"Hi, my name is..."

Now we had entered some sort of intermission, waiting for the next act to begin. The time for playing games was over, so we all wondered what else was in store for us. In the meantime, the organizers had put out chairs and labeled them with signs with the help of the teachers.

"Give us a minute here. This will only take a bit." That's what one person in red told us as we watched the adults work.

They were arranging the chairs in group-like formations. From the looks of things, they were probably going to separate us. When they were finished, they called out to us once more.

"Okay, everyone! Attention, please. We're going to be moving on to the next phase of the program now. You see all these chairs we put out for you? We know there's a lot of you, but we're gonna have you split up into teams of six. All you have to do is find the seat with your name on it. Once everyone gets situated, we can begin with the next activity! And no shuffling labels!"

Eighty students…divided by groups of six? That seemed rather inconvenient. Why split us up with such a low number? Wouldn't ten students be a better division instead of six? I mean, the teams are uneven this way. There would be a leftover student or one too many students in a group.

"Oh, and take your time. No worries!"

I may as well get a move on. I approached the arrangement of chairs and scanned each one for my name. Looking at them up close made me think there was a specific reason the arrangement was made the way it was. It was like there was an agenda behind it. Sets of six chairs were paired closely together in a circle, but there weren't any huge gaps between the teams. If one wanted, they could lean back in their seat and talk to others outside their circle. And that got me thinking: maybe that's the point. The next activity probably requires us to work in small teams so it'll be easier for us, but also encourages us to communicate with the kids around us as well. Whatever the purpose, I couldn't make heads or tails of it. What were we going to gain from this?

When I finally found my name, I noticed that two of my teammates were already present. On the far left of the circle, I saw a young boy who I never would've guessed was a high school student had he not been wearing the white Kentō Academy uniform. He had a childlike—no. I'm almost certain that this kid was fresh out of elementary school. He was the shortest kid here and his face looked like that of a baby's.

…Okay, maybe that's just an exaggeration.

Still, I wonder how a guy like him made it to high school so soon. Surprisingly, the person sitting beside the little runt was none other than the Shiritori Champion herself who had earned her title just moments ago. I could feel my heart skip a beat when I glanced at her and gulped. I placed a hand over my chest, worried that what I felt was actually a surge of pain.

"What's the matter? Did you hurt yourself…or are you just nervous?" She asked.

"Hahaha! Don't be shy! You must be one of our teammates, right? Come on, sit!"

So, was she concerned about me? The Shiritori Champion eagerly patted down my chair, encouraging me to join them. First my heart and now I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt them dance around inside me and my body felt so warm, like it was the sunniest of days. But nervousness wasn't the issue. Could it be that I was…happy?

What for?

Was I secretly hoping for something like this to happen all along? A moment for us to break the ice. An opportunity to meet new people who would soon become your future comrades.

I see now…

This assembly was set up so we could finally introduce ourselves. We were finally given a chance to befriend one another. I didn't have to keep quiet anymore.

Finally…I could…break…those…barriers…

Oh, who am I fooling?

These students are my rivals. As long as we're students of Kentō Academy, none of us can be friends. We're all just trying to climb the ladder to the top. It would be much easier to ignore them all entirely. But if I have to pretend to like these people for the sake of getting through this assembly, then so be it.

Without speaking, I sat down in my assigned seat and let my eyes wander. I looked at anything and everything…anywhere but at the two students who sat next to me.

"Was I being too pushy? I should've kept my mouth shut. Sorry."

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the girl's frown. She turned away from me, but the child who sat on the far end tried to comfort her. To me, he seemed timid since he didn't speak. But the boy reached out, almost hesitantly, to place a hand on the champion's back. Instead, he settled for giving gentle pats at the last second. When the girl wearily looked down at him, the boy finally wavered, but she returned the gesture by wrapping an arm around his shoulders. After that, I decided not to turn away anymore. Part of me had felt guilty. Maybe I shouldn't have been so rude.

"You don't need to apologize. It's nothing to worry about, really."

That was the least I could say. The Shiritori Champion didn't stay sad for long and perked up with a smile.

