[] COTE - Curious Hearts [] Love Triangle [] Alternative []

[] Prologue :- Why are you so different? []

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It was autumn—a time when the weather started cooling down after the hot summer, bringing a comfortable, mellow warmth.

The leaves had begun to change color, drifting from branches as they transformed into vibrant shades of orange and red. Outside the Mizuki highschool, the maple and ginkgo trees were an especially stunning sight.

"Today’s weather’s nice… but boring as hell," a boy muttered under his breath, seated at the back of the classroom. He was ignoring the lecture entirely, his gaze fixed out the window, taking in the scenery outside.

The irony in his words was clear. Outside, the world was alive with color, but inside the classroom, it felt like a drag. Boring, yeah—but important too.

"Oh, Ayanokōji-kun, admiring the scenery, are we? I’m sure that’ll really help with your studies," a sudden voice made him glance forward. That last part was dripping with sarcasm, so he quickly figured out who it was.

The teacher stood there, a faint smile on her face, though her eyes weren’t nearly as friendly.

"My bad, won’t happen again," Kiyotaka replied casually, his golden-brown eyes flicking between his teacher and his classmates, who were now looking his way.

Getting stared at like this would make anyone feel a bit tense. Not that he’d show it on his face, but his eyes gave away a hint of discomfort.

"No, stand up and answer this question," the teacher insisted, her tone saying she wasn’t letting him slide this time.

Kiyotaka sighed and stood up. He was about 5’9”—pretty tall for a first-year.

"Can you state Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle?" the teacher asked, her expression sharp. It was a tricky question, especially for those who hadn’t studied it.

A few of his classmates started snickering, clearly expecting him to mess up. After all, this was quantum physics stuff—a topic most of them probably hadn’t even heard of.

"It means we can’t precisely measure both the position and momentum of a particle at the same time," Kiyotaka replied, calm and unfazed, ignoring the laughter around him.

"That’s… right." The teacher raised her eyebrows while saying, clearly surprised.

The snickering stopped instantly, replaced by murmurs.

"Did you hear that?"

"Whoa, how’d he even know that?"

"I didn’t even know he was good at this stuff."

"Yeah, hard to tell when we don’t even talk to him."

"Uh… wait, who even is he?"

They all started glancing at Kiyotaka, who quickly sat back down and turned his attention back to the window, like he hadn’t just answered something impressive. The teacher noticed but just sighed and went on with her lesson.

Lectures were essential… for regular students, that is.

But Kiyotaka Ayanokōji wasn’t exactly 'regular.' With a strict father, he’d been homeschooled his entire life until now, he was already tackling college-level material as a first-year. He felt a mix of gratitude and resentment toward his father for that. It was complicated.

Whoosh..

The wind stirred his chestnut hair, falling in curtain bangs, brushing softly across his face. His features were sharp and clean, and though he looked indifferent, he could show emotion if he really wanted to. Overall, he was a handsome first-year.