"Welco to our school, Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Ah, then I'll be in your care, Ishikawa-sensei."
A man and a woman—both Japanese literature teachers—walked side by side, making their way toward the Shuka High School second-year faculty office.
The male teacher, Kento Ishikawa, was a second-year Japanese language teacher at Shuka Private High School.
The female teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka,
As indicated by their conversation—
Did not belong to Shuka High School.
She was a Japanese literature teacher from Sōbu High School in Chiba Prefecture.
And the main reason for her visit to Shuka High School—
Was...
"Well then, regarding the academic exchange program, Ishikawa-sensei, do these docunts look good to you?"
With a polite tone, Shizuka Hiratsuka handed over a set of neatly prepared materials.
Yes.
The purpose of her visit was to exchange educational insights and learn from other prestigious institutions.
After passing the docunts to Kento Ishikawa, she curiously glanced around the hallway.
She had long heard of Tokyo's Shuka High School.
And now, seeing it firsthand—
It truly lived up to its reputation.
Even as she walked, students greeted them politely.
There weren't clusters of students loitering and chatting aimlessly in the hallways.
Inside the classrooms, so were quietly chatting, while others were already reviewing material for their next lesson.
There was a tangible atmosphere of learning—
But not the oppressive, suffocating kind.
It was the kind of academic enthusiasm that students chose for themselves.
Laughter and lighthearted conversations still echoed here and there, creating an unmistakable sense of youthfulness.
This was vastly different from Sōbu High School.
The students there were...
A bit too lively.
After class, they would crowd the hallways,
Sit on desks while chatting,
Or even bring in certain books that minors shouldn't have access to.
That kind of environnt did make her more relaxed.
But at the sa ti—
They were already second-years, students on the path to college.
It wasn't exactly reassuring.
By contrast, Shuka High School felt...
Well-balanced.
Shizuka Hiratsuka broke the silence, striking up a casual conversation:
"I've heard that Shuka High has a strong academic culture and places great emphasis on well-rounded student developnt. Now that I'm here, I can see that it's true."
"You flatter us, Hiratsuka-sensei," Ishikawa responded humbly as he opened the faculty office door.
"This is exactly the kind of atmosphere we strive to maintain. Please, co in."
As he spoke, he glanced sideways at her—
His expression subtly softened.
Well, it couldn't be helped.
Shizuka Hiratsuka had a striking presence.
Mature physique.
Elegant yet sharp features.
Any man—married or not—would instinctively feel drawn to such a beauty.
Even if just as an appreciation for aesthetic perfection.
Leading her to a vacant seat, Ishikawa poured her a cup of tea before continuing:
"Of course, our second-year students wouldn't have such an impressive academic atmosphere without the influence of one exceptional student."
"An exceptional student?"
Hiratsuka accepted the tea, but didn't drink it imdiately.
Instead, she looked up, intrigued.
A single student changing an entire grade's academic culture?
She had never heard of such a thing before.
Now, she was curious.
At that mont, another female teacher—seated across from them—suddenly smiled and interjected:
"Ishikawa-sensei, are you referring to Minami-kun from Class 2-B?"
"And you are...?"
Hiratsuka turned toward her, slightly puzzled.
"I'm Omiya Nagi, the English teacher for Class 2-B. A pleasure to et you, Hiratsuka-sensei."
Clearly, she had already heard about the visiting teacher from Sōbu High.
She extended her hand politely.
Hiratsuka shook her hand in return.
Only then did Omiya Nagi turn back to Ishikawa, her smile widening slightly:
"You were talking about Minami-kun, weren't you, Ishikawa-sensei?"
"Indeed, I was."
Ishikawa chuckled.
Hiratsuka couldn't help but notice—
The mont Minami Shouji's na was ntioned,
Both teachers... smiled unconsciously.
It was as if the very ntion of this student carried so kind of magic.
"Minami-kun... What exactly makes him so special?"
She couldn't resist asking.
"Minami-kun, huh... He's an incredible student. How should I put it..."