"Oh. What a relief! I thought I had offended you or something. You wouldn't even look at us."

"Sorry… I'm just not good in social situations. I don't know what to say at a time like this. Especially given the circumstances."

"Yeah. This is pretty different from what we're used to."

We sat for a few more minutes, waiting for the three remaining teammates to arrive. It wasn't long before two more people showed up. A girl with long, pink hair and a boy with short, brown hair were approaching two of the empty seats to my left.

"Ah, look! I found our names, Yozakura! We're on this team."

"Nice! We didn't get split up. Lucky us!"

It appears these two were already acquainted. Yozakura, huh? I looked at the names on the chairs and sure enough, his name was there. The labels read "Natsume Yozakura" and "Raiya Mitsuru." Mitsuru must have been the girl's name. She had a humble face, but I could tell she could get pretty loud based on how she yelled out to Yozakura. She was probably the type to get really excited once she started talking about her interests. Yozakura and Mitsuru sat down together and greeted us with a "hello."

"Just one more person to go."

When the champion made that observation, I took it as a chance to see who our last teammate would be. I was surprised but found some comfort when I learned that our last teammate would be a familiar face. The name written on the last chair's label belonged to my classmate Aiko Yukimura. Finally, I would have time to interact with someone right out of my class, but that only meant this assembly was about to get even more awkward. The other students were like strangers to me, but with Yukimura, I'm always in the same proximity as her on account of us being classmates. Once this assembly was over, I could just go back to seeing the rest of them in passing. However, we would still carry the memories of all the embarrassing things that happened here and that could change how everyone viewed each other for the rest of the year. Even if I was just pretending, how would I feel about my class once we returned from this assembly? Would we all become happy campers with open hearts? The thought scared me as it sent a shiver down my spine. But despite everything, that doesn't sound so bad out loud. In the end, maybe I'm just afraid of change.

My team and I watched the dwindling number of students walking around the gym. More and more students found their names and met up with their teammates. When Yukimura found her way to us, she took a swift glance at everyone. Her eyes moved from left to right but landed back on me, who sat in-between the other four.

"Ah, it's you again." Yukimura said in her usual, unchanging tone.

She was probably just as shocked as I was, but Yukimura was a calm type who wasn't overly expressive. Yukimura quietly took her seat at the far right end of the circle. It wasn't much longer before everyone was finally with their teams and the volunteers were ready to move things along.

"Alrighty, everybody! Looks like you're all settled in place. Good good! Now that all the games are out of the way, let me just be the first to apologize to you guys. Sorry, we sprung this on you without warning. But we had to get you all comfortable leaving your comfort zones! I hope you can forgive us!" The blonde-haired woman clapped her hands together with a small bow.

"Anyway, now it's time for us to introduce ourselves. Since we'll be spending quite some time together, allow me to start. My name's Satomi! Hiya! You've probably noticed I've been doing most of the talking this whole time, but I can't let you forget about my buddies who came to help. You've seen them around the gym here and there and now you might have one of them in your groups. Uh, where's Makoto?"

As soon as Satomi asked for her colleague, a man with black hair and closed eyes stood up. Then he waved at everyone.

"Oh, there you are! We also have Ichiro… Kanda… And Naruyuki."

One by one, they stood up as Satomi called their names. They all appeared to be in the same age range, between their late twenties and mid-thirties, maybe. I kept tuning in and out of what they were saying, but I had to make some observations about them. At least that way, I could stay focused on them while they gave introductions. Naruyuki was the only other girl besides Satomi. Ichiro had long hair but kept it up in a ponytail. Kanda's orange hair reminded me of a decade-old manga character.

"We're graduates of Kentō Academy and together we became members of the Kentō Association!"

The Kentō Association? That's…news. You know what? I won't even ask. I'll just leave it up to Satomi to explain.

"Your principal and the other higher-ups made this possible and asked us to join the team. We're a group dedicated to improving the quality and satisfaction of your school life. It's good that you want to succeed in your studies, but it's important that you're able to get along with your peers too."

