Time flew by, and June had already arrived.
The rainy season arrived precisely on schedule, bringing with it a seemingly endless stretch of gloomy, damp days. This oppressive weather easily put people on edge. The air hung thick with muggy humidity, making everything feel stuffy and uncomfortable, which only served to heighten the sense of general irritation.
This particular morning—
"Big news! Big news!"
"Everyone!"
"A new transfer student is joining our Class G!"
Just moments before class was scheduled to begin, the math class representative, Itō Hidesato, burst into the classroom with a loud announcement, instantly capturing the attention of every student present.
"A transfer student?"
"Really?"
"How do you know?"
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
Those with a curious streak began to fire off questions one after another. Even Kasumigaoka Touji couldn't help but cast a glance of mild curiosity toward the commotion.
"It's a super cute girl! I just saw her in the teacher's office!" Itō Hidesato declared excitedly, clenching his fists for emphasis.
"Oooh—!"
Upon hearing that the new transfer student was an exceptionally cute girl, a portion of the male students immediately erupted in enthusiastic cheers. Meanwhile, some of the girls expressed disappointment and mild displeasure.
"Why another girl? Can't we get a handsome guy for once?"
"Ah… how disappointing."
"Tsk—! Look at the boys in Class G, getting all excited like a bunch of monkeys!"
"By the way, why is this transfer student transferring in?"
In Class G of the first year, four students had already transferred out—and none of them had been particularly upstanding individuals!
"Maybe she did something bad at her old school?" someone ventured with a hint of malicious speculation.
This was quickly countered by another voice. "Not necessarily. It could be because of her parents' job relocation… Besides, wasn't Honda-san's transfer partly because of Kasumigaoka-san?"
...
The classroom quickly devolved into a low buzz of discussion centered on the 'possible reasons for the transfer student's transfer.'
Kani Nayuta, with an expression of keen interest, settled herself onto Kasumigaoka Touji's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Winter-sensei, what do you think the reason is for this transfer student switching schools?"
"How could I possibly guess that?" Kasumigaoka Touji spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. After a brief pause, he added, "But the reasons are usually pretty limited. Either it's because of a parent's job relocation, or she couldn't continue at her previous school for some reason."
Situations like Kani Nayuta's—transferring specifically because of him—were still relatively rare. Kasumigaoka Touji didn't think this instance would be the same.
As the two chatted—
The homeroom teacher, Kojima Kana, walked into the classroom. Her expression was stern as usual. She was dressed in a crisp white blouse, a form-fitting black pencil skirt, and sheer black stockings, exuding an undeniable aura of sophisticated, mature charm.(image in gallery)
After two months of interaction, everyone in the class knew she was a good, dedicated teacher. However, the powerful sense of authority she naturally projected meant the students all maintained a healthy level of respect for her. The moment they saw her enter, they spontaneously quieted down and returned to their seats.
Kani Nayuta was no exception.
Two days prior, Class G had undergone another seating rearrangement. Kasumigaoka Touji and Kani Nayuta were no longer sitting at adjacent desks.
...
Kojima Kana was visibly satisfied with the students' immediate compliance. She first scanned the room to confirm everyone was present, then got straight to the point. "Today, a new student will be joining our Class G."
She turned her head to look toward the classroom door. "Kitagawa-san, please come in."
"Kitagawa…?"
Hearing these syllables, Kasumigaoka Touji's mind immediately jumped to the possibility of one of Gotou Hitori's bandmates transferring in. However, he quickly noted that the teacher had used a three-character surname. He lifted his gaze—
And saw a girl walking into the classroom. Above her head floated a distinct yellow exclamation mark. She had warm, fiery-red eyes and waist-length golden hair with subtle coral-colored highlights at the ends, styled in a fashionable ear-revealing side part. A black choker adorned her neck, and she wore one and four shiny earrings in each ear. Her overall appearance was stunningly beautiful, fashionable, and unmistakably that of a trendy gyaru.
Perhaps because she had just transferred and hadn't yet received her school uniform, she was dressed in a blue-and-white striped shirt paired with a sky-blue denim ultra-mini skirt. The long, fair, perfectly straight legs exposed beneath the short skirt were undeniably captivating!
"Whoa—! So cute!!"
"She's a total babe!"
"So stylish! And those legs are incredible… amazing!"
"She looks like a model! Is she a model?"
"Our Class G has another gyaru… and this one is way prettier than the ones who left before!"
"..."
"Please introduce yourself first."
Kojima Kana ignored the murmurs rising from the class, her gaze fixed on Kitagawa Marin as she instructed.
"Hi!"
Kitagawa Marin acknowledged with a bright smile, then turned to face the class. "Hello, everyone! I'm Kitagawa Marin! I'm an otaku—I really love anime, manga, and games, and I'm not ashamed of it at all! That's all!"
The completely unexpected self-introduction left the entire classroom in stunned silence for a few seconds.
Then, a wave of noisy chatter erupted.
"Huh? Seriously!? She's an otaku? I can't tell at all!"
"That's so surprising!"
"Actually… I kind of like anime too…"
"Kitagawa-san… she's an angel!"
"..."
"…Otaku."
In the upper-middle section of the classroom, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, who had been resting her cheek on her hand while observing Kitagawa Marin, slowly straightened up. Her sky-blue eyes widened with a leisurely sense of surprise. She, too, was an otaku. But she was a deeply closeted one, terrified of anyone discovering her true interests. Kitagawa Marin's bold self-introduction struck a chord within her.
"Eh?"
Kani Nayuta also regarded Kitagawa Marin at the podium with a flicker of surprise, though it was merely a passing observation.
Back at the podium—
"Welcome, everyone." Kojima Kana led the class in a round of applause, which the students below dutifully followed.
Once the welcoming applause subsided, the homeroom teacher scanned the classroom and addressed Kitagawa Marin. "The last three seats in the back rows are currently empty. You may choose any one of them for the time being."
"In our class, we change seats at the beginning of each month via a random lottery."
"Oh, okay!" Kitagawa Marin responded cheerfully. Her eyes swept over the three empty seats before she made her way toward the very last seat in the second row from the back—
Which happened to be the seat right next to Kasumigaoka Touji!