"Alright, folks—Golden Week's right around the corner, but let's give a warm welcome to our two new classmates!"
Aine Chihaya stood at the front of the classroom, her name scrawled on the blackboard behind her. She gave a quick bow, flashing a friendly smile. "I'm Aine Chihaya. Yeah, I know it's a weird time to transfer due to some family stuff, but I'm pumped to get to know you all!"
Her eyes subtly flicked to the side, landing on the blonde beauty standing nearby.
Even though they were both rocking the same blazer and pleated skirt, the vibe was worlds apart. The blonde, blue-eyed girl stepped forward, gracefully curtsied with a flourish of her skirt, and bent her knees just so—an elegant, almost regal gesture.
Jackpot!
Aine groaned inwardly. She could already feel the class's curious and awestruck stares locking onto this foreign goddess. Aine, starting at the same time, was probably doomed to fade into the background.
"My name is Nero Fortuna," the girl said as she straightened up, her voice calm but commanding. "It's my first time in the Land of Harmony, and there's a lot I don't know yet. I hope you'll all bear with me."
What is she, a freaking princess? Aine thought. If she's a princess, why's she slumming it at Haneoka instead of some fancy place like Tsukinomori? Aine had been banking on making a splash in her new class, but her smile was already starting to feel forced.
At the teacher's cue, the class broke into polite applause. The teacher gestured toward the seats. "Okay, Chihaya, you'll sit behind Takamatsu. And… Fortuna, how about the back row by the window?"
"Just Nero's fine," the blonde replied with a warm smile. "I'm used to people calling me Nero, so feel free to do the same."
She grabbed her bag, gave a quick nod to the students nearby, and sauntered to her seat with effortless grace. Aine, meanwhile, trudged to her spot, her mood sinking like a demon in Dante's crosshairs.
The purple-haired girl in front of her—Takamatsu, according to the teacher—was busy polishing a pile of rocks on her desk with a handkerchief. She didn't even glance up to acknowledge Aine.
"Hey, Takamatsu? Nice to meet you," Aine ventured, trying to break the ice.
The girl flinched, her hand jerking so hard one of the rocks tumbled to the floor. Before Aine could apologize or pick it up, Takamatsu swooped in like a lightning-fast demon hunter, snatching it up and stashing it away—all without a word or a glance.
Okay, not exactly Miss Congeniality, Aine thought, giving up. She slid past and plopped into her seat.
Focus, Aine. Time to hit the books hard. She steeled herself. She didn't know how Nero had done on the entrance exams, but when it came to studying, Aine wasn't about to let some newbie outshine her.
This was the pride of a former student council president!
---
"I'm toast."
Lunch break rolled around, and Aine slumped in her seat, utterly defeated. Nero was swarmed by classmates, the center of attention like some kinda rockstar demon slayer.
Monday morning's four classes included English, Japanese, and math. Nero's English was flawless—duh, she's from Europe. But then she smashed the stereotype that Westerners suck at math, and to top it all off, she was tossing around classical Japanese literature like it was nothing. What the hell?!
"Didn't you say this was your first time in the Land of Harmony?!" Aine muttered under her breath.
The first exam of the semester was still a ways off, but Aine already knew Nero was at least her equal—maybe even better. To pull off this kind of performance in her first semester abroad, joining halfway through no less, Nero's real strength had to be leagues above Aine's.
"Studying abroad…"
The thought hit Aine like a devil trigger to the chest. Her heart skipped a beat. Nero's situation was eerily similar to her own back in the day: studying abroad in high school, arriving in a foreign land, grappling with a new language. But Nero? She'd adapted perfectly. She chatted effortlessly with everyone, kept up with the curriculum, and—exactly like Aine had once dreamed—became the class's shining star.
Aine, on the other hand? She was nowhere close.
A sharp pang stabbed at her chest, and she instinctively clutched at her heart. A few nearby classmates noticed, their faces shifting to concern.
"Chihaya?" one of them asked. "You okay? Need to hit the nurse's office?"
Aine flashed a quick grin, waving it off. "Nah, I'm fine! Just got lost thinking about some stuff from class I didn't quite get."
Perfect. These classmates seemed chill—friendly, but not so hyper they'd wear her out, and not so dull they'd bore her to death. They'd make great first friends.
"Call me Aine," she added with a smile. "That's what my old classmates used to call me."
Total lie. Back then, everyone called her "Chihaya." But a new place called for a new vibe, and Aine had a little plan. Getting them to call her Aine made her seem approachable, plus it kept her last name out of the conversation. Because "Chihaya" was tied to a total failure.
"Cool, Aine it is!" one of the girls said.
"Thinking about class during lunch? Are you, like, a super good student or something?" another teased.
It was going smoothly. Aine slipped right into their little group, grinning. "I mean, everyone at Haneoka's probably pretty smart, right? I'm not sure where I stack up yet~"
"Ugh, I thought the same thing on my first day!" one of them laughed.
"Same! I was so nervous…" another chimed in.
"But, like, Nero's on another level, right?" the third said.
Nero's name dropped like a grenade, and Aine's relaxed smile twitched. She forced herself to keep it together, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, totally! She's even killing it in classical lit. You'd never guess she's foreign."
But inside, she sighed. The spotlight wasn't coming back to her anytime soon.
One of the girls leaned in, whispering, "I heard European nobles have to learn, like, five languages. Maybe it's true?"
Another, eavesdropping on the chatter by the window, gasped. "Guys, I think Nero might actually be a European princess! Can you believe we're in the same class as a real princess? Am I dreaming?"
"It's real," Aine cut in, desperate to change the subject. "So, you guys eating bento? "Mind if I join you?"
They nodded eagerly, and Aine joined their little lunch circle. But her eyes couldn't help drifting back to the window seat.
Nero, the transfer student, wasn't trying to blend into any group. She just sat there, quiet and composed, like she didn't need to.