I woke up at 5:00 am today. It was the first time in a long time that I had a comfortable sleep. However, I am still adjusting to my new body, so waking up today felt weird. My hair was all over my face, and my chest made it difficult to find a proper sleeping position.
I slumped off the bed, feeling chilly because I slept in my underwear since I forgot to buy clothes yesterday. So, when I looked down on my bare body, I could only feel miserable at the sight. This body is unfit, first and foremost. I understood this deeply when I had to take a break for a breather while carrying my groceries and pushing a whiteboard. I would have never done something so appalling as Kokichi.
If I am going to adapt to this new world, the first step is to train this new body of mine to meet the standards I placed on myself. I tumbled my way to the closet, grabbed the school's red tracksuit provided to us, and slipped into it.
After changing, I went outside and felt the cold breeze rushing through my body. The dawn had not yet arrived, and the moon was shining bright. The sky looked more realistic than when I was at the Ultimate Academy. It's hard to describe, but I could notice a difference in the pattern of the stars. If I had the same inhuman vision as Gonta, I could confirm this, but regardless, it felt nice to feel the outside world once more.
I went to a park near the dormitories to jog. Nothing too stressful today, as I want to test how long I can push this body through physical activity before I can devise a method to train more efficiently.
Once I arrived at my destination, I did warm-up stretches as I observed my surroundings. From what I could tell of this park, to do a lap around it, I would have to run a total distance of five kilometers. When I used to be Kokichi, I could've done that distance in under fifteen minutes. However, that won't be the case now, but I have the benefit of knowing how to run with proper form and technique, though I will probably have to adjust my form to adapt to this body.
I began my run, and for the first kilometer, I did fine, with my only complaint being my chest bounced a lot. I should've anticipated that being an issue; I severely underestimated what having an F to G-sized bust is like. That was only my first issue; as I passed the two-kilometer, I started to feel fatigued, but since I was still motivated, I slowed my pace to reach the five kilometers.
Eventually, time passed, and I finally finished my lap across the park; I started around when I couldn't see the moon, and now the sun was starting to rise, so it took around 35 minutes to finish five kilometers. I expected to finish around 45 minutes for an unfit body, which was better than my expectations. However...
I collapsed onto my knees in exhaustion. My breathing was heavy; my legs were crying in pain, and I could feel my chest throbbing. My face was burning, with sweat drenching my body.
"G-god, I am so tired!" I complained to myself while trying to compose myself.
"My, if it isn't the idol-girl! It's fancy meeting you here."
I heard a loud, boisterous voice calling out to me, and I turned towards where I found Koenji, who appeared to be out on a workout himself. Not only that, but he's not wearing a shirt so that I can see his well-toned, chiseled-to-perfection body with a stunning six-pack.
What the hell am I thinking? I blame Ike for this new awakening in me.
"Oh, Koenji... what brings you here..." I barely finished my comment. I was too busy admiring his looks to think coherently, not to mention my body's fatigue.
I see! You are enamored with my beauty, so you can't think properly. I don't blame you at all. I welcome you to admire me for your desire!"
I'm not too fond of the fact that he read me like an open book. I slowly got up from kneeling to my feet while dusting myself off.
"Fine, you got me. However, you have to tell me what your workout routine is like."
"Oh, you're in service. As it's not every day, I get an audience that admires my beauty while I work out! Very well, just for you, I will tell you my secrets. First, I do a few sets on the bench press or tricep exte sions. Next, I do a few reps, including sit-ups, press-ups, and burpees. Finally, I end it with a nice run, which I am about to begin."
My eyes shone with glee, "Wow, no wonder why you're so good-looking!"
"Thank you, admiring fan, but I must bid you adieu once more as I, the perfect existence, must be on my way!"
He ran into the distance as he finished his words, making a speed I could only dream of achieving as I am now.
"He's weird," I muttered to myself.
I dragged this weary body back to my dorm, where, as soon as I returned, I collapsed on my bed to relax for around half an hour before preparing for class. While resting, I was browsing on my phone to research myself and learn more about the persona that the original Airi created, Shizuku.
According to several searches through the web, Shizuku is a persona created by the original Airi, known for being an up-and-coming online celebrity. She had done work in gravure modeling and content creation on several social media platforms. If anything, she had the potential to become a national celebrity if she hadn't decided to come to this school.
However, a few weeks ago, Shizuku announced that she would take a break without explaining her reasoning to the media. Presumably, to prepare for enrolling at this school without any attention from her fans. She could take a break from her gig as Shizuku and live a more normal life.
Well, I screwed up the original Airi's plan for this school massively; by accidentally revealing myself and removing her disguise, I made myself well-known across the school. I figured this out as I noticed a picture of me was taken while Ayanokoji and I talked after the incident with Sudou.
Now that I am Airi, I guess by extension, I am also Shizuku. What an absolute pain to think about. However, this influence of being a somewhat well-known figure benefits me during my time here.
Who was Airi Sakura before I took over?
"Right! Time to get ready!"
I sprang out of bed and made my way to wash up for the first time here. Since I don't need to worry about paying for the water, I decided to crank the water to be as warm as my skin can handle.
I entered the shower after taking off my tracksuit, and the water that dropped onto me was relaxing. However, I really can't help but notice how drastically different my body is now compared to my previous life. Most of it comes from the sex swap that I went through. My skin, rough in my previous life, is now more silky. My chest can rival that of Iruma's, much to my dismay. I would've preferred something more modest like that black-haired girl's, but unfortunately, my genetics were 'too good' for my liking. My thighs are also thick, and I don't think I can do anything to change that.
