“Have a good day, and please do some shopping on your way back!”
“Got it. See you later!”
Responding to my mother’s voice echoing from the depths of the kitchen, I step out of the house, suppressing a gloomy mood—a typical morning.
When I open the front door, an angel stands before me.
Well, to be precise, it’s a strikingly fair-skinned, beautiful girl.
Her snow-white hair is neatly trimmed just above her shoulders, and at 164 centimeters, she’s tall for a high school girl who isn’t in an athletic club.
Her face is small, but her large, slightly upturned eyes stand out, paired with a petite nose and mouth—a classic cat-like face.
Her legs are long, and though slender, her figure has curves in all the right places, with a feminine grace that’s captivating.
In short, she has an amazing figure, and needless to say, her face is stunning too.
As her jewel-like emerald eyes reflect me, the girl narrows her large eyes and gives a soft smile.
“Morning, Ao-kun!”
“…Morning.”
The girl who just happened to pass by my house is Nanami Kaori. If I had to describe her in one phrase, it would be “a perfect blend of beauty and talent.” No other words could do her justice.
Her overwhelming looks could outshine any idol, model, or actress on TV.
Her bright, polite, considerate, and charming personality captivates everyone, regardless of gender.
I, Himura Aoi, attend the same Kumoyama Prefectural High School as her. We just moved up a grade recently, but even as a new student, she’s already been confessed to and received love letters from both guys and girls.
Apparently, some people even took the entrance exam for our school just to follow her.
With all this popularity, she’s my childhood friend but feels like an unattainable, lofty flower.
Having a childhood friend like her often leads to teasing, envy, or jealousy from others.
Kaori always steps in to defuse these situations herself, but that only redirects the resentment toward me instead.
In the end, it sometimes leads to bullying.
Of course, I make sure Kaori never finds out.
Since starting high school, thankfully, we weren’t in the same class during our first year, and I rarely ran into her at school, so I didn’t stand out much.
But now, after moving up a grade, we’re in the same class this year. I’ve tried to keep my distance, but right now, she’s silently urging me with her gaze, saying, Let’s go together?
Honestly, in this situation, it’d be weirder not to walk with her.
Matching Kaori’s slightly smaller stride, I walk side by side with her.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Walking to school together like this.”
“…Has it?”
I play dumb, but truth be told, I’ve been deliberately leaving the house at a different time than Kaori to avoid her.
It takes me just under twenty minutes to walk from home to school.
Kaori’s house is pretty close by, but it’s slightly farther than mine, and she walks a bit slower, so it takes her just over twenty minutes.
Morning homeroom starts at 8:30.
Being the diligent type, Kaori likes to be in the classroom by a little after 8:00. So, if I leave home to arrive at my classroom about five minutes before homeroom, I can avoid running into her on the way.
I kept this up even after the entrance ceremony, but today, I had to leave early for some reason.
And this is the result.
I feel bad for Kaori, who thinks we’re close childhood friends, but after the bullying I went through in elementary and middle school, which left some pretty deep scars, I have to be blunt: to me, she’s a walking disaster.
If we walk to school together, who knows what my classmates will say?
As Kaori cheerfully chats about some recent school gossip, I half-listen with vague responses like “Oh, really?” or “Huh,” while inwardly despairing, My peaceful high school life is over.
As we walk along the school route, the closer we get to school, the more students in the same uniform appear.
With each one, my heart rate spikes.
Oblivious to my anxiety, Kaori suddenly lets out an “Ah!” and dashes forward.
“Kana! Morning!”
At Kaori’s call, a high school girl walking ahead turns around. Even when Kaori throws her arms around her, the girl catches her with a gentle smile.
“Morning, Kaori. As energetic as ever, huh?”
Stroking Kaori’s head is Kiritsuki Kaname, a classmate who’s taller than Kaori, probably just under 170 centimeters by my estimate.
Compared to Kaori’s distinctly feminine figure, Kaname has an athletic, model-like build.
Her upper body is slim, but her thighs, peeking out from her skirt, are toned and healthy.
Her semi-long black hair is tied in a high ponytail, with a slight wave that sways softly in the spring breeze.
Her features are sharp and refined, with almond-shaped, upturned eyes and a straight nose, giving her a cool, fox-like impression.
“So, after I got home yesterday—”
“Alright, alright, your hair’s getting messed up, so calm down a bit.”
Their exchange feels almost sisterly, despite being classmates. Intrigued by their dynamic, I keep my pace steady and pass by them.
For a brief moment, my eyes meet Kiritsuki’s, but she pays me no mind and continues talking with Kaori.
Relieved that neither of them seems to notice me as I pass, I reach the school a short walk later.
