The bell rings, and the routine begins.
The chime faded, announcing the start of the first period, and a cautious silence quickly swept through the classroom. Students sat in their seats, a mix of excitement and sluggishness; some yawned and rubbed their eyes, others hurriedly whispered unfinished morning conversations.
But those whispers abruptly stopped when the classroom door opened, revealing a woman whose presence was unmistakable.
She entered with steady steps, her long black hair flowing smoothly down her back. She wore tight black jeans and a sleek white coat that concealed her athletic build without diminishing her strong allure. The way she closed the door behind her was enough to remind everyone exactly who she was.
Hiratsuka Shizuka — Classical Literature Teacher.
Her sharp gaze swept across the room, and within a moment, silence reigned. Everyone in the room, even the most unruly, straightened quietly, as if recalling an old slap whose sting was still etched in the wood—or their memory.
"Good morning, slackers." She greeted them loudly, her voice carrying its usual biting sarcasm, though it wasn't harsh—just… her.
"I know half of you were hoping one of us would catch a cold… but sorry to disappoint, I'm at my best today." She added, placing her bag on the desk and tapping the board lightly to get their attention.
A faint laugh came from the back corner, but it vanished immediately under her quick glance. Even the air seemed to decide to behave in her presence.
"Before we start today's lesson… we have a new face joining us from now on." She said, walking back toward the door and opening it slightly. "Come in, Tachibana."
Rui entered.
Her appearance was enough to steal the air from the room for a moment. A girl with chin-length dark blue hair, slightly wavy at the ends, and cold ruby eyes that seemed to gaze into one's soul rather than at their face. Her skin was pale and calm, her features sharp yet feminine, and she walked with composed steps—neither too slow nor too fast.
Despite the simplicity of her school uniform, she carried a heavy aura of mystery and allure; she wasn't trying to attract attention… yet attention followed her naturally.
Her gaze stopped for just a second on Ren, who sat in the window corner. That calm, deliberate look carried no clear emotion, yet it wasn't random either.
Then she continued on, leaving behind a quiet wave of whispers spreading through the class.
"Are we in a school manga now?" one student muttered sarcastically.
"Dude, blue hair? Red eyes? Kuudere aura? We're literally living in an anime!" Keigo breathed out loud, his eyes shining. "I'm in love!"
"Shut up before you fall into another slap." Mizuiro murmured calmly, eyes still on his notebook. "Did you forget what happened when you tried flirting with Kuchiki-san? Your arm still twitches on its own."
Keigo opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it when he noticed Shizuka staring at him.
As for Rui, she showed no reaction to the comments or stares. She stood before the board, bowed with precise formality, and spoke in a clear, calm voice devoid of excess emotion:
"My name is Tachibana Rui. I'll be with you for the rest of this year."
No introductions, no excuses—just a concise, confident statement.
Shizuka nodded, then smiled faintly.
"Straight to the point. Good. Take the empty seat over there, next to Kurosaki."
Ichigo, who had just started to relax in his seat, stiffened and muttered under his breath:
"Not again…"
But before frustration could settle in his mind, Shizuka quickly added, pointing with her finger:
"Not that Kurosaki, the other one. Silver hair… the one with the blindfold."
Heads turned to the other side of the room—where Ren Kurosaki sat. With his messy silver hair and black blindfold, many in the class didn't even connect him to Ichigo, despite the subtle resemblance between them.
He sat near the window, resting his chin on his palm, seemingly uninterested in anything happening around him. Only his eyes—hidden behind the cloth—moved faintly.
Rui walked toward the seat with light steps. The moment she sat wasn't ordinary—it wasn't heavy, but it was noticeable. As if the air around her shifted slightly.
"Good morning." she said softly, addressing Ren without looking directly at him, as though reminding him of her presence rather than seeking his attention.
"Morning." Ren replied shortly, without raising his voice or showing much interest, though behind the cloth, his eyes were watching.
Neither of them had any intention of revealing the connection between them to the class. To everyone else, they were simply classmates… who happened to sit together. Nothing more.
Shizuka's voice then rang out, cutting through the faint traces of curiosity in the air:
"Anyone have stupid questions? Unnecessary comments?"
Someone at the back shifted as if to speak, but their voice vanished when she raised her left eyebrow.
"Good. Open your books, page forty-seven. I won't repeat the title twice."
And just like that… a new school day began, with one more person in the class.
...
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