«Please welcome Hakuto Seiko, from the Kurotsuki family. Starting today, he will be your new classmate.»
Ms. Misaki Yuunami, the math teacher, introduces him. She's a charming woman in her forties, with an athletic build, hazel eyes, and her hair gathered into a neat bun.
Despite how professional she sounds, it's as if the teacher is trembling with excitement. Her voice quivers slightly, even though she's hiding it well.
Hakuto stands stiff in front of Class 2-B at Tsugumi High School. He tries not to get worked up under the weight of dozens of suspicious stares.
He can't shake the feeling all his classmates are thinking: Who is this guy? Some stray the prestigious Kurotsuki family picked up off the street?
Off to a great start…
To his surprise, Hakuto only now realizes that Claire is in the same class as him. Iris, on the other hand, is in Class 1-A.
«Alright, let's get back to the lesson. Who can solve this logarithmic equation?»
Behind her, the blackboard is covered in numbers and symbols that, to Hakuto, look like some mysterious alien language. It's all thanks to the spotty education he got at that den of delinquents on the outskirts of Tokyo, the school he attended until the week before.
After Shin lost his real job, that low-rent school was the best he could afford.
A moment later, Claire — sitting at the front desk by the teacher's — jumps to her feet and solves the intricate math problem in an instant.
«Excellent work, Miss Kurotsuki. Brilliant as always.»
The teacher praises her — a compliment accompanied by the polite applause of the rest of the class.
«Your stepsister is extraordinarily smart. It's no coincidence she's the student council president, as well as the most admired student in the whole school. Living with a genius like her must feel like winning the lottery, don't you think?»
That question comes from Hakuto's seatmate — a boy with a cheerful expression and messy carrot-orange hair who smiles at him.
«Yeah… I guess it's luck…»
Hakuto is completely thrown off by those revelations. After all, he and Claire hadn't even exchanged a single word the day before, let alone talked about their private lives.
Then again, Iris had warned him about her older sister's reserved, introverted personality.
«Anyway, I'm Leon Thazreel. Nice to meet you.»
«Mr. Thazreel! Mr. Seiko has been here for two minutes and you're already trying to lead him down the wrong path?! One slacker in this class is more than enough!» Ms. Yuunami grumbles.
«I'm sorry, Ms. Yuunami! I'll be quiet as a mouse! I promise!» Leon exclaims.
Then he springs to his feet and makes an exaggerated bow in apology, inevitably drawing a barrage of disdainful looks from the entire class.
Especially from Claire.
Hakuto lets out an awkward little smile.
Something tells me Leon isn't the most popular and admired guy at school…