Class A and Class D

"My name is Morishita Ran, the 18th Successor of Kobiran-ryu Kobudo. Yeah."

The blue-haired girl sitting in front of Amasawa Yuto introduced herself as Morishita Ran. Without changing her expression, she raised a hand beside her cheek and flashed a peace sign.

The atmosphere grew awkward. What was Kobiran-ryu Kobudo, anyway? Nobody had ever heard of it.

"Morishita, you're surprisingly unique..." A handsome boy with long hair managed a strained smile. She remembered he'd introduced himself as Satoshi Satonaka. The others gave scattered responses.

Morishita didn't seem to mind that her strange introduction had left everyone puzzled. She looked around, then nodded to herself. "A great success."

Then she sat down.

A great success, my foot. That was probably what most of the class was thinking.

"Guess it's my turn~" Sakayanagi Arisu rose gracefully, leaning on her cane. One classmate kindly told her she could introduce herself while seated, but she politely declined.

"It's all right. My name is Sakayanagi Arisu. I have difficulty walking, so I'm not good at sports, but I can manage fine in my daily life. I'm good at many things—painting, singing, playing the piano... But my favorite is chess. I once won a world chess championship. If anyone shares my interest, I'd be happy to play a match."

Sakayanagi Arisu's name sounded like she'd just returned from a fairy-tale land.

(Note: Arisu is pronounced like Alice, which readily brings Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to mind.)

Her introduction immediately earned everyone's respect. With her lovely appearance and the elegant smile that never left her lips, it was hard not to like her. She brought the atmosphere back on track after Morishita's antics.

"Also, about what Katsuragi said earlier regarding points representing our evaluation, I hope everyone will keep it to themselves and not tell students from other classes. There may be competition between the classes."

Sakayanagi sat down and playfully winked at Amasawa Yuto, as if to say, I'm looking forward to your introduction.

If you're hoping to laugh at me, you're going to be disappointed. Amasawa Yuto had learned from Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's example in the anime. Before starting school, he'd practiced his introduction with Tsubaki Yuki.

Amasawa Yuto stood up. "My name is Amasawa Yuto. I've studied calligraphy and piano since I was young, so it's been almost ten years now. I really like math, and I'm currently studying advanced linear algebra on my own. I have a younger sister who's one year younger than me, and we get along well. If anyone shares my interests, I'd be glad to talk with you."

As if reciting from memory, Yuto delivered the introduction he and Tsubaki had practiced.

It wasn't exactly met with rapturous applause, but it was a solid introduction. As the last to speak, he brought things to a smooth close.

Sakayanagi Arisu was a little surprised by Amasawa Yuto's introduction. She'd expected him to be awkward around people and make things uncomfortable, but it had gone unexpectedly well.

After her surprise came delight. Amasawa-kun had another side to him she hadn't expected.

If Class A was all smiles and camaraderie, then Class D was a calamity waiting to happen.

The moment Tsubaki Yuki stepped into the classroom, she spotted someone familiar.

The black-haired, red-eyed girl who'd been pestering Yuto.

Thanks to their homeroom teacher's laziness, Class D didn't have nameplates on each desk like Class A. Instead, a printed A4 sheet with everyone's names and seats was posted on the blackboard.

From the seating chart, Tsubaki learned that the girl's name was Horikita Suzune. And, as luck would have it, Tsubaki's seat was right beside hers.

Fortunately, Horikita Suzune only glanced at her and said nothing. Tsubaki didn't want to get involved with Horikita either.

Still... Horikita Suzune? She remembered the Student Council President who'd given a speech at the opening ceremony mentioning that surname during his introduction. He had the same surname, didn't he?

The classroom buzzed with chatter until a stern-looking teacher with a black ponytail walked in.

"Hello, everyone. This school doesn't reshuffle its classes. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years. My name is Chabashira Sae, and I teach history." She looked to be around thirty. Her expression was cold, and her voice was just as chilly. There wasn't a trace of warmth in her that suggested she was a teacher.

If she'd been sitting with her legs crossed and a cigarette in hand, Tsubaki would've thought that suited her better.

