Knock knock knock!
"Rinji, it's time for school. Are you ready yet?"
Early in the morning, Sagara Kaya stood at Takamine Rinji's door, knocking.
Since they lived close by—and due to her responsibility to supervise him—Kaya had decided to pick him up and take him to school each day.
Not getting any response after knocking, she suspiciously opened the door and entered the hallway.
"Geez, it's your first day of school. Don't be late already... Ugh, it reeks of smoke."
Walking into the living room, she saw Rinji slouched on the couch, cigarette in hand, with heavy bags under his eyes.
"What... what happened to you?"
"Ah, Auntie Kaya, you're here..."
Rinji turned his head slightly, pressing out the cigarette in the ashtray.
"I think... this is just how my life is going to be."
"...Huh?"
"After a whole night of research and studying, I realized that someone like me... will never get a girlfriend in school."
"That's unexpectedly realistic of you. But I'm curious—what exactly did you study to come to that conclusion?"
Wordlessly, Rinji pointed to the mountain of books stacked in the living room. Kaya picked one up at random.
"...Manga?"
"Yeah. After comparative analysis, I discovered a key point: if you want to be popular and get a girlfriend, you have to have a 'yasashii' (gentle) personality. Thinking back to my past breakups, I'm pretty sure it was because I lacked that trait."
"...You're using manga as a study reference? That stuff's just for fun."
"Art imitates life."
"What am I even supposed to say to that..."
"All these years, I've numbed myself with war and smuggling, and forgot to self-reflect. What a blunder."
"...It's not too late. Once school starts, just try to be a gentler person, okay?"
"As they say—mountains may move, but a man's nature is hard to change. Fixing my personality won't be easy." Rinji sighed.
Seeing his discouraged expression, Kaya decided to encourage him a little.
She walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't generalize. Even the worst personality can find someone compatible if you keep trying."
"Auntie Kaya..."
"Believe in yourself. Even if you're a lump of crap, one day you'll meet your dung beetle."
"...Is that really supposed to be comforting?"
"Of course."
---
Most of the students in Shuchiin Academy came from elite families in Japanese society. Aside from the "Impure Division" and "Pure Division" class distinctions mentioned by Shirogane Miyuki yesterday, students were also ranked based on family background, forming a social pyramid of sorts.
Without a doubt, Takamine Rinji knew that as a "Impure" student with no notable background, he sat at the very bottom of that pyramid.
His class had been assigned the day before—he was placed in Year 1, Class B of the high school division at Shuchiin Academy.
As a new transfer, it was basically confirmed he was in the "Impure Division." Even just standing at the podium, he could feel the mix of contempt and disdain in the students' eyes below.
"Alright then, Takamine-kun, please introduce yourself."
"Understood."
Standing at the podium, Takamine Rinji picked up a piece of chalk and wrote three large characters on the blackboard: "高峰 凛司" (Takamine Rinji).
"Hello everyone. My name is Takamine Rinji. I'm Chinese. I previously studied in the United States, and I'm fortunate to have transferred to Shuchiin Academy. I look forward to studying with all of you."
He had practiced this introduction quite a few times—it rolled off the tongue easily.
Seeing that no one responded, the teacher cleared their throat and said, "Well… Takamine-kun, please take the empty seat in the fourth row."
"Alright."
As he glanced over the class from the podium, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.
What did he just see? That same student from yesterday—the one who stopped him and called herself Iino Miko—was sitting right here in the classroom. She seemed to have noticed him too, and her eyes were glaring daggers at him, clearly remembering the student who jumped out the window of the Public Morals Committee office.
'…Just my luck. Even class assignments can get me paired with the academy's hall monitor.'
Pretending not to see anything, Takamine Rinji stepped down from the podium and headed to the seat the teacher had pointed out, hanging his bag beside the desk.
Meanwhile, Miko was still turned around, staring at him as if to say, "You better be ready after class."
"…I'm doomed. She's haunting me."
"Hello, Takamine-kun."
"Oh, hello."
Hearing someone greet him, Takamine Rinji turned in that direction and responded.
The one greeting him was a boy with neatly cropped hair—he looked clean and tidy. Honestly, it was a surprise to be spoken to at all, considering his "Impure" status.
"And you are…?"
"My name is Ishigami Yuu. We're classmates now."
"Pleased to meet you, Ishigami-kun."
…
Shuchiin Academy's curriculum was slightly harder than that of most Japanese high schools, but fortunately, the first class was math—Takamine had no trouble keeping up.
While the rest of his academic record might be uncertain, his science and math skills were solid. He hadn't earned his name in a research department because of nepotism—he had genuinely been qualified for the position.
After class, no one came to talk to him—unlike what he had seen in manga where all the students flock around the mysterious new transfer student.
But Takamine didn't mind the peace and quiet. All he wanted was to coast through school without causing trouble...
Bang!
Miko suddenly appeared in front of him, slapping her palm down on his desk.
"You actually jumped out the window yesterday!"
Takamine Rinji: "…"
So much for his wishful thinking.
"Hall monitor…"
"I'm a Public Morals Committee member!"
"Sorry, Public Morals Committee. It's great to be in the same class. May I go now?"
"No, you may not!"
Miko fumed.
"Did you even read the school regulations yesterday!?"
"…Of course I read it. Can I leave now?"
"Article 15."
"That one… oh, it's 'Prohibited Impure Intergender Relationships.'"
"Oh, then Article 27?"
"'No carrying or using unrelated items on school grounds.'"
Miko seemed surprised. "...You really memorized it?"
"Definitely."
That was a lie.
In truth, while Miko was asking questions, Ishigami stood just out of her line of sight and opened the Shuchiin Academy Student Code of Conduct Handbook for Takamine Rinji to look at.