The end-of-class bell rang through the quiet classroom, and Chazhu Zuo Zhi, who had been leaning by the door, left right on time.
The moment she was gone, the class, which had been holding back for a long time, burst into an uproar.
The chatter, laughter, and scraping of desks and chairs all blended together. Without exception, the main topic was how to spend the hundred thousand points that had just been deposited.
Among the boys, the two who had been left speechless by Chabashira-sensei moments earlier were now the loudest.
They slung their arms over each other's shoulders, their chests rising and falling with excitement as they sprayed spittle while they spoke:
"A hundred thousand a month! I've never been this rich!"
"First, I'm buying game credits, then a limited-edition figure. I'll use the rest to eat out!"
Their unrestrained laughter was especially grating, and the students sitting near them couldn't help moving farther away.
Meanwhile, the girls had gathered in a circle around a tea-haired girl.
Her smooth hair fell over her shoulders, its ends naturally curled, and she wore a sweet smile.
"Let's go buy some new bags!"
"How about singing karaoke until closing?" "And we should check out that dessert shop!"
Their excited chatter was just as lively.
Several girls were already impatiently picking up their bags, ready to dash straight out of the classroom.
"Everyone, please wait a moment."
A warm yet firm voice cut through the noise. Hirata Yousuke stood up, wearing a perfectly measured smile.
When the others gradually quieted and their eyes turned toward him, he continued:
"Since we'll be classmates for the next three years, and we're all here now, why don't we take this opportunity to introduce ourselves? That way, we can get to know one another."
"He's right! We're all classmates, but I don't even know everyone's names!" one student immediately called out in agreement. The others nodded, and the girls who had been about to go shopping stopped and returned to their seats.
Seeing that no one objected, Hirata Yousuke spoke first. "My name is Hirata Yousuke. You can just call me Yosuke. I enjoy playing soccer. I was on my middle school team, and I hope to keep pursuing that dream in high school." His voice was sincere, his eyes bright.
As soon as he finished, the classroom filled with a round of applause. Quite a few girls exchanged approving glances.
"Now it's my turn!" the tea-haired girl raised her hand, her voice clear and pleasant.
When she stood, her skirt swayed gently. Her smile was as sweet and captivating as ever. "My name is Kushida Kikyo, and I love making friends."
"I really want to become good friends with every single person in the class—friends who can talk about anything!"
As the applause rang out, she slowly swept her hopeful gaze over the class, as if carefully memorizing every unfamiliar face.
But when her eyes passed over the cool and distant girl beside Hoshida No, a fleeting shadow crossed them. The next moment, it was completely covered by her gentle smile, as though it had never been there.
At the sound of Kushida Kikyo's name, Hoshida No's fingers paused as he typed a reply to Karuizawa on his phone. He looked up, fixing his gaze on Kushida Kikyo.
"So it really is her." When he had first entered the classroom, Hoshida No had thought she seemed familiar, especially with the faint scent of gardenias that wafted from her.
The introductions proceeded in an orderly fashion. Soon, it was the turn of Hoshida No's deskmate, the brown-haired boy who had kept his head down the entire time and seemed to have almost no presence.
He slowly stood. His wine-red uniform looked a little loose on him.
"Um, my name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka..." His voice was low and flat, with a hint of hesitation. He even paused before continuing. "Uh... I don't have any particular hobbies..."
His voice faltered awkwardly at the end. "Uh... I look forward to getting along with everyone."
After his brief and perfunctory introduction, only a few scattered claps sounded in the classroom before quickly fading away.
Some of the students around him even frowned without thinking, or exchanged surprised glances.
Clearly, that hadn't been an ideal performance.
Sitting nearby, Hoshida No could clearly feel the awkwardness hanging in the air. This guy really isn't good at talking to people.
As he felt everyone's gazes gather on him, Hoshida No was just about to push himself up from his desk when a rough, impatient voice rang through the noisy classroom. "Hey, how long are these introductions going to take?"
Before the words had even finished, a loud crash followed. The red-haired boy sitting at the back of the classroom had kicked over his desk.
With both hands in his pockets and his brows furrowed, he looked utterly impatient. He glanced at Hirata Yousuke with undisguised contempt. "I'm hungry as hell. I have no interest in wasting time here with you guys."
After speaking, he completely ignored the tense atmosphere and everyone's astonished, displeased looks, and swaggered toward the front.
He pulled open the classroom door and soon disappeared down the corridor.
Hirata Yousuke showed no embarrassment or anger at being challenged. He maintained his gentle smile.
He even tried to smooth things over. "Don't mind him, everyone. Maybe he's just really hungry..."
But before he could finish, his words were drowned out by the whispers rising and falling throughout the classroom. The lively atmosphere had already cooled considerably.
Hoshida No sat where he was, his brows drawing together almost imperceptibly.
This school really was full of hidden talents. It was only the first day, and someone this antisocial had already appeared. But was he simply impulsive and quick-tempered, or was he deliberately testing the class's limits?
His gaze inadvertently passed over Ayanokoji Kiyotaka beside him. The other boy still had his head down, his expression unreadable.
The introductions ended after Hirata Yousuke added the students in the class to a group chat.
As he left the school building, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Hoshida No followed the gravel path toward the club activity area. He had already thought of a way to earn Personal Points.
Although he didn't know how the school's points system worked, as long as he followed the principle of "ability above all," earning points wouldn't be difficult.
He stopped in front of the Martial Arts Club's entrance.
The words "Martial Arts Club" were posted on the vermilion door. The edges were slightly worn, and the dark wood grain beneath could just barely be seen.
From inside came synchronized shouts, mixed with the sound of punches and kicks cutting through the air and the crisp clack of wooden swords.
Hoshida No peered through the gap, looking inside.
In the spacious dojo, more than a dozen students in black martial arts uniforms were training. Sweat ran down their temples and soaked their collars, but not one of them slacked off. Their eyes were focused.
"Come in."
A steady voice sounded from behind him.
Hoshida No turned around to see a boy in a martial arts uniform standing not far away. A dark blue belt was tied around his waist, marking him as one of the Martial Arts Club's core members.
"You're a new student, right? Here to join the Martial Arts Club?"
The boy wore a warm smile and stepped aside to make way. "Our club president is supervising training right now. You can take a look around first, and if you're interested, you can sign up anytime."
Hoshida No turned his gaze back to the people sweating through their training in the dojo, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
He slowly pushed open the Martial Arts Club's door and stepped inside. His footsteps sounded especially clear in the spacious dojo.
"I'm not here to join." His calm voice successfully drew the attention of several students nearby. "I'm here to challenge you."