Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
Chapter 3 ā First Year High School\nVolume 2\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\n\n\n
It was about two years ago.\n\n
In the gymnasium, hundreds of students were standing and looking ahead.\n
It had just begun with the vice principalās speech, followed by the singing of the school song, which I didnāt even know, and then the principalās talk.\n
We were in the middle of a high school entrance ceremony. The students nearby looked a little nervous. Thatās because weāve just entered a new school.\n\n
A new school building. New classmates. New uniforms.\n
As far as I could see, I didnāt know anything.\n
Everything felt fresh. I took a deep breath.\n
āI have to start all over again here.\n
In a place where no one knows me, I have to get my school life back on track.\n\n
It all went wrong when I was in junior high school.\n
In reaction to the junior high school entrance exams, I had a rough time. I disobeyed the teachers for no reason, hung out with the bad people, and fought with them repeatedly. I dyed my hair blonde, wore flashy clothes, and caused trouble for many people.\n
āThat all changed six months after I became a delinquent.\n
I lost someone I cared about.\n
I canāt let that happen again.\n
It was with this kind of determination that I had come to this day.\n\n
The principal of this school stood on the stage and went on endlessly with a rambling story. The topic of conversation went from one direction to the other, and I couldnāt even tell what he was talking about anymore. Probably no one was listening seriously.\n
Probably not a single person was taking him seriously.\n\n
I looked around at the students around me, using the long conversation as background music.\n
There was no one I knew. No one seemed to know about my past.\n
Thatās the kind of school I chose to take the entrance exam for. In the first place, the junior high school I was in allowed students to go up the escalator to high school, so most people would choose to stay at the school.\n
I would be reborn again in an environment where no one knew me. I wanted to spend a decent youth, making friends, studying, and sometimes doing silly things.\n
āand for that reason, if they know, thereās no point.\n\n
I looked down at my outfit.\n
I had checked my appearance many times before I went out. The tie on my blazer was neatly fastened. I tucked my shirt into my pants and wrapped my new belt a little tighter. My hairstyle was quite normal, with short black hair. It might be a little tacky, but no one would think I was a delinquent.\n\n
After more than ten minutes of the principalās talk, I heard a voice from next door.\n
āItās too long.ā\n
A male student with a shaved head was standing there. There was a fat boy right behind him.\n
āToo long indeed.ā\n
The fat one said in the same tone. His voice was a bit loud and conspicuous.\n
The rest of the students remained quiet. In high school, more and more students are concerned about their appearance. They are also expected to act with an open mind. However, neither of them seemed to be paying any attention to such things at all.\n
Maybe thatās why. I couldnāt help but stare at the two of them.\n
āAh.ā\n
The one with the shaved head was the first to notice my gaze. He immediately put his hand in front of his face.\n
āSorry.ā\n
āNoā¦ā\n
I didnāt mean to blame him. Thatās what I meant by ānoā. In fact, I even liked him. Even though I decided to be an honor student, I still retained a rebellious streak at the core.\n
The guy with a shaved head was looking at my face. As I was wondering what to do, the other guyās face turned into a smirk.\n
āYouāre also thinking that this is a little too long, arenāt you?ā\n
He spoke again in a quiet voice. I nodded.\n
ā Heās been talking for about ten minutes now. The whole talk is a mess as wellā\n
Thatās right. I bet he himself doesnāt even know what heās talking about. He was talking about his own kids at one point, but before you know it, heās talking about how the baseball team recently got to the top.ā\n
āYeah, I guess so. I think Iām getting sleepy.ā\n
I want to go home early today, you know. Because eFan has just been released and I want to play it all the time.ā (TN: eFan- some game reference)\n
I thought it was amazing that he could be so forthcoming with me when we had never met before.\n
āI believe we are allowed to leave before noon. Weāll just get our textbooks and stuff today.ā\n
āThereās no need for an entrance ceremony. They should just hand out the textbooks, right?ā\n
I thought exactly the same thing. If it had been me in junior high school, I probably would have just ignored it and gone home. Of course, I would never do that again.\n
āSaitoā,Ā said the fat student standing behind him.Ā \n
āTeacher is staring at youā\n
āOh, seriously?ā\n
Both I and the shaved head guy next to me quickly turned around. The principalās talk turned to how hot it was the previous summer and whether global warming exists.\n
Something hit me on the arm. A shaved head was poking me with his elbow, looking ahead.\n
Then he spoke coyly into my ear.\n
āYouāre probably an otaku too, right?ā\n
He smiled at me.\n
I was surprised. I didnāt expect him to think that way.\n
Probably, my expression at that moment was unintelligible from an outsiderās point of view. In fact, the shaved head guy looked at me suspiciously.\n
It made me happy. Iām sure I was smiling.\n\n
This was the first conversation I had with Saito and Shindo.\n\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nTN: Starting new chapterā¦\n\nWell, my phone ran out of charge while readingā¦ So this is my break time work. \n\n