Is The First Day Always Awkward?

Tsukihito woke up before his alarm.

He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The apartment was quiet. He got out of bed and changed into his uniform. The shirt was stiff, and the blazer fit weird at first, but he managed. He checked himself in the mirror. He looked nice. In the kitchen, his aunt was already awake.

Aunt Saeko stirred miso soup and moved around like she’d been there forever. She didn’t ask questions.

“You’re up early,” she said.

“I didn’t sleep much,” Tsukihito replied.

She nodded. 

Breakfast was simple. Rice, soup, a fried egg. He ate quietly. She didn’t force conversation. That helped.

When he finished, she stopped him at the door. “You don’t have to be perfect today,” she said. “Just do what you can.”

He nodded. “I will.”

She stepped forward, pulling him into a sudden, warm hug to reassure him. As she pressed him close, Tsukihito stiffened. Her embrace was maternal and kind, but he couldn't help but notice how soft and substantial her chest felt against him. His face grew hot, and he awkwardly hovered his hands behind her back, not quite sure where to put them.

​He felt a wave of bashful discomfort wash over him, his heart racing for an entirely different reason than first-day jitters. He gently stepped back as soon as she let go, avoiding eye contact and adjusting his bag strap with sudden intensity.

​“I’m going now,” he said, his voice a pitch higher than usual.

​“Good luck!” she called out, oblivious to his internal crisis.

Outside, the air was cool.

The city was waking up. Shops were opening. Cars passed slowly. Students in uniforms walked in groups. Tsukihito walked alone at first, hands in his pockets, just moving forward.

Tsukihito walked past the corner 7-Eleven, its automatic doors chiming as someone stepped out with a coffee. He crossed at a narrow intersection, waiting for the little green walking man to blink on. A group of elementary school kids in yellow hats passed by, loud and half-awake.

A bicycle rattled past. A delivery truck idled near a convenience store. The local bakery had its shutters halfway up, the smell of bread drifting onto the street. The farther he went, the quieter it got. Buildings grew smaller, streets narrowed, trees appeared. The noise of the city faded slowly.

“Tsukihito!”

Someone called his name. Kiyuri Yamamoto jogged up to him, slightly out of breath. Her ribbon was crooked. She looked a little sleepy.

“Good, I didn’t miss you,” she said.

“You didn’t,” he replied.

They started walking together. They passed a narrow shotengai, half asleep but opening fast. A greengrocer stacked crates of oranges. A tofu shop vented warm steam into the morning air.

The road curved uphill. Houses were spaced farther apart. Trees lined the streets. The city seemed to fade behind them.

“There’s a shrine up ahead,” Kiyuri said. “We should stop.” They turned off onto a short stone path leading to a small Hachiman shrine, tucked between cedar trees. The torii gate was weathered, paint chipped. Someone had swept the steps recently; fallen leaves were piled neatly to the side. They bowed, clapped, and prayed. Tsukihito didn’t really know what to pray for, so he just hoped for a normal day. Kiyuri whispered something longer and smiled.

“What’d you pray for?” he asked. “Good luck. And not embarrassing myself,” she said.

“That’s fair,” he said.

They continued walking. The road narrowed again, surrounded by trees. Birds chirped.  Leaves rustled in the wind.v“This area feels weird,” Kiyuri said. “So quiet.” “Yeah,” he agreed.

Finally, the school came into view.

Kagetsu Private Academy sat deep in the hills. Tall gates, clean buildings, trees on all sides. It didn’t feel like part of the city. Students were gathering at the entrance, talking quietly, laughing.

Kiyuri looked up at it. “Feels serious.”

“Yeah,” Tsukihito said. They stood for a moment, taking it in. “You ready?” Kiyuri asked. “I think so,” he said. They walked through the gates together. The city behind them far away.

The school felt enormous compared to their middle school. Buildings stretched over the hillside, windows catching the morning sun. The air smelled faintly like pine and wet earth.

“Wow,” Kiyuri said, tilting her head. “It’s… huge.”

“Yeah,” Tsukihito replied. “It’s bigger than I expected.”

They walked up the main path, following groups of students who seemed to know exactly where they were going. The paths twisted between buildings, small courtyards with stone benches, and a few more shrines tucked behind hedges.

“Hey,” Kiyuri said, “look over there.” She pointed toward a cluster of students near the gym. “Isn’t that…?”

Tsukihito squinted. Sure enough, some familiar faces from middle school waved at them.

“Masaki? Hiro?!” he called.

They ran over, laughing and bumping shoulders in that middle school way that didn’t quite feel polite.

“Tsukihito! Kiyuri!” Masaki shouted. “You made it!” Hiro grinned. “Didn’t think you’d be this early.”

They walked together, teasing each other, catching up on summer vacation and gossip from middle school. Everyone had the same nervous energy, new school, new teachers, new everything, but it felt safer being together.

“Do we all have the same homeroom?” Kiyuri asked. Masaki shrugged. “Yeah. Lucky guess. They split classes mostly randomly, but they put us together.” Tsukihito exhaled. It was better than he thought. At least familiar faces.

The bell rang, echoing through the campus. A few minutes later, they found their homeroom.

They stopped in front of Class 1-C.

Tsukihito checked the sign. Then checked it again. Same number.

“Guess this is it,” he said.

He slid the door open.

The classroom was already half full. People talking. Chairs scraping. Someone laughing way too loud.

