"Value?"Hina Hanabira tilted her head, a puzzled look in her eyes."It's just a seat… right?"
"You still don't get it."Kiba Hoshiki shook his head solemnly, like a teacher explaining a universal truth, and began speaking in a serious tone.
"Listen carefully. This seat—back row by the window—is the sacred ground of protagonists. It's commonly known as the King's Throne."
"Eh?"Hina blinked, curious."Does sitting there come with special perks or something?"
"Of course it does."Kiba spoke as if guiding a student through a critical life lesson."First off, it's against the wall on the left and has just one aisle on the right. That means when you're sleeping, you can lean left against the wall without worrying about bumping into anyone passing by."
"Second, it's the furthest corner from the teacher's desk. Statistically speaking, this is the area with the lowest foot traffic—peaceful and quiet."
"And finally, choosing this seat shows you have a 'don't talk to me' aura. For a proud, antisocial type, this isn't just a seat—it's a statement. That's why it's worthy of being called a throne."
After listening to that, Hina Hanabira nodded in sudden understanding."I see now. I was being shallow."
Sitting a short distance away, Miko Yotsuya let out a quiet sigh.Seriously? Is this gyaru girl actually buying that nonsense?
It's one thing for Kiba to spout that kind of nonsense. But do you really have to believe him?"King's Throne"? More like a fancy excuse to nap through class.
"Hmph."The girl with the long, straight black hair who had claimed the seat first let out a cold snort. Her sharp gaze pierced straight through Kiba's smiling face like a blade.
But he didn't budge—his smile held steady, and he pressed a firm hand onto the bag he'd placed on the desk, showing no sign of giving in.
"Hmph."The girl snorted again, then calmly took the seat next to his. She hooked her bag on the side of her desk and promptly lay her head down, completely ignoring the curious stares of the other students.
What had just happened was strange enough to stir murmurs throughout the classroom—even before the first class of the school year had begun.
"She's kind of a weirdo...""No, seriously, I think the guy's even weirder.""They're both really good-looking, though.""Are they delinquents? Problem students? Best to keep your distance..."
A girl who had been chatting with Hina Hanabira tugged on her sleeve, glancing warily at Kiba as he sat comfortably in the so-called "King's Throne." She lowered her voice and whispered:
"Hanabira-san, don't talk to that weirdo. You'll get lumped in with him. Let's go."
Feeling the awkward stares of her classmates, Hina bit her lip, gave Kiba an apologetic glance, and silently returned to her seat with her friend.
"Ahh, I'm so sleepy."Kiba, meanwhile, paid no mind to the stares or gossip. He followed the exact same move as the black-haired girl seated next to him: laid his head down and went to sleep.
"What a strange guy," thought Miko Yotsuya.Still, she was determined to ask him about it when the time was right.
How could he, a human, consume evil spirits?If she could do that too, her life wouldn't have to be filled with constant fear and anxiety.
A few minutes later...
Shizuka Hiratsuka walked into the classroom, yawning and rubbing her eyes, clearly not quite awake yet.
The chatter among the students died down immediately.
Satisfied with the sudden silence, she was just about to start speaking when she noticed the two students sleeping soundly in the back row. Her brows furrowed slightly.
Everyone else in the classroom expected them to get chewed out. Sleeping on the very first day? During homeroom? Surely they were going to get dragged out and scolded.
To their surprise, Hiratsuka simply took a glance, said nothing, and turned to write her name on the chalkboard.
"My name is Shizuka Hiratsuka. I'll be your homeroom teacher and your language arts instructor starting today. I'll also be guiding you through your school life here."
The students exchanged looks, confused by her non-reaction to the two snoozers in the back.
"Let's start with introductions. One by one, please."
Nothing unusual happened during the process—each student gave a short intro, some shy, some confident.
Finally, when everyone else had spoken, Hiratsuka tapped the blackboard and turned her attention to the two sleeping students.
"You two in the back, time to introduce yourselves."
They didn't move.
Sighing, Hiratsuka walked over to the desk of the straight-haired girl and gently tapped her desk."This student—please stand and introduce yourself."
The girl raised her head slowly, rubbed her eyes, and gave Hiratsuka a calm glance. There wasn't a hint of panic about being caught sleeping by a teacher.
She stood and said in a clear but cool voice,"Touma Kazusa."
Her voice was smooth and pleasant to the ear, but carried a chill that discouraged further interaction. It also held the clear irritation of someone rudely pulled from a dream.
After speaking her name, she sat back down and resumed her nap like nothing had happened.
The rest of the class was stunned.
Arrogant.Seriously arrogant.Sleeping through class, ignoring the teacher, and acting like it's no big deal?
She must be some rich girl from an elite family.
Shizuka Hiratsuka sighed again. She didn't approve of this kind of attitude—but she couldn't say anything. The school had already warned her that Touma Kazusa's circumstances were "special." As long as she showed up to class, they weren't to interfere.
Hiratsuka personally hated that kind of leniency. But it had come down from the higher-ups. Nothing she could do.
She glanced at Kiba Hoshiki, still sound asleep beside Kazusa, and sighed again.
"That boy's name is Kiba Hoshiki. Alright, everyone's introduced themselves. Let's begin class."
The morning classes flew by quietly.
Kiba didn't stir until the bell rang for the lunch break.
As he sat up and stretched, he happened to catch sight of a boy from another class blocking Touma Kazusa near the door. The boy had a decent face but gave off a cocky, superficial vibe.
With a smirk he thought was charming, the boy tried to chat her up."Hey, can we be friends?"
Miko Yotsuya, who had just approached Kiba's desk, caught him staring and let out a small, delighted chuckle.
"Ooh, this should be fun to watch."
The next moment, they saw Kazusa's clear eyes narrow sharply. Her voice was as cold as ever:
"Move. You're in my way."