New beginnings!

*Irishki's POV*

After my utterly soul-crushing moment at the assembly—yes, the one where I tripped and faceplanted in front of hundreds—I tried to pretend like nothing happened. Which was almost impossible considering the chuckles that still echoed around the hall every few seconds.

The student council president took the stage, standing tall and overly confident, like he hadn't just watched a guy eat hardwood five minutes ago.

He began his speech.And to be honest?I zoned out about fifteen seconds in.

Something about school pride, community spirit, and being responsible citizens of tomorrow—standard high school mumbo jumbo.

I was more focused on nursing my wounded dignity than anything he was saying.

That is, until one particular sentence snapped me out of my daze.

"This year in Pachi High, we'll be doing something a little different—something better."

That made my eyebrows rise.I looked up at him from where I was half-slouching on the floor, still pretending my face hadn't made history with the gym floor.

What was he talking about?

The president continued, his voice growing louder with emphasis.

"As we all know, every year we have the Sports Festival and the Cultural Festival. We compete. We cheer. We fight for the title of best class in school."

The moment he said that, the room buzzed.A low wave of whispers rippled through the students.

Everyone around me was glancing at each other like the president had just stated the most obvious thing in the world.

I mean, yeah—duh.That's literally what every school does.

Even I, a transfer student who just arrived from Osaka, knew that much.For a second, I genuinely thought the president had either lost it or just discovered school events for the first time.

Saki, who was standing a few feet away, leaned in slightly and whispered,"Did he just explain school to us like we've never been in one?"

I nodded slowly, still squinting at the stage."Either this is leading to something big… or he forgot how speeches work."

But somewhere in my gut, I had a feeling he wasn't just wasting our time.Something about the way he said "different" sent a weird chill down my spine.Like this year… was going to be anything but ordinary.

The president suddenly raised his voice, catching everyone off guard.

"Yes! It's true that every year we compete among ourselves—but this year, we'll go beyond that! We'll be challenging other schools!"

That got everyone's attention. He continued, fired up and confident.

"We're aiming for the award of Best Sports and Cultural Festival, not just within Pachi High, but across the entire region! While the decision hasn't been finalized, I promise—as student council president—I'll lead this school to the highest degree!"

There was a beat of stunned silence.And then, the room exploded.

Cheers erupted all around me. Students were on their feet.

"We'll show them the wrath of Pachi High!" someone yelled.

"Pachi High's taking that trophy, no matter what!" another added.

Even I, someone who never cared much for flashy events, felt a rush in my chest. The energy was contagious, and for once… I actually wanted to be part of it.

After the president's passionate speech, the assembly ended and we all scattered.Somehow, in the shuffle, I even lost track of Saki—a rare occurrence.

But here's the embarrassing part.I had no idea where I was going.

Completely clueless, I even approached a janitor and asked him where the class listing board was.

He gave me a long, blank stare… and just walked away like I didn't exist.

So there I was, wandering some random hallway on a floor I didn't recognize.

Then, from down the corridor, I heard a voice.

"Hey! New guy! Over here!"

I turned around and saw a clumsy-looking girl jogging toward me.

"Who are you?" I called out.

"I'm the vice president of the Report Club," she said proudly. "Our job's simple—but these halls definitely aren't."

She stopped in front of me, smiled, and said, "You're the transfer, right? Looking for your class listing? Come on—follow me."

Before I could respond, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.

And for a moment—just a single moment—something strange happened.

It felt like a thousand flowers bloomed in my chest.

Not from nerves or panic, but something else.Something warm.

Her smile.Her touch.It stirred something deep inside me, like a door I didn't even know existed had quietly opened.

We soon reached the listing hall, and just as I was about to call out to Saki—who was scanning the crowd with her arms crossed—the unknown girl beside me turned and smiled.

"Hey, I'm Yasuna Ohana, second year at Pachi High," she said brightly. "If you ever consider joining a club, the Report Club could always use a helping hand! Alright, bye!"

Without waiting for a reply, she waved and dashed off, disappearing down the corridor.

Before I could process any of that, I felt a presence behind me.

"Who was she?"

I turned around. Saki stood there, arms on hips, eyebrows raised.

"How do you know her?" she continued, rapid-fire. "Did you already get yourself a girl when the year just began?!"

"Wha—no! Calm down! Too many questions for one man to handle!" I shot back, throwing my hands up. "She just helped me find the listing hall. That's all. End of story."

Saki wasn't convinced.

"Then why was she holding your hand?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "How do you think I wouldn't ask questions after seeing that?"

That froze me in my tracks.

She was right. Why did Yasuna hold my hand? And why was she in such a rush?The thought lingered, unsettling and strange.

Saki noticed the puzzled look forming on my face. Her voice softened slightly.

"You really don't know, do you?"

"Yeah… I have no idea," I admitted.

She sighed.

"Well, we're in the same class, so get back soon or you'll be late," she warned, then added with a smirk, "And maybe learn to read a girl's emotions instead of sleeping in those books of yours."

I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, so I let it slide.

With time to spare, I decided to walk around and maybe find Yasuna again—to thank her, and, if I had the guts, ask why she held my hand so suddenly.

