The class continued as the teacher began her lesson, explaining the material clearly. However, behind the educational atmosphere, there was a buzz of curiosity and soft whispers.
The girls in the class sat, some casting glances at Isamu, exchanging whispers about his appearance and personality. Every look at him carried different emotions—some admiration, while others were tinged with envy.
As the teacher spoke about the importance of the subject, she couldn't help but notice the students' attention waning. She tried to ignore the whispers filling the room but realized she needed to regain their focus.
"Everyone, please focus on the lesson!" the teacher said firmly, making some students snap back to attention and return to their seats with renewed concentration.
Isamu sat quietly in his place, trying to blend in with his classmates, despite constantly feeling their scrutinizing gazes. He seemed like an unwanted center of attention.
"I never thought I'd return to school someday. When I was younger, I had an ordinary face, nothing like this handsome appearance I have now. I was average at everything, whether in studies or activities, and I used to dream of being like the students who caught everyone's attention. I always wished something extraordinary would happen, making me the center of attention."
He sighed internally, recalling those old thoughts. "But now, just the looks from these 12- and 13-year-old kids on the first day make me feel like a monkey in a zoo."
Isamu didn't dwell on his thoughts for long and tried to focus on the lesson to avoid feeling the slow passage of time. The teacher, Takahashi, was teaching math.
It wasn't difficult for him to focus, even though he hadn't attended previous classes. How could this be a challenge for someone who had completed university studies in his past life? This was his first year in middle school, but he was entirely different from his classmates.
His university degrees from his previous life, along with the cultural lessons given to him by his mentor Mikumo, helped him regain his academic knowledge. All he had to do was recall the stored information in his memory.
As the class ended, teacher Takahashi spoke clearly, catching the students' attention: "Alright, that's all for today. I expect you all to do the exercises at home to deepen your understanding of today's lesson, and if there are any issues, you should bring your questions to me, and I'll answer them."
Then she looked at Isamu and added:
"As for you, Isamu, I don't want you to feel behind your classmates. If you need any help, you can come to my office anytime. I'll also talk to the other teachers to ensure you catch up with all the subjects. Also, your classmate sitting next to you, Kizaki-kun, is the class monitor. You can ask him to share notes from previous lessons."
Isamu sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, sensei."
Although he didn't think he would fall behind in his studies, it wasn't something that concerned him much. In fact, he didn't care whether he would lag behind or not. After all, it wasn't like he would stay in this world and needed to study hard to get into a good high school and university, then secure a high-paying job and follow the same path again.
However, he thanked her warmly because he genuinely felt that her concern for him was sincere and that she didn't want him to fail.
He knew he wasn't the overly emotional or sensitive type, but he wasn't heartless either. If he felt someone was treating him genuinely and caring without hidden agendas or personal motives, he would feel gratitude and happiness, even if it didn't show clearly on his face.
"If all my previous teachers were like her, maybe I would've had a slightly better future." This thought crossed his mind as he watched the teacher leave the classroom with quiet steps. But deep down, he knew it wasn't that simple. After growing up and meeting some of his old classmates who had become teachers, he realized that the problem wasn't the teachers' unwillingness to help their students better but the enthusiasm that fades over time.
Teacher Takahashi, who clearly seemed young and early in her career, was still trying her best to give her all to the students. But, as Isamu had discovered, this passion often fades with the years as teachers face repeated disappointments. After a while, they become like the rest of the old teachers who see the profession as just a routine job.
At that point, they focus only on doing their work with as few mistakes as possible, aiming for a promotion or a quiet retirement without many problems.
Suddenly, the sound of moving desks and chairs interrupted his thoughts. In a moment, Isamu found himself surrounded by his new classmates as if they had formed a tight circle around him, leaving no escape or corner to retreat. It seemed like the situation had turned into a trial in the school yard.
"Isamu, what's the name of your previous school? And which city are you from?"
"Did you just move here, or have you visited the city before?"
"Do you have relatives here, or does your whole family live in your old city?"
"Where is your house now?"
"Isamu, do you have siblings?"
"Isamu, do you...?"
"....?"
The questions poured over him like a flood, rapid and intertwined, making it impossible to answer. He felt trapped and didn't know where to start or what to say. Each question tossed him to the next before he could even comprehend it. "What's wrong with these kids? Is this a job interview or a police interrogation? No, even the police don't ask all these details at once!" Isamu muttered to himself, trying to stay calm.
Then another thought came to him: "And since when did they allow themselves to call me by my first name this quickly? We only met today as classmates; we're not that close!"
"If you really love asking questions this much, why didn't you raise your heads when the teacher asked if anyone needed further clarification? Or do you suddenly turn into geniuses when meeting someone new, pretending to be Sherlock Holmes, thinking you can solve all the mysteries and understand the person completely with a little information?"
Isamu pondered as he struggled with the discomfort caused by his new classmates, who seemed more like interrogators than merely getting to know him.
Those thoughts swirled in Isamu's head as he searched for a way out of this annoying situation. "I have to find a way to escape these curious kids..." he thought to himself, trying to devise a plan. And while searching for a solution, he remembered something: "Wait, what did the teacher say before she left?"
An idea sparked in his mind. Isamu suddenly stood up and spoke in an unexpectedly calm voice. He stood up from his seat, then spoke loudly and confidently: "I'm sorry, classmates, I would really love to answer your questions, but, as you know, I need to catch up on some school information and meet the teachers to keep up. So, I need to take a tour of the school with the class monitor, Kizaki."
He glanced at the crowd surrounding him and turned to Kizaki, who was sitting next to him, looking bewildered, and added, "Right, Kizaki?"
Hirato Kizaki, who was sitting next to him, was startled when he heard his name. "What? A school tour?" he asked hesitantly.
"Isn't that what the teacher said?" Isamu said with a slight smile, trying to convince him.
"Uh... yeah, no problem, I can give you a tour now." Kizaki replied after some hesitation, rising from his seat.
As Kizaki stood up, the students surrounding Isamu began to show some disappointment.
"Oh, are you really leaving, Isamu?" one of the girls said in a sad tone, as if she had hoped for more time to get to know him.
"Yeah, that's a shame... we haven't gotten any answers yet." added another, casting a long look at Isamu.
"In fact, we're not done asking questions!" a third chimed in enthusiastically, as if preparing for another round of interrogation.
When Isamu heard that last sentence, he felt the situation might escalate at any moment. Without hesitation, he relied on his skills acquired over the years and used his "inner ninja spirit," grabbing the stunned class monitor's hand. In the blink of an eye, both of them vanished down the hallway, leaving behind a group of astonished classmates.