Feeling a wave of relief at naturally parting from Kaori without awkwardness, I silently thank Kiritsuki as I pass through the school gate.
At the entrance, I change my shoes and head straight to the staff room.
Besides being on class duty, my homeroom teacher called me in early. With a mix of dread and curiosity, I make my way to our second-year Class 2 teacher, a stout, likely forty-something woman who’s a bit of a veteran.
“Oh, you’re here! Himura-kun, take this.”
Ms. Jushinin, our homeroom teacher, hands me a single sheet of paper. It contains detailed information about a student.
“Uh, this is…”
“That’s the transfer student who missed the entrance ceremony because her flight was delayed. You’re on duty today, right? She’s in the meeting room on the first floor. Show her around the school this morning and explain things in the classroom. The vice-principal is with her now. That’s all—handle it!”
Isn’t this a bit much to ask? Maybe it’s just because I’m kind of an introvert.
No, surely anyone would think this is unreasonable.
Who in their right mind could perfectly guide a complete stranger, a returnee no less, around the school first thing in the morning?
I leave the staff room, let out a heavy sigh, and head to the meeting room.
Just then, the vice-principal and a girl in an unfamiliar uniform step out of the room.
Ignoring the vice-principal’s gleaming, well-maintained bald head, I look at the girl and feel my face stiffen.
“Oh, Himura! This is the transfer student.”
At the vice-principal’s words, the girl steps forward and bows politely.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Miyajima Alexandra Tomo.”
Her Japanese is so fluent it feels completely natural, so communication won’t be an issue.
Unlike the other students in our school’s white blazer uniform, she’s wearing a cream-colored knit sweater over a dress shirt, likely because her uniform hasn’t arrived yet.
“…Hi, I’m Himura Aoi, assigned to show you around. Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, please take care of me.”
“Alright, I’ll leave the rest to you!”
With that, the vice-principal heads back to the staff room. I desperately want to know where this trust in me comes from—at least tell me that much.
I take a deep breath and turn to face the blonde beauty in front of me.
“So, uh, Miyajima-san, is that okay?”
“You can call me Sandra if you want to be more casual, Aoi-san.”
Her long, natural platinum blonde hair is neatly styled in a half-up fashion.
As her middle name suggests, she’s clearly mixed-race, with sharp, chiseled features that give her a polished, striking appearance.
But more than her beautiful looks, what catches my attention is her chest, which strains against the buttons of her dress shirt and sweater, practically bursting.
To put it bluntly, she’s got an impressive bust.
I couldn’t help but notice it sway when she straightened up from her bow.
Staring at her chest would definitely earn me some contempt, so I quickly scan down to her feet and back up to her face.
“Let’s stick with Miyajima-san for now.”
“…I see.”
“Uh, well, we probably won’t have time to cover the second building, so you can check that out during lunch with some classmates. For now, how about we tour the first building this morning?”
“Yes, I’ll leave it to you.”
With that, I take Miyajima around the first building, giving brief explanations as we visit the classrooms for first to third years, the hallway to the gym, and other areas.
Finally, we reach the second-year Class 2 classroom on the third floor. Despite the stares from others, I stop in front of the door.
“Good work. This is our class.”
“Yes, thank you for the thorough tour.”
“…There’s no moving classrooms this morning, so you should be fine. In the afternoon, we have science lab in sixth period, so you can go with the other students then. Everyone will probably welcome you.”
I step into the classroom as I speak.
Naturally, I draw a lot of attention. Then it hits me—there’s something I should mention.
“Oh, and if you ever get into a tough spot, you can rely on that white-haired girl, Nanami Kaori. She’s super dependable.”
“Huh, me? What’s that?”
Kaori points at herself, tilting her head.
Seeing this, Kiritsuki, standing next to her, throws a question my way.
“Himura-kun, who’s she?”
“The transfer student who’ll take that empty seat in the back. Her flight was delayed, so she missed the entrance ceremony.”
With that explanation, I gently nudge Miyajima’s back, urging her to enter the classroom.
“As introduced, I’ll be joining this class for the year. My name is Miyajima Alexandra Tomo. As you can see, I don’t have the same uniform as everyone else yet, so I apologize for looking out of place. I’d appreciate it if you’d treat me casually.”
Her formal, almost rigid greeting makes my own posture stiffen just standing next to her. The classmates freeze, but one person moves with light, cheerful steps.
“Tomo-chan, huh? I’m Nanami Kaori. Let’s get along!”
With that, Kaori takes both of Miyajima’s hands, flashing a warm smile.
“Yes, nice to meet you, Kaori-san.”
People probably call someone like her a social butterfly.
Their interaction sparks a lively buzz in the classroom.
Afterword───────────────────────
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