First Year, Class B.
Because he hadn't received his school-issued ID card yet, Katsuragi Ren exchanged names with the senior student from before. He then politely declined her offer to guide him further and went to find his classroom on his own. In a few moments, he was standing before the room that would likely be his for the next three years.
As he opened the door, he saw Honami Ichinose. She had a beautiful face, long pink hair, and long, slender legs. She was standing near the entrance, chatting enthusiastically with her new classmates.
The sound of the door opening caught the attention of the students, and most of them turned to look. They were all curious about their new classmate, hoping he would be easygoing.
Honami had been the first to arrive. She showed a strong sense of warmth and acceptance, looking after the new students one by one. Her friendly atmosphere was infectious, and everyone was already quite charmed by her. Because of this, they hoped the newcomer wouldn't be a troublemaker.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. My name is Honami Ichinose. I look forward to..."
Hearing the door open behind her, Honami turned to greet the new student. This was why she had been standing by the entrance—to talk with newcomers and help them feel welcome in the big family of Class B.
But the moment she turned, she saw the boy she had been thinking about. He had unique red eyes and long, messy black hair that still looked good. A faint, almost unnoticeable smile played on his lips. The polite words she was about to say got stuck in her throat.
"Young Ma—"
Before Honami could finish the word, Ren extended his hand with a friendly grin.
"Hello, I'm Katsuragi Ren. You can call me Ren, Ichinose-san. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Although he knew his clingy childhood friend didn't care about such formalities, Ren chose to interrupt her. Back at the manor, he had always told her to just call him by his name, but she was stubborn. Even this sweet girl he'd known since childhood had her disobedient moments.
He never thought she'd be just as stubborn here at school. This was a place to enjoy student life; titles from home didn't belong here.
After hearing his words, Honami stared blankly for a moment before taking his outstretched hand, her heart leaping with joy.
"Okay, Ren. You can just call me Honami, too."
This exchange made the other students, who were all watching the entrance, stare with their mouths open in shock.
In Japan, people almost always address each other by their last names. Only very close friends or family members use first names, and even then, it's mostly between family or people of the same gender.
Yet these two started using first names right after introducing themselves, and neither seemed to think anything of it.
Most of the boys in the class looked a little jealous. Who wouldn't be drawn to a kind and enthusiastic girl like Ichinose? But here she was, already calling the new guy by his first name. Thinking about it more deeply, that was practically what you'd call a boyfriend.
Impossible! That's absolutely impossible! Ichinose is just too kind. She probably didn't want to refuse him and just went along with it. That has to be it!
The small interruption passed quickly. Ren didn't want to disturb the girl's conversation with her new friends any longer. He walked to the front of the classroom and looked at the seating chart on the teacher's desk, quickly finding his spot.
Hmm... back row by the window.
"Hello, my name is Ryūji Kanzaki."
A boy with short, grayish-black hair was already sitting in the next seat. When Ren sat down beside him, he offered a greeting.
"Hello. Katsuragi Ren."
After the simple exchange, Ren didn't engage any further. He took a notebook and a pen from his desk and started to doodle. Seeing that Ren wasn't in the mood to talk, Kanzaki wisely turned to chat with his other deskmate.
Time always passes quickly when you're focused. Ren's drawing soon filled the entire page.
"Katsuragi-san, what are you drawing?" Kanzaki asked, having finished his other conversations. He was a curious person and had noticed Ren drawing quietly by himself ever since their brief introduction.
"Ah, it's nothing, just doodling for fun." Kanzaki's curious gaze was so direct that Ren couldn't ignore it. He handed the completed drawing over.
The background of the drawing was a large forest. In the very center was a wide, flat clearing. A variety of small animals—like rabbits, foxes, and monkeys—were sitting on the grass. They were all consciously gathered in a circle. In the middle, a mother rabbit with a gentle aura held a storybook and was reading to the little animals around her. They all looked happy and were smiling, which made the picture feel very warm.
As he observed these details, Kanzaki didn't notice that the very top of the page was still blank. He looked at the picture, finding it hard to believe his new classmate could draw something so nicely in such a short time.
He couldn't help but say, "That's really amazing, Katsuragi-san."
He handed the paper back to Ren and was about to say something else when a woman's voice suddenly cut in.
"Hello, hello, everyone! Please return to your seats. Your teacher has an announcement to make."
Chie Hoshinomiya, who had brown, shoulder-length hair and wore a cute and lively outfit, walked to the podium. She clapped her hands, and once all the students were looking at her, she began to speak with a bright smile.
Her arrival cooled the lively atmosphere in the classroom. Everyone gradually returned to their seats. Satisfied with the quiet, she continued.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Chie Hoshinomiya. Due to the special nature of this school, there's no system for changing classes. If all goes as planned, I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years!"
She elegantly wrote her name on the blackboard and gave the class a playful wink. The teacher's cute gesture instantly made the nervous students lower their guard.
Our homeroom teacher is so cute, isn't she?
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