Chapter 31: Nokoko is Not a Body Pillow! She’s a Friend!
The next morning, I slowly woke up to the soft sunlight streaming through the window and the distant chirping of birds. Blinking away the sleep, I checked the clock and saw it was already past seven.
I should probably start getting ready soon…
As I tried to sit up, I found it oddly difficult to move again. Thinking it was just my imagination, I pulled back the covers, only to discover my silver-haired roommate had once again snuggled up to me in her sleep.
“Not again…!?”
I couldn’t help but exclaim, which stirred Rouge awake.
“Mmuu. What’s wrong, Hugh? Why are you shouting so early in the morning?”
“What’s wrong is my question. Why are you sleeping in my bed again…?”
“Because I sleep better when I hug you.”
“No, you should be hugging Nokoko instead. That’s why I brought her, right?”
“Muu. Nokoko isn’t a body pillow; she’s a friend!”
“Then does that mean I’m not a friend but a body pillow?”
“……Huh?”
Rouge tilted her head in confusion, still half-asleep.
…Well, whatever. I didn’t mind being hugged; it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. It was just that the struggle between reason and impulse in the morning was a bit tiring.
Just like on the day of the entrance ceremony, I got dressed first and waited outside for Rouge to get ready. Once she was dressed in her uniform, we headed to the school cafeteria.
Today marked the true beginning of our school life. With classes starting soon, both Rouge and I carried bags filled with the necessary textbooks and writing supplies. It felt a bit nostalgic, reminiscent of my student days in my previous life.
After finishing breakfast and heading towards the school building, I noticed a crowd gathered near the entrance. That was where the results of the entrance exam had been posted. I switched my skill to «Fire» just in case, as I couldn’t see the bulletin board’s contents clearly from a distance.
It seems that the «Ninja» skill is more convenient than «Brainwashing» after all…
“Hugh, maybe they’re announcing the class assignments!”
Now that I think about it, there was such an event back in high school. I had assumed it would be like university, where you moved classrooms for each subject.
“I hope we end up in the same class.”
“Yeah.”
We pushed our way through the crowd and reached the bulletin board. Upon checking the class assignments, it appeared that there were four classes, A to D, with thirty students each. So, there were 120 successful applicants this year, which was much fewer than I expected.
Alright, I found my name at the very bottom of Class A. Next to my name was the number “30.” I wondered if that was my attendance number, but looking closer, I saw that the student at the top of Class B had “31” next to their name. Could it be the ranking based on entrance exam scores?
“Yes! I’m in the same class as Hugh! Lily and Lecty are in there too!”
When Rouge pointed it out, I double-checked the names in Class A. At the very top was Lily, and Rouge’s name was third, with Lecty’s name next to “28.”
By the way, the second name from the top was that of Idiot. Although Lily often called him an idiot, it seemed he was quite skilled and good at studying. This class was bound to be lively…
Having confirmed our class assignments, we stepped away from the bulletin board and headed to our classroom. The first-year classrooms were on the third floor, and I could feel the curious gazes of upperclassmen as we climbed the stairs.
When we entered the classroom, nearly half of our classmates were already there. Some were sitting wherever they pleased, while Idiot was happily chatting with his entourage.
Our eyes met briefly, but he seemed more focused on his conversation with them.
As I scanned the room, I spotted Lecty waving shyly from one seat over by the window. Lily, sitting at the very window, glanced at me before quickly looking away, resting her chin on her hand as she stared out the window.
In the end, I hadn’t spoken to her at all since yesterday… Even during dinner, only Lecty had come to the cafeteria. When I asked Rouge and Lecty about Lily, they said she seemed pretty much the same as usual when she returned to the girls’ dorm…
I wanted to talk to Lily again, but it was clear that it wasn’t something to discuss in class.
For now, I should just greet them normally.
…Oh, right. I needed to pretend to be Lecty’s boyfriend in front of Idiot. He was chatting with his group, but he might be watching us. I should be cautious.
“Good morning, Lecty, Lily.”
I greeted the two of them and sat down quite close to Lecty. The desks and chairs were arranged differently than in my previous school; they were long tables with benches that could seat about six people. By sitting closely together, it would look more like we were a couple.
“G-Good morning, Hugh-san. Um, is this a bit too close…?”
“If we’re lovers, isn’t this kind of distance normal?”
“L-Lovers!?”
Lecty exclaimed in surprise, her face turning bright red. Her reaction drew the attention of nearly everyone in the classroom.
Oh wow, I could feel the glares. Not just from Idiot, but nearly half of the boys in class were shooting me looks of resentment. And the pressure I felt from behind was probably not just my imagination.
“Good morning, Lecty, Lily. It’s a nice day, isn’t it?”
“G-Good morning, Rouge-san!”
“R-Rouge? You haven’t forgotten about our conversation from yesterday, right?”
“Of course not. You two are lovers, so it’s only natural to sit close together, right? I get it, I get it.”
I wondered if she really understood… Rouge sat down with a smile and leaned closer to me. As a result, I found myself sandwiched between two girls (one of whom was disguised as a boy).
“Help me, Lily.”
When I called for help, Lily glanced over at us and said,
“Best of luck to you.”
With that, she sighed and turned her gaze back out the window. Her reaction felt colder than before, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t just my imagination…