Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan

“Huh?”

I had no clue what just happened. A second ago, I was leisurely reminiscing in the smoking area of an izakaya, but suddenly, I was at home. What the heck?

I blinked hard and pinched my cheeks over and over, but I really was in my old bedroom at my parents’ house.

After graduating from high school, I’d moved to Tokyo by myself for college. The izakaya I had just been in was by the station nearest to my apartment, so of course it was in Tokyo. But my parents’ house was in Gunma Prefecture, about two hours from Tokyo by train.

When had I left the izakaya and gotten on a train back to Gunma? No matter how I tried to spin it, I couldn’t reconcile where I currently was.

In the first place, I’d been nowhere near blackout drunk today. Plus, it felt as if I’d instantly teleported from one place to another. The more I tried to understand the situation, the more confused I became.

I should go talk to mom and dad first, I thought. However, the moment I tried to move, I was assaulted by a bizarre sensation. I lost control of my balance and collapsed onto the floor. When I tried to stand up, I felt dizzy.

What the...?

The sensation wasn’t like being drunk; it felt closer to motion sickness. I couldn’t control my body properly—it was almost as if I’d swapped bodies with a different person.

“I heard a loud thump. Are you okay?” a clear voice called as the door to my room swung open.

My sister? I haven’t heard her voice in a while! I rarely went home to visit, so it had probably been around a year since I last saw her.

Holding back the nausea, I turned to the door and saw my younger sister dressed in her middle school uniform.

“Uh, are you cosplaying?” I was so surprised that my nausea completely vanished.

“What are you talking about, onii-chan?”

My little sister, Haibara Namika, was in her second year of college. She was way too old to be accidentally wearing her middle school uniform around.

However, standing before me was my sister from her middle school days. Her hair was no longer permed or dyed blonde, but straight and black again. Her mature face from my memories had regained its baby fat, her height had shrunk, and her chest had also disappeared.

The way Namika had called me “onii-chan” seemed way off too. From the moment she’d entered high school, she’d dropped that cutesy nickname and always called me “aniki.”

Impossible, I thought. Then I remembered what I’d wished for just moments ago.

“Hey, Namika... What year is it?”

“Huh? It’s 2014. Why?”

No way! It’s supposed to be 2021. I could see someone being off by a year or two, but being off by seven years is just absurd.

But Namika didn’t seem to be joking. She looked at me, head tilted to the side, with an expression that said, Why are you asking the obvious?

If she was telling the truth, then did that mean I had flown back seven years? That would be ridiculous! As I tried to digest what was happening, I stood up in front of the mirror in my room.

“You gotta be kidding me...”

That was me in the glass, except it was the me from middle school. The glasses were a dead giveaway; I’d started putting effort into my appearance and ditched them once I entered high school.

Before my infamous high school debut, I had long, unkempt hair that covered my eyes, tacky glasses, and a noticeably round belly. To see myself back in this state made me feel sick. I didn’t want to admit that I used to look like this.

Namika said it’s 2014. That means I’m either in my last year of middle school, or I’m a freshman in high school right about now.

Well, that definitely checked out with my current appearance. Namika also clearly looked like a middle schooler. I could only conclude that I had somehow traveled back in time.

At first, I had thought this was some kind of hidden camera prank, but no joke would go that far. A gag of this magnitude would have taken a lot of effort to set up, but I wasn’t even a very amusing target. It’s not like I had any friends who’d want to prank me in the first place.

I pinched my cheek once more to double-check if this was just a dream, but the pain was very real.

“Onii-chan, what’s up with you?” Namika shot me a puzzled look.

Around this time, Namika had been a kind and honest girl. All things considered, we were still only about as close as your average pair of siblings, but by the time she entered high school, Namika had grown to hate me.

“Nothing. I was just feeling a bit off.” It wasn’t a lie. I definitely felt some sort of disconnect from being inside my younger body. When is this nausea going to go away? I wondered. Though, I do feel better than before.

“Hmm. Do you have a fever?”

“Nah. I’m sure I’ll feel better soon.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you got sick after your graduation ceremony. Get some sleep.” With that, Namika turned around and walked back to her room.

I closed the door behind her and then sat down on my bed. Sitting alone helped me calm down, not that being calm changed anything.

I was still back in the past. In manga and anime, I’d seen this phenomenon referred to as a “time leap.” It was hard to believe that something so unrealistic could take place, but that’s clearly what had just happened to me.

I let out a sigh and then tried to change gears. Nothing would come from brooding over something I didn’t understand. I needed more information. My nausea had mostly subsided, so I decided to investigate my room.

The first thing I looked at was my clock. It was 5:06 p.m. on the tenth of March. If my memory was correct, that was actually the date of my graduation ceremony. Namika had also mentioned the ceremony being over. That pretty much confirmed my suspicion; I had somehow gone back to my past self, just after I’d graduated from middle school.

Next, I inspected my bookshelf. Sure enough, it was filled with my old manga and books. Wait. As a dedicated otaku, a sudden realization hit me hard. If I can’t return to the future, that means I won’t be able to read the next chapter of all the series I’ve been following for seven whole years! That was obvious, though. Because I was seven years in the past, only anime, manga, and books from at least seven years ago would exist.

Back in 2014, I had already checked out all the series that I was interested in, so if I wanted to find something new to read or watch, I’d need to look at series that I’d previously disregarded.

Hah. Looks like I’ve already discovered a downside to time leaping.

Wanting to ignore the grim reality of my situation, I looked at the smartphone on my desk. It was a model from long ago—one of the first to be sold. What a throwback! I’d received it in my second year of middle school, and it’d lasted me until I entered college.

I picked the phone up and unlocked it without any issues. Luckily, when I’d gotten a new one, I had kept the same password. For a moment I’d been worried about what I would do if I didn’t remember the password, but I wasn’t the type of person to change it. Instead, I’d rather memorize a handful of passwords and then reuse those for everything.

I opened RINE, a messaging app. The only contacts I had saved were Namika and my mom. My dad was still using a flip phone at this time. How nostalgic. 

Next, I opened Twister, a social media app where you could make quick public posts. My feed was full of content from official anime and manga accounts, manga artists, novelists, and illustrators. I was what you called a Twister lurker.

There were also several old social games on my phone. That’s right; everyone was into Puzzle & Tigers in 2014. I used to be crazy about that game too, but I stopped playing it in college.

“Hmm...” I finished looking through my phone and then put it back down on my desk. My textbooks and notebooks were stacked nearby, with my middle school diploma carelessly thrown on top.

I heard the front door open while I rifled through my old things. Mom had probably just got home from work, right on schedule. Both of my parents worked full time, but my dad didn’t live with us because he had been transferred to the Tohoku region.

My mom came into my room. “Natsuki, are you home? Congratulations on graduating! I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the ceremony. Work got hectic and—” When she saw my face, she paused her chattering. “Natsuki? You look pale. Are you feeling sick?” Seeing mom still acting and looking the same as she did seven years in the future was a relief somehow.

“Yeah, just a bit,” I replied. “Can I nap until dinner?”

“Of course, of course. Did you take your temperature? Oh, where on earth did I put the cold compresses?!”

“It’s nothing major. I don’t need all that.” My mom was a worrywart, so I shooed her out of my room before she could go into overdrive.

I really was feeling bad, and all the confusion had made me sleepy. I lay down in my bed and the drowsiness hit that much harder. I gave myself over to the sweet relief of sleep.

***

When I woke up, I was still in the past. I really hadn’t been dreaming, and I felt less nauseous too.

That night, my mom cooked up an extravagant dinner in celebration of my graduation. She’d probably done the same thing the first time around, but I didn’t remember everything that happened back then. She asked me how the graduation ceremony had gone, so I recounted what I could from my vague recollections before I returned to my room.

I stood before my mirror once more. The embodiment of gloom and doom stared back at me. Yes, this dismal boy was who I’d been before entering high school.

There’s no point trying to come up with reasons why this happened, I thought. I wouldn’t know what’s true, after all. I should just focus on the outcome. I’m currently seven years in the past, which means I have the chance to redo my life. I messed up the first time I went through high school, but now I can fix things! I asked god to give me a chance to redo my youth, so let’s just say my wish was granted.

I didn’t want the regrets of my teen years to haunt me any longer. This time, I would live out my youth to the fullest! I stared at myself in the mirror and swore to myself: I will have a successful high school debut and overwrite my drab old high school memories with ones full of vibrant colors!

***

Let’s see. Today was my middle school graduation ceremony, so it’s the tenth of March. My high school entrance ceremony is the eighth of April, meaning I have about a month of spring vacation. That’s not very long, but it’s time for a transformation!

Although I had been eager to make my high school debut the first time, my attempt to change my appearance had been half-assed. All I’d done was lose a bit of weight and drop my glasses for contacts. Then, I didn’t look particularly good or bad, just average.

