“Hey, Yahiko! How are you?” Shin called out, waving as he spotted Yahiko near the school gate.

“Hi,” Yahiko answered, forcing a smile.

It looked easy, but inside everything was tight with worry. The mark on his neck had turned pitch-black right the day before school. He’d spent hours scrolling through forums and medical sites, searching for any explanation of why it might darken, but found nothing. After a late night of restless sleep and waking half an hour before the alarm, he felt wrung out.

So when Shin started talking about his mountain hike, Yahiko almost sagged with relief. At least he didn’t have to explain what had been happening to him these last few days. He wasn’t planning to tell anyone anyway. The mark stayed hidden under a bandage, and he told both his grandmother and Shin he’d just cut himself trying to trim his hair.

The hall buzzed with students with voices and laughter. Shin kept talking about the perfect hot springs they’d found.

Yahiko bent to take his shoes from the floor when a sudden shove jolted him forward.

“Nice pose,” a boy from their class sneered while passing.

Yahiko straightened with a faint frown – and caught Denji staring at his neck, eyes oddly focused.

“Come on, Denji,” one of the boys said, tapping his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” the boy who shoved Yahiko asked with a half-smirk.

“New term, same old jokes,” Shin said dryly, shutting his locker. “Don’t you people ever come up with anything new?”

“Nothing,” Denji replied after a brief pause, still watching Yahiko for a beat before following his friends around the corner.

Shin blinked. “Huh. No wisecracks today? That’s rare. Maybe he woke up in a good mood for once.” He gave a short laugh.

Yahiko barely heard him. His hand moved to the bandage on his neck, almost without thinking, as if to shield it.

“Everything okay?” Shin asked, noticing.

“What? Oh… yeah. I’m fine,” Yahiko said quickly, lowering his hand. “Just a little itchy. Let’s head to the main hall.”

The gym was already crowded when Yahiko and Shin stepped inside. Rows of metal chairs stretched across the floor, and a tall stage with a dark curtain waited at the front. Teachers guided classes to their spots. Laughter and chatter filled the air, mixing with the soft tune coming from the speakers.

When everyone finally sat, a short school bell chimed, and the noise faded at once. The head teacher walked on stage and gave the usual start-of-term speech – study hard, reach your goals, make this year count. He introduced a new history teacher and went over the school rules one more time.

Yahiko sat still, barely hearing the words. His thoughts drifted back to the locker room – Denji’s stare, the shove, the uneasy feeling left behind. How long could he keep wearing the bandage without questions? What if someone started asking questions?

A faint breath brushed the back of his neck. He flinched.

“I don’t know what you did to yourself during summer,” Denji whispered, pretending to fix his shoe, “but I will find out.”

“Kurogane-kun,” their homeroom teacher hissed quietly, giving Denji a sharp look.

Yahiko turned his gaze toward the stage just as Ayato stepped forward to speak. A chill ran through him while Ayato reminded the students about safety in the heat and repeated the school’s rules on alpha–omega interactions – what was allowed and what would lead to consequences.

The ceremony ended, and the hallways filled with noise. Footsteps echoed against the walls, and voices overlapped as students swapped summer trips, new hobbies, and favorite memories.

By the time Yahiko and Shin reached their classroom, the chatter had softened to a friendly buzz. They slipped into their seats, sunlight from the tall windows spilling across the desks.

“Oh, I brought something for you,” Shin said, digging in his bag. He held out a tiny keychain shaped like a golden fish. “Bought it at the hot springs. Look—I’ve got the same one.”

He dangled his own keys with a grin.

Yahiko turned the small charm in his palm. “It’s cute. Thanks, Shin. I… didn’t go anywhere, so I don’t have anything to give back.”

Shin waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. Friends don’t—”

The door slid open with a soft thud before he could finish. 

“Good morning, everyone!” Ishikawa-sensei stepped in, a bright smile on her face, setting a stylish handbag on the desk.

“Sensei, is that a new bag?” one of the girls asked.

“Yes,” she said with a little laugh. “A gift from my husband. And speaking of gifts, I have something small for all of you.”

She pulled out a packet of candies and envelopes. The class leaders helped pass them around while she continued:

“These are my wishes for the new term. Study well, and if we keep up the good work, we might even manage a short trip at the end.”

A cheer rippled through the room. Ishikawa-sensei raised her hand gently. “I’m keeping the seating as it is – your results last term were excellent. But if there are complaints or problems, I’ll rearrange things right away.”

She went over the new timetable, repeated key rules about bullying and alpha–omega interactions, and reminded them to report anything unusual. After answering a few questions about the upcoming lessons and breaks, she dismissed the class with a warm smile.

Outside, the sounds of late summer still lingered. Shouts and laughter drifted in from the football field, where a few students stayed behind to play. Somewhere in the corridors footsteps echoed now and then, and voices carried briefly before fading again.

Inside the library, it was quiet. Dust floated lazily in the sunbeams slanting through tall windows. The air was cool, almost crisp compared to the heat outside.

Yahiko and Shin sat at their usual table, scribbling notes on scraps of paper, their new timetables spread between them.

“This term’s gonna be a nightmare,” Shin groaned, tapping the schedule with his pencil.

“Looks like it,” Yahiko replied with a small sigh. “And we’re on hall-cleaning duty this semester. Unfair. It’s the longest term of the year.”

“Plus classroom cleaning,” Shin muttered. “Tuesdays and Thursdays are doomed for me.”

“Why?”

“My mom signed me up for university prep classes – Math and English. Both days.”

Yahiko frowned. “Seriously? I’ve got work shifts on Mondays and Wednesdays. When are we supposed to hang out?”

“Not much time left,” Shin admitted. “And Fridays are usually packed with school events. At least… with only a few of us in the club, we can leave early sometimes, right?”

Yahiko’s lips curved into a faint smile at that – until a soft sound behind the shelves caught his attention.

A tall man stepped out from behind a bookcase.

“Are you two members of the Reader’s Club?” he asked politely. “I’m Yamamoto Takumi, your new history teacher. Would you mind if I join the club in Ishikawa-sensei’s place?”