New Beginnings (Part 2)

“Imazaki-kun!” Ayasaka called out, running towards him.

He extended his arm, catching her head before she collided into him. “Did not expect you to leave for school at the exact same time as me.”

“Stop it! It hurts~” she teased, pouting as she rubbed her head. “Geez, you’re so rough…”

“Don’t say it like that!” he panicked, his voice cracking.

“You’re so funny!” She cackled, attempting to pinch his cheeks. “I curse you for being tall.”

“Gremlin.”

“Beanpole…”

He groaned, “What do you mean I’m a beanpole!?”

“Yup, a tall, awkward, no-fun beanpole!” she declared proudly, crossing her arms. “I’d rather be a cute gremlin any day!”

“Yeah, cute gremlin…” he muttered, as he pinched both of her cheeks.

“Hey — ow ow ow!” she squeaked, her words muffled by his grip.

Realizing what he’d done, Kazuto quickly let go, pulling his hands back as his face turned red. “A-Ah, sorry… got carried away,” he muttered, looking away.

Ayasaka, noticing his cheeks turning red, immediately pounced on his change of demeanor, “Looks like the beanpole is heating up.” she teased, poking him on his side.

He sighed, catching her arm before she could poke again. “Anyway, we’ll be late for school if we keep bantering like this.”

During their walk, Ayasaka was uncharacteristically tame — asking simple questions like, “Did you eat breakfast?” or “Did you sleep well?” It was pretty much out of her ordinary self. Nonetheless, Kazuto didn’t mind. In fact — he actually liked the toned down Ayasaka.

The sun had climbed higher by the time they reached the train station. The crisp morning breeze was replaced by the hum of conversations and hurried footsteps. Before they knew it, the school gates came into view, the chatter of students filling the air.

“If it weren’t for your banters earlier we would’ve arrived much earlier.” he panted, clutching his knees trying to catch his breath.

“I tried my best to be silent there, y’know…” she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“I actually thought you might be mute by how uncharacteristically silent you were.” he muttered between breaths.

“Anyway I’ll go to my class now,” she slapped his back, “See ya later loser!” she continued, sticking her tongue out at him.

Left alone by the school gates, he straightened his back with a sigh. “First she tires me out, and now she just leaves me here!?” He groaned, facepalming.

With no other choice, he tightened the strap of his bag and went towards his classroom, weaving through bundled students by the hallway. In just a moment's notice, he finally arrived, with Ren welcoming him.

“You’re late Kazuto-kun,” he chuckled, “Did you step on dog poop?”

“I did not, okay?” he sighed, placing his bag on his seat. “It’s just a certain someone dragged me along!”

Ren noticing this awkward look on his face, couldn’t help but ask. “Are you embarrassed, or annoyed?”

“H-Huh!? Embarrassed…?”

“Well you do have a weird look on your face, y’know?”

He sighed once more, pulling out his notebook for the first class. “It’s nothing… anyway, go back to your seat. The teacher will be here soon enough.”

Just then, their teacher finally arrived, and the students hurried back to their seats. Their teacher — Masafumi Naomi, their math teacher. Despite the name “Naomi” usually being for females, they were male.

Ren, talkative as ever, poked Kazuto from behind. “Hey, want to play video games later?”

“Hmm…” Kazuto pondered, considering his schedule. “I’m fine with it. What game though…?”

“Well I’m fine with any actually… How about you, what game would you like to play?”

“Probably Global Strike…?”

Before he could continue, their teacher called on him to answer a problem — probably noticing him chatting with Ren during class. As quickly as he was called, he solved the problem with ease, earning praise from both his classmates and the teacher.

“You’re pretty smart, huh… Can I copy your assignments?” Ren whispered.

Kazuto sighed and gave him a light chop on the head. “Of course not!”

The rest of the morning went by in a blur of lectures and note-taking. By the time the lunch bell rang, Kazuto’s stomach growled louder than the school’s PA system. He grabbed his lunchbox and headed toward the courtyard—only to stop halfway when someone intercepted him at the door.

“Going to eat lunch?”

He nearly jumped in surprise, staring at the person standing before him — Minami Ayasaka herself. “What are you doing by my classroom? And how did you even know this was my room in the first place!?”

“Shhh.” She pressed a finger lightly against his lips. “I can only answer one question at a time.” She chuckled, then took his hand and pulled him toward the courtyard, where only a few students were eating under the afternoon sun.

They stopped beneath a ginkgo tree at the far end of the courtyard. The breeze carried the faint scent of spring, brushing past as Ayasaka let go of his arm and turned with a teasing smile.