There's also down there... To my surprise, I didn't need the razor after all. Thank goodness, I would've hated myself if I had to buy a razor after Ayanokoji's stupid joke yesterday.
After washing down my body, all that was left was my long dark pink hair that reached my glutes. Washing this hair was a massive pain, and I couldn't even cut it because of my reputation as a celebrity; there were so many knots within my hair that it took me a while to cooperate with me, but with all said and done, the result after that work, it turned out pretty good.
I exited the shower, feeling like a new person; I wrapped a towel across my hair and body to dry myself off. To prepare myself, I combed my hair and styled it to how Shizuku does it, similar to yesterday. Next, I splashed moisturizer on my face to prepare to put on makeup.
Surprisingly, I know how to apply makeup; it's something the female members of DICE taught me in the past. I just never thought I would have to use it on myself. I started with the foundation, then some concealer, counter, and highlighters, and touched up on my brows.
After that, I put on my school uniform, and a sudden thought popped into my head that I hadn't considered. The uniforms were tailored to each of our measurements, so I had no issues putting them on.
Now, to touch it all up with a bit of violet perfume, perfection! I was ready for the second day - the first day of classes.
♚♘◼◻◼◻-LIARS-◼◻◼◻♞♔
I never liked paying attention in classes, as sitting in one place too long is boring. So, hearing that the lectures today were going over the course objectives didn't help at all. My classmates seemed to agree with me as well. For example, my jalapeno-headed seatmate Sudou had the loudest snores you could hear while taking a nap during class. I glanced at him and saw the drool from his mouth dripping onto the desk. It was a sight to behold.
Well, Sudou wasn't the only person not paying attention. Kaurizawa Kei, a girl with blond hair tied up in a ponytail, and her clique surfed on their phones. There was Ike and the other guys either on their phones or, in the case of my other seatmate, Ijuin, playing a handheld console.
Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, the teachers were completely fine with this class's absolute catastrophe. I would always get into trouble when I disrupted the class, but when I chose to be a model student for once, everyone else except a few faces decided to be disruptive.
Sometimes, I wish to have a window seat to admire nature's beauty as the lecture pro needs. For example, I note Ayanokoji, who has the window seat in my row, taking glances out of the windows while listening to the lecture. I wonder if I could use points to switch seats with him, but I prefer not to sit next to the black-haired girl if that's the case.
Right now was Chabs-sensei's lecture on Japanese History. Looking at the course objectives, I noticed that the history of this world was slightly different from the history of my world. Well, I figured that since there wasn't anyone notable named Kijima from where I am from, I was getting a bit concerned about the differences going back centuries. I realized I would have to do something I dread: study.
I'm good at studying, but I find the process incredibly boring. However, I felt dreadful at the thought and had a sudden urge to use the restroom.
"Excuse me, sensei?" I raised my hand.
My sudden question drew the class's attention towards me; I was feeling squeamish all of a sudden, but Chabs-sensei was able to respond.
"What is it, Sakura?"
Her voice was grating to my ears. It reminded me too much of Harukawa's if she were ten years older.
"May I use the restroom?"
I don't know what my classmates expected me to ask, but most returned to whatever they were doing after I spoke. Well, I'm sorry that I can't hold my bladder properly.
"Go right ahead."
I made my way out and began my journey to the restroom. I've always had theories on what occurred in the women's restroom; I heard of a folktale that if you entered the closet door in the women's restroom, it would have a secret passageway that takes you to Narnia. What if I could find it here? The anticipation is starting to consume me, just thinking of the possibilities.
I made my inside and noticed that the room was empty as I entered, perfect for investigating to my heart's content. I looked through each stall and tried to check for any secret passageway. However, my heart was shattered when I learned a disturbing revelation. The women's restroom is the same as the men's but without the urinals.
Since I was defeated, I did my business in silence, and after finishing, I whimpered my way back to my class, not paying attention to which direction I was heading. I opened the classroom, and something didn't feel right.
"Excuse me, can I help you?"
"Huh?"
That wasn't the voice of Chabs-sensei. Instead, it was a husky voice that belonged to a man with dirty brown hair wearing a business suit. He towered me by thirty centimeters, and I realized this wasn't my classroom.
My face flashed red in embarrassment; how could I do something so stupid?! I have lost my touch ever since I became this girl.
"Um, this is so embarrassing. I a-apologize dearly. I misread the sign and thought this was my classroom." I bowed in shame.
While I bowed, I decided to scan the faces of the students as part of this class and felt repulsed at how well-behaved the class was despite my sudden intrusion. However, one face, in particular, stood out amongst the so-called 'elites.'
There she was, a petite girl with lilac-colored hair that reached her shoulders and was complimented with a black beret and her radiating violet eyes. She looked frail, but despite that, she had a smile that deeply disturbed me. It's as if she was saying, 'I know why you are here right now.' Creepy
Anyway, I remember the faces of everyone in this classroom; I should probably not disturb them any more than they need to.
"If that's the case. I can assist you in helping you find your classroom. So, if you can, tell me what class you belong to." The generous teacher offered me unnecessary assistance, and I think I can find my way back.
"I'm a part of Class D, But I've already interrupted enough of your time, so you don't have to. Thank you for the offer."
"Very well then. I'll let you go. However, next time, pay attention to where you are going."
I bowed respectfully once more and departed from the classroom, closing the door behind me. I looked at the door label and noticed it was Class A. My heart rate slowly returned to normal after that embarrassing experience. It could've been worse, but the instructor handled the situation well and didn't make me uncomfortable. I like him way more than grumpy Chabs-sensei.
I eventually returned to Class D, hopping right back into my seat. When I entered, I got a few stares, but most returned to their own devices. I resumed listening to Chabs while I started to ponder about this school.
