Chapter 11 - 11. Classroom Convo

The noisy classroom quieted down and everyone began to take their seats. After confirming this, she began speaking to the whole class."Um, nice to meet you all. I'm Arai Miu and I'll be your homeroom teacher. This is my 10th year as a teacher and my second year at Kita High. I may be a teacher, but I hope we can all get along and relax, so I hope it'll be nice to meet you."Everyone nodded at her words. They seemed relieved that she didn't seem like a strict teacher, and I felt the same way.Even when I saw her from afar, I thought she had a loose perm and seemed like a gentle person. How should I put it, she also had the vibe of a pretty girl from the neighborhood, which was a bit different from my image of a female teacher."Well, I think we should start today by having everyone introduce themselves. Um, it's fine if you just say your name and a few words. Let's go in order of the list, starting with Aida-san. Stand up and face the others." With Aida-san's encouragement, the self-introductions began, each of them in less than 30 seconds. Many of the girls said things like they were good at cooking or they often went to clothing stores in the city. Just like in real life, girls' hobbies are completely complicated and strange, and I still can't keep up with them at all."Well, I think we should start today by having everyone introduce themselves. Um, it's fine if you just say your name and a few words. Let's go in order of the list, starting with Aida-san. Stand up and face the others."With Aida-san's encouragement, the self-introductions began, each of them in less than 30 seconds. Many of the girls said things like they were good at cooking, or they often went to clothing stores in the city. Just like in real life, girls' hobbies are completely complicated and strange, and I still can't keep up with them at all.While I was wondering if everything would be okay, Kato, the only boy who was ahead of me, began his self-introduction. At that moment, I somehow got the feeling that the concentration of the girls in the class had been heightened. He was handsome but a little on the skinny side, wore glasses and looked timid, and gave the standard greeting that his hobby was reading, then quickly sat down.As I listened to this, I began to feel anxious about the fact that I had no hobbies in this world. What could I say to get through it safely?Since I don't know anything about the authors in this world, reading is a bad idea. But other than that, I don't have any other decent hobbies. While I was thinking about this, my turn, who was near the top of the list, came around again soon. Wondering what to do, I thought I had to say something positive. In the end, half in desperation, I stood up and spoke. "So, I'm Sato Shun. Um, I don't really have any hobbies to speak of, but... I'd like to get along with everyone, so p-please say hello... please..."Although I was afraid of the stares they would give me, I finished speaking and quickly sat down. I'd said it impulsively, but even I thought it sounded pretty stupid: would anyone really want to talk to someone who says, "I don't have any hobbies, but let's be friends?" For some reason, the class stopped moving for a moment, and the next girl's greeting was a beat late, but the self-introductions continued as usual. Meanwhile, I was feeling self-loathing and regretful about my introduction, so I didn't really listen to the greetings that followed after mine.God dammit. Really? That was the best I could do?Just as I was sighing that I would have to check everyone's names on their name tags, it seemed that Wada-san had finished. Then, Professor Arai clapped his hands and began to speak to us."Well, I'll explain the schedule from tomorrow onwards. The first period tomorrow will be a tour of the school, and the second and third periods will be homeroom, where we'll select class committee members and so on, so once that's done, it'll be after school. That's the schedule."While I was trying to remember if I had this much time back in high school, the teacher continued to talk. "Today, I'll finish up by making a few administrative announcements. I'll hand out the handouts now."With that, Mr. Arai handed out handouts with tomorrow's arrival time and other announcements, bringing today's simplified homeroom to a close. This meant that it was already time to go home early, and the teacher swiftly left the classroom, presumably to attend a parent-teacher meeting. However, I wanted to wait for my mother before going home, so I had to wait here for a while. I had just checked, and the parent-teacher meeting was supposed to finish around 1pm, but it was now 12:30pm.Could it be that this was a devilish time for me, when I had to communicate with those around me? As I began to look around again, Sasai-san, who was sitting in front of me, called out to me. "Hey Sato-kun, in your self-introduction earlier, you said that you wanted to get along with everyone, but is that true?"For a moment, I thought she was pitying me, saying 'No one would want to be friends with someone like you,' but looking at his expression, I could tell he really meant it. I also found that expression adorable. "Y-yeah... I was thinking that if everyone is friendly with me, I'd like to talk to them and become friends too..."From the side, it sounds like the words of an overly self-conscious person. In reality, it's a problem with my personality - I can't make a move unless someone approaches me, but she gave off the impression that she took it in a positive light. "So then, will you talk to me too? Since we're sitting next to each other, I suppose."It's a puzzling question, I thought. After all, if that's what she wants, there's no way I'd turn her down. There's no way I'd treat a girl who was willing to talk to me, much less such a beautiful and blossoming girl, with the worst kind of luck. I wanted to believe that she wouldn't set a trap for bullying on the first day of school. "...Of course... if you're okay with it, Sasai-san, I'd be happy