Saikai Academy.
The old bell rang throughout the academy building, releasing a clear tallic echo that bounced off the long corridors and tall glass windows. It was the official announcent that classes had ended for the day. In an instant, the hallways filled with the sound of chairs scraping against the polished wooden floors, books shutting in haste, and the laughter and chatter of students finally freed after hours of discipline and silence.
Outside the windows, the golden sunlight reflected off the academy's white walls, adorned with ancient emblems that spoke of a proud heritage, while a gentle breeze carried with it the fragrance of cherry trees that decorated the outer courtyard. The place seed to breathe again after a long day of strict order, as every student prepared in their own way to leave this academic world behind—if only until tomorrow morning.
Kojou quietly rose from his seat, carefully gathering his books and arranging his tools before sliding them into his black schoolbag, which he then slung over his shoulder. His mind was already set on sothing: heading to the middle school building to et Nagisa and Kanon in order to help them find people willing to take care of the stray cats.
He stopped by the back door of the classroom and glanced at his classmates, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he called out casually:
"Good evening, Tsukishima, Asagi."
He then moved toward Asagi's desk, where she was engrossed in a side conversation with her close friend, Rin. Raising his brow slightly, he asked:
"I'm going to the middle school building to help Nagisa. Do you want to co along too?"
Asagi lifted her head, her bright pink-red eyes glimring with curiosity as she looked at Kojou, seemingly weighing the idea. Beside her sat Rin, a girl whose presence was impossible to overlook.
Rin was tall, with a mature appearance that matched her personality. Her short brown hair frad her pale face, and her hazel eyes glead with a sharp intelligence. She carried herself with the elegance of a "cool beauty" type—stylish, refined, and confident—yet she was surprisingly talkative and possessed razor-sharp intuition. Even surrounded by so many students, she retained her composed, valiant aura.
Despite the attention she had attracted from boys since their first year, Rin had never shown any particular interest in them, maintaining a clear distance—except in her occasional interactions with Kojou. More often than not, she could be found at Asagi's side, bound to her by an invisible thread that made ignoring others seem effortless.
Around them, students began filing out of the classroom one after another, their voices and laughter fading gradually into the hallway. For a brief mont, the three of them remained in place, as if the atmosphere between them had detached itself from the noise of the academy.
"Sorry, but I have to work on the art project with Rin," Asagi said apologetically, smiling at Kojou. She had an art assignnt due by the end of the week, and she and Rin had been working on it together at Rin's house.
"Ah, right, the art project," Kojou replied, shrugging lightly as though it hadn't surprised him. A small smile touched his face, though it quickly faded as he turned his gaze toward the window.
Rin, who had been following the conversation with her sharp hazel eyes, tilted her head slightly forward and said in a calm voice that carried a hint of hidden challenge:
"Art needs focus and ti. You can't just escape from it once classes are over."
Asagi chuckled softly, closing her notebook and slipping it into her bag, then reinforced Rin's words with a nod.
"Yeah… if we don't hurry, we won't finish it on ti. I guess you'll have to go alone, Kojou."
A short silence followed, broken only by the sound of a few stragglers leaving the room. The gentle breeze flowing in from the open window caused the curtain to sway lightly, adding to the sense of emptiness surrounding the three of them.
Kojou smirked faintly, the kind of smile difficult to decipher—whether it hinted at disappointnt or re indifference.
"It's fine… I'll go help Nagisa. As for the art project, my girlfriend will help with it once we get ho, right?"
"Of course, now go and help Nagisa-chan."
Asagi burst out laughing, flustered by Kojou's casual ntion of their living together in front of Rin—even if her close friend already knew. To cover her embarrassnt, she playfully pinched his side, urging him to leave.
Rin's brows rose slightly at Kojou's last words, her hazel eyes shimring with a subtle mix of amusent and surprise, though her features remained as composed as ever. A faint sidelong smile curved her lips, as if she were quietly recording the mont in her mory without comnting.
anwhile, Asagi's face flushed a deeper red, the warmth spreading as she realized Rin had clearly heard Kojou's unguarded admission. Still, she couldn't suppress her little laugh, pinching him again as if to push him toward the door and conceal her embarrassnt behind her playful gesture.
"Alright, alright… I get it," Kojou said with an easygoing tone, raising his hands in mock surrender while a calm smile lingered on his face. He added as he stepped into the hallway:
"Don't stay too long, or you'll forget even to sleep."
With confident strides, he left the classroom, the faint sound of his bag swinging with each step mingling with the voices of students outside, until his footsteps gradually faded.
After his departure, the atmosphere in the classroom grew much quieter. Rin arched a brow, turning toward Asagi as she lazily rested her chin on her hand.
"So, you two live together, huh? … I didn't expect him to say it so openly like that."
Asagi's blush deepened, though she lifted her brows in an attempt to mask her embarrassnt with a shy smile.
"He's just… an idiot who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut sotis."
Rin chuckled softly, closing her bag before rising gracefully from her seat.
"Well, at least he's honest. Not everyone has the guts to say sothing like that in front of others."
The two girls shared a brief glance—an exchange of embarrassnt and warmth—before leaving the classroom together. Behind them, the setting sun filtered through the windows, scattering golden shadows across the empty desks.
...
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