Yesterday, I called my classmates morons. Well, that was a mistake on my part; I didn't know the correct terminology at the time, so to correct my error, my classmates are, in fact, 'defective.' I actually kind of like this term. It's not an insult that I would use as I would prefer using an insult like 'idiot,' 'stupid,' or 'moron.' However, at this school, being called 'defective' is similar to a slur that I would regularly hurl at others.
Now, I've been thinking about what it means to be defective; the dictionary definition for the term defect is an imperfection, a flaw, or a function that impairs the ability to function now if I consider the school's purpose of nurturing juveniles to contribute to society.
Sudou Ken, a hot-headed idiot who quickly gets into fights, would be hard for someone like him to be able to contribute to society if he doesn't do something about his anger management issues. The black-haired girl, to whom I recall reading her nameplate this morning saying the name 'Horikita Suzune,' from basic observations, looks to be an intellectual person as she is one of the handful of individuals in this class who even bothers to pay attention to the lectures today. However, from the account I got from Ayanokoji's behavior and her refusal to talk to anyone in this class, it would be hard for her to contribute to society if she doesn't resolve her issues of being solitude and learn to pretend at least to give a shit with working with others.
Based on my working hypothesis, everyone in this class has some flaws that the school has determined to be detrimental to their ability to contribute to society.
Additionally, cases like Hirata and, to a lesser extent, Kushida still don't make sense to me. From what I could tell, Hirata is a charismatic individual who can gain the trust of others either; however, the evidence doesn't lie, and he has a defect that hasn't shown itself yet. Meanwhile, Kushida, despite lying about her personality, has demonstrated that she is good at socializing with others and capable of charming people with her perceived niceness; then again, if she's in this class, there is something wrong with her.
Or has it? I realize I am biased in my judgment of the two. Maybe the school knows something I don't know about them, so I haven't seen Hirata's defect yet. Perhaps the school takes into account our pasts to determine our class placements. Well, I think I know a way to test him.
Well, I was brought back to reality once the lunch bell rang.
Most of my classmates and I began to stand up and leave the classroom with the new friends they made yesterday.
For me in particular, I first approached the first friend I made at this bizarre school, the completely average Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. I noticed that he was staring right in my direction, hoping that I would invite him for lunch. Fortunately for him, I don't ever break promises.
"Yo, Ayanokoji-chan!"
"What brings you here?"
"Come on, I did forget what you told me yesterday. You promised me you would come to lunch with me yesterday." I slowly exaggerated.
"I did?"
"Don't worry, I plan to bring others as well," I turned to Horikita and asked her, "How about you, Horikita-chan?"
"You don't have to worry about me. Leave me alone." She answered coldly before getting up from her seat and leaving the classroom. The name Icy-Bitch suits her. She didn't need to be so rude with her rejection.
"Well, that was a fail. Ayanokoji-chan, you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
I pointed towards Hirata, who was being swarmed by a group of some of the girls in the class. Poor guy, he looks uncomfortable. He was looking at the two of us, hoping to invite Ayanokoji but won't get the chance.
"I noticed you are taking a few peaks in Hirata's direction; I'll help you get closer to him. Nishishi!"
"W-wait, how did you know?"
"I pick up on a lot of things." I dragged out my words before adjusting, "So, is it a yes or a yes?"
"You mean no?"
"So, is it a yes or a yes?" I repeated.
"I guess I'll say-"
"Did you say yes? Great, let's go!"
With newfound determination, we departed the classroom and went to the cafeteria.
♚♘◼◻◼◻-LIARS-◼◻◼◻♞♔
I wasn't sure what Sakura was thinking when inviting me to lunch, but I should be grateful that I could befriend someone willing to help me interact with others.
However, I feel uneasy about my current predicament; right now, it was six girls going to the cafeteria with Hirata, with me being that weird loner guy who happened to befriend the most popular girl in the class.
Why did I accept her invitation?
Sakura and Hirata tried to help me interact with the others, which I found nice. Unfortunately, none of the others considered what I said and continued to pester Hirata about personal information. In addition, they would ask Sakura about her time working as an online celebrity. Those two social titans outmatch me in every way. How am I supposed to deal with being a loner?
I want to sink into an ever-deep abyss where I could've just minded my business and rejected Sakura's offer to join her for lunch. Should I embarrass myself so no one here wants to interact with me again?
Okay, it's time to make my escape plan.
"Geez, Ayanokoji-chan, can't you think of anything less stupid right now?"
With her captivating, glistering violet eyes, Sakura stared at me disappointedly. Did she read my mind once again?
I once again reminded her of yesterday. She had those same looks in her eyes when I first called out to her at the stairs. Compared to everyone else in my class, she is the only one who seems to be curious about who I am as an individual. I, with my supercomputer brain, could never come up with an answer on why she suddenly decided to befriend me at those stairs.
"How can you read me so well?"
"Oh, you're interested in that? It's nothing much, but I guess it would be my intuition?"
She had this creepy but sexy smirk on her face, and her eyes narrowed. It was seductive, as she was trying to entice me to do something. I don't understand why she acts so differently around me compared to everyone else. Does every woman have a hidden side to them? Note to self: women are the scariest creatures on this planet.
"There you go again, monologing something stupid in your head! So are you going to dip the group or something?"
"I find this situation troublesome, so I planned to excuse myself."
I noticed Sakura's disappointment at my failure to adapt to the new environment. However, I realized that the girls surrounding Hirata were too much for me to handle.
"Yeah, I figured this would happen; I already excused myself from the group. Look, they already left the two of us behind."
