First Encounter

Sakano Satoshi had prepared for the first day of his school in an outfit completely independent of school clothes, wearing a black and gray hooded leather jacket, a white shirt underneath, blue pants, and classic sneakers; he sprayed his perfume, hung his bag on his back, and set off toward the subway.

Sakano

A brand new adventure awaits me. I want to remain quiet throughout high school...

Sakano stepped into the subway when it arrived. He was also looking around at the same time.

Sakano

Some of the people here are probably my classmates. That is not really important, but is there really no seat left? I do not like traveling while standing up...

When Sakano scanned the seats, an empty seat caught his attention. It was a seat in the corner, and a blonde girl was sitting in the seat right next to it. Since her home was probably among the farthest distances from the school, she was in the last cars, and she had taken the second to last empty seat as well. Although Sakano hesitated at first, he later walked toward that seat and sat down. The girl next to him began looking at Sakano with eyes full of curiosity. Just as Sakano was trying to avoid eye contact

Katsura Ayumi

'Are you from Rei Academy?'

Sakano turned his eyes to Katsura.

'Aah, yes.'

Katsura

'Where are your school clothes then?'

Sakano

'I will get them at school... I...'

Katsura was getting even closer to Sakano's face with each passing second. Sakano turned his face to the other side, red with embarrassment. When Katsuri saw that Sakano was embarrassed, she also got embarrassed, pulled back immediately, and turned her face another way

Katsuri

'Ah, I am so sorry!'

Sakano

'No problem...'

Both turned forward and did not say a single word throughout the journey. When the subway stopped and the doors opened, both slung their bags over their shoulders and headed toward the crowd formed in front of the door to exit. Because they stood up from the seats together and went to the crowd together, they were standing side by side. Someone trying to get out quickly in the crowd bumped into Katsuri, and Katsuri began falling toward Sakano after losing her balance. Both Katsuri, who stopped upon bumping into Sakano, and Sakano had faces bright red with embarrassment. Sakano held Katsuri by her shoulder so she would not fall, and because of the emotional burst they experienced, they continued to look at each other like that for a few seconds. Sakano quickly let go of Katsuri's shoulder, took a few steps back, and bowed before Katsuri

'I am sorry!'

Katsuri also bowed in the same way and

'I am also sorry for not being able to keep my balance!'

Afterwards, both went to opposite points from each other and exited through the diminished crowd. On the platform, they went outside via opposite stairs and kept walking in opposite places all the way to the Academy.

Sakano

We had not even started school yet!

When both arrived at school, they withdrew to their classroom. They were sitting in the same classroom but at different desks. Sakano was not very surprised because he could already guess that Katsuri was in his classroom. While Sakano sat quietly at his desk, he was watching Katsuri. About 2 or 3 people had already gathered around Katsuri. While Sakano watched her like this for minutes, a male came next to him.

Nagasaki Shion

'Heey, are you looking at Katsura san?'

Sakano turned his eyes to Nagasaki. Nagasaki was standing in his school uniform, his hair was red and short.

Sakano

'Who are you, and how do you know that girl's name anyway?'

Nagasaki

'Do not get pessimistic right away, bro! I am Nagasaki Shion. I heard Katsura san's name from the girls she was talking to just now. I might have eavesdropped just a little bit. Never mind me and all that, you were seriously checking Katsuri san out! Now that I look at you more carefully I see it, but you are pretty handsome too, person whose name I do not know...'

Sakano's face turned red

'My mind drifted off, maybe that is why it looked like that...'

Nagasaki

'Get out of here! You were plainly checking the girl out.'

Sakano, in a quiet manner

'Be quiet, she will hear!'

While Katsura had been talking to the girls from the beginning, she was also hearing them, and she too was embarrassed, sweating, and her face turned red. The three girls around her continued to talk, but no words were reaching Katsura.

Nagasaki

'Alright, alright! Take a good look while the girl does not have a boyfriend yet. She will probably become lovers with one of her senpais soon anyway. After all, her physique is nice, her looks are nice, and judging from the outside, her personality is nice too. Who would not want to be lovers with someone like that?'

Sakano, with an annoyed expression

Why is an idiot like this sitting in front of me?

'Like I said, I just drifted off! I did not look intentionally. Besides, I do not care whoever she becomes lovers with!'

Nagasaki

'As if I would believe that...'

Sakano

Because we experienced a stupid incident this morning, my eyes unfortunately slip toward her way too much.

Nagasaki

'Anyway, tell me your name!'

Sakano

'Sakano Satoshi...'

Nagasaki

'Alright Satoshi, I hope we can get along well.'

After a few minutes of quiet atmosphere, Nagasaki asked with curious eyes

'Satoshi, are you an otaku?'

Sakano

'No...'

Nagasaki

'I see! Is there anything you like to do?'

Sakano raised one hand and began counting by lowering his fingers one by one.

'Playing games, watching anime, reading manga, wandering around...'

Nagasaki was looking at Sakano as if saying 'this kid is a hopeless case'.

Your face is no different from a wall!

'You are no different from a wall...'

Sakano lowered his other hand too and placed it on the desk.

'No, I am only like this toward people who are not my friends. Otherwise, I can laugh too...'

Nagasaki

'I cannot wait to be friends with you...'

Sakano

'Then you should not have met me!'

Katsura had eavesdropped on everything. She was just sitting at her desk talking to the other girls.

Katsura

Do they really think I will get a boyfriend? They are just commenting by looking at my looks and physique...