However, this time around, maybe something would change if I really improved my looks. At any rate, I thought it couldn’t possibly make things worse. They say appearances make up ninety percent of a person, or something like that.

It was a good thing this time leap hadn’t landed me right before the entrance ceremony. A few days were plenty if all I needed was minimal grooming, but I needed at least a month to slim down.

I began going on daily jogs in the neighborhood. My sedentary body would get fatigued almost instantly, but I couldn’t afford to take it easy. Every day, I pushed myself to the brink of collapsing then returned home dripping in sweat. I slept like a log at night, so the time flew by.

I told my mom that I wanted to lose weight, and she helped me out by managing my diet. In the morning, I would run until I was about to collapse, rest up, and then run some more. In the afternoon, I focused on building muscle. I did multiple sets of push-ups, sit-ups, back exercises, and squats, with breaks and stretching in between. With every passing day, I upped the number of sets as well.

I had nothing else to do, so I spent every waking moment exercising.

***

My exercise routine continued for three weeks, and before I knew it, I had lost fifteen kilograms. At one point, I was down twenty kilograms, but then my muscle mass started to increase and I found myself gaining weight instead.

When I looked at my reflection, I was pleased to see that I had achieved my objective with flying colors. Three weeks ago, I had been just a big fatty, but now I was tall and slim. My height was pretty much always the only thing I had going for me.

My mom, delighted by my transformation, encouraged me to join a gym, so I did. It had various machines and even gave me access to a pool. Now I was able to exercise even more efficiently.

Of course, I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself a macho man, but my pecs were thicker, my abs more defined, and my arms and legs were firming up. Maybe even enough to classify me as a lean kinda guy!

It was tough in the beginning, but somewhere along the way I started enjoying exercising. I feel like I deviated from my original goal of losing weight. In fact, I’m pretty sure I cleared that bar a while ago. W-Well, that can’t be bad. It might be a different story if I become too brawny, though.

Gains aside, time flies when you’re having fun lifting weights. It was now two days before the entrance ceremony. Bodybuilding had gone well, but what I needed was some proper grooming. Which was why I was currently scrambling to get ready.

First, I took out money that I’d stashed in the depths of my drawer to buy contacts. Replacing your glasses with contacts is a must for a high school debut. They’d be fine if I wanted to go for the intellectual look, but I don’t really look good in glasses.

When I swapped out my glasses for contacts, I immediately started giving off athlete vibes. Not too shabby, I thought. My hair’s too long and shaggy, but my build makes up for it. All right, time to visit the hairdresser.

I knew from experience that I had terrible fashion sense, so I decided to leave my hair in the hands of a fairly pricey stylist. And so, I headed for a well-known salon by the station.

Ten thousand yen was a lot for a high school student, but the results made it worth the cost.

“Whoa.” I looked like a put-together athlete. Dare I say people might even consider me a hunk?

To be honest, I doubted my eyes at first. Who would’ve thought that the gloomy, overweight otaku I used to be could transform into a whole new guy? For once, I could actually believe my hairdresser’s compliments.

The trade-off was that I wouldn’t look this good if I didn’t style my hair with wax every day. To tell the truth, doing that every morning was a pain in the butt, but I had already decided I would work hard to have the best high school life ever.

My clothes are still lame, but I’m a high schooler. We’ve got uniforms. I’ll think about my wardrobe if the need arises.

When I got home, Namika was watching TV in the living room. Her eyes popped out of her head when she saw me.

“Onii-chan...is that really you?”

“Who else would it be? How do I look?”

Namika was silent for a moment. “Pretty decent. Not that I would know.” She’d looked away when I asked her for her opinion, but I knew this was her way of giving her stamp of approval. Namika had trouble expressing her honest feelings and tended to play disinterested when complimenting someone.

“Oh my, Natsuki! You look great now!” my mom exclaimed as soon as she came home from work. With her additional praise, I couldn’t deny the truth any longer. After seeing both of their reactions, I knew it wasn’t just my imagination; I really had turned into a good-looking guy.

Confidence restored, I gave myself a big grin in the mirror. I was going for a refreshing smile to match my new look, but it turned out more like a creepy smirk.

Yeah, I should practice smiling.

***

I spent the next day browsing a website called “Tips for a Successful High School Debut” and buying school supplies. And so, the day of the entrance ceremony finally arrived.

The night before the ceremony, I’d been so nervous that I hadn’t gotten much sleep. I definitely could have done with some more rest, but I was wired and wide awake come morning.

You can’t blame me for being a bundle of nerves; it’s D-Day, after all. Yep, today’s the day I redo my youth! One month’s passed since the time leap—one month full of preparation. Remember the goal: I’m going to paint over my gray teen years with colorful, happy memories this time. And I doubt god will give me another chance if I mess this up; I can’t count on any third tries. It’s do or die! I gave myself a pep talk.

Ugh, my stomach kinda hurts. Oh no, my nerves are getting to me! Relax. My preparations were perfect, I thought, trying to take the pressure off. It’s only 6 a.m. I’m not falling asleep anytime soon so I guess I’ll go for a run.

I changed into workout clothes and left the house. The sky was a pleasant blue and the gentle spring breeze felt refreshing. I did some light warm-up exercises and then started running. In the beginning of my workout journey, I would run laps around my neighborhood, but now I could run a good distance away from home.

Of course, the entrance ceremony was today, so I only planned to run far enough to get rid of the nerves. Realistically, I could’ve run ten times farther than when I’d first started jogging and still probably been fine.

I listened to a new song from a band that I knew would become popular in the future while running. My neighborhood was a quiet one, with few cars and people in the streets. Well, the early hour probably contributed to the lack of activity, but it was a good area to jog in at any rate.

Once I’d finished running a lap around town, I stopped at the park in my neighborhood. I figured it was a good place to take a break, plus I wanted to admire the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom. This park was kind of a best-kept secret among locals.

“Natsuki?” A voice called out while I was enjoying the flowers. I turned to see a beautiful, black-haired girl whose face I actually knew quite well.

“Hey, Miori! It’s been a while. Haven’t seen you since graduation.”

Her name was Motomiya Miori. We’d been schoolmates all the way back since kindergarten. I guess she was something like a childhood friend. She didn’t live next to me, though, nor were our families close. If I’d had the kind of childhood friend you see in anime, my teen years wouldn’t have been so drab.

Miori and I used to be friends in kindergarten and elementary school, but we’d stopped talking to each other in middle school. In my original time, I hadn’t even known what college she’d gone to, let alone what she was doing. That’s about how close we were.

“What the... You, uh, you look a lot different.” Miori rubbed her eyes and took another good look at me.

“I’m gonna look the same no matter how much you stare, you know.”

“Oh, uh...I was wondering if I was dreaming.”

“I’m surprised you even recognize me at all, if I look different enough that you think you’re dreaming.”

“Well, now you look a lot like you did in elementary school, when you were skinnier and you didn’t wear glasses... Anyway, what happened to you? You’re so different that I’m suspicious you took some kind of dangerous drug. I mean, it’s only been a month since I last saw you at the graduation ceremony!”

“I worked out over spring break because I had nothing better to do. I’m actually in the middle of a jogging break right now.”

“Hmm.” Miori eyed me up and down. “Yeah, but your whole look is way different. What, are you going for a high school glow up?”

I grimaced. She’d hit the nail right on the head. “Yeah, I am. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. If anything, it’s good. Uh-huh.” Miori nodded multiple times for emphasis. “You know, before, you looked pretty tacky. And you were fat. But I always thought you could look good if you actually tried. Glad to see I wasn’t crazy to think that!”

Her words cut into me like a knife. Don’t diss how I used to look; just compliment the way I look now!

“Oh, I’m walking my dog right now,” Miori explained, even though I hadn’t asked. “I’m always up at this time. Isn’t that right, Ku-chan?” Anyone could see that she was walking her dog. The white toy poodle standing at Miori’s feet wagged its tail eagerly in response to hearing its name.

“Wow, you’re an early riser,” I commented. It was currently 6:30 in the morning, and I’d usually be waking up around now.

“I’ll have to get up this early for morning practice once school starts. So I’m getting myself used to it.”

“Oh yeah, you were on the basketball team, right?”

“That’s right. And of course I’ll be playing in high school too.” Miori flexed her arm with a grunt.

Man, she’s got a lotta muscle for a girl, I thought.

Even still, her flexing had been very feminine. It was a big departure from how tomboyish she used to be. That said, no matter how cute she was now, my memories of “Brat Commander” Miori would never leave me.

“Well, you’ve changed a lot too,” I said.

“Hm? You think so? Well, we didn’t talk at all in middle school, huh? We were never in the same class either. Plus, you didn’t have any friends, so there wasn’t even a chance for overlap.”

“Oh, shut up,” I sulked. It’s not like I wanted to be a loner!

