After separating from Jogo, my quiet and ordinary vampire life returned once more.
Welcome back to a life of peace.
It gave me that feeling again, as if I had returned to the period when I had just started adapting to this vampire body.
It would not be wrong to call it a return to the same old cycle.
Still, at least it was the kind of cycle belonging to someone who still had enough choices in life, and who did not need to keep chasing something all the time.
Not long after, there was a knock at the door.
It was probably Sebastian.
"You may come in."
He entered with breakfast as usual.
Then he handed me some documents and a card.
That reminded me of the matter I had once asked him to handle—my school arrangements. This was probably that.
"I have prepared a school for you, my lady."
Sakurano Private High School.
That was the name I read from the header of the documents and the student ID in my hand.
What surprised me a little was that he had not chosen a school in Kujo City, but instead selected a private school in the city proper.
"That is because a number of descendants from kin vampire families work at this school, so making arrangements for your admission was quite easy."
He continued in the same composed tone.
"The entrance ceremony will be held on the first of April. Until then, Lady Kujo should review the high school curriculum a little so you'll be fully prepared."
Sebastian was right.
If I wanted to absorb school life as completely as possible, then studying ought not become a burden.
So I simply nodded in silence.
...
But time passed faster than I expected, and before I knew it, that day had arrived.
Right now, I was dressed in a school uniform: a dark brown blazer with the school crest embroidered on it over a white shirt, a black necktie, a short black-and-white checkered pleated skirt, and black pantyhose. I was seated in front of a vanity while a maid quietly arranged my hair.
The reflection in the mirror showed a girl with long black hair parted in the center, her forehead fully visible.
This black hair was the result of a cursed tool in the form of a white bow with black patterns, attached at the back of my hair.
In addition, the bow also served to absorb part of the curse pressure that leaked from my body.
Once everything was ready, I rose and got into a black sedan, with a maid serving as the driver.
Come to think of it, I saw maids doing almost everything in that mansion.
The only man there was Sebastian.
That had to be someone's personal preference rather than a coincidence.
When I arrived at the school, the atmosphere of student life made me feel a little excited.
"Lady Nanakusa, please don't forget to behave properly like a young lady."
I had nearly forgotten.
Right now, I was infiltrating this school under the identity of a human named Nanakusa Mayumi.
The background story prepared for me was that of a wealthy girl who had lived outside the city and had only recently transferred here for high school.
If anyone asked me about my past, most of what I could say would be nothing more than fabricated stories.
So no matter what I said, I would need to be careful about the consequences.
I stepped out of the car and drew in a breath.
My school life had returned.
With every step I took before passing through the school gate, my entire focus rested on keeping my walking rhythm and arm swing exactly as I had practiced.
It might take time, but I would get used to it eventually.
...
The entrance ceremony began with the principal's speech, followed by closing remarks from a male student council president.
Once the ceremony ended, the students all dispersed to their own classrooms.
By the time I reached Classroom 1-A, it was already beginning to fill up with students.
I smiled to hide my nerves before walking over to sit at my assigned seat.
I sat perfectly straight, just as I had practiced, and turned to look out the window for a moment so I could avoid everyone's eyes.
Out on the soccer field, a curse spirit about the size of a human stood motionless.
It was yet another time I had seen a curse spirit since leaving Kujo City.
Normally, seeing curse spirits in Kujo was quite rare, even though curse pressure blanketed every part of the city.
In contrast, the curse pressure here was much lower, yet low-grade curses lurked in the corners and hidden places all the same.
I drifted off for a moment before the sound of the classroom door sliding open pulled me back.
A woman stepped into the room.
She had shoulder-length black hair, wore a neat dark teacher's suit, and had such a cold, expressionless face that the atmosphere in the room went silent almost instantly.
Her heels struck the floor with sharp, measured clicks as she walked to the teacher's desk.
Then she swept her gaze across the class for a moment, as though evaluating each of us one by one.
"Good morning."
Her voice was flat and strangely cold.
"My name is Nagaki Reiko. From today onward, I will be the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, and I will also be teaching Japanese."
She placed her file on the desk, then swept her eyes over the class again.
"All right... to avoid wasting any more time, everyone will introduce themselves one at a time."
Nagaki continued,
"We'll start from the front row by the window and go in order."
