The first day of the new school semester turned out to be a lonely one.
Saori-chan had a fever since last night.
「She always has a fever the day before an event. Thanks to that, she has hardly gone on any excursions or school trips, and probably she was so excited to go to school with Fumio-kun that she got a fever today, too」
Her mother who came out of the front door laughed, but I couldn't help laughing.
If she's right, Saori-chan might have had a fever when she went to the aquarium yesterday.
On the other hand, thinking in that way, I felt that her sudden behavior on the way home yesterday was understandable.
（Well... it might have been a feverish runaway）
If that's the case, it's probably better to pretend "it never happened".
When I arrived at the classroom――
「Good morning, Fu~min, I love you ❤」
I lightly brushed off the black gal who clung to me as usual, and while chatting with Masaki-chan, I got to see Kurosawa-san's amazing tsundere, which was like a natural treasure.
We are as usual.
However, contrary to us, the top caste members who lost the central figure are scattered all over the place, and there is a delicate atmosphere in the classroom.
Needless to say, their conversation was probably about Kasuya-kun and Teruya-san.
It must have been the same as when Kurosawa-san had gone missing, with a great deal of twists and turns.
「It must be tough...」
「That's not the right thing for Fumi-kun to say, is it?」
Almost at the same time Kurosawa-san turned her grim eyes on me, the door opened and Gorioka clapped his hands as he walked into the classroom.
「Okay, move to the auditorium, you guys!」
◇ ◇ ◇
The principal's speech was very long.
It was a long opening ceremony. It usually lasts about fifteen minutes, but today it lasted over an hour, which is quite long.
It's no wonder.
The school has been involved in a series of incidents, and the parents of the students are quite worried about it, and many of the media articles reported about the school have questioned the content of the education and the method of teaching the students.
On top of that, the pair of boy and girl who colluded with the devil to cause the 「mysterious disappearance」 are currently on the national wanted list.
「We, the faculty, will do our utmost to ensure the safety of the students and to restore the trust of the school」
The principal said, raising his fist in the air.
I thought that such a performance should have been done in the presence of the parents, but there was a TV camera rolling behind the auditorium.
It would probably be shown on the evening news.
When I glanced towards the first-year students, I saw that Rin had left the line and moved to a place where the camera was out of sight.
（Well... she doesn't want to be on camera, does she?）
Rather, it is even possible that she is traumatized by the TV camera.
Even though it would probably only be used for a few seconds on TV, the excited principal continued to talk about improving the school's security.
It may have been partly to appeal to the parents, but he also said that for the time being, the school would contract with a private security company to provide a large number of permanent security guards, which was quite impressive.
「Haha... it's the Fujiwara Group. That security company」
「You don't need to make that appeal」
While replying to Fujiwara-san who was whispering to me in secret, I looked around and saw that many eyes were on me.
It's cute how Kurosawa-san pretends not to be interested, but keeps glancing at me.
Fujiwara-san leans on me without any concern even in such a place, and Masaki-chan pokes me from behind with her finger.
When I turn my eyes to the opposite side of the row, to the next class, I see Tashiro-san looking forward with her arms folded. Perhaps she is trying not to be aware of us, and is trying to hold back.
Behind her, Shima-san is smiling.
On the other side of the row, I turned my eyes to the row of the class next to me, and saw a girl staring at me.
（... What is it?）
When our eyes involuntarily met, the girl quietly turned away as if nothing had happened.
（Was her name... Shibata-san?）
I only vaguely know her name and face. After all, I've never even talked to her.
Maybe she was looking at Fujiwara-san who was messing around with me, not me.
◇ ◇ ◇
The opening ceremony is over, and students are flooding out of the auditorium.
The student with a uniform heading back to their classrooms. Naturally, there are a lot of noise and chatter.
When I looked a few meters ahead, I saw Fumio Kijima's back.
He is not the popular type, but girls are still surrounding him.
Kurosawa-san, a reader model, Haneda-san, a member of the library committee, and Fujiwara-san, a member of the public morals blacklist.
In addition to these, there are even some second-year girls, whose names I don't know.
Even from my point of view, they are all pretty, and I can't help but smile at the envious and pained expressions of the boys walking around them.
As the vice president of the public morals committee, I should probably give a warning to Fujiwara-san, who is blatantly trying to hug him, and to the sleepy-looking second-year students who are trying to cling to him for a piggyback ride, but it's not a good idea to approach Fumio Kijima right now.
After all, he is too unknown.
The other day, I saw a scene in the garden of Kobayashi-sensei's house, and even now, I have no idea what it was.
Today, Kobayashi-sensei is absent, but there is a meeting of the Public Morals Committee after school. Maybe I should talk to the chairwoman of the committee about it.
While I was thinking about this, I arrived at the classroom and took my seat.
After a while, the homeroom teacher, a plump lady with glasses - Takeuchi-sensei, came into the classroom, and the homeroom started.
「Okay...」
The voice of Takeuchi-sensei, with her hands on the teacher's table, was prolonged as usual.
But what followed was quite unexpected.
「I'd like to introduce you all to a new student」
This caused a stir in the classroom.
After all, it is the second semester of the third year.
And students would be graduating in about half a year.
（A new student at this time of the year?）
Question marks appeared everywhere in the classroom, and as if sensing the atmosphere of the class, Takeuchi-sensei gave a short explanation.
「This is the time of year, but... This is the sister of Coach Jolanda Camilia, who has been invited to the track and field club. I know it will only be for a short time, but I hope you will all get to know her well」
（...I see, she moved here because of her sister's work...）
At least, it made sense to me. Some of us let out a sigh of relief.
Since the beginning of this year, there have been many strange incidents, so I think everyone is a little nervous.
Of course, I am not an exception.
「Well, Camilia, come in」
The teacher calls out toward the hallway, and a girl walks into the classroom with a bell-like voice saying, "Yes".
Immediately, the classroom was filled with noise.
Some stupid boys shouted, "Whoaaaaaaaa!" and I can hear the girls gasp.
Because the girl who appeared was a foreigner.
She had long platinum blonde hair and translucent white skin.
She was slender and had long legs.
Her eyes seemed to be slightly different in color from each other.
As she stood next to the teacher's table, she smiled and spoke.
「I'm Claudia Camilia. I would be happy if you could be my friend for a short time. I may look like this, but I was born and raised in Japan. I'm a fake gaijin who can't even speak English. I'm looking forward to working with you」
（Fake gaijin... she said that to herself?）
And then, the excited stupid boys started cheering, "Claudia chuwaan!" and so on.
（...an idol?）
While chuckling at the boys' behavior, the teacher pointed to the seat next to mine.
「Well, Camilia-san, you can sit over there... next to Shibata-san. I'm sorry, but Shibata-san, can you take care of her until she gets used to it?」
「Ah, yes!」
Suddenly, she called out to me, and I hurriedly replied.
Camilia-san took a seat next to me and smiled, saying "Nice to meet you".
「Y-Yeah」
I couldn't help but become unsettled.
She's even more beautiful up close, like a doll.
（What's with that silky hair...?）
As a person who suffers from frizzy hair, I envy her.
（She seems to have no trouble speaking Japanese, and she seems cheerful, so I hope we can get along well）
Almost at the same time I was thinking this, she said in a small voice.
「So... Fumio is in another class...」
I take it back. I'll wait and see if we can become friends or not.
< Prev - - Next >