“So how do you find this school so far?” she asked, gesturing him to sit beside her.

“It’s pretty calm — and I’ve already made a friend in my class.” He smiled warmly as he began unpacking his lunch.

“Oh, A friend already? That’s fast,” she nodded in interest, before resting her chin on her palm.

“He’s pretty talkative, and very noisy.” Kazuto chuckled, not noticing the slight mischief in her tone.

“He?” Ayasaka raised her eyebrow, a teasing grin forming on her lips, “For a second I thought you would say she.”

Kazuto laughed, slowly taking a bite of his egg rolls, “You are spouting nonsense.”

She laughed, a clear, melodic sound that blended with the wind. “Relax, I was just kidding.” For a moment, she stopped laughing, her gaze drifting to the students in the distance. “It’s nice, isn’t it? Having a quiet lunch like this.”

“Yeah, it’s really calming for some reason…” he replied with a resounding tone, nodding between bites.

Without warning, Ayasaka shoved a slice of her pork cutlet toward his mouth. “How does it taste?” she asked, a teasing grin on her face.

He chewed, still surprised by her sudden action. “I mean…” he paused, swallowing carefully. “Yeah, it’s pretty good.”

“Pretty good…?” she pouted dramatically, “Is that all I get!? I made that myself you know!”

“Okay, Okay — It’s amazing!” he raised his hands in surrender.

“Yay beansprout liked it!” she giggled, clasping her hands together with glee.

During that time, everything seemed to have slowed down for Kazuto. Her cheerful face captivated his eyes even more. Then, as if waking from a daze, he snapped out of it muttering to himself.

I should be careful in what I’m going to say…

A few minutes passed as they eat in easy silence. The sound of rustling leaves and distant chatter from fellow students filled in the space between them. And then — the bell rings, signalling the end of lunch, unfortunately halting their time together.

“Anyway Imazaki-kun, I’ll see ya later!” she waved, walking away as if she was bouncing on the pavement.

“And just like that she’s gone like the leaves in winter…” he scoffed, though the faint smile tugging at his lips betrayed his words.

“Ok so everyone, I want you to group yourself into four.” A voice rang throughout the room.

It was their Home Economics teacher — Hanada Usami, a well-respected teacher within the faculty, and was once the principal of their school. Despite his past position, he isn’t as strict as most people would think he is — quite the contrary. He’s pretty open, and has this ‘fatherly’ atmosphere around him.

“So…” Ren paused, pulling Kazuto towards his direction, “Who should we group ourselves with?”

Kazuto scanned the room, looking for classmates who hadn’t been placed into groups yet. Luckily, there were two. One was Sawada Kaori — characterized as having short, black, silky hair, with a red hair clip placed on her left. She’s known for being shy, but surprisingly easy to approach.

The other was Kawahara Sada, who had been an ace on the track-and-field team back in middle school. With striking maple-brown hair, he was like a sore thumb in their class, alongside his impressive height.

They were classmates during middle school, where their relationship unexpectedly kicked off, and grew deeper. It’s been three years since they’ve been a couple. They could’ve joined any group if they wanted, but it seemed like they were quietly hoping someone would invite them together.

“Sawada-san, Kawahara-kun,” Kazuto said, bowing slightly. “Would you like to join our group?”

Kaori perked up, surprised. “Y-Yeah! We would like t-to join your group!” she stammered, pulling Sada closer to her.

“Man, you saved us.” Sada laughed, “We were trying to wait for someone to ask…”

“So you two could stay together, right?” Ren added.

“Spot on.”

“Then welcome aboard!” Kazuto said with a smile.

After their brief introduction to the group, their teacher finally called the attention of the students, asking them to come closer. Bundled together, each group listened intently to the instructions of their teacher.

“As you all know,” Hanada-sensei began, spreading his arms wide as if embracing the entire class, “this is our very first Home Economics lesson — and I want this room to be a place of comfort!”

A warm murmur went through the class. Hanada-sensei smiled proudly.

“So!” he continued, clapping his hands together, “for your first group project, you will be making a lunch set that is to be presented next week Thursday.”

Some of the students were interested at such project, while others groaned at the thought of cooking something in class — and one of those students is Kazuto. He knows how to cut ingredients, classify them, and knows what kind of condiments are to be used. But when it came to actually cooking? Every bit of theory he knew went straight up in smoke.

Ren, noticing his friend’s groan, quickly made fun of him — like a true friend he is.

“Looks like Kazuto can’t cook—”

“Shut it, Ren!” Kazuto snapped, his annoyance breaking through instantly.