But just as I rounded a corner, a strange heaviness sank into my chest.

My feet stopped moving.

A cold shiver crawled up my spine.I couldn't move.

What the hell was this feeling?

"Dude, you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

A voice broke the silence behind me. I turned to see a guy with a carefree smile step into view.

"You still alive or nah?" he asked. "Anyway, I'm Ena Mizuki, second year. Pleasure to meet you. What's your name?"

"Irishki Toko," I said, still shaken. "Ena as in 'God's Gift' and Mizuki meaning 'Beautiful Moon', right?"

"Yep," he chuckled.

For a second, I thought maybe everyone had forgotten about my little "moment" at the assembly. But Ena crushed that hope instantly.

"Wait… aren't you the guy who tripped at the assembly and laid there for twenty minutes?"

He held back laughter. I didn't.

"Go ahead, laugh. It's not that serious," I muttered. "Anyway, do you know where the Vice President of the Report Club is?"

But Ena just waved his hand.

"We don't have time. We're gonna be late for class—and trust me, you don't want that."

We rushed down the hallway, and even then I nearly got lost again in the maze-like school. Eventually, we reached our classroom.

Ena stepped in first, while I was told to wait and enter through the side door when they called the new transfers.

And right there, leaning casually by the window, Saki was waiting for me. Again.

"Where did you go and die? I was bored out of my mind!" Saki huffed the moment I reappeared.

"I was just looking for that girl again—to thank her. I wouldn't even be on time if it wasn't for that boy!" I replied, brushing past the subject quickly.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, saying nothing more as we waited for our names to be called.

"Let's introduce our new transfers!" our teacher finally announced.

We had agreed that I would go first. But apparently, Saki had other plans. Just as I was about to step inside, she pulled me back with a smug grin, slipping ahead of me like she owned the place.

That smug look really got under my skin, but I had to keep my composure and act professional.

She stood confidently at the front and began to introduce herself. I saw my chance.

Leaning in close, I whispered just loud enough for her to hear, "Saki, look—a spider's crawling up your leg."

She froze.

"AHHH! Where is it?!" she screamed, dancing in place.

I tried not to laugh as I said, "Why are you screaming? You're acting like there's a spider crawling on your leg or something."

The teacher stepped in and calmed her down, reassuring her there was no spider. She gave me the death stare as she returned to her seat.

Totally worth it.

Then it was my turn.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Irishki Toko. I came here to live in Tokyo after spending my whole life in Osaka. I hope you'll treat me well," I said, bowing slightly.

I thought it went fine—until I saw Ena in the corner, trying his best not to laugh. That's when it hit me.

Everyone here still knew me as Assembly Guy. Great.

I walked to my assigned seat—smack between Saki and Ena. The worst spot imaginable. But then my eyes caught sight of her—the Vice President. Yasuna.

She sat across the classroom, front of the second-last row. Far away, but visible.

There weren't many classes today—it was the first day after all—so I planned to express my thanks to her after school ended.

When the last bell rang, I packed up quickly, ready to approach her.

But my body... froze again.

Why couldn't I move?

Why couldn't I take even one step toward her?

And just like that—too late. She had already left the classroom. And only then did my legs remember how to function.

Ena had already gone home, so I couldn't ask him. My only option was Saki—and, as luck would have it, she was at my house.

She said she had "some work" with my mom. That didn't matter now.

I rushed home, tossed my bag onto the chair, and found her helping my mom move furniture.

"Hi honey, how was school? Make any fri—"

"Mum! Can I borrow Saki for a moment?! Sorry for interrupting, but it's urgent!"

My mom blinked, confused, but nodded.

"Ye-yeah, sure. Just calm down, okay?"

I thanked her and pulled Saki upstairs, closing the door behind us.

Before I could even start, she raised a brow.

"Let me guess. It's about that girl, right?"

I nodded, feeling more vulnerable than ever. I spoke carefully.

"Whenever I get close to her or even think about talking to her... my body just freezes. It won't move. It doesn't listen to me."

Saki stood, flopped into my chair, grabbed my controller, and started playing like it was just another day.

"This emotion," she said dramatically, "is a dangerous one, my boy. Listen closely."

She stood up, leaned over, and whispered in my ear:

"It's love. You've fallen head over heels for that girl. No other explanation."

Then she threw herself onto my bed like she'd just achieved something historic.

I was frozen again—but this time from shock.

Silence filled the room.

I sat still, stunned, then asked quietly, "Is it really true? Or are you messing with me, brat?"

Saki shot me a sharp glare. "You know better than anyone I don't lie about serious stuff. And call me 'brat' again, I'll rip your skull open."

I climbed onto the bed beside her, still overwhelmed. And then, without warning, tears spilled from my eyes.

I didn't know why I was crying. Maybe it was shock. Or relief. Or both.

But whatever it was... it felt like the best thing ever.

Saki sat up and gently patted my head.

As she stood to leave, I wiped my eyes and whispered, "Thank you for everything, Saki. I appreciate it."

She smiled and replied softly, "Always my pleasure, kid. Now, when I'm down in the dumps, it's your turn to help me back up."

I nodded. And then she was gone—leaving me alone with my thoughts and a heart full of something new.