Miori smothered a giggle with her hand when she saw me pout. “I’m guessing you still remember me the way I was in elementary school. Well, too bad! The cool Miori-chan that you adored is long gone. Sorry!”

“Cool?! You were just a snot-nosed brat!”

“Who are you calling a brat?! I was just a little tomboyish!”

I snorted when Miori said that, which made her puff up her cheeks.

I was surprised by how naturally we were talking to each other. Back in middle school, we’d gone three whole years without speaking (plus an additional seven years for me). I thought it would’ve been more awkward.

Well, if it were the past me, Miori’s sunny disposition would’ve made me wither up and run away. Perhaps I could only speak to her all calm and collected because my mental age was older.

“Oh yeah, Natsuki, what high school are you going to?”

“Hm? You don’t know?”

“Of course I don’t. We never talked.”

Oh yeah. I didn’t have any friends either, so there’d be no one to spread the word to Miori and her circle of friends. But I knew which high school Miori was going to attend; I’d overheard all kinds of things from my classmates. It was a school in our prefecture with a solid academic standard score and thriving extracurriculars. However, it was pretty far from our hometown, so not many students from our middle school went there.

This year, only two people from our middle school would be attending that high school. And those two people were...

“I’m going to Ryomei. Ryomei High School,” I told her.

“No, wait, what?! That’s the same school I’m going to!”

That’s right—me and Miori. For the record, I didn’t pick this school to be with her on purpose; it really was just a coincidence.

“Yeah, I already knew. I overheard my classmates talking about it,” I admitted.

“Oh, come on! Tell me that sooner!”

“And when would I have had the chance to tell you that sooner?”

Miori fell silent for a moment and then asked, “By the way, is anyone else going to Ryomei? Don’t tell me it’s just you and me?”

“Wouldn’t you know better than me? I just heard through the grapevine where you were going.” I actually did know it would be just the two of us, but it would have been unnatural to admit that.

“To my knowledge, it was just me,” she said.

“Then it’s probably just you and me.”

“Whaaat...? I guess that’s fine. But wow, I’m with you of all people. We’ve gone to the same school for so long that we’re like real childhood friends. Honestly, I don’t know if I like that.”

“Hey, insult me when I’m not around.” My mentality is as weak as tofu right now, I thought. “Why did you pick Ryomei of all places, anyway?”

“That’s my line! Why are you going there?” she shot right back at me.

I hesitated for a moment. “I picked a school that I thought no one from our middle school would attend.”

Miori’s brows momentarily furrowed in confusion before her face lit up with a bright, understanding smile. “Ah, I get it! High school debuts are awkward if someone from the same middle school is there, huh?”

Reluctantly, I answered, “Yep, you got it.”

“Aha ha! I see, I see. Don’t worry; I’ll keep quiet since you want me to. I’m a nice girl, after all.”

“So? What about you? I told you my reason.” I couldn’t recall what Miori’s reason was. We’d probably never spoken even once during high school.

“You don’t know? The girls’ basketball team at Ryomei is really strong.”

“Ah, gotcha. So they recruited you.” Miori was the ace of our middle school girls’ basketball club. Since we were young, her athletic ability had been a cut above the rest. She’s still just a brat commander, though.

“Yeeep! And after a quick search, I saw that the school building is new, their facilities are great, plus they’re close to a station, and their standard scores are right where I was aiming for. It looked too good to pass up, besides the long commute, of course.”

“Even though no one from our middle school is going?”

“It’s fine. I can just make new friends. Unlike you, I’m good at socializing!”

“Urgh.” I had no rebuttal, seeing how I had messed up my adolescence once already. In middle school, I didn’t have the backbone to talk to anyone. And although the beginning of high school had gone well, I didn’t know how to read the room since I had no experience interacting with people. That’s why I’d ended up being hated by literally everyone.

The only reason I could talk to a girl the same age as me right now was because we were childhood friends. I would definitely be too nervous to hold a normal conversation if it were with a random girl I barely knew.

“By the way, did you work out because you’re joining a sports club?”

“No... I wasn’t thinking about stuff like that.” For a split second, images of my high school days flashed through my mind. I’d joined the basketball club during my first debut attempt. My idea, albeit a half-baked one, was that joining the soccer or basketball club would help me come off as an upbeat person. I ended up choosing the basketball club because of my height.

Big mistake!

The basketball club was tough enough for inexperienced people who, at the very least, had a history in athletics. I, on the other hand, had belonged to the so-called “go home club,” with zero experience playing any kind of sport. I couldn’t keep up with practice at all, and my fellow teammates treated me like I was a gross tumor because of that. Then, once everyone in class started hating me, the team didn’t need to keep talking to me to maintain the pretense of camaraderie. No one spoke to me at all unless they had to.

Those memories were so painful that they made me want to crawl into bed and roll around.

“Aw, that’s a shame. You’re pretty tall, Natsuki. You should play basketball too.”

“I was part of the go home club in middle school. That’s way too much for me!”

“Nah, no way. You’re tall; it’ll work out.”

That’s what I assumed too, the first time I joined the basketball club, I thought bitterly. To be fair, I did improve my skills because I didn’t have the guts to quit, so I ended up sticking with it. So maybe it would work out this time. But in the end, my problem isn’t basketball; it’s my lack of interpersonal skills. Man, thinking about this is depressing. I’m regretting having been born...

Negative thoughts started spiraling out of control, and my mood plummeted like a rock.

“Oops, we should stop here. We’ve got an entrance ceremony coming up.” Miori interrupted my rumination after glancing at her watch.

“You’re right. We’ve got a long commute too,” I agreed. The school was five stops away by train, so it took about an hour to get there from my place.

“All righty, see you at school! Come on, let’s go home, Ku-chan!” Miori called to her dog who had been waiting by her feet patiently. She tugged on its leash and led it away.

My morning jog hadn’t gone as planned, but I was able to reconnect with a fellow middle school classmate. History was already changing.

I also headed home while I mulled over how differently things were going.

***

Back at home, I showered, ate breakfast, and changed into my uniform.

“Oh dear. You’ve become so handsome!”

I moved to the door as I tried to brush off my mom’s excessive praise. Lately, she had started praising me for every single thing I did, so much that I was starting to understand what nepotism—I mean, parental love—really meant.

I passed Namika on my way out. After three seconds of staring at me in my uniform, she whispered, “Have a nice day.”

“Thanks, you too.”

I rode my bike to the nearest station and got on the train. It was packed at this hour even though commuting by car was common in Gunma. I figured Miori would have taken either this train or the previous one, but I didn’t spot her in the crowd. What would I do if I found her? It’s not like we’re close enough to walk to school together.

Man, I remember taking the train to get to school every day. Really makes me feel like I’m a high schooler again. I smiled bitterly because I always used to ride the train with dead fish eyes.

Then, I felt someone watching me, and I glanced to my left. My eyes met a girl in the same brand-new uniform that I was wearing. I immediately turned away. She looked a little flushed, so I don’t think she was glaring at me. Her uniform is from Ryomei, like mine.

If I were an outgoing person, I would’ve struck up a conversation right then and there, but I didn’t have the courage. It was my policy to act cautiously and only make a move once I was fully prepared. In RPG lingo, I was the type of person who not only overleveled, but also attacked carefully. I didn’t used to be like this, but my failure in high school had likely influenced the change in my personality.

The train finally arrived while I was thinking of trivial things. It was only a five-minute walk from the station to the school. I still had plenty of time before the entrance ceremony would begin.

Cherry blossom trees lined the path to the school. Many students wearing my same uniform were walking underneath the picturesque full blossoms.

Someone among them caught my eye.

“Ah...” I uttered without thinking. It was a girl who was smiling and walking in the middle of a group of six. She had shoulder-length flaxen hair, which I knew was her natural color. Her face was stunningly gorgeous. And yet, she had an air of angelic innocence to her.

I wasn’t the only one staring. She was turning the heads of many on their way to school.

Her name was Hoshimiya Hikari. She was the type of girl who made the beautiful, blooming cherry blossoms look like mere supporting actors. In the past, I had fallen for Hoshimiya, confessed to her...and subsequently been rejected. I still hadn’t gotten over those feelings and continued to think about Hoshimiya even after seven years had passed.

Her smile was exactly the same as I remembered. Of course it would be! My racing heart only reaffirmed my feelings for her.

Up until now, I’d kept telling myself that I wanted to experience a happy youth full of color. It was a vague ambition that lacked clear direction, but now I had one concrete goal.

I want Hoshimiya to like me. I want to date her this time.

Our eyes met for a moment. However, we were still just strangers right now. I averted my gaze so I wouldn’t seem weird. She was still looking at me when I glanced at her again, and our eyes met once more.

Oh crap. She must have been thinking the same thing I was. We both awkwardly looked forward.

