"Hey, Haruki. Hurry up!"
"Don't rush me, Shiho."

I'm Asano Haruki. A self-proclaimed unremarkable third-year middle schooler.
The one ringing my doorbell early every morning is my childhood friend, Fukase Shiho.

"You don't have to wake me up every day."
"If I didn't, you'd oversleep and be late, wouldn't you?"

Shiho belongs to the girls' basketball club. It's a powerhouse team with many members, and Shiho plays the ace role. She practices seriously and is a top-ranking honor student academically too.

"It's not like being late is the end of the world. It's still compulsory education; you don't have to be so strict."
"What are you talking about? We're exam students now! Lateness and absences affect our records. Do you not care if we can't go to the same high school?"

The high school Shiho plans to attend is a famous local prep school with a very high academic standard. I'm in the "go-home club" with no particular activities, so I've been focusing on studying lately, and my grades have improved since starting third year. But honestly, I'm skeptical that someone like me, who only recently moved beyond average grades, can get into such a smart school.

"Our houses are right across from each other, and we've been together since kindergarten... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we went separate ways here?"

"No!!"

Shiho's loud rejection startled me.

"Don't shout like that out of nowhere. You scared me."
"Haruki! Are you saying it's okay if we're not at the same school!? I hate that idea!"
"N-no... well... that is..."

I only said that earlier to hide my embarrassment. I do want to go to the same high school as Shiho. I want to be with Shiho. Because I've... liked her... since we were kids...

"W-well... yeah. It would be nice... if we could go to the same high school."
"Yeah! Let's absolutely make it happen!"

And so, it became my daily routine to head to school early in the morning, dragged along by Shiho who has morning practice.

It takes about 20 minutes on foot from our houses to the middle school. Even though it's barely past 7 AM, as we get closer to the school, we start seeing other students trickling in. Some, like me, come early to study in the self-study room; others, like Shiho, come to sweat it out in club activities.

"Everyone's amazing, coming this early for studying or club stuff."
"You're coming to school to study too, Haruki. It's the same."
"W-well... I guess."

No, if Shiho didn't come to my house every morning, I wouldn't be coming to school at this hour. People who can act spontaneously like that really are impressive.

"Shiho! Morning!"

A few female students calling Shiho's name approach from a little way off. Probably friends from the girls' basketball club.

"Uh, Haruki... well..."
"Ah, right. See you tomorrow, then."

Responding to Shiho's slightly hesitant words, I head towards the school building alone.

"Hey, Shiho. Were you with Asano again?"
"Huh...? Ah, no... well..."
"Are you okay? He didn't do anything, did he?"
"I'm fine, really."

The faint sound of Shiho and her friends' conversation reaches me from behind. But I ignore it, change into my indoor shoes at the lockers, and head to the self-study room.

"Hey, isn't that Asano? Scary..."
"Why's he coming to the study room? Can't concentrate like this..."
"Is it true he's always getting into fights?"

The moment I enter the self-study room, I hear the hushed whispers of students mocking me. When I glare at them sharply with an intense stare, they flinch and the gossip stops abruptly.

(Well, same as usual...)

Sighing inwardly, I sit down at an empty seat and lose myself in studying.

▽▼▽▼

After about an hour of studying, I enter my classroom and sit at my desk. The room buzzes with talk about future paths and the upcoming final comprehensive athletic festival for club members. I pull a light novel out of my bag and quietly start reading until the bell rings.

"Look, Asano's reading a light novel. What a nerd."
"Hey! He can hear you!"

Again, the noise of classmates whispering about me reaches my ears... but, well, it's the usual.

"Ah! Morning, Fukase-san!"
"Good luck at the basketball club's final tournament! I'll come cheer you on!"
"Thanks, everyone. I'll do my best!"

Shiho enters the classroom after morning practice, and the classmates' attention instantly focuses on her. Beautiful and an honor student, Shiho is, needless to say, high up in the social caste.

After exchanging a few brief words with classmates, Shiho slowly approaches my area... but she doesn't speak to me. Her seat is directly behind mine, and she sits down there.

"Every time I see them, it's like Beauty and the Beast."
"Hey, quit it. What if they hear?"
(I've been hearing you loud and clear this whole time, actually.)

