「Well, I guess Kiryuuin-san is on a different level, after all.」
「Her mother was a model, right?」
「Yeah, yeah. And her father is an actor. They’re really amazing people.」
「I wonder if Kiryuuin-san will follow the same path in the future?」
「Well, I guess so. She’s already working as a model here and there.」
「But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it have been better for her to go to a school that’s more flexible with entertainment activities?」
「Maybe she hasn’t decided to pursue it seriously yet? Maybe she wants to study too?」
Like them, I had a lot of things I was curious about.
As they said, there are schools that are more suited for entertainment activities, so why did she choose our school, which focuses on academics to some extent?
Well, not just Sophia, but I often had questions about other people when I listened to their conversations in class.
…Since I was eavesdropping, I never asked them directly, though.
I like listening to people’s stories.
That’s probably why I like reading books, I think.
You can feel various stories in books. Not only the stories between the characters, but also what the author was thinking when they created the work.
It contains the author’s thoughts that they want to convey to someone, so it feels like having a conversation through the work.
「…But I’m glad Kiryuuin-san is in our class.」
「Yeah. Thanks to her, we were able to get her contact information from the class LINE group.」
Wait, there’s a class… LINE group?
There was no sign of people in the class talking about it, but when did it happen?
No, wait, I’ve heard about this before, haven’t I?
…I’ve heard that these days, students from the same school hang out before the school year even starts, so maybe they’re like that too.
I’m a little hurt to realize I’ve been left out.
N-No, well, it’s only natural since I haven’t tried to get involved myself.
Still, I can’t help but feel a little self-loathing… for thinking that someone might reach out to me.
Opportunities don’t come to those who don’t act.
As I sigh, the classroom door opened. When I looked up, I saw Sophia.
Did she come to school with a friend, or did she meet them at school?
She entered the classroom with a few other people, and a girl nearby greeted her.
「Kiryuuin-san, good morningー.」
「Morningー.」
As Sophia puts down her bag, flashy girls gather around her.
…The reason they give off a flashy impression is that they have dyed hair and are not wearing their uniforms properly.
I’ve been calling them the “A group” girls in my mind.
I’ve divided the girls in our class into four main groups──A, B, C, and D.
A is the group that stands out in the class, Sophia, her entourage, and some of the prominent boys from the sports clubs are in this group. The boys have the guts to talk to Sophia without hesitation, and I’m always impressed by them.
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
B is the average group in the class. Koganei and Ino belong here. They don’t stand out in any particular way, and they make up the majority of the class.
C is the plain group in the class. It’s not my place to say, though.
They are often quiet or in very small groups in class. People who like 2D things gather here, and they enjoy doing what they want every day.
And finally, D.
D is like air in the class. I’m the only member.
If I had the guts to reveal my interests like the people in group C, I might have made more friends… but it was difficult for me to express my feelings to that extent.
It’s difficult to share something with others. There are differences of opinion, and I’ve lived my life avoiding such conflicts as much as possible.
It’s not that there’s a hierarchy, but when we do something as a class, the opinions of the A group tend to be accepted more easily.
I continue reading my book while occasionally listening to their group’s conversations.
There’s no particular bullying in our class, and I think we get along relatively well.
Is it because it hasn’t been that long since we started school? Or is it because everyone is nice? I hope it’s the latter.
Thanks to their kindness, people like me who want to be alone aren’t excessively ostracized.
Yes, it’s precisely because everyone is kind that I’m a loner.
…I wish someone would talk to me a little more, but then again, I should be the one to reach out… I can only sigh at my own self-serving thoughts.
Well, it’s also true that I don’t hate being alone, so I continue reading my light novel today, and Sophia, who sits relatively close to me, started talking to a gyaru.
The gyaru’s name was Tashika Totsuka, I think.
「Speaking of which, Sophia, you said you had an omiai on your day off, how was it?」
My mouth almost involuntary burst.
Sophia, so you told your friends about that too.
I felt like Sophia glanced at me for a moment.
It must be my imagination, right?
「How was it, you say, what do you want to know?」
Totsuka’s eyes sparkle at Sophia’s words, spoken with a laugh.
「Well, I thought since it’s your parents, Sophia, the omiai partner must be amazing. Like, rich, or the president of some company, ah, or maybe a famous celebrity?!」
…Stop it! Don’t raise the bar so high!
My heart aches because I’m on a completely different level from the omiai partner Totsuka is expecting.
I pretended to be calm and kept reading my light novel, but I haven’t been able to process any of the words for a while now.
I was nervous about what kind of answer Sophia would give.
「He’s not that kind of person. Besides, I said I wouldn’t go on an omiai unless it was with someone my age.」
「Ah, I see. Then, maybe a promising celebrity? Like a golden egg?!」
「That’s not it either… but well, he was a nice person.」
Sophia said that, and I couldn’t help but look up.
That was a mistake. Because Sophia was also looking at me with a mischievous smile.
…It’s not my imagination. She was definitely looking at me.
…She must be teasing me. I don’t think I did anything to make her like me back then.