Suddenly, Satomi's tone shifted. Until now, Satomi spoke with nothing but cheeriness, but for a brief minute, I heard annoyance in her voice.

"Jeez, it's gotten so bad after we graduated, people don't even know each other's name? Unbelievable." Satomi groaned and grabbed the sides of her head. Since she and the others were alumni of the academy, my guess was that she was frustrated with the current state of how things turned out.

Satomi tried moving away from the topic by carrying on with the next activity. She raised her voice and gave us a task.

"Okay, it's your turn now! Stop being total ice queens and ice kings and introduce yourselves!"

The students in the gym seemed shaken up by Satomi's booming voice. Silence swept through the gym right after Satomi finished speaking, but little murmurs began slowly spreading. Soon, normal conversation had picked up amongst the teams.

We looked at each other and agreed it was time for us to get started as well. We went around the circle counterclockwise. The last person to arrive had the honor of introducing themself first.

"I'm…Aiko Yukimura. Pleased to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Raiya Mitsuru. Let's…get along, I think?"

"Hello! I'm Natsume Yozakura."

Then all heads turned to me. So far, I had been listening to everyone's introductions, but I blinked as if I had been snapped out of a trance. Oh right, it's my turn.

"Shuusuke Nagato…" That was it. That's all I had to say, right?

Next was the Shiritori Champion. Ironically, a name was finally given to the face.

"Heya! So, you all saw me when I won that game of Shiritori back there, right? I called myself the Shiritori Champion, but my real name is Ryoukami Ikebana. Nice to meet you!" Ikebana grinned.

Unlike the others, Ikebana seemed pretty comfortable with this whole assembly, despite how suddenly it was sprung upon us. If I recall correctly, I think she was among the students giving their all during the dance session earlier. She was eager to take part when we all played Shiritori and even became the winner of the match. Was this something that she wanted to do?

"Uh… Just call me Sh-Shinohara." The boy on the end stuttered.

Once everyone said their names, our group sat in silence, but we still heard the light chatter of the other students around us.

"So, uh, what do we do now?" Ikebana asked nervously as a drop of sweat rolled down her face.

"We…wait, I guess?" Shinohara replied, but he didn't sound too sure of himself.

"Shouldn't we talk about something? It sounds like the other teams aren't finished yet. We should pass the time somehow." Mitsuru suggested.

"Hey, Natsume! Do you have any ideas?" Mitsuru nudged Yozakura's arm with her fist, although it looked more like a gentle punch.

Yozakura didn't seem to mind. He didn't look bothered by it. So, I guess they knew each other close enough.

…Wait a minute.

…"Natsume?"

Didn't Mitsuru call him by his surname earlier? Maybe I was wrong. Were they actually best buddies all along? But then, why switch from surname to first name so freely? Just pick one and stick with it.

"Um… How about we all share something that we like? That's one way you can learn about someone, right?" Yozakura asked.

Oh great, just listen to them. Now, they're taking the initiative themselves. They're doing it without Satomi and the other's help. I can't believe this. Whatever the Kentō Association's strategy is, it's working.

"We don't have to go in a circle. Whoever wants to speak can take a turn whenever."

"....."

Just when it seemed like the barriers were tearing down, no one wanted to make the first move. Since everyone's attention was already focused on Yozakura, we were expecting him to take the lead.

"Okay, I'll go first!" Frustrated that no one else wanted to take the torch, Yozakura let out a resigned sigh.

"I like sports! I'll watch any game that's played with a ball!"

"Pardon me, but I believe that's most sports, Yozakura." Shinohara politely interjected.

"H-Hush, you!" Yozakura responded by snapping back at the little tot.

"Anyway, athletes are just so cool, you know? I get that same feeling of excitement when you watch boxers or sumo wrestlers!"

"So, you like any game that involves the use of a ball specifically. But why exactly?" Yukimura asked.

"It keeps you on the edge of your seat!" Yozakura gleamed a pearly white grin. His response left little room for any further comment from Yukimura.

"...You're pretty simple."

