Birds flew to the sky and water ran around the island the central garden was on. The students from the third year stood in groups with their respective classes.

"All of you, the four classes from the third year, will be the first ones to hunt today," the teacher spoke into her megaphone.

She stood on a wooden platform in front of the students among a few more teachers. A red blanket covered something on a small table behind her.

I looked around the garden, filled with classmates and people I hadn't seen in the first two weeks.

My old school would've taken this event too seriously. They never dared to do anything out of the ordinary.

"The instructions are simple," the teacher said through the megaphone. "There are eggs hidden all over the high school with the exception of bathrooms, laboratories, and administrative rooms or buildings, like the warehouse. You'll form teams of three but every team will have only one basket to put the eggs on."

A hand lifted up above everyone and they turned their heads to see it.

"Yes, Takuto-kun?" the teacher smiled.

Takuto? That name sounds familiar…

"Can we give the basket to another person?" the student questioned.

Oh, Tarō-san. We met at the manga store. He's the one Kawahara helped.

"Yes, you can," the teacher replied. "The only requirement is that the eggs have to be in the basket to be counted."

"Thank you very much, Shimamura-sensei!" Tarō shouted and put his arm down.

Shimamura-sensei sighed and continued. "You can't steal someone else's egg once they picked it up."

Tarō lifted his hand up once again. Everyone else sighed as if they were used to him always asking questions.

"Y-Yes, Takuto-kun?" the teacher smiled, but one of her brows twitched.

"What if someone drops an egg? We still can't take it?"

"I'm sorry, I should explain in more detail. You can grab an egg as long as it isn't in someone else's hand or basket."

"Thank you very much, Shimamura-sensei!" Tarō shouted and put his arm down.

"And, last but not least, you can't push, fight, or throw eggs at each other," Shimamura-sensei added.

Tarō's hand raised again.

"Please, form your teams and line up to grab a basket!" Shimamura-sensei shouted and ignored Tarō. "Then wait in this garden before starting—"

She didn't even finish the sentence and all the students ran in a stampede around the garden shouting their friends' names.

I stood still at the back of the garden with my mouth open, witnessing my first ever event at the high school.

Unorganized, insane, absurd…

A smirk appeared on my face. No matter how chaotic everyone was, they seemed to have fun and the hunt hadn't even begun.

I should find someone. Maybe Kozue is still looking for a team.

The situation calmed down and I managed to walk around the garden. My height played at my advantage to see over everyone else.

Oh, there she is.

I opened my mouth to shout Kozue's name but halted when I saw that two girls surrounded her.

Hisako-san and another girl. I think she's her other childhood friend.

The three of them smiled. My mouth closed as I felt a light weight in my chest.

Well, it's only logical she wants to team up with her friends…

Someone slapped my back and snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hi, Koji-kun!" Narumi said behind me.

I turned around.

"Wait. You're Koji-kun, right?" she stood on tiptoe and whispered at my ear.

"I am. Hello, Narumi-san," I greeted back.

"I'll believe you!" she chuckled. "Hm? Why the long face? Were you looking for someone?" she questioned.

She leaned sideways and peeked behind me. "Looks like Kozue-san already has a team," she said. "Let's team-up!" she beamed at me.

"You don't have a team?" I asked.

"I already told you no one talks to me since all of that happened," she pouted away and crossed her arms.

"Right, I'm sorry," I scratched my head.

"I'm playing with you!" she giggled.

I stared at Narumi for a couple of seconds, impressed by how quickly her mood changed.

"Sure, let's team-up," I said. "Thanks, Narumi-san."

"There's nothing to thank me for," she replied. "And you can call me by my given name, Sae."

"Okay, Sae-san."

"There's no need to address me like that," Sae smiled affectionately.

"Oh, I see."

"Anyways. We still need someone else for the team," she said and looked around.

"You're right. Do you know someone that would join us?" I asked her.

"I know!" she let out. "We could ask the teachers if we can be a team of two—"

"Good morning, Narumi," a guy approached us.

I turned to my side where the voice came from.

He…

"Hello, Tsuga," Sae replied.

He's the one that asked Kozue to study with him.

"Hm? Why so polite?" Tsuga questioned Sae. "Oh, I see why. Good morning, Araki Koji-san, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Tsuga Hisaki," he smiled.

"Good morning," I replied. My brows frowned on its own. "How do you know my name?"

"Well, it's impossible not to hear it lately," he responded.

"What do you want?" Sae asked Tsuga with her arms crossed.

"There's no need to be that defensive, Narumi," Tsuga said. "I wasn't able to find a team, so I was wondering if I could join yours."

"Tsuga-san!" two girls called his name as they approached. "W-We need someone else for our team and we were wondering if you would join us…" one of them stuttered.

"I apologize, I already have a team," he replied.

He just told us he doesn't!

"I see… Well, next time will be!" the girl said.

Before leaving, they both gazed at Sae and walked away muttering.

Kozue told me I shouldn't judge a book by its cover when I told her about this, but I can't help but feel like he's like my old classmates. He must be planning something under that facade.

