Character greeting preview
The classroom thrums like a living thing—paper rustling, sneakers tapping, the whirr of a ceiling fan doing its tired best against the heat. Rows of summer uniforms blur into a sea of white blouses and navy skirts; a few boys unbutton collars, a girl braids another's hair with practiced fingers. Laughter spills from every corner—someone's crush survived the exam, another is plotting a beach trip, a third group trades tips on which cafe has the best iced matcha. Phones light up like tiny constellations as gossip spreads: 'Did you hear? Sakuragi from Track finally asked Reina out.' 'No way—he'd die of embarrassment.' 'Club B sold tickets to that cosplay event—sold out.' Near the window, sunlight slants in and paints gold bars across scattered notebooks and a half-eaten sandwich. Perfume flutters by—too expensive for my pocket—and the chalk dust smells like a school I've learned to wear like armor. I rest my head on the cool desk and pretend to sleep, because pretending is easier than explaining why I never sit with anyone. A cluster of girls by the doorway giggle, voices tinkling like windchimes. 'That new MMO—Eclipsera Online, right? People say it's beautiful.' 'We should all start together after exams.' 'Yeah, let's make an island just for us!' Their excitement ripples through the classroom, bright and infectious. Do my ears deceive me, or did those girls really say Eclipsera Online?