Chairs scraped here and there as introductions began one by one according to seating order.
Most of the students said more or less the same things.
I listened in silence.
After a few people, a boy with light blond hair stood up.
"Kirishima Ren. I transferred from Yokohama. My hobbies are karaoke and basketball. Nice to meet you all."
He smiled so naturally that, even from such a short introduction, he already seemed easy to approach.
After that, several more students stood up in turn.
"Momose Ai. I came from an all-girls school in Tokyo. My hobbies are shopping and playing piano. Nice to meet you."
A girl with pale pink hair.
Her smile was beautiful enough that the room actually fell quiet for a moment before the soft murmuring returned after she sat down.
The introductions continued.
"Takizawa Yuto. I'm from Saitama. My hobbies are reading and gaming. Nice to meet you."
He spoke briefly and sat down at once, as if he had no intention of drawing any attention to himself.
Toward the end of the introductions, a red-haired girl stood up with a confident air.
"Saionji Kana. I'm originally from Osaka. My hobbies are running and judo. Nice to meet you."
Her voice was clear and far more confident than those before her, and her stated hobbies immediately sharpened the image she gave off.
At the very least, based on her attitude, she could probably be described as a tomboy.
And at last, it was almost my turn.
I slowly pushed my chair back enough to stand for my introduction.
Then, following the etiquette I had practiced, I lightly placed a hand over my chest.
"Hello. My name is Nanakusa Mayumi. I don't really have any particular hobbies. Please take care of me."
The moment I finished speaking, soft whispers began spreading around the room.
Many of them looked at me with interest.
Some of the boys were not even looking directly at my face at all.
Their eyes were on my chest instead.
...Sorry, if it attracts your attention a little too much.
I sat back down and waited for the teacher's reaction while most of the students began turning to talk to those around them.
I glanced at Nagaki-sensei, who was silently observing all of us.
"Everyone, quiet."
When the room turned its attention back to her, she continued.
"Classes will begin in the afternoon. This morning, there will be no lessons."
"Use the time to familiarize yourselves with the school layout and with your classmates."
After saying that, she turned and left the room.
The moment the teacher disappeared from sight, the classroom, which had just fallen quiet, became noisy again.
Chairs scraped here and there. Some students began forming little groups with the people next to them. Some stood up to look at the school map posted at the front. Others remained seated, seemingly gauging the atmosphere around them, just like I was.
I still had no idea what I should do with the rest of the morning.
I could go out and explore the school by myself.
But if I did that alone, it would probably look a little too awkward.
I genuinely wondered what I should do with this time, since I still had not spoken to anyone.
I swept my gaze across the room again.
The pink-haired girl, Momose, was already surrounded by female classmates, and the blond boy, Kirishima, seemed to blend in with the others quickly as well.
I turned to look at Saionji, who had already gotten up from her seat and was heading for the back door of the classroom.
I stood up and followed after her at once.
At the very least, someone who had not tried to approach anyone from the start seemed easier to get close to than those who were already in a group.
Of course, that was probably only an excuse.
I myself had also once been the type who never mingled with anyone, so I had almost no experience dealing with crowds, and that girl, too, seemed like someone who did not talk very much.
"Where are you going, Saionji-san?"
She turned to look at me.
She seemed a little surprised before speaking.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Of course. I just called your name."
Saionji fell silent for a moment before answering flatly,
"I just don't want to stay where there are too many people, so I thought I'd go for a walk."
"Would it be all right if I came with you?"
She stared at me for a moment.
"I've got no reason to say no, but don't expect me to talk to you."
"That's fine."
1
Saionji Kana had disliked classrooms full of noise from the very beginning. The moment the teacher declared the morning free time, she had already decided to get out of there.
Her goal was to find the judo room.
Schools usually had clubs, and Saionji herself had loved martial arts ever since childhood.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Saionji turned back and found that the black-haired girl who had introduced herself only moments ago was really following after her.
The other girl wore an expressionless face while glancing left and right, as though she were examining the route with quiet interest. But when she realized she was being watched, she smiled back.
Saionji quickly looked away.
Nanakusa Mayumi.
Probably some sheltered rich girl full of curiosity after stepping out into the outside world.
