You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!! - Chapter 14: The First Introduction is Crucial

“Good morning”

“…Good morning”

Against the still dark sky, a girl in her College uniform greets with a smile.

And the person greeted, grumpy from being woken up by a sudden doorbell.

(What time does she think it is?)

It’s five-thirty. The sky, colored like evening, illuminated Hiroki, still in his pajamas.

“Um, what’s up?”

“I thought we could go to College together.”

“…Isn’t that a bit too early?”

(Tempted to go back to sleep…)

Annoyed by the premature visit, Hiroki contemplates refusing and returning to bed.

“It’s definitely early… but if Hiroki is okay, can I wait inside?”

(I can’t say I was too excited and couldn’t wait)

Shiori was looking forward to Hiroki’s first day at College.

She had accidentally set her alarm for an early time, waking up early, unable to contain her excitement, and ringing Hiroki’s doorbell.

(…Is she asking to come in?)

Hiroki internally resists. Normally, letting a cute girl into his house would be delightful.

But the girl before him could turn a person’s head into a burst pomegranate.

(I don’t want to let her in… but I don’t want to upset her and face the consequences…)

Eventually, Hiroki decides to let Shiori in. They walk down the hallway with wooden flooring and sit in the spacious living room on the sofa.

“You still look sleepy. Sorry. You can go back to sleep; don’t mind me.”

(I came too early)

“…Then I’ll take you up on that. Wake me up at seven.”

(Who am I kidding?)

Though irritated, Hiroki succumbs to his drowsiness and returns to his bedroom.

Hiroki is awakened by the distinct sound of his alarm clock. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he stands.

It’s seven o’clock.

(Ah, I don’t want to get up…)

While changing into his uniform, he feels a sense of hatred towards the girl in the living room.

But knowing he can’t do anything if he doesn’t go out, he reaches for the door.

“What are you doing?”

(I thought I smelled something nice…)

“I’ve prepared breakfast”

On the living room table was ochazuke.

“Ochazuke is easy to eat and helps prevent illness.”

“Thanks”

(You’re the reason I feel sick for coming so early)

Despite his internal complaints, Hiroki sits down and starts eating the ochazuke.

(…Annoyingly delicious)

Of course, it was delicious.

Shiori’s ochazuke took time, but it was a combination of carefully selected ingredients and tea.

Shiori made it with great effort, hoping Hiroki would enjoy it.

(Eating without stopping means it’s delicious! Yes!)

Shiori, watching him eat, is overjoyed.

“Thanks for the meal.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Hiroki thanked her for the meal, putting past issues aside and expressing his gratitude for breakfast.

“So, what time are we leaving?”

“The first bell is at 8:40, so leaving before eight should be good.”

It’s 7:40 now. Hiroki is already prepared.

He further inquires about his schedule.

“I’ve been told to visit the staff room before the homeroom teacher introduces Hiroki.”

As Hiroki’s guide, Shiori had been doing her job diligently.

She was informed of all the upcoming schedules and told to support Hiroki.

“Then, let’s get going. It’s good to be early.”

“Understood”

(You might not lose anything by being early, but I do)

Hiroki begins to see Shiori as a self-centered girl.

Yet, unable to voice his dissatisfaction with her taking care of him, he silently complies.

A thirty-minute walk and monorail ride.

The location is the 30th Ward, the Combat College.

Before Hiroki stands a large white building, with students in the same uniform walking around.

Hiroki is a bit nervous in this new place.

“Beautiful College building”

(I see a building that looks like a baseball dome)

“The principal hired specialists to manage it properly”

(The principal knows how to spend government money)

Hiroki feels the greatness of the principal, realizing the influence of the man he calls “Principal-san.”

(My old College is nothing compared to this)

“Let’s go then. I’ll guide you to the staff room.”

“Okay”

Hiroki, momentarily awed, starts walking at Shiori’s cue.

But soon after, he begins to feel eyes on him.

“…?”

(Am I being watched?)

Realizing that the surrounding students are looking at them, Hiroki questions Shiori.

“Hey, are we being watched?”

“Yes, you probably noticed. Probably because I’m with you.”

“What do you mean?”

Even after hearing the reason is her, Hiroki doesn’t quite grasp it and asks again.

“It might sound weird saying it myself, but I’m quite popular…”

“Ah, I get it.”

“Thanks for understanding quickly”

In short, they were looking at Shiori, who was highly skilled and attractive at Combat College. However, Hiroki also notices the stares directed at him.

