(Dazai Crowley's POV)
Cerulean Academy, Present Day
Ding dong, dong ding.
The school bell rang. Around that time, a woman wearing a white lab coat entered the room.
She looked to be in her late twenties, if not, early thirties and carried this mature air around her.
Her black hair swayed subtly at her every movement.
"Alright, settle down everyone. Homeroom is about to start and we got a lot to go over today. So do me a favor and let's make this quick."
A commanding presence has arrived.
The classroom immediately went silent.
"My name is Mrs. Gwein, and for the span of the next four years, I will be Class D's homeroom teacher. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Now as I said before, there is a lot to go over. However, before we get started with that, I would like to start us off with self introductions. This way we all can get to know each other a little bit."
Gwein clapped her hands together.
"Alright, is there anyone who wants to go first?"
At first, there were a couple of hesitant looks.
I myself included.
On the other hand though, one girl stands up, and with a special pep to her step to boot, might I add.
"Hii, hii, everyone!~ My name is Ryoku Varja and it's a great pleasure to meet all of you today. I do hope for the next years to come, we can all get along~"
With a bright pearly smile that seemed to melt away all of your insecurities, the girl winks and then bows.
On paper, it was a simple introduction followed by an elegant bow. Nothing more, nothing less. The way she handled it however was what made it different. Instead of facing the teacher, she turned around to face the students in particular.
By doing so, her introduction felt far less formal and alot more friendlier.
She seemed like the type of girl that anybody could approach and spark up a conversation with.
—I wonder if that includes me?
"Duuude, she looks pretty as hell."
"I know, right? I wonder if I could get her number sometime."
Naturally, a couple boys from amongst our class started whispering to each other.
It goes without saying—they were attracted to her.
Of course, I was no exception.
—No, that's would be phrasing it wrong.
It was more like, I understood "why" they were attracted. Put simply, Ryoku was cute looking. There was nothing more to it then that. However, that was not my point of focus. My gaze instead shifted to her long and perky ears.
Yeah, those characteristics were unmistakable.
"So...—we have an elf in our class today."
"Seems like it."
Ester broke her silence for a second, before flipping her book to the next page and continued reading. Others, however, continued to speak.
Another boy took the stage.
"The name's Asura. I may be single, but I'm young and ready to mingle. It's nice to meet you, ladies~"
He winked once.
A simple gesture to which made nearly every girl—and woman—in the room flinch in utter disgust.
The entire classroom fell into an awkward silence.
Mrs. Gwein cleared her throat, whilst concealing any other emotions she may have had at the time.
"Ahem. Please refrain from saying anything completely unnecessary from now on, please."
"...Ahahaha...—my bad teach."
Asura awkwardly rubbed his neck and sat down.
Atleast he was capable of reading the room.
Either way though—granted he brought this on himself—I felt somewhat sympathetic for him.
This feeling...
Is this what they call "secondhand embarrassment"?
Even the boy who sat next to him elbowed him.
It was then another girl in particular sighed and stood up while scratching her yellow hair.
"I guess that means its my turn or something, huh? Sigh, what a pain. Oh well, my name is Aisha Aizawa. I'm a second year here, but if I had to say something important about myself, I like to cook. Please take good care of me, or whatever."
The girl didn't smile, nor did she bow. Instead, it was as if she was treating this whole event as nothing more but an annoying chore.
I couldn't help but sense hostile intent from her.
Not intent directed at me specifically, but rather, something akin to a dog bearing it's fangs to all.
Atleast that's how I precieved her.
"—Fufufufu, what an unpleasant introduction."
Suddenly though, an interesting remark, along with a derogatory sneer of sorts, was voiced from across the other side of the room.
Our eyes turned towards the back of the class.
There, a certain girl smiled upon us while waving an ornamental paper fan across her face.
"Oh yeah? And who are "you" then?"
Naturally, Aisha was not pleased by her remark.
However, the girl in question merely chuckled.
"There is no need for me to introduce myself. I believe my name should have already been spread and known far and wide across the world."
"Sorry, lady, but I've never heard of you in my life."
"I see. Then perhaps that alone is proof you live under a rock, no?"
"Excuse me!?"
The girl then closes her fan and smiles yet again.
"Hmph, fine then. I sometimes forget that there are a bunch of uneducated monkeys roaming this earth. And for that, I must sincerely apologize. In that case, allow me to properly introduce myself."
Whilst annoucing a comment—that dreadfully teetered the line of outright racism—the girl then stands up and flips her hair proudly.
"My name is Esmes Montoya. And I am a woman who is destined for great things that you peons cannot even begin to fathom. Never fear though. I have every intention to lead our generation into a bright future, so it would be in your best interest to befriend me while you still can. And don't you dare forget it. Fufufu!~"
The girl laughs haughtily.
"—Ugh, forget I even asked."
Aisha rolls her eyes and returns to her seat.
"Well, that was....—quite the introduction."
