Staring at the electronic billboard, I couldn't help but grin. It wasn't just a normal one, though; it was a very wide grin—the kind that would make people call me a weirdo if they saw me, and I honestly wouldn't even blame them.
You might ask why I had such a weird smile. Oh, it was for one simple reason.
I'm finally free.
I suppose those were the words that any teenager or young adult wanted to say most, but in truth, I embodied those words.
At any rate, people dispersed on entering EHS. They were looking for their classes—some were in groups; it seemed some people had already made friends.
I'm lagging behind in that aspect.
"Heugh," I sighed at my predicament and eased my mind by admiring the campus.
I took a leisurely walk around to fully encapsulate the campus's beauty.
The campus was vibrant, blending exotic plants with traditional architecture, coupled with futuristic buildings. You see, the campus truly combined all the amazing aspects of Japan.
Students filled the walkways, their chatter adding to the lively atmosphere.
Well, that was to be expected, as each grade level had 5 classes, and each class had 50 students. About 750 students in total.
There were a lot of cameras on campus despite the school promoting student autonomy.
Though it could be because of their anti-bullying policy, it might as well be because of that point system that they didn't explain.
Hmm.
Anyway, the school used the lowercase letters of the Greek alphabet to rank each class, from alpha (α) to epsilon (ε).
I checked my phone to see my class placement; it seemed I was placed in Class Epsilon, the lowest-ranked class.
Damn, I'm going to end up with a bunch of delinquents. Well, I should probably be fine if I just stay clear of them… or should I attempt befriending them?
…Nah!
According to rumours, the school ranks you by how useful you would be to society. Well, by that logic, I was basically useless, wasn't I?
"Talk about a reality check," I said while scratching my head.
Most would have argued or would have entered a state of despair, but I was sure that, aside from it being just a rumour, there was a probable fact that the schooling experience would probably not be too different.
Though I suppose it was not about the different schooling experience, it was about pride.
Yes, it would have been a humbling, or rather, an eye-opening experience for anyone, so it really made me feel bad for the other new students.
Hmm? What about me?
I supposed that this outcome was to be expected, as I was more than likely the most useless and uninteresting person here.
You see, I sucked at almost everything and didn't even have the looks to compensate. Quite sad, wasn't it?
Enough with the depressing talk; let me at least see the class.
With the help of the map on my phone, I managed to navigate around the school and find my class.
As I went to the first-year school block, I saw the girl from the train as she was entering a class that was far back in the hallway; the class was Class Alpha, the highest-ranked class.
Wow, she must be, like, super smart.
My class was not as far back as hers; actually, it was the first one in the hallway.
Anyway, I entered the class that clearly said "Epsilon"; outside the class was a list of students, and of course, I was part of that list.
Through the list, it seemed I was also the only new student—I knew as much because my name had the word 'new' in brackets.
No use thinking otherwise; I'm a student of Class Epsilon.
I slipped in through the back door, as it would be awkward to just enter through the front while everyone was seated.
On entering, I was immediately put in a state of awe—I couldn't believe the sheer number of times that had occurred today.
The interior of the classroom was well-lit, having ambient lighting—the seats were also well cushioned, with all the tables being well arranged and polished.
Though the term 'classroom' is an understatement, it was more of a lecture hall, considering it had to house 50 students.
However, on entry into the classroom, I found something a bit disheartening.
I found out that everyone was dressed similarly to me—no one had a blazer on, the boys opened their shirts, and the girls raised their skirts to thigh level; some didn't even wear the school skirt.
Huh? That's weird; everyone is dressed cool? Is everyone here really a delinquent? Maybe the school's authority is shaky.
Nah, it's probably because the school allows us to dress how we want.
It seemed I failed at appearing special or different because everyone was in a conversation, and no one noticed me in the slightest.
"Heugh," I let out a deep sigh, but alas, no one noticed.
I went to the only open desk—it was the last desk on the left, on the row beside the window. Well, the windows were blocked by a curtain, except for that particular seat, the famous chair known as 'The Protagonist Seat'.
"Not that I would call myself a protagonist, though," I said to no one in particular. I suppose it was kind of cringy saying that thing out loud, right?
Despite my talking out loud while sitting at my desk, I wasn't heard because my neighbour on my right side wasn't in their seat.
