"Hmmm..."
Returning to school days after almost a decade of homeschooling was a very different experience. As Issei took in the sight of the half-empty classroom that's gonna be his learning cell, he couldn't help but release a fond sigh.
The smell of gossip wafting through the walls, the noise of shoes grinding against the floor, and the faint remnants of chalk on the walls almost brought Issei back to his childhood days: Both of this life and the one he had lived once as Amish...
He took a cursory glance at all the students present: Half a dozen girls chatting over at the teacher's podium, the duo of boys, one with glasses and the other bald, as they openly leered at the standing girls.
Another duo of boys- one slowly chewing gum, the other with chubby cheeks sat together at the window's seat. The one they refer to as the protagonist's seat.
And Issei cursed in his mind. He wanted to sit on it.
"*Whistle, Well, well," As Issei was scanning what would be his classroom for the foreseeable future, a sly and crisp voice reached from behind. "Would you look at that..."
He looked back to see a twin-tailed girl with glasses staring at his... crotch, unabashed.
"Umm, what might have caught your attention, miss?"
"Well, something definitely caught my attention," The girl with glasses tore her gaze from his crotch and smirked at him, "Wanna know what it is?"
"I don't think I wanna..." Issei took a step back, his defensive instinct kicking in.
"Oh, come on. I know you're curious," Glasses closed the distance and looped her arms around his. "You don't need to hide it from me. We're friends, after all, right?"
"F-Friend..." Since when? He sweatdropped at the girl's tone, "You haven't even introduced yourself yet."
"Don't mind the small stuff," She waved her hand dismissively. "Instead, why don't you tell me more about yourself. First day?"
"Yes..."
"Oye, Kiryuu! Leave the new guy alone," Issei shifted his attention from the girl clinging to his arm to the chubby cheeks. "Poor guy's already a nervous wreck, standing at the entrance and cautiously looking around, and you aren't helping him."
"Yes, Yes! Shut up, Aika," The bald head from the other corner joined chubby cheeks in reprimanding glasses- or Aika Kiryuu, as Issei just confirmed, "You're too loud, and annoying!"
"And you're distracting me from accurately measuring the treasures with your blabberings," The boy-glasses added.
They must be Matsuda and Motohama, Issei thought, recalling the two side-character friends of the 'Issei Hyoudou' from the story of High School DxD.
"Oh, did I distract you from using your perverted vision, Motohama..."
"Yes, you did. So shut your little mouth and let me focus, you perverted girl." Motohama lifted his glasses and replied smugly.
A tick mark formed on Aika's head, "What did you say..."
The three perverts quickly engaged in a verbal spat, completely forgetting Issei's presence.
"If you're looking for a moment to shrug Aika off your tail, this is your chance, newbie." One of the girls- a pink-haired cutie- standing atop the podium reminded him, a faint smile on her and her friends' lips, as they took a backseat and watched the unfolding drama silently.
Issei didn't dismiss the recommendation and quickly distanced himself from the she-glasses.
...
"Nice dick, by the way," Not before getting a loud compliment from Aika's mouth before she jumped back in the fighting ring with the other two.
He strode to the last of the middle row, giving a brief regretful look to the already occupied protagonists' seat, and pointed at it. "Is it fine if I sit here?" He asked the gum-chewing guy.
"If it's empty, then plant your arse. Who's stopping ya?" He bumped his shoulder and rolled his eyes, acting disinterested.
"Hmm, Nice advice."
After securing his seat, Issei turned to the protagonist seat duo, and tried to introduce himself, "By the way, I'm Iss-"
"Save it."
...Only to be cut off immediately by them, as they stood up in sync, and walked past him, and out of the homeroom.
"O...kay."
Issei looked at his outstretched arm and thought, Well, this is awkward.
He pulled back his hand and closed his eyes. The best way to deal with an awkward situation is to pretend it never happened.
...He completely ignored the kitten's concealed gaze that had been following him since he entered the school premises. He already knew who it might be.
Sometimes later, he opened his eyes again to the sight of the perverted duo staring down at him, their eyes closely scrutinizing his movements.
"...What?"
"So, what's your deal?" The baldy started, rubbing his chin.
"...What deal?" Issei repeated, rhetorically.
"Don't act dumb," Boy-Glasses scoffed. He leaned closer and whispered into Issei's ear, "Is it true, what that pervert girl just said?"
...
...
"About my..." Issei asked, just to confirm that he's thinking what they're asking.
"Yes."
"...Why are you curious about that?" He looked at them weirdly, and shifted so as to make as much distance as his position allowed, "Just so we're clear, I don't swing that way."
Motohama and Matsuda turned to stare at each other until Matsuda exploded, "I fuckin' knew it!"
"It's true then. Damn lucky bastard!" Motohama quickly followed. fuming, "Not only do you have a handsome face, but also a giant snake as pet- Damn Ikeman!"
"Handsome?" Issei parroted, touching his cheeks, "I thought I was pretty average looking." He continued, "Besides, why do you suddenly trust the twin-tails words? You were fighting just moments ago."
"If that's average, then what about us?" Matsuda whispered, quite enough that Issei shouldn't be able to hear. Shouldn't.
"I also prefer big boobs and ass, thank you very much," Motohama grunted, scrunching up his nose, "As for trusting Aika's words- That stupid girl's crass mouth doesn't discredit her super precise calculations regarding her area of interests."
Suddenly, Motohama and Matsuda wrapped their arms around him and tried to threaten him, "Listen, dude, we understand you're handsome and you've got a nice pet. But don't go randomly hitting on one of those girls before us, alright?"
"Remember, we're brothers, and you're the youngest one." The other said.
Earlier friends and now Brothers, huh. Aren't they evolving relationships a little too fast?
"See, I told you, He'd fit right in with the perverts." Before Issei could voice his thoughts, the protagonists' seat duo returned, with the gum-chewing guy throwing a look of contempt towards Issei.
"Yeah, seems like this new one's also a boring perv," Chubby cheeks echoed his friend's sentiment.
"What's with that contemptuous tone, you bastards. You wanna fight, huh?" Motohama snapped towards the other duo.
'So you aren't angry about them calling you perverts?' Issei thought reflexively, 'Priorities, I guess.'
"Well, of course-"
The door of the homeroom slid open once more, and the room suddenly fell silent. All chatter stopped as every pair of eyes followed the person who entered the room.
With her characteristic Long and Lustrous red hair and bodacious figure, Rias gremory stepped in. Her turquoise eyes glanced over the majority of the class' strength, halting breaths wherever they landed-until finally they found their target sitting at the far end of the middle row.
She confidently glided over the distance, the crowd parting to give her space, until she was standing before him, their eyes locked in a silent stare-off.
A moment of tension passed between them....then two...three...as Issei felt more and more aware of the growing intensity behind the crowd's gaze, particularly the perverted duo who'd quickly clung to the walls, and the gum chewing guy who was practically seething.
Just as Issei was starting to consider breaking the ice, Rias beat him, "You," She said in a neutral tone.
"Me?" He leaned in, offering her the most charming smile he could muster, "What good deeds must I have done to be graced with the presence of the morning rose on my first day at a new school?"
...
...
"...He's bold, isn't he?" Someone from the crowd hushed.
Rias, for her part, showed no particular emotion. She tilted her head slightly and asked politely, "Can I have a moment of your time?"
"You can have all my time, beautiful miss," Issei sprang up, ready to follow her.
With that, Rias turned on her heels and walked out with Issei trailing behind. On his way out, Issei heard a click of tongue from the gum-chewing guy, but he decided to ignore it.
...Seriously, how long is he planning to chew that thing?
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