Origami was a renowned genius throughout Raizen High School.
With outstanding looks, excellence in sports, and top academic grades, aside from her somewhat aloof personality, she was practically the perfect angel.
She consistently ranked first in the school and had even helped the school win numerous competition awards. Shiori was certainly aware of this very famous girl.
"Hmm?"
Seeming to sense Shiori's gaze, Origami turned her head to look. As her icy gaze swept over her, Shiori's breath hitched for a moment.
Somewhat embarrassed, Shiori turned her head away, feeling Origami's gaze shift back.
'Strange, why does Tobiichi Origami's gaze feel familiar?'
Although they were classmates at the same school, Shiori hadn't interacted with Origami during the past three years. Being in the same class and this close was a first.
Feeling an inexplicable familiarity with Origami, the memory of the accident four years ago surfaced in Shiori's mind. He recalled there had been a little girl nearby at that time...
'Hmm... No, my head hurts.'
Shaking her head, she temporarily sealed away those unpleasant memories. Shiori tidied her desk and chair and found her seat.
The time that followed was nothing more than the new semester's self-introductions and reports from various new teachers.
"Students, I have an announcement to make."
Clapping her hands, the teacher standing on the platform had a youthful and petite figure similar in age to the students.
Combined with her somewhat scatterbrained personality and airheaded way of speaking, this teacher was none other than Okamine Tamae, who was quite popular among the students.
"Students, I need to tell you something. I will no longer be the homeroom teacher for Class 3 this year."
"Eh?!" xN
Hearing that Tamae was no longer their homeroom teacher, many students exclaimed things like, "How can that be?" or "We don't want that, Ms. Tamae!"
"Now, now, everyone, don't be so upset. I'm not leaving you; it's just that the school has hired a new teacher who will be your new homeroom teacher."
Hearing Tamae's explanation, the students asked what the new teacher was like.
"Ah? What's he like? I haven't met him."
Sticking out her tongue, Tamae shook her head and continued, "I only know he's a male teacher."
"Ah~~~"
A chorus of sighs erupted. The students unanimously expressed hope that this new teacher wouldn't be another middle-aged man or an old stubborn fossil.
Listening to the laughter of her classmates around her, Shiori laughed similarly.
After all, their history teacher last semester was an old stubborn fossil with a balding hairstyle.
It wasn't that his teaching was poor, but his teaching methods were really dry… even Shiori found it painful.
The first day of school was quite relaxed overall. Time passed quickly, and soon it was almost time to leave.
Woo woo woo woo woo...
Just as Shiori was preparing to leave the school, the entire classroom shook violently, as if the school, no, as if the whole of Tenguu City was experiencing an earthquake.
As the piercing alarm sounded, all the students in the classroom stopped packing their bags or chatting, looking at each other in panic.
"Please note, this is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill."
"We have detected Spacequake fluctuations. All citizens are requested to evacuate immediately. Emergency Protocol One is temporarily activated."
"Please note, repeating, this is not a drill. All citizens are requested to evacuate immediately, right away."
As the loud mechanical voice echoed throughout the city, after a moment of silence, the students in the classroom collectively gasped.
"Hey, hey, is this for real?"
"Probably real."
"What do we do now? Go home?"
"I don't know. There's no signal now. I wonder how my parents are doing."
Just as the students were panicking, Tamae pushed open the classroom door.
"Everyone, come with me to the school shelter immediately."
"A severe Spacequake has appeared in Tengu City. The school has temporarily blocked external roads. Students, please follow the school's arrangements."
Leading the students into the hallway, Shiori saw students from other classes also being led out of the building by their teachers, everyone evacuating in an orderly manner.
"Mana!"
"Shiori-nee!"
Spotting her sister in a neighboring class from afar, Shiori's worried heart relaxed slightly. If asked what she feared most now, it was definitely the safety of her sisters, Mana and Kotori.
But...
'The junior high section gets out 10 minutes earlier than us. If Kotori left early, she's probably not at school anymore.'
Suddenly remembering that the junior high dismissal time was different from the high school's, Shiori realized in a panic that Origami was, for some reason, heading in the completely opposite direction from the main group.
"Hey, Tobiichi-san!"
Calling out to Origami from a distance, Shiori didn't know if the other girl heard her. She felt she had, 'But why was she leaving the school? It's so dangerous right now.'
"Could it be... she's also trying to protect her family?"
Recalling Kotori's pure, kind, and innocent personality, Shiori wasn't sure if her silly younger sister would stick to their morning plan and go to the restaurant, but...
"It's settled! Whether monsters, Ultraman, or anything else shows up, even if there's a Spacequake, we're meeting at the restaurant!"
Her younger sister Kotori's words echoed incessantly in her mind. Gritting her teeth, Shiori abruptly broke away from the main group and ran in the opposite direction.
"Itsuka, what are you doing?"
A few relatively familiar classmates called out upon seeing Shiori's figure.
"Sorry, I just remembered something. I'll be right back!"
Offering a hurried explanation, Shiori didn't notice that her departure was seen clearly by Mana. In an instant, her younger sister also broke away from the school group and ran in the same direction.