Side Chapter: Hiroki & Kamachi - School Days
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"Alright, class, pay attention. Today we have a new student joining us, so please quiet down so he can introduce himself properly." announced the teacher, a woman with a relaxed yet imposing demeanor, likely in her thirties, with long black hair cascading down to her waist and enchanting dark eyes. She was slender, with harmonious curves that weren't entirely concealed by her clothing. Her beauty was almost enviable, more fitting to be seen in a cinema screen than a classroom.
Through the slightly ajar door, six meters away, I had a full view of her, noting every detail. Huh, no ring on her left hand, so she's unmarried. Surprising, given her good looks. She hadn't introduced herself earlier when leading me to the classroom, but I guess her name is Shizuka? One of the female students had called her that, I think... Well, it didn't matter now.
The beautiful teacher gestured with her index finger for me to enter. Sighing, I obeyed, stepping into the room with slow, deliberate strides, hands tucked in my pockets and a look of disinterest plastered on my face. Better get this over with quickly to avoid headaches.
"Yo. I'm Mori Hiroki. Since we'll be classmates for the next three years, let me be upfront and make one thing clear: I didn't come here to be friends with you all. Keep your distance from me and we won't have any problems." I ended my blunt introduction with that sharp declaration. Everyone, Shizuka included, stared at me in bewilderment. Predictable. They'd likely never seen a new student act so rebelliously disrespectful on day one.
The silence that followed was razor-sharp. I know, I know, must be shocking. But quit staring. I'm just being honest. I never wanted to be here anyway. My real wish was to stay in Tokyo with Uncle Saito. But since this school's principal is his childhood friend, enrolling here was inevitable. Unlike other schools, which would've required permission from my bitch of an ex-mother for me to attend them, Sobu High's admission process skipped that bureaucracy, thanks to the strong friendship between both men.
Glimpsing the frowns and nervous faces of some of the students, I grinned internally. This was exactly the reaction I was hoping for, that they would start to harbor animosity towards me. I don't hold any resentment or anger against them, how could I even develop any hostility when I barely know them? It's just that, after everything I went through in my pre-adolescence, I naturally sworn off forming any kind of bond or friendship. No matter how altruistic or harmless people seem to be, at my core, I would never stop having suspicions about their true intentions.
When you're betrayed by those dearest to you, the ones who should've support you and reciprocate your unconditional love, you start queationing the true Nature of people. Inquiries about what they might really be like arise involuntarily. Does everyone wear masks to hide their perversion from public view so as not to be judged by others? And when the threat of social ostracism no longer exists? What happens? At the first opportunity that comes, when they don't have to carry such worries, someone's true face gains life. This was a harsh but valuable lesson I received in practice.
I have to focus on myself. I need to make decisions that benefit only me and no one else, and for the sake of my own well-being. Besides my uncle, who is the only person I trust, I can't blindly give a vote of confidence to strangers who try to get close to me.
I'm going to absorb as much knowledge as possible during my time here and then land a stable, well-payibg job. I'm still not sure what career I want to pursue, but I have plenty of time to assess the options. Aside from that, I just want to carry a peaceful school life until I graduate, nothing more nothing less.
As I walked to the only empty deskcin the classroom, my eyes met someone else's. Among dozens of hostile faces, a girl with short black hair that reached down to her nape and a stubborn ahoge on top of her head was studying me with almost anthropological dark eyes sparkled not with disdain but with... genuine interest?
What?
Confusion hit me. Why that reaction after I just acted rudely toward everyone? No matter how I racked my brain, no answer came to me. Alriht, Hiroki. Let's ignore her. It must be nothing important.
Pulling out my chair, conveniently right next to the weird girl's desk, and sitting down, I fixed my gaze on Shizuka, half-listening to her lecture with certain degree of boredom. Seconds ticked by, and unease crept in. From the corner of my eye, I noticed my neighbor staring intently. Why are you looking at me like that, woman? Focus on the lesson, not me! Do something more productive, like understanding the subject being taught!
As I grumbled internally, a white projectile landed on my desk. Huh? A paper ball? Did she throw this?
Glancing at her, she pointed at it, urging me to unfold it. Reluctant, I hesitated. To be honest, my mind told me to throw the ball away, but my curiosity, which has accompanied me since I was young, unfortunately prevailed. Damn it!
Opening the note, I came across a simple message:
[What a creative introduction you've given us, Mori-kun. But if the intention was to isolate yourself and keep your distance from others, perhaps you've failed astronomically.]
I arched an eyebrow, eyeing her sideways. her was eating me up inside. I failed? Torn by her claim, I ripped a page from my notebook and scribbled:
[Explain. What do you mean?]
Crumpling the note, I tossed it onto Ahoge girl's desk. She unfolded it, chuckled as her eyes drifted over the words and replied swiftly.
It wasn't long before I received the answer to my question:
[Look around you. What do you see? Beyond the boys' glares, I mean.]
Scanning the classroom in earnest, I began to notice things that I didn't perceive before due to purposely ignoring my surroundings. As my new desk neighbor had said, some boys were looking at me with a dangerous glint in their eyes, while others didn't give a damn about me. But with the girls..
A good number of them were sneaking glances at me, their cheeks faintly flushed.
No... It can't be...
The third note sealed the deal, burying all of my hopes:
[Congrats, Mr. Anti-Social. Your 'cold bad boy' act backfired. Instead of repelling everyone, you sparked interest in half the girls here. BTW, I'm Hikigaya Komachi. Pleasure to meet you. Let's get along these next three years, Mori-kun! :)]
As I finished reading the note, I turned my head to the side to see Komachi's smiling face. It wasn't a polite smile, but one of slight mockery and amusement, close to smug. Shooting her a sharp glare, I refocused on the lesson, my hands gripping the edges of the desk hard enough to nearly create small cracks in the material.
Back in middle school, I was never very popular with ladies, even though I wanted to be. So much so that just to get the attention of that excuse of a woman called Nao, I subjected myself to various embarrassing situations, such as offering her flowers along with homemade chocolates as if we were the protagonists of a clichéd romantic comedy. It took months before she finally accepted my proposal. And guess what? She only accepted to be my girlfriend after witnessing my victory in a fight against a group of older boys who were bullying a student from my class.
Thinking back to that time, her wanting to date me only after that event should have been a warning sign, as it showed that Nao only cared about strength and being at the "top of the hierarchy" since that time, but due to the innocence I possessed as a consequence of my young age, I didn't spot these signs, feeling over the moon about having my first girlfriend.
But the point is that, when I was looking for a girl I could estabilsh a relationship with, none of them showed any desire to build a connection with me. Now that I just want to live in peace and not get involved with others, a decent amount of women out of the blue take an interest in me? How illogical and unfair the world is.
Groaning, I dragged my hands through my hair, nearly yanking out some of the golden strands in exasperation. My high school life had barely begun and things already seemed to be taking an unwanted turn.
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Author's Note: This chapter will be divided in parts. How many? Don't know. It will end when I feel satisfied. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed it!