Ishikawa thought for a mont, then said:
"Rember how you just praised the academic atmosphere in our second-year classes?
Well, Minami-kun deserves a lot of credit for that."
"...Really?"
A single student influencing an entire grade?
Hiratsuka was surprised.
"Minami-kun has been ranked first in the entire grade since he enrolled.
He has never once lost that position.
Many students have been trying their hardest to dethrone him."
"...Just because he's ranked first?"
Hiratsuka raised an eyebrow.
This reminded her of a certain "untouchable genius" at her own school—
A girl who was also always ranked first.
Yet, no one in Sōbu High idolized her like this.
So why was Minami-kun being treated differently?
She couldn't understand.
"If it were just his grades, then no, it wouldn't be enough to earn him this level of respect.
But, Hiratsuka-sensei...
You've actually heard of his na before."
"...I have?"
Now she was even more surprised.
She had never t Minami Shouji.
Never even heard much about Shuka High.
So how—
Wait.
No.
Could it be—?!
Shizuka Hiratsuka's sharp features suddenly stiffened in surprise.
A thought struck her like lightning.
Her usually composed expression gave way to shock.
"Wait... Are you talking about Minami Shouji, the top scorer in the last National Academic Aptitude Simulation Exam?"
"Bingo."
Ishikawa Kento nodded calmly.
And just like that—
Shizuka Hiratsuka fell completely silent.
The top student of a single school...
And the top student in a nationwide exam...
The difference between the two was imasurable.
No wonder so many second-year students at Shuka High were aiming to surpass Minami Shouji.
That wasn't just the school's top spot at stake—
He was literally the best in the country.
Surpassing him ant outperforming 99.999% of students nationwide.
In a way, dethroning Minami had beco a symbol of personal and academic glory for Shuka High's second years.
"Of course," Ishikawa added, "this also has a lot to do with Minami-kun's attitude toward his peers."
At that mont, Omiya Nagi, the English teacher, couldn't help but chuckle:
"Minami-kun treats almost all of his classmates with complete indifference."
At Shuka High, Minami was either adored or despised.
He was independent,
Kept to himself,
And barely initiated conversations even with classmates.
Even within his own horoom, he spoke only when necessary.
This aloof deanor naturally earned him quite a few rivals.
Plenty of students were hell-bent on knocking him off his pedestal.
"I see..."
Hiratsuka's initial shock faded slightly after hearing Omiya's explanation.
So that's how it was.
An academic prodigy...
But socially distant.
There was no such thing as a perfect person.
Minami Shouji...
He was probably a lot like Yukinoshita Yukino from her own school.
Brilliant.
But isolated.
Too distant from his peers.
And lacking social skills.
For any student, that was a critical flaw.
But—
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I think you might be misunderstanding sothing."
Ishikawa's voice interrupted her train of thought.
"Hm?"
Hiratsuka raised an eyebrow.
"Minami-kun doesn't lack social skills—
He just chooses not to interact with his peers."
Ishikawa seed genuinely impressed as he elaborated:
"If he wanted to,
I have no doubt he'd have plenty of friends.
He's incredibly sharp,
Observant,
And more than capable of handling social interactions.
He just sees it as... a waste of ti."
He spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
"That's just my impression, of course.
But trust —if he actually wanted to,
He'd be one of the most popular students in school."
"...Is that so?"
Hiratsuka narrowed her eyes.
Balancing top-tier academic performance
AND having "perfect social skills"?
What kind of superhuman was this kid?
A high-spec version of Yukinoshita?
More importantly—
Wasn't this too much blind faith in a student?
Sure, a teacher should have confidence in their students—
But this...
This was almost excessive.
Ishikawa and Omiya seed a little too convinced of Minami's "perfection."
There was no way a flawless student existed in the real world.
Just as Hiratsuka was about to press further—
Knock, knock.
A calm, composed voice drifted from the doorway.
"Excuse , Ishikawa-sensei.
I'm here to submit my article for the Shuka High School Journal."