I looked around my surroundings and noticed Hirata and the other girls had departed from the classroom corridors. Was I too busy in my thoughts that I didn't even notice that I was abandoned again? Wait, why did Sakura choose to stay with a loner like me if that's the case?
"Wait, why did you stay with me?"
"I was bored of being asked about the same stuff I hear from the media. What was your inspiration for your first hit? What inspired you to be Shizuku?" she said, mimicking the other girls' voices.
"That didn't answer me at all?"
"Right, at least with you, I don't have to worry about my image of Shizuku. Nishishi!"
Her way of laughing is abnormal, but at the same time, it has a childish charm that suits her bubbly, mischievous personality well.
"Sakura-chan, it's nice to see you again."
Suddenly, another beautiful girl approached Sakura, and it was Kushida, one of our classmates. I never had the chance to get a good look at her until now. She had short, straight, dyed-beige hair that reached the top of her shoulders. In addition, she had these beautiful crimson eyes that reminded me of the ruby gemstone.
"It's nice to see you too!"
It happened again; Sakura's personality changed from mischievous to sweet, reminiscent of Kushida. It's marvelous how well she can act around others through her Shizuku persona, as I recall Ike yelling out during the introductions.
"Oh, Ayanokoji-kun, it's nice to see you here too. Right, I wanted to ask you something."
What is this? The second most popular girl wants something from me as well. I can only be nervous about what she could want from someone like me.
"Sure, what do you need?" I answered.
"You see, I wanted to ask whether you were on good terms with Horikita-san?"
"Horikita?" Sakura tilted her head, "Are you trying to befriend her?"
"Yes, I want everyone's contact information in the class. However, Horiktia unfortunately turned me down."
Kushida was deflated. It was in her character to want to reach out to everyone in our class. However, I have only spoken to Horikita once, when I introduced myself to her, to which she told me her name and told me never to talk to her again.
"We're just seatmates. Neither of us talk to each other," I admitted.
As much as I would love to help her, I don't know what advice I could give her to get closer to Horikita.
"I see. How about you two join me and my friends for lunch?"
"Wait? I've wanted to get to know you better; I would love to have lunch with you, Kushida-chan!"
Sakura's eyes glistened as if stars were coming right out of her eyes; she then turned towards me and grabbed my hands with her silky, smooth hands, making contact with my large, rigid hands.
"How about you, Ayanokoji-chan? Want to join?"
This is my second chance to make friends. I screwed up with Hirata and his group, but maybe Kushida's friends might be different.
"Thank you for the invitation, Kushida." I bowed politely.
"That's great. My friends are waiting for us in the cafeteria; follow me."
Kushida's smile made my fragile heart pound. She was too adorable for me to handle. How can one simultaneously handle being around the two most popular girls in my class?
I noticed Sakura's devious smirk on her face again; she was making fun of the internal conflict I was suffering from. She scares me way too much; I sincerely hope that Kushida is not like her one bit; my heart will be devastated if it comes to that.
The three of us went to the cafeteria, where we each bought a meal set—and made our way to one of the cafeteria tables with four girls present. To not make me feel out of place, Kushida spoke up first.
"I hope you all don't mind that I brought the two of them."
The first to speak up was a girl with short brown hair and eyes shined yellow like citrine gemstones. If I recall from the introduction, her name was Onodera Kayano. She had a tomboyish look going for her, but it had a charm that I could appreciate.
"I'm good with it." She had this adorable smile to her.
"Um... It's fine with me," said the quiet voice from Inogashira Kokoro.
Inogashira 's demeanor reminded me of Sakura on the bus yesterday before she changed her hairstyle.
As the three of us, including myself, Nishimura Ryuko, and Rino Muyu, walked towards our seats, we noticed that the table could accommodate up to eight people, four on each side. I was seated at the corner beside Rino while Kushida and Inogashira sat beside Rino. On the opposite side of the table, Onodera, Sakura, and Nishimura sat beside each other in that order.
It made sense why I was on the corner amongst the others, as I felt out of place and was only invited because I am known as the loner the idol Shizuku pitied. At least, that is what I overheard Ike called me during lectures today. This makes sense as, for a brief moment, all the girls were busy talking about stuff like fashion, makeup, and other stuff that didn't interest me. However, someone who wasn't Sakura decided to speak to me for once, and it was Rino, the person I was seated next to.
"Hey, Ayanokoji-kun? Are you okay?"
Is there something wrong with me?
"I'm fine, why do you ask?"
"You see, there was a picture of you and Sakura yesterday trending on the school's forum, and you've been the subject of hideous comments from her fans."
"R-really? I haven't checked the forum, so I haven't noticed yet."
Rino stared at me for a moment. She had dirty blond hair that was shoulder length, along with her emerald green eyes.
"I thought that was the reason for your gloomy face. Like, can you even smile?"
With Rino dropping this question, I noticed the other girls turned their heads in my direction. It's a bit overwhelming, and I wasn't prepared for what to say.
"Um, you're making him a bit uncomfortable, Rino-chan."
It was the angelic voice of Kushdia Kikyo, coming down and saving me from the sudden pressure.
Rino's eyes widened in a panic, "I am so sorry if I sounded insensitive! I was just curious. I'm sorry."
"Your words did not hurt me. Though to answer your question, I don't know. I honestly can't remember the last time I expressed myself. I remember expressing myself as a child, but not so much anymore."
The girls I was eating looked at me with concern about my past. Especially Kushida; I noticed a few tears coming from her eyes as her angelic voice poured sympathy for someone like me. The other girls also became more understanding about me, becoming more aware that I was a part of their group.
However, this sympathy ended as a boisterous voice approached our table.
"Oh, if it isn't Shizuku!"
