Enrollment! Doubt

April, the season when cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

The subway carriage swayed gently, and the pale pink shadows of trees streaked past the windows.

Hoshida No and his two companions had passed the entrance examination and were now sitting in the same row, all wearing the uniforms of Ikuei High School.

The boys' uniform consisted of a wine-red blazer paired with a white shirt and dark green trousers.

The girls' version was similar, featuring a white pleated skirt. The design was understated yet exuded a sense of refinement.

Ichinose and Kei were assigned to Class 1-B. The two kept their heads down, whispering to each other and occasionally breaking into soft laughter.

Hoshida No sat on the far right, scrolling through his phone. The body of the email was clear:

"To Student Hoshida No: Congratulations on passing the entrance examination for Tokyo Metropolitan Kōtō Ikusei High School and becoming a freshman in Class 1-D."

He scrolled down.

"Enrollment Instructions: Please report to the security office at the school gate. The school will issue a dedicated mobile device; carrying private electronic devices onto campus is strictly prohibited. To welcome you, the school will hold an orientation ceremony on April 1st at 11:00 AM. We look forward to your attendance."

They transferred at the next station to a bus heading toward Ikuei High School.

The bus was already crowded with students. When the three of them boarded, gazes converged on them, and faint whispers could be heard:

"Those two girls are so pretty."

"The boy looks like an idol."

Hoshida No noticed that Ichinose and Kei looked somewhat uncomfortable. He straightened his back slightly and led them toward the last row.

The two followed behind him and sat down. The bus slowly pulled away.

Several groups of students boarded along the way. Two individuals caught Hoshida No's attention: an elderly man and a man in a suit wearing sunglasses.

Seeing the elderly man, Ichinose instinctively moved to offer her seat. The man in sunglasses stood to the side, motionless.

Even though he wore sunglasses, Hoshida No could feel the man's gaze sweeping over every student in the carriage.

He reached out to press Ichinose's shoulder and stood up himself.

"Please, take this seat." He helped the elderly man into his spot, then returned to the right side of the man in sunglasses, gripped the handrail, and calmly studied him.

Ichinose sat there in a daze, her fingers unconsciously touching the spot on her shoulder where he had pressed.

Kei observed her friend's reaction, her eyes flickering, but she said nothing.

Until they got off, the man in sunglasses made no unnecessary movements. Hoshida No frowned slightly, wondering if he had been overly vigilant.

The three got off the bus and completed their registration at the security office.

Throughout the walk, Kei did not speak to Hoshida No, merely linking her arm with Ichinose's and walking on his right.

Hoshida No felt a bit unaccustomed to this. Usually, at times like this, Kei would either link arms with him or walk right beside him.

"Are you upset about the seat thing?"

He fished a milk candy from his pocket and held it out.

Kei looked at the candy offered to her, paused for a moment, then lowered her head and bit down, catching both the candy and his fingertips.

Hoshida No winced in pain and quickly pulled his hand back. "Are you a dog?" He glanced at his finger.

Kei, with the candy in her mouth, hummed vaguely: "Who told you to be so slow."

The milky sweetness melted in her mouth. She deliberately slowed her pace, her eyes secretly glancing at Hoshida No's hand; his fingertip was a bit red, and it looked painful.

Hoshida No rubbed his finger, his face expressionless, though he thought to himself: Her temper is as fickle as ever.

He looked at Ichinose. She was pursing her lips in a soft smile, her wine-red blazer fluttering gently in the breeze.

"Kei still likes sticking to Brother No," Ichinose said softly, her voice gentle. "Just like on the bus earlier..."

Before she could finish, her cheeks flushed slightly.

Kei's ears turned hot, and she immediately retorted: "I do not! I just think he's too easy to fool." She puffed out her chest to look imposing, but the candy crumbs on the corner of her mouth made the statement lack conviction.

Hoshida No watched her act of bravado without calling her out, simply wiping his finger with a pink handkerchief and pulling out another candy to offer her.

"Have another one. Stop biting my hand."

Kei glared at him but snatched it away, peeling the wrapper and popping it into her mouth. "You're lucky you're sensible."

She walked quickly to Ichinose's side, linked her arm, and softened her voice: "Honami, let's go, don't mind Brother No. Let him cry in his other class all by himself."

Ichinose nodded with a smile and turned to Hoshida No: "Brother No, we'll head off then? We'll come find you later."

Hoshida No nodded. The three added each other as friends using the white school-issued phones and parted ways at the intersection.

The path was filled with students wearing the same uniform, walking in twos and threes.

Hoshida No walked with a steady gait, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings without drawing attention.

It was then that he noticed the number of surveillance cameras in this school was abnormally high; there was one at almost every corner.

Although he had never attended a formal school, he knew that even the best high schools wouldn't be equipped with so many cameras.

It couldn't be because there are too many violent incidents, could it? he mused to himself.

He decided to change direction and wander around the school at random.

Ikuei High School occupied a vast area. The central zone where Hoshida No was currently located encompassed the teaching buildings, dormitories, student council, library, and club buildings.

The library is always an important reference for judging a school.

The library's exterior was simple, with a modern design sense. The interior was an open space, with natural wood tones and light gray as the main palette, creating a warm atmosphere. It had three floors, with similar layouts.

Hoshida No had no interest in reading at the moment. He walked around the interior and discovered that every corner was equipped with surveillance cameras.

His doubts deepened.

On the second floor, in a corner, he found a blind spot for surveillance and noted its location.

As he walked out of the library, the spring sunlight was just right.

Hoshida No raised his hand to shield his eyes and took out his phone—9:12, still early for the opening ceremony.

He walked along the tree-lined path, passing the neatly arranged teaching buildings and the lively club district.

Just as he was about to head towards the standalone building of the student council, a rhythmic "tok, tok" sound came from behind him.

Clear and steady. The wooden tip tapped against the stone path, exceptionally distinct amidst the noise.

Hoshida No stopped and turned around.

Under a cherry blossom tree not far away stood a young girl. Her skin was fair, and her silver hair was pressed down by a beret, emitting a soft luster in the sunlight. Her purple eyes gazed at him calmly.

The tapping sound came from the black cane in her hand.