Ms. Minagawa had a simple strategy: let boys and girls sit together. From her years of teaching experience, she knew it helped reduce distractions, like chattering and sudden brawls, during class.
At this elementary school age, boys often avoided girls—afraid of being teased by other boys. They found playing house boring, or thought girls cried too easily. But by seating them together, Ms. Minagawa hoped to create a more balanced classroom dynamic.
"Nishimiya Shouko, please sit in the middle seat on the left in the third row." Ms. Minagawa paused briefly as she glanced at the empty chair.
"Okay." Shouko nodded nervously and walked into the classroom. Once seated, her eyes instantly drifted toward the window—searching for Akira outside.
"Miyamura Akira." Ms. Minagawa then called out his full name loudly from the doorway. Some of the boys and girls in line turned to look at him curiously.
Standing near the back of the boys' group, Akira blinked in confusion. "Yes, Ms. Minagawa?"
"Go ahead and take the seat next to Shouko," she said, locating him by voice.
"Yes, ma'am." Akira stepped into the classroom and made his way to the seat beside Shouko. Though his self-introduction had left a slight impression earlier, the fact that he was now paired with the deaf girl piqued even more interest.
As Akira settled into his chair, Shouko lit up and turned toward him.
"Akira! I didn't expect Ms. Minagawa to actually seat us together," she said excitedly. When she heard his name called, her heart had skipped a beat for some reason.
Akira smiled and explained why they were placed together, adding reassuringly, "Don't worry—we'll be desk partners for the next six years."
"Really?!" Shouko didn't quite understand what it meant to have 'connections.' All she knew was that they'd be together, and that was enough to make her happy.
Akira glanced at the delight on Shouko's face—pure and overflowing. Without saying anything, he reached out and gently rubbed her head. Just then, a young girl's voice interrupted:
"My turn, my turn! I wanna touch too!"
Both Akira and Shouko looked toward the voice. It was the twin-tailed girl from earlier—Matsuoka Miu—now standing beside Shouko's desk. Her eyes sparkled, and she stomped her feet impatiently.
"My turn, my turn!" Miu chirped. Thinking she was joking, Akira pulled his hand back from Shouko's head and motioned, "Alright, go ahead, it's your turn."
Shouko turned and gave Akira a playful glare.
"Hehehe~" Miu giggled triumphantly. But just as she reached forward, she was cut off by a sharp voice from the doorway:
"Matsuoka Miu! Back to your seat."
"I'll bring Xiao Qian to meet you after school!" she called over her shoulder, retreating sheepishly to the front row under Ms. Minagawa's scolding. (Xiao Qian refers to Ito Chika.)
After everyone was seated, Ms. Minagawa returned to the podium and clapped her hands. "Alright, quiet down, everyone. I'm going to distribute the textbooks now."
"Teacher, where are the books?" Miu shot up again, scanning the podium with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Clearly used to her antics, Ms. Minagawa replied calmly, "From now on, students must raise their hands to ask questions. Don't just stand up. The upperclassmen are bringing the books now."
"Oh…" Miu sat down, but immediately raised her left hand and waved it.
"Yes, Matsuoka?" Ms. Minagawa asked, barely hiding her exasperation.
"I just wanted to test if raising hands actually works."
From his seat, Akira could see the veins on Ms. Minagawa's forehead bulging. He had a strong hunch this girl was going to be another Shin-chan in the making.
Just then, four older students walked in with stacks of textbooks.
"Place them next to the podium," Ms. Minagawa instructed with a sigh.
"Alright! When I call your name, come up and collect your books."
"Now, check and see if you have eight different textbooks," Ms. Minagawa said as she watched the students curiously flipping through their new materials.
Akira noticed Shouko sniffing her books with fascination and decided not to disturb her. He checked his own pile—eight subjects: Japanese, Math, Music, Art, Science, Social Studies, Ethics, and Integrated Studies. Japanese and Math were the thickest, the rest thinner. Thankfully, there was no cursed English textbook among them.
"Alright, Shouko, let me see if you have all yours," he said after confirming his own.
"Hm!" Shouko stacked her books neatly and passed them to Akira, then grabbed one of his books and opened it, taking another big whiff. She loved the smell of new books... though the faint scent of Akira was also pleasant in its own way.
Once Ms. Minagawa confirmed that everyone had the correct books, she turned to the podium with a sheet of paper in hand. "You can explore the books later. For now, this is your class schedule for the year. I'll post it next to the blackboard for you to check after school."
After posting the schedule, she returned to the front.
"From now on, two students will stay behind each day to clean the classroom, starting with those on the far left side.
We won't be electing fancy class leaders here. Just a class monitor and a vice monitor."
At the mention of elections, the students immediately perked up.
"But not yet," she added. "We'll hold a vote in a few days."
She continued, "Also! I'll be teaching all your subjects—yes, even PE and swimming."
This caught Akira by surprise. He hadn't paid much attention until now—he had no interest in class rep elections—but learning that all subjects would be taught by the same teacher threw him off a little.
"And one more thing," Ms. Minagawa added. "You'll need to bring your own lunch. If not, there's a small shop on the far right of the school, though it's not shown on the school map."
At this moment, Miu raised her hand again. Ms. Minagawa considered ignoring her, but relented.
"Yes, Matsuoka?"
With full seriousness, Miu asked, "Ms. Minagawa, does the canteen sell expired food?"
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POWER STONE!!??
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