At dusk on Tree-lined Avenue, the setting sun melted into gold. Sakura Airi hugged her camera, and the light rekindled in her eyes after her tears washed away her guilt was more captivating than the sunset.
Meanwhile, beneath Kushida Kikyo's sweet smile, her cold probing was like an icicle dropped into a warm lake, sending out ripples no one could hear.
"This is... pretty interesting."
Toudou Shizuka murmured to herself, the corner of her mouth lifting in an inscrutable smile.
Kōdo Ikusei High School really knew how to keep things interesting.
Every step was like placing a piece in a chess game full of hidden reefs and opportunities. Opponents, allies, rules—even the board itself—could turn upside down at any moment.
The tense days of exam preparation flew by.
The Midterm Exam arrived as expected, then ended with a scattering of pens coming to a halt, some in relief, others in nervous apprehension.
The answers had already been decided. All that remained was the anxiety of waiting for judgment. (I said victory was already assured—am I Nirudragon?)
At last, the day the results were announced arrived.
After school, a crowd had already gathered in front of the giant electronic announcement screen at the center of campus. The air was so thick it felt like you could wring water out of it. (The smell says it all.)
Students from different classes mingled together. Their whispers, swallowed breaths, and even their stifled gasps blended into a tense symphony.
Toudou Shizuka stood near the front of the Class B crowd, with Kanzaki and Ichinose beside him, both looking just as solemn.
Kobashi Honami nervously clutched the hem of her clothes. Shibata and Sato looked pale, too, and even their breathing had grown faint.
Bzz—
The giant screen abruptly lit up, its cold blue glow