A boy with blond hair tied back into a ponytail had a seductive grin directed towards Sakura's direction. The table's attention shifted towards me towards Sakura. I feel more comfortable now that the attention is not on me anymore. Sakura got up from her seat and approached the blond boy.
"Hai! That's me! However, my actual name is Sakura Airi, and I request that you not call me Shizuku anymore."
"Very well then, your wishes are to my command, idol-queen. Hashimoto Masayoshi, at your service."
Is he flirting with Sakura? This is new; perhaps I can pick something up from their conversation. However, before I could fully understand the growing tension between Sakura and Hashimoto, Kushida got up and joined the two of them to ease the stress I had been feeling.
"Oh! Hashimoto-kun, I've heard about you; I'm Kushida Kikyo. What brings you here right now?"
"Right, Sakura here mixed up our classroom with yours and accidentally disturbed our lesson."
The table burst out in laughter upon hearing about Sakura's mistake. I started laughing as well. It's like Herd's mentality, where I just had to laugh at the misfortune at Sakura because the others were doing so as well. Even Kushida let out a slight giggle. However, I don't think anyone noticed my laugh.
I'm glad I am not Sakura right now, as she has this blank expression. She did a good job hiding her embarrassment, but I noticed steam coming from her ears, which was oddly cute. If I were in her position, I probably would've collapsed.
"I'm sorry, Sakura-san, but how did that happen," Kushida asked while trying to regain her composure.
Sakura sighed, "I took a wrong turn and ended up at his class. Are you happy making me a laughing stock, Hashimoto-chan?" her face was slightly red.
"Aw, did I make you upset? I'm sorry, but someone asked me to come here."
"Someone?" Kushida asked.
"Oh, it's nothing; I just wanted to get closer to you two."
After that exchange between the three, they exchanged contact information, and Hashimoto departed from the girls. Those last words were strangely ominous, but at the very least, it has nothing to me.
♚♘◼◻◼◻-LIARS-◼◻◼◻♞♔
"Lunch was a massive bore," I muttered to myself.
Hashimoto is pushy with his advances, but at the very least, I got his contact information from him; with that, my connection to Class A has been made.
After finishing our meals, Ayanokoji got the contacts of the other part of Kushida's group. As the two of us returned to the classroom, an announcement rang through the speakers throughout the building.
"At five PM Japan Standard Time today, we will hold a club fair in Gymnasium No. 1. Students interested in joining a club, please gather in Gymnasium No. 1. I repeat, at five PM–"
A club, huh? I never thought about joining. Maybe I might look around if any of them call out to me.
"Hey, Sakura, are you interested in joining a club?" Ayanokoji asked.
"Hmm, I don't know, what about you? You could make more friends by joining a club."
"Hmm, I'm thinking about it. I might go to the club fair later. What about you?"
My eyes widened a bit. Is he considering inviting me to go with him? This is some quick development on his hands.
"What a coincidence. I was also thinking of the same thing. What about it." I asked while putting my hands behind my head.
"Would you like to come with me later today?"
His sudden invitation took me aback. Yesterday, he was socially inept, as if he had lived under a rock for most of his life. Today, however, I noticed he can converse with me already. Has he adapted already to socializing with others, or just me?
"I didn't think you had it to invite me out this soon."
"W-what's that supposed to mean?" he stuttered his words.
"Well, for someone as socially inept as you, I thought you would be nervous trying to invite me out, but I was mistaken; for a gloomy guy, you're quick at adapting."
"I don't know if I should be hurt by your words or not. I can talk fine with you, so you know."
"It's so funny when you try to show me attitude with your monotonous voice. Maybe you do have the ability to be a stand-up comedian." I laughed.
Ayanokoji stared at me with his usual blank expression. I can't tell what's going on with him. Is he mad at me, beating himself up?
"Geez, I'm just messing with you, robot face," I exaggerated as my face went red for a bit, "As for your answer, sure, I'll go with you."
"Wait, you're not lying right now?"
"What, why would I ever lie to you? I would never, ever lie to my precious friend. Look at me straight in the eyes. Do I look like someone who would lie a lot?"
"Yes, you do."
He answered that without any hesitation. He is more aggressive in talking to me, not that I hate the change. It's way better than yesterday.
"Wow, rude much. Though, I'll go with you."
"Okay.... We'll go right as class ends today if that's alright with you?"
"Fine with me."
After our conversation ended, we walked to class in this awkward silence. Well, here to a few more boring classes.
♚♘◼◻◼◻-LIARS-◼◻◼◻♞♔
"There are more people here than I expected," Ayanokoji said.
At this very moment, Ayanokoji and I were waiting at the gymnasium entrance with over 100 students inside. The two of us had pamphlets containing detailed information about the club activities offered here.
"Say, Ayanokoji, do you expect to make any friends during the club fair?"
"I can only hope so."
The two of us began strolling across the gymnasium to find anything unique. I hoped to find a venue with free samples or give away free stuff like a cooking or art club. I want to see if I still have skills at stealing things without getting caught. So, I was looking across a cooking club and trying to see if they were offering free samples, but to my dismay, they were not.
"Do you know how to cook?" Ayanokoji asked.
"Hmm, I do. I'm no professional or anything, but I'd say I'm decent at it."
"Are you thinking of joining the cooking club then? You might be able to learn new recipes and possibly make new friends that way."
"Yeah, I could, but I don't like cooking without purpose. You see since I cannot taste anything, it gets boring to cook for yourself, so to cook, I need something to drive me."
"That does make sense, so what would you call your purpose for cooking then?" Ayanokoji asked.