“It’s rare to see me with a guy. It’s never happened before.”

(So, it’s just curiosity)

Hiroki fully understands now. The eyes on him are full of interest. Even the girls hiding behind the trees blushed as they watched.

“We don’t change shoes; we enter the building as we are.”

Entering the building in their outdoor shoes, Hiroki feels a university-like atmosphere.

Despite the stares, they kept walking, and soon Shiori stopped in front of a touch-activated automatic door.

“This is the staff room.”

Saying so, Shiori opens the door to the staff room.

“Excuse me. I’m Himeji from Class 1-A. Is Miss Amakusa here?”

Shiori’s voice draws all the teachers’ attention to them.

(This level of attention is crazy… She’s popular even among the teachers…)

Hiroki is astonished by the atmosphere.

But actually, the attention is due to Hiroki.

(That’s the one the principal was talking about…) (Captured the invisible ability user…) (Has multiple abilities…) (Living outside unnoticed…)

All the teachers already know about Hiroki’s powers.

They all harbor a sense of awe and caution towards him.

Then, a woman stands up and approaches.

“Shiori-chan! Thanks for guiding!”

She warmly thanks Shiori.

Then, she turns her gaze from Shiori to Hiroki.

“You must be Hiroki Ogino! Welcome to Combat College! I’m your homeroom teacher, Ai Amakusa! “

Amakusa-sensei introduces herself with a bright smile and voice.

Tall and slender, she gives off a sporty vibe. Hiroki thinks…

(Well, leaving aside the tall, flat-chested type, I like her face)

He analyzes calmly, though inwardly. He’s filled with desire.

“Hello. I look forward to working with you, Amakusa-sensei.”

“Yeah! Shiori-chan, you can go to the classroom. I’ll follow with Hiroki-kun!”

“Understood. See you later, Hiroki.”

Leaving those words, Shiori exits the staff room. Watching her go, Amakusa-sensei resumes the conversation.

“Now, let me explain what will happen next!”

“Yes”

“Hiroki-kun, you will be in the same A-Class as Shiori-chan.”

Amakusa-sensei begins her detailed explanation in a high-pitched voice.

“There are forty students in the class, including you. Be ready for the self-introduction and any questions from the students!”

“Understood”

“And then”

Listening to Amakusa-sensei’s explanation, Hiroki starts preparing for what’s ahead.

“Himeji-san! Who is that guy?”

“You were walking closely together, weren’t you?”

The scene is set in the A-Class classroom.

Shiori is being bombarded with questions from the girls in the class. They saw her walking to College with him in the morning.

“He’s a transfer student. I was guiding him at the principal’s request.”

Shiori keeps her explanation to the bare minimum, deliberately omitting that she lives next to Hiroki’s house to avoid confusion.

“Could it be! Is he the guy with multiple abilities?”

“Where did you hear that?”

Surprised that someone knew this information, which was supposed to be limited to a few, Shiori raises her voice in shock.

“It’s been rumored. Something about him taking down a criminal organization’s combatant!”

“The teachers are treating him as a person of special interest!”

“He’s an unprecedented figure!”

Shiori is speechless at how the rumors have spread. Indeed, it’s an unprecedented case. It’s almost natural for such information to leak out through someone’s slip of the tongue.

“Yes, that’s right. He has multiple abilities. I was there at the scene of his apprehension.”

The excitement among the girls rises even more. The entire classroom becomes abuzz with talks about Hiroki.

“Just a heads up, please avoid excessive contact with him. Absolutely no testing or provoking.”

“Okay!”

Shiori, exuding the air of a class representative, warns everyone present.

“And to the action movie-loving boys! If anyone dares to challenge him to a manga-like fight, you’ll be responsible collectively… You understand, right?”

The boys fall silent. Then, one brave soul musters the courage to ask her a question.

“…What would happen if we did?”

Shiori opens her mouth with a bright smile.

“You know my ability, right?”

“Yes, we do.”

“All the boys… I’ll use my ability to expand your… bottoms.”

A unanimous decision is made among the boys not to mess with her.

“It’s about forty minutes now. Take your seats.”

At Shiori’s signal, everyone returns to their seats. Some are excited, while others are afraid of the ‘expansion.’

The classroom door opens, and two figures enter.

“Alright! Everyone’s seated! Good job, everyone!”

The always-positive teacher creates a welcoming atmosphere that everyone loves.

All eyes then turn to the topic of their earlier conversation.

“Okay! Without further ado, here’s our new transfer student! Let’s welcome him with applause!”

