April 11, 2026.
"Ah. Holidays, the day I've been waiting for." Reina stretched in bed, stretching her stiff muscles after a long night curled up in the blankets. Remnants of sleep still hung over her eyes, but her mind began to wander to yesterday's events. "Hmph, I wonder. What happened to Yura yesterday? If only I hadn't skipped class, I would have seen the expression on her face."
....
Let's go back to yesterday, exactly 9:00 a.m. during break time. The cafeteria was bustling, filled with the smoke of food and the din of student chatter. Amidst the crowd, Reina was sitting relaxed when two male students, Yuen and Yun, approached her.
Yun's voice called out from over Reina's shoulder. "Morning, Reina."
Reina turned her head and looked at her two male friends with a lazy gaze. "Oh, morning. What's up?"
Yun replied with a wide smile, the kind that usually signaled bad news or a ridiculous plan. "Hmm, you know Mr. Satoshi will be teaching our class later, right? Have you done your homework yet?"
The question left Reina frozen. Her mind raced, but all she found was emptiness. "Oh my gosh, I forgot," she replied, her face suddenly pale.
Yuen, who had been listening, replied in a low voice. "Hmm, that's right. How about you come outside with us, well, you know, behind the school."
Reina narrowed her eyes and frowned. "You mean playing truant?"
Yun simply nodded casually, as if it was standard procedure to avoid the teacher's wrath. Seeing that nod, coupled with the fear of Mr. Satoshi's punishment, Reina finally rose from her seat. "Okay, by the way, do you have any pocket money? I got scammed out of 30 yen earlier."
Yuen patted his pocket confidently. "Don't worry, my mom gave me 800 yen."
Reina nodded in satisfaction, a faint smile beginning to appear. "Okay, you treat me later."
...
Back to this holiday, Reina, still in her pajamas—a loose t-shirt and shorts—had just stepped out of her room when a loud knock on the front door broke the silence. Reina's mother was at work, and the house was quiet. Although solitude usually made her anxious, this time she felt more relaxed.
"Reina, come open it. I saw you skipped class yesterday, right?" A familiar voice from behind the door made Reina jump. It was Yura. How did her senior know?
Reina opened the door with mixed feelings. Yura stood there, dressed very casually, wearing a white shirt over a black t-shirt, paired with flip-flops.
"Reina, gosh, you look like a baby in that outfit." Yura laughed, her eyes sweeping over Reina's disheveled appearance.
Reina looked up, her face flushed with embarrassment and annoyance. "Why do you have to make fun of me like a baby? Just because I'm shorter!?"
Ignoring Reina's protests, Yura entered the house and took off her sandals. With a swift and light movement, Yura lifted Reina into the air, supporting her as if she were a toddler.
"Yura! Put me down!" Reina hissed, her legs flailing in the air in frustration.
Yura finally lowered Reina back to the floor, but her mischievous grin remained. "Oh yeah, who did you skip class with yesterday? I saw you with two students yesterday?"
Reina tried to put on an innocent face, hiding her surprise. "No way. I was in class yesterday."
Yura simply pulled her phone out of her pants pocket with a slow motion and held the screen in front of Reina's face. There was a photo of Reina in the alley behind the school, mingling with other students who were smoking. "You think you don't know?"
Reina's eyes widened, examining the photo. "Wait a minute! How did you take my photo? There's a wall around the corner!?"
Yura suddenly fell silent, lowering her phone stiffly. An awkward smile spread across her face. "Uh... that..."
Reina narrowed her eyes, sensing victory. "Just say you skipped class, right?"
"No way... I got this from a friend," Yura retorted, her panic unconcealed.
"Hmm, don't be a hypocrite, sis. Just say you skipped Satoshi's class too, right?" Reina insisted with a seductive smile.
Yura snorted, finally looking away, utterly defeated. "Hmph, yeah, yeah. Besides, I came along because I didn't want to deal with that old man."
Reina chuckled, immediately embracing Yura's arm enthusiastically. "Hmm, come on, sis, treat me to ramen."
Yura narrowed her eyes, but still complied with Reina's tug. "Hmph, you. Always getting into a habit. Okay, let's get changed, do you really want people to see you in that kind of outfit?"
Reina released his embrace and jogged back to her room excitedly. "Yes, sis!" he exclaimed cheerfully.