They're probably talking to a friend.
I became a bit depressed immediately after having such a thought.
Ahh, a friend.
I wish I had one. I mean, Hiro's my friend, but we haven't seen each other for 6 years, so I'm not sure how things will turn out when we meet each other.
That being said, the students in my class all seemed well acquainted. Well, that's a given since it was the second term.
It seemed like this term might end up being a hard term for me as the only transfer student in this class, because breaking into social groups would take some effort.
I spent some time looking out the window—the campus really was amazing; I still couldn't believe I would be living here for 3 years.
Nice.
After some time, a blonde-haired woman with blue eyes entered the class and went to the podium.
I presumed she was our homeroom teacher, though she appeared way too small and squeamish.
She couldn't be taller than 4'10. Despite wearing an office suit and a pencil skirt with black leggings, she looked like a middle schooler.
You would probably think she was a kid; the only thing not childlike was her assets.
Wasn't it a mistake to put a small, probably weak-willed person in charge of a class full of delinquents?
With her entrance, everyone went to their seats and kept quiet like she was some dictator.
Despite her stature and appearance, she somehow managed to command the room like a seasoned soldier.
I wonder what she did to make them like that.
"Good morning, class. I hope you had a wonderful break. Now, before I begin addressing the new term, we have a new student. Why don't you come and introduce yourself?" She said in a tone devoid of emotion.
From her voice, she already sounds dead. She sounds like she's at a dead-end job.
Maybe no one complains precisely because they pity her; she sounds like she could collapse any second, though she doesn't look pale in the slightest.
"Nakamura?" She looked intently at me; I wasted too much time thinking.
"Sorry, I'm on my way," I said, standing up from my chair.
This was a crucial moment; a first impression is what creates most of your initial image.
This was especially the case if your spectators were female. Therefore, I had to make a spectacular first impression.
I'm sure when I do this, everyone will smile and want to be friends with me.
As I arrived at the front of the class, I took a short bow and grinned.
"Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Nakamura Eiya, and I'm open to accepting love letters," I spread my hands wide with a large grin on my face.
I felt a bit nervous, but my execution of the line was spot on. I was quoting my favourite protagonist, Shindou Umi.
He was the titular protagonist of the hit manga known as Dating for Life.
He happened to say these exact words when he transferred to a new school in the first chapter, and when he said this, everyone laughed.
It also led to the main conflict of the story, and all the other things that occurred happened because of this introduction.
With this, you can imagine my shock when, in my case, everyone stiffened up; no one even let out a chuckle, a snicker, or even a faint smile. All that was there was unwelcome silence.
"..."
Huh?
"You can go back to your seat now, Nakamura," my homeroom teacher said, her voice still devoid of emotion, almost sounding robotic.
"Yes, ma'am," I straightened up and went back to my seat.
Damn, tough crowd.
"I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Riko Jackson, I am British-Japanese, and I am the homeroom teacher of Class 1-Epsilon," she took a deep breath and continued her speech.
"As we are all aware, we are in the second term of this academic year. I don't need to remind you that you are the bottom class. So, make my job easier and try to be more attentive and intentional in everything you do," she sighed, then continued.
"Enjoy your day; there isn't any class today. However, it is mandatory to stay in class."
She took quick strides out of the class, as if in a hurry. She must have really hated staying in class, though that wasn't really what was on my mind.
Mandatory to stay in class? What about the so-called student autonomy?
"Heugh," I let out a deep sigh.
"Well, that's a heavy sigh," my neighbour said after I sighed. "You sound like an old man."
The voice that reached my ears was soft and pleasant to hear—I could basically hear it all day and still wouldn't feel tired.
Yeah, it was that kind of voice. Anyway, the voice resembled a female's, so it was safe to say my neighbour was a girl.
I didn't notice her when she sat down, so I didn't see her face.
I was about to answer her retort when a tall boy with alpine-green hair came to the podium.
His hair spiked up wildly against his fair, clear skin, and he stood perfectly straight. He was also one of the few students to wear his full uniform.
"As most of you are aware, I'm Ito Yuuto, the class president. Let's work together this term—and try not to break any rules. We lost Kobayashi Shin last term over something small, so let's not repeat that. Anyway, we have a new student, Nakamura-san; let's all welcome him," he said with a warm smile.
