My name is Kaito Minase. I’m fifteen, and all I wanted from high school was a quiet, uneventful life. I live in Tokyo, in a two-story house.
Nothing fancy — just waking up, eating breakfast, watching a few football highlights, and going to school without anyone kicking down my door.
A reasonable dream… right?
At least until 7:03 AM.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Kaitooo! Good morning! Are you ready for a new school day?”
Mai’s voice pierced through the house like a siren. I dragged myself out of bed, looking more like a disappointed father than a high school student.
Mai Kuronewa, my childhood friend, had long chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and a personality that ran entirely on teasing and chaos. She was the type who woke up at 5 AM to watch anime openings “for motivation,” and somehow still had energy left to bother me. She was actually my first friend, and we've basically known each other since birth. From my knowledge, her hobbies were mainly romance-themed works and hanging out with her friends, which she was actually doing quite often last summer.
“Why are you here so early…?”
She blinked at me, confused, while flashing a quick smile.
“Eh? School starts in thirty minutes.”
I froze.
“…It’s Monday?”
The realization hit me like a truck. I sprinted upstairs to wash my face and change, but of course, Mai followed me like a shadow.
It was a bit hard to find my things, as my room was all messy. The PC Monitor was on the floor, books were next to my bed, my school bag was thrown in the corner of the room.
Mai stood in my doorway with her hands on her hips, scanning my room like a detective at a crime scene.
“Seriously, Kaito… did a tornado pass through here last night?”
“It’s called creative chaos.”
“It’s called you’re hopeless.”
She stepped over a pile of notebooks, nearly tripping on a stray football. I pretended not to notice.
“You know,” she continued, “normal people fold their clothes. Or at least put them somewhere that isn’t the floor.”
“I was going to clean today.”
“You say that every day.”
She picked up my school jacket, shook off a pencil that was somehow stuck to it, and tossed it to me.
She then grabbed the iron and started fixing it for me.
“Here. Wear this before the teacher thinks you slept in a dumpster.”
I sighed, but a small part of me felt… weirdly warm. Mai always barged into my life like this — loud, chaotic, annoying — but she also filled the room with energy I didn’t know I needed.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing my wrist. “If we’re late on the first day, I’ll never forgive you.”
“You’re the one who woke me up by banging on my door.”
“That’s called love.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“It’s called harassment.”
She laughed, bright and carefree, and for a moment I forgot how tired I was.
I grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen and ran out the door with her.
Mai pumped her fist. “Yaaay! We’re in one of those cliché rom?com moments!”
I pretended not to hear that.
The morning air was crisp, the kind that wakes you up even if your soul is still asleep. Mai walked ahead with her usual spring in her step, humming an anime opening, the same one she used to hype herself up before tests.
“Why are you so energetic at this hour?” I muttered.
“It’s the first day of high school! Aren’t you excited?”
“I’m excited to go back to sleep.”
She spun around and walked backward, facing me with a grin.
“You know, you could at least pretend to be cool. First impressions matter.”
“I’m not trying to impress anyone.”
“Liar. You always fix your hair when you think someone’s watching.”
She was right.
“I do not.”
“You totally do.”
I looked away, ears burning. Mai giggled like she’d won a prize.
As we approached the school gates, students were gathering in groups, chatting, laughing, comparing uniforms. Mai slowed down a little, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“…It feels weird, doesn’t it?” she said softly. “Starting something new.”
“Yeah.”
“But at least we’re doing it together.”
She smiled — not her usual teasing smile, but a small, genuine one.
I didn’t know how to respond, so I just nodded.
We were both students at Kamyaoka High School, not elite, not chaotic, just normal. Clubs, festivals, gossip, the usual.
We reached the classroom five minutes late. The moment we slid the door open, the teacher, Liana-sensei, stared at us...intrigued.
“Kaito… are you and Mai?san finally together?”
“HUUUH?!”
I turned to Mai, and she was clinging to my arm like a koala.
Before I could shake her off, two voices erupted from the back of the room.
“W?WHAT?! MAI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Akane and Kaguya stood up at the exact same time.
Akane Sena, another childhood friend , had long dark blue hair and sharp black eyes. She was known as “The Ice Princess,” not because she was cold, but because she hid her emotions behind a wall of perfection. Her desk was always spotless. Her notes were color?coded. She hated losing control. Her sole presence alone could silence a few guys in the classroom, like a haunting aura behind her, whenever guys were hitting on her and whatnot.
Kaguya Mikose, on the other hand, was my former junior high deskmate. Middle?length black hair, blue eyes, warm smile. She always carried a small notebook where she wrote reminders and quotes , something she did to calm her nerves. She was top of the class, but also the type who apologized even when someone bumped into her, shrouding herself in nonchalance most of the time. I never see her hang out with her friends, possibly because she has not many friends apart from us.
Mai looked at them innocently.
“What? We’re childhood friends. This is normal. We used to do this all the time!”
Akane slammed her hands on her desk.
“WE’RE childhood friends too! And I never— I mean— it’s not like I care!”
Kaguya tilted her head.
“Kaito… isn’t this quite the scene?”
I felt a cold shiver.
“It’s not what it looks like! She grabbed me right before we walked in!”
Akane glared.
“And you expect us to believe that?”
Mai puffed her cheeks.
“I was just teasing him! I wanted to wake him up a bit.”
The teacher sighed.
“Enough. Sort this drama out during break.”
We returned to our seats — I sat between Akane and Kaguya, which was basically the worst possible place to be after what just happened.
Akane crossed her arms, bright red. Her foot tapped under the desk , a sign she was flustered.
“Hmph.”
Her mind was a complete mess. "What just happened?! Did she get the advantage on me? Is she together with Kaito now? Since when?! This can't be happening...I love him so much. Since we were kids, he was always my "hero", but I can never gather up the courage to ask him out. He's the most precious person for me...so why am I so mean to him..."
Kaguya gave me a sideways glance, her expression unreadable, but her fingers tightened around her notebook, a sign which I learnt means she's upset with me.
I sank into my seat, praying for the bell to save me.
Homeroom felt like it lasted ten hours. I got embarrassed in front of the whole class.
When the bell finally rang, Hikaru — a brown haired boy with brown eyes, my childhood friend and self?proclaimed “idol?looking guy” — approached me.
“Yo, Kaito. Free after school? Should we go practice Soccer? Karaoke?”
“Yeah, sure, let me get my—”
“Nope!” Mai appeared out of nowhere. “He’s going on a date with me!”
“HUUUUUUUH?!”
Hikaru grinned.
“Oh, have fun, man!”
“It’s not a date!”
But before I could explain, Mai clung to me again — even tighter than before.
Akane shot up from her seat.
“There’s no way I’m letting you two go alone!”
She realized what she said and turned bright red.
Kaguya joined in, grabbing my other arm.
“W?Well… if everyone is going, I suppose I’ll come too.”
I look at Kaguya in disbelief. Yes, we were close, but she never did this. As long as Mai goes, this was not unusual.
I stared at Hikaru with pleading eyes.
“Help.”
He sighed.
“Alright, alright. Let’s all go together.”
Kaguya intervened, releasing herself from my arm.
"Speaking of which, I have a coupon for the Karaoke Place. Three hours for the price of one!
And just like that, my peaceful after?school plans died.
