Then, our first homeroom began.

“Welcome, new students. Congratulations on your enrollment. It seems Soutei Academy was quite competitive this year. I commend all of you for making it through such high odds. I am Oniki Akira, your homeroom teacher for Class 1-E.”

Standing at the podium was a woman with light brown, long hair and a red tracksuit, giving off a strong athletic vibe.

Her eyes, as she scanned the classroom, were sharp, giving a strict impression, but… she also had a dependable, older-sisterly air about her.

“I’ll be rigorously guiding you all for the next year, regardless of gender, so be prepared. Nice to meet you!”

Her powerful voice resonated through the classroom, making everyone straighten their backs.

Not just me, but the girls in the class, too, corrected their posture, their expressions tense.

Then, Oniki-sensei briefly explained some things about Soutei Academy.

There were five first-year classes, from A to E.

However, they weren’t ranked by academic performance.

The class assignments were based on a general method, adjusted to ensure equal distribution of academic ability.

In other words, no class was superior or inferior to another.

That was good! Ranking classes would create unnecessary tension between classmates. Equal distribution was best!

“Well, it’s not all about grades. Especially in this world…”

Oniki-sensei muttered, a hint of hardship in her tone.

Even in my original world, being book-smart wasn't enough; you needed good communication skills too.

As expected, the words of a teacher with life experience carried weight.

“Oh, and also… I hate troublesome things. Like conflicts, things that drag on forever, and not being able to leave work on time. So, let's decide this in advance.”

Oniki-sensei paused for a breath, then continued.

“There will be no changing seats. When we do pair work, you will be paired with the person next to you. That’s final!”

“““Whaaat?!?”””

The moment she finished speaking, a chorus of complaints erupted from the girls.

“Sensei! Do you know why we enrolled in this school?!”

“Are you trying to rob us of our youth?!”

“Isn’t this an abuse of power?!”

The girls protested vehemently.

Indeed, changing seats was one of the joys of school life. In my original world, I had a male friend who asked, “When are we changing seats?!” every month.

And for paired learning, you’d want to work with your close friends sometimes.

Without those things… school would be less fun.

However…

“How are we supposed to enjoy our school life without changing seats?!”

“Let’s request a teacher change!!”

“I’m going to ask if I can transfer to another class right now.”

“Shouldn’t we do that thing? Gather everyone’s signatures and submit it to the principal?”

…Was it really worth protesting that much?

I understood that it was less fun, but… was it worth vehemently protesting to a stern-looking teacher on the first day of school?

“Quiet down. Or do you want to be sent to the student guidance office right after enrollment?”

““““…””””

Oniki-sensei’s sharp reprimand silenced the girls instantly.

Yeah… I had a feeling this kind of thing would happen again in the future.

So, no changing seats, huh?

That meant… the person sitting next to me would be fixed, too.

I glanced at the girl beside me.

It was Naoko. As my support, she was probably assigned to the seat next to me.

Sitting next to Reito-sama all the time… how awful.

Was that what she was thinking?

“No changing seats… So I’ll be next to Reito-sama forever…”

See? She muttered something.

Well, it wasn’t good to dwell on it.

I’d think positively about how to raise Naoko’s likability.

“Let’s move on. Time for self-introductions. This could also get troublesome… Hazumi, you go first.”

“…Huh?”

I thought I heard Oniki-sensei call my name.

At the same time, I felt all eyes on me.

Wasn’t it usually the student at the far end by the aisle who went first?

“What’s wrong, Hazumi? Are you nervous? Well, it’s the first day, so I can do your self-introduction for you.”

No, no, that would make me stand out even more.

“No… I’ll do it myself.”

“Alright. Then stand up and introduce yourself. Tell us your name, hobbies, and your goals for the year.”

Hmm, hmm. A standard self-introduction.

It was better to be normal than to act like a villain here.

I stood up, took a breath, and spoke.

“My name is Hazumi Reito. My hobby, or rather, I’ve been exercising and weight training recently. My goal for this year is… let me see…”

““““Gulp…””””

Hmm? Why did it feel like I was getting even more attention?

Even if I was being stared at, what I was going to say was perfectly normal…

“To become friends with everyone. I look forward to this year.”

With that, I gave a soft smile.

Yes, a perfectly normal self-introduction.

No problem!

If I focused on being kind to the girls in my class, I’d surely be able to have a normal school life, even as a reincarnated villain!

Thinking that, I sat down…

But the class’s reaction was… different.

“Is Hazumi-kun perhaps… a sheltered son? Is that why he’s so naive?”

“Come to think of it, he had a lot of maids and bodyguards with him this morning.”

“After that self-introduction, I’ve decided to go for him.”

“I wonder if Hazumi-kun is unaware~”

The girls were murmuring, but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

“…Huh? He’s quite different from what I’d heard…”

Oniki-sensei stared at me, frowning.

Huh? What? What?

“R-Reito-san, it’s best not to say such things carelessly…”

“Huh?”

Naoko whispered to me.

Say such things carelessly… what things?

I tilted my head, completely clueless.

“Ahem! Next! The person next to Hazumi!”

Oniki-sensei’s words seemed to divert the attention away from me.

Next to me… that was Naoko.

“Y-yes.”

Naoko’s shoulders twitched. Then she stood up, bowed slightly, and spoke.

“My name is Nijo Naoko. My hobby is baking. My goal for this year is to make happy memories in this class!”

Hmm, hmm. Naoko also gave a safe, standard greeting. That was good.

Maybe I should have said I wanted to make happy memories, too.

“Also… as everyone probably already knows, I’m Hazumi Reito-san’s support. So… please treat us well.”

As Naoko said that, the girls started buzzing again.

Good job, Naoko! Announcing her role as my support during the self-introductions.

“So she really is the boy’s support~”

“I figured as much when she gave the new student representative speech.”

“But supporting that Hazumi-kun…”

“I wonder what will happen~”

As the commotion in the class increased, Oniki-sensei said with a small smile,

“Good initiative, Nijo. I’m glad I asked you to be the support.”

So, Oniki-sensei was also involved in selecting the support?

The self-introductions continued.

“I think I’ll be a good wife in the future!”

“I want to have about three children…”

“Hmm, my destined person is in this classroom. I’m sure we’ll be together.”

But midway through, it felt like many of the girls’ yearly goals had shifted to future goals.

And were they glancing at me?

Well, being one of the few boys in the class, it was natural for their eyes to wander… It didn’t mean anything, right?