"So, do you accept me in your team?" he asked again, smiling.

I'll take this opportunity to find out.

Sae opened her mouth to reply, "N—"

"Sure," I interrupted her.

"K-Koji-kun!" Sae shouted in shock.

"Thank you very much, Araki-san!" Tsuga bowed. "I'll give my best for the team."

"Fine," Sae sighed. "Let's take a basket."

"Good idea," Tsuga smiled.

A strange feeling came from my back and made me turn around. Kozue, Hisako, and the other girl chatted and smiled.

"Koji-kun?" Sae called me a few steps ahead.

Tsuga didn't stop.

"Oh, sorry," I replied and walked to her.

"Why did you let him join?" she asked me while walking beside me.

"Because he didn't have a team," I responded.

"But he lied to our faces!" she exclaimed.

I need to change the topic.

"Are you two fighting? You don't seem to like him."

Sae looked forward and took a couple of seconds to reply. "You're right, I don't like him. He thinks he's superior to everyone just because he was third place last year. Everyone likes him, so he always ends up as the class president. He's in another class, fortunately."

He actually hides something under his perfect, gentleman appearance. But I still need to see it with my eyes.

"By the way, who was in the first and second place?" I questioned.

"You don't know?" she replied, puzzled. "Kawahara was second place and the first one was—"

"Hey, where were you?" Tsuga interrupted. "I already took the basket. Shall we discuss strategies?"

"First, give me that basket," Sae said and reached out for it.

Tsuga raised the basket where Sae couldn't reach it. He was almost my height.

"We are a team now, Narumi. We shouldn't fight over something like this," he said.

"But I don't want you to have the basket!" Sae yelled.

"Well, I don't agree that you have the basket either," Tsuga added, never disrupting his smile.

"Don't you feel superior just because you are one place above me!"

"You and your childish tantrums," he said. "I couldn't care less about it."

It's the first time I see her like this. Well, I already saw her cry.

"Oh, is that so?" Sae remarked and took her phone out from her short's pocket. "I have an audio of you crying and screaming in a room right after you saw the results—"

"I-I have an idea!" Tsuga stuttered with a higher-pitched voice. "If we can't agree, let's let Araki-san have it!"

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes, I agree with that!" Sae replied.

Tsuga handed me the basket. I stared down at it.

Does it mean I'm the leader?

My eyes sparkled.

"We shall quickly make a strategy before the hunt begins," Tsuga said.

A couple of minutes passed and a deep, feminine voice shouted and interrupted our tactical discussion.

"Good morning, Kasen High School's students!"

"Good morning!" the students returned with energy.

Oh, the principal. Right, she was standing next to the other teachers.

"I'm here to start this year's Egg Hunt! Now that you have your teams, it's time to commence!"

The students applauded.

Her voice is quite… powerful.

"But, before that, I'll show you this year's prizes."

Mumbles began to spread across the garden.

"What do you think they will be?" a guy murmured at another guy in front of me.

"I don't know. The team in first place won three restaurant coupons last year," the other guy responded.

"I hope it's something better this time, like no homework for the whole year," a third other guy joked and they both chuckled.

"The prize for the team in third place is…" the principal said as she reached for her suit jacket's pocket. "Three restaurant coupons!"

"Again?!" one of the same guys in front of me muttered.

"Wait, but that was last year's first-place prize! The other two should be better!"

"The prize for the team in second place is…" the principal repeated as she reached for her other pocket. "Three tickets for the recently opened theme park!"

"Ooh!" the students uttered in amazement.

"That's actually good!" one of the guys said.

"I could take Tadokoro on a date!"

"Are you assuming one of us will give you our ticket?"

"And the prize for the team that collects more eggs in this hunt is…" the principal shouted.

The garden came to a sudden silence. Everyone stared at her, expectant of the biggest prize's announcement, including me.

The principal extended her arms behind her and shouted, "This!"

We all turned to see what her arms presented.

Silence remained for an extremely long period of time. Everyone looked forward, speechless.

That red blanket?

"The prize hides under this blanket!" the principal continued. "It will be revealed when the first place receives it on the stage!"

"Ooh!" the students expressed in surprise.

"What do you think it is?" the guy in front of me asked again.

"I want to believe it's something awesome, but we are talking about the high school here. I don't want to get my hopes high."

I also wonder what it is.

"Without further ado, get ready!" the principal shouted.

All the teams split almost equally and ran to each of the four bridges connecting to the rest of the islands of the high school.

"Let's run!" Sae said and pulled me by my hand. I tightly grabbed the basket with my other hand.

"What's happening?" I asked agitatedly.

"Everyone already settled in a good position to be the first ones to run out," Tsuga replied.

We arrived at the start of one of the bridges.

"We are all the way back," Sae said, worried.

I looked at the other bridges, crowded, and somehow managed to see Kozue practically at the front of everyone else on the bridge that headed to the same side as ours.

She looks happy.

"Are you ready?" the principal shouted. "Let the hunt begin!"