Yuji dragged his feet along the pavement, his bag slung over one shoulder like a burden. His muttering didn't stop even after he left the house.
*School… prison with extra homework. In anime, the hero always meets a cute girl by bumping into her around the corner. In reality, I'd just get yelled at for blocking the hallway.*
"Oi! Haruto!" Yuji shouted as soon as he spotted the tall, messy-haired boy leaning against the fence up ahead.
Haruto waved back, grinning. "Oi, Yuji!"
They fell into step together, the morning sun beating down as the streets buzzed with the usual shuffle of uniforms and chatter.
Not far away, a girl stepped out of her house, her uniform crisp and new, her bag neatly slung over her shoulder. Her reflection in the glass door lingered for a moment—soft features, bright confident eyes.
*First day… I think I'm the only newcomer...*
Something small blocked her path.
A cat—sleek, black, with curious yellow eyes—sat in the middle of the walkway, staring up at her as if testing her courage.
She crouched down instinctively, her skirt rustling. She glanced left, then right, then leaned closer with a conspiratorial whisper.
"Meow."
The cat stiffened, tail puffing up. It hissed, then bolted into the bushes.
Her cheeks heated up, as if the whole world had just witnessed her embarrassment. Quickly, her eyes flicked around the empty street.
She froze when a burst of laughter reached her ears. Slowly, she turned her head and spotted two boys in the same school uniform walking down the street. They were grinning.
*D-Don't tell me… that... they... saw that. They saw me get rejected by a cat!*
Her face burned red. Without a word, she spun around and picked up her pace, walking away as fast as she could.
Haruto blinked, watching her retreating figure.
"See... I told you we shouldn't have come this way," Haruto hissed, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Now she probably thinks we're stalking her! We better explain before this gets worse."
Without another thought, Haruto broke into a run. Yuji hesitated for a heartbeat, then groaned and chased after him.
"She's wearing our school's uniform," Yuji gasped as they ran. "What if she goes straight to the principal and tells him we were stalking her?"
"Principal?" Haruto's eyes widened as the image popped into his head. He shook his head quickly, grimacing.
"That bald man… ugh, his face is worse than crap."
Yuji shot him a look. "Did I tell you to imagine his face?"
"Yeah, yeah—whatever," Haruto waved him off, scanning the street. "Forget that. Where is she?"
The girl hurried through the gates, her heart still racing, and slipped into her new classroom. She chose a seat near the window, quietly placing her bag down and trying to calm herself. *No one saw that…*
A few minutes later, Yuji and Haruto entered their own classroom, where she was already in her seat, both of them scanning the room as if on a mission.
Haruto leaned closer to Yuji, his eyes darting around. "So… where is she? Yuji, see there... a new classmate or whatever—can't be that hard to spot her."
Yuji frowned. "Do you even remember her face?"
Haruto blinked, then shrugged. "Face? She's a girl, that's enough."
Yuji stared at him in disbelief. "Huh? You're hopeless. Come on, there's no point searching like this." He went toward his desk, but someone was already sitting there.
It was her.
He blinked, frozen for a moment before forcing himself to step closer. "Uh… hello. That's actually my seat. Your seat number should be the same as the one on your ID tag."
The girl's eyes widened. "Oh—sorry." She stood up quickly, her voice soft and apologetic.
Haruto, leaning casually against a nearby desk, tilted his head. "Are you new here?"
"Yes," she replied quietly, her expression unreadable.
"What's your name?" he asked without hesitation.
She hesitated for the briefest second, then said, "My name is… Yukino Hayashi."
With that, she gathered her things and walked off toward her proper desk.
Yukino sat down at her assigned desk, her expression calm as if nothing had happened. She didn't spare another glance at Yuji or Haruto, instead pulling out her notebook and arranging her things neatly.
"Haruto, come on—let's go to the restroom," Yuji muttered, tugging at his friend's sleeve. The two of them slipped out of the classroom together.
Yukino watched them leave, tilting her head slightly. *Going to the restroom together?* Her lips twitched in amusement. *Are they… gay?Never mind, it's normal these days.*
She shook her head lightly and returned her attention to her desk.
By the time Yuji and Haruto slipped out, the rest of the students had already settled in their seats. A hush fell over the room as the door slid open and the teacher walked in.
She set her books down on the desk with a calm smile. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Akane Hoshima. I will be your teacher again for your final year."
Her eyes scanned the room. "Now, let's start by introducing ourselves one by one."
The introductions began, each student standing and giving their name. The atmosphere was formal at first, then loosened with bits of laughter.
When it came to the two empty seats, Akane frowned faintly. "Ah… Yuji and Haruto," she muttered with a trace of frustration before moving on.
At last, it was Yukino's turn. She rose from her seat gracefully, her voice quiet but clear.
"My name is Yukino Hayashi, a newcomer. Thank you."
She bowed slightly and sat down again, ignoring the curious stares of her classmates.
The classroom door slid open with a hush, and Haruto and Yuji slipped back inside, trying to look as casual as possible.
Yukino's eyes followed them for a moment. *What made them come this late?* she wondered, before quickly looking back at her desk.
Akane's gaze snapped to the two boys. "And why are you late?"
Yuji straightened, forcing a smile. "M-Ma'am, the English teacher called us to the staff room… to help her carry the English notes."
The timing couldn't have been worse. At that exact moment, the English teacher happened to pass by the corridor. Akane raised a brow and called out, "Excuse me! Did you call these two boys to the staff room?"
The woman paused, blinking in confusion. "What? I didn't—"
Yuji and Haruto froze.
The English teacher tilted her head. "Did I miss something?"
Akane gave a tight smile. "No, no, nothing. Please continue."
The teacher walked on, leaving the room heavy with silence.
Haruto whispered, "Idiot…" under his breath.
Akane sighed and tapped her chalk against the desk. "Both of you, stand outside the class."
Yuji leaned against the wall outside the classroom, his arms folded, while Haruto stood beside him, glaring.
"Don't you even know how to lie properly?" Haruto hissed.
Yuji groaned. "What? How was I supposed to know that the fat English ma'am would walk by at that exact time?"
Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to punish them further. The English teacher appeared again, her ears catching a single dangerous word—fat. She paused, turned, and leaned closer to them.
"Fat English…?" She repeated. "What was that?" Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you boys are saying."
Haruto's head shook so fast it was almost comical. "N-No, ma'am! He was asking me a doubt. He said, 'Can we call a fat woman a big woman?" And I told him only the English miss has the intelligence to solve such a doubt!"
The teacher blinked. She was flattered. At last, she sighed. "No, boys. You can't say it like that."
Then she walked off, muttering, *Even when punished, they're still practicing English…*
Haruto let out a long breath. "That woman…" he whispered under his breath.
Yuji smacked his forehead.