A New Journey

“Everyone hides something inside, whether it’s a small secret or a hidden trait. Some build walls to protect themselves, but these barriers also lessen their connection with the world. Breaking through them reveals the true depths of their feelings.”

Fujimi Academy, a highly prestigious school known across the nation as forge of the brightest minds for the nation’s future elites. One chilly autumn morning gates of Fujimi Academy swung open, revealing a world of exellence and pristine order. Flowers rained down on the well kept lawns, and the air hummed with an unspoken pressure. Students, wearing crisp uniforms, hurried along cobblestone paths, their faces etched with a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

A student with mint green hair cathes the attention of those around, her eyes scanned the bustling campus, a hint of anxiety mingling with the excitement. “Whoa, look at that girl!” one student exclaimed, nudging their friend. “Yeah, she’s really pretty . I wonder what her name is,” the friend responded, clearly intrigued. “I overheard one of the girls saying her name is Mioka Shimizu. She’s new here,” the first student added.“Mioka, huh? Man, I hope she’ll be our new classmate”.

Lost in her thoughts about her upcoming school life, Mioka accidentally bumped into someone, causing her bag to spill its contents onto the pavement. Startled, she quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry!” Bending down to pick up her things, she found herself staring into the intense gaze of a person with jet-black hair and sharp eyes. The stranger, unfazed, continued walking without a word, his expression remaining stoic. Annoyed by his lack of response, Mioka called out, “Hey! A little help would be nice!”

The person glanced back briefly, his eyes meeting hers with a look of indifference, before turning away and disappearing into the crowd. Mioka huffed in frustration as she gathered her belongings. She sighed to herself, “I hope the other students in this school aren’t like him.”

While walking through the beautiful corridors, Mioka came across a classroom where she spotted the student she had bumped into earlier. Looking at the signboard, she thought, “Thankfully, he’s not in the same class as me.” Mioka entered the adjacent classroom, where the homeroom teacher greeted her, “Greetings! Welcome to class 1-B. May I have your name?”

“Mioka Shimizu,” she enthusiastically replied. As the teacher flipped through his list, Mioka’s eyes roamed over the room, taking in the arrangement of chairs and the faces of her fellow students. “This is exactly what I needed,” she mused, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Ah, I’m sorry, but it says here that you’re assigned to class 1-A.” Mioka was suddenly brought back to reality. “W-what?” she nervously replied. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she quickly gathered her belongings. “Let me escort you,” the teacher offered.

Mioka apologized and followed, exchanging awkward glances with the Class 1-B students.

Mioka gently opened the classroom door, feeling the weight of countless eyes turn toward her. “Welcome, Mioka Shimizu. You’re late. Take the empty seat at the back,” the teacher exclaimed, his voice echoing in the silent room. Mioka’s cheeks flushed as she walked to the back of the room, hearing the whispers and seeing the curious glances from her new classmates. She sighed inwardly. “Why did I have to make a fool of myself on the first day?”

“Now that everyone is here, let’s start the introductions. My name is Mr. Tanaka, and I will be your homeroom teacher from now on,” the teacher announced, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on Mioka. “Miss Shimizu, since you were late, you can go first.” Mioka’s voice trembled as she stood up. “I-I’m Mioka Shimizu... I-It’s nice to meet you all, and I hope we get along well for these next years.” She quickly sat down, her eyes fixed on her desk, avoiding any eye contact. 

“Ok, next, Mr. Rijou, please introduce yourself,” Mr. Tanaka continued, shifting his attention to the next student. Rijou stood up, his expression emotionless. “Taiki Rijou,” he stated flatly, without offering any further details. He then sat back down, his eyes fixed on the desk in front of him, clearly uninterested in engaging with the class.

One day during lunch break, Mioka couldn’t stop herself from watching Rijou. His quietness both intrigued and frustrated her. There’s something more there, she thought, but what is it? She felt a strange pull towards him, a desire to understand him, even though she knew she probably shouldn’t. As she continued to ponder, she was suddenly brought back to reality, “Mioka, Mioka? Hey Mioka! Are you okay? You were spaced out there” her classmate asked, noticing her distant gaze. Mioka jumps and quickly looks away from Taiki “Huh what? Y-yeah, I’m fine.” She replied hoping that her classmate notice her staring at Taiki.

Her classmate shrugged and went back to their conversation, leaving Mioka to her thoughts. She glanced back at Taiki one last time, wondering if she should try to reach out to him and learn more about the enigmatic boy who seemed so out of place. After lunch break, Mioka made up her mind. She wanted to know more about Taiki, As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Mioka saw Taiki gathering his things. Summoning her courage, she approached him.

“He-hey, taiki” her voice trembling “do you have a moment? I just wanted to ask you something

Taiki glanced up, his expression guarded. “Yes?” he replied cautiously.

“Well I’ve noticed you’re always alone during breaks so I figured that I’d invite you to our study group in library Y’know since we have a quiz tommorow”. Taiki looked up mioka and scoffs a little bit, he shook his head slightly. “Thank you for the offer, Mioka, but I’d rather study alone,” he said quietly, his tone polite but firm. Then he suddenly picks up his bag ang leaves.

As Taiki picked up his bag and left, Mioka stood there for a moment, feeling a mix of disappointment and determination. She watched him walk away, wondering what it would take to break through his walls.