After orientation ended, Kuroki headed toward his assigned classroom.
"Class C1-1… ah, here it is."
He slid the door open and stepped inside. Most of the seats were already filled, students chatting and introducing themselves to one another.
"Alright… let's find an empty seat."
Kuroki spotted one in the far back by the window. Perfect.
He walked over and dropped into the chair.
"Sigh…"
He leaned back, exhausted from the mad dash earlier, and quietly observed his classmates.
Popular kids.
Loner types.
Average students.
Otaku.
(Yeah… figures.)
His eyes drifted toward the front of the room.
(Oh… that girl.)
A gyaru-type student sat near the front, surrounded by a group of guys. She had tanned skin, blonde hair with a pink streak, and an unmistakably flashy presence.
(Seriously… she stands out way too much.)
(Pretty sure half those guys are only there for one reason.)
"Ugh… I hate normies," he muttered under his breath.
Nearby, two boys a couple seats away were talking loudly.
"Yo, did you watch the new episode?"
"One Piece? Nah, not yet. I'll watch it at lunch."
"Dude, just watch it now. The teacher's not even here yet."
Kuroki listened half-heartedly as they argued about anime.
"Sigh… this is stupid."
He turned his chair slightly and stared out the window, waiting for class to start.
Beep—beep.
The classroom door slid open.
"Alright, take your seats. Class is about to begin."
The teacher stepped in as the bell rang.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Mr. Aoki. I'll be your homeroom teacher this year. Let's start with self-introductions."
"Yes!" the class responded in unison.
"Alright, first up—Kazuki Kenji."
"Here!"
Kenji jumped up energetically.
"My name's Kazuki Kenji! I like working out, playing games, and hanging out with my friends!"
"Boooo, boring!" someone shouted from behind.
"Shut up, Mishima!" Kenji snapped back.
Laughter filled the room.
"Alright, settle down," Mr. Aoki said, waving his hand. "Next—Kanagi Mari."
A girl in the front row stood up. She had jet-black hair, pale skin, and a calm presence.
"My name is Aohana Mari," she said softly. "I like reading and flowers. My dream is to own a flower shop someday."
She smiled shyly as she finished.
The class applauded.
"She's cute."
"Yeah, she really is."
Kuroki barely noticed.
"Sigh… I wonder if Satsuki's having a better time than me," he muttered.
"Man… I just want to go home and sleep."
The introductions continued until—
"Ichinose Kuroki."
No response.
"Ichinose Kuroki?" the teacher repeated.
The class turned toward the back.
"…Ah, shit. That's me."
Kuroki stood up lazily.
"Uh… my name's Ichinose Kuroki," he said. "I like… writing novels. My dream is to publish one someday."
A short round of applause followed as he sat back down.
(A novelist… heh. Don't be stupid.)
For a moment, Aohana Mari glanced in his direction, her expression unreadable.
"Alright, next—" Mr. Aoki continued.
—
Class eventually ended, and lunchtime arrived.
Kuroki stood and stretched. "Guess I'll go find Satsuki."
He stopped in front of Class A1-3 and slid the door open.
There she was.
Satsuki sat in the back by the window, her head resting on her desk.
Kuroki walked over and nudged her shoulder. "Hey. Wake up."
"Mmm…" she groaned.
She slowly lifted her head, rubbing her eyes. "Oh… what are you doing here?"
"It's lunch," Kuroki replied, lifting their bento bags. "Let's go."
"…Okay," she mumbled, still half-asleep.
Satsuki stood up, and the two of them walked out of the classroom together, heading off to find a place to eat.
Another ordinary moment—
just the two of them, like always.