That's all there was to it. It wasn't anything deep. Yozakura was just a guy who loved sports, I guess. As long as the players used a ball, he would watch it. Baseball, basketball, tennis, volleyball—you name it.

"Oh, um, this is my friend Mitsuru, by the way. I already know what she's into. She likes pop music. Basically, she'll listen to anything that's trending!" Yozakura pointed to his left side where Mitsuru sat next to him, confirming what I had suspected all along.

"Hey, you totally stole my thunder! I could've told them that myself, you know! And I don't like just pop songs. I'm pretty nostalgic too! There are a lot of songs I casually listen to from my childhood. I enjoy obscure songs, and…and…I like sleeper hits too, like songs nobody's ever heard of! I mean, have you ever heard the song about love and plastic?"

"Um, if the song you’re talking about is what I think it is, then wouldn’t you say that because it’s a sleeper hit, it’s only become even more popular? I mean, everybody on the internet has heard that song by now." This time Ikebana was the one who interrupted the speaker.

“Also, I’m pretty sure that isn’t what the song is literally about.”

“WAH!” Taken aback by Ikebana’s comments, Mitsuru let out a baffled scream.

"Ah… May I share?" Shinohara raised his hand shakily to get everyone's attention. He was soft-spoken and his voice was so light that it was almost hard to hear him above the overlapping voices in the gym.

"I mostly study all the time, but I'm okay with that. And I like to read about new things. I think it's intriguing how you can learn something different about the world each day." Shinohara twiddled his fingers while looking down.

Maybe Shinohara wasn't a shy kid. He was probably just nervous being around so many kids that were older than him.

"Me too."

Shinohara looked up and found Yukimura smiling at him. He and I both looked at her in awe. Yukimura seemed like the cool and collected type, but we didn't think she could smile…or should I say, relate to other people so easily.

"I love reading too, but my appreciation of books is a little different from yours. I like works of fiction. It doesn't have to be anything particular, just as long as I feel like I'm pulled into that story's world as I read along. It's incredible how authors can string together a collection of words and make a story out of it. And they're so imaginative. I couldn't even begin to come up with an intricate tale like a writer could."

Now Yozakura, Mitsuru, Shinohara, and Yukimura all had their turn. Everyone looked back and forth between me and Ikebana. One of us had to be brave enough to take the leap. The surrounding voices were getting lower by the second. Eventually, the volume of the gym had grown significantly quieter since we began our introductions. Another awkward situation had arisen because of the silence in the group.

And that's when our little round table talk was cut short. We heard Satomi's voice through the speakers.

"Hey, everyone! Do you need a little more time, or are we all finished?"

The other teams were finally done—at least, that's what the stillness told me, anyway. Again, nobody spoke up. Either they shook their heads or waited for Satomi to guide us as she had been so far.

"Alrighty! Now that you're all introduced, let's learn a little more about each other. You all have goals and aspirations, right? Of course, you do! You wouldn't be attending Kentō Academy if you didn't! Hahahahahaha…ah." Satomi tried to laugh away her last sentence but paused.

Satomi's expression fell. She stopped as if she had suddenly realized something, like she had said something insensitive. Perhaps she should've never said those words in the first place. Despite the academy's enticing promise to provide stability for the graduating valedictorian, there are probably some students who didn't want to be put in this competitive environment to begin with. As an alumna of Kentō Academy, Satomi probably accepted that possibility as truth more than anyone. No. Seeing how she reacted was probably a hint that the speculations of my own could be, in fact, the reality of what some students go through here at this school.

"*Ahem!* Er, let's move on, shall we? Let's talk about our dreams! That's the best way to understand someone, isn't it? Through ambition, correct? Go on! Discuss with your teammates." Satomi cleared her throat and reverted to her usual chipper mood.

Finally, we spent time together.

We danced and played games as a group.

We told each other our names, face to face, for the first time.

Now, we were about to share what we desperately strived to accomplish with our lives.

But that was just the beginning of the last act of this unscripted assembly. None of us were prepared for the challenges to come. No one could have predicted that the boundaries would break between us once and for all.