Perhaps it was the lack of sleep from this morning, or maybe it was the calm, almost hypnotic silence that enveloped the auditorium during Yuri's speech.
Either way, Satoru found himself dozing off, his eyes fluttering shut despite his best efforts to stay awake.
His head, now too heavy for his weary neck to support, began to tilt unconsciously to the left. Unbeknownst to him, Janne was sitting just beside him.
As Satoru's head drifted closer, Janne's heartbeat quickened, pounding wildly against her chest, a stark contrast to the calm and composed expression she wore.
Her heart raced in a way that made it difficult to maintain her usual facade of indifference.
She felt a strange mix of anticipation and panic.
Part of her wanted him to lean fully onto her shoulder, if only for a moment, while another part of her was unsure what she would do if he actually did.
"Just for a second... just let him rest on my shoulder for a second... then I'll pretend to be annoyed and wake him up..." Janne thought, strategizing in her mind. She subtly shifted her body, inching her shoulder closer to him, all the while keeping her expression neutral.
Satoru's head hung precariously, and Janne found herself holding her breath as if willing him to lean into her.
Her heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest, and her right shoulder was suddenly tingling with a strange, soft warmth that spread through her entire arm.
Just when his face was mere centimeters from her shoulder, the point of almost touching, Yuri's voice rang out clearly, cutting through the quiet.
"That concludes my speech. Thank you, everyone."
The moment Yuri finished, a burst of applause filled the hall, loud and enthusiastic.
The sudden noise jolted Satoru awake, and he instinctively sat up straight, blinking rapidly as his sleep-addled mind tried to make sense of the situation.
"Huh? Is it over?" Satoru muttered, squinting as if the brightness of the room were too much for his barely awake eyes.
Had it been socially acceptable, he might have stretched and yawned right there, relishing the moment of waking.
"Sleepyhead... slacker..." came a familiar mutter from his right.
Satoru turned, his eyes meeting Janne's.
Her deep, dark gaze was filled with a mix of frustration and something else he couldn't quite decipher—something between disappointment and a hint of something more complex.
"Did I wake up too abruptly? What happened? Should I just go back to sleep?" Satoru wondered, his mind filled with questions.
He had no idea why Janne seemed upset, but over time he had become accustomed to her sharp words. Her insults no longer fazed him the way they once did.
"Ah, the junior's off the stage now; it's not as interesting anymore," Lewis said, his posture shifting from upright and attentive to his usual lazy slouch.
"Satoru, when do you think I'll get a girlfriend as pretty as that?" Lewis turned to Satoru, his voice tinged with a mock sense of wistfulness.
Satoru could sense that Lewis was about to start his antics again.
"Well, you can start by going to sleep now," Satoru replied, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.
"Why?" Lewis asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Because in your dreams, you can have whatever you want."
"Oh, shut up... just shut up..." Lewis grumbled, waving his hand dismissively.
He pretended to be deep in thought, crossing his arms over his legs, and sighed dramatically.
"Life is but a few short autumns... not drinking would be a waste..." he sang, feigning a sense of deep existential despair.
"Alright, alright, save it, we don't need you singing now... Isn't there a welcome party tonight?" Satoru interjected, clearly amused by Lewis's theatrics.
"Oh right! I almost forgot about that!" Lewis exclaimed, suddenly perking up as if he had been jolted awake from a dream.
The realization seemed to rejuvenate him, and he practically bounced in his seat.
"I heard our class rep is performing too! Either singing or playing an instrument, I can't remember exactly... but she's definitely taking the stage."
The welcome party was packed with various performances; after all, it was a tradition for upperclassmen to put on a show to welcome the newcomers.
It was also an opportunity for the various clubs to recruit new members, so many clubs with a focus on the arts would perform.
"The class rep, huh...?" Satoru murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
He wasn't particularly surprised. For someone like Rosa, who exuded talent and charm, participating in such events seemed only natural.
