[Chapter 1] Hired? For What?

A sharp beep cut through the silence.

Reiji groggily reached for his phone, his vision still blurry from sleep. The screen glowed in the dim morning light.

Congratulations! You are hired.

For a moment, his heart skipped a beat.

But before he could process it, his screen flickered—and the notification was gone.

He squinted, scrolling through his messages, emails—anything. Nothing.

"Huh… weird."

Brushing off the eerie feeling, Reiji sat up, only for frustration to hit him like a truck.

"Ughhh!" He clutched his head. "I applied for nine jobs and not a single one accepted me?! What kind of luck is that?!"

Dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled toward the dining area, still sulking—until his eyes landed on the table.

A warm meal. Freshly cooked. Steam still rising.

Beside it, a small folded note.

Reiji picked it up and read:

"You seem tired. Cheer up, bud. Some things won't go your way, just don't give up!"

His lips curled into a small smile.

"Geez, old man…" He sighed, grabbing his chopsticks.

As he lifted the note to put it aside, he noticed something scrawled on the back.

"You're late, dummy!"

Reiji froze.

His blood ran cold.

A second passed. Then another.

Then—

"…I'M COOKED!!!"

He sprang to his feet, chair nearly toppling over. In a frenzy, he speed-ran through his morning routine, bolted out the door, and sprinted toward school like his life depended on it.

In Class

Reiji carefully peeked through the slightly open classroom door. The teacher had their back turned, writing on the board. Now or never.

Step. Step.

He slipped inside, holding his breath—

A flash of movement to his side.

Shouma Frostgale.

Sitting casually, smirking at him.

Reiji's stomach dropped as he saw what his traitorous best friend was holding.

A paper sign—with a boldly written score:

10/10 – Good Job!

Reiji glared. He was so dead.

Carefully, he slid into his seat, exhaling in relief.

But before he could even blink, Shouma aggressively slid into the seat beside him, leaning in so close that Reiji could feel his breath on his cheek.

"Should I snitch?" Shouma whispered, grinning mischievously.

Reiji shot him a glare. "Try it, and you're dead."

Shouma inhaled sharply, puffing up his chest like he was about to make an announcement.

"Mrrrrr—!"

Before he could finish, Reiji lunged, slamming a hand over his mouth.

And then—

DING!

The school bell rang.

"Alright, class dismissed," the teacher called.

Silence.

Then—

Reiji turned to Shouma, veins popping. "…You little—"

Shouma was already on his feet, laughing, dodging every swing like a pro boxer as Reiji tried to land a punch.

"You're too slow~!" Shouma taunted, weaving effortlessly.

"You're dead!" Reiji barked, throwing another fist.

Their chaotic scuffle continued down the hallway, a normal day in their ridiculous friendship—

At least, it seemed normal.

Because somewhere in the back of Reiji's mind, that phantom notification still lingered.

Congratulations! You are hired.

But hired for what?

And why did it disappear?

Later, in the cafeteria...

The sound of clinking trays and muffled chatter filled the air.

Reiji stabbed at his food absentmindedly, watching as Shouma shoved an ungodly amount of rice into his mouth like a starving goblin.

"It's our last year in junior high," Shouma mumbled through the food, barely understandable. "Got any plans yet?"

Reiji let out a sigh, swirling his spoon in his soup. "I don't. Haven't talked about it with my old man yet."

Shouma swallowed (finally). "Well, you need to decide ASAP, man."

Reiji raised a brow. "What about you?"

Shouma leaned back dramatically. "Hm… I don't know, bruh. I'll just save the world instead!"

For a second, they stared at each other—then both burst into laughter.

Across the cafeteria, a teacher clapped their hands. "Alright, we need volunteers for cleaning duty—"

Reiji didn't even look up. "No thanks, I already signed up for lifelong suffering."

Shouma smirked. "Oh? When?"

Reiji sighed. "The moment I was born."

They chuckled again, the kind of laugh that made the pain of existence just a little bit more bearable.

Shouma took a big gulp of his drink—then suddenly choked.

Reiji leaned in casually. "Hey, if you die, can I have your math notes?"

