What has just happened?

Come on...come on...please be a normal class and not a crazy one, please be normal...! I don't want to end up in a crazy class…

I've always had a hard time making new friends, or maybe I should say I suck when it comes to interacting with people. I have always been alone. In middle school, I only had two friends that I ate with a few times during breaks. That was it. I was never the type to go out, but would sit at home and play video games or read manga. I was just different than most and was very reserved. I thought that this concept of "making friends" was just pointless. Maybe I sound edgy but that's just the way I am: a loner. That's right, I am a loner.

I still have trouble communicating with others, and oftentimes people think I'm an extrovert when I'm just pretending to be. I hate myself to death inside for that, believe it or not. But that's just the way it is. I get carried away in some conversations, like this morning with this one girl. Otherwise, I'm more of a one-on-one kind of guy.

"But today will be different, just you wait!"

So I slowly opened the door and entered the room. In the first seconds I saw nothing at all, as the sunlight through the window was too strong and therefore blinded me. From second to second I saw new faces, but in slow motion. There were a total of 24 other students in the classroom, and of them, the boys were in the majority.

Everyone stared at me stupidly and I was frozen. This feeling ... I had not expected that to happen at all. Why is everyone looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face? Or do they already think I'm weird?

Calm down, take a deep breath and just sit down... You can do this.

In the far back right corner, there was an empty seat with a nice view outside.

Phew, it didn't look so bad after all, what should I do now? Do I wait for the professor or try to talk to someone?

As I began to sink into my thoughts, someone suddenly stood in front of me. I saw pitch-black, long hair, and when I raised my gaze upward, I saw red, bulging eyes that could swallow one up if they wanted to....

wait….that's…her!

"Rin-kun…long time no see ehehehe~"

"Aomine! Aomine?! W-what are you doing here…?!"

"Well, I'm in that class too, you know, Rin! We're both in the same class, isn't that unbelievable?

"Unbelievable? Heh..if you say so."

Surprised as I am, I could disappear without a word. She and I... we both go to the same class. Holy. But that's not good. I need to focus on my grades…Do I really want that? To have good grades without social contacts? That worries me.

But what worries me even more is that I don't know anyone in this class except her. I really don't know how I'm going to survive this year. In fact, many of them know each other very well as they may have gone to the same middle school or lived in the same neighborhood. On the other hand, there are people like me who are lonely, not because we wanted to be, but because we had to be.

"Rin..."

"Rin? Hey, Rin... You there?"

"Oh, um... Sorry, I was totally lost in my own thoughts."

"You okay?"

I couldn't help but notice how everyone was eyeing me, probably because of Aomine. I mean, have you seen her? She's drop-dead gorgeous. Even though she's new like me, she's got this magnetic charm that draws all the attention. Bet she knows it too, with all those guys and girls ogling her.

I can't help but envy her. She's got the looks and a cool personality to match. Plus, she couldn't care less about what others think. And then there's me, a total idiot who can't seem to get anything right on my own. I'm so unappealing that even war veterans look scared in my presence.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Good to hear. I'll go grab my seat then. We can catch up later, alright?"

"Sure..."

As soon as she took her seat, the professor walked into the classroom. She had a moderate height, neither too tall nor too short, and her figure suited her well. Her brown hair fell just past her shoulders, framing her face along with the glasses she wore. To be honest, she looked quite young.

"Hi everyone, I'm Yamaha Chizuru, your new class teacher. How's everyone doing? Good? Or just good, huh?"

"Well, before we get started, let's introduce ourselves and play a fun game."

Oh no, not today! I could already tell she was going to make us write something on cards, then randomly draw them and have those people introduce themselves.

Damn...

"I want everyone to fill out the card. Pass it on to the person sitting behind you."

My classmates passed along the note given by the teacher.

Name:

Age:

Hobbies:

Likes:

One sentence to the class:

"I knew it, damn it!"

I knew exactly what she was going to say next. It was so obvious.

"Everyone needs to fill out the card. Then I'll draw cards randomly and ask students about what they wrote. If you don't want to participate, that's okay. Just tell us your name and age."

Oh my god... I hope it's not as difficult as it seems, or else I'm definitely going to struggle.

"Okay, okay, if no one wants to start, I'll gladly take the opportunity to start."

Woah, my savior has appeared!

Who is she? Or rather, where is she?

W-what...she really looks outstanding. Is she an angel or something?

"Glad to hear there is someone who wants to get moving, great! So, Mrs. Angel, what's your name?"

"My name is Lida Yukari, I have reached the age of sixteen."

"Lida Yukari, what a lovely name."

"Mh!"

Lida Yukari... Lida Yukari seems to be her name, huh?

"Ms. Yukari, you attended Seirin Middle School? Is that correct?

"Yes, It is."

