New Faces

The following morning, Aisha and I made our way to Matsugaya High. The walk was quiet and refreshing, with a light breeze rustling through the trees, and the soft hum of the city waking up around us. Aisha seemed particularly upbeat, humming a tune under her breath as she led the way.

"So, how do you feel about finally seeing the place?" she asked, glancing over at me with a playful smile.

"Nervous, I guess. It's a new environment, new faces… it's kinda daunting," I admitted, scratching the back of my head. "But I'm glad I have you to show me around."

"Of course!~" Aisha beamed, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Saki, you're going to fit right in! Matsugaya High isn't as intimidating as Emma made it sound. Well, not unless you run into her during one of her competitive moods…"

I chuckled at the thought of Emma trying to one-up me again. "Yeah, I can imagine."

As we reached the school gates, I took a moment to take in the sight before me. Matsugaya High stood tall and proud, its modern architecture sleek yet welcoming. Students were streaming in, chatting in small groups, adjusting their uniforms, and some were still munching on onigiri or bread as they hurried to class. Despite being a high school, there was a sense of unity and tradition that made it feel… different, almost prestigious.

"Here we are, Matsugaya High," Aisha said, spreading her arms wide as if she was presenting the place on a game show. "Ready to see your new home for the next year?"

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Aisha guided me through the gates, and we walked toward the main building. The school grounds were neat and well-kept, with blooming flowerbeds lining the pathways. I noticed a few students glancing our way, some of them probably wondering who the new guy was walking in with Aisha. A few friendly smiles and curious stares later, we reached the administrative office.

Inside, the atmosphere was calm and orderly, a stark contrast to the bustling energy of the schoolyard. There were a few students seated on benches, filling out forms, and a couple of staff members moving behind the counters, sorting out paperwork. Aisha approached the front desk, where a middle-aged woman in a neat blazer greeted us.

"Good morning! How can I help you?" she asked, her tone polite and professional.

"Hi, I'm here to get him registered as a new student," Aisha said, gesturing to me. "This is Motosaki Izuna. He just moved here from America."

The woman looked at me and smiled warmly. "Ah, welcome to Matsugaya High, Motosaki-san. We've been expecting you."

She turned to her computer and began typing. "Please have a seat for a moment, and we'll get the paperwork ready."

As I sat down beside Aisha, I could feel my nerves settling a bit. It was hard to stay anxious with her beside me, radiating her usual calm and friendly energy.

She nudged my shoulder gently, leaning in closer. "See? Nothing to worry about. It's just some boring paperwork, and then we'll be out of here. And if we have time, we can even grab some lunch afterward!"

I smiled at her. "I appreciate it, Ai. Thanks for coming with me."

"Don't mention it. It's nice to see you becoming a part of this," she said softly, her eyes reflecting a mix of excitement and warmth. "You're going to make some great friends here, I just know it."

A few minutes later, the woman at the desk called us back. "Motosaki-san, we have everything set up. We just need you to fill out these forms and provide any additional information regarding your previous school records."

I stood up, feeling a bit of relief wash over me as we approached the counter. The woman handed me a clipboard with a stack of forms, and Aisha helped me with translating some of the more complex sections. As I filled out the paperwork, she explained a few things about the school system, the classes, and the clubs I could consider joining.

"Clubs are a big thing here, you know," she said, her eyes lighting up. "You should think about joining one. It's a great way to meet people and, of course, have some fun."

"What club are you in?" I asked, glancing up at her.

"I'm part of the Cultural Appreciation Club," she replied with a grin. "We do a bit of everything – from language exchange and calligraphy to tea ceremonies. I think you'd like it. Plus, Emma's in the Cooking Club, and Rebecca's the editor for the school's literature magazine, so we all have our little corners to hang out in."

The thought of joining a club made me feel both excited and nervous. It was like an opportunity to start fresh, but also a bit daunting to think about diving into something new. Still, the way Aisha spoke about it, with such enthusiasm, made it sound appealing.

As I finished signing the last form, I handed it back to the woman at the desk.

"Alright, Motosaki-san, you're officially registered. You'll be starting classes next week, so make sure to familiarize yourself with your timetable and the campus layout. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." She said, taking the papers with a warm smile.

I nodded, grateful for the smooth process. "Thank you very much."

The woman smiled. "Welcome to Matsugaya High. We hope you have a wonderful time here."

