"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man."
— Heraclitus, c. 500 BC
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
The weekend passed in a blink. Now, Monday had arrived, and with it, the classes.
It should be a fun day in school, though. After all, Kiyotaka's class was scheduled to have swimming in their PE Class.
Well, Kiyotaka didn't find it fun or exciting. Swimming was more routine than leisure for him.
But his classmates were definitely excited.
"Good morning, Yamauchi!"
"Good morning, Ike!"
Two of the more academically negligent students in Class 1-D arrived much earlier than usual.
"Whew, man! I was looking forward to today so much that I barely slept last night!"
"Ah ha ha! This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!"
If this went exactly as it did in Kiyotaka's memories, Yamauchi and Ike would talk about betting on which girl in their class has the biggest breasts.
... It was as stupid as it sounded.
And Kiyotaka, on a whim, decided to intervene.
Rising from his seat, he walked over to Yamauchi and Ike— and smacked both on the back of their heads. A few girls nearby snickered.
"What the hell, Ayanokōji?!" Yamauchi hissed, rubbing his head.
"You're too loud," Kiyotaka murmured. "If you make the girls uncomfortable, you won't be seeing anything later."
Ike's eyes widened. "We can't have that!"
Kiyotaka gestured for him to lower his voice. "Not too loud, Ike."
"My bad, my bad. You're right..."
Kiyotaka was mildly surprised at the quick concession. Then again, if a threat to their goal was clear enough, even idiots would adjust.
"Well, since you approached us... are you interested in what we're planning?" Yamauchi asked, his voice hushed.
"What are you guys planning?"
Ike smirked, then he called over "The Professor," a nickname they had for Sotomura Hideo.
Sotomura was a chubby boy with thick-rimmed glasses and, as Kiyotaka recalled, unusually tech-savvy for someone in their class.
As he came over, Ike slung an arm around him. "Professor, can you record the girls in their swimsuits for us?"
By this point, Sudō had walked up to the "quartet." His eyes widened upon hearing Ike's request.
"Oi, you guys—"
"Shut it, Sudō," Yamauchi placed an index finger in the middle of his lips. He did not want the redhead to ruin the plan with his loud mouth.
Kiyotaka gave the group a glance, then a glance over the homeroom. A few more students had arrived.
"You should move this conversation to the group chat," he said. "You're going to get caught."
"And don't turn your head like that. You're too obvious," he added as Yamauchi darted a look around the room.
"Heh, didn't know you're actually pretty cool, Ayanokōji," Yamauchi said, grinning at him.
"I was just trying to keep you guys out of trouble," Kiyotaka replied.
"That's exactly why!"
At that moment, Kiyotaka's phone vibrated.
Opening it, he saw a message in his group chat with Yamauchi and the other boys.
[7:45:32 Sotomura] Ayanokōji-dono has the right idea. We should continue talking here.
Kiyotaka took that as a sign to return to his seat. That was one thing dealt with.
"I didn't know you had a violent streak in you, Ayanokōji-kun."
Horikita's voice came from behind him— sharp as ever.
Kiyotaka glanced over his shoulder. "You saw that?"
She nodded. "I arrived just in time to see you hit both Yamauchi-kun and Ike-kun. Are you friends with them now?"
"Not exactly. I hit them because they were talking about the girls' swimsuits for swim class later," he replied in a whisper.
Kiyotaka found no harm in telling Horikita about it because she had nobody to share the information with. And, it'd probably gain him some points with her.
Horikita clicked her tongue. "Idiots."
"Yeah, I agree."
The conversation between them ended there, so Kiyotaka opened his phone once more. Then, he checked the group chat to look for updates.
Just like in his memories, the boys were betting on the girls' breast sizes.
Sotomura sent over a spreadsheet file showing the updated odds.
Kiyotaka observed that his suggestion might have been a little too successful, because there were more boys betting compared to his memories.
Hondō, in particular, bet on Hasebe. He didn't bet before.
[7:50:10] I'll bet on Sakura.
He also did not bet before, but he had to do so for appearances' sake. He did suggest moving the conversation over to the group chat, after all.
That, and the fact he knew he'd win.
As Kiyotaka closed his phone, he offered a silent apology to Sakura.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
"Whew, man! I was looking forward to today so much that I barely slept last night!"
"Ah ha ha! This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!"
In their excitement, Yamauchi and Ike failed to notice that the girls could hear them. Or that several were already giving them disgusted looks.
"If they're gonna talk like that, you'd think they'd at least keep their voices down," Matsushita muttered.
Gathered in another part of the room were her, Karuizawa, Mori, Mii-chan, and Satō. They'd been chatting about their plans for after school, but the boys' voices had hijacked the conversation.
"Gross. Why are the boys in this class such creeps?" Karuizawa said, scowling.
