Having chatted with Mayumi-senpai for too long, by the time Mahiro arrived at the auditorium, most people had already taken their seats.
Since seating wasn't assigned, people were free to sit wherever they pleased—front or back.
However, judging by the scene before him, that didn't seem to be the case.
The new First Course students mostly sat at the front.
Meanwhile, the Second Course students occupied the back rows.
The distinction was clear.
No one had forced this arrangement, yet it naturally formed this way.
However, Mahiro was the type to disregard unspoken rules and couldn't be bothered with such conventions.
Preferring quiet, he found a secluded spot in the back row, planning to take a nap.
"Um..."
Not long after he sat down, a soft voice called out to him.
Opening his eyes, he saw two girls, just as gentle as the voice.
"Excuse me, is the seat next to you free?" asked the girl with glasses.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Thank you."
After thanking him, the girl sat down beside him.
Mahiro's gaze repeatedly assessed the two girls.
Even though there were plenty of empty seats around, they specifically chose to sit next to him.
Perhaps they were also uninterested in the entrance ceremony and came to this quiet corner to slack off.
After a brief conversation, he learned their names.
The girl with glasses, sporting a bob haircut and an extraordinarily beautiful face, was named Shibata Mizuki.
The other girl, who looked more lively and boyish with striking short red hair, was named Chiba Erika.
In terms of looks, Erika was almost on par with Miyuki.
Their surnames were even more intriguing.
Mizuki seemed unclear, but her glasses were not ordinary; they were used to suppress a sensitivity to spiritual particle radiation.
As for Chiba, she was one of the prominent families.
Indeed, ordinary talent was rare in this prestigious school!
"Hello, Shibata-san, Chiba-san, my name is Yotsuba Mahiro."
Mahiro said, trying to sound as friendly as possible.
Despite this, he still drew a surprised reaction from Erika.
"Eh?!! Yotsuba? Is it that Yotsuba?!"
Her reaction was almost identical to that of Saegusa Mayumi.
It was puzzling; what kind of image had his cheap mother created for him?
Erika's exclamation also drew the ire of the students in front, especially the First Course students.
Erika shrank her shoulders and quietly apologized, then returned to her seat.
Mizuki, curious, asked, "Erika-chan, what's wrong with Yotsuba? Is something off?"
The naturally airheaded girl seemed to not grasp the situation until Erika leaned in and whispered an explanation, at which point she finally understood.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and just as she was about to exclaim, Erika quickly covered her mouth.
"Isn't that a bit too much of a reaction? The child of the Yotsuba clan is still human; they have to go to school when they reach the right age."
Mahiro felt somewhat helpless.
"Isn't the student council president Saegusa Mayumi and the head of the club alliance Juumonji Katsuto also students here?"
"I'm not surprised about that..."
Chiba Erika muttered quietly, quickly regaining her energy and changing the topic.
"By the way, Yotsuba-san, you're clearly a First Course student, yet you've come to occupy a spot in the Second Course territory."
As she spoke, she pointed at her chest.
Erika and Mizuki did not have the eight-petal emblem on their chests.
"Using the word 'hogging' is a bit too much, don't you think?" Mahiro retorted. "And what's the big deal about sitting here anyway? Does the school rulebook say First Course students can't sit with Second Course students?"
He was all about standing his ground with confidence.
"Well, no."
The student handbook indeed had no such regulation.
It was just an unspoken rule among the students themselves.
Besides, First Course and Second Course students were naturally at odds with each other.
Exceptions like Yotsuba Mahiro were rare.
"But honestly, I think it's too early in the school year to take the distinction between First and Second Course students so seriously."
Mahiro's sudden remark caught Erika and Mizuki's attention.
Originally focused on the student representative's speech, they both turned their gazes toward him.
Mahiro continued:
"After all, we're all just freshmen who just enrolled. Even if there are differences in entrance exam scores, how much better can one person really be than another?"
Erika didn't react much to this, simply nodding in agreement.
Among the freshmen at First High, those who could rival her in practical combat were few and far between.
The reputation of the Chiba family's "Crimson Lotus" wasn't just for show.
But it was Mizuki who was truly moved by Mahiro's words.
Her eyes sparkled behind her glasses.
His words had struck a chord deep within her.
It was a challenge to the school's rigid hierarchy.
...
...
...
"Oh ho, in the same class as Miyuki, huh?"
After the entrance ceremony, Mahiro sat in the classroom, glancing around.
Tatsuya had been assigned to Class E for Second Course students, and it seemed Erika and Mitsuki were in that class too.
Meanwhile, he and Miyuki were in Class A.
However, after sitting for a while, Mahiro got up and left the classroom.
Since today was just the entrance ceremony, there were no classes—just a chance for first-years to familiarize themselves with their classrooms and classmates.
After that, they were free to leave.
But Mahiro wasn't planning to go home so soon.
After all, this was a Japanese high school—how could he miss out on clubs?
On the main path before him, cherry blossoms fluttered through the air, and clubs were busy preparing for the upcoming recruitment week.
Yet, after wandering around for a while, Mahiro couldn't find one that suited his taste.
"All flash, no substance..."
Until a sharp shout caught his attention.
"Ha!"
Swish!
The wooden sword cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
Inside the kendo hall, a tall, black-haired girl with a high ponytail was practicing suburi.
She was clearly exhausted—her chest heaved with each heavy breath, and beads of sweat dripped from her forehead onto the floor.
Yet she didn't stop.
Swing after swing, she persisted in her training.
Only after a thousand strikes did she finally pause.
After a short break, she moved on to striking practice against a wooden post.
Even though Mahiro knew nothing about kendo, he could tell her strikes were fierce and precise.
But for some reason, there was a trace of hesitation in her movements.
"Excuse me, can I help you with something?"
Having finished her usual training routine, Mibu Sayaka noticed Yotsuba Mahiro standing at the entrance and called out to him.
But when she saw the First Course badge on his chest, the words inviting him in faltered, and she hesitated where she stood.
"If you're a First Course student, you should join the neighboring Kenjutsu Club that combines swords with spells. What are you doing in the traditional Kendo Club?"
"Ah, sorry. I originally just wanted to take a look, but I ended up getting captivated by the cool and heroic way you were practicing, so I stayed a bit longer."
Unaware of the shift in Mibu Sayaka's attitude, Mahiro chuckled awkwardly before stepping forward to introduce himself:
"Hello, senpai. My name is Yotsuba Mahiro. I'm a new student who just enrolled today."
Seeing that he harbored no hostility and instead introduced himself warmly, Sayaka let her guard down slightly.
"Hello, Yotsuba-kohai. I'm Mibu Sayaka, a second-year student. As you can see, I'm a Second Course student."
Sayaka deliberately emphasized her status.
But Mahiro didn't seem to mind at all. Under her gaze, he spoke bluntly:
"Mibu-senpai, may I ask—what is it that you're struggling with?"