Chapter Text
The winter air of Nagano carried a quiet chill as snow slowly drifted from the dark evening sky. Far from the busy streets and crowded cities, a large traditional mansion stood peacefully at the edge of a mountain forest, its warm golden lights glowing softly against the white landscape.
The Sawamura Estate.
Elegant yet silent, the mansion looked more like something from an old painting than a modern home. Wooden hallways stretched endlessly beneath dim lanterns, the scent of cedar and fresh tea lingering in the air. Expensive decorations and ancient calligraphy filled the rooms, but despite the mansion’s beauty, it felt strangely lonely.
Inside one of the quiet rooms on the second floor, only the soft sound of pages turning could be heard.
A young boy sat near the window with perfect posture, completely absorbed in a thick book resting on his lap. Snow reflected faintly in his deep amber eyes as he calmly read line after line without the slightest sign of struggle.
Sawamura Eijun.
At only eight years old, he already carried an atmosphere far beyond his age.
His dark brown hair fell slightly over his eyes, giving him a calm and distant appearance. Unlike most children, he showed little interest in toys or childish games. While others his age spent their days running outside, Eijun preferred silence—books, music, strategy games, and anything capable of stimulating his endlessly active mind.
The book in his hands was not a children’s story.
It was a university-level physics text.
Yet Eijun read it as casually as someone reading a picture book.
“…Interesting,” he murmured quietly to himself as he turned another page.
Outside, the wind brushed gently against the glass windows.
The mansion remained peaceful.
Then—
“EIJUN!”
A loud elderly voice suddenly echoed through the hallways.
The quiet atmosphere instantly shattered.
Eijun slowly blinked once before calmly closing his book.
Footsteps approached rapidly before the sliding door opened without warning.
An old man with sharp eyes and a strong build stood there with his arms crossed. Despite his age, his presence remained overwhelming, like a retired warrior who had never truly grown old.
Sawamura Eitoku.
Eijun’s grandfather.
“You’re reading again,” the old man grumbled. “Dinner’s been ready for ten minutes.”
Eijun looked at him quietly.
“You said dinner was at seven,” he replied calmly.
“It is seven.”
“It’s 6:52.”
“…Details.”
The old man clicked his tongue while Eijun let out a small sigh and placed a bookmark carefully inside the physics book before standing up.
His grandfather stared at the title of the book and frowned.
“…You understand that thing?”
“A little.”
“A little?” Eitoku muttered. “That’s university material.”
Eijun tilted his head slightly.
“It’s not difficult.”
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Eitoku burst into loud laughter.
“Hahaha! Monster brat.”
Eijun simply stared at him expressionlessly.
The old man wiped tears from his eyes before suddenly placing a rough hand on the boy’s head.
“You really are strange, Eijun.”
The boy remained silent.
Eitoku’s eyes softened slightly as he looked at his grandson.
Since the day Eijun was born, everyone around him had called him gifted. No matter what he learned, he mastered it almost instantly. Teachers praised him. Adults admired him. Other children either envied him or avoided him entirely.
But despite all that talent…
The boy never seemed happy.
Even now, his expression remained calm and unreadable, like nothing in the world could truly excite him.
“Come on,” Eitoku said while turning toward the hallway. “Your parents have something important to tell you.”
Eijun quietly followed behind him.
As they walked through the long wooden hallways of the mansion, warm light illuminated the polished floors beneath their feet. The smell of freshly cooked food drifted from the dining room ahead.
Yet somehow…
The atmosphere felt heavier than usual.
And without knowing why, Eijun felt that tonight would change his life forever.