if we could become friends... that's what I think..."I gave her a slight smile, prepared for her to think I was uncomfortable. I'm sure deep down I knew it was a lame laugh. But maybe Sasai was a kind person. she didn't let any of those feelings show on her face and just returned my words with a big smile. "Th-Thank you! Um... I look forward to working with you from now on, Sato-kun?"I don't want you to smile like that so casually. Just the fact that such a cute girl is happy with what I say is enough to get me a little excited. "Ah, Asagi, are you friends with Sato-kun?"At that moment, a girl appeared and joined the conversation. Yamamoto Maki-san, a rather plain dressed, beautiful girl with large breasts who might be something like a childhood friend of mine."Ah, Maki, no, I just met you. We happen to be sitting in front of and behind each other, so I wanted to get along well!" I almost let out a weird smile at the word "friend," a word that was previously unrelated to me. When I asked, it seemed that Yamamoto and Sasai had been friends in middle school, and they were happy to be in the same class. Yamamoto had been in contact with me, but this was Sasai's first time meeting me. "So, Maki knew about Sato-kun... childhood friends, huh?"Sasai-san was muttering something, while Yamamoto-san looked troubled. "...By the way, Sato-kun, do any of your friends from middle school come to Kita High?"Sasai-san asked, but I still don't know much about my own past, and at the moment, the only person I know is Yamamoto-san, who is sitting next to me. They might be in a different class, but there's no way of finding out right now."The boys I was close with were from different schools, and I didn't even know any girls apart from Yamamoto-san..."She didn't know if it was true, but she felt she had to move the conversation forward, so she went along with the tone. If she actually had a best friend out there somewhere, she'd just have to apologize later. Yamamoto looked a little surprised, but Sasai gave a slight smile. "Hehe, I see. So, would it be okay for us to become friends...?"Sasai makes her suggestions while showing a bit of a devilish side. Although she had seemed a little nervous earlier, she seems to be someone who is generally used to conversation. Meanwhile, Yamamoto gives some confusing advice, "Hey, Asagi? Aren't you being a bit too aggressive? You might scare him off." I internally chuckled, she couldn't be any further from the truth.There seem to be a lot of beautiful girls in my class, but Sasai-san is especially cute among them. I think Yamamoto-san is also at the top of the list, and her style is exactly what I like. God, I was a shitty person, to have such lustful thoughts at a time like this. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to say. But I couldn't just dismiss a suggestion from someone who had taken the time to talk to me, so I felt I needed to give a positive reply."Well, nice to meet you both, I hope to get to know you better."Sasai looked satisfied with my answer, while Yamamoto seemed worried, saying, "I, maybe it's okay for me to join..."But Yamamoto didn't seem to mind that she had gotten their approval. Will they become my friends? Or are they just a superficial lie? But if I can become even a little more positive, then maybe even a lie will become the real thing. This world might contain kindness that I have not experienced until now.As I talked with them, I found out that Sasai's house was quite close to mine. "Then let's go home together starting tomorrow!"Sasai enthusiastically suggested, but I had also mentioned going home with Yuki, and I didn't feel like I had the guts to make such a promise with a girl I'd just met.When I told her that I was going home with my sister, she looked a little disappointed, but then asked me, "Then, please invite me out when you're not going home." I no longer understood her purpose. I was even scared, wondering what her reason for wanting to go home with me was.Just as I was trying to keep up with what they were saying, it was past 1pm and my mother messaged me that the parent-teacher meeting had ended. I told them that and said, "see you tomorrow", then left the classroom. Somehow, I felt like I wasn't myself.My mother was waiting for me in front of the school gates, and we headed home together. At that time, my mother asked me if anything had happened in homeroom, and when I mentioned Yamamoto-san and Sasai-san, she looked a little serious. I heard her mutter something like, "On the first day...I thought you'd become shy, but maybe that's not the case." What was so different about that?I got home with Mom just before 2pm and changed from my uniform into loungewear. I didn't have any plans for the day, so I skimmed through the textbooks on the bookshelf in my room, confirming that the contents weren't all that different from reality. It'd been about ten years since I'd last studied at high school, but even in my old world, I'd read old textbooks to fill the empty time, so I didn't feel like it would be too difficult.After killing time, I had dinner and a bath, then went to bed to prepare for the next day. I'm sure from tomorrow onwards, I'll have more opportunities to interact with people from my class. Today I managed to talk to two people, but I wonder if I'll be able to talk properly tomorrow. With negativity swirling in my mind, I quietly closed my eyes. I woke up once again, basking in the sunlight. I finally felt like I was getting used to the feeling of waking up. It seemed that from today onwards, Yuki would be accompanying me to school for a while.The first day of school at Yuki's junior high school is still about a week away, so until I can make some friends to walk to school with, we'll be together as a kind of talisman. I'm happy to be able to walk alongside a beautiful girl like Yuki, but I know it's not good to continue to put a burden on Yuki, who goes to a different school.I didn't have the courage to accept Sasai's invitation yesterday, but if I couldn't become friends with the