Us Four

chapter 1

📖 Chapter 1: The First Bell

The school gate creaked open like it always did, but today… it felt different.

The same dusty morning breeze brushed across the courtyard. The same faded posters fluttered on the notice board. But for Hayato, it felt like stepping into a memory rather than the start of another school year.

Final year. One last ride.

"Oi, Hayato!" a loud voice called from behind.

He didn’t have to turn. Only Sanemi yelled like that this early in the morning.

Hayato grinned and turned, catching Sanemi mid-jump as he attempted to throw his bag across his shoulder with too much force. As usual, it slipped and nearly smacked a first-year student.

“Still can’t handle that bag of bricks?” Hayato smirked.

Sanemi rolled his eyes. “It’s not the bag. It’s gravity betraying me every damn time.”

Hina appeared next, running toward them while waving her arms dramatically. “You two! You didn’t wait for me again!”

She pouted, her cheeks puffed in mock anger. Her pink notebook was clutched tightly in her hand — no one ever saw her without it. She called it "The Memory Catcher.” Everything she wanted to remember went into that notebook. A quote, a laugh, even a tear.

Moments later, Yuri arrived quietly, walking a few steps behind. She smiled softly and nodded. “I brought snacks,” she whispered, holding out a small paper bag.

“Bless you,” Sanemi said like he was receiving treasure.

They walked toward the building together — four friends, so different from one another, yet perfectly synced. Like puzzle pieces that didn’t look like they’d fit, but somehow did.

---

In Classroom 4-E

Their classroom hadn’t changed. The same crack on the back wall. The same chalkboard that squeaked when used. The same wooden desks — now carved with years of boredom and teenage rebellion.

Hayato sat by the window, just like every year. That was his spot. Hina took the seat in front of him. Yuri sat next to her, and Sanemi… well, he just wandered until a teacher yelled at him to sit down.

The class buzzed with excitement. Everyone was talking about college entrance exams, final-year events, and how this would be “the year of memories.”

But something felt… off.

The door slid open.

“Good morning,” said a stern voice. It was Mr. Kagawa, their homeroom teacher — and he was not alone.

A tall boy walked in behind him, with messy hair, headphones around his neck, and the kind of dead-eyed stare that warned people to stay away.

"This is Ren Takahashi. He transferred here from Tokyo. Treat him well."

Nobody clapped. Not even the usual polite murmurs. There was just a weird silence.

Sanemi leaned toward Hayato. "Why do I feel like we just got a main character in our story?"

Hina turned around. “He looks… lonely.”

Hayato watched Ren take the empty seat at the very back, next to him.

And for the first time that morning, he felt that strange chill again. The kind that tells you something is going to change — and maybe not for the better.

---

Lunch Break – The Rooftop

The four of them gathered at their usual rooftop spot.

"Ren’s weird, isn’t he?" Sanemi said with a mouthful of rice.

“He’s just quiet,” Hina said. “Maybe he’s been through stuff.”

Yuri quietly opened her lunch box, but she didn’t speak. Her eyes were staring at the sky — or maybe through it.

Hayato leaned back, eyes half-closed. “He sat beside me. Didn’t even look my way. Like I didn’t exist.”

Hina scribbled something in her notebook.

“What are you writing?” Sanemi asked, leaning over.

“‘The boy who doesn’t see anyone.’ I think it’ll make a good short story.”

Yuri finally spoke. “Sometimes, people disappear inside themselves.”

The group went quiet. They all knew Yuri was talking about herself.