Arisu Sakayanagi’s Invitation

"Are you serious? hundred…hundred thousand yen a month isn't enough?" Yachiyo Kuhama's mouth twitched slightly.

Just by joining Class 1-A and maintaining good grades, you could earn ten thousand yen for your family each month just by going to school. When Yachiyo Kuhama had first heard about it, she'd felt both envious and regretful that she hadn't chosen to attend Sobu High School herself back in the day.

Did Kotomi Izumi's family own a mine or something?

Even if they did, even if her family was incredibly wealthy and ten thousand yen was nothing to her, she must still know how essential a quality learning environment and high-end educational resources were, right?

At Sobu High School, Class 1-A had the absolute best resources and facilities.

And yet… Kotomi had turned it down?!

Standing there, Yachiyo felt utterly bewildered as she looked at Kotomi. She was at a loss. Should she get angry and demand an explanation?

But a student ultimately had the right to choose, and even as the Class 1-A homeroom teacher, she couldn't force Kotomi to transfer.

Besides…

Yachiyo's gaze lingered on Kotomi's face.

She was adorable.

How could anyone get angry at such a sweet and beautiful girl?

Just holding her in one's arms and pampering her would hardly feel like enough!

"Are you serious? You really don't want to join Class 1-A?" Yachiyo asked again.

If she let Kotomi slip through her fingers, she'd lose her chance to have her in Class 1-A, and that felt like such a waste.

Looking at Kotomi's high score and quirky personality, Yachiyo could only admire her from the bottom of her heart.

Initially, she'd leaned toward a balanced classroom approach for Class 1-A and had hesitated about bringing Kotomi into the fold. But after meeting her, she felt utterly resolved. She had to have Kotomi as her student!

At first, it was her choosing Kotomi, or so she thought.

But it turned out to be the other way around, with Kotomi choosing whether or not to accept her.

And Kotomi had refused!

"Of course, I'm serious. Class 1-A is great, and getting paid to attend sounds nice, but I prefer Class F."

"Why would you want to stay in Class F?" Yachiyo was nearly in tears.

"Because my homeroom teacher is beautiful," Kotomi answered, gazing at Yachiyo with complete sincerity.

Pffft—

Just as Chihiro Sengoku was taking a sip of tea and watching the exchange unfold with great interest, she sprayed her drink everywhere.

Shizuka, who hadn't fully recovered from the shock of Kotomi turning down Class 1-A, suddenly snapped to attention when she heard Kotomi compliment her beauty.

Wait. Did someone just call me beautiful?!

"Beautiful? Just for that reason? No, hang on, I'm beautiful too! Are you saying Shizuka is prettier than me?" Yachiyo was exasperated, her tone hovering between disbelief and amusement.

Not only had she failed to recruit Shizuka's student, but now she was being told she wasn't as pretty as Shizuka? This was pure psychological warfare!

Yachiyo wanted to pull out a little notebook and jot this down as a grudge to remember.

Thursday. Clear skies. Today, Kotomi said I wasn't as pretty as Shizuka Hiratsuka. How dare she! I'm noting this as an official grievance!

She'd expected Kotomi to be an intriguing student, but she hadn't anticipated quite this level of…well, quirkiness.

Refusing Class 1-A because she found Shizuka more beautiful? Seriously?!

You could've come up with literally any other excuse, and it would've been better than that, Yachiyo inwardly wailed.

"Excuse me, Yachiyo-sensei, how is it going?"

Just then, Arisu Sakayanagi, who had been peeking in from the doorway, walked into the office with her cane, trying her best to suppress a smile.

"She…turned me down," Yachiyo replied, looking somewhat despondent.

Arisu had known Kotomi would refuse, but for the sake of giving Yachiyo some face, she feigned shock and disappointment.

"Kotomi, you're really not interested in Class 1-A? What a pity… I thought we'd finally get to go to school, attend classes, and walk home together."

"Hehe, I just like it better in Class F. Why don't you transfer over to F as well?" Kotomi teased lightly.