I could cook for someone else. Whether to feed those I care about or mess with others by accidentally replacing salt with sugar or mixing people's food with laxatives. I prefer cooking for others more than for myself; it's lovely to see the reactions of people who taste my cooking, whether I put in a genuine effort or decided to pull a food prank.
"So you want to know my purpose? You're a curious boy, Ayanokoji-chan," with a smoky voice, "Do you want to be my purpose to cook again?"
Ayanokoji was taken aback with a confused expression on his face. Though I want him to say yes, it'll give me an excuse to start seriously cooking again and to pull some pranks on him as well as a bonus.
"Are you saying that you would cook for me?"
"That's exactly what I am saying. Do you need me to repeat?"
"No, I understood the first time. I just never expected such a generous offer from you."
"Well, Ayanokoji-chan, I am being one hundred percent serious! So is it a yes or no!"
I approached him closer to get an answer from him.
"Is there a catch?"
"Catch? What would make you think I would have some condition? Do you see me as some heartless bitch?" I pouted, angry at his response.
"Um, well, thanks for the offer, I guess."
"Then it's a deal. Nishishi!"
I reverted to my usual joyful mood, and Ayanokoji calmed down.
"What about you, Ayanokoji-chan? I think that club would be perfect for you."
I pointed toward a traditional dance club that primarily focuses on kabuki theater. I noticed a girl wearing a red kimono and conventional Japanese makeup there. From what I can observe, it seems as if she was preparing for a performance.
"I can't do that! I can't coordinate myself to express myself to dance. If I were to perform, it would look bad because of my face."
"Geez, don't put yourself down. Anyone can dance! Come on, Ayanokoji-chan, join me."
I let out a smile and grabbed his hands. The light music playing throughout the gymnasium became at the forefront as we entered harmony.
"What are you doing?"
"Follow my lead, and you'll see."
He lowered his guard as the two of us drew close. I led him through the rhythm of the music, but eventually, nothing else mattered, just him and me.
His face was dull as ever and nothing new. However, I couldn't stop myself from letting out a bright smile. I was no longer in control, and it felt as if I were free from all of my issues.
To begin the next stage, I wrapped my arms around his neck to see his dull golden eyes. With that, I went to his ears and whispered to him.
"You're pretty good for an average guy."
He didn't respond, but we continued to dance on as if we were in a ballroom until the final moment when I led him to the final moment, where he grabbed me by the waist and grabbed me to his shoulders.
There, we finished, and I was brought back to reality with a massive set of cheers from the onlookers present in the gymnasium. Even the club representatives could only be impressed at the two of our performances. I bowed to the positive reception, and Ayanokoji sheepishly followed my lead.
"That was beautiful, Sakura-chan! Ayanokoji-kun!"
That was the voice of Rino starting to approach us, and she greeted me with a hug.
"Thank you, Rino-chan! It took lots of dedication."
After a while, we let go of our hug as Rino made her way to Ayanokoji.
"You too, Ayanokoji; I didn't know you could dance that well?"
"I didn't either, but all I did was follow Sakura's lead. If anything, all the credit should go to her."
I sighed; if he keeps lying to himself, I'll play along with him for payback for forcing him to dance with me.
"Geez, you don't need to say that, and besides, leading someone through the tango isn't that difficult." my face went red momentarily.
How the original Airi managed to become the most popular idol is a mystery to me, but I am fortunate enough to have the skills to ensure that the image of Shizuku doesn't get damaged.
As the three of us were in the middle of a conversation, a girl with purple hair and twin buns made her way to the stage and began speaking.
"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. I am Tachibana, the student council secretary, and organizer of the club fair. It's nice to meet you all."
After she departed the stage, the club representatives walked up to the stage to introduce themselves to the club. Many clubs were present, whether related to physical activity, like Judo, Basketball, or Dance, as well as academic ones, like the literature club and an engineering club. Now, do any of the clubs stand out to me in particular?
"Say, Rino, do you plan to join any clubs?" Ayanokoji asked.
"Oh, right! I completely forgot that I planned to join the dance club! See you Ayanokoji-kun, Sakura-chan!"
I waved in her direction, more or less out of concern for her well-being; she looked like she was panicking about missing out. She'll be fine, I think.
As Rino left, Ayanokoji and I started to watch the club representatives' presentations. So far, none of them impacted me, but I did notice a few that Ayanokoji would be perfect for.
"Say, Ayanokoji-chan, what about the tea ceremony club?"
"I already have experience doing tea ceremonies. If I had to join a club, I'd prefer something new."
"Tea ceremony as well? What else are you good at?"
"Besides calligraphy, I guess piano. If there was one, I could play something like Fur Elise."
"Oh, piano? What a coincidence. So do I. I could play Der Flowalzer, and Claire de Lune! Those are my two favorite songs on the piano!"
They really are. I once saw a phenomenal performance showcasing Der Flowalzer, which changed the direction of my life and led me to where I am right now.
"Der Flowalzer? Really?"
Ayanokoji, despite his monotone voice, seems offended at my choice.
"They really are. I once saw a phenomenal performance showcasing Der Flowalzer, which changed the direction of my life and led me to where I am right now."
While the two of us discussed different pianists, the club representatives continued to present information about the club. None of them stood out to me, not even the music club. So, since I was feeling a bit bored, I decided to scan the gymnasium to see if there was anyone I could recognize. Sudo was trying to get the attention of the basketball reception. Rino at the dance club booth signing up. Hirata and a group of girls follow him at the soccer booth. I also noticed Hashimoto talking to this purple-haired girl tied into twin tails, who I recognized from my visit to Class A.
Time passed, and with each representative giving their performance, I would review whether their performance was exciting. Eventually, the representatives' numbers dwindled until only one person left. He gathered everyone's attention as he made his way to the microphone.
