Translator: White Lotus
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It was the spring of the sophomore year in high school, Hira felt particularly nervous on the first day at the school from the morning, which was also the day of the changes of classes.
Hira was extremely terrible on this day, which began with the self-introduction. He became even more depressed after reading the poster of the class placement notice. Last year, most of the students in the class were gentle-natured, but this year’s class was filled with flamboyant pupils, so the risk factor was too high for a student like Hira.
Although he still stuttered occasionally, it was all thanks to the years of training, he was less likely to make any fatal errors. Hira, who always kept his head down and didn’t talk much, was considered to be someone who belonged to the bottom of the pyramid, and he was satisfied with it by thinking that this was enough. Rather than being specially treated by people as someone who had a physical defect and showed him cheap sympathy, it was much better to just be at the bottom of the pyramid and being ignored by everyone.
Please let this year be peaceful.
Hira prayed as he stepped into his new classroom. He sat on the seat corresponding to his attendance number and looked around the classroom through the gaps of his long bangs. Somehow, the classroom had already been divided into many groups. Everyone was desperate not to be left alone. The classroom on the first day of the class placement was like a noisy and bustling battlefield, where everyone was fighting by holding imaginary rifles. And Hira was just watching this.
As the bell rang, the new homeroom teacher entered the classroom. After a brief greeting, the usual self-introduction began. Hira took a deep breath without noticing by others. One, two, three times. The air he inhaled pressed on his stomach and stabilized his lower abdomen. This method had been used by him for more than ten years since elementary school, so Hira had long been accustomed to it.
In order, each student stood up to introduce themselves by telling their names, hobbies, etc. The homeroom teacher also made humorous comments about each student in turn, making the whole class burst into laughter. Meanwhile, Hira tried to keep away his nervousness by imagining the scene of Captain Duck floating without any resistance.
When his turn was approaching, the boy, sitting diagonally in front of Hira, stood up.
“I’m Kiyoi Sou.”
Suddenly, Hira felt his entire body being swallowed up by a tidal wave. And as if pulled by a gravitational force, Hira lifted his head to look, just like the other students in the classroom, who were also looking in that direction in unison.
Hira couldn’t see the face of the student named Kiyoi from where he was sitting. However, he could see his incredibly beautiful jawline and long, slender neck. As even the size of his head was small, his overall proportions looked even better. He just said his name and, without introducing himself further, sat down.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Hey, don’t you have anything else to say? Like any hobbies or something like that.”
Ca atf tbwfgbbw afjmtfg’r defralbc, tf rtbbx tlr tfjv.
“Nothing special.”
Lf qgbqqfv tlr tjcv bc atf ajyif ab reqqbga tlr mtlc, klat tlr ifur mgbrrfv. Pc j nfgs ribqqs qbraegf. Lbkfnfg, la kjr jwjhlcu tbk tf ibbxfv pera ilxf j wbvfi, ktb kjr qbrlcu, vef ab tlr ibcu jcv rifcvfg ilwyr.
Although he didn’t say anything funny, all the girls in the classroom snickered shyly and the boys grinned too. It seemed that he was one of those people, who belonged to the top of the pyramid.
“Okay, next student number 13.”
Without even realizing that he had been called, Hira just kept staring at the slandered figure from behind.
“Hey, number 13, what’s wrong? That tall one over there.”
As the boy suddenly turned around, Hira was startled.
It was a shock, as if someone had clapped their hands in front of his face.
He was beautiful. The corners of his eyes looked as if they were drawn with a soft brush, painted along the bridge of the nose with the thin and well-shaped lips. His features, which seemed to have been carefully and meticulously created by God, were more beautiful rather than described as handsome.
His eyes darted over Hira from head to toe, as if appraising him, and then immediately averted his gaze as if he had lost interest. It seemed liked, for him, it wasn’t worth watching anymore. Hira knew that he had been judged by that boy instantly. He neither felt angry nor sad. This kind of arrogance befitted someone as him, who was incredibly beautiful.
While Hira was still staring at Kiyoi like a fool, he suddenly felt a slight hit on his head. When he looked up, he saw that the homeroom teacher was standing next to him with a rolled up notebook.
“How many times do I have to call you before you respond? Introduce yourself. Don’t be oblivious on your first day.”
Hira quickly stood up as if he had been kicked. He just had to say his name. My name is Hira Kazunari. That was all. But he stumbled at the first syllable.
“Hi—”
Oh, no. When he thought about that, there was no turning back.
“Hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi—”
Along with Kiyoi, the homeroom teacher, and everyone else staring at him baffled as Hira was spitting out monosyllables like a broken peashooter. He felt his face quickly heated up. A large amount of cold covered his back and armpits.
“Oh, I got it. Your name is Hira Kazunari, right? You can sit down.”
The homeroom teacher, who seemed to have perceived something, said so and Hira sat down back on his chair.
“What was that?”
“Wasn’t that horrible?”
“Did he just laugh?”
“He’s weird.”
The whispers of the students spread throughout the classroom.
Even if He didn’t look up, Hira could feel that countless white eyes were piercing through him.
Ah, Captain Duck.
Even though he thought he had gotten used to plenty of things, at a time like this he always wanted to disappear.
The shame that had been piled up so far was overlaid with new shame, and the wall that confined him grew thicker and thicker. Why am I like this?
As the self-introduction continued, the whispering voices gradually faded away.
Hira timidly lifted his face, and in the spring sunlight that filled the classroom, the backs of his classmates appeared exquisite in his eyes. The time between him, who wanted to die, and everyone else didn’t even intersect by one millimeter.
Once again, in the corner of his field of vision, Hira noticed the slight movement of fingers.
It was Kiyoi. He sat languidly in his chair with his long legs crossed, and fiddling with his smartphone secretly. His slender and long fingers were swiping up and down, left and right, on the small screen. It was as if his fingertips were dancing. Even though the self-introduction was still continued, Kiyoi paid no attention to it.
Hira slowly raised his gaze.
Kiyoi’s whole body appeared into Hira’s view, as if the curtain of a theater had been opened.
A small head with a well-shaped back. The long neck and limbs. His light-brown hair shone when brushed by the sunlight. He stopped fiddling with his smartphone, and rested his chin on the hand which was propped up on the table, yawning in boredom. In an entirely different way from someone like Hira, who wanted to die, the world of Kiyoi was also different from the rest of the class.
Only he and Hira, himself, were alone.
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Jesus to make fun of someone you don’t know, I’ll never understand. I was severely bullied growing up so i feel nothing but sympathy for Hira, i truly understand🫤❤️
I’m sorry you went through that:( I hope you’re doing better now❤️
Big hugs to Hira.
They have a special affinity called love 😚
Thank you for the chapter!
Poor hira man…
Awhh:( Thank you for the chapter!
Welp! This chapter is amzing!! Thank you translator-kun-chan-sama