Crane Notes at the Moon Gate

Nao stepped into a school storeroom with dust on her shoes and a tune in her head that nobody there seemed able to hear. She had come undercover, but her real skill was worse for the people in charge. She could hear when old music had gone stale, and she could fix it in a way that made everyone notice. That first small change pulled her into clan games, a class vote, and a public drop in rank that she never asked for. Reika humiliated her in front of everyone, but Nao kept folding the paper crane that carried a message she had not fully read yet. Kazuya watched too closely, helped too little, and still felt like the only person in the room who understood the cost. By the time Nao stopped pre...