December 24, 2026.
The stadium was already filling with spectators.
In thirty-five minutes, the freshmen and seniors would step onto the ice and somehow convince a panel of judges that we knew what we were doing.
The problem?
Most of us had never touched an ice rink in our lives.
I stared at the frozen surface below.
Smooth.
Unforgiving.
One mistake and someone would end up flat on their back.
Ayame looked nervous.
Daiko looked tense.
Mei seemed unusually quiet.
Naoki stood calmly near the others, his expression unchanged as always.
That alone bothered me.
Every special exam.
Every game.
Every competition.
Somehow he was always there.
I filed the observation away for later.
There were more immediate problems.
Shuto and I stood a short distance away from the others.
He rubbed his chin while studying the rink.
"This doesn't look good," he said. "Most of us have never stepped on ice before. How are we supposed to improvise this?"
I kept my eyes on the freshmen.
"We have one piece that can change the board."
Shuto followed my gaze.
His eyes landed on Ayame.
Understanding immediately appeared on his face.
"I see."
He nodded.
"Considering what she did during the soccer match and her movement control, she's probably our best option."
Exactly.
Every team needed a focal point.
Someone who drew attention.
Someone the judges would remember.
"She'll be our center," I said.
"Our shining star."
Shuto thought for a moment.
"And the others?"
I quickly sorted through possibilities.
Daiko was obvious.
"Daiko is one of the strongest athletes in the school. He gives us speed and impact."
I paused.
"But he lacks control."
Daiko was powerful.
Power wasn't the same thing as precision.
"Mei is small and lightweight. Simple spins and controlled movements are probably the safest option."
Shuto nodded.
Then he asked,
"What about Naoki?"
I glanced toward him.
He was still standing there quietly.
Watching.
Observing.
Almost like he wasn't interested in the competition itself.
"Don't you think it's strange?" I asked.
"He's participated in every event so far."
Shuto looked surprised.
When I pointed it out, it sounded obvious.
But nobody seemed to notice.
Then again, most people only looked at what was directly in front of them.
Shuto shrugged.
"Maybe. But we've got bigger things to worry about."
He wasn't wrong.
We couldn't turn amateurs into professional figure skaters in half an hour.
Still.
Something about Naoki didn't sit right with me.
Before I could think further, Shuto spoke again.
"Ayame barely played soccer before the match."
I nodded.
"True."
"And she still helped us win."
I frowned.
"With help from Kei."
The name alone irritated me.
Shuto sighed immediately.
"What is it with you and Kei?"
I looked away.
"Nothing."
"That's a lie."
Of course it was.
Ever since the Survival Gauntlet, something had felt wrong.
Kei kept distancing himself.
Avoiding everyone.
Watching everything.
As if he was standing outside the class looking in.
Like none of us mattered.
Shuto folded his arms.
"Ever since that exam you've been paying way too much attention to him."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"We're supposed to be friends."
"Friends?"
The word sounded strange.
"He's the one who isolated himself."
"Maybe he has things going on that we don't know about."
"Or maybe," I replied, "he sees all of us as fools."
Shuto's expression hardened.
For once, he looked annoyed.
"Don't be a hypocrite."
I raised an eyebrow.
He continued.
"When Daiko got sick during the Survival Gauntlet, where were you?"
I already knew where this conversation was going.
"You chased after Kei."
I said nothing.
"When everyone needed you most."
Still nothing.
"And then you came back unconscious."
My jaw tightened slightly.
The memory flashed through my mind.
The forest.
The rain.
The fight.
Kei's eyes.
The impact.
Then darkness.
Shuto shook his head.
"And despite whatever happened, Kei brought you back safely."
If only he knew.
If only he understood what actually happened.
A laugh escaped me.
I couldn't stop it.
It sounded ridiculous hearing that version of events.
Shuto looked confused.
"What?"
I shook my head.
"Have you ever heard of the Puppeteer Age?"