“Hikari? What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing. Nothing at all. Oh, look, we’re here!”

Weird. Something like this happened on the train too. I keep making eye contact with people. This didn’t happen in the past. I feel like people are staring at me. Is there something strange about me?

I took out my hand mirror while I walked and checked myself out. Hmm, I look fine. My hair was done properly and my uniform fit was just loose enough to be fashionable, but not sloppy-looking.

What is it, then? I finally arrived at school while I was racking my brain.

I walked towards the crowd of students right away to see what everyone was doing. They were gathered around bulletin boards where the class listings were posted. I remembered what class I had been in, but I figured I’d double-check just in case.

Let’s see... Oh, there I am—first year, class two, Haibara Natsuki. Hoshimiya’s name was also listed. We’d been in the same class for the first two years of high school last time. So far, things were still the same this time around.

I happened to see Miori’s name listed under the class next to mine, class one—also the same as last time. I gave the rest of the list a quick skim to check if everything looked familiar, and it seemed to match my memories.

I couldn’t recall every person’s name off the top of my head, but I would recognize a name and think, Oh yeah, that guy. I even recognized quite a number of faces in the crowd.

“Ah! Look, over there! Yaaay! Rei, Tatsu, we’re all in the same class!” A loud voice rang out from behind me over all the clamor.

“You don’t have to yell. I can hear you.”

“Come on. Uta can’t help being hyped up; she’s a high schooler now.”

I turned around to see a group of three students from the same middle school talking to each other. I remembered them, and it wasn’t just a faint recollection. In fact, I knew a lot about them. They were the first group of people that I had mingled with. These three were the center of class 1-2. They were at the top of the social ladder, the popular kids—in other words, the position I had yearned for the most.

“Tatsu, you’re happy too! Why’re you trying to act cool?” The loud girl currently yelling over the crowd was Sakura Uta. Her petite frame fluttered here and there, clearly expressing her joy. She was a cheerful and energetic girl, and she had a cute face to boot. Watching her overflow with energy was enough to warm anyone’s heart.

“Huh? Why would I get worked up like you?” The deep-voiced boy who was rebuffing her with a blatant scowl was Nagiura Tatsuya. He was taller than me, with a solid build. His features were well-defined, though his eyes had a mean edge to them which gave off a wild impression.

Nagiura looked like a scary but still handsome guy, if I had to sum it up. In reality, he just hated being underestimated more than anything. He was actually an upbeat and nice guy.

“Tatsuya, you’re such a tsundere. That’s not in right now, you know.” The boy teasing Nagiura in a mellow tone was Shiratori Reita. He was attractive, with fine features that gave off the exact opposite vibes from Nagiura. Unlike Nagiura, who might have been attractive to some, Shiratori was attractive to everyone; his presence captivated the gazes of all the girls nearby. He was a gentle and affable person, as well as a great leader.

When I’d been planning my high school debut, the guy closest to the ideal image that I had been striving for was Shiratori.

“Were tsundere boys ever popular?” Uta asked.

“Oh, Uta. Your knowledge of shojo manga is lacking,” Shiratori replied.

“Stop using words I’ve never heard of. What even is that?” Nagiura barked back.

“Oh right, Tatsu doesn’t read manga,” Uta threw in.

“Stop belittling me! I’ve read some Two Piece before.”

“Only ’cause I lent it to you. You don’t own a single manga,” Shiratori said with a shrug.

Nagiura snorted. “Shut up! Basketball is all I need anyway.”

At that moment, Shiratori caught me watching their spectacle. “Oh, sorry. Are these two being too loud?”

I was shaken for a moment; this hadn’t happened the first time around. But I managed to keep my cool and respond normally. “Oh, no. Not at all. I was just thinking the three of you sure are close.”

Did I stare too much? The day’s barely begun and I’ve already misplayed! It was such a familiar sight that I couldn’t help but watch.

“That’s because the three of us are from the same middle school. Are you in class 1-2 as well?” Shiratori asked me amicably. He was completely clueless about my inner turmoil.

I know, I wanted to say. Nor would it have been hard to guess what class they were in since they’d been standing in front of the posting for class 1-2 for so long.

“Yeah. I’m Haibara Natsuki. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Shiratori Reita. The short one here is Sakura Uta, and the tall one is Nagiura Tatsuya.”

Nagiura and Sakura turned in my direction when they heard themselves being introduced. I didn’t think they noticed, but I was trembling a little. Nagiura’s gaze was especially intimidating.

“Hey, Natsuki? Sorry, man, but I can’t stick up for you anymore. Besides, you piss me off.” I recalled the moment Nagiura had said those words to me. After all, he’d been the one who forced me to face my mistakes, the one who had started it all. He hadn’t done anything wrong; it was all my fault for being socially inept. Even though I was well aware of that fact, the trauma left within my heart wouldn’t disappear so easily.

I still had nightmares of that day.

“Already made a new friend, Reita? Of course you did,” Nagiura said.

“I was just saying hi since he’s in the same class as us.” While they talked, I took the opportunity to calm my breathing. I saw Nagiura give me a once-over. He stared hard, examining me from head to toe.

“Hey, you. You’ve got some good muscle on you. What did you play?” Nagiura asked after his examination.

“Play, like in a club? I wasn’t in a club in middle school.”

“What, for real? But you’re so fit.”

“True. You do look like an athlete.” Shiratori nodded in agreement. I was glad that my bodybuilding had paid off.

“I got into lifting weights and stuff recently. I’m glad to hear it’s paid— What?!” I jumped in surprise. Someone was giving my stomach a pat down. I immediately looked down to see short little Sakura there. She had somehow crept up close enough to touch me.

“Wow! You’ve got a six-pack!” she marveled.

“You surprised me...” Are cheery people always so touchy? Oh yeah, Sakura doesn’t think twice about physical contact with boys, so she’s easily misunderstood. She had zero interest in romance but people kept confessing to her. And she shot them all down. A nasty trait to have.

“Listen carefully, Uta. You’re not supposed to touch someone’s stomach without permission the first time you meet them,” Shiratori warned her with a sigh.

“Really? I’m sorry.”

“It’s no big deal. I was just a little surprised.”

“Anyway, it’s crazy! You’re as ripped as Tatsu!” she blurted out.

“What?! You’re on par with me?!” Nagiura exclaimed.

“No way. That’s impossible. The difference between us is clear as day.” I shook my head vigorously. I was relatively confident in the results of my training, but in the end it had only been one month of working out. I would definitely lose when compared to Nagiura. He was both taller and better built than me.

I was, at most, buffer than the slender Shiratori.

“Oh, yeah. Reita introduced me already but I’ll say it again. I’m Nagiura Tatsuya.”

“I’m Sakura Uta! Call me Uta!”

“I’m Haibara Natsuki. You can call me Natsuki. Nice to meet you.”

I’ll copy how friendly Sakura—I mean, Uta—is and have people call me Natsuki. It’ll feel like we’re closer if they’re not calling me by my surname. Getting the vibes right is important.

“All right, then. Natsuki, you can call me Tatsuya.”

“Same here. Call me Reita.”

The two of them joined in, going with the flow. Doesn’t this mean we’re already closer than last time? Even though I’d wanted to call them Tatsuya, Reita, and Uta in the past, I held off. Last time, only Nagiura knew me as Natsuki—and that had stopped midway through the first year.

“Got it. Tatsuya, Reita, and Uta... Great to meet you.”

I felt like my voice would become weak and timid if I wasn’t careful, but I managed to stay strong all the way through. Undaunted by their powerful, sunny auras, I used my own skill: “Refreshing Smile.” Take this! I practiced hard so that my smile won’t look gloomy anymore!

“Okay, now that introductions are out of the way, we should get going,” Reita said.

“Yeah, the entrance ceremony is starting soon.” Tatsuya nodded.

“Whaaat? Listening to adults is so boring,” Uta complained.

“That’s not a reason to skip it,” Tatsuya scolded her.

“Tatsu, don’t act like an honor student when you look like a delinquent!” she shot back.

“Are you trying to piss me off?!”

My smile didn’t elicit any special response from them. Right. I look better than before, but I’m still just slightly better looking than average, at best. People only react to refreshing smiles when a hot guy does it. It’s their special privilege, after all.

***

After we sat through the snooze fest of an entrance ceremony, all the new students headed to our assigned classrooms.

I walked with Reita and company to our classroom, but my interactions were still uncomfortable and awkward. The three of them had gone to the same middle school, so they were already well acclimated to each other, whereas I felt like the odd one out.

It was only natural that I needed time to get to know them since we had only just met, but it was hard to close the distance when they were already good friends. The conversation always revolved around the three of them, with an occasional question directed my way. I kept all my replies lukewarm and inoffensive because I didn’t know how much openness I could get away with. It wasn’t bad, but it was definitely kinda weird.