Even our teacher was left unsure how to respond.
"It's nice to meet you, Esmes."
Amongst uncertainty, Ryoku makes a clear and friendly response.
"Hmm?"
Esmes and Ryoku briefly exchange glances.
"—Well, I suppose it's nice to meet you as well."
With that, she returns to her seat.
What was with that reaction?
"Alright, moving on. Is there anyone else?"
Somewhat able to segway the conversation off Esmes in particular, Mrs. Gwein continued.
One by one, people began to speak up, mustering the courage to introduce themselves to the class.
Naturally, there were plenty who rather forward with themselves, while others, —not so much.
Hmm, I wonder...
Should I introduce myself too? If I give off a good first impression, I might be more receptive to making friends. And if all goes well, then I won't have to spend my years all by myself any more.
Who knows, I might even get a girlfriend one day.
Hehehe~
Alright, I'll do it!
I stood up, prepared to introduce myself.
"Uh, hello...—My name is Dazai Crowley. There's nothing about me in particular that I think is worth mentioning, but uh…I hope to get along with everyone as well."
The classroom went silent for a moment.
In the next, a few people started to clap.
Heh, how was that?
Surely that must have caught someone's attention.
….Not!!
I was so caught up in wanting to stand out, I didn't bother to think of something good to say!
In the end, I made myself look really boring…
—Ugh, just kill me now.
"It's nice to meet you too, Dazai. We've got a long road ahead of us, so let's all do our best, okay?"
As she said that, Ryoku flashed me a bright smile.
Huh....—perhaps she wasn't an elf, but rather, a kind angel in disguise. That makes me happy.
Still, this sense of pity I'm feeling kind of hurts…
Ryoku turns her attention elsewhere.
"Right then, you there, the girl next to Dazai. I believe it's your turn now. Would you be kind enough to introduce yourself as well, please?"
Ester looks up from her book.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, you mind telling us a little about yourself?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not good at introductions."
"It's okay if you're a little shy. Just speak whatever feels natural."
Ester glances at me.
I shake my shoulders, unsure how to respond.
"I see. Well, here goes nothing."
She stands up.
"My name is Ester Evernore. My hobbies are reading and studying. I like to eat and sleep too. But most importantly, I like researching magic and demons sometimes. And yeah, that's me."
A few people clap awkwardly.
—Yeah, that was a complete bust.
Ester takes a seat.
"I guess loners like us are destined to be alone, huh."
She sighs.
"I suppose."
With that said, Ester returned back to her book.
"Okay, what about you? The boy in the far back?"
Ryoku then turned her gaze towards a black haired boy who was sitting a couple of rows behind us.
Man, she really is going for everyone, huh.
However, the boy did not respond.
"Hello?"
Ryoku tries getting his attention again.
"—Leave me alone."
"Excuse me?"
"If you want to introduce yourself, then fine. However, I'd rather you leave me out of this."
It seems the boy had no intention of interacting with any of us.
"Hmm…"
Ryoku thinks for a moment.
"Sensei, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Is it absolutely necessary for all of us to participate in these introductions?"
"Not exactly. It's just something that I personally wanted you all to do. However, I will not force any of you to do so if you do not want to."
"I see. Thank you. It would certainly be a problem for our classmate here if it was otherwise…"
"Indeed."
"—Hmph."
The boy scoffs.
In the end, roughly only eighty percent of our class in total decided to introduce themselves.
And with that, Class D's introductions came to an end. Well, atleast that's what we thought at first.
"Is there anybody else? No? In that case, let's move on to the topic at hand—"
But before Mrs. Gwein could finish her sentence, the classroom door flung wide open.
One brown haired boy suddenly entered inside.
"S—Sorry, I'm late!!"
Huffing and puffing, he struggled to say even that. His face and hair oozed with large beads of sweat.
Was he running just to make it here on time?
If so, he failed miserably.
"Pardon the intrusion…"
Coming in from behind him, another girl entered the classroom as well. Unlike the boy next to her however she was not out of breath, nor was she bent out of shape. It was certainly a weird pairing.
Mrs. Gwein threw them a harsh glare.
"You're both late."
"Sorry, sorry…."
Intimidated, the boy claps his hands together and bows slightly as if hoping for forgiveness.
She sighs.
"Whatever. Hurry up and introduce yourself to the class and then go take a seat."
"Okay…."
The girl steps forward.
It was then she grabs a piece of chalk off the table and writes her name on the chalkboard.
"—Huh!?"
"—Wait, that's….!!"
Multiple students gasp in surprise and awe.
"Judette Bathóry".
This was the name that was written.
Bathóry, as in the same royal family who first founded Cerulean Academy in the first place.
"Please take good care of me….—or whatever."
She then yawns without a care in the world.
And as for the boy…
He steps forward, immediately regaining his posture. It was as if he was never exhausted.
He smiles, revealing his devilish pearly whites.
"Emmel Naiden. It's a pleasure to meet all of you~"