A Rather Unusual Desk Neighbor
"..."
I slumped onto the living room floor, crossing my arms and closing my eyes.
It was a habit of mine whenever my mind was a tangled mess.
That girl... Who on earth was she?
The silver-haired girl I had seen yesterday.
She said she was my fan...
The strange expression on her face as she stared at me from a distance lingered in my mind.
It was a face too deep to be dismissed as mere admiration, carrying a faint trace of yearning.
"Hmm..."
As one thought led to another, a smug smile crept onto my lips before I could stop it.
Well, if she really wanted one, I wouldn't mind giving her a few autographs.
Ah, right. I guess it doesn't matter anymore, does it?
Since she said she was a fan of my past self, anyway.
Just as that useless worry crossed my mind, a voice shattered the silence.
"Shina, are you all ready?"
"Yes."
I stood up.
I dusted off my pants and adjusted my backpack straps. The voice called out again.
"Shall we go, then?"
That's right. Today was finally...
My first day of school.
"..."
I stopped at the school gates, blankly taking in the view of the campus.
The sprawling playground, the main school building, and various high-tech, modern facilities I couldn't quite identify.
So this is what a school looks like.
It felt bizarre realizing I would have to attend this place from now on.
As I stood there dazed, looking around, Rose gently took my hand.
Led by her hand, we arrived in front of a door with a plaque that read 'Staff Room.'
I suppose this is where the teachers gather?
Feeling a strange prickle of nervousness, I opened the door and stepped inside. A teacher who had been waiting for us stood up with a welcoming smile.
"Ah...! You're here?"
"Hello."
As Rose offered a relaxed greeting, I awkwardly bowed my head beside her.
"Are you Shina's guardian?"
"Yes, that's right."
The teacher stared at Rose for a moment, her eyes widening as if she had just realized something.
"Wait... Are you perhaps... Guild Leader Rose?"
"Ahaha..."
An awkward smile played on Rose's lips.
Fame really seemed to be a hassle at times like this.
"Well, please take good care of our Shina."
"Of course, don't worry at all...!"
As the flustered teacher nodded, Rose finally looked relieved and gently patted my shoulder.
"Then, Shina, make sure to call me when your classes are over. Okay?"
"Yes."
The staff room door closed behind Rose's parting words.
"..."
"..."
As Rose's footsteps faded beyond the door, an awkward silence settled over the staff room.
My eyes wandered before landing blankly on the teacher standing in front of me.
She gave off a good vibe.
With light brown hair falling softly past her shoulders and a gentle impression, she seemed genuinely warm.
"Well then... Shina, shall we head to the classroom first?"
"Yes."
I stood in front of the classroom door.
Class 4-A
"Shall we go in, Shina?"
"Yes."
Slide—
As the front door slid open, the loud chatter of children filling the classroom washed over us.
"Quiet down, everyone! Quiet! We have a transfer student joining Class A today~"
Dozens of eyes locked onto me all at once.
"Come on over here, Shina."
"..."
Following the teacher's guidance, I slowly walked over to stand next to the podium.
I took in the children's curious gazes—some with sparkling eyes, others whispering to their desk partners.
The teacher introduced me with a bright smile.
"Her name is Kim Shina. She'll be joining us to have a fun school life together. Let's all be nice and friendly to her~"
The introduction ended, but I couldn't find anything to add, so I just kept my mouth shut.
This is so awkward...
My mind went completely blank on what expression to make or how to greet them, but I stared straight ahead, doing my best to look unbothered.
"Shina, you can sit... over there, next to Milla."
"Yes."
The spot the teacher pointed to was by the window.
Clutching my backpack straps tightly, I took one step after another through the barrage of stares.
Stopping in front of the desk, I hung up my bag, carefully sat down, and glanced to my side.
"...?"
What on earth is this...
My mind instantly went blank.
Because sitting right next to me was an entity that far exceeded any definition of 'normal' I had imagined.
A lizard-like head covered in dense, dark grey scales.
A long tail peeked out slightly from behind the chair.
Yet, below the neck, she had a completely human body.
A lizard beastman...? Or some kind of lizardman?
The moment I sat down, the creature next to me flinched and hung her head low.
Avoiding my gaze and staring intently at her desk, she looked terrified for some reason.
"..."
By the way, even after several minutes of sitting down, no one had approached me to talk.
The other kids kept their distance, sizing me up or whispering in hushed tones to gauge the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, my desk partner was radiating an aura that made it seem like she might burst into tears at any second...
I turned my gaze out the window.
And I had a gut feeling.
This school life was not going to be easy...
I stole a sideways glance, observing my neighbor.
Keeping my head rigidly facing forward, I only rolled my eyes slightly to study her.
An unfamiliar tension hung in the air between us.
"..."
My throat felt dry.
No matter how I looked at it, she was a tough nut to crack.
But in this bizarre space, she was the closest person to me physically.
Besides, while my body was certainly that of a child, my mind was not.
