The next morning arrived too soon. Sunlight squeezed through the curtains and jabbed Haruki in the eyes like it had a personal grudge against him.
"Ughhh… morning already? Who invented mornings? I wanna fight him," he grumbled, rolling out of bed in the least graceful way possible—half fell, half crawled.
Before he could even think of skipping, bam bam bam! Someone pounded on his door.
"Oi, idiot! Wake up! You've got class!"
Haruki groaned. "Why do people in this world scream so early in the day?"
The door swung open without warning, and there stood Riiki, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently. "Don't play dead. You're starting your first day in Class E. Move it."
Haruki blinked at him, hair sticking up in a bird's nest mess. "…E? Wait, hold on. E? As in… lowest letter E? Like 'E for failure'? You're putting me in the failure class on my first day?"
Riiki rolled his eyes. "Shut it. You're lucky you even have a class. Now wash your face and follow me."
Haruki dragged himself to get ready, grumbling the whole time. "Great. From another world to… remedial class. I bet they'll call me 'Transfer Dumbass' before lunch."
By the time Riiki dragged Haruki through the academy halls, students were already heading to their respective classrooms. Their chatter filled the corridors, and once again, whispers started chasing after Haruki like mosquitoes.
"There he is."
"The idiot from yesterday."
"Wow, E class, huh? Guess it fits."
Haruki hissed through his teeth. "I swear, this place is like Twitter but with worse filters."
Finally, Riiki stopped in front of a large wooden door with a carved "E" above it. He shoved it open without ceremony.
The classroom buzzed with life: desks arranged in neat rows, sunlight spilling over polished floors, and students mid-conversation until they noticed the newcomers. Instantly, the room hushed, dozens of eyes focusing on the stranger.
Haruki froze. "Oh no… they're staring. Why are they staring? Do I have something on my face? Oh crap, I do have toothpaste on my cheek, don't I?" He tried to rub it off discreetly.
Riiki ignored him, stepping forward and clearing his throat. "Listen up. This idiot—" He smacked Haruki's shoulder, making him stumble forward. "—is Haruki. New transfer. Try not to let him burn the place down."
A ripple of chuckles ran through the class.
Haruki straightened his jacket, forcing a grin. "Hi, uh… yeah. I'm Haruki. Totally normal guy. Definitely didn't piss off the scariest girl in the academy yesterday, haha…"
The class exchanged knowing looks, whispers buzzing again. Haruki's smile faltered. "…Oh, you already heard, huh? Damn, rumors really move at supersonic speed here."
A bold-looking boy in the back raised an eyebrow. "So you're that guy?"
Haruki pointed at himself. "What guy?"
"The guy who mouthed off to Furuha."
Haruki groaned loudly. "Oh, come on! Is this my permanent title now? Can we not?"
Laughter broke out across the room, and some of the tension eased. Even Riiki smirked, muttering under his breath, "At least you're good at being a clown."
Haruki shot him a glare. "Yeah? Keep laughing. One day I'll get respect here. You'll see."
Riiki snorted. "Sure, keep dreaming, E-class hero."
Riiki looked at Haruki with a serious but caring face and said,
"Study well in Class E, alright? If you improve, you might even get promoted to Class D. But don't cause trouble again."
Haruki's face didn't change one bit. He looked bored, like nothing in the world could interest him, and only muttered,
"Ugh, fine."
Riiki nodded, satisfied enough with that half-hearted answer.
"Good. I'll be leaving now. Bye."
Haruki lazily raised his hand and replied,
"Bye."
He watched Riiki walk out of the classroom.
Immediately, whispers spread across the room.
"Isn't that the guy who talked back to Furuha?"
"He's lucky he didn't get killed."
Haruki turned his head, scanning the classroom filled with unfamiliar faces, and asked flatly,
"Any empty seats?"
None of the responded to him. They just looked away. Only one girl with blonde long hair bothered to answer, pointing beside her.
"There is. Last row."
Haruki smirked to himself, his thoughts running wild.
(Finally… someone willing to help me out.)
He looked at the student who spoke up — a girl — and said,
"Thanks."
The girl shrugged, smiling lightly.
"No need. It's nothing."
Haruki nodded once and made his way to the last row. Sitting down, he could still hear people talking about him.
"He actually came to class, huh?"
"Hah, whatever. Let's see what kind of show he puts on."
"Bet it's gonna be hilarious."
Haruki leaned his elbow on the desk, resting his face in his palm, and chuckled inside his mind.
