Actually, I Like Girls
After saying goodbye to Aoi Kujo, Eriri ignored the glances directed at her from all around. With a joyful expression on her face, she followed the crowd and stepped into Yumenosaki Academy.
In front of the school building, the bulletin board that usually displayed the admissions list was today filled with the class assignment information for the first-year students.
A large number of new students who had just arrived at the school were already gathered in front of the bulletin board, excitedly looking at the listings and telling their friends which class they were in.
Yumenosaki Academy divides each grade into seven classes, with each class initially randomly assigned thirty students.
Since Yumenosaki Academy is a well-known private school in Tokyo, many third-year middle school students apply for admission every year. However, Yumenosaki only admits 210 new students each year, making the competition quite fierce.
Stopping in her tracks, Eriri stood about several meters from the bulletin board and used her far superior vision to glance at it. She immediately spotted her name in the area for Class 1-E.
The order of the names listed on the class assignment sheet determined the students' initial seating order, with six rows and five columns in total.
"Fifth row of the first column, isn't that the legendary protagonist's seat? Looks like I'm enjoying the protagonist's privilege!"
Seeing the position of her name, Eriri spoke in a teasing tone. At that moment, her eyes shifted slightly, and the joyful expression on her face deepened.
On the bulletin board, Eriri saw a name she had long anticipated, conveniently positioned right behind her in the last spot of the first column.
Fate is truly wonderful!
...
Yumenosaki Academy's school building is a five-story structure, with the classrooms for the three high school grades arranged from bottom to top on different floors. The top two floors are dedicated to school club activities.
On the floor where the first-year students are located, in a classroom labeled 1-E, thirty desks are arranged in six rows and five columns. Most of the desks are already occupied, and the sound of lively chatter emanates from the classroom.
The school requires new students to gather in their classrooms by 8:40 AM and then proceed to the school auditorium with their homeroom teachers to attend the entrance ceremony.
During this time, new students occasionally enter the classroom of Class 1-E, drawing curious attention from some classmates, then naturally integrating into the group.
When Eriri entered the Class 1-E classroom right on time, the room immediately erupted with excitement. A few students who had seen Eriri at the school gate were particularly thrilled, and exclamations of admiration filled the air.
"Blonde hair—is she a mixed-race student?"
"She's so cute, like a doll!"
"Isn't she the young lady who arrived at the school gate earlier? She's in our class too. How lucky!"
"Wow, she's so pretty, and she's a young lady. I want to..."
"No, you don't!"
"..."
After Eriri sat down in her designated seat, the girls around her quickly gathered, eagerly asking her various questions. Meanwhile, the boys watched from the sidelines.
Eriri warmly answered her classmates' questions, and her appearance and status left a great impression on them.
At that moment, a knock on the door drew the attention of all the students. A woman in her mid-twenties entered the classroom and walked to the podium.
Once the students had returned to their seats, the teacher on the podium clapped her hands, successfully drawing the students' attention to herself.
"Hi, everyone. My name is Kanoko Hasumi. From this semester onward, I'll be your homeroom teacher. If you need any help at school, feel free to come to me. I hope you all have a wonderful and enjoyable high school life."
"Yes, Ms. Hasumi."
After writing her name on the blackboard and giving a brief self-introduction, Ms. Hasumi led all the students of Class 1-E to the school auditorium.
...
Two hours later, the students, who had been tormented by the boring entrance ceremony, finally returned to their classroom after singing the school anthem together.
"Alright, everyone, it's time for introductions. When I call your name, please stand up and give a brief self-introduction."
Ms. Hasumi opened the attendance book in her hand and said with a smile to the students.
"Let me see... The first student is... Ayako Fukuda, please introduce yourself so everyone can get to know you."
"Yes, teacher, and hello everyone. My name is Ayako Fukuda, I'm sixteen years old, and I graduated from Saika Academy. In my spare time, I like..."
...
"Next up is Eriri Sawamura Spencer, it's your turn."
"Yes."
Sitting in her seat, Eriri occasionally glanced at a certain figure behind her. Upon hearing her name called by Ms. Hasumi, she immediately stood up and responded.
"Hello, Ms. Hasumi, and hello, everyone. My name is Eriri Sawamura Spencer. As you can see, my mom is Japanese, and my dad is British. I graduated from Isomura School. I have many interests, like light novels, manga, games, and food, food, and more food. I'm good at drawing, and I hope we can all get along well."
"And here's a little secret—I actually like girls! Eh heh!"
Hearing the last sentence of Eriri's introduction, Ms. Hasumi was momentarily stunned, and the entire class erupted like a pot boiling over.
"No way! Sawamura actually likes girls... My youth is over..."
"Haha... I don't believe it. That can't be true, right? You're just joking, right, Sawamura?"
"What? Sawamura likes girls? That's great; I'm in!"
"Hey, I just want to ask—is it too late to go to Thailand now..."
"..."
The students all began to chatter, with some boys feeling hopeless or incredulous, while some girls were delighted—though there seemed to be an odd comment mixed in there.
"Cough... Sawamura is quite the joker. Alright, everyone, quiet down. Let's continue with the introductions."
Ms. Hasumi quickly played it off with a laugh and swiftly moved past the topic.
"Next up... Hmm, following Sawamura is... Megumi Kato, it's your turn."