"Hirata-kun and Ayanokōji-kun are boys too, you know," Matsushita said, glancing her way.
"They're the exceptions, obviously," Karuizawa shot back.
She still wasn't too sure about Ayanokōji, though. But there was no point saying it— not when the others seemed fine with him.
Mori nodded in agreement. "They're the only normal ones, probably."
"I'm not saying every boy's gross, okay?" Karuizawa amended as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But a lot of them are."
"That's true... that Hondō guy kept staring at my legs," Satō said, her lips thinning at the memory.
"And wouldn't you know it? He's friends with those two idiots," Karuizawa remarked.
Satō pointed across the room. "Hey— Ayanokōji-kun just went over to them."
Karuizawa folded her arms, her expression sharpening. "Tch... don't tell me he's gonna join them."
But what happened next surprised all of them. Ayanokōji casually smacked both Yamauchi and Ike on the back of their heads.
Mii-chan, surprisingly, was the one who reacted first. She giggled at the act. Eventually, the others— except Karuizawa, that was —followed.
"Well, anything you want to say, Karuizawa-san?" Matsushita teased.
Karuizawa sighed. "I... guess I should stop expecting the worst from him."
But could anyone blame her? Ayanokōji was too quiet. And with that blank expression he always wore, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"I've been telling you since Saturday. He's not a bad guy. You just can't expect a homeschooled person to have good social skills, you know?" Matsushita replied.
Mii-chan nodded. "Ayanokōji-kun is a nice guy. I think Hirata-kun wouldn't add him to our group chat if he wasn't," she added.
Karuizawa had to concede to that point. Although Hirata Yōsuke would definitely welcome anyone who wanted to be friends with him, she could tell he'd actually keep someone within arm's reach if he could tell they're making someone in the group uncomfortable.
"I wonder what he's saying to them," Mori said, watching the exchange.
From this distance, it was impossible to hear, but they could see Ayanokōji talking quietly while Yamauchi and Ike actually listened for once. It didn't match the usual image the girls had of him: quiet, detached. Maybe he just didn't want the girls to feel uncomfortable.
"Are you girls still going to swim class?" Satō asked, changing the subject. After overhearing Yamauchi and Ike, she wasn't so sure anymore. But if her friends were going, she'd go too.
"Even if Ayanokōji-kun reprimanded them, I don't think I'm comfortable enough to swim today," Mori replied.
"I'll still go. I wouldn't want to waste Ayanokōji-kun's efforts," Matsushita added.
Mii-chan nodded in agreement.
Everyone's eyes turned to Karuizawa.
"I'm skipping," she said. "What about you, Satō-san?"
Satō looked pensive for a moment, then shook her head. "I'll pass too."
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
By the time lunch rolled around, swim class was already behind them.
Kiyotaka sat quietly with Hirata and the others, poking at his food without much enthusiasm. His mind was elsewhere— replaying the morning.
He'd decided to perform better than he did in the original timeline, finishing fourth behind Kōenji, Sudō, and Hirata.
The decision wasn't random. Months later, Satō Maya would mention finding him interesting because he "seemed athletic." He remembered others also shared that sentiment, so he thought it wouldn't hurt to plant that impression early, but without standing out too much.
Besides, it had been... pleasant, hearing his name called from the sidelines.
Matsushita and Mii-chan, who attended swim class this time, had been cheering him on. Embarrassingly enough, he almost overtook Hirata because of it. Fortunately, he'd caught himself before the impulse made him stand out more than he intended.
His performance aside, the attendance for swim class was different this time around. That was worth noting.
Twenty-five students attended today, nine more than in his memories. All because of one small change: him smacking Yamauchi and Ike earlier that morning.
"Ayanokōji-kun," Hirata's voice cut into his thoughts, "what's on your mind?"
Kiyotaka blinked once, returning to the present.
"Hm? Nothing much," he said. "Just thinking it would've been better if more people attended class. It was fun."
"It was," Hirata agreed easily. "You never told me you were a good swimmer."
"No one asked."
Across the table, Matsushita overheard and smiled. "How could anyone even think to ask something random like that?"
Kiyotaka pretended to consider it. "Maybe something like: 'Are you into sports?' Then if someone says yes, you ask if they're good at it. That's one way."
Karuizawa sent him a dry look. "Is that your thought process when socializing with someone?"
With her pointing that out, Kiyotaka had to admit it was slightly embarrassing to put it that way.
But he decided to roll with the punches. "... Yes."
She sighed. "Guess it's up to us to help you get some social skills."
"I'm pretty sure he's just joking," Hirata interjected, chuckling. "Ayanokōji-kun can talk to us just fine."
Kiyotaka nodded. "That's true."
