Mao: The Quite One

The cold morning air greeted Mao like an old friend as he stepped through the school gates once more.

New semester.

New term.

But for him—it felt like a new life.

Gone were the nervous glances, the pitied nods, the whispers behind his back. Students actually greeted him now—some out of admiration, others out of curiosity.

He was no longer "the guy who failed and tried too hard."

He was Mao Kisaragi.

Number one.

The student who turned it all around.

---

His first meeting as Academic Leader that semester brought familiar faces.

Kenji, calm and ever-focused, nodded as Mao entered.

Shun, number two now, gave a glance—not cold, but calculating.

Emi, still Coordinator, sat straight and spoke politely.

Their eyes met briefly. Then moved on.

Arisa wasn't in that room—but Mao felt her presence in the way his shoulders stayed relaxed. In the calm he carried with him.

The group talked goals. Events. Study support strategies.

Mao spoke with quiet confidence, no longer trying to prove anything.

He didn't need to.

---

After the meeting, he found Arisa waiting in the hallway with two warm drinks in hand.

"First day back," she said, handing him one.

"Feels different," he replied.

"You're different."

He smiled. "Maybe. But in a good way."

She leaned in slightly. "Everyone's watching you again, you know."

"I know," he said. "Let them."

---

But peace never lasts long at the top.

As Mao walked toward the staircase, a notice board caught his eye. A new flyer pinned up with red ink:

"Elite Invitational Challenge – Top 10 Students Only. One Winner."

It wasn't school-run.

It was something bigger.

National-level.

And someone had already signed up.

At the top of the list:

Shun Takami.

Mao stood still, reading the name, his heartbeat steady—but alert.

Vacation was over.

Now came the real test.