Self-Introduction

After parting ways with Arisu, Hoshino followed the directions to the Class D classroom.

There were already about twenty students inside. Perhaps because the school year had just begun and they were unfamiliar with one another, most students sat at their desks observing their peers, though some had already gathered in small groups to chat. One could tentatively assume these students possessed above-average communication skills, though it was equally possible they simply knew each other from before enrollment. He decided to keep that point under observation for now.

He found the seat labeled "Hoshino." It was located in the middle of the classroom. If his respectable rival were in his place, he would surely have narcissistically remarked something along the lines of, "A central position is the only one befitting the perfect me."

As for Hoshino, who had taken his place, he found himself more interested in the corner seat.

Having heard the saying, "The back row by the window is the hometown of the protagonist," he couldn't help but feel a bit curious. Indeed, in the anime works that made this country world-famous, there were countless instances of protagonists sitting in that very spot.

With that in mind, Hoshino glanced toward the seat that had caught his eye.

The boy currently sitting there locked eyes with him.

The boy's features could be considered handsome, yet he remained expressionless, giving off a somewhat wooden impression.

From the moment Hoshino looked at him to the moment he returned the gaze, only a fleeting instant had passed. Unless it was a one-in-a-million coincidence, one could assume his senses were quite sharp.

He looked harmless—if one were to go by a first impression, that would likely be the assessment everyone gave him.

Yet, Hoshino felt a vague sense of discomfort. It wasn't that he had discovered any flaws; it was simply something unreliable, like a gut feeling.

Was this boy truly as simple as he appeared?

He felt a spark of excitement. It had been years since Hoshino had felt such curiosity toward someone he had just met.

"Um... hello?"

Just then, a voice came from the side.

Hoshino turned his head to see a girl with short brown hair. Once his attention shifted to her, she smiled as if delighted, then extended her hand toward him.

"Hello, my name is Kushida Kikyo."

"Hello, Hoshino Akira."

Hoshino switched to a gentle expression and gave her hand a light shake.

The girl's smile was sweet and approachable; she was the type who easily garnered favor. Her subtle makeup and choice of accessories were well-coordinated, highlighting her charm.

Standing so close, he could smell the scent of citrus, which alone was enough to make an inexperienced boy's heart flutter.

Furthermore, her figure was eye-catching. With her slender waist accentuating her full chest, and her fair, soft thighs exposed beneath a skirt shortened to the absolute limit of the school regulations, the combination was enough to make one wonder where to look.

Hoshino did not think there was anything wrong with her making full use of her advantages as a girl.

Strangely, she didn't give off a lewd impression. Even if one knew her behavior might be a facade, one would still inadvertently fall into the innocent atmosphere she cultivated.

"Kushida-san, you're quite impressive."

Hoshino decided to probe her directly.

"Why do you say that?"

"It must take a lot of courage to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Especially someone like me. After all, in the past, girls often described me as tall and intimidating, saying I wasn't easy to get along with."

"Eh? Not at all! Hoshino-kun is clearly very kind, you speak gently, and being tall is a merit, too."

As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly, looking up at him. Hoshino knew this was a calculated move, yet she made it feel devoid of artifice, appearing only innocent and cute.

"Thank you, Kushida-san."

Hoshino thanked her, and she averted her gaze slightly, as if feeling a bit shy.

What an interesting girl. He was starting to get interested in her.

They exchanged a few more words before she politely waved her hand and bid him farewell. Hoshino watched as she walked toward a boy who had just entered near the door and began chatting with him.

Her behavior suggested she wanted to be on good terms with everyone. That was an ambitious goal.

For now, he would just observe her carefully.

Because Kushida was such a striking beauty, Hoshino, who had just been speaking with her, now found himself standing out as well.

At 185cm tall, Hoshino was already quite conspicuous.

The gazes directed at him from left and right made him feel somewhat uneasy. Under these circumstances, it was no longer appropriate to take further action.

