The corridor of the elite high school was buzzing with a chaotic energy that felt like a pressure cooker about to explode. It was a sea of students, a frantic mixture of hushed whispers, excited shouts, and the heavy air of anticipation. Today was the day the 'Surprise Test' results were posted, and like every year, the entire school's eyes were locked on only two names.
Aika was trapped in the middle of the crowd. Her heart was drumming a rhythm so violent she felt it might actually burst from her chest. She had her fists clenched so tight her knuckles were white, and she was biting her lip to keep her composure. "I did everything... I read every reference book, I stayed up until 3:00 AM every night... this time, I'm definitely going to surpass him," she told herself, a mantra of desperation.
"Move! Let me through!" Aika snapped, her irritation flaring as she shoved her way through the crowd to stand directly in front of the board. She held her breath, her eyes darting to the very first line of the white paper.
Rank 1: Renji Hayasaka — 100/100
Rank 2: Aika Tachibana — 98.5/100
It happened again. The same result. The same name at the top.
Aika froze in her tracks. She felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. 98.5... a score that would be a dream for any other student, but for Aika, it was a humiliating defeat. She was only 1.5 marks behind, but those 1.5 marks felt like an ancient, immovable wall that she could never hope to climb.
She backed away from the crowd in a daze. her face was a mask of stone, but inside, a hurricane of fury was brewing. She began walking down the corridor in silence, so lost in her thoughts that she was completely oblivious to the world around her.
Suddenly, a piercing shriek echoed from down the hall. "NOOOOO! I'M DEAD! MY MOM IS GOING TO TURN ME INTO A RUG!"
It was Takeo. He was sprinting down the corridor like a madman, tears streaming down his face like an open faucet. He was in such a state of grief that he was about to collide head-on with Aika. Without even looking, Aika reached out, grabbed Takeo's blazer collar from behind, and jerked him to a dead halt.
"Takeo! Shut up, the whole school is watching you," Aika said, her voice devoid of expression.
Takeo spun around, his nose running. "Aika-san! I'm ruined! I failed Math... now I have to take summer classes! My life is going to be spent among the boring failures! Why, God, why?!"
Aika let out a long, weary sigh and gave him a slight shake. "It was just one test, stop crying. By the way... where is Renji?"
Takeo wiped his nose and let out a wet sob. "Renji? That monster? He didn't even come to see the results! He went straight to the classroom like he already knew he was going to top. He doesn't even care, Aika-san! He's a robot!"
Aika released Takeo and marched toward the classroom, her eyes burning with a new fire. "A robot, huh? Today, I'm going to mess up his programming."
The classroom was eerily quiet. Renji was in his usual spot at the back, buried in an old, tattered book. Looking at him, one would never guess that he had just broken the school's grading curve yet again. Aika slammed her bag onto the desk next to him with a violent THUD!
Renji didn't even lift his head. He simply turned a page.
Aika couldn't take it anymore. "Congratulations," she hissed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "First place again, Hayasaka. You must be thrilled with yourself."
Renji still didn't move his book. He replied in a voice so cold it felt like winter. "It's not just once or twice, Tachibana. I'm first every single time. What's so special about today?"
Aika's simmering anger turned into a full-blown volcano. She stood up, slamming both palms onto Renji's desk. "Not for long! This streak of yours... this arrogance... I'm going to break it! In the next test, you're going to see me standing in front of you. That's a promise!"
Renji slowly closed his book and looked at Aika. There was no pride in his eyes, only a profound sense of boredom. "Huhhh... why do you put yourself through so much stress, Tachibana? You said the exact same thing last time, and what was the result? The same as always."
He took a deep breath and stood up from his chair. "98.5 marks... Rank 2 is no small feat. You worked hard, and you got the score you deserved based on your effort. Stop setting yourself up for disappointment." As he began to walk past her, he added without looking back, "Congratulations on Rank 2. Truly."
Aika was practically trembling with rage now. "Hey! Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you! You think I'm afraid of you? This attitude of yours... I'm going to crush it by defeating you!"
Renji, who was halfway to the door, stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly. The few students remaining in the room went dead silent. Renji began walking back toward Aika. With every step, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier, thicker.
He stopped so close to her that there were only inches between them. Aika's heart skipped a beat. She tried to take a step back, but her desk was right behind her, trapping her. "W-W-What... what are you doing?" she stammered, her voice wavering.
Renji locked his eyes onto hers. This time, there was a faint glint of irritation mixed with a terrifying coldness. "You're under a massive delusion if you think you can ever defeat me," Renji said, his voice low and heavy.
"I don't want to break your spirit, but you need to accept reality. You're only upset about Rank 2 because you were always Rank 1 at your old school in Kyoto. But remember one thing..."
Renji leaned in further, his face mere inches from hers. "You were Rank 1 there... only because I wasn't there."
Aika's jaw dropped. The words hit her like a physical strike to the chest.
Renji continued, "If you want Rank 1 so badly, transfer to another school. Because as long as I'm here, you will only ever be second. Stop this useless effort; it won't change the outcome. My suggestion? Learn to be happy with your second place."
With that, Renji walked out of the room. Aika stood there, her body shaking with a mix of fury and shock. The entire classroom was staring at her. She stomped her foot against the floor with a loud crack. "I'll show him! I'll show him what I'm capable of!" she whispered, but internally, she felt completely rattled.
Evening had fallen over the school. Aika was still there, needing to submit some documents to the staff room. She was walking down the dimly lit corridor when she saw something through the staff room door.
Renji and Sato-sensei were inside. A red alert went off in Aika's head. "I knew it! There's something fishy! This guy must be buying the papers!" She quickly ducked behind the door, pressing her ear against the wood.
She couldn't hear everything clearly, but she could see through the gap in the door. Sato-sensei pulled her purse out and handed a thick envelope to Renji.
Aika's eyes widened in disbelief. "Money?! Sato-sensei is giving him money? But why?"
Aika watched as Renji shook his head. He was refusing the money. They talked for a while; Sato-sensei seemed to be insisting, as if saying, "Take it, it will help you." But Renji calmly explained something to her and left through the other exit without taking the envelope.
Aika quickly hid further back so Renji wouldn't spot her. After he was gone, she stood there, her mind spinning in circles.
"What is going on? If he were buying papers, he should be the one giving her money. But here, it's the opposite... why was she trying to pay him? And why did he refuse it?"
Aika's head was hurting. Renji Hayasaka wasn't just an arrogant topper. There was a story behind him that was far beyond anything Aika had ever imagined.
She looked out the staff room window at the setting sun. "Renji... who are you, really?"