Turning his gaze to Karuizawa, he added: "Someday, you'll be able to tell if I'm joking. It'll take some training, but I believe in you, Karuizawa."
To his surprise, she actually giggled. "Okay, that's a good one."
"I guess smacking those perverts gave you some confidence, Ayanokōji-kun," Matsushita said.
At her words, Hirata found the timing to ask. "I almost forgot to ask— did you really have to hit them?"
"It was my only option," Kiyotaka replied.
"Well, I support it," Karuizawa said without hesitation.
Kiyotaka briefly glanced at her then got back to his meal.
He should have known that was how he'd get her to finally tolerate him. Karuizawa hated the two perverts. Even when Yamauchi got expelled in the future, she still ranted to his future self about the guy.
Future Karuizawa also mentioned, more than once, that she'd tried to convince Shinohara to break up with Ike.
He thought about the future for a while, then shrugged it away. That was something that this Karuizawa would still have to deal with.
The group ate in silence for a while, until Mii-chan unexpectedly spoke up.
"That reminds me... Hirata-kun, you also really swim fast! Do football players swim for training too?"
Hirata nodded. "We do. It's not just football players, though. Other athletes also swim to improve resistance. Look at Sudō-kun, he was even faster than me."
Kiyotaka observed him briefly. As usual, Hirata never forgot to praise other people as well. Even if the praise was directed at him.
"That explains a lot," Matsushita said. She leaned back in her chair, the hint of a smile on her lips. "You're pretty much good at everything, huh?"
"I wouldn't say that..." Hirata rubbed the back of his neck.
"How about you, Ayanokōji-kun?" Mii-chan asked suddenly. "Are you good at anything else besides swimming?"
Kiyotaka lifted his gaze from his plate. Mii-chan took his words quite literally.
He gave the question a moment's thought.
"Sleeping," he said finally. "And calligraphy. And piano." He would have added tea ceremony too, but he didn't think anyone would believe him.
Mii-chan's eyes widened. "Piano? How good are you with it?"
"Good enough, I guess. I assume you're also good with it?"
She flushed. "I was... forced by my parents into learning it. But I found myself liking it!"
Satō perked up. "I heard you can use the music club's instruments if you ask. We should go check it out sometime!"
Karuizawa gave her a curious look. "Who told you that? I didn't think you were into music."
Satō smiled sheepishly. "I'm not! I just heard some senpais mention it. They went to mess around with the drums."
"I'll go if you guys go with me too," Kiyotaka finally said. "I don't think I could play if it's a bunch of strangers listening."
He could. But Satō had unknowingly given him a chance to improve their impression of him. So he took it.
"Oh, we're definitely going!" Satō beamed. "It'll be fun!"
The others chimed in as well, saying they wanted to hear him and Mii-chan play, much to the girl's embarrassment.
Before long, they'd settled on Friday. It happened to be when both Hirata and Mii-chan were free from club activities: Hirata had just made the football team, and Mii-chan belonged to the tea ceremony club.
As the group turned back to their meals, Kiyotaka found himself wondering— should he join a club too?
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
After classes ended for the day, Kiyotaka made his way to the library. The Chandler books weren't due until next week, but there wasn't much point re-reading them for a third time.
This time, he had something else in mind. He remembered seeing a few Grisham novels tucked into one of the shelves.
Approaching the service desk, Kiyotaka pulled out the books he borrowed.
"The first three of Chandler's works, huh..." He heard a familiar, yet unfamiliar voice mutter.
Turning, Kiyotaka saw a familiar figure—silver-blue hair, slender build. The girl was holding a copy of The Five Red Herrings.
"I finished reading them over the weekends, so I'm returning them," he replied.
Kiyotaka didn't know how it was possible, but to him, it looked like her eyes sparkled at the revelation.
"I'm Shiina Hiyori. Class 1-C," she said. "Are you a first-year too?"
"I am," Kiyotaka replied. "I'm Ayanokōji Kiyotaka from 1-D."
She smiled softly. "You're the first first-year I've seen here. Usually it's upperclassmen."
"That makes sense," he said. "It's only our second week — most first-years are probably exploring the more exciting parts of campus."
Shiina's lips pressed together, thoughtful. "Maybe. But... I'd rather be here. There are too many books I want to read."
Kiyotaka nodded. "Same. I'm planning to grab a few more today."
At that, her eyes brightened. "Do you know what you're looking for? I could recommend a few—since you've read Chandler."
"I do," he said.
But then—seeing the faint dip of her shoulders, the flicker of disappointment—he added:
"But I wouldn't mind hearing your recommendations."
She perked up at once, already drifting toward the shelves.
Kiyotaka returned the books to his bag and followed her. It was a short walk to the Mystery shelves.
