April 1st, on a day with cherry blossoms in full bloom, Advanced Nurturing High School welcomed yet another new entrance ceremony.
The former second-year students became third-years, and the first-years became second-years, each moving out of their original classrooms.
The first-year classrooms were left for the new students.
Not only did they change classrooms, but the school also took the opportunity to upgrade many facilities—blackboards were replaced with electronic screens, and textbooks were upgraded to tablets, with each student receiving one.
Besides the equipment upgrades, students could finally freely change seats, using personal points to purchase their preferred spots.
Thanks to this, Kaoru deliberately seated Sakayanagi Arisu in front of him.
During class every day, he could play with her hair.
Sakayanagi Arisu had no objections, allowing him to tease her while secretly planning to trip him with her cane later.
"Did something happen between you two?"
Kamuro Masumi looked suspicious, sensing a subtle shift in their dynamic.
"Well, you'll have to ask Kaoru-kun about that."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, "Thanks to him, I almost caught a cold. When I woke up the next day, my voice was hoarse."
Kamuro Masumi froze for a moment.
Having little experience, it took her a while to understand the implication.
"How disgusting!"
She glared at Kaoru, unsure whether she was cursing him alone or both of them at once.
Kaoru noticed the slight upward curve of Sakayanagi's lips.
Though he couldn't guess her thoughts, he decided to remind her.
"Send me photos after we get back today."
At these words, Sakayanagi's body stiffened, making Kaoru smile faintly.
"Take them in front of a mirror, with your fingers spread open."
Her fair face finally flushed red, and she shot him a fierce glare. It seemed she understood who held the upper hand now.
Kamuro Masumi pretended not to care while secretly trying to eavesdrop.
She was curious about what Kaoru had done to make this arrogant elementary schooler grit her teeth in frustration.
However, with the entrance ceremony about to begin, she felt too embarrassed to press Kaoru for details.
...
The bus slowly stopped at the school's main gate.
The girl followed the crowd off the vehicle and immediately saw a massive, majestic stone gate standing before her.
She had finally arrived at this school.
Even now, the girl could still recall that stabbing pain - how the once warm hand gradually turned cold, how the figure she once admired hung limply from the ceiling, abruptly ending her budding first love before it could properly begin.
That's why, when she learned the truth, she felt an overwhelming desire.
Here, in this place, she would personally bury one of the perpetrators, ensuring everything received its rightful conclusion.
The girl stepped through the grand gate. Other new students like her were curiously examining their surroundings.
This was a fully enclosed school, and many had no idea what to expect before entering.
Considering the newcomers' situation, the school had installed directional signs to guide them toward the classroom buildings.
"Ara ara, how strange! Why can't I find the second-year classrooms!"
Suddenly, the girl heard a loud, fussy voice.
She glanced over and saw a girl trying to flip the directional sign, accidentally bending it out of shape.
"Eeeeh! I-I didn't mean to!"
She flailed about in panic, "Uwaa! If Producer-san sees this, all my impression points will be gone!"
"Producer-san?"
The girl voiced her confusion.
"Uwaa!"
The other girl seemed startled.
Seeing a stranger, her face flushed slightly: "I-I wasn't doing anything bad!"
She appeared to be quite a clumsy airhead.
The girl smiled faintly.
"Are you a new student too?"
"Yes! I'm Komiya Kaho, just arrived to register. I'm currently looking for second-year information... for the Producer!"
Halfway through her sentence, Komiya Kaho quickly corrected herself—she had promised everyone she absolutely wouldn't reveal anything about the producer!
The girl grew even more puzzled.
Asking for information about second-year students right after arriving—could she be in the same situation as herself?
But wasn't that a bit too reckless?
Even so, she maintained her politeness and introduced herself to Komiya Kaho.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Tsubasa Nanase, a new student like you."
"Hello, Tsubasa-san!"
Komiya Kaho flashed an incredibly sunny smile, though her voice was a bit too loud.
Seeing that smile, Tsubasa Nanase froze for a moment, feeling slightly moved inside.
However, she quickly snapped out of it.
"Komiya-san, do you know someone in the second year?"
That was the only explanation Nanase could think of—being particularly interested because she knew someone there.
"Eh, how did you know?"
Komiya Kaho was surprised, though she showed no wariness. "The person I know is in Class 2-A. Do you know how to get there, Tsubasa-san?"
Tsubasa Nanase fell silent for a moment before speaking with complete seriousness.
"Though this is just my personal guess, I believe the second-year and first-year classrooms are in the same building. We can just follow the signs."
"Tsubasa-san, you're amazing!"
Komiya Kaho finally caught on. "I didn't even think of that earlier!"
"..."
Tsubasa Nanase concluded: This girl was a clumsy airhead.
"Sorry, I think I got too excited."
Komiya Kaho patted her own head and muttered quietly, "What should I do? Just thinking about him being here makes my heart race nonstop."
Nanase pretended not to hear her.
Then, Komiya Kaho suddenly smiled at Nanase again.
"Anyway, thank you!"
Nanase retracted her earlier judgment—though a bit scatterbrained, she was very polite.
Would this girl be in the same class as her?
...
The entrance ceremony was held in the gymnasium.
As an annual tradition, it symbolized the new cohort of students joining ANHS.
Even though he was only the acting chairman, Tsukishiro Kazunari still made an appearance before everyone.
However, at this moment, most eyes were drawn to another figure.
"Next, let us welcome an outstanding student of our school, Kaoru Mitoma, to deliver a speech on behalf of the student body."
As the announcement ended, Tsubasa Nanase sensed a slight commotion—it came from the senior students' section.
They seemed deeply stirred by the name 'Kaoru'.
After a brief disturbance, they quickly returned to silence, quietly waiting for him to take the stage.
In contrast, the freshmen largely remained indifferent
. Occasional whispers could be heard—student representatives were nothing new to them, hardly worth noting.
Bzzz—
A sharp feedback noise suddenly erupted from the microphone, snapping many daydreaming freshmen back to reality.
A boy stood on the stage, his features well-proportioned and refined, his expression clear and handsome—someone who would inspire goodwill at first glance.
His tall, upright stature further evoked a sense of security.
Even in a crowd, he would stand out the most, like an ancient Greek marble statue, radiating an undeniable presence.
The reason she said this was because she couldn't read any emotion in his eyes—it was as if he was looking down on everyone from above.
As the absolute Apex, he naturally had no interest in those beneath him.
Tsubasa Nanase felt puzzled.
Could someone like this really be a high school student?