"All right class! We are taking attendance so be sure to speak loud so i can hear you!"
"""Yes sir!"""
It is like we are in the army and the homeroom teacher is our drill sergeant.
"Yukimura-sensei, you can take this chance to get to know the students."
Although he was very strict with us, his eyes softened when he turned and advised the female teacher.
Is he falling for her?
Well i don't blame anyone if they do get attracted to her up till that point.
I kept glancing away from the teachers, trying to not get their attention. But, trying to do differently from the others might have the opposite effect.
So on second thought, i tried to act nonchalant, blending in naturally with the class's atmosphere.
"Hinata!!"
"Present Sir!"
"Kyouichi!!"
"Present Sir!"
The teacher started his roll call from the other side as usual. While the drill sergeant was making sure on who is present, Yukimura-sensei loomed over her gaze over the classroom
Evidently she met eyes with me but i paid no attention to it. She smiled generously which caught me off guard.
'Is she trying to be an angel?'
Her smile was too saintly. My classmates next to me that were in its line of sight got blessed with a divine ray coming from her aura.
They were too stunned to speak but wanted to say out some words of admiration to her.
Alas, our drill sergeant was still not yet finished with his roll call so they endured it till it ended.
"Hmph," i heaved a dejected sigh then looked down at my desk.
How has this happened?
At this time of the semester too.
What the hell!!?
'What's going to happen to my peaceful year now!?!' Hands were on my head, not knowing how to deal with this situation.
Just then, a rough and coarse voice was directed at me.
"Morikawa Ken!"
I looked up and gave an unenthusiastic response compared to my other classmates.
"Present Sir."
He continued shouting out the few students' name in this class that were left.
However, something caught my gaze at the corner of my eye.
Slowly, i investigated what bugged me and glimpsed at that 'something'
It was Yukimura-sensei, our newly assigned female teacher, who caught everyone's eyes with her beauty and overwhelming charisma, that looked shocked when she knew about my name.
"Figures.."
Her big eyes, filled with surprised, was glued to my face. I thought i noticed her fidget for a little bit and her hands clenched against each other.
I feigned all of that sign and returned to my usual self, staring just in front of me.
'So now you remember me huh..'
I was annoyed and disappointed simultaneously.
Annoyed because she recognized me and disappointed because she recognized me a bit too late.
What am i?
A sheltered girl with mixed feelings?
Why do i feel these emotions at the same time? It doesn't make any sense to me.
Oh well, i will try and not get involved with her too much.
It cannot be helped that contact with her is a given since she is our assisstant homeroom teacher as well as an English teacher.
However, i will treat her like an NPC type of character.
Yes, sounds like a good plan.
"All right, everyone is present," the electronic bell rang, signalling the end of homeroom, "Then let us leave, Yukimura-sensei."
They both walked towards the exit.
"You all behave well!"
"""Yessir!!"""
Yukimura-sensei glimpsed in my direction before leaving with the PE teacher.
Did her confidence reduce after seeing me?
She did seem a little rattled after knowing who i was. To think she can be a potential threat to a peaceful year, that is not ideal.
"Haaahh.."
A sigh accompanied by my bad mood. I rested my head on my palm and squinted my eyes with disdain.
Why do i have bad luck?
.......
My lunch box was filled with colourful ingredients. Green vegetables, orange sauced chicken with yellow rice. Flavourful too as it caressed my nose.
I gulped down and ate with an appetite of a lion.
Everyone's appetite depends on the quality of the food. In my case, the amount of drooling i was experiencing from opening my lunch box was surreal.
So i made my belly happy by munching on such delicious food. The taste did not disappoint.
"Morikawa."
Grinning from ear to ear, a familiar head peeked over the classroom's sliding door.
That mischievious tone could only Wakatoshi Arisu.
"Yo, Arisu. You bought some food from the canteen?"
"Yup, my mom forgot to pack my lunch so it couldn't be helped. How about you? That smells soooo good~"
He saw me sitting alone, creating a kind of force field that keeps anyone away from me. Well he was an anomaly in this imaginary field since he was one of the sources that created it in the first place.
