Whether the students wanted it or not, the long summer vacation had finally ended.
Aside from a few people who had gotten a bit tanned from travel, not much seemed to have changed. Everyone was excitedly sharing their summer experiences.
One noteworthy incident was that Hasegawa Naoko, the English teacher who had only been there for half a year, suddenly resigned and left the school. This stirred up a lot of gossip among the students, as she was a beautiful woman. Her resignation led to various speculations: some thought she was getting married, others thought she'd found a new job, and a few even imagined she had run off with someone or had an unplanned pregnancy. Regardless, she was gone, leaving many male teachers who had been infatuated with her feeling dejected and unmotivated.
Masashi was puzzled by her sudden departure, as she hadn't mentioned anything to him. He decided to visit her in a few days to check on her.
Shortly after the new school term began, the school held its "Opening Ceremony for Freshmen." Seeing so many younger faces, everyone realized with some pride that they were now the upperclassmen.
"Look at that girl. She's quite pretty, and has a great figure. I wonder what her name is."
"I think the one with the long hair is even prettier."
"That boy over there looks really cute."
"Forget it. You're two years older than them. Give it up."
"I didn't expect the new students to be so well-developed. I've decided—I'm going after that Akimura girl. Don't try to stop me."
"Who cares? I've got my eye on her too. May the best man win."
Every year, the new students—especially the pretty girls—always became the focus of attention for the second- and third-year students. The ones without girlfriends were especially eager, creating quite a stir on campus.
During roll call, the teacher was calling names as usual. When it was Masashi's turn, he suddenly stood up. "Sir, I've changed my name. It's now Gennai Masashi. Please remember it from now on. Thank you."
"Alright, Gennai," the teacher replied, somewhat awkwardly.
Hearing this, the others began whispering among themselves, but Masashi calmly continued reading his book as if he hadn't noticed.
After class, Masashi was informed that someone was looking for him. The boy who delivered the message had an odd expression.
Was it Kazumi? He went to the door, but didn't see her. Instead, there was a girl in a different school uniform standing there.
When she saw him, she bowed respectfully. "Hello, Mr. Hirota."
"Who are you?" Masashi found her face somewhat familiar, but couldn't recall where he'd seen her.
"Have you forgotten? I'm Rumi Nagakawa, Nagakawa Kyujirou's granddaughter."
"What? You're Rumi Nagakawa?" Masashi stared at her, and indeed, the more he looked, the more familiar she seemed.
Masashi had only seen Rumi wearing kendo attire, with her hair tied up like a boy. Now she wore a light pink knee-length school uniform, her hair down and soft, revealing her feminine grace mixed with a quiet resilience—a combination that made her stand out. Her delicate and beautiful face attracted admiring glances from several boys nearby.
"Sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. Aren't you studying in Hokkaido? What brings you here?"
"I wanted to stay close and learn kendo from you, so with my father's permission, I transferred here. I hope to learn from you," she said, bowing again.
"I see. Did you come here alone?"
"Yes. My father saw this as a chance to train, so he didn't send anyone with me."
"You must be finding it hard to adjust, being so far from home. If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. As Nagakawa's granddaughter, I have a responsibility to look after you."
"Thank you, Mr. Hirota."
"Oh, by the way, I changed my surname. It's Gennai Masashi now, so don't call me Hirota anymore. Also, just call me by my name; I'm not used to formalities."
"That would be too informal. How about I call you 'senior'?"
"Whatever works. Where are you staying?"
"I rented a place in Gochomoku. Here's the address," she said, handing him a hand-drawn map.
Masashi glanced at it, noting its clarity and precision. "Not bad—it's close to my house. Why don't you come over for dinner tonight? That way, you'll know how to get there. Wait for me after school."
"Thank you for the invitation."
"And you don't need to be so formal with me. I'm only a year older than you. People will think it's strange if they hear you speaking so politely."
Rumi chuckled softly.
Back in class, Masashi was immediately surrounded by a group of boys.
"Masashi, was that girl your girlfriend?"
"No, just a friend."
"Really? She's not your girlfriend?"
"Nope." Masashi yawned.
"Are you close to her? Could you introduce me?"
"No way, introduce her to me! I don't have a girlfriend yet. Please, Masashi!"
"Forget it. With your looks, you'd scare her off."
"What's it to you? You think you're some handsome guy? You look like a total creep."
"Masashi, what's her name? Could you tell me?"
"You don't even know her? She's Rumi Nagakawa, one of the most popular first-years and a kendo expert. You should probably give up."
"A kendo beauty—now that's rare."
Ignoring the crowd of admirers, Masashi laid his head on his desk and went to sleep.
During the lunch break, Kazumi came to see Masashi with a bento.
"Here's your lunch, brother. I made shrimp balls, your favorite. How about squid balls tomorrow?"
"Sure, whatever you make, I'll love it."
"Really?" Kazumi beamed with happiness.
"Of course. By the way, I'm bringing a friend over for dinner tonight, so please prepare a bit more food."
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Kazumi asked curiously, as he'd never brought a friend home before.
"It's a girl."
"Oh, I see," she replied, flashing a mischievous smile.
"What's on your mind? She's just a friend. She came here alone to study, so I have to look out for her," he said, gently tapping her on the head.
Kazumi stuck out her tongue playfully and walked away, grinning.