"Ding ding ding — —!"
The long bell rang across the campus, the clock hands pointing exactly at 8:15.
Saki led Natsuhi to the classroom amidst surprised gazes.
"Are those two that close?"
"Didn't notice, the atmosphere feels a bit subtle."
Ignoring the whispers, Natsuhi muttered to herself:
"Come to think of it, the seating arrangement in class has been reorganized..."
[System, why today of all days? This isn't plot-related too, is it?]
System: [Not quite sure, figure it out yourself. Anyway, if a plot event triggers, I'll notify you in time.]
The system's statement was as unreliable as ever. Natsuhi pretty much understood that this guy was a half-baked entity.
Well, anyway, she was still here, and with her current physical fitness, handling an average adult with bare hands was no problem.
She hadn't forgotten why she came here; completing the mission was paramount. The idea of a beautiful girl suffering from poison—she couldn't tolerate that one bit!
Thinking this, Natsuhi pulled out her newly assigned seat, in the last row, but not by the window.
The person by the window, whom she had seen yesterday, was looking at her with a grin —
"Good morning, Student Ito. You look like you're in great spirits today. Did something happy happen?"
It was Nikaido Rinka, who had caused her so much trouble yesterday.
"Is... is that obvious?"
Implicitly admitting Rinka's judgment, Natsuhi replied with a forced smile:
"Very obvious. You look happy from the inside out, as if your heart is filled."
[So accurate! Is she a master of psychology and micro-expressions?]
Seeing through her thoughts instantly, Natsuhi felt a bit flustered.
[This woman is too scary! I can't tell the truth and say 'Yes, because I found a wife and we moved in together,' right?]
[If this earth-shattering news came out, I'd be labeled a pervert the next second, or it would directly explode into the school's top headline!]
Before even punishing evil, the guardian would be the first to fall?
No, I have to struggle a bit!
[Should I say it was a whim, and I won the lottery?]
Natsuhi's brain raced, but every excuse withered before Rinka's gaze, which seemed to see through everything. It was as if any lie would be instantly exposed.
And... her acting skills were really terrible!
"That... actually... it's just..."
[It's over, I can't say anything. Am I going to be taken away in a police car just like this?]
[The system should have a way to get me out, like clearing a wanted level in GTA.]
Just as Natsuhi was already making preparations for her funeral,
"Pfft — —"
Rinka couldn't hold it back and covered her mouth, giggling. Natsuhi's embarrassed look was really funny; she felt like she was even shier than before.
"Alright, alright, you're too nervous,"
She waved her hand, tone relaxed and unconcerned,
"If it's not convenient to say, it doesn't matter. It was just casual chatter anyway; I don't have the habit of prying."
"Is... is that so..."
Hearing these words, which sounded like a pardon, Natsuhi finally relaxed, realizing belatedly,
[How does it feel like I was teased by her without even knowing it? This woman is really hard to deal with...]
[It seems something very interesting has happened... Student Ito. It seems like another mystery has been added to you.]
"Nice to meet you, Student Ito. It looks like we'll be desk-mates for a long time to come."
"Mm, nice to meet you."
Natsuhi looked at Rinka's outstretched hand, shook it back, and sounded an internal alarm.
It seemed her campus life was destined to be anything but peaceful.
As for Saki, she was assigned to a seat further forward and didn't notice their interaction.
The bell for class rang, silence returned to the classroom, and Rinka sat up straight, looking directly at the blackboard, looking exactly like a model student.
The classroom door opened with a rattle at that moment. A refined fragrance with a distinct presence drifted in first.
Immediately after, a slender figure stepped onto the podium with a composed gait.
Discussions erupted all around,
"It's Sister Mio..."
"Ah, it really is her, that's great."
All the feedback was almost universally positive. It seemed this teacher, whom Natsuhi was meeting for the first time in her eyes, had a lot of prestige among the students.
"Good morning, students. For the next semester, I will be your homeroom teacher. My name is Hayase Mio."
Writing beautiful calligraphy on the blackboard, she turned around and calmly introduced herself.
Her voice was cold yet soft, and her tough attitude was tinged with gentleness—like a whip and a candy, making people unable to resist.
This new teacher looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a well-tailored beige professional skirt suit that perfectly outlined her figure.
The most eye-catching part was her perfect waist-to-hip ratio, which could be said to be Natsuhi's ideal type.
In fact, from the moment Mio walked in, Natsuhi's eyes lit up slightly.
However, this brief, almost instinctive appreciation lasted less than a second.
Natsuhi abruptly withdrew her gaze, a strong sense of self-condemnation surging deep within.
[Damn it... where am I looking!]
She immediately lowered her head, adjusted her glasses, and Yui's image uncontrollably surfaced in her mind—the girl who had gently kissed her cheek when they parted in the morning.
[Yui...]
Thinking of Yui, Natsuhi felt warm inside,
"I already have Yui."
Adjusting her mood, Natsuhi looked up again. When she looked at Teacher Hayase on the podium, her eyes had returned to their usual calm, even carrying a hint of deliberate distance.
[Don't even think about messing with my mind!]
But she didn't know if it was an illusion, but Natsuhi always felt that Sister Mio's gaze was lingering on her, yet she had no memories of this teacher.
She seemed to have only taught a few classes...
[System, can you analyze this teacher's information?]
[Ding! Scanning target: 'Hayase Mio'... Scan complete.]
[Retrieving associated memory fragments... Key fragment retrieved.]
Name: Hayase Mio
Position: English Teacher at Sakuragaoka Private Academy, new homeroom teacher for Class 2-B
Intersection: Because 'Ito Natsuhi's' English grades were poor, during an office conversation, the original host was made to cry. The sight of her taking off her glasses, teary-eyed, made Hayase Mio's heart race. Since then, she couldn't stop, longing to witness again that 'twisted beauty of fragility intertwined with resilience' when the host cried.
Behavioral pattern prediction: High probability of using teacher authority to attempt to trigger the host's negative emotions by creating reasonable dilemmas or mental pressure, in order to achieve her viewing purpose.
Please handle with caution, host...
"Heh."
Natsuhi took a deep breath after hearing this; she was so angry she laughed.
She really didn't expect this kind of plot; was she part of the play too?
Never expected that her new homeroom teacher was actually a bad woman who liked to watch students cry!
Life from now on would definitely not be peaceful.