September 1, 2022 | 7:55 AM | Starlight International School, Orientation Auditorium
Mahouda leaned into the microphone amicably. "Dear students, cleanliness reflects virtue—and, more importantly, a clean restroom leads to a clean mind! Well-maintained facilities are proof of discipline and respect. They are places for quiet reflection and release—not chaos! And I am proud to announce that Starlight International School boasts the most beautiful and ergonomically designed restrooms in all of Tokyo! I personally scrubbed them myself. Look at these muscles!" He flexed and slapped his biceps twice.
Slap, slap!
"These are the results of restroom scrubbing—healthy body and mind." He then swiped the holographic screen to display the school motto: "Clean Restrooms, Clean Minds"—with pride.
Kenji was simultaneously baffled, amused, and exhausted. Some students looked shocked, some confused, and some laughed. Faculty members also showed weary expressions.
Kenji noticed a woman standing slightly beside the stage, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, her hair tightly tied back. She was clearly the principal's secretary. As Mahouda continued to eloquently praise the perfection of the facilities, she raised her hand calmly and rubbed the bridge of her nose—a classic sign that her patience was nearly gone.
Kenji glimpsed a promotional poster on the screen showing the principal giving a thumbs-up and flexing his muscles in front of a restroom. Ah... no wonder... The revelation was absurd but perfectly in line with the eccentricity of Starlight International. Kenji couldn't help but stifle a small laugh. The idea that the principal would use a prestigious orientation ceremony to promote restroom excellence was truly unprecedented.
Before Mahouda could start explaining the new water-saving toilet mechanisms, the secretary clearly could not tolerate it any longer. She moved swiftly and gracefully up a small set of stairs to the podium, approached the giant principal, and lightly but firmly placed a hand on his arm.
"Thank you, Principal Mahouda," she interjected smoothly, her voice sharp and professional, cutting through the restroom discussion like a finely honed blade. She offered a stern, professional smile to the audience.
"As our principal has so enthusiastically demonstrated, we care deeply about every aspect of the student experience. However," she continued, gradually guiding Mahouda away from the microphone with surprising strength, "I believe it's time to proceed with the actual schedule and important information regarding your homeroom assignments. My name is Rina Sato, and I serve as your administrative coordinator."
"But—" Mahouda attempted to object.
"But, it's also time to inform students of other equally important matters," Rina interrupted immediately.
She stepped fully into the center of the stage, restoring a sense of order and discipline to the auditorium, leaving Mahouda slightly to the side, resembling a disappointed golden retriever who just had his favorite ball taken away.
Kenji's earlier assessment was confirmed: this school was a brilliant mix of seriousness and utter absurdity. He settled into his seat comfortably, sensing a strange mix of humor and anticipation. The orientation had certainly succeeded in capturing everyone's attention.
Applause echoed through the hall. Kenji wasn't sure if it was because, finally, they wouldn't have to sit through another lecture about bathrooms—or maybe, finally, something useful was being said. Principal Koto Mahoda stepped back from the podium reluctantly, his face clearly showing disappointment, yet he allowed Rina Sato to take over with respect.
Kenji let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in his chair, relieved. This orientation wasn't at all what he had expected. Instead of the solemn ceremony he imagined, it had turned into a comedy show about bathroom hygiene by a towering principal.
Rina Sato stood confidently behind the microphone, organizing her documents quickly and efficiently. Her composed demeanor and impeccably tailored suit immediately restored a sense of formality to the hall.
"Thank you," Sato said, her voice full of confidence. "Congratulations again to all new students. Please be advised that your class schedules, classrooms, and accommodation details are being sent to your mobile devices as we speak."
Kenji felt a small vibration in his pocket—his phone alerting him. He quickly pulled it out to check the details:
First Class: 8:30 AM | Homeroom 4-A | Subject: Special Integrated Learning Environment (Integrated Anomaly Management) | Instructor: Professor Faelan | Note: Extreme caution advised
"Integrated Anomaly Management?" Kenji raised an eyebrow. Sounds ridiculously complicated. He scanned the final note and felt a surge of excitement.
"Additionally, there is another important notification for students assigned to special classes or exchange programs," Sato continued, her tone neutral and professional. "You will be grouped separately and receive additional orientation information directly from your instructors. This includes students in the 'Integrated Anomaly Management' class and the 'International Exchange Program.' Please check your schedule immediately and prepare to proceed to your main classroom."
Kenji acknowledged the message and began preparing to head toward his classroom.
Half-giant students had already dozed off comfortably, while those absorbed in reading doujin were still utterly indifferent. One of them hadn't paid attention to the stage at all, fully engrossed in pages depicting scantily clad Japanese women, with captions Kenji didn't even want to translate.
Kenji glanced at him again. Slowly, the student lifted his head without meeting Kenji's eyes and checked his own schedule on his phone.
First Class: 8:30 AM | Homeroom 4-A | Subject: Special Integrated Learning Environment (Integrated Anomaly Management) | Instructor: Professor Faelan | Note: Extreme caution advised
They were in the same class.
