Living Normally In An Abnormal World

Chapter 100: The Madman’s Classroom

There was a “madman” in that classroom.

The boys around him thought that he was the person behind the “mad runner” Grauzer.

How did they know? Simply because the atmosphere he gave off was different, and his physique was head and shoulders above the rest. But before that, it was the man’s voice during the self-introduction.

“My name is Kinoshita Yuuto. My hobbies are gaming and exercise. Please look after me for the next year.”

The boys were shaken by the all-too-familiar voice. And because of the huge difference in his behavior, they didn’t really hear his self-introduction. After all, he was the guy who usually taunted people, gave the middle finger to the audience, and made a throat-slitting gesture with his thumb.

They probably didn’t expect such a clean and polite speech from a stranger.

However, Grauzer was known for keeping his true self hidden from the media. It was common knowledge for those who knew him. So, if they offended him, they might be erased from existence, given his strong connections with the emperor and the nobility.

The arrogant and spoiled boys had to be careful of the gaze of their superior as they began their first joint life with the rest of the class.

On the other hand, there were those who didn’t know how to talk to someone they admired.

(I failed my self-introduction.)

Yuuto regretted his bland and unremarkable self-introduction.

(That kid is definitely Grauzer.)

The homeroom teacher also seemed convinced that Yuuto was the person behind Grauzer.

Even though they attended the same school as the girls, they weren’t in the same class. It was obvious if you thought about it. In a 1:50 gender ratio, it would be insane to cram one or two boys into a group of about 40 girls.

The boys and girls were properly separated.

If you thought that a boys’ school would have been better, you’d be wrong.

The school life of men was different from that of women.

There was only one class, with less than 10 students.

Classes were conducted using tablets distributed to each student. All they had to do was watch videos and take notes. If they had any questions, they could ask the female teacher who was in charge of the class.

It was undeniable that an adult woman with a strong sense of reason would be needed to work in a situation surrounded by boys. However, the women were naturally cautious, and because of the boys’ arrogance, they didn’t ask any questions. They usually stayed at the teacher’s desk at the end of the room, doing paperwork or creating documents on their laptops.

“Sensei, may I ask you something?”

“Huh?”

“If you’re busy, I can ask you later.”

“Umm, no, I’m not busy at all! What do you want to know?”

“Yes, it’s about this problem.”

For Yuuto, who didn’t have much caution or arrogance, asking questions wasn’t embarrassing at all. If he didn’t understand something, he would ask right away. That was common sense.

“Thank you. That was a big help.”

“No problem. Feel free to ask me anything.”

“Okay.”

The female teacher herself was also careful not to get too close. If she got too carried away, she might lose her teaching license.

As these interactions were repeated a few times, the boys around her became less cautious. They also realized that even Grauzer would ask questions if he didn’t know something, so they started to call the teacher naturally.

Classes ended in the morning, and the rest of the time was free. After all, it was difficult for men to enter society, so the subjects were fewer than usual. They could go home or stay at school and kill time.

But their eyes were on Yuuto.

“Hey, I was thinking of taking a look around the school. Would you like to come with me?”

One of his classmates was talking to him.

“Kinjou-kun, right? Thanks for inviting me. Let’s go.”

“Umm, yeah. And we’re classmates, so you don’t have to call me ‘kun’.”

“Okay.”

The two of them left.

At that moment, Yuuto realized something.

If he talked to them without revealing his identity as Grauzer, they might talk to him normally. After all, he usually taunted people, but he was also a tolerant person.

Kinjou Mutsu was nervous.

That’s because the person in front of him might be the man behind the world-famous Grauzer. And Mutsu was also a fan of Grauzer, having attended several handshake events and other events.

“It doesn’t seem like there are many facilities we can use.”

“Yeah, I don’t think we need a music room or a home economics room.”

As they explored the school, Mutsu became more and more convinced that this person was definitely Grauzer. However, as they talked, his nervousness faded, and he was able to have a normal conversation.

“There’s also the gym. Mutsu, have you ever done any sports?”

“My mother and brothers say I’m clumsy, so I’m not allowed to. But I think it would be fun to move my body, so I’d like to try.”

“How about badminton?”

“Badminton?”

“Balls can cause finger injuries or tripping accidents, but badminton feathers have foam tips. So, they’re relatively safe unless they hit your eyes. And even if they hit you, it won’t hurt that much, and there won’t be any marks.”

“Do you think I can do it?”

“We won’t know until we try. If you’re worried, I’ll stay with you until you can do it.”

“…”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

They headed straight to the gym, and Yuuto brought badminton feathers and rackets from the sports equipment room.

“Also, these are eye guards. After an injury, the people around you can be annoying.”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s just do a rally without a net. If you hit the feather with the intention of raising it, it will usually go up. For now, just focus on hitting the feather with the racket.”

“That’s a pretty vague explanation.”

“Shut up, I’m not your teacher. Let’s go!”

“Okay.”

Yuuto hit the feather high into the air. Mutsu thought he could hit it back without moving from his spot, so he swung his racket and hit it back.

“Wow, you’re doing pretty well.”

However, the feather didn’t go towards Yuuto. But he moved with the trajectory and hit it back.

As they continued the rally, Mutsu realized something.

(Wait, haven’t I been standing still since the beginning?)

Yuuto had been moving around a lot because he couldn’t control the feather, moving right and left to hit it back. On the other hand, Mutsu had been standing still, and Yuuto had been hitting the feather so that it would come to him.

But now that Mutsu was getting used to it, Yuuto decided to move a little and hit the feather.

Mutsu realized that he had to move with the trajectory of the feather to hit it back. He thought that the beginner service was over, but he was also getting used to it, and he was gaining confidence that he could hit it back while moving.

However, at that moment, the beginner’s classic unintentional smash occurred. Mutsu, who hit it, even said, “Oh.” But Yuuto quickly moved and hit it back, and the feather didn’t fall to the ground.

“Let’s do it again!”

“Bring it on.”

Mutsu wanted to keep the feeling of the smash, so he asked Yuuto to hit it back. Yuuto agreed, and Mutsu hit the feather with all his might.

“Fuh!”

Although it was a faster ball, Yuuto managed to hit it back. At that moment, Mutsu thought.

(I want to hit an unreturnable smash.)

“Let’s keep going.”

“…”

Yuuto remembered the day he first met Satoru. The innocent glutton who kept hitting smashes during a game of badminton.

“I’m tired.”

“I guess so.”

“Why aren’t you out of breath?”

“I train differently.”

Mutsu was lying on his back on the gym floor, out of breath.

It was only natural for someone who had never exercised to lose so much energy after 30 minutes of continuous movement.

Yet, Yuuto wasn’t even out of breath, and he was looking down on Mutsu. If he was hiding his true identity, he should at least pretend to be tired, but he didn’t do that at all.

“Yuuto, I want to try basketball next.”

“Suddenly?”

“My brothers are all doing it because Grauzer introduced it to them. They’re so motivated that they want to beat me someday.”

“Well, I won’t be responsible for any injuries.”

“I know my brothers have fractured their fingers a few times, so I’m careful. I’ll be fine!”

“…”

“But I’m tired today. Can we do it tomorrow?”

“I’ll adjust to your schedule.”

“…”

“Okay, Mutsu. See you tomorrow.”

Yuuto made a friend.

“See you tomorrow.”