"Kitagawa-san, why did you transfer to our school?"
As soon as the class ended, many curious classmates gathered around Kitagawa Marin, eager to learn more about her.
"Hmm… it's because my father was transferred for work, so my family moved here," Kitagawa Marin looked at the classmate who asked and answered openly.
"Oh, I see!"
"Do you know anyone at Toyosaki already?"
Someone immediately followed up with another question.
"Not really… I was in Saitama Prefecture before. The close friends I had aren't at this school, but I might recognize a few classmates."
"That makes sense."
"By the way, isn't Saitama pretty close to here?" another student asked, sounding a bit confused.
"That depends on the specific location. My home was in the northernmost city of Saitama Prefecture; a one-way trip takes about two hours." Kitagawa Marin held up two slender fingers to illustrate.
"Oh… that's definitely not close!"
… …
Kasumigaoka Touji observed Kitagawa Marin, who was now at the center of a small crowd, with a hint of surprise. Two hours one way… The round-trip commute time was comparable to Gotou Hitori's. But then again, people like Gotou Hitori, who endured four hours of travel daily, were still relatively rare.
The classmates continued to chatter animatedly, surrounding Kitagawa Marin as if trying to find out even the color of her underwear for the day. This situation only began to ease after the end of the third period class.
… …
Time passed quickly, and soon it was noon. The sky had cleared up briefly, but it remained overcast and gloomy; it was likely to rain again in the afternoon.
As was their routine,
Kasumigaoka Touji picked up his umbrella and headed toward the Nap Club activity room alongside Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kani Nayuta.
Although going back and forth in the rain was a bit of a hassle, compared to the noisy, crowded classroom without even a microwave oven, this minor inconvenience was easily surmountable.
On the way—
Kani Nayuta let out a soft sigh tinged with self-deprecation. "That transfer student's social skills are really impressive. She's already blended in seamlessly with the class!"
Earlier, when they were leaving, she had seen many classmates inviting Kitagawa Marin to eat lunch together. In just half a day, she had perfectly integrated into Class G of the first year. Her ability to adapt was truly something!
"It's probably a combination of her cheerful personality and the fact that she's very good-looking…" Kasumigaoka Touji chimed in casually. People with those qualities were often the most popular.
Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head in surprise, her curiosity piqued. "A transfer student? Did your class get another one?"
"Yes."
Kani Nayuta looked at her and gestured with her hands as she explained. "She's a very cute, fashionable girl… and, how should I put it, I get the feeling she's really capable."
"During her self-introduction, she openly declared her love for anime, manga, and games."
Although Japan was a country with a highly developed ACG (Anime, Comic, Game) culture, being an 'otaku' still placed one at the bottom of the social hierarchy. For someone to openly—even proactively—introduce themselves as an otaku in a brand-new environment was genuinely impressive. It was something she herself could never do!
"An open otaku, huh…"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression showed a flicker of surprise. Hearing from Kani Nayuta that the new student had already blended in so well was indeed noteworthy. However, none of that really concerned her.
"Onii-chan, do you think that transfer student is very good-looking? Compared to me and Kazuko?"
Her wine-red eyes shifted toward Kasumigaoka Touji, her tone deceptively light as she posed the question.
"You two are definitely better looking."
Kasumigaoka Touji raised his fist above his head without a moment's hesitation, declaring with conviction, "Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kani Nayuta are the best in the world!"
'And Kato Megumi is also the best in the world!' he added silently in his heart.
Then, with a soft thwack, he was promptly struck by Kasumigaoka Utaha…
… …
After finishing their lunch and resting for a while, the lunch break was already drawing to a close.
Kasumigaoka Touji and the others returned to their respective classrooms. Immediately, they saw Kitagawa Marin chatting animatedly with the popular crowd in the class. Eriri Spencer Sawamura was also present within the group, though she remained mostly silent, simply observing Kitagawa Marin quietly.
For her,
Kitagawa Marin's bold self-introduction this morning must have had a certain impact, right?
Kasumigaoka Touji pondered to himself.
A moment later—
Accompanied by the familiar ding-a-ling of the bell, class resumed, and all the students hurried back to their seats.
Kasumigaoka Touji retrieved the corresponding textbook from his desk. Just then, he heard a question from the seat beside him.
"Eh? What's your name?"
Kitagawa Marin, her curiosity evidently getting the better of her, initiated a conversation with Kasumigaoka Touji. She had already exchanged words with everyone else nearby—except for this particular boy, who had remained silent until now.
To be honest,
Kitagawa Marin was somewhat surprised by Kasumigaoka Touji's apparent 'aloofness.' He didn't strike her as an introverted person…
"…Kasumigaoka Touji."
Kasumigaoka Touji turned his head slightly in mild surprise, looked at Kitagawa Marin, paused briefly, and then added, "I'm also originally from Saitama Prefecture, though from Wako City, which isn't too far from here."
"Huh? Really? What a coincidence!" Kitagawa Marin's fiery red eyes widened with great surprise.
Kasumigaoka Touji offered a small smile before turning his attention to the dream panel that had materialized for her.
[Kitagawa Marin's Dream]
1. The (Weak) Troubles of Being Bad at Handicrafts!Dream Level: ★★★
Dream Description: She loves anime, games, and manga, and yearns to cosplay as her favorite characters, believing it to be the ultimate expression of love for them! Unfortunately, she is terrible at handicrafts, and commissioning custom-made cosplay outfits is beyond her budget. She desperately wishes for a friend who can teach her sewing and crafting skills.
Dream Reward: 5,000 Dream Points.
[Accept] or [Decline]
… …
Naturally, he couldn't accept it. His active task slots were already full. Besides, he himself wasn't skilled at handicrafts and didn't personally know anyone who was.
Kasumigaoka Touji closed the panel and shifted his gaze to the teacher who had just entered the classroom.
Simultaneously,
Kitagawa Marin also quieted down and turned her attention forward…