Hoshino sat down in his seat.

Arisu had mentioned the school's system: Classes A through D were ranked by ability. From what he had observed so far, there were indeed many in Class D who didn't seem to have strong academic skills.

However, the gap was likely much wider in other areas.

A while later, an adult woman walked in through the classroom door. She wore a mature suit, her long hair tied into a high ponytail. Through the gap in her unbuttoned shirt, a deep cleavage was vaguely visible, and the cinched waist further accentuated her figure, yet her brisk, composed demeanor completely diluted any impression of sexiness.

She walked straight to the podium and swept her sharp gaze across the class.

Most students noticed her, and the noisy chatter slowly died down.

"Well, it seems all 40 students of Class D are present. Let me introduce myself. My name is Chabashira Sae, and I am the homeroom teacher in charge of Class D. According to school policy, classes do not change every year, so I will be spending the next three years with you. I look forward to working with you."

She spoke in a calm voice while writing her name on the blackboard.

"The entrance ceremony will be held in an hour. For now, I will give you a rough overview of some of the school's rules."

All students are prohibited from leaving the school grounds during their enrollment unless there are special circumstances, and they are not permitted to contact the outside world.

The student ID card issued to each student contains private points provided by the school, which can be used as currency for facilities within the campus.

As the allowance for the first month, 100,000 points have been deposited into everyone's accounts.

Private points can be used to purchase anything within the school grounds.

Wait.

Teacher Chabashira spent about three minutes briefly introducing some of the school's rules.

It felt entirely like she was just reading from a script.

"The remaining time is yours to spend as you please. Do not forget to attend the entrance ceremony on time."

Leaving behind those words, Teacher Chabashira exited the classroom.

Inside the room, some students marveled at the school's generous benefits, while others had already begun discussing how they intended to spend their points.

Two students stood up almost simultaneously.

Hoshino looked toward the boy who had risen by the window; he was a boy radiating the aura of a model student.

Hoshino gestured for him to speak first.

The boy nodded at Hoshino and began to speak in a bright, clear voice.

"From now on, we will all be living together in the same class, so I thought we could start by introducing ourselves to get to know one another. What do you think?"

Ah, there it is—a character archetype often seen in the works I've read, appearing right before my eyes.

"I'll start. My name is Hirata Yosuke. I like sports, especially soccer. Please treat me well."

With his handsome looks, kind personality, and soccer background, it was easy to foresee that he would certainly receive the attention and affection of his classmates, especially the girls.

Hirata's gaze shifted toward this side, signaling that it was my turn.

Hoshino wore a troubled expression for a moment.

If possible, he didn't want to be the second person to introduce himself after Hirata; not only would it invite unnecessary attention and comparison, but it was also difficult to gauge the right "degree" of self-presentation.

"Uh... my name is Hoshino Akira. My hobby is reading, and I'm not very good at sports. I hope we get along."

After Hoshino finished, a smattering of applause broke out. Although it was a very standard introduction, his appearance was quite good, and paired with that ordinary vibe, it actually landed right in the strike zone for some of the girls.

Of course, this also drew some less-than-positive reactions from the boys. Hoshino clearly heard someone mutter, "Even though he's that tall, he's just a weakling who's bad at sports."

Without needing to look, Hoshino could identify the source of the remark: the boy with dyed red hair at the very back of the row against the wall. He had a height and build that even exceeded Hoshino's, and with that red hair, he was very conspicuous in the classroom.

Hoshino had already glanced at him when he entered the classroom, and his assessment was—his brain seemed a bit simple.

Now it appeared that was indeed the case.

Hoshino turned a deaf ear to the reactions of the red-haired boy and his group, calmly sitting back down.

He had originally intended to leave the classroom. After Hirata's interference, it was no longer appropriate to leave.

Forget it; it wasn't something that absolutely had to be done anyway. Even if there were an impact, it wouldn't be to an irreparable degree. Hoshino judged it so.