As he said those words, my classmates immediately complied, clapping away without hesitation.
Huh? Everyone clapped instantaneously? Who is this Ito guy? I suppose that question is redundant, as he already answered that.
But I find it surprising that despite looking like he's a popular ikemen known for being snobbish, he carries a calm, mature aura.
Ito strode back to his seat with effortless poise, his shoulders squared and his gaze steady.
As he passed, a few girls leaned forward, whispering behind cupped hands, their glances lingering on him like moths drawn to a flame.
I glanced over at him; our eyes met for a moment, but I quickly turned away as he sent me another warm smile.
Even I couldn't help but feel the weight of his presence—a mix of quiet authority and self-assured charisma.
I actually felt envious of his natural charisma.
After Ito left the podium, a girl with short red hair came to it.
She had short red hair that didn't reach her shoulders, with a lean build and good curves.
She also wore her uniform very casually without a tie and with a short box-pleated skirt. She looked bubbly, charismatic, and, dare I say it, cute. She had a red hairpin—it was a rose.
"Heyo! I'm Kagurazaka Akane, but you can just call me Kagura. Also, I'm the vice class prez. Most of you know that, but Nakamura-kun is new around here, so I might as well introduce myself," she said enthusiastically.
Vice class president? I guess that is the class president's assistant.
To think she occupied such a role is astonishing; she looks way too dum—I mean, nice for class politics, though, isn't intelligence a needed sector for such a position?
Well, that's just my opinion.
"Anyway, I'm sure most of you already know all this, but my hobbies are hanging out with people and... that's about it. I'm not particularly good at anything, though that might be why I'm in this class," she chuckled, and some people joined in with her.
So that's funny, and mine's not?
Talk about a biased crowd.
"Anyway, that's all I wanna say, so I'm going back to my seat."
Kagurazaka Akane doesn't seem as well put together as Ito, though; from the looks of it, she must be popular or something.
I guessed as much because she had a certain aura that just emitted confidence and self-assurance as well as enthusiasm.
After Kagurazaka went back to her seat, the classroom went into a chatter.
I wanted to make friends, but it felt too presumptuous of me to force my way into a conversation, so I sat quietly in my seat.
Moreover, I still felt kind of tired, so I rested for the time being.
"How was your break?" a girl asked my neighbour on my right side.
"It's alright, I guess. I went shopping every day, so it got kind of monotonous," my neighbour replied.
"I see, that's—"
"Yo Suzuki, what's up?" The girl who was visiting my neighbour was interrupted by a boy with red hair.
Aside from his weirdly black eyes, he had no distinguishing characteristics and dressed just as casually as the other boys.
Black eyes?
"Hey, Innō," my neighbour replied. It seemed she was quite acquainted with a number of people.
"Hey, don't interrupt me, Innō!" The other girl entered the conversation.
"Chill out, Kato. I mean, it's not like I'm going to take her away or something," he joked. "Or are you calling me a thief?"
"Yes, because you're trying to steal my best friend. Don't think I didn't notice you during the break—"
And that was when I took a nap. I didn't really want to eavesdrop, and the conversation was honestly pretty boring.
The nap I took was later disturbed when my neighbour's shoulder hit my rib.
"Pwoo!" I let out a lot of air and suddenly woke up. "What the hell?"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Seems like she was laughing and mistakenly hit me.
I thought about giving her a piece of my mind, but what would be the point?
Well, I lost the supposed tiredness I had, so I started looking around for something to do. I happened to see some boys talking beside me.
"Dude, I got a new game," said a boy with glasses who looked like a textbook otaku.
"Which one?" replied a magenta-haired boy.
"Murvel's Spuder-Man 2."
"For real?"
"For real, for real. How much was it?"
"Oh, it was 15,000 RP."
"Dude, I've got to borrow it from you."
"Borrow? Oh, hell no."
"Come on, bro, please! I gave you my Zelda, didn't I?"
"Well…"
They were talking about some games; I would have joined if I could, but I wasn't a gamer, and I knew absolutely nothing about games, so I sat there.
I rested my head on my table, about to drift back to sleep.
"So, anyway, I got a question for you. Small, medium, or big?" asked the magenta-haired boy.
"Big," replied the boy with glasses.