“Alright, alright—enough,” Sada cut in, sliding between them with a sigh. “Kirisaki-kun, Imazaki-kun might actually punch you.”

“Oh no~ I’m so scared,” Ren replied dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.

Just then, the projector flickered open. There a slide named, “Group Cooking Project Guidelines” appeared before them. With a light cough, Hanada-sensei quickly briefed them about the mechanics, and guidelines of their activity.

“Alright class — here are the rules.” he paused, switching the slide accordingly, “First, it must be a Traditional Japanese Lunch Set. Second, everybody must contribute to the cooking process — not just designing.”

“Oh no! We’re going to fail—”

“Enough, or I’ll shave off your head Ren…” Kazuto glared.

“Wah! I don’t want to be bald!”

The teacher then continued, “Third, you’ll get two practice days: this Thursday, and next Tuesday. And to reiterate — Presentation is next week Thursday. Understood?”

The class nodded in unison, with each offering curious gazes among each other. After explaining the mechanics, he gave them free reign over the class to conceptualize their lunch sets, and partition their work accordingly.

Kazuto, after listing down the rules, “What are we supposed to cook anyway…?” he asked, scratching the back of his head as he checked his notes.

“We could… uhm, well…” Kaori muttered, her lips quivering slightly. “We could do grilled fish… and omelettes…” she suggested.

“Let’s add miso soup as well since it’s a classic in every meal set!” Ren added, placing his shoulders over Kazuto. “At least this is something you can’t mess up!”

“I can at least make that, you know…?” Kazuto sighed.

“Great, so you handle that, while I do the grilling of the fish. Sounds good?” Ren asked, looking at both Sada, and Kaori.

They both nodded, before Sada suggested another item. “Instead of just ‘rice,’ why not turn it into an onigiri?”

“That’s perfect, Kawahara-kun!” Kazuto exclaimed, finally springing onto the conversation.

Minutes passed, until the class bell rang throughout the hallways, signalling the end of their school day. They managed to plan out the following: A meal set that includes an onigiri, grilled fish, miso soup, omelette, and pickled radish. It was a well balanced meal, that compliment each other.

Lessons flew by in a blur, where notes from their notebooks seemed to have plopped right out of their place, and flew around the room in a daze — like birds startled out of their nest. Exhausted as he was, relief washed over him.

Carefully, he stretched himself, relieving all pent up pressure from seating for nearly two hours. As his classmates were chatting for a while, he packed up his items in a calm, graceful manner, and rigorously checked for items he might’ve left under his desk.

Just then, Ren then patted his shoulder, letting out a discouraged sigh. “Why did I even pick an academic track…”

“You thought it’s an easy way to get a scholarship, huh?” Kazuto chuckled.

“I just…” he paused, “I can’t believe there is an additional class for us academic track…” scratching his head in frustration.

“Well, as long as I get a scholarship from this — I ain’t complaining.”

“Man Kawahara-kun is so lucky…”

“What makes you think so?” Kazuto asked, tilting his head out of curiosity.

“First — he has a beautiful girlfriend. And Second — He’s in the sports track. Not only will he be a part of our varsity team — but a guaranteed scholarship to any college that offers sports as their course.”

“Huh… I didn’t know that.”

“Anyway, let’s head over — we might be late for all we know.”

They dragged their feet towards the classroom just below them. Unlike other classrooms; this one has air conditioning. They sat over chairs nearest to the exit, so they can leave the classroom immediately once they were dismissed. They chatted for a while talking about games, until their teacher arrived.

Fushimiya Toki — a college professor in T-university, which is known for their state-of-the-art facilities, and high quality education — albeit an expensive tuition fee. He stands at about six feet tall, has dark-brown hair that parts in the middle, and brown, tiger-piercing eyes.

Despite his menacing look, he’s quite approachable. He hands out notes, elaborates topics that seem difficult to understand.

Then, his voice rang out inside the classroom, wearing a warm smile on his face. “Okay class! Today, we’re learning about Calculus.”

Just the word “Calculus” was enough to send a shiver down the spine of multiple students. Not only was it difficult for some — it just looked like ancient scripture at this point. Despite being coined geniuses by the masses, being able to enter such school, they are still high school students after all.

“I would’ve been fine if it was about Statistics…” Ren muttered.

Kazuto sighed alongside him, pulling out his notebook with a dreaded look on his face. “This is where I have to totally agree with you…”

After an hour of lecture, they were finally able to leave the classroom — though their brains have practically turned into mush.

“When will be the next session…?” Ren yawned, stretching his arms as he did.

Kazuto replied, “I think it’ll be Thursday.”

