Class Introductions
Third-Person Perspective
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood at the gates of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, his expression unreadable. This was it—his new school, a place where he could finally have three years of peace. As he walked toward the entrance, a voice called out from behind.
"Wait!"
He turned to see the black-haired girl from the bus, her sharp eyes fixed on him.
"You were looking at me earlier on the bus. Why?" she asked, her tone direct and probing.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I was just curious," Ayanokoji replied calmly. "You didn't want to give up your seat either. I was wondering if, like me, you'd rather stay out of it."
The girl's gaze shifted to the boy who had given up his seat earlier.
"And you," Ayanokoji asked him, "why did you give up your seat?"
The boy, Kudo Shinichi, responded with a calm but firm tone, "Do I need a reason for helping someone?"
The girl interjected, her voice laced with pride. "I'm nothing like you two. In my case, I stayed silent as a matter of principle."
Kudo muttered under his breath, "Well, that principle itself is wrong…"
She didn't seem to catch his words.
"If that's all, then I'm going," Kudo said, walking away.
"Hmph!" the girl scoffed, clearly annoyed.
Ayanokoji watched her walk off, silently hoping she wouldn't be in his class.
---
The student council president, Manabu Horikita, stood at the podium, delivering his speech.
"Thank you for the introduction. I am Manabu Horikita. Newcomers, as a representative of the upperclassmen and your student council president, I extend a warm welcome to you all. As I am sure you are aware, our school is known for its prestige and distinction on all fronts and boasts impeccable employment and college entry rates across the board. We take pride in this. In fact, it's our school's number one priority. We all work together to uphold the standard of excellence. Now, you are a part of that too. We expect greatness from all of you. And we know you are capable."
As Ayanokoji listened, he noticed the same girl from earlier. *So, we're in the same class. Troublesome.*
---
Ayanokoji sat in the back corner of the classroom, his mind wandering as he considered how to introduce himself. *Should I make a joke? No, that would probably creep them out. Maybe I should just keep it simple.*
Before he could decide, Kudo Shinichi approached him.
"So, we're in the same class," Kudo said.
"Oh, it's you from earlier," Ayanokoji replied.
"I'm Kudo Shinichi. Nice to meet you," Kudo introduced himself.
*Ayanokoji thought, Kudo? Is he related to that famous novelist?*
"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Nice to meet you too," Ayanokoji said.
Before they could continue, the black-haired girl from the bus interrupted.
"What an unpleasant coincidence to think that we're in the same class," she said coldly.
"The feeling is mutual," Ayanokoji replied, matching her tone.
Kudo Shinichi's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Long time no see, Kudo-kun."
He turned to see a girl with short brown hair—Haibara Ai, or rather, Miyano Shiho. She was wearing the ANHS uniform.
"H-Haibara!" Kudo stammered, caught off guard.
"What, surprised to see me? I thought your father told you I'd be here," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"He didn't say anything. He just—"
*"Just go. You'll be in for a surprise,"* Kudo's father's words echoed in his mind.
"That old man!" Kudo muttered under his breath.
"Let's talk later. We're making a scene," Haibara said, her voice calm but firm.
"Okay," Kudo agreed, still processing her sudden appearance.
---
The introductions began with Yōsuke Hirata, who exuded confidence and charisma.
"I'm Yōsuke Hirata. But you can just call me Yōsuke if you want. I play every sport imaginable, and I'm going to try out for the school soccer team for sure. Thanks, nice to meet you all!"
Next was Kikyō Kushida, who flashed a bright, seemingly genuine smile.
"Hi, my name is Kikyō Kushida. My goal is to become friends with every person in the entire school! That obviously includes everyone here. So if you're going out, please consider inviting me!"
*She'll have no trouble reaching that goal,* Ayanokoji thought. *She's got that "everyone's friend" vibe going on.*
Kanji Ike introduced himself next, his tone brash and unapologetic.
"I'm Kanji Ike! I love girls, and I hate hot guys! I'm always accepting new girlfriend applications!"
The class erupted in laughter, but Kudo couldn't help but notice the tension beneath the surface.
When it was his turn, Kudo stood up and kept it simple.
"I'm Kudo Shinichi. I love reading mystery books and playing the violin and soccer, I guess."
The room buzzed with excitement.
"Kudo Shinichi? Are you that famous detective of the East?" Satō asked, her eyes wide.
"Yes, that would be me," Kudo admitted, bracing himself for the inevitable attention.
"OMG! We have a celebrity in class!" Shinohara exclaimed.
"That's so cool!" Karuizawa added.
Ike muttered under his breath, "Tch. Ikemen bastard!"
Horikita, the black-haired girl from earlier, shot Kudo a curious glance.
"Nice to meet you, Kudo-kun. Are you, by any chance, going to apply to the soccer club?" Hirata asked.
"Nice to meet you too. And please, treat me like the rest. As for your question, Hirata, no, I won't be joining right now. Maybe sometime later," Kudo replied.
The fangirls in the class whispered excitedly, but Kudo tuned them out, focusing instead on the task at hand.
---
Their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, entered the room and began explaining the school's unique system.
"At this school, we value students by their worth. To make purchases, you will spend your points, which are tracked using the school's main computer system. Each point is worth one yen. If you all check your devices, you'll notice that you've already been allotted 100,000 points."
The class erupted in excitement, but Kudo couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this system than met the eye.
"Is there any question?" Chabashira asked.
Kudo raised his hand.
"How many points are we going to get next month?"
The class fell silent.
"Dude, are you deaf? We're going to get 100,000 yen!" Ike exclaimed.
"You didn't even pay attention. So much for the great detective!" Yamauchi added, laughing.
Chabashira smirked. "Kudo Shinichi, unfortunately, I'm not allowed to answer that question."
"I see. And what do you mean by 'valuing students by their worth'?" Kudo pressed.
"I cannot answer that either," she replied.
"You said we could buy anything, right?" Kudo asked.
She nodded.
"Then how much for these answers?"
The class gasped.
"Wait, we can do that?!" Shinohara exclaimed.
Chabashira laughed. "Amazing! Or should I say, as expected. Yes, I can, but are you sure you can afford it?"
"No, I actually don't want your answers," Kudo said.
"Hmm?"
"I want to figure it out myself," Kudo replied.
"I see. Then, if there are no more questions, I'll be going. You have the rest of the day free," she said, leaving the room.
---
As the class dispersed, Kudo turned to Haibara.
"Oi, Hai— Shiho, let's go," Kudo said.
She nodded. "Hmm, sure."
They left the classroom, the weight of the school's mysteries already pressing on Kudo's mind.
---
Ayanokoji watched Kudo and Haibara leave, his thoughts lingering on the detective. Kudo Shinichi. What an interesting individual.