With that, Aisha and I left the office, stepping back out into the bright, sunlit courtyard. I felt a sense of accomplishment, a small but meaningful step toward settling into this new chapter of my life. Aisha beamed at me, her eyes twinkling.

"Well, looks like you're officially one of us now, Saki," she said, playfully bumping her shoulder against mine. "Welcome to Matsugaya High. Now, how about that lunch I promised?"

I laughed, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Sounds perfect."

As we made our way to the exit, I couldn't help but think about everything that lay ahead. New classes, new people, and hopefully, new friends. And with Aisha by my side, it felt like I was ready for whatever came next.

{Chapter 4: New Faces}

Aisha and I entered the cafeteria, the aroma of freshly made food hitting my senses immediately. It felt different than America, the lunch ladies actually made the food fresh here. As she took me to the line, she noticed a familiar figure ahead of us, gasping with excitement.

"Otsuki!~" Aisha called out with excitement.

The girl in front of us turned around, her gaze meeting Aisha's and my gaze for a moment. She smiled at Aisha, making her way toward us. "Ahh, Aisha~ It's nice to see you today, who's your friend?"

"Ah, my name is Motosaki Izuna. I'm a transfer student from America," I introduced, holding my hand out politely for a friendly handshake.

Otsuki smiled at me, gracefully taking my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Motosaki-san..~ My name is Otsuki Nagagami."

Otsuki Nagagami was an stunningly beautiful woman, exuding a grace and elegance of a perfect, ideal japanese woman, a Yamato Nadeshiko of sorts. She has long, flowing dark hair with soft silver or lighter highlights, styled elegantly with some sections loosely framing her face. Her eyes are a gentle shade of pink or mauve, adding a delicate and serene charm to her face.

Her complexion is pale, which complements the softness of her features and her overall ethereal appearance. She was wearing a typical school uniform, consisting of a white shirt, a plaid skirt, and a gray blazer with a pink bow tie. The outfit gave her a classic high school student appearance. The uniform was neatly worn, which suggests she takes care of her appearance.

"So when do you start?" Otsuki asked, grabbing her tray from the rack and moved forward in the line.

"Next week, which is pretty interesting since it's still July," I said, following the line and grabbing a tray as well.

"Well Matsugaya High doesn't follow the same school schedule as the other other schools. We are technically an academy, so we run things differently. We start a month early and leave a month early and get out in April during the spring, depending on when you start," Otsuki explained, grabbing a bowl and out her noodles in the bowl using the metal chopsticks.

"Interesting. So this academy runs similar to a college? You have Summer, Fall and Spring semesters?" I asked, grabbing a bowl and putting in fried rice and orange chicken in my bowl.

"Mhm. The Summer Semester always starts in July, the Fall Semester starts in October, and the Spring Semester starts in April," Otsuki answered, making her way down the line to the cafeteria register and used her student ID card to pay for her lunch.

I nodded, following down the line and reached in my pocket to grab my wallet to pay for my lunch by pocket since I didn't have my ID. Before I had the chance to pull out some cash, Otsuki used her ID card to pay for my lunch as well.

I looked up at Otsuki, grateful that she paid for my lunch. "Thank you..."

Otsuki giggled softly, nodding her head. "Of course, any friend of Aisha's is a friend of mine, especially close friends..~"

I smiled at her then watched as she walked toward the table with Emma, Rebecca, and a third girl. I decided to wait for Aisha on the side, watching her pay for her lunch. "She's really nice..~"

Aisha hummed happily, giggling softly. "She is...she's actually my best friend in this high school. She's really the ideal japanese woman..~"

"I can see it," I chuckled softly, moving an eyebrow up and down.

Aisha and I went to the table containing her friends and joined them for lunch. Once we sat at the table, the girls began to socialize as usual, sharing gossip and giggles with one another. While the girls talked, the final girl caught my eye since she seemed to be the last of the group I should get to know.

She had long, wavy blonde hair that flowed elegantly, suggesting a carefree yet stylish personality. Her bright, blue eyes and beaming smile indicated a cheerful and charismatic disposition. The blush on her cheeks adds to her friendly and approachable aura, making her seem full of energy and excitement.

She is dressed in a chic and fashionable school uniform, consisting of a white top and a loose, stylish beige blazer. Her casual yet sophisticated look suggested she valued comfort without sacrificing style. Her black skirt contrasted well with her lighter top and jacket, creating a polished and put-together appearance.

