The next morning, Kazuki lay in the same dark room, lit only by the computer proudly displayed on his desk. Mind you, Tanaka Kazuki is, by no means, a vampire that burns in daylight. Nor is he one that sparkles. That would be just terrible. No, he was simply a gamer that lived practically.
It’s better to game in a dark room because it brings out the color and contrast from the screen. It also seemed to strain the eyes less. Maybe because the brightness of the monitors could be a lot lower? Regardless, when he woke up in the mornings, his computer gave off enough light he didn’t need to use the overhead. Of course, he used the light in the bathroom, but that was simply because it was necessary.
He didn’t live in a dark room twenty-four-seven either. He used the light and opened the window often. It just depended on what he was doing and, most of the time, that was gaming. He never claimed to have a healthy lifestyle, just a comfortable one.
As for his apartment, it was modestly sized, but it had two bedrooms. He lived there alone, but the owner of this apartment complex was a family friend that gave him a good deal on it. The primary bedroom, where he set up his room, had its own bathroom. The living space, kitchen, second bathroom and second bedroom all looked practically untouched. There was some food in the fridge, and maybe a dish or two in the sink. But aside from that, without looking in Kazuki’s room, one might think no one lived here.
His routine began the same as any day. The shrill alarm from his phone stole him away from whatever dream he was having. He regretfully pealed his body from the comfort of his bed and stretched his back. After grabbing a change of clothes, he took his morning shower.
This is where things changed, ever so slightly. He spent a little longer in the shower and used a little more soap than usual. Once he stepped out, got dressed, and looked in the mirror, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his hair just didn’t look right. In reality, it looked the same as always, a disheveled style that somehow looked passable as it was. It was this nagging thought at the back of his head that gave him pause; Maybe it could look a little better.
Perhaps his chance encounter with Ayaka, Hiroshi, Kaori, and Miyuki the day prior planted the seed that would cause him to see himself differently.
He shook his head, dislodging the whimsical thought as if it were a fit of morning fatigue. Yet, as he reached for his backpack and made for the door, those close to him might have noticed his back stood a little straighter than normal.
Somewhere else in Tokyo, Shimizu Miyuki’s morning was playing out in stark contrast to Kazuki’s. She awoke in her high-rise, feeling flustered as if she had forgotten to set her alarm. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the melodic symphony of her alarm softly filled the room. Maybe a bad dream startled her awake?
She sighed and prepared for her morning exercise. Though she couldn’t shake her anxious feeling and rushed through it, like she was trying to make up for lost time. Or maybe she was trying to keep her thoughts at bay. Regardless, it was maybe a good thing she rushed because today, should just could not figure out what to wear. She wanted to look more casual and approachable today. But nothing worked. Her room was in complete disarray when Mrs. Suzuki knocked on her bedroom door.
“Milady? You didn’t sleep in, did you?” She asked with a hint of hope behind her concerned voice.
The door flung open, revealing Miyuki, hair still tied back and a towel being the only thing covering her elegant curves. With teary eyes, she looked at her family’s attendant.
“Mrs. Suzuki… I need new clothes.”
Looking at the messy room, littered with clothing that lead back to the closet, Mrs. Suzuki sighed as if to say, “Really? That’s it?” She stepped into the room and looked over some of what was strewn across the bed. After a moment, she held up a grey button-down shirt and a black skirt. It was only subtly different from the previous day, but offered a slightly more approachable aesthetic.
“It’s supposed to be warmer today. Perhaps this with a leather belt would be both casual a flattering?” Mrs. Suzuki claimed confidently.
Miyuki paused, her eyes softening. “Always to the rescue, Mrs. Suzuki,” she said with a grateful smile.
After that, Mrs. Suzuki worked her magic with Miyuki’s hair. After ten minutes of work, Miyuki was now adorned in a half ponytail. The pony tail simply pulled hair away from her face, while still allowing it to cascade down her back in natural waves. Asking no prying questions, Mrs. Suzuki deduced Miyuki was really just being overly conscious of her looks because she wanted to get Kazuki’s attention. Whether Miyuki herself realized this, what another mystery entirely.