His expression changed.
"Of course."
Everyone had.
Even first-years knew the stories.
Rumors.
Expulsions.
Manipulation.
Chaos.
The era ended two years ago when the student known as the Puppeteer graduated.
At least, that's what people said.
"What about it?" Shuto asked.
I looked toward the rink.
Then toward the crowd.
Then toward the students gathered around us.
Finally, my thoughts returned to Kei.
Every instinct I had told me the same thing.
Whenever I looked at him...
I felt something familiar.
Something dangerous.
"The Puppeteer Age is over," I said quietly.
"But every time I look at Kei..."
I paused.
"...I get the feeling it might return."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Shuto sighed.
"Well, that's a problem for another day."
He was right.
The seniors weren't going to defeat themselves.
Shuto called everyone over.
The freshmen gathered around us.
Ayame.
Daiko.
Mei.
Naoki.
The others.
Shuto pointed toward Ayame.
"Ayame, we need you to be our star."
She blinked.
"My what?"
"Our centerpiece."
I continued the explanation.
"You'll attract attention."
"Daiko supports you."
She looked surprised but nodded.
I glanced around the circle.
Then my eyes landed on an empty space.
Wait.
I looked up.
Naoki was standing outside the huddle.
Not listening.
Not talking.
Just staring toward the spectator seats.
Almost like he was searching for someone.
"Naoki."
He turned.
Shuto waved him over.
"Get over here."
Naoki finally joined us.
I pushed the strange feeling aside.
For now.
"We pair strong skaters with weak skaters," I said.
"Nobody moves alone."
Everyone nodded.
At least they understood that much.
I extended my fist toward the center.
"Alright."
The others followed.
One by one.
A circle formed.
For a brief moment, we actually looked like a team.
Shuto smiled.
"On three."
Everyone leaned in.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
"TEAM!"
The shout echoed through the stadium.
Our fists rose into the air.
Whether we were ready or not...
The next battle was about to begin.
(Over half an hour later)
Nearly an hour later, our turn finally arrived.
The seniors had already finished their performance.
The moment they stepped off the rink, applause echoed throughout the stadium. Even I had to admit it—Scarlet and the others were ridiculously good. Their movements looked effortless, like they'd been practicing for months instead of days.
Of course, that didn't stop them from throwing smug looks our way as they passed.
A few of them laughed.
Others openly mocked us.
As annoying as it was, they had earned the right.
We hadn't even figured out how we were going to start.
The moment our group stepped onto the ice, hesitation spread through the freshmen.
Nobody wanted to make the first move.
I glanced at Shuto.
He looked back at me.
Then I turned toward Daiko.
"Daiko," I said quietly. "You and Ayame take the lead. We'll follow your pace."
He nodded immediately.
Good.
At least someone understood what needed to be done.
Daiko skated toward Ayame and grabbed her shoulder. The two began rotating together through the center of the rink.
A second later, Daiko released her.
He launched himself backward into a clean backflip.
At the same moment, Ayame spun into a double axel.
A few murmurs came from the judges' table.
Even from a distance, I noticed Principal Sobu writing something down.
That was a good sign.
The opening worked.
From there, everyone settled into a rhythm.
Simple spins.
Simple formations.
Nothing flashy.
No unnecessary risks.
Just consistency.
The smartest way to survive an event none of us had practiced for.
As the routine continued, I found myself watching the entire rink instead of focusing on my own movements.
Everyone's positions.
Everyone's balance.
Everyone's timing.
The whole performance was one giant puzzle.
And somehow, the pieces were fitting together.
We were approaching the finale.
Shuto and Daiko exchanged a glance.
No words.
They didn't need any.
Those two understood each other almost instinctively.
Shuto suddenly halted and lowered himself.
Daiko immediately leapt over him.
Clean.
Smooth.
Perfect.
The crowd erupted into applause.
Then I noticed something.
Daiko was moving too fast.
