First Year, Class B.
Since he hadn't received his student ID yet, Katsuragi Ren exchanged contact information with the senpai from before. He politely declined her offer to guide him further and set off to find his classroom on his own. Moments later, he stood before the door that would be his home base for the next three years.
As he slid the door open, he immediately spotted Honami Ichinose. With her beautiful features, long pink hair, and long, slender legs, she stood out near the entrance, chatting enthusiastically with her new classmates.
The sound of the door sliding open drew the room's attention. Most of the students turned to look, eyeing their new classmate with curiosity, hoping he would be an easygoing guy.
Honami Ichinose had been the first to arrive. Radiating warmth and acceptance, she had been greeting each new student individually. Her friendly aura was infectious; everyone was already quite charmed by her. Naturally, they hoped the newcomer wouldn't disrupt this pleasant atmosphere.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. My name is Honami Ichinose. I look forward to..."
Hearing the door, Honami turned to greet the latest arrival. This was exactly why she had stationed herself by the entrance—to talk with newcomers and help them feel welcome in the big family of Class B.
But the moment she turned, her eyes landed on the very young man she had been thinking about. He had unique red eyes and long, messy black hair that somehow still looked stylish. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips. The polite greeting she had prepared died in her throat.
"Ren-sa—"
Before she could finish the honorific, Katsuragi 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 estate, 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 a rebellious streak.
He never thought she'd be just as stubborn here at school. This was a place to enjoy student life; the titles and hierarchy of home didn't belong here.
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 left the other students, who were watching the entrance, staring with their mouths hanging open.
In Japan, people almost always address each other by their last names. First names are reserved for family or very close friends—and even then, usually only between people of the same gender.
Yet these two had dropped the formalities instantly, right after introducing themselves, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Most of the boys in the class looked a little jealous. Who wouldn't be drawn to a kind, enthusiastic girl like Honami? But here she was, already on a first-name basis with the new guy. If you thought about it, that was practically boyfriend-girlfriend territory.
Impossible! That's absolutely impossible! Ichinose-san is just too kind. She probably didn't want to reject him and just went along with it. That has to be it!
The small interruption passed quickly. Ren didn't want to monopolize the girl's time with her new friends any longer. He walked to the front, checked the seating chart on the teacher's desk, and quickly found his spot.
Hmm... back row by the window.
"Hello, my name is Ryuji Kanzaki."
A boy with short, grayish-black hair was already sitting in the neighboring seat. When Ren sat down, the boy offered a greeting.
"Hello. Katsuragi Ren."
After that simple exchange, Ren didn't engage further. He pulled a notebook and pen from his desk and started to doodle. Seeing that Ren wasn't in the mood to talk, Ryuji Kanzaki wisely turned to chat with the person on his other side.
Time flies when you're focused. Ren's drawing soon filled the entire page.
"Katsuragi-san, what are you drawing?" Ryuji asked, having finished his other conversation. He was a curious person and had noticed Ren drawing quietly ever since their brief introduction.
"Ah, it's nothing. Just doodling for fun."
Ryuji's curiosity was so palpable that Ren couldn't ignore it. He handed the completed drawing over.
The sketch depicted a large forest with a wide, flat clearing in the center. A variety of small animals—rabbits, foxes, monkeys—were sitting on the grass, gathered attentively in a circle. In the middle sat a mother rabbit with a gentle demeanor, holding a storybook and reading to the little animals around her. They all looked happy and smiling, giving the picture a very warm, cozy feeling.
As he observed the details, Ryuji didn't notice that the very top of the page was left blank. He just looked at the picture, finding it hard to believe his new classmate could sketch something of this quality in such a short time.
He couldn't help but comment, "That's really amazing, Katsuragi-san."
He handed the paper back to Ren and was about to say more when a woman's voice cut in.
"Hello, hello, everyone! Please return to your seats. Your teacher has an announcement to make!"
Chie Hoshinomiya walked to the podium, her shoulder-length brown hair bouncing with her steps. Dressed in a lively, cute style, she clapped her hands to get their attention. Once all eyes were on her, she flashed a bright smile.
Her arrival cooled the chaotic atmosphere of the classroom as everyone gradually returned to their seats. Satisfied with the silence, 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 wrote her name elegantly 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 pretty cute, isn't she?