Chapter 292: Start of School #3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 292: Start of School #3
Students in their Yebonie Academy uniforms were visible everywhere.
Some were running as if they had someone to meet, two were strolling slowly down the sidewalk chatting happily, and another was beaming with a smile while on the phone with someone...
Seeing them exude such a fresh, youthful atmosphere made my own heart start to race along with them.
I’d decided to take public transportation instead of driving to soak in the mood, and I was glad I did.
As I walked toward the school gate, through which countless students were pouring, I spotted Miyuki wearing an armband with the characters for "Discipline" (風紀) written on it.
Miyuki, who had been meticulously inspecting the students' uniforms with another student council member, soon recognized me and strode over.
“Hey, Matsuda-kun.”
“Hey, Miyuki.”
A simple greeting, but it felt somehow refreshing.
Miyuki must have felt the same, as her face broke into a wide smile.
“You wore your uniform properly?”
“Of course I did.”
Miyuki’s gaze shifted downward.
She glanced at the hem of my pants, clearly visible below the sharp crease, and said.
“I was just checking if you’d shortened them.”
She was finding a strange reason to nag me, even though she’d made me try them on yesterday after she ironed them.
She just wanted to tease me.
Figuring out her intention, I shrugged.
“The surveillance was too tight, so unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
“Is that so? Well, tell them to keep up the good work.”
“I’ll tell them tonight.”
“Okay.”
After our silly jokes, we both started giggling at the same time without needing to say a word.
Even though it was a lighthearted conversation with nothing particularly funny about it, our growing feelings for each other made the laughter come naturally.
“Go on in. You know you have to go to Class 2-A, right?”
“I didn’t know.”
“I told you yesterday.”
“I forgot. But what about the seating arrangement? Do I just sit anywhere?”
“No. I also told you yesterday to just sit in the same seats as last year for now.”
“Did you?”
“I can’t tell if you’re pretending not to know or if you really don’t know. And your bag... don’t just sling it over one shoulder.”
“Alright, alright. Stop nagging...”
At Miyuki’s insistence, I properly wore my bag on both shoulders. She then gave my back a push, telling me to hurry up, and I reluctantly started walking.
I entered the school grounds, changed into my new indoor shoes, and, following the familiar smell, headed for the first-year hallway before it hit me.
Right, I was a second-year now.
I don’t know what I was thinking, especially after Miyuki had just told me where to go.
Habits are a scary thing.
I glanced down the empty hallway, then went up the stairs to the second-year corridor, which was buzzing with noise.
I found Class 2-A right next to the hallway and slid the door open.
Rumble.
With the characteristic dissonance of wood grinding against wood, the classroom came into view.
Familiar faces, gathered in small groups and chatting, turned their eyes toward me.
Unlike the gazes filled with contempt and fear from the early days, I could now feel a simple sense of friendliness.
“Hi, Matsuda-kun.”
One of the female students even greeted me first.
The problem was, I didn’t know any of their names.
Besides Tetsuya, Bread Girl, and the Vice Class President, I couldn’t remember a single one.
“Hey. How’ve you been?”
After returning their greetings and making some perfunctory small talk, I plopped down in the seat I had at the end of the first-year term.
Then, I shot a grin at Bread Girl, who was staring at me from the front while munching on some bread.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Cough.”
“Yeah, yeah. You feeling okay? Not sick anywhere?”
“Cough...!”
“That’s a relief.”
“...Kehek...!”
“I’m good. You eat up.”
Bread Girl, who had been offering me her soboro bread, slowly nodded.
Every time I see her, she’s stuffing something made of flour in her mouth. Does she like bread that much?
It makes me want to put something else in there.
“You haven’t changed a bit, have you? It’s surprisingly nice to see you.”
The Vice Class President, sitting next to Bread Girl, greeted me.
I looked at her as she adjusted her round glasses and asked.
“You changed your glasses?”
“Oh, you noticed?”
The Vice Class President used to favor square horn-rimmed and rimless glasses, but now she wore a pair with a round design and thin frames.
She still looked plain, but her cuteness had definitely leveled up. They suited her.
“Of course. They look good on you. Your old glasses weren't great, so every time I saw them, it was so annoying... never mind.”
“What’s the point of saying ‘never mind’ after you’ve already said it all? Doesn’t Miyuki say anything to you about that?”
“I’m only saying this because she’s not here.”
“Then I’ll have to tell her everything when she gets here.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Since you complimented me, I’ll let it slide, just this once.”
Just this once? Let it slide?
How dare she speak to me so arrogantly.
I wonder if she could keep that attitude with a dick in her mouth.
“By the way, you’re the kendo club manager, right? Have you made the promotional poster?”
At the Vice Class President’s follow-up question, I tilted my head and asked back.
“What poster?”
“The new first-years are starting soon. You have to make one to persuade them to join club activities. The more new members you get, the better you feel, and the budget increases too, so managers usually take promotion really seriously... but you don’t?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about it. I guess I should ask today.”
Will Chinami be the one making the poster?
I have a feeling it’ll be a poster unbecoming of a kendo club, filled to the brim with peach characters.
Then again, some female students might actually be drawn in by its cuteness...
“So what club are you in? Did you say you joined the book club last time?”
“Book club? I’m in the film club.”
“Really? I guess that suits you too. Bread Girl, what about you?”
I gestured with my chin at Bread Girl, who was about to drink some milk while still chewing her soboro bread. As usual, she coughed.
