April.
The entrance ceremony.
I sat comfortably on the school bus, clicking my tongue as I felt the entire vehicle shake. I looked through the window and watched as the landscape shifted from area to area.
The sight changed from a large city to a bridge — one that stretched across a massive body of water. And on the other side of this bridge, I spotted another city — smaller, but I'd still consider it a city.
Most of the passengers were wearing the same uniform as me, meaning that they were fellow classmates — and the rest were probably staff. Unfortunately, with everyone's combined presence, it was becoming difficult to breathe.
…I was starting to feel a little claustrophobic.
That aside, the sky was perfectly blue, gleaming under the sun without any clouds to block the view. Yet, the tranquility of this sight was quickly interrupted by the voice of a fellow student.
"Uh…"
He probably wants to sit down…
I opened my left eye, glancing at the young man who was standing beside me.
This guy was… a little unappealing — but that was okay. There was nothing wrong with that. Besides, I'm barely average…
…I think.
Returning to the topic.
The boy's legs were shaking, which pretty much confirmed my previous assumption.
He definitely wants to sit down.
I suddenly nodded, prompting the anxious boy to make his request.
"Can I sit next…"
I called it.
Before the boy could finish, I slid to the side, offering him plenty of space.
"...oh—ah, thank you."
The boy nodded thankfully, lowering himself onto the edge of my seat… like, really on the edge! The entire left side of his body was hanging off!
Dear god…
Did he find my presence embarrassing?
"Sigh."
Well, there was nothing I could do.
The bus continued, weaving through buildings and roads before eventually arriving at its destination.
It came to a sudden stop, and through the window, I could see a large gate carved from natural stone.
This was Advanced Nurturing High School.
It was an elite school created by the Japanese government. Essentially acting as a mini-society where they could nurture Japan's youth and support the future of our country.
Interestingly enough, there were many celebrities who had graduated from this school, which greatly boosted its reputation.
Moreover, this was the school I'd be attending for the next three years. That's right, I was going to be a student at the very same school as national celebrities.
"..."
…still, despite my excitement, I'm a little hesitant.
I have never considered myself an impressive person. Sure, I've always been smart, but I could never stand amongst the best. Even in junior high school, there were many other impressive people. Surely, they should have been chosen instead.
But no, the government accepted me.
Maybe my grandpa is secretly rich — bribing the school to accept me…
"Mm."
I shook my head.
It didn't matter. There was no point pondering about useless things.
Even if my admission was a mistake, I would have no choice but to endure and make the most of this opportunity. After all, who else could say that they graduated from a government high school?
After a deep breath, I stepped forward, passing through the stone gate with a resolute expression.
—
—
—
Sliiiide!
I opened the classroom's door, momentarily observing what I saw inside. I noticed that the room was only about half full, meaning that many students still hadn't arrived.
Hmm…
Walking through the quiet room, I calmly approached the seat that had my nameplate on it. It was at the front left of the classroom, stationed to the right of a window.
The seat wasn't terrible — in fact, it was a window seat, which was fairly exciting. My only complaint is that it wasn't farther back, but even that wasn't important.
So, after briefly stretching my body, I plopped myself down.
Ouch.
The seat was a little uncomfortable.
It felt like my rear had been suddenly struck by a boulder.
"Guh…"
I quietly groaned into the crease of my arm, hoping it would muffle the sound and spare me from any embarrassment.
…
A few seconds passed.
Nobody noticed.
How lucky.
Students were either investigating the room or conversing with others. I felt envious, but only slightly. Normally, since it was the beginning of the school year, I would have joined them…
…But I didn't feel like it.
If I tried talking, I'd surely end up looking like a fool. After all, talking to an intellectual would tip the power dynamic, and most intellectuals were pompous and obnoxious.
They would make it crystal clear just how moronic I was, and with that in mind, I felt that it was smarter to keep my mouth shut.
After some time, the classroom filled with people. I listened closely as they placed their bags on the ground and slipped into their seats.
Once everyone was here, I turned my body, glancing at those seated nearby.
To my right, there seemed to be a cute girl with sky-blue irises. She wore a handmade beret that was no less crimson than her hair — with a small, black bow fastened to the fabric.
She had thick, expressive bangs which flowed neatly into a hush cut, its length reaching the bottom of her shoulder blade.
Her appearance was reminiscent of a Spider Lily — but a kind one, so maybe more of a red maple leaf.
Maple-san — yes, that nickname was perfect.
I shifted my focus onto the person behind me, raising an eyebrow as I analyzed their appearance.
This one was slightly more ordinary, with short black hair and average, onyx-colored eyes. After some deduction, It was safe to assume that the boy was a little shorter than me.
Additionally, this one seemed to have a cunning gleam in his eyes, like someone who could undress you intellectually — and read their intentions.
…perhaps "undressing" was an inappropriate term, but —
Ring!
Fortunately, the bell rang, drawing me out of my insignificant thoughts.
And at the same time, a mature woman wearing an unblemished suit entered the classroom, stepping toward the podium with her clicky black heel boots.
After clearing her throat, she introduced herself — and was a lot nicer than I expected.
"Ahem. Good morning, my students! My name is Ayane Kakizaki and I'm in charge of Class B! I don't teach any specific classes, but I'm the school's nurse, so rest assured if you're injured. Though, keep in mind that the nurse's office is usually quite busy."
This made my eyes narrow.
Busy? Are injuries common?
Maybe the less capable students were bullied by the intelligent. In that case… I felt slightly fearful.
After all, I didn't want to be bullied!
Their teacher continued.
"Since this school doesn't rearrange classes, I'll be with you for the next three years. I hope I'll get to properly know you all! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll distribute the list of special rules and the matriculation guide."