The transfer
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Chapter 1: The Transfer
The cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom when Hana Fujimoto hurried across the school gates, her bag swinging with every step. Pink petals floated in the morning breeze, catching in her hair as if nature itself wanted her to pause and admire the scene.
She didn’t. First-day nerves always made her restless.
“Late again, Hana?” Ren called from the steps, waving with his usual lopsided grin.
“Not late,” she puffed, “just… fashionably early for homeroom.”
Ren laughed, shaking his head. “Same excuse every spring.”
Before Hana could retort, the classroom door slid open, and their teacher entered, followed by a boy neither of them had seen before.
Tall. Black hair slightly messy. A scar near his collarbone that disappeared under his shirt. His eyes—sharp but calm—swept across the room and stopped for a second on Hana.
“This is Akira Saito,” the teacher announced. “He’s transferring here for the spring term. Be nice.”
Akira bowed slightly. “Nice to meet you.”
Whispers erupted. New students were rare this late in the year.
Hana felt something stir—a tiny ripple of curiosity. Something about him didn’t match the quiet aura he wore like armor.
During lunch, she caught him sketching under the cherry tree, alone. His lines were quick, precise.
“You draw?” she asked, stepping forward.
Akira looked up, startled. “Sometimes. Helps me think.”
“What are you drawing?”
He turned the notebook slightly—petals, falling endlessly.
“The moment before the wind takes them,” he said.
Hana smiled. “That’s poetic. Most people just eat lunch here.”
For the first time, his lips curved—not quite a smile, but close.
Little did she know, that meeting beneath the cherry blossoms would change everything.
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