He was slender, towering over 170 centimeters, sleek, black hair and glasses that made him look serious.
"Hey, look, Ayanokoji-chan! Your long lost brother! You have matching expressionless faces!" I joked.
Ayanokoji didn't say anything to me in return. Did he already fall into the man on the stage's control? He stood utterly silent, with a calculative gaze around the audience room. It was a fascinating sight to witness as I looked at the club representatives and Tachibana and noticed that none of them spoke a word and were focused on that individual. They were all in awe.
From what I can tell, he is a potent individual. It's hard to control an audience using silence, but if his words are powerful, I expect the other first years mockingly cheering him on the stage to be shocked, perhaps even paralyzed. Coincidentally, his gaze reminds me of the one Horikita gave me a few times, just more refined from him. I can conclude that whatever club he participated in was a cut above the rest, presumably the student council.
Eventually, I started to get bored as the room went silent; the atmosphere grew intense and lasted for a few too many seconds.
"Hey, glasses face! I'm getting bored. You've got the audience under your control already!" I shouted.
The black-haired speaker quickly glanced in my direction. However, he realized my intentions, so he began his speech earlier than he intended.
"I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu."
I wouldn't be surprised if the Horikita from my class were related to him.
"The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among the first-year students to replace the graduating third year. Although no special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those considering application not be involved in other club activities. We generally do not accept students involved elsewhere."
Now, here's the reason for the calculative gaze directed towards us. However, I must also commend his ability to control the audience with his soft tone. No one was capable of speaking throughout the remainder of his speech. I could've, but I didn't want to ruin his moment.
"Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone with a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected, he or she would sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council's right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects more than that. We gladly welcome those of you who understand this."
Was he ultimately telling the truth there? Now, he wasn't lying, but from his words, I have this feeling that there is something more to the student council than meets the surface. Perhaps he was trying to look for a successor amongst us today and used this opportunity to glimpse the new batch of students. It's not like I'm joining the student council; he's a massive bore to me, and I pretended to sleep while listening to his speech.
Anyway, the atmosphere was too tense for my liking, as no one could say anything after Horikita-senpai left the stage. So, to help ease the mood, I started to applaud his speech to help remove the tension built earlier. The others began to join me as an excuse to resume their activities. Even the club representatives joined in the applause, which stopped when Tachibana made closing remarks to end the club fair.
It was a shame there wasn't a club that interested me.
"That was surely something," Ayanokoji spoke up first.
"Hmm? I thought it was boring. I'm just glad that it passed."
"Boring?"
"Yeah, this club fair was a massive bore. Though I have a really fun idea!"
Ayanokoji sighed, "What is it this time?"
"What's with this new attitude of yours?! I am a fun person; we will be the talk of the club fair after the slugfest of a speech!"
"Didn't we do that already with the dance already?"
"What dance? Did you want to dance with me?"
My eyes glistened in anticipation as I waited for him to answer.
"No."
His words were cold, and I was devastated. I could barely keep my emotions in check, as I could feel tears fall through my face.
"I see. We would've played the piano together, and we would've been the day's talk. That's fine; I'll see you tomorrow," I walked out of the gym, trying to keep myself from breaking down.
Right after I departed with Ayanokoji, I found myself out of the gymnasium, where I could see the moon again. As the breeze hit me, I cleaned myself with a handkerchief in my bag and made my way to Kekyai Mall.
I needed to stop and buy some stuff I didn't have the chance to do yesterday. Like, for example, clothes. However, I heard a voice directed towards me while trying to find clothes that fit me.
"If I'm correct, your Shizuku-chan?"
It was a girl who had light pink hair. She had light blue eyes and was noticeably taller than me by at least five centimeters.
"Yeah, that's me. Though my name is Sakura. Whatcha want?" I tilted my head.
"My, I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ichinose Honami. It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san. I've wanted to talk to you about something if that's okay with you."
She had a pleasant voice, figure, and the charm to become an idol; she could be even more popular than me if she wanted to. No, I'm just jealous of her height. Why couldn't I be taller?
"Nice to meet you, Ichinose-chan. Hmm, that's fine with me."
"Great, thanks. I wanted to ask why you shouted out in the gym before the student council president began his speech."
"Oh, you want to know about that? I was bored, that's all."
"Bored?" She was also confused, like with Ayanokoji earlier.
Is it an issue that I get bored easily? Even putting up this goody two-shoes act is boring to me.
"Yeah. However, I have a question for you. Are you applying to the student council?"
She sighed before answering my question, "Yes, I applied to the student council earlier today, but I can't help but feel nervous that I won't get in."
So she has her doubts. I would, too, if I were passionate about joining the student council after hearing Horikita-senpai's declaration. I wonder what Horikita could mean about naive; perhaps he's trying to hint that the school's true nature is not to be taken lightly.
"Hmm, say, what do your friends think?"
"They've been encouraging me, and I am grateful that my friends believe in me like that."
From her words, she is telling the truth; however, despite feeling gratitude from her friends, I can see that despite the support from her friends, she isn't satisfied and wants a different opinion.
"You have really good friends then? However, you want something more like someone who might've gotten the president's attention before his speech."
I wrapped my arms behind my head as she smiled pleasantly after I realized what she wanted from me.
"It seems like you figured me out. Yeah, I noticed he looked towards your direction briefly, and I wanted to see your take on the matter."
I didn't expect this answer at all. However, she is a bit more sly than she lets on, but I can tell she isn't as awful as I am.
"Is that all? Well, I can help you with that," I let out a blissful smile, "But first, I'm going to need to know a bit more about you."
