Brooding Guy, Quiet Girl

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: "I have all the answers to everything except this..."

The teacher seems to be in his own world as he lectures about the history of Japan during the Edo period. When I was homeschooled, the teachers that came over would always revise whatever I'm not good at. But here, I was expected to study at the same pace as everyone else. The mere change is enough to make me fear what's to come.

The school bell chimes, signalling the end of the lesson. If I'm not mistaken, this would also be the beginning of the recess period.

"That is all, class. Read pages five to thirteen before the next lesson." He picks up his materials on the teacher's table and leaves.

I was about to stand up to go for a meal, but before I could budge even an inch of my body, the girls from the class start crowding around me, bombarding me with questions.

"Welcome, Sekigahara-san! It's good to have you here!"

"Ah, but your surname's so long! Can we just call you Arisu? Do you mind?"

"Oh, I love your hair! Where did you get it done?"

"So which school did you attend before this?"

The questions only pile more and more, slowly turning into a mass of gibberish, and within seconds, I am left speechless. There are so many of them looking at me! What do they want from me? Why are the asking me so many questions? What do they even want to know?

My heart starts to race. My hands start to shake. I quiver once more. It's happening again. I want to run away so badly, but they're blocking me off on all routes! If only my chair came with a booster to rocket me through the ceiling! But...

"Calm it, ladies!"

The girls step aside to make way for a... Boy? Uhm, I can't really tell. He or she is wearing a boy's uniform with some red cape around his neck, blue hair tied into a ponytail. Though this person's voice sounds rather feminine, his(?) physique lacks womanly qualities. Even his(?) face straddles the line between the masculine and feminine!

Uhm... Is this a boy or a girl? I think I'll assume it's a boy...

"Hey there, new girl! Arisu Sekigahara, was it?" He reaches his hand toward me. "If you need any help, I'll gladly do so! Let's shake on it! I'm Narukami Shion!"

Narukami... Shion? So, his given name is Shion? But that's such a girly name! Now I'm twice as confused!

Wait, what does he mean by 'shake on it'? Shaking? Shaking what? My head? Hair? Shoulders? Uh...? I don't know what he wants me to do, so I simply shake my head.

He looks a little disheartened when he sees that. "I see, it's okay. I'm not mad. But you seem to be really shy, I mean, you cried in the middle of self-introduction and all... I thought it'd be best to help you out."

I really messed up my high school debut...

"How about I do the helping?"

Everyone turns to an undoubtedly male student wearing a tuxedo. His blond hair is kept neat and tidy, and his radiates an aura of class and chivalry. The way he smiles is the same as one would expect of a prince descended from royalty...

"Hoho...!" He stares at me like a starved wolf. "Shy foreigners? She's even got a modest rack! Damn, that's like on the top of my 'to bang' list! Shion, let me at her! Let me have a taste of that scrumptiousness!" His eyes widen as if they are trying to escape his eyelids. "Hey, babe, want me to show you a good time?"

...

For some reason, that aura seems to have died in a horrible accident.

"Shut up, Benkei!" Narukami-san smashes a wooden katana into his face. Wait, where did he get that? He wasn't holding one a few seconds ago...