Chapter 1: Melted Wishes
Renji sat by the window in his classroom, watching the rain trace slow, lazy lines down the glass. The rest of the class had already scattered for lunch, and he was left in his usual spot—quiet and alone. His earphones were in, but not a sound played. He just liked the peace. No one bothering him. No one asking dumb questions.
"Yo, Renji! Are you actually eating that plain rice ball again?" a voice interrupted from across the room.
Renji looked up lazily. It was his friend, Shun, sitting at the back with a messy pile of snack wrappers around him. Shun was one of the few who didn't treat Renji like an outcast for being "the quiet guy" at school. He had a loud personality and a mouth that never stopped moving.
"Yeah," Renji answered, popping the last bite of rice ball into his mouth. "It's cheap and gets the job done."
Shun snorted. "Man, you gotta live a little. You're too much of a robot. Come on, get some real food. There's that new ramen shop downtown, I hear it's expensive but amazing."
Renji didn't reply. He liked his routine. It was simple. Predictable. The last thing he needed was another fancy ramen bowl to add to his collection of things he couldn't afford.
But before he could zone out again, another voice piped up.
"Renji, you're just eating that plain rice ball again?" This time, it was Aya—another of his classmates who always seemed to be lurking nearby. She was part of the popular crowd, known for her perfect grades and her no-nonsense attitude.
Aya was different from the rest of the girls in the class. She didn't flirt with him like they did. No. She liked to challenge him.
She'd been trying to outdo him in everything: grades, fame, and anything else that made her stand out. And somehow, it bugged Renji more than he cared to admit.
"I'm fine," Renji said, offering her a half-hearted shrug. "I'm not picky about food."
"Right," Aya said with a smirk, "as long as it's cheap and doesn't need to be chewed for too long." She shot him a teasing look. "Maybe if you spent less time working at that convenience store, you could afford better meals."
Renji didn't react, but his jaw tightened slightly. Aya had a point—he didn't have time for anything other than school and work. His mom needed him. But he wasn't about to admit that to her.
"Hey, I'm gonna ace the next test. Watch me," she added with a wink, before turning back to her friends, who were busy gossiping about something expensive and ridiculous.
Renji rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Aya's drive to be number one had been growing since the beginning of the semester. Every time he ranked first, she seemed to rank second, and it was starting to feel like a personal competition.
Shun noticed Renji's expression. "Don't let her get to you, man. You're still way ahead of her. Besides, she's all talk. Have you seen her handwriting? It's like a spider crawled across the page."
Renji chuckled at the image, feeling a little lighter. "I know. I saw her notes once. It was a mess."
At that moment, another voice called from across the room. "Shun, are you going to keep eating those chips all day, or are you going to let me actually talk to you?"
It was Haru, a classmate who was known for being the class clown. He was always the one cracking jokes, often at the expense of others, but somehow, his antics made him the most liked person in their class. His messy brown hair and easygoing smile made him seem like the kind of guy who didn't have a worry in the world.
Shun rolled his eyes but tossed him a bag of chips. "I'll let you talk if you stop calling me out in front of everyone, Haru."
Renji gave Haru a quick nod, then turned back to his notebook. Haru had a habit of making everything a joke, no matter how serious the situation was. He was always there to lighten the mood, which Renji appreciated in small doses. Sometimes, he even wished he could be more like him—loose, carefree, and able to laugh at the world.
But then, there was still the feeling that something was always missing.
"By the way, Renji," Haru continued, now standing by his desk with a big grin, "did you hear about the school trip next month? The fancy hotel's already booked. You sure you can't convince your mom to come with you? It's gonna be amazing—champagne, five-course meals, the whole deal. I'll save you a seat in the limo, bro."
Renji smirked. "Yeah, right. I think she'd prefer her shift at the bar over that luxury trip."
"Touché." Haru laughed, then turned to Shun. "You two should come. I promise there will be food that's more exciting than rice balls."
Renji ignored the teasing and began flipping through his notes, not bothering to explain that his life wasn't a movie, where everyone could afford to take luxury trips just because they felt like it. It was fine. He had his goals, and for now, that's all he needed.
At that moment, the classroom door creaked open, and a new voice joined the conversation.
"Did someone say anime?" A tall, gangly figure stood at the entrance—Kaito, another one of Renji's friends. He wasn't the most athletic guy, but he was definitely the most enthusiastic when it came to his passions. Kaito was a self-proclaimed anime and manga expert, and everyone knew it. He had an impressive collection of both, and a penchant for discussing the finer details of character development and plot twists.
"Did I hear correctly?" Kaito continued, adjusting his thick glasses and grinning. "There's a trip next month? Tell me there's a hot girl at that fancy hotel. Because, you know, I could totally make it work with some anime knowledge and a smile."
Shun burst out laughing. "You're hopeless, Kaito. We're talking about a school trip, not a dating simulator."
Renji chuckled, but only because Kaito had such a way with words. Kaito was the kind of nerd who could make even the nerdiest subjects sound cool. He was part of the group, though everyone knew he wasn't into anything too serious. He loved anime and manga, and that was about it.
"Look, I'm just saying," Kaito added, "if there are any cute girls, I can totally impress them with my extensive knowledge of anime tropes. You'd be amazed how far you can get with a well-timed 'baka' and some romantic comedy references."
Renji smirked. "You're not getting anything with 'baka.'"
"Oh, but I've got it all figured out," Kaito said, hands in the air in mock victory. "Just wait. You'll see me charm them. I'll be a legend."
Everyone laughed again. Kaito might be a nerd, but he had a charisma that made him fun to be around. Even though Renji didn't care about romance or popularity, he couldn't help but enjoy the banter.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and the class began filing back in.
Aya walked past him again, her perfect uniform straightened and her hair meticulously styled. She gave him a quick glance, her eyes daring him to outdo her once again.
Renji didn't care. He wasn't there to compete with anyone but himself.
"Yo, Renji! Got your chem notes ready?" Shun asked, holding up his binder. "I need all the help I can get. This test is gonna be a nightmare."
Renji raised an eyebrow. "You should probably start studying instead of asking me for help, then."
Shun laughed, shrugging. "Yeah, but you're the study king. Might as well take advantage of it."
Renji flipped open his notebook. "Fine, but only because you're the one who made fun of my rice ball."
They both laughed as the class settled down.
Renji glanced out the window again. The rain was still coming down, but now it wasn't quite as heavy. It felt like everything was just... quieter. Maybe that was a good thing.
But in the back of his mind, a thought lingered, the same one that had been following him for weeks now.
"Is this all there is?"
He didn't know yet, but soon, everything would change.
There was a storm on the horizon—and it wasn't just the weather.
To be continued
Please read the next chapter when it comes out ✌️
Thank for reading
My favorite anime/manga is bleach I highly recommend it 🙏