"Alright, everyone, I will be starting the lesson shortly. But before we begin, the student council president would like to have a word with all of you," said Hayami-sensei.
"Good morning, everyone. I am here today not only to talk about the welfare of the students of Toshigawa Academy but also to inform you of the positions that are open in the student council. The former student council president, along with the vice president and our secretary, has graduated, so now we have these vacant spots in the council.
"My reason for being here is to inspect the first-year students to see if they qualify to join the student council. For those who are interested, please write your name here," said Yoshida.
"A chance to become a student council member? I'll definitely sign up!" said a student.
"Sachiko, why don't you sign up to become a student council member? You definitely have the brains and dedication for it. Sachi? Earth to Sachiko," said Naomi as she tried to get Sachiko's attention.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I zoned out for a bit. What were you saying?" asked Sachiko.
"Are you alright? Ever since we started attending this school, you've been dozing off a lot. And that only happens when you have a crush," said Naomi teasingly.
"No, I don't! Who would I even have a crush on?" asked Sachiko.
"Are you sure? You've been looking at Kawaguchi for a while now—actually, ever since we started school yesterday. To be honest, he is cute, he's intelligent, and let's not forget about his talent for basketball. I mean, even my heart skipped a beat for a second when he was playing," said Naomi.
"Cut it out, Naomi! It's not like that," said Sachiko, blushing in embarrassment.
"You're actually blushing! You're so cute," said Naomi as she hugged her tightly.
"Naomi! Please stop!" said Sachiko.
"I'm just messing with you. Calm down, the look on your face was priceless," said Naomi as she chuckled.
"So then, are you going to sign up to become a student council member?" asked Naomi.
"It's not like I'm in a club or do sports like you, so why not?" said Sachiko as she walked up to the front of the class to write her name.
"Your name is Takahashi Sachiko, right? The girl who ranked second in the entrance exam?" asked Yoshida.
"Yes, I am."
"I would like to speak with you after school today. Meet me in the student council room," said Yoshida, and Sachiko nodded in agreement.
"Thank you all for your time. Goodbye," said Yoshida as he left.
"Okay, let's get back to the lesson."
The school bell rang, and all the students went for lunch.
"The breeze up here is quite nice," said Tetsuo as the wind blew through his hair. "It's been a year since I played basketball, yet I was still able to score three-pointers. It's been a while since I had so much fun playing the sport.
"Though, playing basketball wasn't as fun back then as it was today. It was the only thing that kept me sane through all that darkness—other than my sister," Tetsuo said to himself.
"Well done, assassin number nine. You definitely have potential. I look forward to our dealings with you in the future," said a man in Tetsuo's memories.
Tetsuo's trauma resurfaced, causing him to gasp as he saw blood on his hands.
"That's right… I don't deserve this kind of life or this freedom. Not after what I've done," Tetsuo thought to himself.
"I see that someone has already found my spot on the roof," said a girl, startling Tetsuo.
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Tetsuo.
"Why are you so surprised that I'm here? The roof belongs to everyone, doesn't it?" asked the girl.
"I guess you're right. I came up here because it was nice and peaceful. I'll just go," said Tetsuo.
"Wait. You're a first-year, right? Tetsuo Kawaguchi, am I right?" asked the girl.
"Yes."
"To be honest, I was really impressed by how you played in that match earlier this morning. You really can play basketball well. You're a talented three-point shooter."
"Just get to the point," said Tetsuo bluntly.
"I'm humbly asking you to please join the basketball team. The team needs a player of your caliber to make it to the Inter-High," said the girl as she cleared her throat. "It has been the captain's dream to get there."
"Sorry, but I can't. I have a lot of responsibilities at home," said Tetsuo.
"Oh, I see. That's too bad. You would have been great for our team.
"How rude of me—I didn't introduce myself, did I? My name is Nanaho Fukazawa. I'm a second-year and the coach and manager of Toshigawa Academy's basketball team," said Nanaho.
"Here, let's exchange numbers. It would be a total waste if you didn't play the sport you're so good at. If you ever change your mind, please contact me," said Nanaho.
"Okay, I will."
"Thank you! See you later," said Nanaho as she waved goodbye.
"Well, that was awkward," said Tetsuo as he sighed.
About half an hour later, the school bell rang.
"Well, it's time for class," said Tetsuo as he was about to leave the school roof, but he was immediately stopped by Yukio.
"Hello, your name is Tetsuo Kawaguchi, right? Can I talk to you for a bit? My name is Yukio Hamaguchi, captain of the basketball team," said Yukio.
"What do you want?" asked Tetsuo.
"I would like for you to—"
"Join the basketball team?" Tetsuo interrupted. "Your coach and manager came to me like two minutes ago, and I already told her that I can't play because I have responsibilities. So could you move out of the way? I have a class to get to," said Tetsuo.
"Wait! Before you go, I want to ask you something," said Yukio.
"And what might that be?"
"Which junior high school did you play for?"
"I didn't play basketball in junior high. If that's all, please excuse me," said Tetsuo as he walked past Yukio.
"This guy is quite mysterious. How intriguing… Now that I know he's not known, I need him to join. He'll catch any team off guard for sure," thought Yukio.
"Good afternoon, class. My name is Shunpei Hamada, and I'll be teaching everyone mathematics for the rest of your first year," said Hamada-sensei. "Since it's only the second day—and I'm a generous teacher—I will not be teaching today."
"Let's go!!! Thanks a bunch, teach!" said the students as they celebrated.
"However, I would like to get acquainted with all of you. Since you already introduced yourselves yesterday, you can just stand and tell me your names so I can match them with your faces. I'd prefer if we started here," said Hamada-sensei.
"My name is Makoto Kurai."
"Naomi Nakamura."
"Shi… Shino Katsuragi."
"The name's Noboru Takemoto. Nice to meet you, sir."
"My name is Kiyoe Ikegami."
"Ri… Rie Morioka. It's a pleasure to be acquainted."
"My name is Ayumi Nishioka. I hope that we can have a spectacular semester this year."
"My name is Sachiko Takahashi."
"Tetsuo Kawaguchi."
"Asato Kajiwara."
"Naohiro Aoki."
"My name is Miyu Sugiyama."
"Okay, that's everyone. I hope we have a productive semester. Now, does anyone have suggestions on how we should use this session?" asked Hamada-sensei.
"We could discuss how you would teach the syllabus and arrange it in a way that allows us to learn efficiently and quickly," said Sachiko.
"Okay, shall we begin the arrangements?"
"Yes, sensei," said all the students.