In class they were all seated.
The teacher had allowed everyone to sit wherever they wanted since it was the first day before assigning permanent seats.
Ren naturally chose the back.
It was the best place if he wanted to relax without drawing too much attention.
Unfortunately, that plan failed almost immediately.
Next to him sat Rias, while directly in front of him was Akeno.
He looked to his left, then forward before nodding to himself.
He had practically boxed himself in around pretty girls.
Not that he was complaining.
The classroom slowly settled down as their homeroom teacher walked to the front.
She wrote her name on the blackboard before turning around with a smile.
“Good morning everyone.
I’ll be your homeroom teacher this year.
Since it’s the first day, let’s get to know each other a little.
When it’s your turn, stand up, tell us your name, and say something interesting about yourself.”
Ren rested his chin on his hand.
‘Name…
and say something interesting about yourself.
What should I say for the last part?
Maybe larp a hobby like hiking.’ he thought.
One by one, students introduced themselves.
Some enjoyed sports, others liked reading, gaming or music.
One guy proudly announced he liked collecting insects, earning a few awkward looks from the class.
Eventually, it reached Rias’ row.
She stood up gracefully, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
“She’s pretty.”
“That red hair is amazing.”
“Red hair?
Am I in an anime?”
(‘How did he know?’)
Rias waited for the whispers to die down before speaking.
“My name is Rias and I like the occult,” she said.
Then she sat down.
Everyone looked at one another in confusion.
The occult wasn’t exactly a common hobby.
Still…They clapped anyway.
I mean, she was hot.
If a hot person liked weird stuff, suddenly those weird things became cool.
High school logic.
A few introductions later, Akeno stood up.
Just like Rias, the class immediately acknowledged her beauty.
“Ara.
My name is Akeno.
Nice to meet you all, and I like temples,” she said with a gentle smile.
The boys clapped a little harder than everyone else.
“I suddenly want to visit a temple.”
“Bro…”
“What?”
Ren simply shook his head.
Finally, it was his turn.
He stood up from his seat.
Almost instantly, several girls gasped.
“He’s handsome…”
“I didn’t notice him before.”
“He’s like…
really handsome.”
Ren kept a calm expression.
‘Ladies, ladies.
I’m trying to do my work today.
Leave me alone type shi,’ he thought nonchalantly.
“My name is Yhwach Ren Amamiya,” he introduced himself.
“You can just call me Ren.
And I like to climb.”
『 A/N: The Climber mentioned.』
A few students nodded.
“Climb?
Like mountains?”
“Probably.”
“Sounds pretty cool.”
The teacher smiled before writing down his name.
“Alright, thank you, Yhhha…”
She stared at the attendance sheet for another second before giving up.
“I’ll just go with Ren.”
A few students chuckled.
“Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, let’s talk about how things work here.”
The yapping session began yet again.
She explained the academy’s rules, where each classroom was located, how club activities worked, attendance requirements, exam periods, and the usual speech every teacher seemed legally obligated to give on the first day.
Ren listened…For about five minutes.
After that, he mentally checked out.
‘She’s still talking…’ he thought as he rested his cheek on his hand.
By the time she finally finished, nearly half the class looked just as exhausted.
“That concludes today’s homeroom.
Feel free to get to know your classmates before the next lesson.”
With that, the teacher gathered her notes and left the classroom.
The moment the door closed…
The room exploded into chatter.
Many of the girls immediately surrounded Rias, eager to get to know the beautiful red-haired girl.
At the same time, another group gathered around Akeno, asking her all sorts of questions about her hobbies and where she transferred from.
Meanwhile…A surprising number of girls walked over to Ren’s desk.
“So, Ren, where did you move from?”
“Do you really climb mountains?”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“How tall are you?”
Ren answered a few questions with short replies, but for the most part, he simply nodded or gave brief responses without trying to continue the conversation.
Ironically…That somehow made them like him even more.
“He’s so mysterious.”
“Right?”
“I think he’s just shy.”
Ren resisted the urge to sigh.
‘Girl logic…’ He leaned back in his chair, watching the lively classroom around him.
‘…But I think I’m going to enjoy my time here.’
…..
Time passed, and before he knew it…
A full year had gone by.
Life at Kuoh Academy settled into a peaceful routine.
There were no world-ending battles, and thankfully, no flying cars crashing through his house.
Just classes homework and trying not to die from boredom.
Kuoh Academy.
“Ren!!
Wake up!
This is not the time to be sleeping!” the teacher shouted from the front of the classroom, slamming a piece of chalk onto the desk for emphasis.
At the back of the class, a black-haired teenager slowly lifted his head from the desk with the expression of someone who had just been awakened from the greatest sleep of his life.
A test paper had stuck to the side of his face thanks to a small trail of drool, making several students burst into laughter the moment he looked up.
His beautiful red eyes lazily scanned the classroom before he blinked a few times, still trying to figure out what year it was.
Some students laughed openly while others simply shook their heads in disappointment.
Clearly…This wasn’t the first time he had fallen asleep during class.
Far from it.
Ren let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Beside him sat a beautiful girl with long crimson hair cascading down her back.
Rias.
Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched him, one hand covering her smile.
She wasn’t even trying to hide how funny she found the situation.
In front of his desk, another girl with long black hair quietly covered her mouth while giggling to herself.
Akeno’s shoulders trembled slightly as she tried and failed to hold back her laughter.
Ren rubbed his face before slowly peeling the test paper off his cheek.
He glanced at the damp corner of the page.
‘Man…
I hate school,’ he thought.
“Amamiya,” the teacher said while adjusting his glasses.
“Perhaps if you spent less time sleeping and more time studying, your grades wouldn’t look so tragic.”
The classroom erupted into laughter once again.
Ren simply leaned back in his chair with a bored expression.
“My grades are fine though,” he muttered.
The teacher stared at him.
“You scored 52% last semester.”
Ren didn’t even look embarrassed.
“That sounds like a pass.”
The room exploded.
Several students nearly fell out of their chairs laughing.
Even the teacher pinched the bridge of his nose.
“You have absolutely no shame.”
“I passed though.”
“By two percent.”
“A pass is a pass.”
The teacher opened his mouth…
Closed it…Then silently questioned every life decision that had led him to becoming a teacher.
Beside Ren, Rias finally lost it, letting out a soft snort before turning away with a smile.
Akeno wasn’t doing much better.
“Ara…
Ren-kun certainly has an interesting way of looking at things.”
Ren simply shrugged.”If the school wanted me to get 100%, they should’ve made the test easier.”
The teacher looked toward the ceiling.”…I don’t get paid enough.
”
The classroom burst into laughter yet again.
The black-haired teenager sitting at the back of the classroom…
Yhwach Ren Amamiya.
Now a second-year student at Kuoh Academy.
Peace