boys in his class, I might have to rely on Sasai. Just as he was going around in circles thinking like this, Yuki called out to him. "Hey Shun-nii, have you made any good friends in your class yet?"I say this without hesitation, but I wonder if Yuki knows that I'm not good at communicating in the first place. From the looks of it, Yuki seems to be the type who has a wide circle of friends, so he might not understand how I feel. "...Two of them did say something to me, but...I'm not sure if we're close or not..." "What? Are those guys?""N-no, two girls, well, one of them is Yamamoto-san who I met the other day..." When I answered that much, Yuki looked serious and muttered, "It's sooner than I thought... hmmmm..." I was scared again, wondering what on earth that meant."Shun-nii, you're free to be friends with anyone you want, but until you decide who to go home with, I want you to come to school with me... I'd be happy if you don't forget..." I just felt bad for being a burden to Yuki, but the way she said "until it's decided" was a bit concerning. If possible, I would like to go with Yuki when our schedules match, so the way she worded it was a bit questionable.It would be a waste to throw away the chance to walk alongside this beautiful girl just because I'd found someone else. Or rather, I was in no position to choose one person and discard the others. It took a bit of courage, but I decided to tell her. "Even if I've decided who I'll be going home with, well... when Yuki and I have schedules that match up, I'd like to walk to and from school together... is that not okay...?"I felt embarrassed to make eye contact with her, so I looked away for a moment. Yuki shook her head vigorously and replied loudly, "No, it's not a no! I'll make time to meet you, so please come anytime!"If Yuki was okay with it, I'd wanted to spend some time with her, so I was very happy. But I still had no confidence at all that I would be able to come up with a clever suggestion to find a time that suited me.After parting ways with Yuki, who was wearing casual clothes, at the main gate, I headed to Class 1-2 on the third floor of the school building. In my original world, I would walk to my classroom with a feeling of emptiness or despair, but now I felt no such emotions. That said, I still felt a great deal of anxiety. As I entered the class, the ten or so girls who were already there glanced at me. Noticing their gazes, I became increasingly worried, wondering if I had done something, but they quickly looked away from me.Since there were no boys in the class yet, I guess I was the target of curious eyes. Shortly after I sat down, Sasai-san and Yamamoto-san came into the class together. I assumed the two were already friends, and even felt a little left out. "Good morning Sato-kun! Nice to meet you today, okay?" "Oh, good morning..."While I was feeling ashamed of my smallness, the two of them greeted me. I thought to myself that Yamamoto-san shouldn't be addressed with honorific language, but I didn't have the courage to say it.Today, all the other boys had arrived right at the start of school, so I was exposed to the girls' gazes until then. It may sound self-conscious, but I could really feel the curious looks.Mr. Arai led the first period school tour, where the whole class went around the main facilities of the school. The cafeteria, gymnasium, art room, audiovisual room, and other facilities were much nicer than I remembered. It must be a good school, and I felt a little relieved.We returned to the classroom and started homeroom from the second period. Mr. Arai confirmed the schedule and timetable for the future, and then the class representatives were chosen.There were two positions for chairman and vice-chairman, regardless of gender, and as expected, Ms. Sasai was the first to apply for chairman. Another girl quickly applied for vice-chairman, and the position was decided smoothly.I have the impression that these types of positions don't get decided very often, but perhaps this is due to the proactiveness of girls. As I was thinking this, Arai-sensei returned to her desk. It seemed that she would be accepting questions for the remaining time.During that time, there were a few questions about the school, but most of them were questions born of curiosity about the beautiful teacher. The girls asked a wide variety of questions, such as "How can I become so beautiful?", "Do you have a favorite brand of clothes?", and "Do you have a boyfriend?".Ms. Arai answered them lightly, but dodged the last question by saying, "Hehe, it's a secret." In fact, it might not be a good idea for a teacher to answer that question.Time passed by in an instant, and it was already the end of the day for the day. Classes start tomorrow, and it seems that I will be allowed to observe club activities.In other words, I will be meeting current students from tomorrow. However, I don't have any plans to join any clubs at the moment, so I may not have much contact with upperclassmen. Anyway, being able to have a decent exchange with my classmates is the most important thing to me.I was planning to go home with Yuki in the afternoon, but during class I received a message on my smartphone."The cram school is going to be delayed, so I'm not sure if I can make it in time today.""If you don't hear from me, you can go home with someone, right?"I checked the message that was sent with the stamp and thought for a moment. I couldn't call Yukari, so I got up from my seat to go home alone."Sato-kun, are you going home with your sister again today?"It was Sasai-san who called out to me. I was nervous, but I managed to reply."Well, my sister couldn't make it today, so I was thinking of going home by myself..."As I answered, Sasai leaned towards me. Her face was so close and she smelled so good, it was really bad for my heart."So, like I asked yesterday... how about you come home with us today?"It makes me even more nervous when you look me in the eye, so I wish you'd stop. And there was no way I could turn down that suggestion.