Still, I was pretty much fine with it. Close bonds aren’t built overnight, after all; awkward moods are only natural for first meetings. Suppose I panicked and tried to bulldoze my way in. I would surely fail just like I had the first time.

“Oh, here we are,” Tatsuya said after seeing the sign for class 1-2. The four of us left the bustling hallway and entered our classroom. There were already tenish people inside. A piece of paper was stuck to the blackboard, most likely our seat assignments.

“Wh-Whoa. Isn’t that girl super cute?!” Uta tugged on my shirt, pulling my attention away from the blackboard. I followed her gaze and saw the same unmatched beauty from earlier this morning.

“Oh, um, are you talking about me?” Hoshimiya Hikari asked, smiling uncomfortably.

The girl with long black hair sitting next to her giggled. “You heard ‘super cute girl’ and thought it was you? Self-aware much?”

That nasty comment came courtesy of Nanase Yuino. Nanase was plenty cute herself, though her beauty was overshadowed by Hoshimiya’s overwhelming radiance. Nanase had almond eyes, a prominent nose, and unblemished white skin. She was tall for a girl, and you could see that her legs were long and slim even while she was seated. Rather than cuteness, her overall slender build gave off an impression of grace and beauty.

“Th-That’s because she was pointing straight at me,” Hoshimiya refuted. She was bright red from Nanase calling her out.

“Yeah! I’m talking about you!” Uta exclaimed. In the blink of an eye, she’d run over to where the other two girls were sitting. Tatsuya sighed and trailed after her. Reita and I followed suit.

“Thought so! You’re even cuter up close!” Uta continued.

“Um... Thank you?” Hoshimiya smiled uneasily, which only encouraged Uta to push her face in closer, cornering the poor girl against the window.

“So cute that I want to make you mine!”

“Um... N-No thank you?”

“Okay, that’s enough, Uta. You’re scaring her.” Reita grabbed his friend by the shoulder and pried her away from her victim.

Whoa! I knew they were close, but he’s so casual about touching a girl, I caught myself thinking like a loser.

“But she’s soooo cute,” Uta grumbled, unruffled by Reita’s touch.

“Ha ha, tell me about it. Hikari was the most popular girl in our middle school too,” Nanase teased.

“Yuino-chan, don’t put it like that! I’m not an idol or anything,” Hoshimiya said, flustered.

“Wow!” Uta marveled at that fun fact. “Oh, so you two are from the same middle school?”

“Yep,” answered Nanase. “We went to Kasai Middle School. What about you guys?”

“We’re from Ojima Middle School! Oh, all of us besides Natsu, I mean. Right, Natsu?” Uta’s question suddenly dragged me right into the spotlight of the conversation. Being subjected to the gazes of five intimidatingly attractive people unnerved me.

“Yeah. I went to Mizumi Middle School. It’s kinda far from here,” I answered.

“Mizumi. Is that near Takasaki?” Reita asked.

“Yeah. Well, not exactly, but it’s pretty close to Takasaki.” Ryomei High School was located in Maebashi, Gunma’s capital, so most students were from middle schools in the vicinity, such as Ojima and Kasai. I wasn’t surprised nobody knew where Mizumi Middle School was because it was even farther out than Takasaki. My town was sometimes referred to as the boonies, and I’d agree with that.

“Do you take the train, then?” Reita asked politely.

“Yeah. Thankfully, Ryomei is close to the station.”

“I know, right!” Nanase agreed. “It’s basically right in front of the station. Hikari and I also take the train.”

“We ride our bikes to school since the three of us live pretty close.” Tatsuya joined in.

“Makes sense.” Nanase nodded.

Thinking that I wasn’t familiar with the area, Reita quickly added, “Ojima is especially close to Ryomei, around five minutes away by bicycle.”

“Oh, really? That sounds super nice. I’m jealous!” I pretended like it was my first time hearing that information. Back then, I hadn’t known this either. I should try to adhere to how much I knew when I first entered high school.

“Hey, hey! What’re your names?” Uta asked. “I can kinda guess from what you called each other but I wanted to ask. Just in case!” Finally, she came up with a normal question!

“Oh, good point. I’m Hoshimiya Hikari—”

“The school’s number one beauty!” Nanase interjected teasingly. “My hobbies are reading and watching movies, and I was in the literature club in middle school.”

“Yeah. Wait, no! I’m not a beauty!” Hoshimiya grabbed her friend’s arm in protest.

“Isn’t it kinda impossible for you to not be a beauty?” I accidentally said my thoughts aloud. Oh, crap!

Hoshimiya blinked at me a few times in surprise and then hung her head from embarrassment. “Th-Thanks,” she stammered.

“Oh, uh, no! Sorry, my thoughts just slipped out,” I fumbled back at her. The atmosphere had become awkward—all because of me. Another misplay. I really need to up my game.

Something crossed my mind while I was scolding myself. Wait, Hoshimiya’s reaction was weird. I’d said similar words to her in my original time, but back then she had only shot me a strained smile in response.

“Ooh? Hikari’s flustered! But I thought you were used to being praised as a beauty!” Nanase teased again.

“Cut it out, Yuino-chan! I’m going to get angry!”

“Okay, okay. I’m Nanase Yuino. Hikari and I went to the same middle school. We’re besties!”

“Yep! Heh heh, we’re best friends!” Hikari chimed in. Hearing the phrase “besties” from Nanase immediately quelled her anger. Hoshimiya is unexpectedly simpleminded, huh? I found myself thinking.

The rest of us introduced ourselves one by one, but as I was about to take my turn, our teacher entered the classroom and started homeroom. We were all treated to a combination pep talk and lecture about the importance of being a high schooler or whatever.

Afterwards, it was more self-introductions, this time by seating order and up in front of the class. Oh yeah, I thought, this happened last time too. I didn’t want to do anything dumb and make a laughingstock of myself, so I played it safe and introduced myself normally like everyone else. Going through this process again triggered flashes of my original, cringey self-intro to plague my mind.

“I’m Haibara Natsuki! My hobbies are reading and watching movies. I’m gonna join the basketball club. Oh, my dream is to make one hundred friends! I really want to get to know you all! Nice to meetcha!”

Stop! Stop! Get out of my head! The flashback made me want to keel over and roll around on the ground. But if I did that now, I would be writing a new page of shame in my book of dark histories.

I’ll need to face my dark past if I want to redo my adolescence. I continued to think such profound thoughts until homeroom ended. Ha, just like a philosopher.

***

After homeroom, new students were free to go once we bought our textbooks. The six of us headed out to buy them together.

Well, I thought, things are playing out very differently from last time. I didn’t hang out with these guys at this point in time. Nor were Reita, Uta, and Tatsuya friends with Hoshimiya and Nanase. I think. Probably?

Did my actions affect everyone else somehow? There are probably no other factors that would change history besides me, so it’s gotta be me. Of course, it would’ve been a different story if other people had traveled through time. But there were endless possibilities if I started going down that rabbit hole.

“Aaah! Textbooks are sooo heavy!” Uta groaned as she lugged her bundle of books.

“C’mon, you’re kidding, right? Aren’t you too weak to join the basketball club, then?” Tatsuya scoffed.

Peeved by Tatsuya’s provocation, Uta made a complete one-eighty and toughed it out. “This is nothing!” she exclaimed.

“They really are heavy, though.” Nanase took a breath and then turned to her bestie. “Hikari, you okay there?”

“Aha...ha.” Hoshimiya tried to laugh, but she was too out of breath. “I’m not sure I can make it home carrying these.” Her slender arms were trembling. She didn’t look like she worked out at all, which made sense given she’d belonged to the literature club. “I think they’ll be easier to carry once I put them in my bag, but it’s hard to hold them all in my arms.”

I hesitated and then said, “Hoshimiya, want me to hold them if they’re too heavy for you?” I held my books under my left arm and offered my right hand to her.

Hoshimiya blinked up at me for a moment. “Wow, Haibara-kun, you’re strong.”

“Call me Natsuki. This is nothing much.”

“Um, th-then, Natsuki-kun. I’d feel bad if you carried them all, so will you take half?”

“Okay.” In my mind, I pumped my fist in glee due to how smoothly I’d gotten her to call me by my name. I assured her in a deliberately lighthearted tone that the books weren’t heavy and took half of hers in my right arm.

This is pretty heavy, I grunted internally. I’d just put up a front when I said the books were light, but I continued acting as if they weighed as much as a feather. It’s all to get close to Hoshimiya. You could even say I worked out to get close to Hoshimiya!

Reita took half of Nanase’s textbooks as well after seeing what I did for Hoshimiya. Tatsuya and Uta made eye contact, glared at each other, and then turned away with a huff. Are those two close or not? Well, it’s probably fine. Uta’s in the basketball club so she should be plenty capable in spite of her height.

