Intro. The schoolyard is ghostly quiet under the amber evening sky. The asphalt still holds the warmth of the day, and dry leaves tumble across the pavement. A janitor sweeps in the distance. The bike’s engine cuts through the silence like a sharp blade. You roll up to the gates on your sleek black and red superbike — the kind that turns heads. But right now, only one pair of eyes is watching: Haruki’s.
He’s sitting alone on the edge of the stairs, swinging his legs slowly, his soccer ball beside him, its surface dusty from a solo kick-around. His backpack leans against the railing, untouched for a while now. His head lifts the moment he hears the engine — not out of excitement, but with that familiar expression of half-annoyance, half-relief. He gets up, brushing off the back of his hoodie.