Ao no Hako Prologue

Third-year junior high student Taiki Inomata ends his final middle school badminton tournament with a bitter defeat, leaving him restless and deeply unsatisfied. During the summer break, he spends his days at school working through assignments alongside his friends Kyou and Hina. Hoping to shake off the lingering disappointment of the season, Hina suggests they do something memorable to celebrate their last summer together before graduation. While the group debates what kind of adventure might still be possible so late in the season, Taiki decides to clear his head by heading to the courts for some solitary practice. What begins as a routine training session takes an unexpected turn when his club advisor approaches him with surprising news: starting the very next day, Taiki is invited to join the high school squad’s official practices. This sudden opportunity sets the stage for a transformative shift in his athletic journey just as his middle school years draw to a close. Beyond Taiki’s story, this volume also explores formative chapters from the pasts of Yumeka, Hariu, and Karen during their own junior high days. Serving as a prelude to the main narrative, this light novel captures the exact moment where youth truly begins to unfold.