Throughout the day, the academy buzzed with anticipation for the live broadcast.
Yet in the south wing building, four figures moved out of sync with the rest of the world.
— "You're going to be sweating before it even starts..." Giana muttered, adjusting her glasses as she crouched behind a metal crate.
Shigeo trembled. He was already wearing the journalism club staff uniform : black jacket, red armband, lapel mic clipped to his collar.
He wasn't ready. He knew it—his whole body screamed it.
He nearly puked breakfast when Mina casually opened the control room door.
— "You can always chicken out." Dante said, leaning against the wall.
Giana rolled her eyes.
— "Seriously ? Where'd you pull all that from ?"
— "From the guys I knocked out ten minutes ago."
Mina said nothing, her eyes fixed on the keys hanging from her belt.
The keyring felt like a necklace of thorns. Every jingle echoed like an alarm in her head.
She'd always hated betrayal—even when it was justified.