“Cough.”
“The baking club?”
“Keck!”
Bread Girl nodded her head, giving me an affirmative answer.
I feel like she used to talk, at least a little... but I guess not anymore.
She must have gotten really comfortable around me.
After finishing my conversation with them, I looked to my side and saw Tetsuya drawing.
Wondering if he was drawing Miyuki, I snuck a peek, only to see him outlining a male character wearing boxing gloves.
The character had a pretty manly impression... and his body was moderately muscular.
Could it be that Tetsuya was projecting his desired future self into his drawing?
He was too handsome for that.
“Hey, Miura. What are you drawing?”
“.....”
No answer, even when I called him.
I couldn’t tell if he was deliberately ignoring me or if he was so focused on his drawing that he couldn’t hear me.
I picked up my mechanical pencil and tapped the edge of the desk, calling Tetsuya’s name again. Only then did the guy finally turn to look at me.
“Did you call me?”
“Yeah. Who’s that character you’re drawing? Is he from a manga?”
“This? I just drew it.”
“An original?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re good.”
“...Thanks.”
I didn’t expect him to thank me.
Was he grateful that I cheered for him during the kendo tournament?
Seeing things like this makes me think Tetsuya is actually growing as a person, but then, just when I’m about to forget, he does something weird that completely shatters that thought.
I’ve thought it before, but I really can’t figure that guy out.
As I was passing the time idly, Miyuki entered the classroom.
Looking a little tired, as if she’d just finished her inspection at the gate, she greeted our classmates as she walked over. She saw Tetsuya’s drawing and exclaimed that it was cool.
Then, after giving the blushing guy a bright smile, she sat down in the window seat next to me and began to smooth down the stray hairs sticking up on my head.
“You’ve been behaving, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good boy.”
Spreading her thumb and index finger, Miyuki grabbed my chin and shook it from side to side.
She’d done this during the school trip, too, but back then it was just Bread Girl and the Vice Class President. Now, the classroom was completely full of students.
Not every single eye was on us, but I was delighted that she was showing affection without caring that dozens of students were watching.
Is she trying to stake her claim on me, making it clear that I’m hers?
For some reason, I also feel a sudden chill.
“I have to step out for a bit after first period, okay? So pay close attention in class. I’m going to inspect you during lunch.”
At Miyuki’s words, I made a fed-up face and sighed.
“What inspection... It’s the first day, give me a break. Besides, the teachers will probably...”
“-nim.”
“Ah, right. The teachers will probably just let us rest instead of having a full class anyway.”
“You don’t know that. The same goes for you, Tetsuya-kun, so don’t mess around just because it’s the first day of school. Got it?”
Miyuki leaned down below the desk to look at Tetsuya and give her warning.
Tetsuya, whose expression had stiffened due to Miyuki’s skinship with me, forced a smile.
“Of course.”
Miyuki beamed at his answer and took out a book and her writing utensils from her bag.
I fiddled with her pencil case and asked.
“But why are you leaving again?”
“Ah... today’s the day the first-years who are enrolling come to visit.”
“They’re making them come already? It must be busy on the first day of school.”
“It’s to show them the academy’s atmosphere, give them an introduction, that sort of thing. It’s not just today; they’ll be coming three more times during the winter semester.”
I was sure that when I overheard Hiyori and her friend at the cafe, they said they only had to come for one day for orientation and locker assignments...
They couldn’t have misread the notice... maybe it meant they had to come for a minimum of one day.
Does that mean I might be able to see Hiyori today?
No, if it’s not mandatory, she’d probably be too busy hanging out with her friends to come.
Still, I should go take a look. Who knows? Maybe we’ll run into each other again, like at the cafe or the bookstore.
If there’s even a slight chance, it’s worth making the effort to go look.
“Are you giving the academy introduction?”
“No. Other student council seniors will be handling that. I’m just there to greet them.”
“Then can’t you just skip it?”
“Attendance is mandatory for the student council.”
“They’re really working you hard. How mean.”
She patted my arm as I grumbled.
The glossy nails on the tips of her slender fingers were captivating.
It looked good even without any nail polish, just a nourishing coat. It made me want to touch them.
Before long, a teacher I hadn’t seen before came in, introduced himself, and asked how we’d spent our vacation.
The old man clicked his tongue, saying the students’ half-hearted, unified response lacked energy. He started the lesson as soon as he finished taking attendance, but he didn’t go on for long before giving us a break.
It seemed he intended to let us relax a bit, since we were all drained on the first day.
Even so, Miyuki was busy transferring what little she had learned into her notebook and reviewing it several times.
Thinking it had been a while since I’d seen her in model-student mode, I spent the first period following her lead and taking notes.
Afterward, Miyuki said she’d be back and left the classroom. I waited a moment before getting up and heading out as well.
I stopped by the school store to buy the snacks Bread Girl and the Vice Class President had asked for, then headed toward the athletic field. There, I saw Miyuki offering bright greetings to the new students who were trickling through the school gate.
She was handing out pamphlets with a kind expression on her face. She was working hard.
When she’s done, I’ll have to praise her for her hard work in my own way.
Watching her from a fairly close, yet hidden spot, I was about to turn and head back to the classroom as the break was ending.
Just then,
“Excuse me...! Student!”
“Yeh?”
Hearing the familiar speech pattern of a female student answering Miyuki’s urgent call, I perked up my ears and turned my head.