What kind of speech style do kids these days even prefer?
I had absolutely no idea how to strike up a conversation naturally.
"..."
Still, greeting her first was only polite.
I carefully cleared my throat and spoke.
"Um..."
"Wh-What?!"
The moment my voice reached her, she flinched violently as if shocked by electricity.
Her large eyes, trembling with sheer terror, turned toward me.
She looked utterly panicked.
"Hi. I'm Shina. Nice to meet you."
I tried my best to offer a gentle smile as I lightly extended my hand.
But instead of answering, she just stared at me blankly with her mouth half-open.
Her gaze was a mix of wariness and inexplicable confusion.
Was I too stiff? Or was it too sudden...?
Just as I felt an imaginary cold sweat break out on my back, she finally spoke.
"H-Hello. Nice to meet you, too..."
Her reply came out squeezed, as if she had to force the words out.
Her tone was awkward and creaky.
But at least she didn't seem to avoid or dislike me.
A wave of relief washed over me, knowing I hadn't completely messed up.
Riding the momentum, I carefully threw out the next question.
"What's your name?"
"M-Me? M-Milla..."
"Ah... Milla? Okay, Milla. Hi."
"Yeah..."
As I nodded slightly, repeating her name, she cast her eyes downward and mumbled softly.
Silence descended upon us once more.
We both shut our mouths, warily sensing each other's presence.
The awkwardness in the air was palpable. Unable to find anything to say, we just twiddled our thumbs.
"..."
"..."
The longer the awkward silence stretched, the more tangled my thoughts became.
I needed to say something—anything—to break this ice...
But I had no clue what topic to bring up.
Your scales... Your scales look really cool?
I stole a glance at the scales growing on her body.
But I immediately discarded the idea, realizing it might sound discriminatory, pointing out her racial features like that.
What's your specialty? Can you fight?
That's even worse...
Asking something like that out of the blue would brand me as a battle maniac on day one.
More than that, a fundamental question popped into my head.
Is she...
...a girl?
Judging by her high-pitched voice and general vibe, she definitely seemed like a girl, but making assumptions felt rude.
But asking her directly was also a bit...
Ah, whatever.
After agonizing over it, I parted my lips and blurted out while staring straight ahead.
"Are you a girl, by any chance?"
"Huh... Huh? Y-Yeah..."
Her flustered voice trembled slightly.
From the corner of my eye, I saw her pupils dilate in surprise at the unexpected question.
"Cool. Me too."
The moment she answered, I threw out my response as if I had been waiting for it.
And then, I shut my mouth again.
I acted like someone who had just finished a perfectly normal, everyday conversation, but inside, I was dying.
Sigh... Did I blow it?
I could feel her bewildered gaze burning into the side of my face.
'Me too'? What kind of conversational flow is that...
I had intended to build some common ground, but hearing it out loud, it just sounded bizarre.
Staring fixedly ahead, I mentally cursed myself, wishing I could sew my stupid mouth shut.
"..."
Was communication always this hard?
Fidgeting with her fingers on her lap, Milla very carefully stole a glance to her side.
Her name was Kim Shina.
She was a pretty girl with glossy black hair, dark eyes that looked like the deep night sky, and a neatly cut bob that suited her perfectly.
Although Shina stared ahead with an indifferent expression, Milla could read her tension clear as day.
Looking closely, fine beads of cold sweat were forming near her temples.
Behind her rigid posture, pretending to be perfectly fine, Milla could sense her awkwardness and anxiety.
...She's nice.
Milla bit her lip slightly.
Even though Shina must have found this place unfamiliar too, she had gathered the courage to speak first.
Most of all, she hadn't frowned or recoiled in horror upon seeing Milla's unusual appearance.
She had treated her with a simple, warm attitude, just like any ordinary friend her age.
"..."
A ticklish feeling bloomed in Milla's chest.
She wanted to talk to her a little more. A desire to become friends reared its head.
But that hope quickly froze over.
I can't...
A certain memory flashed through Milla's mind.
Shattered glass, screams, and the terror-stricken eyes directed at her.
I can't... hurt anyone again.
Milla pulled her gaze away from Shina and hung her head toward the floor once more.
"..."
"..."
Milla quickened her pace, utterly flustered.
Pitter-patter...
She could feel it even without looking back.
A set of small footsteps persistently trailing her at a constant distance, as if pulled by a magnet.
When she stopped, the footsteps behind her stopped. When Milla turned left, the air behind her shifted left as well.
"U-Um, why do you keep following..."
Unable to bear it any longer, Milla whipped around and asked.
Perhaps due to her panic, the tip of her tail was trembling violently.
Yet, despite the questioning tone, Shina didn't answer. She simply stared back with clear, unblinking eyes.
The silence stretched longer than expected.
Unable to tell what was going on behind Shina's indifferent face, Milla grew increasingly anxious.
Finally, Shina parted her tightly closed lips and threw out a single sentence with absolute composure.
"Because. I want to be friends with you."