Chapter 6: The School Saga Begins
Yuuto stood frozen in front of the school gates, a state of shock overtaking him as he stared at Nina. His mind raced in disbelief as she looked completely out of place and yet entirely confident, standing there with a ridiculously oversized bag slung over her shoulder. Her school uniform—well, let's just say it was as "unique" as she was, with a skirt that seemed just a little too short and a shirt that definitely wasn't tucked in right.
Yuuto rubbed his eyes, half expecting to see a mirage. But no, Nina was standing right in front of him, her grin widening as she saw him.
"Yuuto!" she yelled, her voice carrying across the school courtyard, and instantly drawing the attention of every student within a 50-meter radius. "I'm officially enrolled! Time to cause some chaos!"
Yuuto immediately wished for the ground to swallow him whole. He could already hear the rumors starting: The new girl who just walked in like she owns the place.
"W-Wait," Yuuto stuttered, unsure of how to process this situation. "How did you even—what? You're not—"
"I'm in, Yuuto!" Nina's voice rang out confidently, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I'm a student now! And guess what? I'm going to make this place legendary!"
And with that, she struck a ridiculous pose, placing her hands on her hips like she was the protagonist of some dramatic anime.
Yuuto facepalmed, feeling the weight of his embarrassing fate slowly creeping in. His quirky, otherworldly roommate—who barely understood basic Earth customs—was now in the same school as him. And it wasn't just any school; it was his school, the place where he'd tried to maintain a low profile as an introverted otaku.
"W-What the hell?" Yuuto muttered under his breath, trying to make sense of it all.
Nina was completely unfazed by the intense stares from students around them. In fact, she was basking in the attention, waving at some of the passing students who were now whispering to each other, clearly wondering who this new, eccentric girl was.
"Yuuto! You don't mind, do you?" Nina grinned, tapping him on the shoulder.
Yuuto, still speechless, could only manage a weak, "I… I guess not?"
Before he could come up with a more coherent response, a voice interrupted them.
"Well, well. You must be the new girl everyone's talking about." The voice was overly confident, and when Yuuto turned, he saw a tall boy walking toward them with a wide grin plastered across his face. He was dressed neatly in his school uniform, and his posture exuded the kind of cocky confidence that Yuuto never quite understood.
"My name's Kenta," the boy said, extending his hand. "I'm the class rep. And I've heard a lot about you already. You're as eccentric as they said!"
Yuuto's eyes narrowed, suddenly feeling a spark of irritation. He didn't like the way Kenta was looking at Nina—like she was some new toy to be played with. Not that Nina cared; she enthusiastically grabbed Kenta's hand, completely unaware of his flirtatious tone.
"Eccentric? No, no, no!" Nina shook her head dramatically. "I prefer legendary!"
Kenta burst out laughing. "Ha! I like you already. You're exactly the kind of person we need in this school. Come on, let me show you around. You're gonna need it. Especially with that… bag."
Nina, ever the adventurer, nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes! Show me everything! I'm ready!"
Yuuto stared at the two of them, standing there as if they'd been friends for years. Nina looked like she was having the time of her life, chatting away with Kenta, who was all too happy to play along. Yuuto felt a little left out.
His eyes darted to the side, where he saw a few of the other students glancing his way and then whispering among themselves. He could practically hear the gossip:
"Who's that guy with her? I didn't know they were friends."
"Is he her brother or something?"
Yuuto didn't want to stick around to find out. He quickly turned on his heel, deciding to make a quick getaway. But just as he was about to leave, Nina shouted his name.
"Yuuto! What are you doing? Are you just gonna stand there? Come on! We're gonna have so much fun together!"
She had already begun walking away with Kenta, and for a moment, Yuuto felt like the odd one out. Kenta shot him a playful smirk before turning his attention back to Nina, and Yuuto found himself with no choice but to reluctantly follow them.
---
In the Classroom:
The school day passed in a blur of awkwardness. Nina was like a whirlwind, barreling through every classroom, completely unbothered by the stares and whispers that followed her. Yuuto, on the other hand, was trying to keep a low profile, but every time Nina spoke up in class, it felt like the entire room turned to her.
"Whoa, did you hear that? The new girl has no filter," one of the girls in the class whispered to her friend.
"I know, right? She's got guts. She's kind of funny."
Meanwhile, Yuuto was sinking lower in his seat, feeling like the world was conspiring to embarrass him. He couldn't even escape it when the teacher assigned them a partner project. Naturally, Nina was paired with him. And naturally, it was chaos.
"Okay, Yuuto, I'm ready to start!" Nina grinned, her enthusiasm unmatched. "Let's make this project the most legendary one ever! No more boring reports, okay?"
Yuuto could only sigh. "Nina, I don't think—"
"Yuuuuutoooo!" Nina whined dramatically. "Don't be such a downer! We're gonna make this the best project ever, I swear!"
By the end of the day, it was clear that Nina was the star of the class. She had charmed everyone, even some of the teachers who had initially been skeptical about her. Yuuto, meanwhile, had to endure the nonstop barrage of attention as people came up to him, asking about his "friend" who was apparently going to revolutionize the school.
---
After School:
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Yuuto felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He needed a break from all the chaos that was Nina. Just as he was about to make his way out of the classroom, Nina appeared beside him, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Yuuto, guess what?" she said, nudging him with her elbow. "You and me, we're gonna rule this school! You'll see, everyone's gonna love us!"
Yuuto could feel his face turning red. She had so much confidence, it was honestly impressive. But what was even more confusing was that he couldn't help but feel… a little proud of her? Was that normal?
The two of them made their way out of the school, and as they stood outside the gates, Nina's bright eyes met his.
"Thanks for sticking with me today, Yuuto," she said softly, her voice a little quieter than usual. "You're a good friend."
Yuuto's heart skipped a beat. He quickly turned away, suddenly embarrassed. "F-Friend? Yeah, yeah. No problem."
But as the two of them walked off into the evening, something felt different. Nina might not have realized it yet, but Yuuto could feel the weight of her words. Was this friendship? Or was it something else?
---
End of Chapter 6