Chiyo Kurihara

This is a wonderful day for me because, after passing the entrance exam, which I believe is quite difficult, I will be able to attend Hachimitsu Academy, where I will also see my older sister for the first time in a long time.

I've admired my older sister since I was a child, and despite her increasingly estranged relationship with my father, I know she's the nicest person I know. I couldn't get away from her affection since I was a child, and we could say that our childhood was very enjoyable.

"One-chan was so cool earlier. This is the first time I've seen her look like that."

"I also want to be that confident in front of many people, next time I will ask One-chan to teach me... but, as president of the Underground Student Council, I think she will be very busy."

Even though I'm talking to myself, it demonstrates how much I admire my older sister. As I continued walking down the corridor, my steps became lighter until I came across a male student who was silently daydreaming near the window.

I wanted to surprise the man at first because I already knew who he was based on his back appearance, and given that there were only 5 male students at this school, I was even more convinced.

"What is the purpose of that place?" It's odd that the building stands alone in the middle of this desolate field that clearly isn't used for sports by students."

"Yup, that's right, the sports field used by the students is on the other side of this building,"

I felt satisfied seeing the man shocked, and when I stood next to him, he kept looking at me as if I were a ghost or something until finally, he opened his mouth, inviting me to be unable to stop smiling.

"We meet again."

"Hehehe, I think this is fate," I've become more active lately, though I don't believe it because I've been a quiet and shy child since middle school.

"If we only met twice, I don't think it could be called a fate... by the way, I don't know your name yet."

After hearing that, a small laugh escaped me, making the man smile, but then I remembered something, and my expression became annoyed.

"Mooo, it seems like you forgot something... you haven't thanked me you know, but never mind, my name is Chiyo Kurihara."

I felt better seeing the guy get flustered and to be honest, I didn't care about him not thanking me yet, and considering he was the first guy I'd talked to besides the ones in my family, I got pretty excited.

"Hey, are you okay?" When I saw him with a pained expression and holding his head, I became worried.

Even though he appeared normal before, his face turning pale was definitely not a good sign, so I suggested, "It looks like you're not feeling well. You should rest in the infirmary."

"I think so, what a shame, even though this is my first day of high school."

I could tell from his forced smile that he was just trying to appear strong in front of me, and for the first time, I tried to touch a stranger as I offered him my hand.

"You don't need to bother. I'll just buy drinking water and rest outside while breathing fresh air."

He was already walking away before I could respond, and his hand would occasionally lean against the wall as his steps became uncertain, making me even more concerned.

"Hey, are you sure you'll be fine alone?"

He simply waved his hand upwards without looking back, and his figure faded away until he turned down the corridor and vanished.

"What happened to him?" I muttered, perplexed, but once alone, I could hear whispers from the female students around me, who seemed confused and surprised to see me familiar with the male student.

"Forget it, I don't care," I didn't try to correct their misunderstanding because, honestly, my sister had the same opinion as them in that she despised men, and her hatred was quite extreme.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, what are you doing standing here alone?"

Someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned to the side, there was a slim and short teenage girl with boy-cut hair. When she realized how many eyes were on us, she became nervous.

"Mayumi, where is Satou? Wasn't she with you before?"

Mayumi Tanaka is a new friend I met at the opening ceremony, and because we'll be classmates, we get to know each other quickly.

"Satou-chan... she said she didn't like crowds, so she immediately went alone to the library. I've been looking for you so we could see her together."

I just scratched my cheek gently with the tip of my index finger as my gaze didn't dare to look at her. I felt bad for causing trouble for my new friend. Didn't want to linger in that spot for long, so I quickly grabbed her hand before walking away.

"It seems like what Satou said was true. She really likes books, so she must go straight to the library."

Mayumi and I talked about many things along the way, especially Hachimitsu Academy, which we planned to explore after we met Satou.

Because the library is on the second floor, we won't get tired going down the stairs. After reaching the end of the corridor and walking a short distance, we could see a door with a wooden board attached to the side that read "Hachimitsu Academy Library."