The school hallway, usually a quiet place during classes, was now filled with students who had just finished their last lesson of the day. Footsteps, laughter, and conversations combined into one noise as everyone prepared for their recreational activities. Lockers slammed shut. Gossip spread. Friends called out to each other in the usual after-school hustle. Everything felt normal until it wasn’t.

It took just one voice. One loud voice to cut through the noises. Everyone, myself included, was magnetically drawn to it.

“Yo, Kira!”

I spun around as I exited the boys’ restroom and, man, my jacket flapped, making it seem like I was making a flashy entrance. You know, just like the heroes do in those over-the-top action movies.

At the far end of the corridor stood Taiga Watanabe. You couldn’t miss him. His lankiness practically stood out in the crowd. His grin was extremely wide. He waved his arms around with such fervor that he could’ve been mistaken for a traffic controller directing an incoming flight. Fairly, his antics were more amusing than embarrassing, though I felt the eyes of the crowd shift from him to me.

Oh, right, before we go any further, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Akira Sakamoto, but everyone just calls me Kira. I’m a senior at Haruhiro High School in Fukuoka, Kyushu. My high school career? Pretty chill, if I’m being honest. No drama. No girlfriend. No bullies and no jerks to bother me. Not because I’m tough or anything like that. Far from it, actually. I just have this knack for talking my way out of trouble. A quick word here, a disarming smile there, and I’ve been skating under the radar since junior high.

“So, what’s eating your nuts this time, bro?” I asked as Taiga closed the distance, stopping just a few feet away.

“Today’s the day, man. I’m asking Saki out,” he announced, practically bouncing on his toes like he was on a sugar high.

Saki? Which one was she again? I touched my chin, trying to jog my memory. “You mean the girl with arm slightly longer than the other?” I threw in a guess.

“Nah, not her.”

“Booger-faced girl you singled out during the school assembly yesterday?” I tried again, crossing my arms for emphasis.

“Not that one either, you jerk!” he retorted angrily.

Look at this guy. Who’s he calling a jerk? I shot him a smirk, enjoying this little back-and-forth. “Then which girl?” I leaned in a bit, curious now.

“Saki Nishimura, from Class 3-4.”

Ah, that Saki. I think he had mentioned her once or twice.

“Come on, Kira, you’ve got to remember her,” Taiga insisted, running a hand through his hair like it was some big deal. “The one with the cute face and ponytail.”

I let out a sigh and gave Taiga a pat on the shoulder. “Taiga, Taiga, Taiga. How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not into girls with flat runways.”

A side note about my taste in girls. I’m a huge fan of ‘peaches.’ The bigger they are, the more I appreciate them.

“You and your shallow taste,” Taiga shook his head.

I chuckled and nudged him in the ribs. “Lighten up, dude.”

“Anyway, I’m off to see her,” Taiga said, standing up straighter. “You heading out too?”

“Yep, you know me. Can’t stand hanging around after school.”

“All right, catch you later, bro,” Taiga called over his shoulder as he jogged away. I laughed, watching him scurry down the hallway.

Seriously, this guy. Who cares about girls with chests as flat as a landing strip?

I turned to leave, but then my body froze. My eyes locked onto a girl. You know, like how you lock onto a target with a sniper scope. Her laughter cut through the hallway’s noise. Despite all my preferences, this one girl caught my attention. There was this pull I couldn’t shake. Honestly, even if her chest was smoother than a freshly paved runway, I wouldn’t mind ogling her all day long.

Three girls walked down the hallway, their chatter filling the air with a carefree spirit. Among them was my classmate, Rei Fujimoto, the undisputed epitome of beauty at Haruhiro High School. She had this effortless allure, the kind that turned guys’ heads without her even trying. And right now? Yeah, she had my full attention.

Every time I saw her, it felt like stepping into a scene from one of those sappy romantic dramas. Rei’s glossy black hair framed her face beautifully, shining in the light and making everything around her seem dull. I swear, each strand seemed to shine as if it was auditioning for a starring role. And her eyes? Deep and mysterious, they held a quiet power that was just impossible to resist, no matter how hard I tried. We barely exchanged words, just passing glances and the occasional polite nod. But every time we crossed paths, my heart beat faster than it normally does.

Rei and her friends looked my way, their conversation momentarily halting. She smiled at me, and I felt my cheeks flush when she called out, “Hey there, Zipper-kun.”

“Um, hi… Fujimoto-san,” I stammered. Heat rushed to my cheeks as if I had been caught doing something naughty. The girls giggled as they passed by. Their laughter bounced off the walls. The girls stole quick glances back at me, their smiles tickling my nerves.