Hearing Kotomi's suggestion, the other teachers in the room could only shake their heads. Kotomi really was a character.

Arisu Sakayanagi might have placed second overall in the grade, but she was also the Class 1-A president. Transferring from Class A with all its advantages to Class F? Impossible.

"Transfer to Class F? That's… a fantastic idea! Why didn't I think of it sooner?" Arisu responded brightly, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.

What a ridiculous notion!

Yachiyo's face froze, her expression darkening as if she'd just swallowed a fly.

"Well, if Arisu does want to join Class F, she's more than welcome," Shizuka said, giving Yachiyo a smug grin.

See? Try to poach my students, and I'll just poach yours right back!

After recovering from the initial shock of Kotomi's refusal, Shizuka felt confident again. Not that she'd ever felt intimidated by Yachiyo Kuhama, but as a fellow educator, she'd chosen to show some respect.

Besides, Shizuka herself knew that moving Kotomi to Class A might be beneficial; a top learning environment and abundant resources could truly make a difference for a student. So she'd held her tongue.

Now, however, Kotomi had turned the offer down. Shizuka couldn't understand her reasoning, yet she couldn't deny the rush of relief she felt.

A sigh escaped her as she thought, Is she clueless, or just stubborn? Does she even realize how many students would give anything for a place in Class 1-A?

Shizuka shook her head, watching Kotomi, but couldn't help a small, satisfied smile.

"Well, if you're determined to stay in Class F, I won't say anything more," Yachiyo said, sighing but smiling kindly at Kotomi. "Of course, if you ever change your mind, Class 1-A will always welcome you."

Although she felt disappointed, Yachiyo quickly regained her composure. She reassured Kotomi that the door to Class A would always be open if she ever wanted to accept.

"Thank you, Yachiyo-sensei."

Kotomi smiled cheerfully, thinking to herself, Please, just give it up. No way will I ever join A, even if they offered me a million yen each month.

"It's almost time for the next period, so I'll head back to prepare. Shizuka, I see that keeping Kotomi has made you positively smug. Are you the villainess in some story?" Yachiyo scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she observed Shizuka's overly triumphant expression.

"Oh, what would you know? This is the smile of a victor! See you around~" Shizuka grinned, utterly unrepentant. She looked so satisfied that she might as well have been sprinkling salt in Yachiyo's footsteps.

"I'll head out with Kotomi," Arisu said.

Once Yachiyo had left, Kotomi also prepared to head back to class. She turned to Shizuka with a cheerful wave.

"Shizuka-sensei, I'm heading back now."

"Alright, take it easy. You really are my precious little star, my pride and joy, Kotomi! I could just marry you right now if you were a little older," Shizuka teased playfully, her eyes full of affection.

If they hadn't been in the office with other teachers present, she would've scooped Kotomi into a bear hug and smothered her with kisses.

"Haha…" Kotomi replied awkwardly, laughing it off.

She was already used to Shizuka's playful remarks and no longer felt embarrassed by them.

As Kotomi and Arisu left the office, they noticed the third-year students had finished moving the desks, so the most direct route back to the classroom was finally clear.

Before they reached Class 1-F, Arisu discreetly placed the tiny recording device back into Kotomi's side pocket, then called out to her.

"Kotomi, do you have plans for this Saturday?"

"Why? What's up?" Kotomi asked. Whenever someone asked about her schedule, she'd instinctively want to know the reason.

"I'd like to invite you to the aquarium. Would that be alright?"

"An aquarium trip on Saturday? Sorry, but I actually have plans that day," Kotomi replied without asking which aquarium it was.

The moment Arisu mentioned Saturday, Kotomi had already decided. She'd be open to considering it if it were Sunday, but Saturday was non-negotiable.

There was no helping it—she'd already promised Kato Megumi to visit Aqua Park Aquarium in Shinagawa with her on Saturday. She had to turn Arisu down.

