Kitami North High School — 2nd Year, Class 3 📅 January 10th | Weather: Snowfall, -3°C | Time: 8:02 AM

The bell hadn’t rung yet.

The sky over Kitami was pale, dusted with soft white clouds that threatened more snow by noon. Thin flakes fluttered down through the bare tree branches in the schoolyard, dancing between the bundled-up students shuffling toward the main entrance. Despite the cold, laughter echoed across the courtyard—slightly muffled by scarves and steaming breaths. The first school day after the long winter break had begun, and with it, the slow thaw of sleepy friendships and reawakened gossip.

Inside the school, the air was warmer, thick with the scent of pine floor wax and cheap heater air. Down the second-floor hallway, Class 3’s room was already half full. Students sat or stood in clusters, chatting about how they’d spent New Year’s, what shrine they’d visited, or how many omikuji they’d drawn until they finally got a “Great Fortune.” The air buzzed with small reunions, reluctant yawns, and fresh beginnings.

By the windows, Tsubasa Shiki stood at his desk, gently dusting melted snow from his sleeves. His cheeks were slightly flushed—not just from the cold, but maybe from the attention. His classmates hadn’t missed the rumors swirling since the end of December.

He wasn’t alone.

Leaning against the side of his desk, as effortlessly casual as if it were her throne, stood Minami Fuyuki—blonde, bold, and unmistakably smug. Her short skirt, bare legs, and fluffy hoodie made her look completely immune to the cold, like a seasonal goddess who refused to obey nature’s laws. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, looking out the window. "You still blush that easily?" she teased, glancing sideways at Tsubasa with a sly grin. “You better level up fast, Shiki-kun. You’re dating a gal now, remember? And everyone knows, that we are dating.”

Tsubasa mumbled something too soft to catch, but the tips of his ears turned a deeper red.

Across the room, Sayuri Akino sat in her usual seat, legs crossed, handheld console resting in her lap. One earbud in, one out. She cast a bored glance toward the pair by the window, expression unreadable. "They’re really going for it, huh...” she muttered, but didn’t look away. Her game was paused. Not even a boss fight could hold her attention today.

Near the front, Rena Natsukawa calmly marked her planner with a new set of sticky tabs. She sipped tea from a thermos that matched her neat, understated scarf. Every so often, her eyes drifted to the back of the room—to Tsubasa, to Minami—and then returned to her schedule without a word. A small, nearly invisible smile played at her lips.

From the hallway, a high-pitched giggle cut through the noise. Momoko Fuyuki, first-year and self-declared sister-in-law-in-training, leaned halfway through the doorframe. “Nee-chan! Did you tell him about Valentine’s Day yet? You’re supposed to strategize early!”

Minami threw a piece of chalk at her. Missed. “Go to your own class, brat.”

The heater buzzed faintly in the background. A draft passed through the cracked window someone had forgotten to close, stirring the curtains like a slow breath.

Desks weren’t fully settled. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet. Bags sat slumped against chair legs, and students continued drifting in—coats half-off, sleepy-eyed, mid-conversation. From the window, the town of Kitami looked like a postcard—white rooftops, rising smoke, and distant hills blurred in snowfall.

Inside Class 3, time ticked quietly forward.

It was just a normal morning. The kind of morning where something might begin.