And so, I carried Hoshimiya’s textbooks all the way back to her desk. I really pushed myself; not only were the books bulky and heavy, but there were so dang many of them.

“Carrying all these books home is basically a workout!” I said. “Screw it, I’ll just leave them in my locker.”

“I wish we could,” Reita said. “But won’t they get mad if we leave our textbooks at school?”

“It’s fine! It’s fine! We have to bring them back to school anyway. They’re just bricks in our bags,” Tatsuya said with a shrug.

“Oh, so you’re not planning on studying at home?” Nanase asked with a demeaning grin.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll figure it out when class starts,” Tatsuya replied.

Nanase looked up at him, about to shut his devil-may-care attitude down. But she stopped herself and sighed. “Hikari, don’t let these delinquents corrupt you.”

“What? Who’s a delinquent? Are you talking about Natsuki-kun and Tatsuya-kun?” Hoshimiya asked, puzzled.

“Who’re you calling a delinquent?” I bantered.

Smooth one! Remember, enter the conversation with confidence, just like this. I made a mental note of that sensation.

I’d made it past the first hurdle and joined the cheerful, popular kids of the class. Next on the agenda would have to be firmly establishing my position. I had failed at this step last time around. Right now, our group was composed of three subgroups: Reita, Uta, and Tatsuya; Hoshimiya and Nanase; and me by myself. I needed to build up a relationship with each person individually, or else I would soon be isolated.

“But you know, I wasn’t ready for high school textbooks to be this massive.” Hoshimiya flipped through the book for Math 1A. “Whoa... I don’t understand any of this either! I’m starting to get worried.”

“Don’t worry; it’ll be fine. You’ll get it if you pay attention during class,” Tatsuya said optimistically.

“I don’t know about that. Ryomei may not be number one in the prefecture, but it’s still quite renowned. Most students who graduate go on to high-ranking universities,” Reita warned.

He was right; the tests at this school were very difficult. Although I had gone through all the classes once before, I would still need to review and study up. Furthermore, this was an academically oriented school, which meant one of the best ways to show off my specs would be to have good grades.

I hadn’t been gifted with athletic prowess, a sidesplitting sense of humor, or talent in the arts. That’s why I wanted to excel in academics, at the very least. Plus, I had seven whole years worth of extra experience.

While in college, I’d majored in science and actually been pretty diligent about studying, albeit secretly so no one would know. So that was four years of beating science and math into my brain. The bigger problem would be the humanities.

“Don’t worry! Tatsu is here so at least you won’t be last in the class!” Uta reassured her.

“Hey! I may be an idiot, but I’d never lose to you! Never.”

As usual, seeing Uta and Tatsuya butt heads made Reita sigh and step in. “Good grief. Stop fighting, you guys. You’re both around the same level anyway, so you look silly bickering about it. It’s unsightly.”

“You didn’t have to say it!” Reita’s scathing remark made Uta wail out in shock.

I had been thinking the same thing. Man, this guy looks nice and eloquent but his words sting. In my past, I’d only known Tatsuya and Uta through the basketball club, and I hadn’t been close to Reita at all. It was somehow refreshing to see this side of him. So this is what he’s like.

“Shiratori-kun, does that mean you’re good at studying?” Nanase asked.

“Well, better than those two, at least. I doubt I can beat you, though,” Reita replied.

“Oh? What makes you think that?”

“I can tell that you’re smart. Am I right, Hoshimiya-san?”

“Yep, Yuino-chan was always ranked number one at our school!” Hoshimiya confirmed.

“Ranked number one?! That’s crazy!” I joined in the conversation with exaggerated surprise. I actually had been surprised, but I made sure to play it up a little. My normal reaction is too boring, I reasoned. I need to overreact a bit if I want to be a cool kid. At least, according to my analysis, anyway.

“That’s right! Yuino-chan is super smart!” Hoshimiya bragged.

“Hikari, why are you acting so proud? Speaking of which, what rank were you? Sixtieth?” Nanase added, getting in a sarcastic dig as always.

“We don’t need to talk about me!”

“That’s unexpectedly average...” I murmured.

“Why do you have to be so brutally honest? Stop that!” she joked with me.

I was secretly over the moon at how Hoshimiya had retorted playfully to my teasing. It’s hard to tell how close we are, but I think it’s going well. Right?

“If you’re gonna talk like that, then what about you, Natsuki? What was your rank?” Tatsuya threw his arm around me and rested his weight there.

Do you have to put your arm on my shoulder just to ask me that? I caught myself being negative again; I truly was an introvert through and through! I need to get used to how pushy jock types can be.

“Who, me? My grades weren’t bad.”

“Well, yeah. If they were, you wouldn’t have gotten into Ryomei in the first place,” said Tatsuya.

My middle school grades, huh? How were they? About average, I think. But I wanted to go to Ryomei specifically for my high school debut, so I studied like crazy to get in.

“I worked really hard before the exams and somehow made it in.”

“Oh, then you’re just like me!” Tatsu crowed.

“Me too! Yaaay, one of us!” Uta cheered.

She raised her hand up in front of my face, confusing me for a second until I realized she wanted a high five. As soon as I put my hand up, Uta slapped my palm loudly. She had to do a little hop because she was so short. She’s kinda like a cute little cat, I thought.

“Ah, that’s my mom.” Hoshimiya was looking at her phone. “I need to head home,” she said. With that, we all dispersed.

My mom was also waiting for me since she’d attended the parent information session after the entrance ceremony. She drove me home, and we had yakiniku together on the way. It was delicious!

***

The next day, classes kicked off without delay. Since it was the first day of the regular curriculum, all the teachers kept the atmosphere lax and spent the time introducing themselves and going over the syllabus. It was easy but also a drag. It took all of my focus to fight the urge to sleep.

After school, the six of us found that we grouped up again naturally. I took a look around to see what the rest of my classmates were up to. Similar to us, the other students were forming their own groups, with some kids biding their time and waiting for a chance to talk to somebody. Meanwhile, those who didn’t care to make friends had left the classroom as soon as the day ended. Quite the hodgepodge of reactions.

Last time around, I’d been so self-centered that I only paid attention to myself, but this time I was enjoying observing other students. There were maybe five cliques being formed in our classroom, though the atmosphere was still awkward.

Our group definitely stands out the most. How do I put it? Our aura is just in a different league. Besides me, of course. 

After all, these five insanely attractive teens just oozed glamor and charisma. The other groups of students were even sneaking glances in our direction. You could tell by their eyes that they wanted to talk to us. Well, I bet it’s also because we’re the only group with boys and girls right now. They’re jealous that we’ve got girls and guys from the get-go. I get it; I totally do!

I felt a strange sense of superiority from being a part of this group, but at the same time I also felt like I was the odd one out. At any moment, someone might ask, “Why is a nobody like you hanging out with them?” I’d have no comeback if anyone said that to my face. I’m trying to become a cheerful popular kid and all, but is it really okay for me to be hanging out with these guys?

“Hey, Natsuki? What’re you zoning out for?” Tatsuya’s deep voice snapped me out of my worries and brought me back to reality. Getting lost in the depths of my own thoughts was a bad habit of mine.

“Oh, sorry. It’s nothing,” I said.

“You sure? We’re going to check out the clubs. You’re coming too, right?” he asked. All five of them were looking at me.

“Of course,” I said with a nod.

***

“I’m thinking we should take a look at all the clubs that are meeting right now. Does that sound good?” Reita asked, skimming through the club leaflet that the teacher had passed out earlier. We all nodded in agreement.

It’s incredible how easily he takes the wheel in times like this, I thought to myself. I want to be like him! I can’t learn everything by reading articles on the internet, but I have the perfect role model right here. Better pay attention.

“Cool. Let’s start with the cultural clubs,” Reita said.

We started with the third floor since many of the culture clubs met there. And of course, tons of freshmen were walking around the hallways to check them out just like us.

“It’s really crowded up here,” Hoshimiya murmured. I’d been thinking much the same.

“The clubs are allowing open observation for the whole week,” Reita explained. “This is only day one, so all of the first-years are checking them out to decide which club to join. I mean, we’re doing the same thing.”

All of the clubs were trying to be as welcoming as possible, going so far as to set up chairs for new students to sit and observe from.

“We should explore the school while we’re at it!” Uta suggested. “We’re already walking around anyway!” And so, we decided to tour the school grounds while also dropping by any cultural clubs that caught our eye.

Some clubs set up hands-on activities for new students to try. The calligraphy club encouraged its guests to not only watch, but to also try their hand at the art. All of us declined, except for Nanase who quickly drew beautiful letters. She also displayed flawless etiquette at the tea ceremony club. The rest of us gawked in amazement at her skills, causing her to avert her eyes.

“I just learned a bit when I was younger,” Nanase said.

“You’re way too good for ‘a bit’ of learning,” I scoffed.

