The homeroom teacher arrived twenty-two minutes late. Mr. Tanaka looked exactly like what Ren imagined a burnt-out high school teacher would look like at his mid-forties with his thinning hair, wire-rimmed glasses that kept sliding down his nose, and an expression that suggested he'd stopped caring about this job sometime around five years ago.
His suit was rumpled, his tie loose, and he carried a stack of papers that looked ready to topple over at any moment. He shuffled to the front of the classroom, dropping the papers on his desk with a heavy thud that made dust dance in the sunlight coming in from the windows.
"Alright, settle down. " He said in a voice that had no expectation of being obeyed.
The class ignored him, conversations continuing at full volume like he wasn't there.
Mr. Tanaka sighed, pushing his glasses up, and raised his voice slightly. "I said settle down."
The noise level dropped marginally. Good enough for him apparently. He picked up what looked like a roster, squinting at it like he had never seen one before today.
"Right… Class 1-C," he muttered, flipping the page. "Let's see…"
He scanned the room, doing a quick headcount. "We're supposed to have thirty-two students this year, but I only see thirty-one."
He scratched the back of his head, sighing through his nose. "Well, guess we will sort that out later. Roll call first."
He cleared his throat and began reading down the list.
"Aoi Hana."
"Here."
"Hangaki Yukino."
"Present."
"Suzuki, Makoto."
"Here, Sensei!"
The teacher continued droning down the list, his finger trailing lazily across the roster.
"Ryuhara Ren."
Ren raised his hand halfway. "Here."
A few heads turned.
There was a flicker of whispering short, quiet, but sharp enough for him to notice. He caught fragments.
"... that's him, right?"
".. the outsider. "
He kept his gaze steady on the desk, pretending not to hear. The teacher barely glanced up before moving on.
"Yoshihara Fubuki."
"Here!" Fubuki answered brightly, a tone that briefly cut through the haze in the room.
Ren's fingers drummed lightly against his desk. The rhythm steadying him. The roll call went on, name after name blurring together, but he could still feel those occasional glances sticking to him like static curious, cautious, or maybe just bored.
The teacher's voice continued on, his finger sliding down the roster until he paused.
"Hayashi… Shiinchiro."
Silence.
He glanced up, scanning the room. "Hayashi Shiinchiro," he repeated, louder this time. Still no response.
A faint sigh. Then, just as he opened his mouth to call the name a third time.
BAM.
The door burst open.
A boy stumbled into the classroom, nearly tripping over his own foot. "Present! " he yelled between breaths.
The class erupted in laughter.
Ren blinked. It only took him a second to recognize the boy, it was the same idiot who had almost run him over earlier that morning in the courtyard.
His hair was a wild mess of brown, sticking out in every direction, and his shirt was half untucked. His blazer hung loose, and in his hand was a half-eaten bagel.
The teacher slammed the roster shut, his calm demeanor gone in an instant. "What do you think you're doing showing up to my class at this time!? "
Shiinchiro froze mid-chew. "Sorry... uh, I ran into some things on the way here," he mumbled, crumbs scattering.
"What?! " The man said, clearly not hearing what the boy had said.
"Sorry, Sensei. " Shiinchiro said quickly, still muffled by the bagel.
The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just.. sit down. Before I lose my patience entirely. "
Shiinchiro scanned the room. The only empty seat was right next to Ren. A grin flickered across his face as he made his way over. Ren didn't move, his expression unreadable, eyes tracking him the whole way.
Shiinchiro dropped into the chair beside him, finally finishing off his bagel. "Hey," he whispered, catching Ren's stare. "What's your problem?"
Ren leaned in slightly closer his voice low and steady. "You almost ran me over this morning with your bike, you idiot. "
Recognition flashed in Shiinchiro's eyes. "Oh, that was you? Man, sorry about that. I was late and kind of in a hurr... "
"Just be more careful next time," Ren cut in his tone flat.
Shiinchiro blinked and then nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah, I will keep that in mind for next time. Thanks for not making a big deal out of it. "
Ren gave him a sidelong look.. a half-smirk, half-warning.. and turned his attention back to the teacher, who was finishing the roll call.
The class had settled again, but the faint buzz of amusement still lingered on.
Somehow, Ren already knew this wasn't the only time this guy was going to get him into trouble that day.