The silence in the classroom broke as chatter slowly returned.
I scanned the rows of desks strangers, all of them, yet a few curious eyes stayed locked on me. Some looked friendly… others? Not so much.
"Take the seat by the window, second row from the back," Akeno-sensei said, pointing gracefully.
The way her hand moved elegant, deliberateade it hard for me to look anywhere else.
I walked toward my desk, the wooden floor creaking faintly under my steps. A few students whispered behind their hands.
"He's kinda tall."
"Half-Japanese, maybe?"
"Do you think Sensei likes him?"
That last one made my heart skip and my ears burn.
I slid into my chair, the sunlight spilling through the window warming my arm. From here, I had a clear view of Akeno-sensei at her desk. She was flipping through attendance sheets, her hair falling slightly over her face. Every now and then, she'd tuck a strand behind her ear in a way that felt… impossibly natural.
Halfway through roll call, her eyes met mine. Just for a second out long enough for me to feel it.
That unspoken connection.
Or maybe… I was imagining it.
The morning passed in a blur of introductions and lessons. I tried to focus, but every time she walked past my desk, my pen slowed, my attention pulled toward the faint scent of her perfume.
When the lunch bell rang, the class erupted into noise.
A group of guys walked up to me tall, confident, clearly the "popular" type.
"So, Renjiro," one of them said, leaning on my desk, "you from Tokyo or…?"
Before I could answer, another cut in with a smirk, "You were staring at Sensei a lot this morning."
The first guy grinned. "Better be careful. People notice… and not everyone likes new faces getting too close."
I didn't reply, but my grip on my pencil tightened.
After lunch, I stayed behind to ask about a form I had to submit. Most of the students had already left for the courtyard, leaving the room quiet.
Akeno-sensei was alone at her desk, writing something in her notebook.
"Renjiro-kun?" she looked up, her tone gentle. "You're settling in okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," I said, though my voice was softer than I intended.
Her lips curved into a small smile. "You can call me 'Sensei.' It sounds more… natural."
I nodded, my heartbeat picking up. She stood and walked over, holding a small paper. "This is your locker number. Don't lose it." Our fingers brushed when I took it, and the tiniest spark ran through me.
But just as I was about to thank her, I heard footsteps in the hall quick, heavy, almost rushed.
A male teacher appeared at the door. His eyes flicked between me and Akeno-sensei, and something in his gaze told me… he didn't like what he saw.
"Sensei," he said stiffly, "the principal needs you."
She gave me a final glance one I couldn't quite read before following him out.
I was left staring at the empty doorway, a strange mix of curiosity and unease settling in my chest.
I didn't know it yet… but that was the first crack in the calm surface of Shizukawa International Highschool.