Flashback end…
"Hey, isn't that guy totally hot?"
"Which one? ...Whoa, yeah, he's seriously gorgeous! Maybe on par with Kiba-kun, or even better!"
"Uh-huh. But he's wearing our uniform... Have we always had someone that good-looking?"
"Dude, check it out. Aren't those girls crazy cute?"
"Hell yeah, they are! One of 'em's a foreigner, right? Smoking hot."
"But have we ever seen cuties like that around here? They've got our uniform on, but I've never laid eyes on 'em before."
On the early morning path to school, such whispers reached the superhuman ears of Renya, Orihime, and Elfaria.
The three of them, blessed with looks far beyond the norm, stood out considerably, drawing the attention of boys and girls in Kuoh Academy uniforms who were likely fellow students.
"W-We're really standing out, huh..."
Orihime shrank back, seemingly embarrassed, but Renya merely shrugged his shoulders without a hint of concern.
"Yeah... Well, this'll die down soon enough. People aren't passionate enough to keep up the same topic for long."
"Ah, that's what they call 'A rumor lasts only seventy-five days,' right?"
"That's right. Though in reality, it's probably a lot shorter."
While having such a conversation, Renya and Elfaria moved along the school route, following the flow of other students. Checking the path, which they had confirmed beforehand was correct, they soon arrived at their destination: Kuoh Academy.
Just as they had checked the location beforehand, the grounds featured old and new school buildings separated by the club building and gymnasium. The grounds were spacious, with lush trees offering abundant natural beauty. As expected of a former all-girls elite school, its outward appearance hadn't lost its refinement even after going co-ed due to declining birthrates.
"So this is the school we'll be attending starting today, huh?"
Orihime murmured, looking out over the campus from the main gate. Having only ever attended ordinary schools before, this place seemed quite a novelty to her.
"So this is a school. It's my first time, but it's so lively."
Elfaria, who had never attended school before, watched with deep interest, seeing so many people her own age gathered in one place for the first time.
"Come on, Orihime, Elfie. Standing around here will just get in the way. Let's go."
Prompted by Renya, Orihime and Elfaria snapped back to attention and stepped onto the school grounds with him.
"Ah...! Renya, this is..."
"...Yeah, must be the other party."
Renya nodded at Elfaria's words, casting a slightly sharp gaze around the area. To their senses, the existence of a barrier erected over the academy stood out starkly.
'...This isn't a barrier aimed at us. Some kind of perception filter. I can feel it mainly around the old school building. If I recall correctly, that's where one of the local factions has their den. A barrier over a human world school... What the hell are they thinking?'
Renya understood that while it had no effect on those who knew of the world behind the veil, it was effective on ordinary humans—perhaps meant to sweep any inconvenient matters under the rug. But he understood... and deeply questioned what use a barrier that only worked on ordinary people actually served.
'Either they've caused enough trouble at school, or they just want to make themselves look good... No, come to think of it, a single student monopolizing the old school building is strange in itself. Is that what they're covering up? Either way, seems like the mask is gonna slip off real quick.'
As Renya mulled this over, glancing sidelong at the old school building, they quickly reached the new school building. He took another look at the place that would be their school from today onward.
"It feels kinda... unpleasant here..."
Perhaps Orihime sensed the atmosphere too; she murmured that and clutched at her chest.
Renya nodded before speaking.
"Alright, Orihime, Elfie. Once we change into our indoor shoes, we'll head to the faculty office together."
"Okay, Renya-kun."
"Okay, I understand."
Orihime and Elfaria nodded at Renya's words.
And so, the three of them lined up, changed from their outdoor shoes into the indoor shoes they had brought, and placed their outdoor shoes in the temporary guest shoe lockers as they'd been told. They then headed for the faculty office, the location of which the office clerk had informed them.
After introducing themselves to their homeroom teacher and receiving a brief explanation, they were guided to a second-year classroom.
"Alright then, please wait here for a moment."
Nodding back at the female teacher who said this, Renya and the others waited outside the classroom as she entered first.
"Okay, everyone, listen up! Before class starts, I'd like to introduce some new transfer students."
"Sensei! Are the transfer students cute girls?!"
"No, one boy and two girls."
The teacher's announcement of transfer students—a rare event in student life—caused an uproar.
One male student eagerly asked the question everyone wants to blurt out at least once, and the answer sent the boys into a frenzy of excitement.
"Sensei, well then, is the boy hot?!"
"That... you'll just have to see for yourselves, won't you?"
As Renya shrugged at the commotion, the female teacher's voice held a note of amusement as she replied to what was likely a question from a female student.
"Ahaha..."
"Why are they getting so worked up?"
Feeling the bar being raised arbitrarily, Orihime gave a strained laugh, while Elfaria, unfamiliar with such things, looked on with curiosity.
"Alright then, please come in."
Renya found the raised expectations regrettable, but since they were called, there was no helping it. He prompted Orihime and Elfaria, opened the door, and entered the classroom.
Feeling the gazes of students—both boys and girls—upon them, he stepped up onto the platform.
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