Chapter 3: The Shocking Transfer Student
“We have a transfer student coming!”
With a lifeless voice, Ms. Segawa shattered the daily routine.
Silence.
Then, whispers of “Ooh” and “Really?” started to leak out, triggering a buzz throughout the classroom.
Although it was May, the class groups had already solidified, so this reaction was natural.
However, I froze for a different reason.
…No way, right?
No, no, that’s impossible.
It was just last week that I talked with Yuzuha.
True, the landline phone that should connect me to my childhood friend never seems to go through, and I still haven’t been able to talk to her at all.
Because of that, I don’t know what’s going on with my childhood friend, but the chances of her transferring to this high school are lower than winning the lottery.
It’s more reasonable to think of this as just an untimely transfer student.
…If that’s the case, I feel sorry for them at this time of year.
As I was considering the yet-unseen transfer student, the buzz-cut head in front of me turned around.
Takeru voiced my thoughts.
“If it had been an April transfer, it would’ve been better. Transferring at this time must be pretty awkward, huh?”
“Yeah, but it’s probably better than coming in winter.”
“Haha, that would be hell.”
Takeru let out an exaggerated sigh.
Then, his face turned into a mischievous grin, as if he had thought of something interesting. Takeru never says anything good when he’s like this.
“Can I report that Yoshiki said he wants to be the guide if it’s a girl?”
“I didn’t say a word, is your mouth a weekly magazine?!”
“Dahaha, you do like gossip though!”
At that moment, the teacher clapped her hands.
The chatter stopped immediately.
It quieted down faster than usual, perhaps because everyone was eager to see the transfer student who would soon appear before them.
“I’ll leave the guiding to today’s day duty. Who was it today again…?”
The teacher turned around, and everyone’s eyes moved to the name written on the blackboard.
Ryota Yoshiki.
It was my name there.
“Ah, Yoshiki. Then Yoshiki, I’ll leave it to you for a day or two.”
“Ugh… Okay…”
Although I desperately wanted to refuse, I’m not sharp enough to turn it down face-to-face over something like this.
Takeru was shaking with laughter in front of me.
As I was about to react, Yuzuha was sending gestures from the front. A quick motion of running her thumb across the air.
When I discreetly picked up my smartphone, sure enough, there was a message from Yuzuha.
Yui [Maybe your childhood friend is back!]
…That’s exactly what I was thinking earlier.
When I looked back at Yuzuha, she was resting her chin on her hand, grinning at me.
Damn, this makes me a good laughingstock.
“Hey. What’s up, Yoshiki? You can do it, right?”
“Yes… I’ll do my best.”
“Good, good.”
The teacher nodded with satisfaction.
The classmates around me seemed relieved it wasn’t them, or thought Yoshiki would be fine.
In this Class 2, the positions in the class have already mostly solidified.
If I were to apply the concept of school caste to myself, I’d probably be upper-middle.
Last week, even Hanazono said something about my high communication skills, so maybe that’s how others see me.
I have a certain number of male friends, including Takeru, but above all, being friends with that Yui Yuzuha is probably what gives everyone that perception.
Even Yuzuha’s gesture just now was surely witnessed by several classmates.
The fact that I don’t receive direct envy isn’t because my caste is high.
It’s because Yuzuha’s caste is top-tier not just in the class, but in the whole grade.
It was the same last month when the false rumor about Yuzuha and me being in a relationship went around. I’m just an existence pulled along by the standout girl – the popular gal Yui Yuzuha.
As for the crucial me myself, the reality was that I couldn’t keep up with such perceptions from others at all.
The real me has never had a girlfriend, and I can’t even tell if I’m on good terms with someone or not.
In middle school, I even experienced being a loner because of that gap in perception.
When it comes to distance with the opposite sex, the best I can do is recall past glories of (supposedly) being on good terms, loosening my mouth for a moment, and then regretting it the next instant.
Even last week, I was rejected by that Hanazono. …I’m in tatters.
“…Damn, I’m getting depressed.”
“What’s wrong?”
Takeru turned around and chuckled.
Of course, I can’t voice my current thoughts in this situation.
“No, well… I was just thinking that if the transfer student is a girl, I’m already getting nervous.”
“You’re nervous? That’s unexpected.”
“…Of course it’s unexpected. To be honest, talking to a girl I’ve just met is what I want to avoid the most. If the transfer student is a girl, I’ll have no choice but to make them spend an awkward time. Actually, I’m really not in that kind of mood right now.”
