Classes officially began

It was the second day of school, and the first day of actual classes.

Morning sunlight streamed through the glass into the room. Ken Kaneki yawned, washed up, then headed to the Class 1-D classroom with Ayanokoji and Koenji.

Everything they had done yesterday had deepened the friendship between the three of them. Ken Kaneki and Koenji had known each other for a long time, while Koenji and Ayanokoji had met before, so they had already become very close.

Like best buddies.

Upon entering the classroom, the three went straight to their seats and sat down. Ignoring Horikita Suzune beside them, they took out their books and placed them on their desks.

The bell rang, and the first lesson officially began.

Since it was the first day of lessons, most students still retained their earlier reserve, sitting perfectly upright in their seats like well-behaved children.

Only a handful of students did their own thing, looking utterly unconcerned.

Sudo, Yamauchi, and a few others, for instance, along with our very own Beautiful Guy.

Their little antics did not interfere with the teacher's lesson. He merely glanced at them before paying them no further attention.

The teacher at the front completely ignored the students' behavior, simply reading from the textbook and taking an entirely hands-off approach toward them.

This unusually relaxed classroom atmosphere was like opening some sort of Pandora's box, directly serving as a catalyst that sped up the students' adjustment.

The next few lessons were the same. The teachers left once they had finished their material, never stopping anyone even if they whispered among themselves.

Gradually, the Class D students grew bolder. Their true natures began to emerge in full as they increasingly let themselves go.

By the last lesson of the morning, the entire classroom had become a madhouse.

Kanji Ike and Haruki Yamauchi were brazenly playing handheld games, while Ken Sudō had simply propped his legs on his desk and fallen fast asleep.

Several girls in the back had even gathered to share snacks and cosmetics, while others had gone so far as to set up a game of Gomoku on a desk.

Ken Kaneki rested his chin on his hand in thought, his calm gaze sweeping across the class.

Amid the noise and chaos, only Horikita Suzune, who sat behind Ayanokoji, and a mere handful of quiet-looking girls still maintained proper posture as they listened attentively and took notes.

Looks like the plot still has this much momentum, Ken Kaneki muttered inwardly.

He knew exactly how the school's "S System" worked. Talking in class, sleeping, and playing on phones would all be faithfully recorded by the surveillance camera above the blackboard and used as grounds for deducting Class Points.

At the rate Class D was courting disaster, next month's Class Points would most likely be deducted all the way down to zero, just as in the original story.

Since the outcome was set, Ken Kaneki naturally could not be bothered to listen to the basic material being taught up front, which posed no difficulty whatsoever for him.

Still, to avoid being flagged by the system for not paying attention in class and leaving a blemish on his personal record, he put on an extremely convincing act.

He sat straight, his eyes fixed intently on the blackboard, occasionally twirling a pen in his hand as though considering some profound academic question. In reality, his mind had long since wandered, and he was working out his plans for earning points later.

To him, that was what mattered.

Ayanokoji beside him was equally well versed in this approach, wearing a poker face that suggested he was listening attentively, though his thoughts had actually drifted who knew where.

At long last, the bell rang for lunch break.

"Let's go find some food." Ken Kaneki stood and called to the other two.

They currently had a huge sum at their disposal and could easily splurge at an upscale restaurant.

But to experience the rare treat of everyday life as ordinary university students, the three decided to head to the school shop, where they each bought a classic yakisoba bread.

None of the three came from ordinary families, so none had enjoyed a basic education.

By the time they returned to the classroom with their bread and drinks, more than half the class had already left.

Ken Kaneki immediately spotted Horikita Suzune sitting alone at her seat, quietly eating lunch with an elegant bento box on her desk.

Where did she get that bento? Is there somewhere on campus that sells ingredients? A trace of puzzlement crossed Ken Kaneki's mind, but he did not dwell on it.

He casually pulled his desk out and pushed it together with Ayanokoji's and Koenji's. The three sat unabashedly at the back of the classroom, enjoying their yakisoba bread.

Not far away, the class's popular boy, Yosuke Hirata, was surrounded by several girls.

Ever the nice guy, he had been working to bring the class together.

He noticed the trio sitting in the corner with their distinctive presence and flashed a sunny smile.

He was just about to walk over and invite them to eat lunch together when someone suddenly clung tightly to his arm.

"Yosuke, never mind them. Why don't we go eat at the restaurant?"

The girl who had stopped Hirata was Kei Karuizawa, dressed like a gyaru with her blonde hair tied in a ponytail.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ken Kaneki's and Koenji's imposing builds, a hint of instinctive wariness and apprehension in her gaze.

As though something had occurred to her, she tightened her hold on Hirata's arm.

With Karuizawa pulling him like that, Hirata could only give an apologetic, wry smile and obediently leave the classroom surrounded by the girls.

Ken Kaneki took a bite of his bread, taking in the entire scene without caring in the slightest.

Even if Hirata had actually come over to invite them, the three would never have joined in such a boring game of playing house.

As the three ate and chatted idly, a sweet, faintly fragrant breeze drifted over.

"Excuse me~ Kaneki, Ayanokoji, and Koenji."

Their beautiful classmate Kikyo Kushida approached their desks with an impeccably radiant smile.

Holding her phone in both hands, she leaned forward slightly in an extremely approachable posture.

"Um, since we're all going to be classmates from now on, I'd like to become good friends with everyone in class. If you don't mind, could you add me to your contacts?"

As she spoke, Kushida appeared to be looking at the three of them.

But Ken Kaneki keenly caught how, out of the corner of her eye, she was staring fixedly at Horikita Suzune, who was eating her bento alone nearby, with a furtive, disingenuous gaze.

Rokusuke Koenji paid no mind to this energetic attempt at conversation.

He took another bite of his bread and rejected her without mercy.

"No, no, no. Not just anyone can get my contact information. My beautiful self has no need for such unnecessary, meaningless socializing. Go ask someone else, little girl."

Kushida's smile stiffened, but quickly returned to normal, and she turned an expectant gaze toward the other two.

Ken Kaneki and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji exchanged a glance. Both understood perfectly well that the seemingly angelic girl before them was actually "two-faced."

"Fine by me." Ken Kaneki took out his phone and brought up his QR code.

"I'll add you too." Ayanokoji cooperatively took out his device as well, his tone unchanged.

After successfully getting their contact information, Kushida looked very happy.

However, just as she was about to use the opportunity to approach Horikita Suzune and make her move, Horikita seemed to sense this presence she loathed.

With a cold expression, she briskly closed her bento box and put it into a cloth bag.

Then she stood, strode out of the classroom on her long, slender legs, and never even glanced at Kushida.

Only Kikyo Kushida remained standing there, the smile on her face looking somewhat dark and inscrutable in the shadows cast by the sunlight.