She spoke politely and carried herself like a proper young lady in every way, even down to the rhythm of her walk.
Even in a private school full of wealthy people, girls who actually behaved like a true "young lady" were honestly pretty rare.
Still, Saionji had no intention of asking anything. She herself did not want people asking about her own life, either.
She walked along the school corridors, relying on the rough map of the campus she had memorized. After passing a covered walkway toward the activity building, she stopped in front of a sign attached to a pillar.
Archery Club
Kendo Club
Swimming Club
Judo Club
There it was.
Saionji let out a satisfied breath before glancing at the girl who had followed her in silence.
"Are they already accepting club applications?"
"Not yet."
Saionji answered carelessly, then looked again at the list of clubs.
In truth, she was not so attached to judo that it had to be that and only that.
She had also started to become interested in trying swordsmanship.
In any case, after walking around the activities building for only a short while, the bell rang, warning them that the morning period was almost over.
Saionji led Nanakusa back toward the main school building, and after briefly stopping by the classroom to put some things away, they headed to the cafeteria during lunch break.
The cafeteria was full of voices. Students had gathered around the long tables in groups, while others stood in line to buy food.
Saionji cast a glance at the person beside her.
Before long, the two of them had gotten their food and found an empty table in a corner of the cafeteria.
Saionji set her tray down, then glanced over at what was on Nanakusa's tray.
Rice.
Soup.
A small salad.
And several large fried shrimp lined up on the side.
No matter how she looked at it, that had to cost more than one thousand yen.
Just how much money had she been given for school?
Even at a private school, being frugal was still basic common sense in Japan, and once people grew older, most of them only came to value money more.
But it seemed that kind of common sense simply did not apply to a rich girl like this one.
Nanakusa ate with more manners than necessary, to the point that even the way she picked up a piece of fried shrimp looked more refined than most people.
Saionji found herself losing the ability to focus on her own meal.
After finishing lunch, it was time to return to the classroom.
As they walked back, Nanakusa's voice came from behind her.
"Are you very good at judo, Saionji-san?"
Saionji slowed her steps slightly and turned to look back at her with a faint trace of irritation in her eyes.
"I'm decent enough."
"Have you been practicing since you were a child?"
Nanakusa did not stop there.
"Are you planning on joining the judo club?"
Saionji sighed.
It really seemed this girl could keep asking things endlessly without feeling the least bit self-conscious about it.
"Yeah."
She answered shortly.
Even though Saionji had recently become more interested in kendo, she still was not entirely sure whether swordsmanship really suited her.
As they neared the classroom, Saionji split off to go to the bathroom alone.
But when she stepped back out, she found Nanakusa waiting there in silence, her hands neatly folded in front of her.
Saionji frowned at once.
"Are you planning to follow me around forever or something?"
Nanakusa tilted her head slightly, as though she could not tell whether the other girl was truly annoyed or simply complaining out of habit.
"Right now, you're the only person I can really talk to, Saionji-san."
Saionji let out an even heavier sigh than before.
"Are you annoying?"
"Yes, I am."
Nanakusa blinked once slowly. The smile that had lingered on her face until then gradually faded away, replaced by a much flatter, more emotionless expression.
Then she spoke in the same polite voice as before.
"I apologize, Saionji-san, but I really do want to be friends with you."
Saionji went still for a moment, clearly not expecting something that straightforward.
"You're seriously weird."
She averted her eyes slightly before continuing in a softer voice.
"People don't usually ask to be friends that easily."
Nanakusa looked at her for a moment, then answered politely.
"But everyone in the classroom is already starting to make friends."
Saionji laughed quietly.
"That doesn't mean I need to rush and do the same."
She folded her arms and looked at the other girl with an even gaze.
"Just because other people can become friends quickly doesn't mean it's something everyone has to do."
Then she added,
"You know, some people can stay alone just fine without it causing any trouble."
Nanakusa listened quietly to that answer before speaking again in the same polite tone.
"I understand, but for school life, wouldn't having even one friend be a good place to start?"
Saionji looked at her for a moment.
"What would a pampered rich girl like you know about something like that?"
"Hm?"
Nanakusa blinked several times, as though she could not understand what exactly she had said wrong.
Saionji sighed and looked away.
"Forget it."
Then she walked back into the classroom.