"Have you read Dorothy L. Sayers?" she asked over her shoulder.
He approached closer. "No. I've read Christie, but not Sayers."
"In that case—" she beamed, "you should start with Whose Body? It's the first Lord Peter book. Once you read it, I think you'll want to finish the whole series."
Without hesitation, she pulled several volumes and handed them to him.
Kiyotaka glanced from the stack to her hopeful expression.
"Uh... I was actually planning to pick up Grisham today."
Shiina blinked, realization dawning.
"I'm sorry. I got carried away." She bowed slightly.
"It's fine," Kiyotaka said. He adjusted the stack in his arms.
"Grisham... I haven't read him. What kind of books does he write?"
"Legal thrillers," Kiyotaka replied. "I've only read one so far. It was good, so I wanted to read the other books."
"Ah... in that case, I can show you the catalog terminal," she offered. "It's faster than searching by hand."
There was no need. Kiyotaka already knew where they were. Still, he allowed the girl to guide him all the way to the middle of the library, where a few computers stood ready.
"There," she pointed at the computer.
Kiyotaka nodded and began to type out the books he wanted to borrow.
After a while, the two made their way to the shelves. Kiyotaka grabbed two books: "The Firm" and "The Pelican Brief."
He hadn't thought too hard about it — they were the highest-rated ones after A Time to Kill, according to the internet.
Then, without comment, Kiyotaka turned and headed straight for the service desk — still carrying the Sayers books alongside the two Grisham ones.
Shiina followed a step behind. It wasn't until he placed all the books on the counter that she blinked in surprise.
"Ah... you're borrowing Sayers too?" she asked.
"Yeah. I figured I'd give them a try — since you went to the trouble of recommending them."
"Oh..." she flushed slightly. "You didn't have to."
"It should be a good read, so it's fine."
Her expression softened. "Then... could you tell me what you think of them? After you finish?"
Kiyotaka saw the question coming. Because the one thing Shiina Hiyori wanted in this school was someone who she could talk about books with.
"Sure."
"Great! Let's exchange contact information so we can talk about it," she suggested.
Kiyotaka took out his phone and exchanged contacts with the girl.
Soon, he finished his business with the librarian. After a short chat with Shiina, he gathered his books and headed out.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
Before returning to his dorm, Kiyotaka made a short detour to the convenience store. There, he spotted Sudō, who had an obscene amount of cup noodles in his basket.
"Yo! Ayanokōji!" Sudō called out, grinning when he saw him.
"Sudō," he acknowledged the redhead with a nod.
"Whatcha gonna buy, man?" Sudō asked.
Kiyotaka glanced at a section on the far right corner of the store. "Probably a bento set for dinner."
"You eat those a lot?"
"Yeah. Tastes close enough to a real meal—if you heat it properly."
Sudō nodded, thinking it over. Then, with that impulsive energy of his:
"Hey—why don't I treat you tonight? I'll get you a bento," he said. "I owe you anyway. You saved my ass last week."
Kiyotaka bought him a few noodle cups last week when Sudō forgot his Student ID card.
"You sure?"
He was a bit surprised at the brash redhead's gratitude, but he wasn't about to refuse free food.
"Of course, man! We're gonna get a ton of points next month anyway. One bento's nothin'." Sudō grinned wider.
"Alright, if you say so."
The two boys headed to where the bento sets were. Kiyotaka picked his usual.
"Man, I should have bought more of this instead of cup noodles," Sudō lamented, glancing over the variety of bento available. "The display looks real good."
"They taste as good as they look," Kiyotaka replied. "But that might be just me. Try one, then buy more if you like it."
"Hmm... yeah. I'll do that."
Sudō nodded, then grabbed one for himself too—probably figuring he may as well eat something proper for once.
A few minutes later, they stepped out of the store. Sudō handed him a separate bag.
"There ya go. Guess we're even now," he said with a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, Sudō."
With a casual wave, Sudō turned and strode off into the crowd.
Kiyotaka watched him go.
That hadn't happened before.
Then again—he (his future self) hadn't made this detour on this day in the original timeline. Maybe it had always been a possibility. Or maybe... the ripples were already reaching a little farther than he thought.
Hopefully not. It was too soon.
Kiyotaka shook the thought off. Sudō buying him dinner wasn't a sign of some grand divergence. Just a lucky coincidence.
It was welcome, though. Free food was free food.
End of Chapter
Author's Note: Kiyotaka is already trying to change things, but these are things he know he could control. He doesn't want to go big just yet. At least, not until he already set the pieces he needs.
He is making an effort to be slightly more popular, though. Why? Because... (you'll know by the end of the Volume).
Clarification, in case some get confused: Karuizawa isn't friendly just yet. She tolerates him now. That's different from how she sees people like Sato or Hirata.