"So, Aisha, who's the guy? A new servant for me to boss around?~" The girl asked, chuckling softly as she glanced between me and Aisha.

"No, Naomi, this is Motosaki, my childhood best friend~ Starting next week, he will be joining us officially so I'm giving him a tour around the school so he'll know his way around," Aisha answered, smiling at Naomi and taking a bite out of her food.

Naomi glanced at me, a smug smirk playing on her face. She flipped her hair, scoffing lightly at me. "Aisha's childhood friend huh? Well, let's start with the basics, my name is Naomi Suzuki and from this point forward, you will be my personal errand boy..~"

"Yeah, in your dreams," I said dismissively, taking a bite of my food.

Naomi looked a bit surprised for a moment, caught off guard slightly from my dismissiveness. She quickly regathered herself, clearing her throat. "Ahem, I don't think you understood what I said. The rules are simple if you're gonna find your place I'm this group. As the only male of the group, it is your job to attend to my needs."

I set down my chopsticks, my gaze meeting Naomi's. "Not a chance, like at least let me actually start on my first day before treating me like a butler..."

"It's only fair, Nao~" Aisha giggled, glancing at Naomi with a playful smile.

"Ugh...fine. You're lucky this time, but soon you'll fall in line like the rest of the guys here," Naomi promised, snapping her fingers and a guy hurried toward her, bowing. "Hideo, get me more food please and get it here before it gets cold."

"Y-Yes ma'am," The guy said, hurrying off to grab more food for Naomi.

'Ain't no way he just followed those orders.

Could not be me,' I thought, shaking my head slowly.

After that exchange with Naomi, the girls went back to talking with one another. I was pretty excited for this new journey now, not only did I have Aisha as a guide but I now had a few friends to help me around, even if they were all girls.

Soon, the lunch period ended once the bell soubd do off and everyone got up from their seats and set their empty trays on a conveyor belt for the dishwasher to clean. We began to leave the cafeteria, Aisha and I splitting from the group for now.

"So, you've met all of my friends~ Do you think you'll like it here?" Aisha asked, glancing at me and holding her hands behind her back.

"Yeah, I believe this will be a very nice experience. I do like how everyone has their own distinct personality really. I'm really excited to start," I answered, turning my gaze to look at Aisha, my lips curling into an excited smile.

Aisha giggled and nodded, reaching over to hold my hand as we walked around the campus. "I'm excited for you to start as well!~ Now, let's get you accustomed to the campus and the important landmarks."

I nodded, holding her hand as well. "Alright, let's go."

Together, the two of us began to make our journey around the campus, Aisha showing me most of the hangout spots and the most important areas like the library, the gym, and the club building. The campus was much bigger than I anticipated, much bigger than what I was used to.

After showing me around the campus, the two of us made our way into the main education building and led me down the halls and up a few flight of stairs to the A-1 Floor. The floors were split into education level starting D-3 to A-1, a total of four floors.

"So in this school, your education level is categorized into not only the year you are but also how smart you are. The D Floor is typically for first yesrs, the C Floor is for second years, the B Floor is for third years, and the A Floor is for us, fourth years," Aisha explained, leading me down the hall to her classroom.

"And the education level?" I asked, my tone filled with curiosity.

"That's what we have the numbers for take our floor. The halls are divided in numbers. A-3, A-2, and A-1. Because you were top of your class, there's no reason for them to start you at A-3. You were transferred over immediately as an A-1," Aisha explained, reaching her class and stood in front of the classroom door.

"I can't really enter the class since class is already in session, but next week you'll be able to introduce yourself and make a true first impression!~" Aisha hummed, turning on her heels to face me.

I nodded, slipping my hands into my pockets. "Right, thank you for showing me around, Aisha. I really appreciate it."

"It's no issue!~ Welcome to Matsugaya High, and also, we only wear uniforms on uniform day. Uniforms are typically worn when the school evaluation happens, but that's only like five times a month," Aisha informed, gently placing her hand on my arm.

"Got it, keeping that in my notes," I chuckled, nodding at Aisha.

Aisha giggled and turned once again. "Alright, let's get going. Since I'm already absent for the day, might as well just go have fun in Shibuya for a while to pass the time."

I smiled at her and followed behind her, the two of us making our way to the exit. Starting next week, my new journey will truly begin and although I was feeling the first impression jitters, I was quite confident in my ability to keep up with the rest.