But why did Arisu want to visit the aquarium anyway?

Was aquarium-going suddenly popular?

Arisu sighed with a tinge of disappointment. "Oh, really? What a pity. I guess I'll have to make reservations further in advance next time if I want to invite you out."

"No, it's just that I happened to have plans this Saturday, so I can't join you," Kotomi explained.

"Understood. Your plans must be important," Arisu replied, her voice carrying a hint of mystery. "I'll find another chance next week."

Kotomi was about to respond when the bell suddenly rang.

"Oh, it's time for class. See you, Arisu."

"Please, just call me Arisu. I'd love it if you did."

Considering Arisu's request, Kotomi smiled. "Alright. Arisu, see you then."

"Goodbye, Kotomi."

After watching Kotomi enter Class 1-F, Arisu slowly pulled out an aquarium ticket she'd been carrying in her pocket.

The words on the ticket read:

Aqua Park Aquarium, Shinagawa – Welcome!

"What a pity. I'd been so looking forward to Saturday, hoping to go to Shinagawa's aquarium with Kotomi." She let out a regretful sigh. "Looks like I'll have to go alone. But I know! I'll take loads of pictures on my phone and show them to her. She'll definitely be a little jealous."

Back in the classroom, Kotomi found herself immediately surrounded by her curious classmates.

"Kotomi, we heard you ranked first in all of Tokyo—is it true?!"

"Hey, don't question Kotomi's power! Tokyo's no problem for her—she could take first in Japan if she wanted! Kotomi, that silver-haired beauty who came by earlier—is she Arisu Sakayanagi, the president of Class 1-A?"

So Arisu's sudden visit to Class 1-F made everyone curious, huh? Kotomi thought for a moment, then answered with a nod.

"Yep, that was her—Arisu Sakayanagi, the president of Class 1-A. She scored four digits on the exam too, and she's definitely not an opponent to underestimate."

"I knew it—it had to be her!"

"Her hair color's kinda like Kotomi's, huh?"

"Not even close! Arisu has silver hair, while Class 1-F's everlasting queen, Kotomi, has snow-white hair!"

"Wait—do people actually mix up silver and white?"

Sorry, but sometimes even I can't tell them apart at first glance! Kotomi muttered to herself with a slight smile.

One girl, looking at Kotomi with a mix of admiration and shyness, spoke up in a soft voice:

"Um, Ko-Kotomi… uh, if you don't mind me asking, did Arisu have a specific reason for coming to see you? If it's private, you don't have to answer!"

Honestly, if Kotomi's heightened hearing hadn't picked up her quiet voice, she might have missed what the girl was saying entirely.

"Oh, it's nothing secret. Arisu and I took the same exam in the same hall, so after the test, she came up to say hello, and we got a bit of a sense of each other," Kotomi said graciously.

"And why did she come looking for you just now?"

"Hey, that's kinda rude, prying into Kotomi's personal life like that!"

"Are you a gossip columnist or something?"

…But from the tone of your voices, I'd say all of you are just as curious. Kotomi laughed a little, feeling like a celebrity hounded by reporters. All they needed were microphones in their hands.

"Really, it's nothing exciting," she said, waving a hand. "She just came by to ask me to go to the teacher's office for a bit."

Kotomi wasn't about to be foolish enough to mention Arisu's aquarium invitation. There was no need to make her private life into a school-wide rumor mill—especially with Megumi Kato nearby. If she overheard, who knew what she'd think?

Though she wasn't yet the smoothest at handling everyone's emotions, Kotomi's two lives of experience gave her insight far beyond her years.

"Oh, I see…"

"I almost thought she pulled you out to invite you on a weekend date! In romance manga, there's always that scene where the main guy calls the heroine out of the classroom to ask if she's free on Sunday and if they can go on a date!" said a girl with braids and glasses, her voice filled with excitement.

"No way! They're both girls! Girls don't just fall in love with each other. You seriously need to stop reading so much romance manga. Your mom's going to throw out your whole collection if you don't do better on your midterms!"

