Beginning Of The End

After spring break, which somehow felt both long and short at the same time, had come to an end, the opening ceremony finally arrived.

On that day, the students moved from the first-year classroom they had grown so familiar with to a new classroom designated for second-year students.

At first glance, the chairs and desks seemed identical to the ones from the previous year.

Yet, there was an indescribable sense that they felt different somehow.

The first thing awaiting them in the new classroom was a message written on the blackboard.

"Sit in the same seats you were assigned in your first year and wait."

In the past, the blackboard had been exactly what the name implied—a surface on which teachers wrote with chalk.

However, the blackboard now was no blackboard at all.

In its place was a large monitor mounted on the wall.

It was apparent that these monitors had been newly installed this year.

The students who entered the classroom after the first arrivals appeared equally surprised by the sight of the new "blackboard."

Among them, one student quietly made his way to the far back of the room, taking the seat near the window, just as the instructions had specified.

Later in the day, the opening ceremony was scheduled to take place in the gymnasium.

Afterward, the homeroom instructors were expected to spend about two hours explaining the schedule and laying out the requirements for the year before dismissing the students later that morning.

Since spring break had only just ended, a sense of lethargy still lingered over the class.

Many students were in a bit of a daze, while others animatedly exchanged stories about their activities during the break, catching up with friends they hadn't seen in weeks.

And most important of all, they were no more students of class D Or C.

Being promoted to class B, there was a definitive vibe of confidence, gleaming from their faces.

The confidence not only radiated from the fact that they were in class B now, but also from the fact that they would be receiving a considerably larger amount of private points than they were getting on their first year.

Some of the students were bitter about depositting 10,000 private points to Yamauchi Haruki.

But even after that, the remaining sum was definitely ample enough to satisfy their needs and luxury both.

Aprt from that, there was a ruccus about Horikita's shortened hair, and nothing much really happened.

Except, there was a single student who was absent.

Before, if he were to be absent, then the students wouldn't have reacted much.

But, due to the recent incidents at the special exams, his standing in class had definitely changed, for the better or for the worse.

Hence, his absence and the reason behind it stirred a mixture of emotions among the students.

Howsoever, things continued smoothly, as the students braced themselves for the upcoming hurdles of the semester.

***

After a week or so from the opening ceremony, on a Sunday evening, the soft orange glow of the sun dipped in the horizon bathed the campus of ANHS.

Near a vending machine glowing softly in the dusk, a wooden bench sat under a tall tree.

The air was calm, with only the hum of the machine and the rustling leaves breaking the silence.

A student approached the vending machine, limping on one foot, retrieved a can of iced coffee and took a seat on the bench.

They stared at the can for a moment before popping it open and taking a slow sip.

"Are you pretending to ignore me?" a sharp voice cut through the stillness, breaking the quiet atmosphere.

The boy looked up from his can of iced coffee, his calm gaze meeting the accusing eyes of a girl sitting nearby.

"Didn't notice you there."

"Seriously, Yamauchi? I have been sitting here for a while, and you are just gonna ptetend you didn't see me?"

"Alright, sorry about that.", Yamauchi replied calmly.

" Anyway, what the hell happened to your leg?", Ichinose Kaori, the 3rd year student, asked him, looking concerned.

Yamauchi shifted slightly on the bench, trying to find a comfortable position as he avoided Ichinose's gaze.

"It's nothing serious. Just twisted it, that's all."

Ichinose frowned, her concerned eyes narrowing.

"A twisted ankle doesn't usually leave you limping like that. Did you at least get it checked out?"

He shrugged, taking another sip of his iced coffee. "I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse."

A pause of silence continued as both of them stared at the sky turning darker and darker.

"... Hey.", Yamauchi called out.

" I have a name, you know.", she replied curtly.

"...Ichinose senpai, would you be so benevolent as to answer a few of my questions?", Yamauchi said mockingly.

"... What is it?"

"Suppose, you know what exactly is going to happen in the future, and there is a happy ending for everyone at the end of it. However, the mere fact that you know exactly what would happen, have changed certain events. In that case, would you try to change things further or would you try to restore everything?"

"...What's up with that question?"

"Just answer it. "

"Well... Does it even matter that I know the future or not?"

"... What do you mean?"

"I meant to say that, as you said, certain events have already changed because I knew the future. So, more changes will occur eventually. And that's why it doesn't really matter if I knew the future or not, cause it's definitely going to change."

She then, taking the final sip of her coffee, turned towards Yamauchi.

"Which is why, I would do things that I want to do."

".....Even if it might cause bad ending for someone else?"

"Well, you won't know until it happens. More importantly, did you hit your head too? "

".... No, why?"

"Why, you ask? You are acting weird, asking such questions about knowing future. Did you visit a fortune teller or what?"

"I wouldn't say it's like that, but.... You are not completely wrong."

A slight smirk crept onto his face as he reminisced in the events that happened with him last week.

Yamauchi looked down at his can of iced coffee, swirling it absentmindedly.

"Anyway, forget it," he muttered, his tone shifting back to his usual nonchalant one.

Ichinose raised an eyebrow but didn't press further.

"You're a strange one, Yamauchi," she remarked, standing up from the bench. "But I guess you'll figure it out eventually."

Yamauchi didn't respond, his gaze still distant as he took another sip from the can.

Ichinose hesitated for a moment before walking away, the sound of her footsteps fading into the quiet evening air.

Yamauchi stayed on the bench, lost in his thoughts, the world around him feeling both familiar and distant at the same time.

The sun had set, and the campus was slowly enveloped in darkness, but he didn't mind.

He preferred the quiet.

Because it was the beginning of an end.

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A/N :

We are so back.

From now on, updates would be on Saturday and Sunday.

Please comment down your thoughts on this chapter.

Lastly, I am sorry for the late updates.

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