Is this year going to be my year? I balled my hand, hoping that I might be the one Rei would notice. But then, a tap on my shoulder startled me. Wait? What? Zipper-kun? Why did she call me that? I scratched my head. Well, never mind that. The important thing was that Rei had noted my presence, and that was what mattered.

I let out a breath and turned around swiftly, ready to face the rest of the day with my chest puffed out. But before I could take another step, I collided with something unexpected. Something that stopped me dead in my tracks. I didn’t recoil, though, because whatever my face had bumped into was so soft and warm that it felt like Mom’s embrace when I was a kid, leaving me disoriented yet strangely comforted.

Is this heaven? The softness against my face was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and my body began to relax as I sank into its soothing position. I couldn’t resist rubbing my face from one side to the other a few times. The warmth oozed through my skin, melting away the stiffness from my earlier meeting with Rei. I could’ve stayed like that forever. Believe me, if you were in my situation, you would too. I mean, for us guys, anyway. To be wrapped in this cozy shell is most likely every man’s dream. Of course, it wasn’t until the sudden poke to my head that I realized I wasn’t alone.

My eyes snapped open and the promising warmth from earlier was quickly replaced by a blast of awkwardness as I realized what, or rather who, I had just bumped into.

“Enjoying yourself down there, Kira?”

I slowly raised my head. I knew that voice very well. When my neck finally cranked up, I took a gulp. The figure of Mai Oda, the tallest girl in school and captain of the girls’ basketball team, was peering down at me.

She’d been my arch-nemesis since kindergarten, and fate had cruelly linked our families together. Standing at six foot two, Mai took great pleasure in mocking me, especially since she was well aware of my not-so-secret preference for a certain body type. I may have accidentally let slip my fondness for “peaches” in our conversation about ladies. Yeah, that little tidbit had not gone unnoticed.

“Ack!” My feet reversed a couple of steps. “Not after I saw your face!” I countered, trying to ignore the fact that her… um, twins were at eye level with me, given my height of five foot five. Her smug attitude completely outdid any indulgence I might have had in my sensory pleasures.

Mai’s eyes glinted despite her annoyance. Her long, dark hair flowed down her back, enhancing her intimidating presence. With a simper, she leaned in.

“Caught you again, huh?” she said, crossing her arms. “You never learn, do you?”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Mai. Can’t you bother someone else for once?”

She chuckled, the sound ringing out, which only added to my irritation. “Where’s the fun in that?” She tilted her head to one side. “And where are you off to in such a hurry?” Her tone sharpened as she took a step closer.

“Oi, whatever I do after school is my business,” I replied, thrusting a finger in her direction.

Mai shook her head, adopting a mock-serious expression. “You’re wasting your time going to that ‘place’ every day. Why not take up a sport? This is our final year in school, and you talked about becoming a keisatsukan, didn’t you? Sports will help you toughen up that flimsy body of yours.” She ended her words with a pointed finger toward my chest.

I sighed, silently disagreeing with her suggestion. I didn’t need to bulk up to join the police force. My dream of becoming a keisatsukan was all about catching and frisking those deri jō in Nakasu’s red-light district. No way those ladies could outrun me in those… um, high heels.

“Here’s a thought.” Mai continued, stepping back a little, as if trying to gauge my reaction. “I’ll coach you in basketball. You know how good I am, right? And I’ll ask Okuda-sensei to let you join the boys’ basketball team. I’m sure he’ll agree.”

Of course, that sleazy old bastard would listen to her because of her… assets. But I kept my thoughts to myself, opting for sarcasm instead. “Really? You think I’m itching to bounce a peach around with you?” Oops. That came out wrong. I meant basketball, of course.

Before I could correct myself, a fist swung toward my face, cutting through the air and catching me completely off guard. The world around me seemed to slow for a moment as my ninja reflexes kicked in, and I dodged the blow just in time.

“Hey, no swinging in the hallways, Mai! We’ve been over this!” I exclaimed, letting out a relieved breath as I stepped back a few paces.

“And what about burying your face in my peaches?” Mai shot back, crossing her arms again.

“Well… that wasn’t on purpose,” I stuttered, my cheeks heating as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “And stop saying ‘peaches’! It’s not cool when girls say it.” I tried to mask my embarrassment with fake annoyance.

“Fine, fine. Go do your thing,” she said, and then gestured dismissively toward my trousers. “By the way, Kira, your fly’s open.”

I glanced down. Darn it! I completely forgot to zip up after leaving the restroom!

Fumbling with the zipper, I hastily jerked it up, my fingers trembling with urgency, but a sharp pain shot through me like lightning. “Ouch!” I yelped as I doubled over, clutching my crotch in agony. The gazes of passing students turned on me, followed by their laughter, adding to my shame as I tried to recover from the painful accident.