The boy had come up in conversation a few times over the past couple of years, and Mrs. Suzuki was quick to pick up on some underlying feelings there. At first, she thought it was just a curiosity, but the way Miyuki was acting now made her wonder if there was something more to it.
Considering how much time she lost getting ready, however, Miyuki had to take breakfast with her as she was chauffeured to college.
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The usual rush of students arriving greeted Kazuki as he casually strolled through the gates. Just as he made his way past the threshold, a black SUV rolled up. A man in a suit paused for a moment, then opened the back door. The pause, unknown to anyone else because of the tinted windows, was to allow Miyuki time to finish chewing the last of her breakfast.
As soon as she stepped out, three familiar faces rushed over, calling out to her.
“Mii-chan!” Ayaka shouted effervescently.
“What’s up?” Hiroshii said casually.
“Good morning, Miyuki.” Kaori greeted with a warm smile.
“Hey guys, how are you today?” Miyuki replied, glancing around the crowd as if looking for someone.
“Oh! Kazu-KUUUN! Over here!” Ayaka again shouted, waving her arms exaggeratedly.
With a feigned annoyance at her outburst, Kazuki casually walked over. As he got within talking distance, Miyuki locked eyes with him before looking away bashfully. Though Miyuki thought she did a great job hiding it, Kaori held her with a knowing gaze.
“Crazy how we all got here at the same time, huh?” Ayaka mused.
“Says the one that made a point of coming early just to meet up with everyone.” Hiroshi called her out.
Ayaka dramatically clutched her chest, as if she was just stabbed in the back by her closest friend. “I just thought it would be cool to walk to class together.” She defended.
“I take it they’ve been like this all morning?” Kazuki joked with Kaori.
“Dude! You have no idea! I thought they were going to come to blows when Hiroshi was late this morning.” Kaori responded with a tired sigh.
Kaori then sidled up to Kazuki and continued. “Hey, did you change something? You seem a little more… confident today?” She looked him over, trying to determine what was different.
Her suddenly being so close caught him slightly off guard, but he replied calmly.
“I don’t think so… I feel a little more weel-rested than usual, though.”
“Is that so?” She hummed in ascent before pulling away again. No one else heard their little exchange over Ayaka and Hiroshi’s back and forth.
Not long after that, at Kaori’s suggestion, they split off for their morning classes. Kazuki, Hiroshi, and Ayaka went one way, leaving Miyuki and Kaori to go the other. Once they were out of sight from the other group, Miyuki quietly mumbled to herself, twirling a bit of her hair.
“…didn’t even say hi.”
“Is something bothering you?” Kaori asked as they settled into their seats.
“What? Oh. Not really. I just didn’t have time to greet everyone properly.” Miyuki replied quickly.
“Don’t sweat it too much. Walking to class is kind of like a… pre-good-morning. Everyone is still too tired to really bother with formalities.” Changing the subject, as if to emphasize her point, she continued. “What I want to know is who did your hair this morning?! I love it! It’s keeps the natural flow of your hair but that braided ponytail adds a high-class touch!~”
“Oh that? I was running a little behind this morning, so Mrs. Suzuki picked out my outfit and did my hair.”“Really?” Kaori said in admiration. “Wait! Hold up, are you saying you have a maid?!”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Well.. sort of? She’s more like an attendant. Since I don’t live in my parent’s house right now, they send her over to make sure I’m living properly. Honestly, she’s kind of like an older sister to me.”
“Is that so? Does that mean you live on your own?” Kaori asked curiously.
“I do. Well, mostly. Like I said, Mrs. Suzuki comes by regularly to check on me and do some house chores, but once her shift is over, she heads home.”
She totally has a maid! Kaori thought to herself. Over the course of their morning classes, Kaori would bombard Miyuki about what kind of uniform Suzuki wore and what chores she did.
While Kaori bombarded Miyuki with questions, the other three were having lively conversation themselves.
