Mao: The Quite One

Mao's rise wasn't sudden.

It was steady. Intentional.

Every test, every project, every late-night study session with his group—it all built toward something sharper. Something focused.

By mid-term rankings, the results shocked everyone.

Ren, once untouchable, had slipped to number four.

Kenji, ever consistent, climbed to second.

Mao, to the surprise of many—and maybe even himself—landed at number three.

The top spot?

A name no one recognized before: Shun Takami.

Transfer student. Quiet. Intense. Brilliant in math, ruthless in debate. No one knew much about him—but he knew exactly who Mao was.

And he was watching.

---

Outside the rankings, Mao's life kept shifting.

He and Arisa weren't just a secret anymore. They didn't hide it. They didn't flaunt it either. But it was there—in glances exchanged during meetings, hands brushed during walks, Arisa's quiet smile when Mao said something clever in class.

She grounded him, even if he didn't fully understand why.

And then, fate threw him another curve.

Student Government Elections.

To everyone's surprise—including his own—Mao was nominated for Vice President.

He hesitated, until he saw the name listed beside his under "President": Emi Katsura.

She didn't say a word when they were assigned to work together.

Didn't flinch. Didn't smile.

But she didn't avoid him either.

Their meetings were cold at first—professional. Efficient. Not friendly.

But not cruel.

Slowly, something resembling balance returned.

They didn't talk about the past. But they worked. And that was something.

---

Meanwhile, Ren wasn't taking his fall lightly.

He trained harder. Studied longer. But something in his confidence had cracked. And now, for the first time, he wasn't chasing number one—he was chasing Mao.

And all of them? Kenji, Ren, Mao, even Emi—they were chasing Shun now.

The new number one.

The boy who never spoke more than necessary. Who seemed to always know one step ahead.

The pressure mounted.

Mao could feel it in his chest, even as Arisa curled beside him during breaks. Even as Emi nodded at his leadership in a meeting. Even as students finally looked at him with respect rather than ridicule.

He had power now.

He had someone beside him.

But the climb had just begun.

And the higher he rose, the more shadows began to gather at the summit.