“Yuino-chan has taken lots of lessons for all sorts of things!” Hoshimiya puffed up pridefully for some reason.

“I only ever wanted tutoring and piano lessons. My parents piled the rest on,” Nanase explained.

“You can play the piano too? And you were ranked number one on top of that? Awesome! You’re a genius, seriously!” Tatsuya shuddered, in awe and perhaps a bit of fear.

I felt the same way. I knew her grades were crazy good in high school, but I didn’t know she did all this extra stuff too. She’s like a real-life Yamato Nadeshiko—that classic type of ideal Japanese woman. Wait a sec... Can I even show off with grades if Nanase is around? Nah, of course I can. I just have to score higher than her. I have seven years on her! So, of course I can...right?

“Would you say piano is your forte?” Reita asked her.

“Yes. I’m not joining a club because I plan to devote myself to piano in high school,” Nanase replied bluntly.

“What club were you in during middle school?”

“I was a member of the Japanese archery club in name only. I didn’t show up much because of my lessons.”

“Man, Japanese archery? That really matches your image.” I threw my unfiltered thoughts out there. Normally, I was the type to keep things to myself, but according to “Tips for a Successful High School Debut,” it was best to be assertive and speak up. Apparently it made you feel easy to talk to.

“I know, right!” said Uta.

“I get what you mean.” Tatsuya also agreed with me. Their reactions were exactly as I’d intended.

“Yuino-chan looks sooo cool in her archery uniform!” Hoshimiya bragged. “Wanna see a pic?” She immediately took her phone out.

“You have pictures?! Lemme see, lemme see!” Uta exclaimed.

“H-Hold on! Hikari, stop!” Nanase protested.

Uta was the first to jump to Hoshimiya’s side to look. The rest of us swarmed around too. It’s kinda cute to see Nanase rattled.

“Yuino-chan, normally you’re the one teasing me. Consider this payback! ♪” Hoshimiya laughed deviously.

She then joyfully showed the rest of us dozens of pictures of Nanase. However, partway through we realized we were blocking the hallway and scrambled to relocate elsewhere.

“Oh! I want to take a quick look at the literature club. You know, I was part of the literature club in middle school,” Hoshimiya remembered.

“Got it.” Reita checked the leaflet. “Looks like they’re next to the library.”

“Hikarin, are you set on joining them in high school too?” Uta asked.

When did you come up with that weird nickname? I wondered.

“Hmm, it depends on the atmosphere. I’m happy to join but I’m fine not joining too.”

We stopped by the wind ensemble club since it was on the way and then visited the literature club. There were around ten boys and girls reading books or working on their laptops. It was a calm environment, but I noticed that they seemed unsettled. Perhaps because they had to leave the door open for new students to observe their activities. Not only that, but our group was especially conspicuous and a magnet for stares.

The literature club members reminded me of my old self, meaning they were meek-looking people. Man, this feels awkward. And I bet they’re thinking the same thing. Uta and Tatsuya especially don’t give off the impression that they read books for fun.

“Hello. Can we observe?” Hoshimiya asked with a dazzling smile. She was undaunted by the awkward atmosphere.

“Y-Yes. By all means,” one of the club members, most likely the club president, responded. The rest of the members were too enraptured to say anything. And with that, the awkward atmosphere vanished.

“This is the literature club, right?” Hoshimiya asked.

“Y-Yes. Wait. Huh? Oh, that’s right. You’re all freshmen, right?” he managed to fumble out.

“Aha ha. That’s right. All of us are freshmen,” Hoshimiya responded. Her tone was serene and infectious. “Wow, there’re a lot of members.”

“Everyone’s in attendance today due to the club fair. Normally there are about three or four people at our meetings since members are free to show up when they like. Except when we have important events coming up, like publishing our club journal.”

“Is this everyone, then?” she asked.

“Yep. Oh, well, we’re missing one. I think they went to the bathroom.”

“I see. So there are eleven members total. By the way, how many times do you meet each week?”

The probably-club-president was a boy with glasses, and he was clearly lovestruck by Hoshimiya already. He continued to share details about the club. All the while, Hoshimiya would smile and skillfully respond with little questions or affirmations to keep the conversation going.

Her conversational skills are something else! She can adapt to anyone and keep the ideas flowing. As expected of the school’s number one beauty, Hoshimiya Hikari. She’s a natural extrovert. I’ve heard before that a true extrovert can interact with introverts without any issue. 

In my previous time, after my high school debut had flopped and everyone hated me, Hoshimiya still spoke to me occasionally as if nothing was wrong. She talked to everyone, though, not just me, so I hadn’t misunderstood her kindness.

“Hey, I feel like we’re makin’ it awkward here so let’s wait outside,” Tatsuya suggested while scratching his head. He was unexpectedly adept at reading the atmosphere, given his brusque personality.

No, not “unexpectedly.” He wouldn’t be one of the popular kids if he couldn’t read between the lines. Tatsuya might look like just some jock, but he’s also thinking before he acts. Well, maybe he’s not thinking, but he’s good at sensing the atmosphere. I guess it’s his extrovert instincts. Whatever he has, I certainly don’t have it.

“You’re right.” Uta nodded, being uncharacteristically quiet. The rest of us went outside and idly chatted with each other in the hallway while we waited for Hoshimiya. She came back out to join us in under three minutes.

“Done already?” Reita asked.

“Yeah. We have a lot more time to sit in on clubs, so I’ll think it over at my own pace. They were all really nice, and I can drop by anytime. Their club meets twice a week, and attendance isn’t mandatory, which is perfect for me.”

“Wow, lib arts clubs are really chill,” Tatsuya marveled.

“The literature club is especially relaxed since the only thing they do besides reading is publishing the club journal,” Hoshimiya explained. “Other clubs meet only two or three times a week too. Sports clubs are the ones that are fundamentally different.”

“True,” said Tatsuya. “The basketball club meets seven times a week; they even let me join over spring break.”

“Oh yeah, I heard! The girls’ team doesn’t start until after the entrance ceremony, though!” Uta added her piece.

“Wait, then shouldn’t you be at practice right now?” I asked.

Tatsuya scratched his head a few times. “They probably won’t get mad if I skip the first day of practice.” He hesitated. “Right?”

“Don’t ask me.” I shrugged. Just then, I could feel Reita staring at me for some reason. I turned towards him. “Hm? We’re looking at the sports clubs next, right? Let’s get a move on!”

He gave me a look. “Yeah. The gym is a bit far, so let’s start with the clubs that are outside.”

I feel like he just shot me a weird look. Was it my imagination? 

Everyone followed Reita to our next destination, and I tagged along.

***

We saw clubs for baseball, tennis, soccer, and plenty more as we walked around outside. Not only did Ryomei High excel in academics, but it also had a robust sports program. Teams were practicing in earnest everywhere we looked. The soccer club had an especially large number of members; apparently, it was a powerhouse in the district.

“Reita, you’re going to join the soccer club, right?” I asked.

“That’s what I’m planning.” He nodded.

“Rei, shouldn’t you say hello, then? Look at all the people!” Uta exclaimed.

“I’ve known most of them since I was in middle school. I’ll save the hellos for after I join.”

“You know them already? No way they all went to your middle school, though,” I wondered aloud.

“I’m the only one from Ojima that’s joining the team, but most of us are from the same district, so we’ve played practice matches against each other. We’re all pretty close.”

I was dumbfounded by how nonchalantly he could say that. Do people normally get close through practice matches? Oh, I see! Making friends for him is just that easy.

Before I could go on another negative feels trip, a group of freshmen watching the soccer club called out to Reita.

“Yo, if it isn’t Shiratori! I didn’t know you were going to this school!”

“Hey, it’s Ojima’s captain! You’re joining the soccer club too, yeah?”

“What’s up! Long time no see! Do you remember me?!”

Unfazed by the trio yelling at him, Reita replied without missing a beat. “Oh, hey, it’s the Clown Trio of Fuji Middle. It’s been a while.”

“Who’re you calling a clown?!”

“This guy’s the only clown here!”

“Only clowns call other people clowns.”

“I was keeping it on the down-low but I’m actually the one who started calling you three clowns,” Reita teased.

“What’d you say?!” the three of them yelled in harmony.

Wow, the delivery on that dis was so sharp and yet so gentle. Such skill! Reita truly is a bona fide extrovert, a pro at socializing. You, sir, have my respect.

“All right, my friends are waiting for me so I’ll talk to you guys some other time.” Reita ended the conversation seamlessly after a while.

Amazing! He didn’t forget about us and kept it short. Just as I thought, Shiratori Reita is closest to the ideal image I’ve been striving for. I’d better pay close attention and learn from his ways.

***

After that, we went to watch the teams that were practicing inside the gym. None of us had much interest in the ping-pong club or the volleyball club, so we quickly walked past them and headed straight for the boys’ and girls’ basketball clubs practicing on the back two courts.