"Uh-huh, good to know, I guess. But how did you get to this school? Isn't it far from here?"

"Mh yeah…Since my family moved for work reasons, this school was the best choice."

Her family has moved to another state? This is unexpected to be honest.

Hobbies: She enjoys reading, singing, and engaging in various sports activities.

Likes: I've got a big appetite, so feed me something tasty, ehehehe.

One sentence to the class: Let's all get along and make sure I never go hungry!

What a phrase.

Seems like everyone took a liking to her, huh? Well, that's no surprise. I mean, just take a look at her. Not only does she have a remarkable appearance, but her personality shines just as brightly.

"Alright, let's move on to Rin Takahashi."

Wait, me? How on earth did I end up here? I guess my luck has finally caught up with me.

"Hey, where's Mr. Takahashi?"

"Right here."

"Oh, good. So, Takahashi, I heard you went to Rakuzan Middle School. That's quite a distance from here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

To be honest, I'd rather not talk about that. Ever since my father left my mom and me, it's a sore subject for me.

I hate it.

"Oh, I see. You wrote 'private reasons' on your card. I suppose you don't want to talk about it, right?"

"Yeah, please."

Got it. I'll be more careful next time. Thanks for sharing the information, though!

"No problem."

Phew, thank goodness. I dodged a bullet there.

Hobbies: Reading books and playing video games.

Likes: My room.

One thing to tell the class: Let's all get along or something, I don't even know.

"Your room? Are you sure you don't have any other interests or preferences you'd like to share with us?"

"Nah."

"I see."

She seemed a bit disappointed, but she's still trying to make this process work. Well, I guess that's what we call hard work, right?

What's that saying again? "Honesty is strength"? Yeah, right. Although, I have to admit, at least I was being honest. Either way, I've resigned myself to the idea that no one will approach me. Screw it.

By the time the introductions were over, I was practically dozing off. How does a teacher have so much energy, especially on a Monday?

Anyway, I packed up my things, plugged in my headphones, and blasted some music to gear up for the trip home. Many students had made plans for the day, like going to karaoke or grabbing dinner together. It would be nice to have someone who would do that with me.

"Hey, it's Rin Takahashi from your class, by the way."

"Rin...? Rin!? Rin! Ah, yes, the guy who worships his room like it's a sacred temple!"

"Huh?"

"So, this is where you live, huh? Do you live alone?"

Why is she asking about that...?

"Well, not exactly. I actually live with my mom and sister, but they're hardly ever around, so it feels like I live alone, you know."

"Ah, got it, got it."

"But hey, the real question is, why were you out in the rain? Or rather, why did you purposely avoid going home?"

"Uh-huh... 'cause I just didn't want to go back home."

Did she have some kind of disagreement with her parents or something?

"Well, I won't pry into the details since it's clear you don't want to talk about it. But before you catch a cold on my doorstep too, why don't you come inside? I'll find something for you to change into so your wet clothes can dry."

"Inside your house?!"

"Haha, just kidding! I was just messing with you, you know. I've got a twisted sense of humor."

"W-what? Takahashi, you're so mean... waaahhhh."

Wait, is she actually crying now? What the heck, that's not fair. She's being incredibly adorable!

"Alright, alright, no need to cry. Come on in before you really catch a cold."

As I brought her into my room, providing her with clothes and assuring her that she could use the bathroom and wait until my mother got back from work, a sinking feeling crept over me. If my mother found out, I would be in serious trouble.

"Thanks for helping me, Takahashi. I'm really sorry," she said, her voice filled with gratitude and remorse.

"You better be sorry," I replied sharply, my frustration evident. "I'm putting my life on the line because of you."

Confused, she started to ask what I meant, but I quickly cut her off, signaling for her to forget about it.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us, accentuated by the fact that she was the first girl to ever step foot in my room. She seemed like an angel, but the situation was far from ideal.

"You know, I've never been in a boy's room before. It's kind of embarrassing, if you know what I mean," she confessed, her words resonating with me. It was uncomfortable, not just for her, but for me as well.

"Alright, I'll leave now. You can sleep here and don't worry about my mother. I'll find a way to explain it to her so she won't immediately kill me. Good night. Sleep well," I told her, trying to reassure her.

"Takahashi, you..." she began, wanting to say something, but I interrupted her.

"It's okay. Just tell your mom that you're staying at a friend's house."

"Ah, okay. I will," she responded, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"On that note, sweet dreams, Yakuri-san," I said, closing the door before she could finish her sentence. I couldn't help but wonder, what was happening to me?

I settled myself on the sofa, slowly drifting into a deep sleep. I mulled over the events of the day in my mind. It was hard to believe what had unfolded. Was it merely luck? Or perhaps a mere coincidence?

"Well, it doesn't really matter anymore, I guess," I concluded, as I let the thought fade away.