Shouma, wheezing, shot him a look. "At least pretend to call for help first!"

Reiji shrugged. "Fine. Help! He's dying. Okay, so, math notes?"

Shouma gasped dramatically, hand on his chest. "You absolute trash."

Recovering from his near-death experience, Shouma pushed up his glasses and stood up, stretching. "Alright, let's bounce before they actually make us clean."

Reiji followed, and as they passed another table, they saw a student staring in silent despair at a sandwich that had just plummeted to the ground.

Reiji crossed his arms solemnly. "A moment of silence for our fallen soldier."

Shouma scoffed. "Nah, five-second rule. Eat it, coward."

And with that, they headed off to PE, their laughter echoing down the hall.

A normal day.

At least… for now.

As they approached the gym, the shift in energy was palpable. The chatter and clatter of the cafeteria seemed to vanish, swallowed up by the thud of basketballs bouncing off the hardwood, the squeak of sneakers digging into the floor, and the sharp, focused breaths of players on the court.

Reiji's pulse quickened, but his face remained unreadable. He exchanged a glance with Shouma, a wordless communication that passed between them. Time to switch gears.

The court was alive with movement. Reiji's team surged forward, working in perfect harmony, but with the game on the line, the pressure was building. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn't let it distract him. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

The score was tied.

This was it—the match point.

Reiji adjusted his stance at the top of the key, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the shifting defense. His mind was already five steps ahead. His team was ready, but the real battle was happening inside his head.

Shouma's team? They were in full defensive formation, every player watching him like a hawk. Sweat slicked their brows, tension practically crackling in the air.

But Reiji wasn't worried.

He was already two steps ahead of them.

The ball felt light in his hands, his fingertips tingling with anticipation. He looked across the court, locking eyes with his center—there it was, the opening.

Shouma's point guard slid into position to intercept, quick as lightning.

Exactly what I wanted.

A grin tugged at Reiji's lips. He faked the pass, flicking his wrist to draw the defender out.

It was a feint.

In an instant, Reiji bolted toward the basket, his legs pumping with purpose. The defense collapsed on him, but Shouma was already there, like a wall, blocking his lane. His height was an obstacle, but not enough to stop Reiji.

You think you can stop me, Shouma?

Reiji stopped just short of him, pivoting with a smooth move, positioning himself for a clean shot. The ball hung in the air for a moment, just out of Shouma's reach.

Shouma wasn't done.

"Not on my watch!" Shouma shouted, leaping with the force of a freight train, trying to block the shot.

Reiji smirked. Gotcha.

He spun , evading Shouma's outstretched arms, and continued his drive. Shouma's eyes widened for a split second, but it was already too late.

Reiji's feet landed softly, and with a flick of his wrist, the ball was heading toward the basket—

But the defense was closing in.

Reiji was about to lay it up when suddenly—

BOOM.

Shouma's center teammate soared toward him, jumping to block the layup, just as Shouma came from the other side, cutting off the lane completely.

Think I'm done?

Reiji's grin widened.

With a swift motion, he spun the ball behind his back, making the pass to his center at the last second. The ball flew through the air, landing perfectly in his teammate's hands.

With a roar, the center jumped, soaring toward the rim, and dunked the ball with a force that shook the entire hoop.

The gym exploded into cheers.

Reiji's team erupted, arms raised in victory, but Shouma—he was left standing there, stunned, eyes wide, watching the chaos unfold as his team scrambled.

Reiji walked past him, his grin never fading.

"What's the matter, Frostbitch?" he taunted, his voice dripping with playful mockery.

Shouma glared, his pride stinging, but there was something more behind that glare. A spark of competition.

"Pff, showoff," Shouma grinned, clearly not done with their rivalry.

Reiji shrugged casually, still smirking.

"We'll see about that."

As the crowd cheered, Reiji felt the familiar buzz of adrenaline begin to fade, but his mind was already elsewhere. The victory, the thrill—it was almost too easy. Yet in the back of his mind, there was that nagging sensation.

The phantom notification still lingered.

Congratulations! You are hired.

Hired for what?

Why had it vanished so quickly?

___________________________________

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