“Don’t you have baseball practice today?”

“Yeah, but only an hour…”

Ren flashed him a thumbs-up. “Then good luck out there!” he left, running towards the gates, with his bag bobbing up and out as he did.

As he looked around the bustling hallways of his school, he couldn’t help but look outside at the people practicing in their respective clubs.

“There’s still people at this time huh…” he muttered.

When he finally arrived at the school grounds, his eyes trailed over a certain person with striking emerald-green eyes, and vibrant honey-orange strands that fluttered with every stride.

It was of course Ayasaka, practicing alongside her team for Track and Field. As he continued his gaze towards her, unknowingly, her eyes finally met his. Quickly recognizing his presence, she flashed a soft, cheeky grin appeared on her lips.

Just then, she quickly ran over to their bench and picked up her phone. Moments later, his phone buzzed softly — a message prompted up on his screen.

It read: “Hey, let’s go home together after this—”

Out of embarrassment, he quickly turned off his phone, his face burning a soft crimson. “This girl is way too much…” he muttered.

With caution, he opened his phone once more, and quickly reacted to her message with a stamp that shows that he’ll wait for her. After that, he dusted off his pants and ran towards the field as he will be the pitcher for today.

In a paced hurry, he warmed up his shoulders and arms for throwing, then loosened his legs for running.

As he was resting on a bench, after his short stint in their practice, he secretly took a picture of her — but was interrupted by a few students running around, knocking over his phone. In a blitz, he checked the picture.

It’s blurry, it’s imperfect…
Yet it feels like a memory he doesn’t want to lose.

Dusting off his phone and pants, he ran over to the field to refine his skills. Despite him being in the Academic Track — he’s quite athletic himself. The stereotype that people like him are unathletic, don’t apply to him — In fact, he’s a rising star in their club known for his fast pitches.

Just then, a senior of his called out to him. “Imazaki! Warm-up throws with me.”

“Coming!”

Harris Fujino, a half-Japanese, half-British second-year, stands out immediately in any crowd. At five-eleven, with chestnut-brown hair that always seems to fall neatly to the right, a sharp nose his teammates teasingly call “Pinocchio,” and striking blue eyes that draw attention without him trying.

As part of the Sports Track, he leads the school’s baseball varsity team. Four national championships behind him, counting his middle school years. His record speaks louder than any introduction.

To Kazuto, Harris isn’t just the team’s star — he’s the mentor who refuses to let him settle for mediocrity, the only one who keeps insisting he has what it takes to make varsity.

Cutting back to his warm up, his opening throws were a mess — slow, loose, and wobbly. Nowhere near his usual level. But after a throws, his mechanics clicked once more — his pitches sliced through the air, straight and fast as ever.

“That’s more like it!” Harris commented, before throwing a lightning-fast pitch towards Kazuto, throwing him off guard.

The ball slipped off his gloves, knocking him down. “That’s not fair Harris-senpai!”

Harris laughed, offering his hand to help Kazuto. “My bad. That was way too fast.”

After their short stint, the club wrapped up practice with a quick game. One that immediately drew everyone’s attention. Kazuto was up against Harris. A mentor and his student, standing opposite each other on the field.

This time, Kazuto stood on the mound, gripping the ball. Harris took his place at the batter’s box.

Not only is Harris one of the best pitchers — he’s the one the holds the record for the most homeruns in their club. Kazuto felt his sweat dripping down his neck. His hands tightened, as he held a firm grip on the ball, preparing a pitch.

The game was painfully close, balanced on a razor’s edge. Kazuto’s team held a one-point lead. Harris wasn’t pitching — doing so would be unfair due to his speedy pitches. But now, with a bat in his hands, he was more terrifying than any fastball he could throw.

Kazuto steadied his grip, then launched the ball. A sharp whoosh cut through the wind before the catcher’s glove snapped shut with a loud pop. Another pitch followed. It was cleaner, fiercer, and faster.

Only one more, and the game would be sealed. Harris’ lips curled into a knowing smile, noticing Kazuto’s gear shift. The sharp smell of dirt and chalk from the field filled their noses, as they prepare for what could be the final moment.

He planted his feet, steadied his breath, and hurled the ball with all his strength. The ball streaked forward — time stretching thin as it cut the air. Harris raised his bat, readying a swing powerful enough to send it soaring for a homerun.

Harris pulled back, coiling power into his swing. If he connected, it would’ve been a homerun. No doubt.

But it came down to mere centimeters.

Pop. The catcher's glove snapped shut just as the umpire’s whistle blared.

“Strike three! Batter out!”