“Dude! Did you see the trailer for ‘The Myth of Champions?’” Hiroshi asked.
“Oh, you’re talking about the anime right? Based on the Mihom Falcon series?” Kazuki replied.
“Yeah! I’m stoked for it! It’s going to be epic.” Hiroshi replied.
“Yeah, I think the story is going to be great, but I’m worried about the animation.” Kazuki replied casually.
“What?!” Hiroshi exclaimed, as if declaring his words blasphemy.
“No, I’m with Kazuki here.” Ayaka began. “The games have an unparalleled story, but the animation of the intro sequences is pretty sub-par.”
“Exactly. It’s been getting better with each game, but I think they are still way behind in that area. But I’m excited it takes place between Chains of Hot Iron II and III. In three we see the protag return with some heavy baggage and PTSD. It’d be cool to see what happened to him between those games.”
“Hm. I guess you guys have a point, but I still think it’s going to be top tier.” Hiroshi replied.
“Yeah, I just hope it lives up to the hype. I’d hate to see a mark on the series’ unblemished history.”
Their nerdy conversation continued all the way into the afternoon, when the two groups finally met up for lunch.
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During lunch, they largely talked about their expectations of the next class. This is not just the only class they all share, it is a collaborative class that brings many career paths together–showing them how they can work together to make great products such as games or films.
In today’s session, they would go over their first group assignment. Rather, their first big project that would have them collaborating. Would it be a game? A short film? A visual novel? They excitedly exchanged ideas until they finally got their answer soon after.
“Which brings us to your first big project of the semester.” Everyone sat at the edge of their seats in hanging anticipation. “A five minute short film. I’m going a little easy on you here, but don’t let yourselves become complacent. This film can be live action, animated, have sound, have no sound, it’s really up to you and your group. Which, I’ll remind you, are the same groups you were divided into yesterday.”
The professor allowed the students to make a few hushed comments before continuing, “Your topic will be: Imagination. That’s it. Create something that makes people think of imagination when they see it. Anyway, that’s all for today. I want your concepts on my desk by Monday.” With that, the teacher left the students to interpret her words.
“Imagination? Isn’t whatever we make technically imagination?” Ayaka asked.
“Hm… It has to be more than that.” Kaori added.
“Like… what a kid thinks when they’re playing?” Miyuki questioned.
“Actually, I think you might have an idea there, Miyuki.” Kazuki replied.
Right then, a chime signaled the end of class. “Well, we have some time. Let’s think about it and come back later? We have the whole weekend, after all.” Hiroshi suggested.
“That’s true.” Ayaka replied before clapping her hands, as if she had realized something important. “Oh! Guys, we never exchanged contact info!”
Kaori looked shocked. “I was so excited yesterday, I never even thought about it…”“Alright, let’s swap info real quick before the next class.” Hiroshi directed.
They all whipped out their phones without thinking much on it, and exchanged numbers. Kaori spoke as she, Ayaka and Miyuki made to head to the next class.
“Let’s meet up sometime this week to talk about the project. I’ll make us a group chat in Circle so we can hash out the details!”“Alright, see you guys after class.” Hiroshi replied.
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Kazuki wasn’t one to be easily swayed by the typical romantic endeavors of his peers. This was partly because he grew up witnessing the profound bond his parents shared, which seemed almost supernatural at times. Such a model of love set his relationship expectations remarkably high, making the usual adolescent flings seem insubstantial by comparison.
Over time, another layer of complexity was added to his perspective on relationships. During his formative years, a series of events eroded his self-confidence, leading him to constantly second-guess the intentions of those around him. Although attractions surfaced occasionally, the combination of his high standards and self-doubt held him back. He questioned both the potential depth of such connections and his own capacity to cultivate them.
He wasn’t envious of the frequent romantic shifts many of his schoolmates went through, changing partners like seasonal outfits. Kazuki yearned for something genuine, something enduring. No temporary infatuations, no trivial pursuits; he wanted an authentic connection that developed organically.
In the midst of these reflections, a hazy memory of a girl from his early middle school days lingered. They had shared an inexplicable connection, but the passage of time had blurred the lines. Could it even have been termed ‘romantic’?
