Sakamoto Ryuji
My name is Sakamoto Ryuji, and I'm a perfectly ordinary seventeen-year-old high school student.
On weekdays, I shuttle between home and school like a hamster on a wheel. On weekends, I either work out with my childhood friend, Maiya, or play games all night with my little sister.
That was my basic routine.
But this week, things had been going wrong from the very first day.
Bumping into a girl I'd never seen before in an alley on my way to school, forgetting the lunchbox my sister packed for me, losing the wallet in my pocket—it was just a string of bad luck.
"…How unlucky."
Ichijo Academy, the school I go to, is a highly competitive private high school, even by Tokyo standards.
I had originally planned to attend a school near my house, but through my archaeologist parents' connections, I somehow ended up here.
Apparently, they knew someone here and asked them to be my guardian while I'm in high school.
As for siblings, I have a little sister who's two years younger. Since our parents are often abroad for work, my sister and I usually live on our own.
When I was younger, I resented them for it, but now, I'm honestly thankful.
After all, there's no one around to nag me for staying up late and having fun.
Today, too, I arrived at school just in time to avoid being late and opened the back door to Class 2-B.
The first thing that came into view was a back as broad as the Pacific Ocean and arm muscles that looked ready to burst, impossible to hide even under a loose-fitting gakuran.
And I knew this man's name.
Commonly known as—
'The Strongest Man in the Academy,' Kim Yu-seong.
All sorts of rumors swirled around him, thanks to his macho appearance that made it impossible to believe he was a classmate of the same age.
That he was the successor to some apocalyptic assassination art, that he had a star-shaped birthmark on his neck, or that he was an intellectual yakuza favored by the third boss of the Toseikai.
The truth was a mystery, but my first impression of him wasn't all that bad.
Not only did he try his best to answer kindly whenever someone spoke to him, but he also spent his breaks reading the latest issue of *Jump*.
Contrary to the ominous rumors, he might actually be a good guy.
Not long after I entered the classroom, it was time for homeroom. Our teacher, Matsuda, who was also the second-year dean, walked in.
Matsuda, who seemed to have just caught a nap in the faculty office, let out a huge yawn and spoke to the temporary class president chosen yesterday.
"Class President, lead the greeting."
At that, a girl with braided hair, who looked every bit the model student, shot up from her seat and shouted.
"Yes! Everyone, attention! Bow to the teacher!"
"Alright."
Accepting the greeting with a casual wave, Matsuda opened the attendance book tucked under his arm and began to call roll.
"Aizawa Minami."
"Here~"
"Akagi Shun."
"Here!"
The attendance numbers are in hiragana order.
Since my surname is Sakamoto, which is somewhere in the middle, my name was called a short while after he started.
"Sakamoto Ryuji."
"Here."
And so, the names of the class were called one by one, until it was Kim Yu-seong's turn. He was near the end because his surname is written in katakana.
Matsuda, still half-asleep, read the name written in the book without much thought.
"Kim… Ryusei?"
At that, Kim Yu-seong, who had been sitting quietly in the very back of the class, spoke for the first time.
"It's Kim Yu-seong."
His voice was deep and heavy, like something straight out of a yakuza movie.
The moment they heard it, everyone in the classroom tensed up.
The class stirred.
The same went for Matsuda, who just moments before had worn a sleepy expression.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, he immediately corrected himself.
"Ah, Kim Yu-seong. My apologies, I misread your name."
He was trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, but anyone could see his body was trembling.
Like a mouse before a lion, he was instinctively submitting from the depths of his being to a superior male.
"It's alright."
But when Kim Yu-seong immediately said it was fine and bowed his head, Matsuda managed to finish the roll call, muttering, "Thanks…"
***
Just when I thought he was about to start the lesson, Matsuda suddenly cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone.
"I know things are a bit chaotic since it's only the second day of the new semester, but quiet down for a moment."
At that, the noisy classroom fell silent as if by magic.
Nodding in satisfaction, Matsuda suddenly dropped a bombshell.
"We have a new transfer student in our class. She's come from far away, so a lot of things will be new to her. Make sure to look out for her."
Having said that, Matsuda called out to someone outside the classroom.
"Hey! Come on in!"