Kazuto had actually managed to go toe-to-toe with his senior — the ace of their club, no less. His pitches weren’t just fast; they were sharp enough to throw off even Harris, a seasoned player, causing him to miss all three swings

Harris immediately jogged over to him, lifting him onto his shoulders. “Those pitches were amazing! Where did you even learn that!?”

Kazuto laughed, catching his breath “I learned it from you,” he continued to laugh.

The team crowded around, celebrating his victory over Harris. But Kazuto’s attention drifted past them — to the other side of the field. Ayasaka was waving at him. His face burned instantly when their eyes met.

Unfortunately, the rest of the club misread the situation.

“Is that wave for me!?”
“That’s definitely towards me!”
“Keep dreaming, she’s obviously waving at me!”

Kazuto blinked and turned back to Harris, who had noticed his dazed expression. “Do you know Ayasaka?” a knowing question flew out of Harris’ mouth.

“Well… yeah. It’s a long story,” Kazuto muttered — before realizing what he’d said. “Wait— how can you just call her by her first name!?”

“Are you jealous?” he laughed, “Well she’s my classmate, and there are two Minamis in our class — that’s why I call her by her first name.”

“I—I’m n-not…” Kazuto muttered sheepishly. “Also, can you put me down already?”

“Oh— right.” Harris lowered him back to the ground. “But I’ll admit, she is pretty. Too bad I already have a girlfriend.”

“You already have a girlfriend, Harris-senpai?” Kazuto asked, tilting his head.

“Well… she’s a little older than me,” he said, cheeks reddening as he scratched the back of his head. “And, uh… she’s in show business.”

Kazuto’s eyes sparkled seeing his senior be flustered for the first time. “How do you even manage that? Aren’t idols banned from dating?”

“Her company’s overseas. International. They don’t really care,” Harris said with a shrug. “And besides, she’s not an idol.”

“I see…” he placed his fist on his open palm, finally understanding. “But how did you two… uhm well… meet?” he asked, seemingly invested in his senior’s love life.

“Well to start off, her name is Nanase Shiori — and we’ve been friends since we were children.” he smiled warmly, pausing for a short while. “As of now, she’s currently in her first year of college, and we’ve been together for around three years…”

Kazuto softened. “…Wow. That’s actually kind of sweet.”

“Don’t spread it!” he warned, “I don’t want anyone to know about it…”

“Your secret’s safe with me.” Kazuto cackled.

“Good. Anyway,” Harris waved him off, “Practice’s done. Go clean up.”

Kazuto nodded and headed for the benches — when a voice called out behind him.

“Imazaki-kun!”

He turned, and it was Ayasaka walking towards him — her warm apricot strands flailing at each stride. When he finally approached him, she noticed Harris still standing beside Kazuto, giving her a knowing smirk.

“What did this stupid Fujino-kun do to you, Imazaki-kun?” she asked, before punching Harris’ stomach.

“Ow ow ow… Stop it!” he groaned, “Also I’m not stupid!”

“Says the one who scored a zero on the Math test.”

Harris groaned, “You don’t have to rub it in…”

“Anyway I’ll be taking this junior of yours, mwahahaha~!”

He sighed, waving them off with yet another knowing smirk, “Goodluck Imazaki-kun…”

As Ayasaka forcefully dragged Kazuto out of the field, she giggled as she skipped around him, with a noticeable bounce in each step. “How’s your practice?” she asked, adjusting her bag as she continued to walk alongside him.

With a bright smile, he confidently told her, “I defeated Harris-senpai today!” turning his gaze towards her.

“Wow, That’s amazing!” she replied, returning his smile back with hers.

“Thanks for your compliment, miss gremlin.”

She pouted, punching his arm with such force. “I know I’m short, you don’t have to rub it to my face!”

“Ow… my bad.”

“Hmph!”

Their light bantering continued as they walked toward the train station. Before they knew it, they had arrived and were boarding the train. The long day was finally drawing to a close, and they exchanged tired sighs. Neither spoke; their bodies were worn from practice and academics, and the silence between them was warm and comforting.

Slowly, Kazuto’s head began to lean toward Ayasaka’s shoulder, a familiar gesture from their last train ride together. Noticing his dwindling energy, she gently guided him to rest against her, offering silent support.

Before he fully drifted off, he muttered a single sentence that made Ayasaka chuckle. “Please… teach me how to cook…” and surrendered, at last, to her quiet charm.

“I’ll gladly teach you.” She replied, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

***
Been a while...
Anyway chapter 3 on december 28
happy reading

note: might drop mini chapters, or character infos in between!