Seniors

Yasushi yawned as he completed his dressing routine in front of the mirror in the bedroom he shared with Jingliu. He adjusted his tie for what felt like the umpteenth time, smoothing down his clothes and glancing at the small emblem on his breast pocket — a fresh mark signifying his senior status in high school.

A peculiar sensation washed over him as he took in the new symbol, but he managed a smile. The thought that his high school years were drawing to a close filled him with a mix of anticipation and nostalgia. Soon, he would be moving on to college, and after that, freedom awaited him. He also mulled over the idea of using his lottery winnings to support himself through college, though his parents had generously offered their assistance if he chose to accept it.

Jingliu's head appeared at the doorframe, breaking his reverie. "Yasushi, let's go. Yunxue is waiting outside," she said, her voice carrying a hint of urgency.

He turned to her and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go," he said, heading out of the room beside her.

As they made their way down the lengthy corridor, Jingliu remarked, "She seems quite enthusiastic. Apparently, she went over her uniform several times earlier this morning. She even helped Yinhaie prepare our lunch."

Yasushi's lips curved into a smirk at this news. "Well, we're mostly going to be buried in work this year, much more than before, so we won't have the same freedom as last year. Although we're excused from some of the usual school activities, the standout event for us this year is definitely the school trip to Kyoto."

Jingliu tilted her head in curiosity and asked, "Doesn't that usually take place during our second year? I was wondering why it didn't happen last year."

"It's an odd quirk of our school," Yasushi replied. "But this year, it's scheduled for golden week. That means we'll have an entire week in Kyoto to explore as we please. It's like a final opportunity for us seniors to unwind and enjoy ourselves before the end of high school."

As they turned a corner and began walking down another long corridor, Jingliu's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Kyoto… I'm really looking forward to it now. What should I expect from the trip?"

Yasushi considered her question for a moment before replying. "The usual stuff. Make sure you pack enough clothes for the full seven-day stay. Also, bring sufficient funds for the trip. There are some basic rules — guys and girls will be assigned separate rooms. However, if you're willing to spend a bit extra, you can book your own room. You can also share it with someone if you like. It's one of those unspoken allowances, and the teachers in charge are okay with it."

Jingliu reached out and grabbed his arm, her expression serious. "We're definitely booking our own room."

Her determined tone and earnest look made Yasushi chuckle. "Alright, alright. But we need to wait until we know which inn or hotel we're staying at before making any decisions. So, let's hold off on the details until then," he said as they continued their conversation, eventually making their way outside.

As they approached the car they would take to school, they spotted Yunxue and Yinhaie waiting beside it. They waved their hands in greeting and quickly climbed into the vehicle, just as Yinhaie slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.

Jingliu glanced over at Yasushi and said, "Just so you know, our parents went out of their way to make sure we're all in the same classroom this year. So, Furuya, Xinyi, Catherine, Laura, Reina, you, Yunxue, and I will all be in the same class."

Yasushi's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he let out a sigh of disbelief. "Only the wealthy could manage something like this. What exactly did our parents do to make it happen?" he asked, turning to look at her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Jingliu responded with a casual air, "They made a donation to the school. Apparently, they improved the gym — it's bigger now and has more equipment. In exchange, the school agreed to put us all together in the same class."

"That doesn't seem entirely fair, but then again, what do I know?" Yasushi said, still struggling to make sense of this unusual arrangement.

Yunxue, with a hint of excitement, chimed in, "There are plenty of bizarre things the wealthy do, Yasushi! I mean, Lord Yasushi! What you saw back in China was just a small fraction of it!"

Yasushi laughed softly at her enthusiastic correction and, with a grin, shifted the conversation. They began discussing the upcoming school year, and Yasushi filled Yunxue in on the details of the senior trip to Kyoto, describing the plans and what they could expect from the journey.

+-+

They pulled up a short distance from the school and climbed out of the car, offering a quick thank you to Yinhaie as she drove away. With the familiar routine of their short walk ahead of them, they enjoyed the crisp autumn air that heralded the coming of winter. The cool breeze swept across their faces as they approached the school gate. As they passed through, a few students — both familiar faces and newcomers — turned their heads to look.

The curious stares were primarily because Yasushi was accompanied by two strikingly beautiful girls, and their close proximity was immediately the subject of hushed conversations. Yasushi felt a pang of annoyance; he had hoped that this kind of attention was something they had moved past, but it seemed that was not the case.

Yunxue noticed the stares and appeared puzzled. Before she could voice her confusion, Jingliu leaned in and whispered an explanation. Yunxue's expression shifted to one of even greater bewilderment as she muttered, "That's dumb."

Yasushi's laughter attracted more attention, but he shrugged it off as they made their way to their assigned classroom. Once they entered, he saw his friends — Xinyi, Catherine, Reina, Laura, Furuya, and Layena, who, to his surprise, had somehow arrived before them. Yasushi couldn't help but notice that Layena seemed unusually formal, almost like a professional maid, which added to the surprise.

"Yo," Yasushi greeted, lifting his hand in a casual wave as he made his way to a seat close to where he had sat the previous year.

Laura looked up and snickered. "Did you end up drawing some attention?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Yasushi replied, taking his seat and glancing at her and the others. "It wasn't exactly what I intended. Was it really that obvious?"

