That Monday morning had started off in the worst possible way.

I was late for school.

I was pedaling as fast as I could on my bike, dodging the puddles… or at least, trying to.

“I bet the teacher is really going to scold me this time…”

The wheels were sending water splashing everywhere.

“This raincoat is a scam!”

I looked down: the rain was soaking right through it.

In a word: a disaster.

I saw the school gate a few minutes later.

My school was a typical Japanese high school.

At least there were cherry blossoms in the spring.

But… that wasn’t the best time to appreciate them.

“Here… ahh… I can relax a little.”

I hit the brakes.

“Huh?”

Again.

“Are you kidding me?!”

The brakes weren’t working.

And the school was just a little further ahead… down a super steep hill.

I think I could have beaten Usain Bolt that day.

I planted my feet on the ground.

If you’ve never experienced that feeling, good for you.

I almost took off.

“Oh no!”

A small group of girls was chatting right in front of the gate.

I couldn’t avoid them.

I hit one of them.

In an instant, I was on the ground, my bike overturned next to me.

“Ouch... that hurt...”

I scratched my head, confused.

Wait... I just hit someone.

I was already ready to apologize properly.

But... let’s just say I’d hit the worst person I could have run into with my bike.

I looked her straight in the eyes.

Her gaze conveyed pure contempt.

The skirt of her uniform was slightly wet now.

“A-Akari… I’m sorry.”

She didn’t even answer me.

“What on earth is going through your head, Sora?!”

Her friends, on the other hand, didn’t hold back.

“Well… the brakes…”

They were like a pack of wolves surrounding a fawn. Me.

“Come on, girls.”

It was Akari’s voice that silenced them.

“Let’s not be late.”

She smiled slightly.

“Yeah, we’ll be right there!”

They said it in unison.

It was unsettling.

That girl was Akari, the most popular girl in my class.

Maybe, come to think of it, in the whole school.

She was a model; you could tell by the way she moved.

Even though she was only sixteen, she seemed more mature.

She was good at sports and excelled in her studies.

In short... the girl of everyone’s dreams.

Everyone knew her.

Even those who had never spoken to her before.

“Hey, Sora! Do you need a hand, or do you want to just stand there moping?”

I knew that voice well.

Haruto Sato.

“Haru! Good morning.”

“Look at the state you’re in.”

He smiled at me as he handed me my bike.

“Thanks…”

I grabbed it on the fly.

Haruto, my friend since elementary school, showed up with his usual perfectly styled silver hair.

“I think you’ve made quite a mess of things, man" he said.

“A mess?”

“Yeah… haha. I’ll explain it to you on the way to class.”

In the short time I had, I’d had to leave my bike and change my shoes at the entrance.

In all the commotion, I’d forgotten to check the brakes.

But the worst was yet to come.

“Haru…” I said, seriously.

“What’s up?” He looked at me with disarming calm.

“I just remembered…”

“What?”

“We have a math test today.”

His carefree attitude vanished.

“Um… I… think I’m going back home.”

“Stop! Where are you going?!”

I grabbed him by the arm.

“I have a plan…”

he looked at me in surprise, as if I’d never had an idea in my life.

We walked into the classroom and immediately sat down at our desks.

Personally, I loved the desk by the window.

Haru sat down in front of me.

“So, are you going to tell me what you’ve got in mind?”

He whispered. The teacher was already in the classroom.

“Well… if we can convince one of our classmates to give us a hand…”

A mischievous smile lit up my lips.

“Ohhh… I get it. Fantastic.”

He rubbed his hands together, wearing the same expression as me.

I had thought of everything… or at least, almost everything.

The assignment was right in front of me when—

I can’t believe it!

My classmates had the same look on their faces as I did.

Haru stood frozen in front of the paper.

“Damn… it’s over…”

I whispered, hiding my face on the desk.

I wonder if…

I jerked my head up.

I was looking for Akari.

I’m sure she…

But really?

I was surprised.

The brightest girl in the class...

wasn’t in class.

Ugh... game over...

Well, not that I would have asked her anything: we never talk.

“Wait... today is Monday.”

My face lit up.

“We have PE next period, yay!”

I whispered, of course.

“Will you shut up?”

Haru scolded me.

“Focus instead… you’re not good at sports anyway.”

It was a horrible thing to say… but, well… not exactly wrong.

The fact remains that, an hour later, I found myself holding a ball.

“Sora, over here!”

The game... basketball.

“Haru, I’ve got this!”

I attempted a three-pointer.

Damn it!

The ball didn’t even touch the backboard.

I’ll leave it to you to imagine Haru’s expression.

Obviously, it wasn’t supposed to go in

I thought.

Less than twenty minutes later, I found myself on the bench.

“Come on, Sora, cheer for them!”

One of my teammates encouraged me.

“Y-yeah.”

I raised my hands to cheer for my team.

Man… it’s really hot today.

Ironic, considering how the morning had started.

“I’m going to get something to drink.”

As I stood up, I glanced over at the girls’ court.

They were all there… except for her.

“I wonder where Akari went…”

I walked out of the gym to where the vending machines were.

“Let’s see what I can get…”

I looked at the countless drinks.

“Hmm… with this heat, plain water is best.”

I grabbed the bottle when I heard something strange.

“Sob… sob…”

Was that crying?

I turned the corner.

Our eyes met.

“A-Akari!?”