"Dude, medium is premium."
"Boobs are at their best when big."
"No, medium so they can fit in your hands."
"No, big so your hand will get sucked in."
"Medium!!!"
"Big!!!"
These guys are shouting about this subject so loudly in class. What the hell?!
These guys switched from games to a woman's chest wayyy too quickly.
Not to add, they talk about it so frivolously; do they not have shame? I mean, I think about it too, but…
I looked up at them just to see them still in an argument. The girls beside them looked at them with disgust.
I escaped the shameful scene by drifting to sleep. After some time, the bell rang, and I awoke from my slumber; it felt like déjà vu from this morning.
"…Bland."
As I looked around to see who spoke, I glanced at my neighbour on my right side, expecting her to be a quiet student considering her comment, but her appearance and etiquette said otherwise.
I didn't pay attention to her before, so I didn't notice, though her violent laugh should have been an indicator. When she realized I heard her, she grinned.
"Bland?"
"Oh, sorry, I was thinking out loud. Hey, I'm Suzuki Aiya. Nakamura Eiya, right?" She grinned, offering me her hand to shake.
She looks like those gyarus that I've read about.
She had brown hair tied into a ponytail, secured with a pink hair tie and a matching wristband. She also painted her fingernails lime.
Her skirt was short, and instead of the school's brown bow tie with white stripes, she wore a pink one.
Her tanned skin and loose socks made it clear—she exemplified the word gyaru.
Whoa!
"Are you just gonna leave me hanging or…"
"Oh, sorry. So, what's up?" I shook her hand.
"It's just that you were asleep for a long-ass time. Also, I heard from my friends that I hit you when I was laughing, so sorry about that."
"Nah, it's fine. As for my long nap, I'm just kind of tired, you know."
"Tired, huh?" She had a huge grin.
"Yeah, really tired."
"Why is that? Were you doing something yesterday, maybe something naughty, eh?" She said, using her shoulder to jab my chest.
"N-no, I was just sleeping like a normal person."
"Sure, I totally believe you," she rolled her eyes slowly.
Hey, that's obvious sarcasm!
"So, Nakamura-kun, care to prove that you weren't involved in any raunchy behaviour?"
"Uh, um, well… I'm a virgin, so there's no way I did that stuff!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"I see," Suzuki replied calmly as she grinned.
It was then that I realized that almost the entire class heard me scream that out.
I just wanna crawl into a hole and die.
"Well, that was fun, but I ought to be heading to lunch, so see you around, Nakamura-kun," she waved, leaving the class.
In truth, I never found out why she called me bland, at least not that day or anytime soon.
Though that wasn't my concern for now. I had… other things to worry about.
I totally just embarrassed myself; now no one will want to be friends with me.
Yes, this was more important. And I was right; no one approached me for lunch.
Most stared at me awkwardly or just straight up left the class.
"Heugh," I sighed. "Just how many times will I sigh today?"
I finally found the energy to stand up and followed the biggest crowd, assuming they were heading to the cafeteria.
They're probably heading there… Or maybe they wanna use the toilet? Meh, I wouldn't mind either way cuz that coffee wants to leave my system real soon.
I conveniently forgot that I had the map of the school on my phone, so I blindly followed the crowd.
I happened to be right, and they were heading to the cafeteria.
On reaching the cafeteria, I was so flabbergasted that I could barely keep my jaw from falling.
It had soft cushions instead of metal seats. It smelled like a restaurant rather than a high school cafeteria. That's not all; it also had—
Ahem. To put it simply, the cafeteria was the largest one I'd ever seen.
***
Author's Note:
Yo! You miss me? Hope you did, because you'll hear my annoying voice after every chapter from now on.
Also, about that Spider-Man reference, I used a fake name because I don't know how copyright laws work, so correct me if I can use the real name.
Also, about that boob job, want to know what's funny? That happened irl when I was in my first year of middle school, and I was on the side of bigger boobs while my friend was on the medium side—he even made that 'medium is premium' joke.
And in case you were wondering, I'm not some old man. I'm actually pretty young, like, super young—well, not that young, but it's the sentiment that counts.
Also, I hope you loved this chapter; it got revised quite a number of times. Anyway, see you in the next one.
Bye-bye (btw, I'm male and straight if you were wondering).