Kaito Nakamura leaned against the wall of the school’s back alley, his sharp blue eyes scanning the bustling courtyard beyond. The high-pressure atmosphere of Yamato High School, with its constant hum of academic and social expectation, felt like a distant echo here. This hidden nook, cloaked in the soft shade of overhanging trees, offered him a fleeting sense of refuge. It was a place where the weight of his rebelliousness felt lighter, if only for a moment.

The sun cast dappled patterns on the cracked pavement, a gentle reminder of the world he often tried to distance himself from. Kaito’s ash blonde hair, styled in its usual careless yet deliberate mess, caught the light with a casual defiance.

He flicked his earring with a thoughtful hand, a telltale sign of his restless mind.