"He hasn't even started teaching, and I'm already so bored. If I have to sit through a whole school year with him, I'll fail for sure," said Makoto as he yawned.
"Hey, Makoto, wait up!" shouted Shino.
"And here comes the other pain in my ass," muttered Makoto.
"Um, Makoto—"
"What do you want this time?" asked Makoto after sighing.
"Well, you see, I was wondering if you wanted to join the basketball team with me. I mean, you're really talented—you would definitely add to the team's strength."
"No thanks. I don't think you've heard from your upperclassmen, but I quit basketball over a year ago, and I'm not going to play again. I swore an oath to myself."
"B-but you played with us today, and you seemed happy while playing."
"I only played today as a favor to you, not for myself," said Makoto.
"I understand what you mean, but couldn't you please reconsider? We really need you," said Shino, trying to convince him.
"No. I'm leaving now. See you around," said Makoto as he walked away.
"I don't know what to do to get him to join… What will it take?" Shino asked himself.
"Thanks again! We hope you come shopping here again soon," said the cashier.
"That's everything on the list. Time to go home," said Tetsuo.
"I'm home," said Tetsuo as he took off his shoes.
"Welcome home, big brother! I prepared a bath for you, and I'm currently making our dinner. You can go ahead and take your bath," said Usagi.
"Thank you, Usagi."
"Sometimes I forget how young she is… She's grown a lot," thought Tetsuo to himself.
"Well then, I think it's about time I got out," Tetsuo said as he finished his bath, dried himself off, and put on his clothes.
"Oh, you're done! Please sit down—I prepared your favorite today: curry and rice balls with a touch of vegetables for a balanced meal," said Usagi.
"Thanks for the meal," said Tetsuo as he began eating.
"So, how was school today?" asked Usagi.
"It went well, like any other day," said Tetsuo.
"Big brother, couldn't you give me more details?"
"Well, I met a lot of my peers who are enthusiastic about attending Toshigawa Academy for sports and club activities, and I also played basketball during gym today."
"That's great! Wait—on that topic, did you sign up for the basketball team?" asked Usagi.
"I was asked to join by my seniors, but I turned them down."
"Why would you do that?"
"I have a lot of responsibilities, like my part-time job, to make sure we don't run out of money. And you are my top priority. As long as you're happy, I don't need basketball," said Tetsuo.
"You don't understand, do you? My happiness came from the smile you used to have when we were kids. You loved playing basketball with our father, and I would stand there and watch you laugh, smile, and sometimes cry when you played with him.
"So you see, it's the same for me—your happiness is my happiness. So please, join the basketball team for your own sake," said Usagi, tears in her eyes.
"But… didn't we come here to change? We're not here to dwell on the past—we're here to become better versions of ourselves."
"I want you to be happy like back then, so please, just join. I don't want to be the only one that's happy—I want to see you smile every once in a while too," said Usagi.
"I understand… I'll give it some thought. So, how was your day? Did everything go well?"
"Well, technically, yes. I made three friends today. However, a girl in my class seems to have a problem with me, and it's only the second day."
"Oh, I see. The best course of action is for you to avoid her so things don't escalate between you two."
"I know—I'll be careful."
"I'm going to clean up now," said Tetsuo as he picked up his plate.
"No, leave it to me! Go ahead and rest," said Usagi.
"Okay. Goodnight, my sister."
The next morning, at the start of another school day, Sachiko knocked on the door of the student council room.
"Morning. Is anyone here?"
"Come on in, Takahashi. I've been expecting you. I'm glad to see that you came. So, you're interested in becoming a student council member, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"I ran some background checks on all the first-year students, and I found that you're the most suitable candidate to become the next vice president.
"You come from a wealthy background, you were the student council president at your junior high school, you're beautiful, you're intelligent, people will actually listen to you, and you're a critical thinker. There is no one else more suitable for this position," said Yoshida.
"However, it comes with a lot of responsibilities, so if you're willing to put in the hard work and time, that would be ideal.
"So then, will you become the vice president?"
"I will gladly take on this role," said Sachiko.
"Good. Now then, there's a matter I'd like for you to handle for me. Think of it as your first task as vice president."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Out of all the first-year students, there's one guy that stands out—Tetsuo Kawaguchi. There's no background information on him, but as we know, he got a perfect score on the entrance exams.
"Since both of you are in the same class, I want you to find out more about him and also convince him to join the student council. His input would definitely help this school correct any issues that may arise.
"So, will you take on this task?" asked Yoshida.
"How am I going to convince him to join the student council when I can't even hold a simple conversation with him? But… I have to do this," Sachiko thought to herself as she made a decision.
"I will do my best to convince him to join the student council."
"Okay. I'm counting on you, Sachiko."