The student let out a quiet sigh, maintaining his indifferent expression. He carefully folded his doujin and put it neatly in his bag.
"Room 4-A, huh," he muttered, his voice low and almost a whisper, not even glancing at Kenji. "Sounds like it's going to be a chaotic class."
Kenji turned to him fully, feeling slightly relieved to have found a fellow classmate, and now the chance to speak with this peculiar student had arrived.
"I completely agree," Kenji said earnestly, a faint smile on his face. "Anything could happen at this school. Heh... I guess we'd better head there quickly. I'm Kenji, an exchange student. And you?"
The student finally looked at Kenji. His dull gray eyes quickly assessed him.
"Haneda Kaito," he replied shortly, refusing the handshake, and got up from his seat.
"An Anomaly class... better brace ourselves more than for the principal's bathroom lecture," Kaito murmured to himself.
"I think so too," Kenji said casually, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kaito. I guess we're comrades in fate." He offered a faint, dry smile.
Kaito shook hands—cold and firm—then quickly withdrew his hand and shoved it into his trouser pocket. He nodded, his gray eyes blank and unreadable.
"Fate," Kaito repeated flatly. "Let's hope it doesn't play any tricks on us."
Kenji didn't try to identify Kaito's species or Anomaly type for now. He pulled out a map, unfolded it quickly, and traced the route with his finger.
"Oh, we're here, third floor, west wing. We'll need to go up the main stairs and follow the '3W' signs," Kenji said, pointing out the path. He tucked the map under his arm. "Let's go. We don't know what the class will be like, especially with that 'extreme caution' note."
Kaito just pushed himself off the chair he'd been leaning against, his noise-canceling headphones still resting around his neck.
"Lead the way, Taro."
As they ascended the stairs, the atmosphere shifted entirely. The energy felt lighter, less scattered than in the lobby. The hallway was quieter, with fewer lockers, giving a distinct sense of separation from the normal school zone.
They followed the "3W" signs past a few ordinary classrooms until they reached the final door at the end of the hall.
The door to Homeroom 4-A was unlike any other. Instead of standard wood or metal, it was reinforced with thick polycarbonate armor, framed with reinforced steel. Above the door, two small warning lights glowed faintly—one red, one yellow.
As they approached, a low, rhythmic hum resonated from behind the fortified door, vibrating through the floor. It sounded less like a classroom and more like an industrial generator.
Kaito stopped beside Kenji, arms crossed. He pulled the doujin from his bag and weighed it thoughtfully in his hands.
"All right," Kaito said flatly. "This must be the Special Integrated Learning Environment. Maybe I should finish this before we step into a potential explosion radius."
Kenji glanced from the warning lights to Kaito, then back at the heavy door. The hum now sounded more pronounced. Excitement began to build.
"I think... we should go in," Kenji said eagerly. "We've come all this way—" He opened the door.
Before Kenji could step over the threshold, Kaito moved. He lunged forward, moving with a surprising agility that contradicted his previously indifferent demeanor, and lifted a dented metal bucket carefully balanced atop the doorframe.
Clank!
Kaito held the bucket, designed to prank whoever opened the door first. A soft laugh escaped him.
"Really, did you think this Special Integrated Learning Environment would be a normal class?" Kaito said flatly, a flicker of amusement in his gray eyes. He tilted the bucket slightly, revealing clear water inside.
"Oh, thanks," Kenji exhaled, relieved yet slightly annoyed. "The classic water bucket prank, huh?"
Before they could fully relax, the bucket flickered like a glitching TV screen. The solid metal turned digital, shimmering with warped pixels, and the water inside splashed over both of them—icy cold.
Splash!
Both students shivered under the sudden soaking. The bucket returned to its mundane metal form, clattering to the floor.
Laughter sounded from students already inside the room.
Kenji's suit and slacks were soaked and heavy. He wiped water from his eyes; his neatly combed hair was now disheveled.
"Great... Just great..." he muttered, shaking his head. He scanned his soaked outfit, then the hallway, searching for the culprit. Clearly, this was the work of an Anomaly—someone with a glitch-related ability that could temporarily disrupt objects.
He looked back at the reinforced door 4-A. The hum continued. "I'm sorry for saying this classic." he muttered dryly, exhaling.
Kaito was equally soaked, looking more irritated than ever. He slicked back his wet black hair, his expression grim.
"No wonder this is a Special Integrated Learning Environment," Kaito sighed, fully losing his calm and indifferent demeanor. He scowled around, looking for the perpetrator.
They found two empty seats and settled in. Kenji's eyes widened: a boy was levitating his desk, which glowed with a high-voltage blue aura, spinning in midair. At the back, a student controlled paper puppets in sync with music.
At the front, another student carved ice sculptures. Countless Anomalies were interacting vividly. Nearby, a pink-haired girl covered her mouth, laughing until she flickered—clearly the one responsible for the glitch.
Kenji swallowed, forgetting his wet state entirely. "Amazing... this is our integrated class? We're really going to learn alongside these people...?"
"That's right, Taro. Since you wanted chaos, I guess we're about to get a real taste of it," Kaito said.