He crept over my desk and enjoyed the view of my lunch box.
"Couldn't agree with you more."
I ate some rice with a wiener alongside it.
Arisu wanted to sit across me so he grabbed an empty chair nearest to him and put down all his packaged food he got from the canteen onto my desk.
"Your mom made it?" He inquired as he sat down on the acquired chair.
"I guess you could say that?" I answered with a thin smile on my face, not revealing any other emotions.
"You guess? Did she make it or no?"
"Yes she did."
"Then what was that?"
"Arisu-kun, has anyone told you that you are tactless?"
I did my best to not show that i was a bit angry with him. However, i do not know how well i was in my acting skills.
"Me? Tactless?? Hahahaa!! If anything, im the opposite of tactless."
"Umm..?"
Suddenly, a boy's voice emerge into our conversation.
We veered in his direction as he was trying to inform about something.
"What?" Arisu raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"....Ummm..T-That's my seat.."
He pointed at where Arisu sat. I exhaled as he was needlessly asking for trouble. Does everyone lack survival instincts in this school?
It's like a zoo of retarded animals in here.
"You will get it after break."
Arisu didn't bother to fend him off without a good reason since he wanted fo return to our conversation as quickly as possible.
Yet, that other guy persisted.
"....But i-i was going to...eat here...."
Arisu smiled at him mischieviously but his tone was not matching.
"You are gonna make me stand up?"
It was intimidating, agitating both the boy and the other classmates watching the scene.
'Oh please guys dont look at me. I am not in the center of this problem.' I minded my own business as i kept eating my rice which i now paired with my favorite vegetable, a broccoli.
"I'm s-sorry.."
"Get lost."
Maintaining that grin with his handsome face, he shooed off the fly that kept bothering him.
The boy left defeated.
I think i heard his friends trying to cheer him up and went along with him outside.
Probably they were going to another spot to eat.
"Hey Morikawa, it is a shame though that this year, you are not in Jun's class or even my class. Or else these uncomfortable moments wouldn't happen."
What is he on about? It is the opposite, i want to stay as far from any of them. But if they know my intention, i'm sure they will not take this information in a good way.
Playing friends with them is a good option for now.
Not entirely part of their group has its benefits. Like i can have no worries of anyone targeting me as a source for bullying. If someone does, they will have to answer to Tobiyama and i am sure nobody wants that.
It is a shame that i got tangled with them accidentally but now that it happened, i have to play my cards right to not be too buddy buddy with them.
However i have to also keep in mind to not be too distant with them.
Living on the edge is probably the easiest for me to dwell in.
And that is the strangest feeling that i continuously have throughout my life.
"For you too that is the case, right?"
"Yeaaaaaaa...," He brooded over that fact as he bit into a yakisoba bread, "Juzo, Jun and Rika are all in the same class. The only time i get to meet them are during breaks."
"You are really close to them huh."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well because you always refer to them by their first names."
"Ah that, it is a given that."
"How so?"
The few last bites i picked up with my chopsticks came to an end.
"Since i told them to use my first name. It is only fair that i use theirs. No offence to you Morikawa but it hasn't been that long since we know each other but you are really close on getting upgraded."
I chuckled lightly at him.
"Why are you talking like this is a game? This is not like a dating sim that i am trying to raise your affection levels with."
He chuckled alongside me and patted my back excitedly.
"You are actually really funny, Morikawa."
"Stop hitting me that hard! You're trying to make my food come out!"
"Hahaha!! That's really disgusting!"
Some would say if Arisu did not hang out with Tobiyama and such, he would have been very popular with the girls here.
Alas, because of his bad reputation here, no one approaches him that easily.
'What a waste of his handsome face. Can't i just transfer his face onto mine?'
Seriously, that long hairstyle of his with a tinge of green dye at the back end of his hair was attractive enough to go with his well chiseled jawline and fair skin.