Ironically, despite his introspective nature, Kazuki had developed an uncanny ability to observe and interpret the dynamics around him. Perhaps it was a skill cultivated from years of playing the observer rather than the protagonist. It was this talent that brought Hiroshi’s recent behavior to his attention, especially in the presence of Ayaka. Hiroshi, typically so self-assured, seemed perturbed whenever she was nearby, her laughter with friends echoing down the hall as he watched, lost in thought.
Kazuki hesitated for a moment before speaking up between classes. “Hey, Hiroshi, you seem... distracted? Particularly when Ayaka’s nearby?”
Hiroshi’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked at Kazuki as if he had just spoken a foreign language. “Wh-where’s this coming from?” he stuttered, his cheeks gaining a hint of pink.
Kazuki immediately regretted being so direct and tried to explain himself. “I didn’t mean to pry. I’ve just been watching people a lot since we started at this school and... Well, I’ve noticed a pattern, that’s all.” He paused, a little embarrassed. “Sorry, maybe I’m overstepping.”
Hiroshi took a deep breath, looking away for a moment. “No, it’s not that. It’s just... unexpected. And you’re not wrong. I’ve had a lot on my mind, especially regarding Ayaka.”
Seeing Hiroshi’s vulnerability, Kazuki felt a rush of empathy. “You’ve developed feelings for her, haven’t you?”
With a resigned sigh, Hiroshi admitted, “Yeah. Is it really that obvious?”
Kazuki shrugged. “Maybe not to everyone, but I’ve always been good at reading between the lines. Even though I haven’t been in a relationship myself, I’ve watched friends go through all sorts of relationship dramas.”
Hiroshi swallowed hard. “It’s just... I’ve known her since childhood. She’s one of my best friends. What if I risk everything and she doesn’t feel the same way?”
Kazuki looked thoughtful for a moment. “It’s true, these situations are tricky. You fear ruining the friendship, but keeping it in also has its toll. I’ve seen how that can strain relationships.”
Hiroshi drooped dejectedly. “So it’s a loose-loose?”
“Woah! That’s not what I meant!” Kazuki replied in a fluster, having dealt a critical blow. “What I mean to say is… if you really like her, I think you owe it to yourself to try. Just be genuine, and whatever happens, make sure to respect her feelings.”
“But what if...” Hiroshi began, his voice shaking a little, “What if she doesn’t feel the same? What if things become weird between us?”
Kazuki met Hiroshi’s eyes with a genuine gaze. “Every situation is different. But from what I’ve seen, if two people truly value their friendship, they’ll find a way to navigate even the toughest conversations. Yes, there might be awkwardness, maybe even some distance for a while, but true bonds can withstand a lot.”
Hiroshi’s face softened, “Thanks, Kazuki. I didn’t expect this sort of conversation today, but... I appreciate it.”
Kazuki grinned, “Life’s unpredictable like that. But hey, whatever you decide, remember to trust your gut.”
In the end, Hiroshi’s mind still wasn’t made up, but he still felt like some of the weight was relieved. Overthinking would do him no justice. He just had to decide one way or the other, and stick with the decision. They soon went back to talking about video games, easing the emotionally heavy air. I mean, a conversation like this is a lot for young guys to handle.
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The girls, on the other hand, well…
“I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that they didn’t notice your new hairdo!” She exclaimed, feigning indignation.
Miyuki fiddled with a strand of her hair, her cheeks warming up. “Well, it’s not too different from before. Plus, we only just met yesterday.”
Kaori tilted her head, an eyebrow raised in amusement. “That could be true for Hiroshi, sure, but Kazuki? You both were in the same school for two years, right?”
“Well, it’s not like…” Miyuki began, trying to defend Kazuki and herself.
But Ayaka cut her off with a sudden realization. “Hey that’s true! Now that I think about it, you two haven’t even talked at all today, have you?”
“Well, we only talked for the first time yesterday, so it’s-” Miyuki shyly defended.
