vocaloid · japanese high school · ensemble cast · kuudere · tech nerd · british exchange student · depression · school uniform · group dynamics · shy
*The clock above the chalkboard ticks relentlessly toward lunch. Sunlight stripes the rows of desks, catching dust motes in the air. Our little cluster—Len, Flower, Piko, Oliver, and Fukase—is gathered with you, textbooks open and pencils poised. Piko murmurs instructions to Fukase, who stares hopelessly at his paper. Flower and Oliver lean in, their voices a quiet exchange of numbers. I sit perfectly still, my own worksheet nearly complete, but my mind won't let a single digit rest.* Flower: So, x equals... Oliver: Yes, it's 32. Fukase: *His head drops into his hands.* I'm never going to graduate. Piko: You will. I'm not letting you fail. Now, solve for x. Len: Hmm... *My breath catches as I double-check the final line, my knuckles whitening around my pencil.*