Chapter 3: A School day of Mysteries

The next day, Chris wrestled with an internal conflict as she woke up again in "her" room, realizing once more that yesterday's events hadn't been some fleeting illusion. Part of her was overjoyed at the prospect of living with her parents—a dream come true. Yet another part of her, despite the mage's assurances that nothing would happen to her world, felt a deep sadness for not having said goodbye to Hibiki, her teammates at SONG, the old man, and her friends at the Lydian Academy. She owed them so much.

All she could do now was keep an eye out for that "horn" and "angel" who supposedly could help her, while preparing for "her" first day at Kuoh Academy. Memorizing a map, she descended the stairs to the dining table, greeted her father, and accepted a bento from her mother before heading out with a skip in her step. Not wanting to forget the route, she decided to eat breakfast along the way, familiarizing herself with the path.

It wasn't long before she noticed something peculiar. "Is it just me, or does this uniform feel stretchier and more comfortable than a regular school uniform?" Not that she had much to compare it to, but it felt oddly similar to wearing her gear rather than standard attire. When she reached the first convenience store, she grabbed a soda and some cookies.

Her breakfast lasted just long enough to cover the rest of the journey. She tossed her trash into a bin before calmly approaching the gates of the academy, where groups of students were gathering, waiting for friends. Some greeted her, and she returned the greetings. She decided to wait for someone who recognized her to follow them to class. Her best options were Yui, Kaori, or, as a last resort, the overly eager Issei—assuming they were in the same class.

Chris had already located her locker but preferred to avoid getting lost inside the building, so she waited outside.

As she observed the other students from afar, she noted several details about the place. Just as she expected, the ratio of girls to boys was uneven—far more girls than boys. The girls seemed to look down on the boys, while the boys couldn't stop sneaking glances at the girls' chests. But there were two standout exceptions to this general behavior.

The first was a blonde boy who was surrounded by girls. Most of them seemed infatuated with him, following him like a fan club, while the other boys clearly despised him. The boys reacted similarly to the arrival of certain couples. Two elegant girls walked in like princesses—one with crimson-red hair, the other black with a ponytail. Of course, the boys weren't focused on their poise but on their curvaceous figures.

Then there was another pair. Unlike the obvious ogling directed at the boys, these two girls seemed to command a quiet reverence from both genders. Both wore glasses and had dark hair, exuding a similar elegance but with a more serious air.

The shorter of the two, with violet eyes and short hair, opened her gaze and looked directly at Chris. "Did she notice I was watching her?" Chris wondered nervously as the girl began walking toward her. Tensing, Chris tried to recall any information she might have about the girl but came up empty—until she overheard someone addressing her as Kaichou. "Hmm, Student Council President. Then the other must be the Vice President."

—Yukine-san. I see your absence yesterday was just what you needed to recover from the fever your mother informed us about.

—Ah… Yes. Well, honestly, I wasn't in any condition to notify you about my absence, but I'll catch up on any classes I missed.

—... The President paused briefly before continuing. —Don't worry. The Student Council prepared a justification in advance for students like you.

She handed Chris a signed document. Chris accepted it without hesitation, though the Vice President kept her gaze fixed on her.

—Ah… Thank you.

—It's the least we can do. We dislike the idea of a diligent student like you being penalized for something uncontrollable like an illness and losing your perfect attendance record.

—Well, Kaichou, it's not really something to brag about, but I think I've just been following a routine. I'm not aiming to be exemplary or overachieving.

—Even so, your routine and discipline are commendable. It would be a shame to see that effort tarnished. I hope you'll feel free to reach out to the Student Council if you need anything—or even help us with some club matters.

—Y-Yes, I'll think about it, Kaichou.

The President left with her companion, and Chris noticed everyone's eyes on her. "Excuse me, but could you stop staring? What's so strange?" Her defiant gaze soon dispersed the onlookers, though she couldn't shake the feeling of intimidation left by Kaichou.

—Chris-chan!

A familiar voice called from behind her. It was Kaori and Yui, who approached with equally surprised expressions mirroring the others'.

—Ah… Morning, Kaori, Yui. Good morning.

Chris greeted them as the three headed to their lockers. The awkward silence was eventually broken by Kaori.

—Chris-chan, this is the first time we've ever seen you talking to Souna-Kaichou.

—Why would that be strange?

—...Well... you've never liked Souna-Kaichou. In fact, you've always avoided her. You tend to steer clear of most people in the Student Council and the Occult Research Club.

"Something to look into later. For now, I'll focus on my classes."

—-

As they changed their shoes, Sona was stealing glances at her. It wasn't out of interest for a new inclusion for her peerage; it seemed more analytical. Sona reflected on their prior interactions. Yukine-san hadn't just avoided her before—she had seemed genuinely afraid. It made Sona wonder if Yukine-san had some inkling of what they truly were, and if that fear had driven her behavior. That could prove dangerous for the girl if others can also think that.

But today, not only had Yukine-san accepted the justification, but she had spoken to Sona directly, albeit nervously. Sona had even caught Yukine-san subtly analyzing her from head to toe, as though it was their first encounter.

—Tsubaki, what do you make of this?

—It's strange, Kaichou. Yukine-san usually isn't this calm. Despite standing out academically, she's always been shy and skittish—especially around us.

—You do sense her presence as Chris Yukine right?

—Yes. She's still the same.

—...Perhaps... No, for now, let's focus on Genshirou-san. Maybe with this new attitude of hers, we'll eventually uncover the truth and be capable of approaching her.

—-

Upon entering the classroom, Chris was surprised to find the students divided into groups. She had to admit it was very different from how things were at Lydian. Well, at Lydian, there were no boys, and that naturally made the girls closer friends with one another. Chris and her friends took seats at the back, and she immediately recognized the angle of the seat—it was the same one where she had taken that photo of Issei. Sure enough, when the infamous trio of perverts arrived and were met with boos—especially from the girls—Issei took his usual spot there.

"I suppose the way they see me is like this: I'm aggressive only at home, but at school, I'm smart yet shy… I avoid certain people as though they're monsters. I need to figure out these problems and understand why."

—Why are you asking me?! —a male voice snapped, dragging Chris out of her thoughts. It was one of Issei's friends, who was clearly offended and avoided eye contact with him. —Ask Motohama.

The mentioned boy also avoided looking at Issei.

—Come on, guys, I just want this date to be perfect! —Issei pleaded desperately. —I'm sure you, Matsuda, have something I can use—a step-by-step plan to help me make it all the way to having sex.

—There's not much advice to give a traitor who's trying to lose his virginity before his friends, especially when the rest of us don't even have girlfriends.

—Please, the date's this Sunday!

—They're still going on about Issei's imaginary girlfriend. —Kaori whispered to Chris. With Yui joining the conversation.

—Yeah, it's hard to believe it's real.

A few meters away, Issei suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

—So that's what you all think, huh?! —He seemed to have overheard them and turned to everyone with a smug smile. Pulling out his phone, he began typing. —Well, for all the doubters, here's proof!

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him. Yes, Issei was a pervert, but the fact that he didn't care about being mocked for supposedly having a fake girlfriend said a lot. The classroom was left speechless when Issei revealed a photo of a girl.

The photo looked genuine—there was no sign of editing.

But to Chris, something about it wasn't genuine at all. The smile. A false smile that only someone who had suffered under it before could recognize. That damned smile. Chris had seen it once before, on a single person—the woman responsible for a life of torment and bending others to her will: Fine.

"That girl… she has Fine's fake smile. What has Issei gotten himself into?"