“Hey—!!”
“—!!”
It was that girl, covered in sand after the dive she had taken.
“Why won’t any of you help meee?”
That wasn’t going to happen.
To those popular students, it was unfathomable. Why would she think they would stoop to help her? Even now, the one in the front, the so-called Prince, was recoiling. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at her. And the one with glasses was adjusting them, trying to maintain an air of calm. The other three were trying to suppress their laughter. No, one of them had already given in and was laughing uproariously.
Honestly, what was I supposed to do? The entrance ceremony was about to begin, and I desperately wanted to move on with my day. But this girl still had a hold on my ankle.
Just as I was seeking a way out of this predicament, an adult, likely a teacher, came rushing over to us.
“Teacher, over here!”
“Oh, that looks awful! Are you new? Are you all right?”
“Yes…”
The teacher helped the girl up and looked her over, then added insult to injury.
“Color contacts and dyed hair? You’re racking up demerits right out the gate for breaking school rules. Off to the nurse’s, then the guidance office with you!”
Just as I started to feel sorry for her for being dragged off by a teacher and having to miss the entrance ceremony, she started shouting things like “The event!” and “My affection stats!” So I didn’t feel too sorry for her.
At least now, I could finally hurry to the entrance ceremony.
Before leaving, I thought I should offer my gratitude once more. I looked over to see that beautiful girl giving me a gentle smile.
“Thank you very much.”
“No, it must have been truly a distressing situation for you.”
“...Yes, to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what that was all about.”
We shared a giggle.
“My name is Chouko Tsukuyomi. Might I ask yours?”
“I am Urara Tendou.”
“Nice to meet you, Urara.”
After a slight bow, I watched as she seamlessly eased back into the midst of the five sparkling men, turning them into the Sparkling Six right before my eyes. I scurried off toward the assembly hall before their resplendence blinded me.
✦ ✦ ✦
☾☾☾
“OH, so you’re this year’s freshman representative?”
The boy seated next to me began speaking before the ceremony started. I turned to see one of the Sparkling Six smiling at me. With his slicked-back hair and mature aura, he seemed to exude a suave intensity not seen in students our age.
“Yes. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Urara Tendou.”
“I see. You’re the scholarship recipient this year, aren’t you, Tendou? Congratulations on being admitted.”
“Thank you very much.”
“I am Sakutarou Shinmyou. I’m a third-year, and since they’ve made me student council president, please don’t hesitate to let me know if you run into any trouble.”
I heard him holding back a laugh. He was likely remembering what happened earlier.
I already ran into trouble. Can I bring that up without hesitation? I wondered, returning my focus to the ceremony.
A voice filled the room, introducing me as the representative for new students. Seeing the large crowd before me from so high up made me anxious. My mother would have looked at it like “All eyes on me, peasants,” but in my eyes, everyone sparkled, like treasure. They really were well-off, a stark contrast to a commoner like me.
Among them, the one who shone the brightest was Chouko Tsukuyomi herself, clearly born to be a princess.
I felt it earlier as well, but she really was beautiful. Not just in appearance, but even her mannerisms displayed a tutored elegance. She was glamorous, but not obtrusively so. Her appearance was subtly entrancing, like a moon goddess. When our eyes met, she gave me a small wave and a gentle smile.
Seeing her made my heart skip a beat and made me forget I was onstage. She truly was mesmerizing.
The entrance ceremony ended without incident and we moved on to our individual class orientations.
The halls were aflutter with joyous chatter. Many of the students here were admitted in preschool, so they knew one another since they were old enough to attend. I hoped in the coming days I, too, could make a friend. Anticipation for my new school life built as I opened the door to the classroom. The room fell silent at my entrance.
Wait, what’s going on?
Could it be because they don’t think I belong here? Is this their way of letting me know? I certainly hope not. No other high school had a generous scholarship program like this. There was nowhere else I could hope to attend for free. I needed them to accept me. My only option was to greet them with a smile—gracefully, courteously. I would need the composure I learned from my past life’s etiquette training.
“Good day.”
That moment of silence shattered into a great commotion. Oh no, I messed up!
I was trying to decide what I should do now when a hand clasped my shoulder.
“Hey, why are you standing in the doorway? Oh, didn’t I see you earlier?”
“Oh...”
It was one of the Sparkling Six. I guess this meant we were in the same class. What a strange fate to meet once again.
“We’re in the same class. It must be fate.”
Oh, did he read my mind?
“We shouldn’t block the door. Come on in so we can talk.”
He led me to a seat by the window. The boy was rather attractive. His soft brown hair and clear eyes reminded me of an idol I’d once seen on television. His appearance caused quite an uproar. Particularly loud were the shrill voices of my female classmates.
“Thank you very much.”
“Urara...Tendou, right? Our new student representative?”
“Yes. And what is your name, if I may ask?”
“I’m Oboro Shimozuru. Nice to meet’cha. I’ve been here since preschool, so let me know if you ever need anything.”
He gave me his name with an affable smile. Well, at least I had become acquainted with one of my classmates.
“So, did something happen in front of the classroom door?”
“Ah, no, it was just that the room became quiet right before I walked in, so I was afraid that I looked out of place...”
“…No, you definitely fit in here.”
“How—”
Just as I was about to ask him what he meant, a loud thud cut me off, followed by silence.
I had a bad feeling. I didn’t have to turn around to know why that was. I had heard that huffing before.
Please, give me a break.
“How...could...you...steal...my...event?!”
The one person I didn’t want to see ever again. I was starting to resent my fate.