(Wow. Just by talking back once, I've become this famous already? Interesting. Interesting…)
DING DING DING — the school bell rang. Class was starting.
The door opened and the teacher walked in. She wore a skirt and carried a few books in her arms. Smiling at the students, she spoke warmly,
"I heard there's a new student in our class. Could you please stand up and introduce yourself?"
Haruki stood up without hesitation.
"Me, teacher. My name is Haruki. I'm 13 years old."
The teacher nodded approvingly.
"Good. Welcome to HILOXY, Haruki." She turned to the rest of the class. "Make sure you all treat Haruki kindly, alright? Don't scare him away. If he ever faces any difficulties, help him out. Now then, Haruki, you may sit down."
Haruki gave a small bow of his head.
"Okay. Thank you, teacher."
The teacher smiled.
"You're polite. No need to thank me."
She placed her books on the desk and began the lesson.
"Alright, everyone, open to page eighty-eight. We're starting a new chapter today."
Haruki froze, realizing his desk was completely empty. He raised his hand.
"Sorry, teacher… I don't have a textbook. Can I share with someone else?"
The teacher's eyes softened, and she smiled kindly.
"It's alright, not your fault. You're new here, of course you wouldn't have your books yet. Go ahead and move your chair to sit beside Nanako. You can share with her. You'll receive your own set by next week."
Haruki blinked, surprised by her kindness. Then he nodded quickly.
"Thank you, teacher."
"Don't mention it," she said with a warm chuckle.
Haruki turned to look at the girl sitting next to him — the same one who had told him about the empty seat earlier.
"So… would you mind sharing with me?"
Nanako smiled gently.
"Oh, I don't mind. Come on."
Haruki smiled back and dragged his chair beside hers.
"Thanks."
Haruki pulled his chair beside Nanako, trying to look casual. He leaned slightly toward her book, but then realized something — his head was way too close.
Nanako blinked at him.
"Uh… you don't have to lean that close. I'm not going to eat the book, you know."
Haruki instantly leaned back, clicking his tongue.
"Tch. Fine. Just making sure I can read."
Nanako giggled softly.
"You're kinda funny, aren't you?"
Haruki raised an eyebrow.
"Funny? I'm literally just trying to survive class here."
Before Nanako could reply, a loud whisper came from the front row.
"Oi, look, Haruki's already flirting with Nanako!"
The whole class snickered. Someone even made kissy noises.
Haruki slammed his palm on the desk and shouted, "SHUT UP, idiots!"
The teacher snapped her head up immediately.
"Haruki!"
The class froze, waiting for the explosion.
But instead of yelling, the teacher gave him a calm smile.
"I understand it's hard being new, but please… keep your voice down, okay? Everyone here deserves a peaceful environment to learn."
Haruki blinked.
"…Wait. You're not gonna punish me?"
The teacher tilted her head.
"Should I?"
Haruki scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…No. I'll behave."
The class laughed again, but this time quietly, as if they were amused rather than mocking.
Nanako leaned closer and whispered with a small grin.
"Looks like the teacher likes you. You're lucky. Usually she gives lectures."
Haruki smirked.
"Guess I'm just special."
Nanako rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, special troublemaker."
Haruki chuckled to himself.
(Heh. Maybe this class won't be so boring after all…)
The teacher clapped her hands lightly.
"Alright, everyone. Turn to page eighty-eight. Let's begin."
And just like that, Class E's atmosphere shifted — half the students already curious how long Haruki would survive here without causing another mess.
The bell rang loudly — DING DING DING.
Students rushed out of their classrooms toward the cafeteria.
Nanako glanced at Haruki, who was still resting his chin on his hand.
"Come on, Haruki. I'll show you the cafeteria. You need to know where it is."
Haruki yawned, stretching lazily.
"Fine. Lead the way."
The hallway was crowded with students. Haruki followed Nanako closely, but his eyes wandered everywhere — curious yet careless. He wasn't watching where he was going until BUMP!
"Ah—" Haruki stumbled back, colliding hard into someone's chest.
The person he hit didn't move an inch. Instead, a deep, sharp voice cut through the noise of the hallway.
"…Watch where you're going."
Haruki looked up. The boy in front of him had cold, piercing eyes. His presence was heavy, even more intimidating than Furuha's. His aura screamed danger.
Haruki quickly muttered,
"Sorry. My fault."
But the boy didn't care. Without warning, his fist came flying forward.
WHAM!
