"True value?"
Yui Yuigahama tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion.
"It's just a seat... isn't it?"
"You still don't get it."
Ye Xing shook his head with an utterly serious expression, speaking in a tone as if proclaiming common knowledge that everyone in the world should know.
"Listen well. This seat—back row by the window—is the homeland of kings. Commonly known as the King's Throne."
"Huh?"
Yui Yuigahama blinked in surprise, curiosity piqued.
"So, if you sit here, are there any special benefits?"
"Of course there are."
Ye Xing spoke like a patient teacher guiding a student through a difficult problem.
"First, this seat has a wall to the left and only an aisle to the right. So when you're sleeping, you can lean your whole body to the left against the wall without worrying about being bumped by passing students."
"Second, this is the most secluded corner of the classroom. From a probability standpoint, foot traffic here is minimal, making it the quietest spot."
"And finally, choosing this seat sends a clear 'keep your distance' message, minimising unwanted social interactions. For those who prefer solitude, calling it a throne is no exaggeration."
After hearing this, Yui Yuigahama nodded as if suddenly enlightened.
"Ohhh, I see. I was being shallow."
Not far away, Miko Yotsuya sighed helplessly, thinking to herself, 'Is this cute girl with the gyaru fashion sense a little slow in the head?'
Ye Xing spouting nonsense was one thing.
But you actually believed him?
'King's Throne'? More like Ye Xing's self-justification for sleeping in class.
"Hmph."
Noticing the gazes of the other students shifting toward their corner, the long-haired girl with straight black hair let out a cold snort. Her sharp eyes stabbed toward Ye Xing like knives.
Ye Xing remained smiling, even pressing his hand down on his bag slightly, showing no intention of backing down.
"Hmph."
The girl snorted again and sat down in the adjacent seat without another word. She hung her bag on the hook by the desk, then—ignoring the stares—immediately flopped onto the desk to sleep.
On the first day of school, before classes had even begun, such a scene naturally sparked murmurs among the surrounding students.
"That girl is seriously weird."
"No, no, if we're being honest, the guy is weirder, right?"
"Both of them are pretty good-looking, though..."
"Problem students? Delinquents? Better stay away from them."
A girl who had been talking with Yui Yuigahama earlier hurried over, tugging at Yui's sleeve. She glanced warily at Ye Xing, who was now sitting smugly on his so-called "King's Throne," and whispered urgently:
"Yuigahama, don't associate with weirdos like that. You'll get labelled as one, too. Let's go."
Feeling the gazes of her classmates and the strange atmosphere, Yui Yuigahama pursed her lips, gave Ye Xing an apologetic glance, and ultimately remained silent as she followed the girl back to her own seat area.
"Ugh, so tired."
Ye Xing himself, however, was completely unfazed by the surrounding stares and whispers. He mirrored the exact same action as the girl sitting next to him.
That is, he flopped down and started sleeping.
"What a strange person."
Though Miko Yotsuya thought this to herself, she decided she would definitely find an opportunity to ask Ye Xing for answers when the time was right.
How on earth had he managed to eliminate evil spirits as a mere human?
If she could possess such an ability, she wouldn't have to live in constant fear anymore.
A few minutes later.
Shizuka Hiratsuka entered the classroom, yawning and rubbing her eyes, looking as if she hadn't fully woken up yet.
The students who had been whispering among themselves immediately fell silent.
Shizuka nodded in satisfaction and was about to say something when her gaze drifted to the very back of the classroom, where two students were sound asleep. She couldn't help but frown slightly.
Noticing her expression, most of the students felt a bit of schadenfreude.
On the very first day of school, they dared to sleep openly during class.
Surely they'd be dragged out and scolded mercilessly?
Contrary to their expectations, Shizuka merely swept her eyes across the classroom before turning a blind eye. She turned around and wrote her name on the blackboard.
"My name is Shizuka Hiratsuka. I'll be teaching Japanese and, starting today, serving as your homeroom teacher and life advisor."
Seeing that she had no intention of reprimanding the two sleepers, the students exchanged puzzled glances.
"Next, I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves one by one."
Nothing particularly noteworthy happened during this process.
Once all the other students had finished introducing themselves, Shizuka looked toward the two still sleeping in the back and rapped her knuckles against the blackboard.
"You two in the back, please wake up and introduce yourselves."
When the pair remained motionless, Shizuka sighed helplessly and walked straight to the desk of the beautiful girl with long black hair, gently prompting her.
"Miss, please stand up and introduce yourself."
The girl lifted her head, rubbed her bleary eyes, and glanced at Shizuka standing before her. There wasn't a trace of panic at being caught sleeping by the teacher—she simply stood up and said coolly,
"Kazusa Touma."
Her voice was pleasant but carried an icy aloofness and the impatience of someone whose sweet dreams had been disturbed.
After stating her name, Kazusa Touma sat back down without another word and resumed sleeping on her desk.
The students who witnessed this had only one thought in their minds.
Arrogant.
'She's really pushing it.'
'Daring to act so brazenly right in front of the teacher.'
'Could she be some kind of noble-born young lady?'
Faced with Kazusa's attitude, Shizuka felt equally helpless but couldn't bring herself to say anything.
Before the school year began, the administration had specifically briefed her.
Kazusa Touma was a special case. As long as she showed up to class on time every day, everything else could be ignored—just turn a blind eye.
Shizuka Hiratsuka strongly opposed this teaching method.
But it was a unanimous decision by the school's higher-ups, and there was nothing she could do to change it.
Looking at Ye Xing, who was still slumped on the desk, deep in infant-like slumber, Shizuka sighed and skipped the process of waking him up altogether.
"This boy is Ye Xing. Alright, introductions are done. Let's begin class."
...
Soon, the morning classes passed quietly.
By the time the lunch break bell rang, Ye Xing finally awoke from his dreams.
As soon as he sat up, he happened to see a boy from another class—decent-looking but with a somewhat frivolous air—blocking Kazusa Touma, who was trying to leave the classroom. The boy flashed what he thought was a charming smile and struck up a conversation.
"Hey there, mind if we be friends?"
Miko Yotsuya, who had just approached Ye Xing, noticed him watching the scene outside the classroom. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she muttered under her breath.
"This is gonna be fun."
Almost immediately, Miko saw a sharp glint flash through Kazusa Touma's slender, elegant eyes. The girl parted her lips slightly and spoke coldly.
"Move. You're in the way."