His center of gravity shifted.
His footing became unstable.
Damn.
If he fell now, the entire formation would collapse.
Without thinking, Shuto and I moved.
We grabbed his shoulders simultaneously.
The three of us formed a small rotating circle before separating again.
The transition looked intentional.
Like it had been part of the choreography all along.
A lucky recovery.
Nothing more.
I exhaled slowly.
We're still alive.
For the final formation, everyone moved into position.
An inner circle.
An outer circle.
Together, we lifted Ayame into the air.
The centerpiece.
The final image.
The crowd went silent.
Then came the final signal.
I raised my hand.
Everyone moved.
The inner circle spun.
The outer circle shifted backward.
Everything lined up perfectly.
For one brief moment, I was sure we'd done it.
Then I heard it.
A thud.
My head snapped toward the sound.
Someone had fallen.
Naoki.
My eyes widened.
What?
That didn't make sense.
He wasn't performing anything difficult.
He wasn't part of the spinning group.
He wasn't carrying anyone.
He was stationed in the outer circle.
All he had to do was move backward.
So how did he fall?
The judges immediately began writing notes.
I felt my stomach sink.
The performance ended seconds later.
Naoki stood up and scratched the back of his head.
"My bad, everyone."
His smile looked casual.
Too casual.
But before I could think about it further, the scores were announced.
Freshmen: 7.5 out of 10.
Seniors: 9 out of 10.
The seniors erupted into celebration.
Meanwhile, most freshmen looked completely confused.
I couldn't blame them.
Something felt off.
As everyone began leaving, I noticed Scarlet laughing with her teammates.
Then suddenly she stopped.
Her expression froze.
I followed her gaze.
Mei.
She was staring directly at Scarlet.
No.
Not just Scarlet.
Naoki too.
The look in her eyes sent a chill down my spine.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't frustration.
It was something colder.
Something deeper.
For a brief second, I almost didn't recognize her.
Then she blinked.
And the expression disappeared.
Like it had never existed.
...
A few minutes later, Naoki quietly left the stadium.
"Better luck next time, right?" I said.
Nobody answered.
Shuto's eyes remained fixed on the exit.
"He faked it."
I frowned.
"What?"
"The fall."
His voice was certain.
"I was watching him the entire time."
"You sure?"
"I'm positive."
For the first time all day, Shuto looked genuinely irritated.
"I know the difference between losing balance and throwing yourself down."
A long silence followed.
Then he added:
"He sabotaged us."
My eyes narrowed.
Why?
What would he gain from that?
Without another word, I ran out of the stadium.
Fortunately, I spotted him before he got far.
"Naoki!"
He stopped.
I walked straight toward him.
"You were faking it, weren't you?"
No response.
"You cost us the match."
Still nothing.
"What were you thinking?"
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
Not guilty.
Not embarrassed.
Amused.
"If we'd won," he said, "the freshmen would've secured victory overall."
I frowned.
"So?"
"The next match would've been meaningless."
His smile widened.
"And that would've been disappointing."
Disappointing?
"What are you talking about?"
"I haven't even seen a fraction of his strength yet."
His strength?
Who?
Before I could ask, Naoki laughed quietly.
"Don't you think we should give the seniors a little hope first?"
His eyes gleamed.
"It'll make crushing them far more entertaining."
A black luxury car pulled up beside him.
The door opened automatically.
As he stepped inside, he spoke one final time.
"You have potential, Haruto."
I froze.
"But you're nowhere near as interesting as he is."
The door shut.
The car drove away.
Leaving me standing alone in the parking lot.
The clock on my phone read 1:57 PM.
The martial arts match would begin at six.
Yet that wasn't what occupied my thoughts.
Who was he talking about?
Why did it feel like the person I'd just spoken to wasn't the same Naoki I'd been seeing these past six days?
And more importantly...
Why did I feel like I had just glimpsed something much larger hiding beneath the surface of this school?