Haruki's cheek stung as he staggered backward.
"Tch—what the hell? I already said sorry!" Haruki growled, holding his face.
The boy didn't answer. His glare alone felt like a blade pressing against Haruki's throat.
Nanako gasped and stepped forward.
"Kyosuke—!"
That one word froze the atmosphere. The boy — Kyosuke — slowly lowered his fist. His sharp eyes flicked toward Nanako, and then back at Haruki. For some reason, he didn't strike again.
Instead, he clicked his tongue and turned away.
"…"
Without another word, he walked past them, disappearing into the crowd of students.
Haruki stood frozen, still rubbing his cheek, his mind racing.
(Kyosuke…? Who the hell is that guy? And why did Nanako's voice stop him?)
Nanako let out a relieved sigh. She looked at Haruki with concern.
"You're lucky, Haruki. Anyone else… he wouldn't have stopped."
Haruki held his swollen cheek and muttered angrily, "That damn guy… I already said sorry and he still punched me. He's even scarier than Furuha!"
Nanako gently touched his shoulder, her voice soft with concern. "Are you okay? Your face is swelling up…"
Haruki forced a crooked grin, pretending to be tough. "No problem. I'm used to getting punched."
Nanako frowned, staring at him. "Don't say that… Come on, follow me."
"Alright, alright…" Haruki replied with a sigh, walking beside her.
As they moved down the hallway, Haruki finally asked, "That guy just now… was he Kyosuke? Why the hell did he hit me like that?"
Nanako kept her eyes forward as she answered, "Kyosuke is also one of the Young Heroes. If he wants something, he'll take it. And the scariest thing about him? Whenever someone bumps into him, he doesn't care if you apologize or not… he just keeps hitting until he decides to stop. Some people… never even got back up."
Haruki froze for a second, staring blankly. His brain screamed: WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SURVIVE?!
He followed silently, feeling a chill crawl down his spine. Nanako finally guided him back to the classroom. She pulled out a small plaster and carefully placed it on Haruki's cheek. "Next time, be careful, okay?"
From the back of the class, voices rose again, whispering and mocking:
"Haruki got beaten again?"
"Who was it this time?"
"Kyosuke, of course."
"Damn… Kyosuke is worse than Furuha! I heard he once beat someone to death."
"Haruki's lucky he isn't dead yet."
Haruki ignored them all, pretending not to hear. He just sighed and turned to Nanako. "Nanako, I'm going back to my room. Just tell the teacher I'm not feeling well."
As he stepped out, Nanako called after him with a small smile, "Drink more water, okay? And… try not to bump into anyone else."
Haruki gave her a weak wave. "Yeah, yeah… I'll be careful."
He walked out of the classroom, shoulders slightly slouched, heading back to his room. Inside, his head was full of thoughts: First Furuha, now Kyosuke? If everyone here hits harder than a truck, I might as well prepare my funeral.
Haruki flopped onto his bed, groaning as he touched his swollen cheek.
"Damn it… I already said sorry and that crazy guy still punched me. Even scarier than Furuha! At this rate, I'll be in the hospital on a weekly subscription."
He sighed, staring at the ceiling. "Why is everyone here built like psycho fighters? First Furuha, now Kyosuke… if there's another one, I'm dead for sure."
Just as he was drifting off, there was a knock at his door. Tok tok tok.
Haruki dragged himself up, opened the door, and saw Riiki standing there with his usual serious face.
Riiki frowned. "What the hell happened to your face? Don't tell me you pissed off Furuha again."
Haruki pouted. "Not Furuha this time! Some guy named Kyosuke punched me out of nowhere! I even apologized, but he just—bam—straight to my face!"
Riiki let out a heavy sigh. "You're really unlucky, huh. That was Kyosuke. Don't ever cross him again. And seriously, stop 'accidentally' bumping into people every time you walk, idiot."
Haruki forced a grin. "Well, maybe my face is just really attractive… to fists."
Riiki just gave him the I'm not laughing look, then tossed a small packet of medicine at him. "Put this on before you sleep. Tomorrow's class won't be easy—you'll need the strength."
Haruki caught it and smiled faintly. "Thanks, Riiki… you're not so bad after all."
Riiki clicked his tongue. "Shut up and rest."
With that, Riiki walked off, leaving Haruki staring at the packet in his hand. He lay back down, muttering to himself:
"Furuha, Kyosuke… this place is freaking dangerous. But… kinda exciting too."
He closed his eyes, finally drifting into sleep.