"Ugh! That would be so cruel…"

Ah, but braided-girl, you got it half right.

Wait—going by that logic, doesn't that make me the "heroine" in this romance manga?!

Kotomi kept the thought to herself, chuckling without comment.

"I'm more curious about why Kotomi got called to the teacher's office. Wait—did you not do your homework?!"

"As if! I always check my assignments by second period. At this point, I'm basically friends with all the class representatives," Kotomi said with a smile.

"Right," the physics rep added, pushing his glasses up confidently. "I can't speak for other subjects, but in physics, even if Kotomi doesn't turn in her work, I've still got her back. Last Tuesday, I only collected ten assignments and told the teacher we had a full set."

"Ha, thanks!" Kotomi replied, feeling assured. Now, if she ever got lazy and skipped an assignment, she knew she'd have the reps to back her up.

Then again, with her exam scores—especially her perfect score in physics—the teachers would probably overlook the occasional missed assignment. But as the saying goes, it's always good to have multiple options. Building rapport with the reps would make handling classwork even easier.

"Oh, Kotomi, do you think the teachers will give you a reward? After all, you ranked first in the entire school and Tokyo—there should be some kind of prize, right?"

"Prize? I don't know if there is one. I got called to the office because Ms. Yachiyo, the Class 1-A homeroom teacher, wanted to see me. She came by to invite me to transfer."

The moment Kotomi said this, the room fell silent, as if suddenly transported to the eerie depths of Silent Hill.

But the silence lasted only for a second before the classroom exploded with noise!

"Kotomi can actually transfer to Class 1-A?!"

"Why wouldn't she? She's our grade's number one, Tokyo's number one!"

"Kotomi, you're incredible!!!"

"Kotomi, can I be an accessory on your beautiful legs? Your sister here is ready for duty! Wait, you're wearing black thigh-highs today? Well then, I'm game! Thank you for the treat!"

Could you please not announce the color of my stockings so loudly?!

"But wait—if that's the case, Kotomi, wouldn't that mean you'll have to transfer to Class 1-A and won't be in Class 1-F anymore?" said the braided girl, suddenly sounding small.

Despite her quiet tone, she often had a knack for zeroing in on things others didn't want to acknowledge. Her words were like a dousing of cold water on the entire class's excitement.

Everyone began to realize that if Kotomi transferred, she'd no longer be in Class 1-F.

For a moment, disappointment hung thick in the air.

"Ah, did I say something wrong?" The girl with braids instinctively hunched her shoulders, sensing the shift in mood.

Seeing everyone's crestfallen expressions, Kotomi hurriedly said, "No way! Sure, Yachiyo-sensei invited me to join Class 1-A, but I turned her down. The reason? A-Class only allows five absences per term. There's no way I'm giving up my right to skip school! I'd refuse even if there was an S-Class that couldn't let me take a break!"

Kotomi's energy seemed to lift the class into a new wave of excitement.

"Kotomi, you're invincible!"

"To say no to Class 1-A just because of the absence policy—you're our guiding star, Kotomi!"

"To follow Kotomi's example, I'm going to start my own series of five-day breaks tomorrow!"

"She turned down Class 1-A over attendance limits! She's amazing! I'll start calling her 'Onee-sama' from now on too!"

"I want to be Kotomi's dog!"

"Something is seriously wrong with you!"

The Class 1-F cheers grew louder and louder, so intense it seemed they could shake the ceiling and floor!

The dean, hearing the racket, stormed up the stairs, fuming, only to realize it was coming from Class 1-F yet again. He had been about to enter and give them a lecture, but remembering that Kotomi had not only scored four digits and ranked first in her grade but had taken first across all of Tokyo, his stern expression melted into a satisfied smile.

Turning around, he quietly went down the stairs and headed to Class 1-B instead, where he promptly confiscated a pile of cell phones.

Ensuring that their high school memories remained just as vibrant as ever.