But I, having no particular interest in some unknown transfer student, turned my head to look out the window.
I could feel the essence of spring from the cherry blossom trees in full, glorious bloom.
"Introduce yourself."
Immediately after, a cheerful voice, presumably the transfer student's, reached my ears.
"My name is Kishimoto Rika! I came up from Shizuoka! I like cats, sweets, and natto soup! I look forward to spending the rest of the year with you all!"
"Alright, Kishimoto, your seat will be… that one over there looks good."
Hearing Matsuda's words, I casually turned my head, only to spot a familiar face and raise my voice without thinking.
"You! The girl I bumped into in the alley this morning!"
"The morning pervert!"
"Who are you calling a pervert?!"
What kind of cruel joke of fate was this?
To think that the violent girl I'd bumped into in the alley near school this morning would be the new transfer student in my class.
The teacher, having heard our exchange, made a carefree comment, "Oh, you two know each other? Even better," and urged her to take her seat.
With no other choice, the violent girl sat down next to me, placed her bag on the desk, glanced my way, then turned her head with a "Hmph!"
It seemed she'd gotten the completely wrong idea because I'd accidentally seen her underwear.
As I was wondering how I could apologize to her naturally, the violent girl took something out of her bag and held it out.
"This is yours, right?"
What she held out was the wallet I'd lost this morning.
I hurriedly checked the contents; the money and cards were all there.
I was about to thank her right away, but the violent girl, apparently still holding a grudge, wouldn't even look in my direction.
In the end, I just fumbled for words, unable to exchange a single one with the violent girl next to me until Matsuda's class was over.
***
When first period ended, a crowd of classmates swarmed the transfer student to talk to her.
Thanks to them, I missed my chance to apologize again and had no choice but to stumble away from my seat like a defeated soldier.
As I stood in the hallway, staring blankly at the school grounds, Maiya came out after me.
"Ryuji, did you do something to the new student?"
To my childhood friend's worried question, I couldn't help but lie.
"Huh? It's nothing. We just bumped into each other while running on the way to school, so there was some physical contact. That's why she called me a pervert."
"Really? Well, that's a relief, but…"
Maiya mumbled this while glancing at the transfer student's profile inside the classroom, then advised me in a serious tone.
"If you were in the wrong, Ryuji, make sure you apologize first. Got it?"
"I know, I know. Anyone would think you were my mom."
"Whaaaat~?"
I hastily fled back into the classroom to escape Maiya, who, as usual, was about to go into lecture mode with her hands on her hips.
***
But my resolve was for naught. The transfer student seemed determined to ignore me, not saying a single word until the end of fourth period.
At this point, I was getting stubborn.
I packed up my textbooks and grabbed the wrist of the transfer student, who looked like she was about to have lunch with the other girls.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I have something to say to you in private. Can you come with me for a moment?"
Perhaps because our voices were loud, the gazes of the other students still in the classroom focused on us.
Honestly, it was incredibly embarrassing, but I mustered up my courage and spoke.
"It's about the accident this morning."
At that, the transfer student's expression, which had been cold the entire time, finally softened slightly.
"…Fine. But just for a minute."
Now that I had her permission, there was no need to stay in the classroom any longer.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her along, not caring who was watching.
My plan was to go to the deserted schoolyard behind the building during lunch.
As I blindly headed for the back door with the transfer student, my eyes met Kim Yu-seong's, who happened to be sitting at the desk right by it.
He was leaning back slightly in his chair, hands in his pockets—a defiant posture.
I flinched for a moment but quickly realized I didn't have time for this and hurried out of the classroom.
Since it was lunchtime, the hallways were a chaotic mess with students running towards the school store.
Taking the emergency staircase on the opposite side from the store, I reached our destination—the schoolyard behind the building. I shouted at the transfer student, who stood there with her arms crossed, as I bowed a full ninety degrees.
"I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose!"
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
After a silence that felt like an eternity, a laugh suddenly came from above my head.
"Pfft."
Covering her mouth with the sleeve of the cardigan she wore over her sailor uniform, she spoke with a cat-like smile.
"You're surprisingly innocent, aren't you?"
The moment I saw her face, I realized.
The transfer student in front of me had been pretending to be angry the whole time.