This sparked a mischievous thought in Satoru's mind—a desire to tease Janne, the little spitfire, just a bit.
"Hey, Miss High and Mighty, when are you going to get up on stage and show us some of your talents?" he asked with a playful grin, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and challenge.
Janne responded with a series of dry, sardonic chuckles, her lips curling into a knowing smirk.
"Ha... ha ha...," she scoffed, casting a sidelong glance at Satoru, her gaze sharp and cutting.
Was he trying to mock her for not having any special talents?
But she knew, deep down, that one day she would show him—show everyone—the most perfect, the most magnificent masterpiece ever created.
The freshman welcoming ceremony had required students to arrive at school half an hour earlier than usual, and with the addition of a morning reading session, the event stretched on for a full hour.
However, this didn't interfere with the students' regular class schedule.
After the ceremony, Satoru followed the crowd back to his classroom for the first period, which was homeroom.
Professor Li, their homeroom teacher, taught literature, which perfectly matched her refined and graceful demeanor.
She stood at the front of the class, her posture erect and her expression serene, as she addressed the students.
"Everyone, as you know, there is a welcoming party tonight," she began, her voice calm and measured.
"The school administration has asked for each class to provide a volunteer to assist with the event. Is there anyone who would like to volunteer?" Her eyes scanned the room expectantly.
But after she finished speaking, the classroom fell silent.
Not a single student moved or spoke, and the atmosphere grew tense with an awkward stillness.
Professor Li sighed softly, her shoulders rising and falling with the exhalation.
She had anticipated this reaction—after all, her class was known for many things, but enthusiasm for school-organized activities wasn't one of them.
"Alright, then, let's proceed with the usual method: drawing lots," Professor Li said with a resigned tone, already prepared for this outcome.
She handed out slips of folded paper to the students.
"If your slip is blank, you don't have to go. If it has the word 'Chosen' on it, you're the volunteer." She nodded, signaling the students to open their slips.
Lewis, always the jokester, took his slip with an exaggerated reverence, clasping it between his hands and shaking it as if performing some kind of ritual.
"Satoru, Satoru, Satoru, Satoru..." he chanted under his breath, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Seriously, what is wrong with you?" Satoru laughed, clearly amused by Lewis's antics, and unfolded his own slip with a casual flick of his wrist.
With over forty students in the class, there was no way he would actually be picked, right? But as he looked down at the slip in his hand, his eyes widened in surprise.
"What the—?!" Satoru exclaimed, staring at the slip that bore the single character "Chosen." He let out a resigned chuckle, shaking his head. "Just my luck."
"Hey, hey, let me take a look!" Lewis leaned over, trying to peek at the slip of paper in Satoru's hand, even though he hadn't yet opened his own.
"Well, well, I got the lucky draw! Excited, Satoru?" Lewis teased, his grin wide and cheeky.
"If you're not happy, then I guess I'll just have to be ecstatic!" His knack for gloating seemed to be reaching new heights.
Janne, sitting in front of them, overheard the commotion and turned around to see Satoru's bewildered expression.
"Unlucky fellow... Maybe you should step on some dog shit for good luck next time," she snickered, her tone filled with mockery.
"Thanks, you two," Satoru grumbled through gritted teeth.
"I was actually planning to go anyway, you know? Guess I'm just the chosen one."
"Then why didn't you just volunteer in the first place?" Lewis continued to prod, his eyes dancing with mischief.
At that moment, Professor Li spoke up again from the front of the classroom.
"Who got chosen? This is a fair decision, and I hope the student who was selected can take this opportunity to engage more in school activities—it's a great way to enrich your school life."
"Teacher, here! Here! It's Mr. Satoru!" Lewis called out gleefully, both index fingers pointing straight at Satoru.
The entire class turned their eyes toward Satoru, their faces a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Satoru ducked his head, rubbing his temple with one hand. It wasn't a big deal to be chosen, but thanks to Lewis's antics, he now felt unbearably awkward.