The clapping fills the room. Though it’s the teacher’s moment, Hiroki’s self-introduction begins.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hiroki Ogino. I’m still unfamiliar with some things, but I intend to fit in as quickly as possible.”

Standing on the raised platform, Hiroki greets everyone. The reactions vary, but most are filled with curiosity.

“Okay! I thought there’d be many questions, so let me explain a bit about him first! Then it’s question time!”

Anticipating many questions, Amakusa-sensei has prepared Hiroki’s profile for explanation.

“Hiroki Ogino. I arrived at Battle Studies yesterday from a regular College. He’s 175 cm tall, weighs 65 kg, and has type O blood. His parents are traveling, so he started living in a dormitory in College.”

Amakusa-sensei goes on to explain various details about Hiroki.

(Too positive…)

Overwhelmed by her lively explanation, Hiroki acknowledges her energetic nature.

“Okay! That’s all from me! Now, question time! First five people, ready, set, go!”

At the teacher’s cue, hands shoot up all over the room. Almost everyone raises their hand, including Shiori, stretching to be noticed.

“Wow! Hiroki-kun, you’re popular!”

“Yeah, I’m surprised myself.”

(Everyone here is too friendly!)

Hiroki’s impression of A-Class rises. He had been anxious about fitting in, but now that seems like a distant worry.

“Okay! First question, you!”

The girl pointed out by Amakusa-sensei stands up.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

…For a moment, everyone feels an intense glare from Shiori’s direction.

“Ah, yeah. I’ve been with her for over two years.”

…Again, for a moment. The classmates feel an unprecedented dark aura emanating from a long brown-haired girl, ranked tenth. A sound of ‘Goooo’ surrounds her.

“My girlfriend is in an app.”

With that one sentence, the tension and dark aura dissipate, and everyone except Hiroki breathes a sigh of relief. Several boys respond.

“Ah! I use that, too! My girlfriend is Ami-chan!”

“I’m on it too! Alice-chan is my wife!”

Hiroki instantly connects with several boys. The conversation shifts to girlfriend-bragging.

“My girlfriend is Elle.”

“Wow!”

“Just as you’re getting along, let’s resume the question time!”

The boys are deepening their friendship, but Amakusa-sensei interrupts to continue.

The questions flow smoothly.

“What are your hobbies?”

“Exploring ramen shops. Is there a ramen shop on the Battle Studies campus?”

“Favorite movie?”

“I like sci-fi. Recently, I watched a movie where a person from the future fights the protagonist.”

“Recent big purchase?”

“Summer clothes. It’s getting hot, so I bought something cool.”

Everyone avoids the most curious question: his abilities. They decide not to ask, fearing it would lead to a barrage of questions and cross the line Shiori drew about excessive contact.

As the questions progress, the last person is up. There’s an unusual vibe from one student.

(Amakusa-sensei! You’ve noticed me staring, right?)

Amakusa-sensei deliberately ignores Shiori’s gaze, finding it more amusing.

(Wow, Shiori-chan is staring hard. It’s almost scary now.)

“Okay! Last question, Shiori-chan!”

With a sigh, Amakusa-sensei finally calls on Shiori.

“Yes!”

(Finally!!)

Shiori internally explodes with excitement.

“If you were to form a team, what kind of person would you want to partner with?”

“…? A team?”

Confused by the question, Hiroki tries to think of an answer. Amakusa-sensei interjects.

“Shiori-chan, you know what you’re asking.”

“I thought it’d be better to explain now. Many are interested in teaming up with him just out of curiosity, so it’s better to let them know early.”

“That makes sense.”

Amakusa-sensei turns to Hiroki and explains, “team.”

“A team is like work partners. Basically…”

Teams are small groups formed voluntarily by students, usually consisting of 2-5 members.

Performing tasks as a team and earning evaluations benefits all team members, so many students form teams.

“Well, that’s about it for the explanation! Now, your answer, please!”

After Amakusa-sensei’s clear explanation, Hiroki turns to answer Shiori.

“A sensible person.”

(You’re the complete opposite of that.)

“Got it.”

(So, it’s me!)

The two’s inner thoughts are as mismatched as ever.

With the last question answered, Amakusa-sensei moved on to the first period’s agenda.

“Okay, the first period is strength training, so let’s move to the gym!”

(Definitely not your ordinary College…)

Hiroki realizes again that this is indeed Battle Studies, not just a regular College, as they head for strength training instead of a typical PE class.