When Chabashira-sensei announced that they had 100,000 yen to spend that month, the whole class erupted in excitement. Almost everyone was exclaiming in surprise.

Chabashira-sensei waited with a cold smile for everyone to quiet down before continuing.

After confirming that no one had any questions, Chabashira-sensei left the classroom without looking back.

"Oh my god, Yamauchi, did you hear that? We get 100,000 yen every month!"

"I heard, Ike. I'm gonna go buy the latest game console later, then play the newest Chihara Banshin!"

"Damn, Yamauchi, you know how to live! Gonna spoil your waifu again!"

Tsubaki listened to the clueless chatter around her, utterly uninterested.

The teacher hadn't said they'd get 100,000 yen every month. Well, judging by the sound of it, these people weren't exactly bright.

Why would a school dedicated to cultivating elite students admit idiots like these?

And for some reason, Tsubaki could feel the boys' furtive glances on her. It made her uncomfortable.

Had these guys not seen a girl in several lifetimes?

A cheerful boy who introduced himself as Yosuke Hirata stood up and suggested that everyone introduce themselves. Quite a few girls agreed.

"I'm Yosuke Hirata, but you can just call me Yosuke. I like sports, especially soccer. I hope we can all become good friends and enjoy our three years at school together~"

His handsome looks and sunny personality left a good impression on many of the girls. Still, as far as Tsubaki was concerned, Yuto was much better-looking.

Next, a cute girl with short yellow hair raised her hand, eager to speak. "I'm Kushida Kikyo. I have lots of interests and know a little about all sorts of things. My goal is to become friends with everyone in the school, so just call me Kikyo!"

Wow, that sunny-girl energy was blinding.

And her chest... Tsubaki couldn't help glancing down at herself for comparison...

Never mind. What was the point of comparing?

Right, it didn't prove anything.

In any case, the two introductions from boys who clearly seemed destined to become central figures were met with enthusiastic responses. Kushida Kikyo's smile, in particular, had won over who knew how many boys.

Of course, not everyone was so friendly.

"Tch, introductions? I couldn't care less!" A tall, red-haired boy near the back door kicked a chair, then stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

It looked like this class was in for a rough ride...

As if he'd been waiting for this chance, Horikita Suzune stood up and left too.

Seeing that Tsubaki had no intention of moving, Horikita raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? I thought you wouldn't be interested in this sort of thing."

Tsubaki smiled pleasantly. "Well, I practiced my introduction beforehand, so I still want to share it with everyone."

But what she was really thinking was, Why do you care? Whether I leave or not is none of your business.

She hated people who couldn't respect boundaries. (◦`~´◦)

"Then go ahead and have fun with them. I'll pass." Horikita coldly finished speaking and left on her own.

Seeing the awkwardness in the air, Tsubaki took the initiative and stood up to introduce herself third.

Her good manners and beautiful appearance quickly brought the atmosphere back on track, and everyone else continued with their introductions.

The plain-looking boy stood up, held his index finger beneath his nose, and began. "Hello, everyone. My name is Haruki Yamauchi. I'm single and looking for a girlfriend. I made it to the National Tournament in table tennis back in middle school, and I was also once a Class A baseball league player. I haven't played in a long time, though, so I'm a little rusty."

Compared to Kanji Ike, who'd been so nervous he could barely get his words out, Yamauchi was already doing pretty well. But his claims sounded strange no matter how you looked at them. A Class A league—could a middle schooler even play in one?

And was it really a good idea to announce in front of everyone that he was looking for a girlfriend? It might've made sense if he were someone like Koenji, who did whatever he wanted and had plenty of money.

But Haruki Yamauchi looked like nothing more than a boastful windbag.

Sure enough, the girls showed no reaction to what he said.

Then someone recognized Tsubaki as the pretty girl who'd been waiting for someone at the school gate that morning.

"Hey, Tsubaki, were you waiting for someone at the school gate this morning?" The one asking was a girl with a high yellow ponytail, the gal Tsubaki remembered was named Kei Karuizawa.