"Right, some would consider me the representative of Class B. However, nothing has been established yet. I try my best to help out whenever possible. My classmates think of me as trustworthy. Take that as you will, though."
Representative of Class B, well, isn't this new. She's considered trustworthy by her friends and even her class in just two days to be pushed up as the class representative so soon. My class doesn't have anything like a representative. She sounds like an excellent candidate to join the student council if this were a normal school.
"Wow, a class representative! I'm impressed my class has nothing like that. Say, now answer this. Do you consider yourself naive?"
She let out a light laugh, "I don't know. I know the world isn't as good as I would like it to be, but at the same time, I am unsure what the president could be referring to by naive."
In a way, Horikita-senpai's words could hint at the school's true nature. Thinking about it now, his speech could be interpreted by those who aren't even considering applying as a warning to take this school seriously, and if you aren't willing to change your outlook in life, you will suffer here. However, if you understand its nature, you will thrive here and might have the chance to join the student council.
Now, applying this to Ichinose, if the school's nature is as insidious as I anticipate it to be, then I wonder if Ichinose will be able to use the strengths of her social skills I have noticed along with her ability to gain the class's trust and hold her own. Perhaps if her leadership will be something like Akamatsu's in the killing game, she could do well if that's the case. However, I wonder how far she would go for class to help them.
"Perhaps it has something to do with how the school operates. Well, that's just my interpretation."
She looked at me in awe, "Say, do you have suspicions of the school as well?"
Oops, I said a bit too much to her.
"Yeah, I do. Here's my advice to you, free of charge. Don't spend all of your points. Nishishi!"
From what I've seen from this conversation with her, her intelligence in social scenarios is not to be underestimated.
"Thanks for the advice. If it's okay with you, you should tell me about yourself. Like, what do you think of yourself? This is actually the first time I've spoken to an idol," her face flashed red a bit.
"Come on, Ichinose-chan, it's not like I was that big," I brushed off, feeling my face red as well.
"But it's impressive to be so successful at a young age, something I could only dream of. You should take more pride in yourself," she grabbed my hands, trying to cheer me up after downplaying 'my' achievements.
Her words are genuine, but how can you feel pride for something you didn't do? It's not like anyone will ever know.
"Sorry, it's a bad habit of mine, but you're right. Thanks for the encouragement," I smiled through the eerie pain that I could feel in my chest.
This warm encouragement is something that many would wish they had from someone like her, but I loathe this feeling she is giving me right now.
After our conversation, we exchanged contact info and went our own ways. I continued to do my shopping and bought some stuff that I would need in the future.
However, while doing that, I recall feeling like I got closer to Ichinose Honami today.
♚♘◼◻◼◻-LIARS-◼◻◼◻♞♔
When I arrived in my room, I put my things on the kitchen counter and collapsed on my bed, feeling exhausted. I think I have around 45,000 points left in my account, breaking the promise I made yesterday. I feel a bit disappointed in myself, but it was necessary.
Something else I realized is that this 'kind' persona I am using isn't cut it going forward. It's too boring and similar to Kushida. Instead, I need something unique, more my style, which won't diminish my popularity.
I looked in my phone for a little inspiration, but instead, I was treated with a message from Hashimoto Masayoshi.
[8:32 PM] [Hashimoto] [Hey, idol queen, I posted the video of your dance at the club fair on the school forum. Your welcome ;)]
That damn snake. He beat me to the punch.
[8:35 PM] [You did, I haven't checked the forums yet. How was the reception?]
[8:36 PM] [Hashimoto] [Girl, you were the talk of the show at the gymnasium earlier.]
[8:43 PM] [Wow, I didn't think much of it. I didn't know that the reception would be positive.]
[8:45 PM] [Hashimoto] [Say, would you dance for me?]
[8:50 PM] [You're pushing it.]
[8:53 PM] [Hashimoto] [Oh, am I now?]
[8:54 PM] [If you want that dance. Well, tell that elementary school child you take orders from not to have you watch my every move. Then, maybe we can negotiate. ]
[8:55 PM] [Hashimoto] [ :O ]
[8:58 PM] [Also, tell her if she wants to talk, then get her to set a date, and I can arrange it.]
[9:01 PM] [Hashimoto] [No, can do; the princess will not allow that to happen]
[9:03] [Wow, flirting with me when your heart is on someone else. You really are scum.]
[9:07 PM] [Hashimoto] [You are more feisty than I imagined, idol queen. I like this hidden side from you.]
[9:12 PM] [So I take it that you will be stalking me wherever I go for the month.]
[9:17 PM] [Hashimoto] [When you put it like that, I sound like a deviant. ]
[9:18 PM] [See ya tomorrow then, stalker.]
I put my phone away for the night. I knew that lilac-haired girl was creepy, getting two people to watch my every move. If I had to guess, she probably figured out my reasoning for entering her classroom.
Frustrated by the little girl, I made my way to the whiteboard in my room, and with the blue marker under the A, I sketched a queen and footsoldiers about to enter a battle. With the green marker, I drew a girl in the center of the B section, with a bunch of bees surrounding this girl.
After I calmed down a bit, I slipped into the pajamas I bought, and for the remainder of the night, I continued drawing out the faces of my classmates before finally closing my eyes for the night.
Author's Note:
I hope you liked the chapter. I plan to update once a week, maybe sooner, starting with this upcoming chapter focusing on the swimming class.
Let me know if you have any feedback, criticism, errors, or questions about this fic. Thank you!
However, I have a question: Would you prefer longer chapters like this one and the previous one? Or smaller chapters ranging from 1.5 to 3k words? Where I would split the one chapter into smaller sections like (3.1, 3.2, etc.).
[Word Count: 9577]