### **OLD AND NEW FACES**
Thankfully, the week of tests passed by, and the environment wasn't as crowded as usual. *Wow, I never realized the school population was this huge.*
The sound of car horns blared from a broadcasting television nearby. Looks like I'm a little late. Fuka still hasn't shown up—she texted Yui saying she was visiting her parents in Osaka. *Isn't that a bit childish?*
As I arrived at the school gate, I could hear other latecomers shouting their names while the gatekeeper ranted about a five-point deduction for tardiness. *Well, as a new student, I shouldn't have any points to lose…* Or so I thought, until I heard someone in the same situation got deductions from *future* points. *Goddamn. No choice then.* I casually strolled past the gate, blending in with the students who'd already served their punishment—somehow, I wasn't detected.
Inside the main compound, I walked past the hallway and noticed a group of students gathered around the notice board. It was the second-years' board, organized from classes A to D. Their conversation drifted over:
**Student 1:** *"Seriously? Not a single A?"*
**Student 2:** *"At this rate, it'll just turn ordinary."*
**Student 1:** *"Even worse—if people outside see your grades, they'll respect you at first for attending Noriko High… until they realize you got average marks. Then they'll treat you like trash."*
**Student 2:** *"Yeah, heard one of our alumni got treated like he went to some garbage school."*
After a half-hearted pep talk (*"Only five terms left, we still got time!"*), they left.
*None of my concern. Just killing time.* I checked the Class C list:
- **First 10:** Error
- **11-20:** Not found
- **21-30:** Seen
I headed straight to class. Homeroom hadn't started yet, so I slumped into my seat, staring at the birds outside like always. The room fell quiet as everyone responded to a greeting—probably the teacher arriving. *Peaceful. The sky's beautiful.*
Then—*snap*—the moment was ruined.
**Misaki:** *"Good morning, Hananoi!"*
**Me:** *"Ha. Morning, Misaki."*
She scowled. *"Seriously, I got 10 points deducted."*
**Me:** *"Why? I thought it was 5."*
**Misaki:** *"It increases every hour. It's almost 9am, plus I'm paying for yesterday's lateness too."*
**Me:** *"Ah. Got it."*
**Misaki:** *"Oh, and deductions also apply if you skip school without notifying a teacher. You know we're supposed to swipe our IDs when entering and leaving, right? The gatekeeper's just there for show—the system automatically logs it."*
*Wait… what?*
**Misaki (whispering):** *"I heard he takes bribes, though."*
**Me (internally):** *"Why bribe him when your ID already marks you late the second you swipe it?"*
Then it hit me. *If that's true… I only swiped my ID on the first day we were told to, thought it's just that once since everybody demonstrated it,I've skipped school like five times since then.* I don't care as students behind me opens the barricade with whatsoever they were holding
Just how much points in debt will I have??
*Damn. Thank God I was late today.* Otherwise, I might've kept jumping in when too early and out when too late like an idiot
**Misaki:** *"You okay?"*
**Me:** *"Pretty damn fine."* (*No way I'm admitting this.*)
Yuki-sensei entered. *"Has everyone seen their grades?"* A chorus of depressed *"yes"* echoed. *"We ranked third in class standings, thanks to Araki-kun and others."* Everyone clapped for Araki.
*Eh. Bookworm.* I glanced out the window.
Homeroom ended. *Finally, time to rest before first period.* But just as I slumped over, Yuki-sensei called out: *"Hananoi-kun, spare me a moment?"*
*What does this bitch want now?*
In her office, she pulled out a file. *"Hananoi-kun, where did you rank in the first test?"*
**Me:** *"Twenty-first in class. That means Eighty-seventh overall."*
**Yuki-sensei:** *"You do realize each class has 40 students, right? That's 160 total."*
I looked away.
**Yuki-sensei (adjusting glasses):** *"What surprises me is how deliberate your scores look. You couldn't hide your love for Physics, Math, and History (95/100), got a 75 in Chemistry and Japanese, All other subjects including P.E were 55, Yet you've lived in England for years—your English score is abysmal. But what *really* pisses me off?"* She leaned in. *"A 41 in Biology. *My* subject. Do you hate me that much for you to almost fail the subject?"*
*You wouldn't understand.* **Me (out loud):** *"No, I'm just bad at Biology."*
She rocked back in her chair. *"Fine. Let's go with that. By the way, you still haven't joined a club."*
**Me:** *"Still looking for the right one."*
**Yuki-sensei:** *"Better hurry. Zero club activities = no graduation. You have until Friday."*
**Me:** *"Yes, ma'am."*
I bolted from her office—*hellhole*—without even asking about attendance rules. On my way back, I spotted *him*: Mr. Council.
I was about to call out when he saw me first. *"H… Presie! Long time!"*
People nearby stared. *"What weirdo still really abbreviates names like that?"*
He knew I'd helped him . To avoid questions, he once told me he only shortens names around people he's *"interested in."*
**Me:** *"Longest time, Mr. Council."*
**Mr. Council:** *"Hananoi-kun! long time it is, Sure haven't seen you on the rooftop lately I replied
* He flashed a weird smile—like someone was watching.
Then a sharp voice cut in
*"So *that's* where you've been running off to?"*
**Mr. Council (nervous):** *"N-No, it's not like that! By the way This is Aoi Kamada, the vice president."*
*Ah. The one he said "understands" him.*
*Let's greet like a true gentleman .* **Me:** *"Nice to meet you. I'm—"*
**Aoi (coldly):** *"Hananoi Tojiko. I know you."*