"Ah—Minami-kun!
We were just talking about you.
Co in, co in!"
Ishikawa's entire deanor brightened instantly.
His voice was noticeably lighter, as if greeting a respected colleague rather than a student.
A polite "Pardon the intrusion" followed.
And then—
For the first ti, Shizuka Hiratsuka laid eyes on the "Nation's Top Student."
A tall, lean young man stepped into the room.
His skin was fair, almost unnaturally so.
But unlike the pale, sickly complexion that cos from makeup, Minami Shouji's skin had a natural, healthy fairness to it.
His short black hair was clearly not ticulously styled—sowhat ssy but not unkempt due to its length, giving him an effortlessly neat appearance.
And beneath that unkempt black hair was a strikingly handso set of features—especially for a high school student.
Just from one look at his face, Hiratsuka Shizuka imdiately understood why Ishikawa had spoken so confidently earlier:
"If Minami-kun wanted, he would never have a shortage of friends."
Because at least in one aspect—
With a face like that, there was no way he'd be lacking female friends.
Yet, what was even more captivating about him were his eyes.
They lacked the cunning of an adult.
And lacked the restless arrogance of youth.
His were a pair of eyes that felt clean.
Pure.
A rare clarity.
At the very least—
Compared to a certain dead-fish-eyed high school boy she knew,
These eyes were a million tis better.
"This teacher is...?"
Under Hiratsuka's gaze, Minami, who had clearly noticed her, turned his attention over with a curious look.
"I'm Hiratsuka Shizuka, a second-year Japanese literature teacher at Sobu High School. I'm here for an academic exchange visit. Pleased to et you, Minami-kun."
Hiratsuka cleared her throat, quickly reining in her overly obvious scrutiny and offered a polite smile, extending her hand.
"Nice to et you, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'm Minami Shouji, second-year at Shuka High."
Minami returned a small smile, shaking her hand with just the right amount of politeness—
Neither overly friendly, nor distant.
A perfectly balanced social interaction.
One so naturally smooth, that even Hiratsuka—a woman pushing thirty—felt like this was soone easy to be around.
Cough!
What are you even thinking, Hiratsuka Shizuka?!
He's just a student—from another school, no less!
She shoved away the unnecessary thoughts from her mind and cleared her throat.
"Sensei, the Shuka school journal is quite famous, right? It's an annual literary publication?"
As an academic exchange representative, Hiratsuka had, of course, researched Shuka High's traditions beforehand.
The Shuka school journal was one of its most well-known publications.
"Yes. With Shuka Festival coming up in about a week and a half, preparations for the school journal are in full swing."
Ishikawa Kento took the manuscript Minami handed over.
"Since you're here, Hiratsuka-sensei, why not take a look at Minami-kun's submission with us?"
"Hm... would that really be okay...?"
Hiratsuka hesitated slightly.
After all, this was written by the national top scorer.
This wasn't so angsty high school rant about society,
This was a manuscript filled with genuine weight.
Unlike a certain dead-fish-eyed student back at Soubu High,
Who couldn't go three sentences without ranting about society's failings...
This was likely worth reading.
But still—Minami was standing right here.
And she wasn't even a teacher from Shuka High.
Wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate?
"It's fine. Minami-kun, do you mind?"
Minami really wanted to nod.
After all, even in his past life, he had heard of Oregairu.
And he knew that Hiratsuka Shizuka, a woman in her late twenties obsessed with marriage,
Reading his novel...
Yeah.
That could have so consequences.
But Ishikawa was his teacher.
And out of respect for him, Minami could only sigh in resignation and shake his head.
"I don't mind."
"In that case, I'll gladly take a look."
Receiving the author's approval, Hiratsuka let out a small breath, her curiosity piqued as she took the manuscript from Ishikawa.
"The Girl Hidden Within the Azalea Fields"
She glanced at the title.
A novel?
The mont she saw that title,
Her earlier excitent was doused in cold water.
Like getting a bucket of ice dumped over her head.
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