To put it bluntly... I'm isolated at school.
Even Shiho doesn't talk to me... at school.

(First period starts at 9... I'll skip out for a bit.)

As I stand up from my seat, Shiho glances my way for a split second but immediately looks forward again. She's probably worried that I'm leaving just before homeroom starts.

"Where's that guy going?"
"Skipping, maybe?"

Ignoring the classmates' noise, I leave the classroom alone.

▽▼▽▼

I am, self-proclaimed... an unremarkable middle schooler.
Isolated at school, not academically outstanding, with no particular talents.
Well, there are probably plenty of kids like that in any school.
But in my case, the circumstances are a bit different.

I walk a little through the school building, climb the stairs, aiming for the top floor.
I try not to care about the stares and words in the classroom, but it doesn't feel good.

After climbing the stairs for a few minutes, I reach my destination.
I arrive at the door leading to the rooftop.
Touching the doorknob, I find it unlocked, unlike usual.

"Figured it'd be open..."

I push open the heavy door and step onto the rooftop. A pleasant breeze greets me.

"Yo, you made it. Asano."
"Skipping again? Endo."

Endo Seina.
A beauty who rivals Shiho, but with bleached blonde hair, ear piercings, fake nails – basically, a flashy appearance.

"Still got that gloomy look, huh, Asano."
"You seem as lively as ever. Guys like us usually find school depressing, right?"
"I kinda like school, actually."
"Says the guy who barely shows up to class? This delinquent."

She's a delinquent just like she looks, and her self-centered actions are a problem even for the teachers.

"What's that? Aren't you one of my kind, Asano?"
"I'm not a delinquent."
"Heeh? Even with everyone saying all kinds of stuff about you? Your hair's a similar color to mine, right?"
"This is brown, and I keep telling you, it's my natural color."
"What about the scary eyes?"
"Born with 'em."

I'm absolutely not a delinquent... but it's true that my classmates and teachers treat me like one.

"That flashy look combined with that assault incident... that was bad."

Around this time last year... I got into a fight with an upperclassman.

"I mean, it was self-defense... but yeah, I regret that incident. I'm not trying to make excuses."

The backstory is... some guys tried to call out Shiho, who was starting to shine in the basketball club back then, and hurt her feelings with sleazy words and attitudes. When I warned them off, they tried to hit me, so I fought back and beat them.

"Asano, decided on your future school?"
"Ah, yeah. That... Sendou High."
"Seriously? ...You that smart?"
"My head's average. So, I'm working hard to get in."
"Hooo. Probably chasing after that childhood friend of yours or something equally lame, right?"

Endo is sharp and has an unnervingly perceptive side.

"S-so what if I am? What about you? Where are you applying?"
"Right now, Kaisei. Sendou's okay too, though."
"Impressive. Despite the looks and attitude, your grades are legit."

Sendou and Kaisei are basically the two top-tier high schools around here, both incredibly high level.

"Asano, you should aim for Kaisei too."
"Nah, I'm not in a position to choose like that right now. Besides... I... Shiho and I..."

I want to go to the same high school as Shiho. That's why I'm trying so hard.

"Fukase, huh? Her... I don't like her."
"Huh? Why?"
"Asano, you guys are close outside school, right? But inside school, she doesn't even talk to you, does she?"

Come to think of it, that might have started since third year.
Before, she used to talk to me at school too.

"That's... Shiho has her own circles too. If she talked to someone like me... well, you know..."

Right. If she hung around someone as outcast as me at school, it might give Shiho a bad reputation too.

"If it were me, I'd ditch someone like that. It basically says her other relationships are a hundred times more important than the one with you."
"I don't... think that's it..."

Shiho does value our relationship too.

"First period's about to start. I'm heading back."
"Ehh!? Skip with me!"
"I ain't skipping. You should start showing up to class seriously too. It's a waste with how smart you are."
"Well... maybe I will."

Endo and I sigh simultaneously.
Our actions syncing up, we look at each other, and the corners of our mouths naturally lift into slight smiles.

Feeling slightly less gloomy, we head back to the classroom where class is about to begin.