Akito entered the classroom, as usual ten minutes before class started. He quietly placed his bag on the desk, and habitually laid out his notebooks and textbooks. Then, resting his head on his hand, he looked around lazily, as if just killing time. His gaze accidentally stopped on a new student sitting at a neighbouring desk.

A small group of classmates had already gathered around her, all asking questions, trying to find out as much as they could about her. The girl seemed a little embarrassed by the attention, and though she smiled sweetly, her gaze betrayed some tension. Yamada noticed how she occasionally lowered her eyes and looked away, clearly feeling uncomfortable in the centre of such attention.

He shifted his gaze to her modest smile again and without realising it himself, he frowned slightly. ‘She doesn't seem to like it at all...’ - he thought.

And then, at that moment, the bell rang. The classmates reluctantly retreat, settling into their seats. The new girl exhales with a noticeable sigh of relief, a calm expression on her face, as if the tension had receded for a moment.