Xinyi leaned in with a smirk. "We didn't hear everything, but we saw the commotion from our window and had to check it out. It's definitely interesting."

Furuya added with a dramatic gesture, placing the back of his hand on his forehead. "I got some attention too, though I'm not thrilled about it. I guess this is just my year to be popular."

Laura shook her head with a puzzled look and said, "I have no idea what went on over the summer, but it must have been significant if it's making him act like this."

Furuya, arms crossed with a self-assured grin, declared, "Nothing happened!" His confident assertion drew puzzled looks from many students in the classroom, who turned to Furuya with expressions of confusion.

The group continued chatting among themselves until the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day and the beginning of homeroom. To their surprise, their former homeroom teacher, Senbarisu, walked into the room. It was unusual for high school homeroom teachers to stay the same from year to year, making Senbarisu's appearance all the more unexpected.

"Alright, you lot!" Senbarisu bellowed with a lively tone. "I know you're all surprised to see me again, and believe me, I'm just as surprised to see you. But let's not dwell on it. We can get right down to business!" She slapped the whiteboard with enthusiasm, her gaze sweeping across the students.

A student raised his hand and asked, "Did you break up with your boyfriend again?" The question caught Senbarisu off guard, and with a quick throw, she sent her shoe flying at the student. He dodged the thrown shoe, and the classroom erupted in laughter at the unexpected and playful reaction from their teacher.

"Alright, enough with the distractions," Senbarisu said, regaining her composure. "You all know what the main event for your final year is, right?" She scanned the classroom, and the students nodded in response. "Good. As you're aware, this year's highlight is the trip to Kyoto. We'll be heading there again, and as we approach the date, I'll provide more details. But don't worry too much — most of it will be similar to the previous year's trip. In addition to Kyoto, we have a few other notable events: the Garbage Collection event, the Moon Weaving event, and the Easter Surprise event. Are there any questions?"

Jingliu glanced at Yasushi, who nodded slightly. The silent exchange indicated that they and their friends would cover the details of these events during lunch.

"Alright then, I'll start with attendance now and finish up the rest of the announcements afterward," Senbarisu said, turning her attention to the attendance sheet as she began calling out names.

Once Senbarisu finished taking attendance, she looked around the room and addressed the students with a determined tone. "We may not have had the best track record with this last year, but let's try to stay optimistic, okay? With that in mind, starting tomorrow, we'll be welcoming a new student to our year."

A girl, clearly alarmed, raised her hand and asked, "Are they as problematic as the ones from last year?"

"As far as I could find out, they come with a clean record," Senbarisu replied. "Of course, that record might be less than honest, or they could be very skilled at masking their true self. You'll have to form your own opinions after meeting them tomorrow."

A boy, curious, asked, "Is the new student a boy or a girl?" His question attracted more interest from the class.

"A boy," Senbarisu answered, glancing briefly at Jingliu and Xinyi. "He's relatively young and… he's from China."

Another student, trying to be reassuring, nodded and said, "Well, considering that Jishiha aside, Jingliu and Xinyi are actually quite normal despite their wealth, let's hope this new student follows the same trend." This comment received approving nods from several of the students.

Jingliu and Xinyi exchanged a glance, their silent communication revealing their mutual confusion about the new student. Both girls shook their heads, signaling that they had no prior knowledge of this development. The rest of the class shared a collective hope that this new student would not turn out to be as troublesome as some of the transfer students from the previous year.

With the announcement made, there was little else to discuss, so Senbarisu allowed the class to converse quietly among themselves as they had a few minutes remaining before homeroom ended.

Furuya, sitting in front of Yasushi, turned around and asked, "Got any guesses about the new student? Xinyi and Jingliu don't seem to have a clue."

Yasushi shook his head in response. "No idea. Jingliu didn't hint at knowing anything about it when we were in China, and besides," Yasushi glanced over at Yunxue, who was fidgeting restlessly in her seat, clearly eager to introduce herself. "She's getting a bit anxious."

Furuya looked over at Yunxue and chuckled, acknowledging her impatience. "She'll have her chance to speak when lunch rolls around, but I doubt it will be long before the focus shifts to the new guy. It seems like this time, the girls are the ones more excited," Furuya remarked, his tone light and teasing.

+-+

As lunchtime arrived, the anticipated crowd of classmates quickly surrounded Yunxue, her slight feeling of being overwhelmed quickly replaced by her genuine delight at the opportunity to introduce herself. She navigated through the swarm of eager faces with a warm smile, enjoying the attention.

Yasushi leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting over to Yunxue as she engaged with their peers. He took note of the small group that had formed around their usual table: Xinyi, Laura, Catherine, Layena, and Reina, all deep in their own conversation. Furuya, on the other hand, had already disappeared, presumably heading to the baseball team's field to rejoin his practice and get back into the swing of things.

Yasushi's thoughts wandered as he stared out the window, briefly lost in contemplation. 'I wonder if the team won Koshien this year? Furuya wasn't around to participate since he was with us in China.' His thoughts shifted to the new student joining their class. 'I really hope this new student doesn't stir up any trouble. I'd rather avoid any disruptions at the start of the school year.'

With a resigned sigh, Yasushi turned his attention to his lunch, eating in silence. He embraced the quietude, finding solace in his solitary moment even though it wasn't as lonely as it might have seemed.