“Haha, really? If it’s a girl, I could take over for you–“
“It’s not even about whether it’s a girl anymore, being a guide for a day or two is an impossible task to begin with. If you find it pitiful to see me making awkward small talk like ‘Nice weather today, isn’t it?’ or ‘Which middle school did you come from? Oh right, you’re a transfer student,’ then please, take over right now, Takeru.”
“I’m sorry, really sorry!”
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Faced with my string of resentful words, Takeru hurriedly turned back to the front.
Damn, he got away.
…Still, I understand that naturally handling troublesome tasks is part of behaving naturally in class.
While I was talking with Takeru, the teacher was saying something about the transfer student, but I completely missed it.
“We got the order backwards. Well then, please come in.”
Responding to the teacher’s call, the classroom door slid open immediately.
Everyone’s eyes turned at once.
I too, from the corner of the classroom, stretched my back a little and cast my gaze.
The one who appeared was — a charming female student.
I involuntarily pressed my temples.
Ah, it’s over.
The transfer student is totally a girl.
The transfer student advanced to the front of the blackboard with a gentle pace.
Her long black hair, with its pale blue inner color, flowed like a clear river, and small earrings glinted.
Just her way of walking, the gesture of facing forward, the expression as she faced us, transformed the classroom atmosphere into air just for her.
The transfer student turned towards us.
Large eyes, skin as white as snow.
Just as I thought she was like a picture-perfect Japanese beauty, her nose was tall and straight, and her bangs were styled up like a Korean trend.
Her healthy-colored lips were slightly plump, and the thighs visible below her skirt looked healthy.
Her large chest, noticeable even through her neatly worn uniform, gave off an atmosphere unfitting for someone of the same age.
— Wow.
Japanese beauty, Korean idol, gal.
In a youth manga, there might be some catcalls for her who embodied various elements.
However, in reality, the air was dead silent.
And everyone present knew this wasn’t a negative silence.
Everyone was focused on her every move, and some of the boys had already started smiling, trying to appeal their good nature.
That’s how much.
“I’m Remi Nikaido.”
That girl was beautiful enough to make one’s eyes pop.
However.
However.
I involuntarily widened my eyes.
“…What!?”
As I let out a voice, Remi Nikaido looked this way.
Our eyes met.
And then, she blinked big at me.
“…Oh? It’s been a while.”
“Oh, do you two know each other?”
At the words of Remi Nikaido and the teacher, Takeru turned around vigorously.
I felt the gazes of my classmates pour down on me all at once.
Even without the teacher’s words, everyone must have realized from our reaction that broke the silence.
“Well, um, yeah…”
I recall the conversation with Hanazono and Yuzuha.
The childhood friend I was talking about was none other than Remi Nikaido.
In other words, she was the girl I first got along well with in my life.
A girl who soared freely like a bird in the sky, self-centered and independent.
She hardly spoke to boys, was unfriendly even to girls, and wherever she went, something happened.
That was the kind of girl Remi Nikaido was.
“Don’t come near me.”
“Don’t act so familiar.”
“Boys are really disgusting!”
Her responses to failed confessions were so cold and tyrannical that even the boys who were rejected couldn’t hold a grudge.
Even though we were in the lower grades of elementary school, the sight of boys being made to cry was quite shocking.
Naturally, her reputation among others wasn’t good, but no one could say it directly because Remi’s existence was so beautiful, and she had secret fans regardless of gender, so it took courage even to dislike her.
And the only boy Remi Nikaido opened her heart to — was me.
Of course, it’s not like I had any special power.
The reason was simple, because we were childhood friends.
“You’re different. Because we’re always together.”
…Remi said that to me, but if we hadn’t been childhood friends, she probably wouldn’t have even glanced at someone like me.
Apparently, Remi was beautiful from the lower grades of elementary school, but that’s something I realized later when looking back at albums. At the time, I thought of her as a friend of the same gender.
I think that was a big factor in why Remi trusted me.
I forcibly dragged Remi, who had a stance of not being able to trust anyone without exception, to play with the boys. Come to think of it, it might have been a precious time in my life when I was fearless.
We played medal games at the arcade, went on a journey to find stag beetles together, and even got lost on a night road, which was dangerous.
Even with such reckless play, Remi came along without criticism.
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