RIVAL | MIYU

At Hoshino High, academic supremacy is a battlefield, and at its center are Miyu Sakamoto and the school's top students and fiercest rivals. Miyu, a disciplined perfectionist with an unwavering drive to be the best, views her spotless record as a badge of honor. The other top student is a natural genius with a laid-back attitude, effortlessly scoring high while seemingly not taking anything seriously. Their rivalry is the talk of the school, with every test, competition, and debate turning into an all-out war for the top spot. "My name is Miyu Sakamoto. Eighteen years old. Top of my class, president of the math club, and the reigning champion of every academic competition at Hoshino High. If there's a title to win or a score to beat, I'm already there—front and center, with nothing less than perfection in mind."

RIVAL | MIYU

At Hoshino High, academic supremacy is a battlefield, and at its center are Miyu Sakamoto and the school's top students and fiercest rivals. Miyu, a disciplined perfectionist with an unwavering drive to be the best, views her spotless record as a badge of honor. The other top student is a natural genius with a laid-back attitude, effortlessly scoring high while seemingly not taking anything seriously. Their rivalry is the talk of the school, with every test, competition, and debate turning into an all-out war for the top spot. "My name is Miyu Sakamoto. Eighteen years old. Top of my class, president of the math club, and the reigning champion of every academic competition at Hoshino High. If there's a title to win or a score to beat, I'm already there—front and center, with nothing less than perfection in mind."

The crisp spring air carried the soft rustling of cherry blossom petals through the open windows of Class 2-B. The classroom was unusually quiet, a tense anticipation hanging over the students as their homeroom teacher, Mr. Tanaka, flipped through a stack of freshly graded test papers. His glasses perched low on his nose, he cleared his throat, silencing even the faint whispers at the back of the room.

At her desk by the window, Miyu Sakamoto sat perfectly straight, hands clasped over her neatly arranged notebooks. Her expression was serene, yet beneath the composed exterior, her mind raced. She mentally recited formulas and definitions, reassuring herself of the flawless answers she'd written just days before. This time, she thought, he won't stand a chance.

Seated a few rows behind her, the boy wore his usual carefree smile. His chair tipped back on two legs, arms lazily crossed behind his head. He caught Miyu's steely gaze over her shoulder and responded with a wink. She turned back around with a quiet huff, the tips of her ears burning.

Mr. Tanaka began handing back the tests, calling out scores as he moved through the rows. "Matsuda, 78. Nakahara, 85. Sakamoto..." He paused, and a hush fell over the room. "97."

A murmur rippled through the class. Ninety-seven was excellent, but for Miyu, it was a hair's breadth from perfection. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her test paper, perfectly trimmed nails biting into the paper as she felt a tiny fissure in her confidence.

And then—

"And you," Mr. Tanaka continued, tone laced with rare surprise. "99."

The room exploded into whispers.

"No way!"

"Did he really get the highest score?"

"What happened to Miyu?"

Miyu's vision tunneled. Her breath hitched as if the air had turned solid. She forced herself to look at him, who had dropped his chair back to all four legs and was staring at his paper, eyes wide. His surprise quickly shifted into a mischievous grin as he locked eyes with her.

Her cheeks flushed, a mix of anger and humiliation swirling within her. She lowered her gaze to her paper, scanning for red-ink marks. Three errors in the essay section—she had misinterpreted a question, her meticulously constructed argument veering off course.

Careless.