The atmosphere in her new class was much more harmonious than Chihaya Anon had imagined.
Although the small cliques in the class had already formed, they weren't exclusive. At the same time, on this land surrounded by a culture and language she was familiar with, she no longer felt the tension and restraint she had felt in the UK.
In just the first lunch break, she had very naturally "broken into" a small group of gentle girls.
Although this mid-tier position in the class hierarchy made her a little uncomfortable, considering she was a newcomer, she didn't have a good way to raise her "level" until her classmates got to know her better...
(Should I wait for the first quiz and let my grades do the talking? Or should I get on good terms with the class officers first...?)
After school, watching her classmates leave the room in twos and threes, Chihaya Anon thought very seriously:
(By the way, what club should I join... For sports clubs, my skill level probably isn't high enough. Arts clubs... hmm, I feel like they don't really match my personality... Huh?)
Just as Chihaya Anon was still thinking about clubs, a few girls leaving the classroom with guitars on their backs suddenly caught her attention—
"Come to think of it, the music scene at this school seems to be quite strong. There are several people in this class alone who bring instruments to school."
Coupled with the piano music she had heard by chance when passing the music room the other day, music was likely the mainstream at this school.
(So... should I join the brass band or the light music club? Should I bring my guitar from home? Should I try to form a band?)
Chihaya Anon stared blankly at the classroom door, not moving to leave for a long time.
And just then, the girl sitting at the desk in front of her had finished packing her schoolbag and stood up from her seat.
"...S-See you tomorrow, Chihaya-san."
"Eh? Ah, see you tomorrow, Takamatsu-san!"
"..."
The short-haired girl called Takamatsu nodded forcefully, then hurriedly left the classroom with small steps.
After kindly saying goodbye to the girl at the front desk, Chihaya Anon was once again lost in thought.
(Come to think of it, that slightly strange girl... I think she's in the astronomy club?)
Although she wasn't interested in such a niche and inconspicuous hobby-like club, she was quite concerned about the girl named Takamatsu Tomori.
On one hand, it was because she was the class's "mascot," and on the other hand, it was because of her many strange behaviors.
Quiet, reclusive, flustered when called on by the teacher, and would deliberately go outside to collect rocks during lunch break...
Seriously, was this girl going to be okay?
Although everyone had their own way of life, this girl seemed a little too much of a loner.
If it weren't for the fact that everyone in Class A was very friendly, a girl like this could easily become a target for bullying...
(By the way, I think she proactively introduced herself to me this morning... Ah, could that be it?!)
Because her personality was too introverted, she missed the friend-making period at the start of the school year, causing her to be all alone in the class. And now, someone in a very similar position to her had appeared, so she mustered up the courage to proactively introduce herself!
That would explain everything!
Having reached this conclusion, Chihaya Anon's heart suddenly felt much clearer.
(In that case, I'll work hard to get on good terms with Takamatsu-san!)
Chihaya Anon, who had fully experienced loneliness in the UK, didn't want others to go through the same thing.
In order to help this helpless, withdrawn girl who was isolated in the class, she decided to start talking to her more proactively from tomorrow.
As for clubs... she would ask those kids with instruments tomorrow.
If that didn't work out, she could always go to the crafts club and conquer them with the skills she learned under a genius designer!
"Hmph hmph hmph~"
At this thought, Chihaya Anon, in a great mood, also picked up her schoolbag, ready to head home.
Because most of the people in the class had already left, she wasn't paying attention to the hallway for a moment and strode straight out of the classroom.
And unsurprisingly, she accidentally bumped into a blue-haired girl who just happened to be passing by the door—
"Ah, sorry!"
The blue-haired girl grabbed Chihaya Anon, who had almost fallen, and was the first to apologize to her:
"I was in too much of a hurry, I didn't see you!"
"Eh? Ah, no... it was my fault, too..."
Still dazed, Chihaya Anon looked blankly at the blue-haired girl.
(Eh... what a cute girl.)
After exclaiming at the speed of light in her heart, Chihaya Anon quickly responded:
"Um, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. How about you?"
"I'm fine, too."
"That's a relief."
The blue-haired girl patted her chest, looking somewhat relieved.
"Well then, I'm in a hurry, so I'll be taking my leave."
With that, the blue-haired girl first placed a hand on her chest and gave a slight bow, then immediately started walking away with hurried steps toward the end of the hallway...
"Y-Yes! Take care..."
Because the other girl's wording and parting etiquette were so thoughtful, Chihaya Anon's own way of speaking became more reserved.
It wasn't until the blue-haired girl had completely disappeared from sight that Chihaya Anon finally, with a dazed expression, held out the right hand that had just been grabbed.
"Huh... so Haneoka has girls like this, too."
Although it was only for a brief moment of contact, she could still feel the delicacy and smoothness of the other girl's skin.
In addition, her delicate and lovely face, as well as her dignified and elegant words and actions, had also left a very deep impression on her...
If it weren't for the fact that they were wearing the same uniform, she would have even thought the other girl was a young lady from [Tsukinomori].
"What an incredible high school."
After sighing with admiration, Chihaya Anon adjusted her schoolbag and once again set off on her way home.
...
"...That was so reckless of me."
Toyokawa Sakiko, who had just walked out of the school gate, felt a little regretful about her earlier rashness.
Fortunately, the accidental collision hadn't caused any real harm, so she could continue on her way.
With hurried steps, Toyokawa Sakiko walked on until she arrived in front of a KTV, where she finally stopped.
She first took out her phone to check her chat history, then looked left and right to make sure no one was paying attention. After completing this series of steps, she finally entered the store and walked straight to a pre-booked room—
"It's been a long time, Saki-chan."
Pushing open the door, a blonde girl wearing a baseball cap and with a mask pulled down below her lips was smiling at Toyokawa Sakiko, who had just entered.
"Just as we promised last night, I came to see you."