Obviously, we were here because of Uta and Tatsuya.

Though Tatsuya had already joined the boys’ team, it was Uta’s first time seeing the girls’ team practice. She kept standing up from her chair, oohing and aahing, eyes twinkling with excitement.

“You’re like a little kid,” Hoshimiya chuckled.

“Grr, are you making fun of my height?!”

“Not exactly,” Hoshimiya said, still laughing.

“Then what?! Are you talking about my chest?! Listen up! I’m still growing, and I’m going to grow lots! The only way they can go is bigger. Got it? My boobs have infinite potential.” But Uta’s energy declined with each word.

“Why’re you the one getting down on yourself?” Tatsuya shot back. Uta was touching her own breasts while crumbling away. I didn’t know she was sensitive about that. She is flat as a board, though.

“Ah, um. Yeah! I think so too, Uta-chan!” Hoshimiya tried to cheer her up. However, Uta reproachfully stared at Hoshimiya’s two hefty mounds. She then nimbly got behind Hoshimiya and grasped the other girl’s breasts in her hands.

“Eek!” Hoshimiya yelped.

“Wow. Whoa. Mhm. Hm.” Uta felt her up while strange noises came out of her mouth.

“Haibara-kun, stop ogling! Turn around this instant,” Nanase admonished.

“S-Sorry!” I turned around obediently.

“You moron. You’re causing a scene.” Tatsuya berated Uta.

“Uta! Stop it,” Reita scolded.

Unlike me, Tatsuya and Reita were not forced to look away. Instead, they actively tore Uta off of Hoshimiya, without even a warning from the girls. Oh, come on! Was I staring that hard? Well, I did think it was pretty...lewd. 

All the racket caught the basketball team’s attention. Tatsuya frantically bowed his head in apology for the noise.

“Nagiura! If you’re just gonna mess around then start practicing!” one of the members yelled.

“What?! Can’t you let me watch? It’s club observation week!”

“What’s the point in watching other clubs, huh?”

“W-Well, you got a point. Oh, but, I was actually just thinking of joining you guys on the court too! Really! I don’t need anything else but basketball. Wh-What?! Don’t glare at me like that!” Tatsuya tried to play it off, but his senpai wasn’t letting him off the hook. The rest of us looked at each other and laughed. It was a rare sight to see Tatsuya balking.

“Ah ha ha! Tatsu, you’re so uncool!” Uta cackled in delight.

In actuality, I was used to seeing Tatsuya like this. I’d also been in the basketball club, after all. No one had been tough on me like this, though, because I was a boring guy, not worth the effort of teasing. On the other hand, Tatsuya was an amusing target. That’s why he drew people in, even the upperclassmen.

“It’s your fault for skipping in the first place. You deserve a good scolding.” Reita shrugged.

Tatsuya left, running back to our classroom to change into gym clothes. It was funny how, at the end of the day, he was still getting roped into practice.

“Sorry, guys!” he yelled, already far off in the distance. The rest of us shared another laugh at the spectacle.

It was right then that I saw a familiar face enter the gym. We both let out a small “Ah!” when our eyes met. The other four turned around and followed my gaze.

“Miori,” I muttered. There, in front of the gym entrance, stood my so-called childhood friend. Of course I’d run into someone I didn’t want to see! Her smile grew wider and wider as she eyed the crowd around me.

Look at her expression! I knew she’d react like this. For crying out loud, please just don’t say anything!

“Heyo, Natsuki. Looks like things are going well, huh?”

“Oh, shush! Just keep it shut, please,” I snapped back.

“Wow, that’s sooo mean! Here I was worried about you too. Nah, just kidding; I wasn’t really.”

“Can you at least follow through if you’re going to lie?” You’re hurting my feelings, you know! I’m as fragile as glass right now, I cried on the inside.

Miori had three other girls in tow. It seemed like she was also walking around looking at clubs with her friends.

“You know her?” Reita asked.

I nodded grudgingly. “Yeah, we went to the same middle school.”

“Huh, you guys seem close.”

“No, not rea—”

“Nope, we’re not close at all. Not one bit!” Normally, I would have been the one denying it, but Miori covered for me this time. Okay, I was going to deny it too, but did you really have to add so much emphasis? Come on!

“Are you guys looking at clubs too?” Miori continued.

“Yeah. Oh, aren’t you joining the basketball club?”

“That’s the plan! I’m here to take a look.”

“What, really?!” Uta jumped into the conversation, lively as ever. “I’m Sakura Uta! I’m also going to join the basketball club!”

“Really? Me too. I’m Motomiya Miori, from class one. Nice to meet you!”

“Yaaay!” They yelled happily and then high fived. The cheerful types sure do become friends fast.

“Wait. You do mean the girls’ basketball team, right? Not becoming the manager of the boys’ team or something?” Uta paused.

“No, no, Sakura-san, I’m joining the girls’ team. I can’t imagine you asking about anything but playing on the girls’ team,” Miori replied.

“Oh, good point! You’re right! I like playing more than watching.”

Miori chuckled. “I got those vibes from you.”

“Really? Why?”

“It’s because you’re overflowing with energy, Uta. Anyone can tell,” Reita said softly with a gentle smile. Uta tilted her head, still not really getting it, so Reita phrased it more bluntly for her. “Uta, you couldn’t sit on the sidelines and support a team if you tried.”

“Did you have to put it like that?!” Uta cried out in shock.

It had been funny, but Reita could only make those sorts of jabs at her because they were so close. It wasn’t something I could copy since I was poor at judging how close I was to others. But I can’t just keep quiet. I can throw in a harmless comment every now and then. Miori being around makes it hard to talk, but I gotta do what I gotta do! 

“So, can you?” I asked Uta in an attempt to continue the topic.

“Hmm. I think being a manager would be impossible for me!”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

“You thought so?! Don’t say that! I could do it if I tried!”

I laughed. “That sort of stuff seems right up Reita’s alley, though.”

“Me? Well, unlike Uta, I do pay attention to the subtleties of people’s actions and needs.”

“Can you guys stop making fun of everything about me?!”

Miori giggled at Uta’s comedic overreaction. “You two are funny! So your name’s Reita-kun?”

“Yes, that’s right. Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Shiratori Reita; nice to meet you.”

“I’m Miori! Can I call you Reita-kun? Also, you’re super hot!”

Uh, what the heck? She’s wasting no time at getting real friendly! That’s insane!

“Thanks. Can I call you Miori-chan? Or do you dislike when people use ‘chan’ with you?”

“I don’t mind, but you don’t need to add anything fancy!”

Wait, did she only say her name and not her surname so that he’d call her Miori? Also, isn’t she getting kinda close to him physically? She looks like she’s into him. Honestly, it’s understandable. There aren’t many guys, if any, in the school who can match Reita’s looks. He’s got an appearance that anyone can appreciate, unlike Tatsuya who’s got more of a wild feel to him. He looks like he could be the center of an idol group. I can picture him dancing already!

I let the two of them enjoy their chat and looked around. Hoshimiya and Nanase were conversing with the three girls who had come in with Miori. They were talking naturally, without any awkward silences.

Suddenly one of the girls, a blonde who looked like she had a fashion statement to make, hollered, “Miori, can we get going?”

“Oh, whoops! Okay! See you later, Reita-kun, Sakura-san!” Miori ran off to where her three friends were. But then she must have thought of something to say because she backtracked to where I was.

“Do you need something?” I asked, brows furrowed in displeasure by her return.

“I think your high school debut has been a success,” Miori whispered in my ear.

“Just leave me alone!”

“Come on, don’t be like that! I’m into Reita-kun, so help me out a bit.”

“Ehh.” My face wrinkled even more.

“In return, I’ll help you out if anything ever happens.” Miori smiled sweetly. With that, she ran back to her friends, without even waiting for my response. I hadn’t agreed or disagreed, but she figured I’d accepted her proposal.

“You two really do get along,” Reita mused.

“She’s just the type of person that can be friendly with anyone.”

“Ah, then she’s like me. What did she say to you just now?”

I couldn’t exactly tell Reita it had been about him. Nor did I want to mention my high school debut efforts; that’d be embarrassing!

“It was nothing. Just something from middle school,” I replied with a nonchalant shrug in an attempt to avoid answering.

“I see,” was all Reita said with a soft smile.

While we’d all been idling around chatting, Tatsuya had returned to the gym and joined the basketball team’s practice. The rest of us watched him, laughing as he got worked to the bone by his senpai.

I’m blending in just fine, I thought quietly. Miori’s words from earlier echoed in my mind.

“I think your high school debut has been a success.”

Well, if Miori says so, then at the very least things are going well right now. But the real test was just ahead. I was barely one step past the starting line. My actions from here on out would determine the color of my second high school life.