as if she already knew all eyes would be on her. Brown hair cascading over her shoulders, posture flawless — not stiff with forced importance, but relaxed in the way of someone who knows they're important.
Her uniform, identical to everyone else's, somehow looked more refined on her, as if the ordinary fabric bowed to her presence.
Renji sat up a little straighter without even realizing it.
Wait…
That face. The irritated voice from earlier that morning. The girl he'd bumped into.
The same cherry blossom fragrance from before now filled the classroom, making even the boys in the back row sit up straighter in their seats.
Now, under the bright lights of the classroom, she seemed different. Not just pretty — that word felt insufficient. There was something almost maddeningly magnetic about her. The way her eyes scanned the room without truly focusing on anyone, as if she'd already judged and filed them all away in seconds.
"Wow…" Hazuki leaned forward on his desk, fingers laced. "It's her."
Renji didn't even need to ask who he meant.
Some students were already sneaking photos with their phones. A girl in the back let out a muffled "Oh my god." Even the teacher adjusted her glasses.
The girl stopped in front of the chalkboard, turned, and — to no one's surprise — she was the one who finally broke the silence.
"Looks like some of you already recognize me." A fleeting smile, almost playful. "Good. It'd be such a pain to explain it all from scratch."
Her voice was soft, but every word came out like a challenge. Renji instinctively rolled his eyes.
Typical. Someone so used to being the center of attention that they didn't even have to try anymore.
"But since it's protocol…" She gave a little shrug, as though doing everyone a favor. "I'm new here. Transferred from Shirakawa Academy. And before you ask — yes, you've probably seen my face somewhere." She ended with a quiet laugh.
A collective sigh. A few nervous smiles.
Renji studied the way she spoke — not overtly arrogant, but with a confidence that was borderline provocative. Socialite, he guessed. Probably the daughter of some business tycoon or celebrity. Someone who'd grown up in the spotlight and now treated other people's admiration as naturally as breathing.
A few students were whispering louder at the back. "Dude, that's Ayaka Fuj—"
"Fujisawa."
She cut the boy off mid-sentence, as though finishing a joke everyone already knew. Her eyes finally settled on Renji for a fraction of a second — and in that moment, deep down, he swore he saw a flicker of recognition.
"Ayaka Fujisawa."
Her name echoed through the room like thunder.
Renji couldn't help a tiny twitch in his fingers.
Fujisawa.
Now it all made sense.
That surname was every bit as heavy as his own.