"It's her..."
Izumi Kotomi couldn't help but murmur, even though she had anticipated that she would eventually encounter Shizuka Hiratsuka after coming to Sobu High School.
However, not only would she be eting her soon, but Shizuka Hiratsuka was also her horoom teacher.
Could it be...
With that thought in mind, Kotomi looked back at the list of students in Class 1-F posted on the bulletin board, scanning from the top to the bottom. She found two more familiar nas.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Yui Yuigahama.
gumi Kato, Yukino, and Yui are all in my class. It seems like I'm enjoying so main character privileges when it cos to class assignnts, Kotomi mused.
"Izumi-san, do you know Shizuka Hiratsuka-sensei?" gumi Kato asked in her usual soft, gentle voice.
"No, I don't know her personally. I've just heard about her from so second-year students," Kotomi quickly ca up with an excuse.
"What did you hear?"
"Just... that you should never ntion topics like age or marriage in front of her."
That part was true.
"Why? Is Hiratsuka-sensei a bachelorette?" gumi Kato asked with a serene smile, but her calm tone gave off a slightly mischievous vibe.
"Make sure you don't say that in front of her," Kotomi advised, concerned.
I wonder what it would be like if gumi Kato had a showdown with Shizuka Hiratsuka...
No, I hope they never have any conflict at all.
"Since Izumi-san has warned , I'll be careful," gumi Kato replied with a faint smile and then pointed toward the entrance of the school building. "It looks like Class 1-F is on the third floor of the West Building. It's a bit of a walk from the main entrance. Shall we head over?"
"Let's go. It sounds like it's a bit far, and I don't want to still be on my way to class when it starts."
"Izumi-san seems very sensitive about being late. Were you a model student, like a class rep, back in middle school?" gumi Kato inquired.
Kotomi could only give a wry smile. "No, it's just that I was late to school too many tis before. Both in elentary and middle school, I was late on the first day. It's such an embarrassing history that I decided to break the habit now that I'm in high school. At least I want to be a sowhat reliable older sister in front of my little sister."
Hearing this, a fleeting, aningful emotion passed through gumi Kato's deep eyes, unnoticed by anyone. She smiled that reassuring smile of hers and, in her soft, emotionless voice, said:
"So Izumi-san is an older sister at ho."
"Yeah, I have a sister who's in middle school. How about you, Kato-san?" Kotomi asked as they walked into the school building, changing into their indoor shoes by the shoe lockers and heading toward Class 1-F.
"I'm an only child. I'm a bit envious that Izumi-san has a sister. Let guess, is your sister just as cute as you?" gumi Kato said.
When it ca to her sister's cuteness, Kotomi nodded confidently.
"That's right, my sister is incredibly cute. She's a treasure I'm proud of as her older sister!"
[Heh, sister complex.]
The God-Level Heroine System quipped rcilessly.
"Izumi-san seems like a good sister. Your sister must really like you, right?"
"Like ? I think so. We've always had a good relationship," Kotomi replied after thinking for a mont.
"If one day, the sister you adore suddenly has soone she likes, wouldn't that make you sad? You might even get angry," gumi Kato said with an air of mystery.
"In those types of sisterly love stories in light novels and manga, that might be the case. But as for my sister, I'm sure she wouldn't have those kinds of feelings," Kotomi replied with confidence.
"Oh? Really? By the way, where does Izumi-san live?"
Does gumi Kato's question about whether my sister would be angry if I had soone I liked have anything to do with where I live? Kotomi wondered, unable to see the connection between the two questions. She decided to treat gumi Kato's question as a simple conversation starter.
"Sure, I live at..." Kotomi shared her ho address with gumi Kato.
After hearing Kotomi's address, gumi Kato was surprised. "Oh... that ans we live quite close to each other. Our routes to school and ho are practically the sa."
"Really?"
"Yes, my house is only about a ten-minute walk from yours. It'll be convenient," gumi Kato said with what seed like genuine happiness.
"Convenient?" Kotomi caught onto the word and asked in confusion.
"Yes. I was thinking that I could stop by your house every morning, and we could walk to school together. This way, Izumi-san, you might overco your bad habit of being late. And if you'd like, we can also walk ho together after school. Leave school together, go ho together, and maybe sotis go out after school," gumi Kato suggested in her usual calm manner, as if they were simply discussing plans for the afternoon.
Without hesitation, Kotomi nodded. "Of course, I don't mind."
"Then let's start by walking ho together today. Be sure to go to bed early tonight, Izumi-san. We'll be walking to school together tomorrow morning."
"I'll do my best..."
As they chatted, the two arrived at the door to Class 1-F.
The short ti they spent together had already brought them closer.
Kotomi slid open the classroom door, where many students had already arrived early. A few boys were gathered, discussing video gas, seemingly friends from before.
Kotomi chose a random seat by the window and near the back of the classroom, and gumi Kato took the seat next to her.
The desks were arranged in pairs, and sitting together, Kotomi and gumi Kato were now temporary desk mates.
Before the horoom teacher assigned seats, students could sit wherever they liked. However, according to Sobu High School's usual practice, the first lesson was typically about going over class rules, followed by the teacher assigning seats to each student.
So even though Kotomi and gumi Kato were sitting together now, they might be separated when the seats were reassigned.
Kotomi noticed Yukinoshita Yukino not far from her, sitting quietly in her chair with an air of cold elegance. Her dignified appearance was accentuated by the classical literature book she held.
Yukino's over-the-shoulder black hair, her fair and stunningly beautiful face that was almost unfair in its allure, and the cold expression she wore made people hesitant to approach her. Her translucent skin seed to embody the "Yuki" (snow) in her na. Sobu High School's girls' uniform, paired with over-the-knee black stockings, showcased her youthful beauty perfectly.
Just like her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, she was a flawless beauty.
However, as Haruno had said, Yukino's personality was vastly different from hers—she was a true ice queen.
And sitting beside Yukinoshita Yukino was... a certain soone currently dozing off at her desk: Yui Yuigahama.
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