The shrill sound of the alarm pierced the quiet morning air.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A pale hand reached out from beneath the warm covers and silenced it with a groggy thump.
Chizuru groaned softly, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "How is it six already?" she murmured to herself, stretching with a yawn. Her gaze drifted toward the digital clock on her nightstand. "I'll have to wake Chidori."
She slipped on her slippers and shuffled down the hallway toward her niece's room.
"Chidori, it's time to get up," she called softly, tapping lightly on the door.
But the moment she opened it, she paused.
The little girl was already dressed and sitting at her desk, swinging her legs cheerfully.
"She's already awake…" Chizuru blinked in mild surprise.
In the kitchen, the smell of something warm and savory drifted into the air. Steam curled gently from a pan, and a low humming sound came from the boy in the apron.
"Here you go, Chidori," Chiaki said as he carefully plated the food. "A specially made egg omelet just for you."
Her eyes lit up. "It looks delicious! Thank you, Uncle Chiaki!"
"Dig in."
"Yes!" She beamed as she took her first bite, eyes sparkling with joy.
Chizuru stepped into the kitchen and blinked again, this time in absolute shock. Her brother stood tall, dressed neatly in a school uniform that hadn't seen the light of day in over two months.
"Big brother…" she said, almost breathlessly.
"Oh, good morning, Chizuru," Chiaki greeted warmly. "Go and get ready. I already prepared a bath for you, and your morning chores are all done."
Chizuru blinked at him in disbelief. No way. Chiaki is actually in a uniform. I haven't seen him touch or even wash them for two months.
Chiaki smiled gently as he moved about the kitchen, calm and purposeful. "Also, your breakfast is ready."
Then, with a glance at Chidori, he added, "I'll take her to school today, so you can tell her driver not to stop by."
"Yay! Uncle will be taking me to school today!" Chidori cheered, practically bouncing in her chair.
Chiaki handed her a backpack and reached for his own keys. "We'll be leaving shortly. Also, the spare keys are beside the freezer. Be sure to lock the place up properly."
"Chizuru, are you listening?" he asked again.
"Yes," she replied automatically, still trying to process his sudden transformation.
"We'll be heading out now. See you."
"Bye bye!" Chidori chirped happily, skipping along after him.
"…Yes," Chizuru echoed, finally cracking a smile. Chiaki is acting weird today… but in a good way. I'm so glad that he decided to go to school. She held the warm thought in her chest as they stepped out the door.
Down the street, Chiaki stood by the school gates. He looked up at the familiar building.
(gulps) Well then… it's now or never.
He pushed the classroom door open.
The chatter of students filled the air—laughter, shouts, and the low murmur of conversations. He made his way toward his desk, trying to stay invisible.
But it didn't work.
"No way," a voice called out in disbelief. "Is that you, Chiaki? I don't believe it. Welcome back!"
Chiaki looked up. Syouta Watanabe stood there, jaw dropped.
Jun, sitting beside him, added with a smirk, "How long has it been? Like a year or two?"
"You missed out on a lot, dude," Syouta continued.
"I know, I know," Chiaki replied, scratching the back of his neck.
"I'll send you all the notes later so that you can catch up," Jun offered, flipping open his notebook.
"Yes, thank you."
Syouta nudged him with an elbow. "You're just in time too. Valentine's Day is around the corner."
"I see."
"Not that you'll be getting anything," Syouta teased. "You're basically forgotten by almost everyone here."
"Well… that's true."
"Oh, and I forgot to tell you," Syouta continued, shifting the subject. "We all came to the decision that Masashi Watanagi will be the captain despite being a first-year. Wakujou Hagiwara is a second-year, sure, but he still lacks some of the key qualities Masashi has."
Chiaki nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I agree with making Masashi captain. He'll do great in our place."
"You should pay them a visit today," Jun suggested. "They'd be glad to see you."
"I guess so."
Chiaki's eyes wandered across the room—and stopped.
Over by the windows, a girl sat quietly, her fingers nimbly navigating her handheld console.
"Hey, do you want to play a game with me?" she asked a classmate, her voice soft and friendly.
The girl beside her leaned over. "Sure, let's see what it is… Oh, nice! I've already cleared most of these levels."
"What? Seriously? How were you able to do it so easily?"
The first girl smiled. "Because I love these type of games."
Chiaki felt his chest tighten.
That girl… Her smile captivated me. I was lost in her beautiful brown eyes. Her skin—it's paler than the rest of ours, flawless like porcelain. I feel my heart pounding fast. Is this what love at first sight feels like? My world… it's somehow resuming once more.
"Hey, are you listening, Chiaki?"
Chiaki blinked. "Huh?"
Syouta frowned. "Chiaki. Chiaki. Earth to Chiaki—"
SMACK!
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Chiaki winced as Syouta playfully punched his arm.
"You were spacing out, man."
"Yeah," Jun chuckled. "He was deep in his thoughts."
"Sorry… I was spacing out."
"What's the matter?"
Chiaki hesitated. "That girl… is she a transfer student?"
"Which girl?" Syouta asked, following his gaze. "Oh, you mean Kayo Takayama? Dude, are you serious? She's been in our class since we were first-years. How can you just be noticing her now?"
I see… so her name is Kayo, huh.
Syouta smirked. "Oh, I see. You have a thing for her, huh?"
Chiaki quickly shook his head. "I wouldn't say that… I was just a little curious about her, that's all."
And in that single moment, as sunlight filtered through the windows and laughter returned to his ears, Chiaki realized something: though his high school basketball career had ended, something new had begun.
Not on the court, but in life.
In friendships renewed.
In silent hearts stirred awake.
And perhaps… in love.