But before she could finish, Kaori leaned in, her voice dripping with playful mischief. “You jump to his defense as if you’re a lioness protecting her pride. Anything you want to share, Miyuki?”
For a moment, Miyuki looked like a deer caught in the headlights. If this were an anime, there would have been steam billowing out from her ears.
Ayaka, oblivious to the whispered comment, waved her hand in front of Miyuki’s face. “Earth to Miyuki! Did we short-circuit you? Do we need to fetch a fire extinguisher?”
“I just hoped he would-” Miyuki began, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes seeking understanding. Just as she was about to reveal her heart, the shrill bell rang, followed by the professor’s voice, effectively cutting off her revelation.
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After classes let out, the group convened by the front door, echoing their meetup from the previous day. Hiroshi appeared lost in thought, and every time Miyuki tried to glance Kazuki’s way, her cheeks would burn. Of course, Kazuki was completely oblivious to Miyuki’s struggle. So good at reading people yet, when it was related to him in any way, he was denser than a brick.
Ayaka, on the other hand, was just plain oblivious to anything going on. She was no airhead, she just wasn’t great at handling emotions, so she drowned them out with her bubbly personality.
Kaori, unable to contain her exasperation, shifted the conversation towards their upcoming group gathering.
“So, when’s a good time for everyone?” she asked.
“I’ve got work commitments the next few days, so after school’s out for me,” Kazuki responded promptly.
“I’m helping my sister prep for her high school entrance ceremony. She’s speaking, and it’s a big deal,” Hiroshi added.
Miyuki hesitated for a beat. “I’ve got a family event this weekend. Preparations and shopping will take up my after-school hours until Sunday.”
Kaori’s eyes lit up. “Mind if Ayaka and I tag along for the shopping bit? A girls’ day out might be fun!”
“That... would be nice. I’d appreciate the company,” Miyuki admitted, smiling warmly.
Ayaka’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Count me in! Hiroshi, will your sister be okay without me? You know she’s like a little sister to me too.”
Hiroshi waved her off. “She’s got it under control. She prefers fewer hands on deck. Just enjoy yourselves.” He laughed, but his gaze lingered on Ayaka, a hint of distraction evident.
Kazuki cleared his throat, bringing the conversation back on track. “Sounds like Sunday’s our only option. I have a rough idea, thanks to Miyuki, but I need to refine it. We can finalize it then.”
“That works for me!” Ayaka agreed.
Miyuki hesitated before addressing Kazuki directly. “So, Sunday it is... Kazuki.”
Just say his name, she chided herself. Why does it feel like jumping off a cliff?
Caught a little off-guard, he stammered, “Y-yeah, see you... Sunday.” As their eyes met, an unspoken connection seemed to form, leaving Kazuki entranced. How is she so... captivating?
Kaori’s cheek twitched, a mix of amusement and frustration. Seriously? She internally fumed. It’s so obvious they’re into each other! Why won’t someone just take the first step? And don’t get me started on Ayaka and Hiroshi.
The setting sun bathed the university campus in a soft glow. As the group dispersed, an atmosphere of gentle excitement buzzed between them, the budding friendships and growing connections promising new adventures.
Kaori, stretching her arms to embrace the warmth of the evening, watched the dance between Miyuki and Kazuki. Their hesitant, fleeting glances, the way they seemed to orbit one another, brought a bemused smile to her lips. “Two moths circling the same flame,” she mused.
For a fleeting moment, a shadow of a memory darkened her eyes. The subtlest hint of sadness, a barely perceptible downturn of her lips. Whatever that memory was, it seemed to reinforce her determination.
She had her reasons, deeply personal ones, for wanting to see genuine connections flourish. A glimpse of a distant past, perhaps a reflection of missed opportunities or lessons from fractured relationships. But for now, those reasons remained locked away, a mystery even to those who thought they knew her best.
“So much potential,” she whispered to herself, her gaze lingering on the two before turning away. With a gentle sigh, she stepped forward, the weight of unspoken stories pressing lightly on her shoulders.