Then the room went quiet.

Tsukihito stood there for a second too long, holding his bag, unsure where to go. Everyone was looking at him. No one was saying anything.

Then a girl near the front inhaled sharply.

And it started.

Chairs screeched back all at once. Girls stood up so fast it looked painful.

“WAIT!” “WHAT’S YOUR NAME?” “DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?” “THIS IS FOR YOU!”

Someone tripped over a desk. Another nearly ran into the doorframe trying to get closer. Hands shoved forward with phones, slips of paper, and one very serious handwritten note folded into a heart.

Tsukihito panicked. Masaki moved on instinct. She stepped in front of Tsukihito like a shield, arms out.

“BACK UP. ONE AT A TIME. NO RUNNING.”

“No fair!” “Move!” “We just want to talk!”

Masaki was starting to get overwhelmed. Someone grabbed her sleeve. Another tried to lean around her.

“This is almost worse than gym class last year,” he muttered.

Tsukihito slipped past while everyone was distracted and hurried to the far back of the room. The seat by the open window. Probably safe.

He sat down.

Outside, the breeze picked up.

The window rattled softly. Wind flowed into the classroom, cool and light. Somewhere outside, a bell chimed from the school grounds.

Sakura petals drifted in.

One landed on the desk. Another brushed his shoulder.

The wind caught his hair.

His hair bun loosened.

Black hair slipped free and fell down around his shoulders, long and smooth, moving gently in the breeze like it had practiced this.

The room froze again.

Someone dropped their phone.

A girl near the door turned bright red and slowly sank back into her chair without saying a word. The petals kept drifting. His hair moved. The bell chimed again.

Tsukihito blinked. “Oh.” He hurriedly tried to tie his hair back.

Too late.

The girls collectively lost their minds. Masaki turned around just in time to see it.

“…oh no.”

Someone screamed into their hands. Someone else tried to hand Tsukihito a note by throwing it like a paper airplane. It hit Masaki in the head.

“I SAID BACK UP,” Masaki shouted, flailing her arms.

The door slid open.

“WELCOME-”

Mr. Kitagawa stopped mid-step.

He took in the scene. The crowd. Masaki fighting for her life. Tsukihito sitting by the window with petals everywhere.

“…Wow,” he said. “First day and we already have a protagonist.” He smiled.

The bell rang.

Everyone froze.

Tsukihito slowly sank into his chair, face burning. High school had been open for less than ten minutes. And it was already too much. And that’s when they saw him.

The teacher.

He was standing on the desk. Not behind it. On top. Arms crossed, smiling like he’d just won a game.

“Welcome! Welcome to Kagetsu Private Academy!” he shouted. “I am your guide to knowledge, your master of the universe… and your homeroom teacher. I am Mr. Kitagawa!”

The class froze.

“Uh…” Kiyuri muttered.

Tsukihito just stared. Mr. Kitagawa had wild hair that stuck out in every direction, glasses that slid down his nose, and a jacket covered in pins and patches. Anime posters were taped behind the desk. Action figures lined the shelves.

“You’ll love this class,” Kitagawa continued. “We’re going to learn all kinds of stuff, from math to literature… but also, let’s never forget the important things: anime is life. Manga is truth. And yes, you WILL hear my opinions on character development, every single day!”

The students whispered.

“Is he… serious?” Hiro asked. “He might just be a little weird,” Masaki said. Tsukihito raised an eyebrow, "Weird doesn't cover it."

Kitagawa jumped down from the desk. “First day! Everyone introduce yourselves! Let’s start with… Tsukihito Kisaragi!” He waved his finger before finally settling on Tsukihito.

Tsukihito stood slowly. “Um… Tsukihito Kisaragi. I like to cook and play volleyball. Nice to meet everyone.”

“Ah! A new challenger in the arena!” Kitagawa shouted. “I hope you’re ready for a school life full of adventure! Like a shonen hero!”

The class stifled laughs. Tsukihito sank back into his seat.

The introductions went on. Masaki, Hiro, Kiyuri, and a few others from middle school were all in the same class, which made him feel less awkward. Everyone else seemed normal enough. Some nervous, some excited, but all were polite and curious.

After introductions, Kitagawa moved to the whiteboard. “Alright, first lesson! No textbooks. No rules. Today, I want you to show me your favorite manga!” He said, “And to those who don’t own manga or have never read any, don’t be afraid, my acolytes. I have a shelf full of the best of the best, pick and choose!”

The students groaned. Some laughed. Tsukihito just stared, unsure if he should laugh too or pretend nothing was happening.

Kiyuri whispered, “This guy is insane.”

Tsukihito nodded. She wasn’t wrong. But somehow, it felt kinda fun.

After homeroom, the group walked around the campus together. Wide paths. Courtyards with benches and small ponds. Trees lined every path.

The campus felt like it stretched forever.

“He’s at least nicer than our teacher in middle school,” Kiyuri said. “And the school is far bigger than our old building.”

“And quiet,” Hiro added. “Even with all the people, it’s super calm.”

“Yeah,” Tsukihito said. “I like it.”

They found the cafeteria, lockers, and the library. Everywhere they went, Tsukihito felt like he could breathe. Being with friends made everything easier. Even Mr. Kitagawa’s weirdness seemed manageable.

By the time the morning ended, Tsukihito realized something simple. 

“Is the first day always awkward?”