His parallel him must be fuming at how much he fumbled his lifestyle right now.
He could have so many girlfriends by now but he is so ignorant of that.
'Oh god, why didn't you give me that kind of divine blessing?'
Is it because i am going to misuse it?
Screw you then!!
*screeeech*
A slight annoying speaker sound came on and the announcement came as such.
"Morikawa Ken of Class 2 - 2. Please report to our staff room."
Everyone in my class looked at me as soon as that speaker voice ended.
Even Arisu looked at me like i did something wrong.
I gestured him that i don't know anything that could cause such a call back. All of a sudden, Arisu's glare became heavier.
"Is it because of yesterday? Did that girl get something on us?"
By that, Arisu referred to the event of them toying with a freshman at their usual hangout spot at school.
Moreover, they almost got caught by Serizawa Aoi if i didn't warn them about her arrival.
I shrugged Arisu's comment and proceeded without any worry.
"It's nothing like that, it could be just a minor issue regarding my study or something like that. Dont worry about it."
I patted lightly on his shoulder as i went and exited my classroom.
'Guess i'll visit the others.' Arisu got out of his chair and strolled in the hallway while eating the rest of his lunch.
I went the opposite direction with a normal gait, trying to keep a positive thinking.
That announcement could only spell trouble so i am expecting atleast a bad news.
I made my way to the teacher's room.
After a 5 minute of slow walk, i stood right in front of the sliding door to my destination. As i reached out to open, a swift door slide caught me off guard.
*Swoosh!*
It slammed and accompanied with a loud thump.
That sudden action revealed a beautiful short haired girl which was only a bit shorter to my height so i didn't look down much as to deduce who it was.
"Ah.'"
I let out an awkward noise.
Serizawa Aoi. That was who stood in front of me.
".....It's you..."
Stern and angry facial expressions were plastered on her face. All of that hatred were as if it were directed at me.
"Umm. Hi?"
"Tsk! Move it!"
"Oh..okay..."
I relunctantly stepped aside as i watched her storm off from the teachers' room.
'What's gotten into that step sister of mine?'
I scratched my head and decided to forget this small event. After all, i got my own matters to attend to.
Wait a minute....
Aoi just left from here so does that mean that the announcement is related to her also?
Was Arisu's doubt on the mark?
I am a bit afraid that that might have been the case.....If so, Tobiyama's group is in big trouble, maybe me too.
God dammit...
I exhaled disappointedly at those delinquents needless urge of trying to bully anyone weaker than them just for the sake of it.
I entered and prepared for the worst.
I saw my homeroom teacher at his usual desk and approached him. The PE teacher was writing on the some papers until he noticed me.
"Hello Sir. Did you need me?"
"Aahh yes, Morikawa-kun. It's not me who wanted to talk to you though, it is Yukimura-sensei."
My left eye twitched subconciously.
"Her desk is over there, she is waiting for you."
He pointed across from where we sat, a bit far at the corner of the room. I only saw a head covered by the monitor, moving around doing some paperwork.
"....Thank you, sensei.."
"Don't make any trouble."
I slowly walked in the direction of my other homeroom teacher. As i kept getting closer, it revealed more and more of her pretty face which was glued to her work.
Soon, i stopped just next to her work station and inquired curiously.
"Did you ask for me, Yukimura-sensei?"
It was then that she noticed me. Her face lit up with anticipation as she smiled from ear to ear. However, she contained her excitement and tried to play it off.
Still, her happiness were seeping out and little hints of her joy couldn't escape from my eyes.
"Morikawa....Ken, i know this might be an exaggerated move to get to talk to you but....do you remember me?.."
I could not believe what she said.
I think it is safe to say that the peaceful that i yearned has been officially shattered into pieces.
And the cause of that reason is in front of me, sitting on her chair, expecting for a positive answer.
*Sigh*
If she wants a positive anwser, then i will properly give her one.
Because Yukimura-sensei....
"It's been a while, Onee-chan."
...is my older sister.