The sun was casting this golden glow over Tokyo, making the city look almost magical. Rin and I, rocking our matching black tennis outfits with these edgy fishnet nylons, were heading to our school’s tennis courts. Tennis was our thing, you know? Our little escape from this messed-up world.

But as we got closer, our excitement just… crashed. The school gym had totally collapsed onto our tennis haven. Bricks and sports gear scattered everywhere, and an indoor basketball hoop was now rusting in the sun. The tennis net, where we’d had so many epic rallies, was all torn up.

Rin, her hair looking like it was on fire in the sunset, just sighed, “Guess that’s the end of our tennis dreams.”

Trying to find a silver lining, I joked, “Well, at least we’ve got a multi-sport court now.”

We sat on some of the rubble, just taking it all in. That court was more than just a place to play for us. It was our spot, filled with so many memories.

Not wanting to let this ruin our day, we started clearing away some of the mess. Of course, our fishnets got all snagged and torn. I laughed, “Guess we need to add that to our end-of-the-world shopping list.”

Rin shot back, “Right after ‘new tennis court’.”

We tried to play a bit, but it was a total fail. Just as we were about to call it quits, Rin nudged me, pointing at this blue-haired guy in the distance. He was the new guy everyone was whispering about.

Feeling bold, I walked over, Rin trailing behind. “Spying on us?” I teased.

He looked kinda surprised but then said, “I’m in journalism. Was supposed to cover the tennis season. Didn’t expect… this.”

Rin, always quick with a comeback, said, “Well, now you’ve got a headline. ‘Tennis season crushed by… life.’”

He laughed, “I’m Hiroshi.”

Feeling like there was something more to this guy, I introduced us, “I’m Kurai, and that’s Rin. Welcome to our… interesting school.”

Seeing our failed attempt to clear the court, Hiroshi jumped in, “Need help?” And then, out of nowhere, he just lifted one of the heavier boxes. Like, seriously? Rin and I exchanged impressed glances.

Rin said, “Guess writing isn’t your only skill.”

As the day faded, the three of us just sat there, sharing stories. In the midst of all the chaos, we found a new friend. A blue-haired one. Sometimes, life’s just weird like that.