"I'm Kaname Murosaki. I'm pretty good at martial arts — specifically taekwondo — and I've been interested in philosophy for most of my life."
I sighed before sitting down.
Usually, my introduction would have been more awkward, but for some reason, Maple-san's energy made me feel more confident.
Moreover, I had managed to recover my reputation after my previous mistake, so I was feeling somewhat pleased. Unfortunately, that feeling did not last long.
I was immediately bombarded with useless questions.
"Murosaki-kun, who is your favorite philosopher?"
"What belt are you, Murosaki-kun?"
"What about academics?"
I was instantly shocked — my classmates were asking me questions! Didn't they know it was improper etiquette to ask questions during introductions!?
Actually, I wasn't sure if that was true. But still!
Either way, why were they asking for more information? My voice wasn't comforting, and my interests were by no means exciting. Moreover, nobody said anything after Maple-san's introduction.
I tilted my head, slightly confused.
"!!!"
Wait… was this bullying?
A sudden chill ran down my spine, but since I was running out of time to answer, I ignored my fears and blurted out an answer.
"Ah, of course. For taekwondo, I recently received my 1st Dan. As for philosophy… Well, I don't really have a favorite. I'm primarily focused on the art of deep thinking and human understanding, but if I had to choose, I'm fairly interested in Friedrich Nietzsche."
I was talking too much! Why did God give me a mouth!?
"Academics…" I thought for a moment, "...the people in my class were usually smarter than me, but I kept a steady score of 90 points or above across all subjects."
Ah! Why was I still talking!? Somebody should have gagged me — quick, Maple-san, make me a gag using your superior fabric-work!
I swiftly sat down, burying my head into my hands and hiding from my classmates.
"Wow… Murosaki-kun is very smart."
Was she mocking me…?
"1st Dan? Woah…"
Was this guy better than me at martial arts? If so, then maybe he was making fun of my skill.
Hoping to cool the situation, Maple-san interrupted them with a kind expression.
"Alright everyone, calm down. Please don't overwhelm him, he seems a little shy."
No, not Maple-san as well! Why was everyone bullying me!
—
—
—
The class finished their introductions, but I only listened to the unique ones — like deep voices, interesting hobbies, or humorous statements.
It took a while, leaving us with hardly any time before the entrance ceremony, but I managed to remember these exact words:
"I'm Rei Kisaragi. I don't have any particular hobbies… but I dislike losing. So I try not to."
This has to be Spirit-san.
"Daichi Moriyama! I've been playing baseball since junior high, I'm incredibly stupid, and I have absolutely no idea how I was accepted into this school!"
Baseball-kun.
"I'm Rika Tanimoto. I really like helping people. It makes me happy. If anyone needs help studying, I will try my best, my grades are usually in the high 90s."
Tutor-sama.
"Uh… I'm Haru Asahina. And, um… I like reading — mostly psychology, but… oh, nevermind. I-I'm not really good at anything, but I try my best."
Timid-san.
"Name's Soma Kanzaki. I don't have anything flashy to say, but I'd like for us to work well together. If anything comes up, feel free to rely on me."
Captain-kun.
…
Minutes later, I had already forgotten their names.
"Sigh…"
My memory was truly horrendous.
…at least I can remember nicknames.
—
—
—
Even within Advanced Nurturing High School, the entrance ceremony was no less boring than any other school. After a long speech about "thankfulness" from the director, the ceremony ended. It was a waste of time.
That aside, after receiving a brief explanation about the facilities on campus, the crowd split up.
Most of the students went to their dorms, hoping to find something surprising, but the rest of them formed small groups, making their way to cafes or the karaoke rooms.
Eventually, the entire crowd vanished.
I was originally planning to follow the majority, but I changed my mind. It would be more efficient to grab some toiletries first. Then, I could drop them off at my dorm, killing two birds with one stone.
"Hmm."
Soon, I arrived at the convenience store, and I noticed a long line of aisles — much larger than I had expected, making me even more hesitant about our monthly allowance.
Wouldn't the school's operation costs be too high? Even if it was created by the Japanese government, I severely doubted that they were willing to spend that much money on high schoolers.
'It's probably nothing.'
"What's got you so reflective, Murosaki-kun?"
"Hmm?"
I turned around, only to see the confident Maple-san. Somehow, I had already forgotten her surname, so I'd have to avoid addressing her directly.
"I was just thinking about the school's operational costs." I shrugged, feeling unsure. "The numbers are extremely high, so I…"
I was about to ramble but caught myself before it could happen.
"So you…?"
"Don't worry about it."
She sighed.
"But I'm curious now…!"
I shook his head, shortening my explanation into as few words as possible.
"With the school facilities and our monthly allowance, the operational budget feels too high."
I grabbed up a basket, quickly tossing oral hygiene products into it.
"I'm just suspicious, it's probably nothing."
I quickly wandered off, searching for the shower aisle, but for some reason, Maple-san followed me.
Was this an attempt at bullying, or was she following me for some other reason?
"So…" She caught up and started walking beside me, "...you believe we won't get 100,000 points every month?"
"I'm only suspicious. It's just that Kakizaki-sensei worded things weirdly."
"You think so?" She smiled.
Oh, I understand.
This girl was hoping that I'd say something embarrassing so she could blackmail me with it.
Yes, that was the only possible reason.
"I'm only suspicious."
I repeated, dropping inexpensive shower supplies into my basket: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and cheap skincare.
"Does Murosaki-kun want me to leave?" She asked, sounding a little sad. She must have sensed my discomfort.
"Ah." I shook my head aggressively, "No, you can stay. It's just… I'm not very talkative."
I grabbed a few more grooming products. But suddenly, Maple-san placed her own item inside.
"Eh?"
It was a… shampoo bottle — different from the one I had already taken. This one was of higher quality and smelled like coconut.
Then, the kind Maple-san picked up my previous shampoo and returned it.
"..."
This had to be bullying; my previous doubts were gone. She was making me spend more than I initially planned! How cunning!
Once she returned, she immediately began lecturing me.
"Even if your theory is true, you should still treat yourself well."
Before I could revolt, the girl wandered off, likely searching for her friends.
"...?"
I was speechless.
'What a strange woman.'
I dropped a box of tissues into my basket.