Chapter 42: The Entrance Ceremony



The cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

The edges of the road are covered in a blanket of pink, creating a path of petals on the ground.

Seeing this scene, I realize that spring has come once again.

In my previous life, I had no interest in the changing of the seasons or the events that marked the passage of time. Still, whenever I saw cherry blossoms, I'd feel a faint sense of excitement, recognizing that spring had arrived. Not that it ever made me want to start something new or switch jobs to reset my environment.

"Itsuki, are you nervous?"

"No, I'm okay."

My mother's voice brought me back to the present, and I shook my head.

We were standing in front of the main gate of my elementary school. There, a white signboard with the words "Congratulations on Your Entrance Ceremony" was decorated with red and white fluffy ornaments around the edges. There was no need to explain where we were or what was about to happen.

...Yes, I was about to attend my second elementary school entrance ceremony in this life.

Although, I don't remember much from the first time. Almost nothing, really. I vaguely recall being guided by older students and lining up in the gymnasium. I wonder if that's a common experience across the country.

My mother led me across the schoolyard, stopping in front of the school building. There was an old-fashioned bulletin board with class rosters posted, surrounded by a crowd.

There were nervous-looking children, excited children, and some were already chatting animatedly with their friends.

Wait, did they already make friends?

No way! That's too fast!

No, it must be friends they made in kindergarten or nursery school. Otherwise, I'd be completely lost on what to do.

As I stood there, feeling a bit of despair at the sight, my mother patiently pulled me along through the thinning crowd until we reached the bulletin board.

Of course, I could have used "Silveit" for "enhanced vision" to see the roster from a distance, but that wouldn't have been fun.

After all, mechanically going through life's events was how I lived in my previous life. I've decided to leave that behind.

"What class are you in, Itsuki?"

"Hmm... Ah, there it is!"

Scanning the class list for Grade 1, Class 1 from the top, I quickly found my name. As expected, with a surname starting with "Ki," I was fifth on the list. No wonder it was easy to find.

After spotting my name, my mother and I stepped away from the board. She looked at me with concern.

"Itsuki, you'll have to go to the classroom by yourself from here. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine!"

Yes, from this point on, I had to go to the classroom alone.

Whoa, this is nerve-wracking!!

Even though I've faced death twice and actually died once, the thought of entering a new class still makes me nervous. But I'm excited too. This is the very beginning of the six years I'll spend in elementary school. It would be strange not to be nervous.

I'll do my best to have a great school life.

With that thought in mind, I entered the school building, heart pounding. As I searched for the shoe cubby for Class 1-1, my thoughts drifted back to the class roster I had just seen.

There were a lot of names in katakana... That wasn't because they were trendy "sparkly names." No, there were quite a few non-Japanese names on the list. Well, it's a global and diverse world these days.

I wonder what it was like in my previous life...

I think there were a few kids from abroad, or maybe there weren't. If there were, it was probably just one per grade. I'm sure there weren't two or three in a single class.

Reflecting on the changes in the world, I placed my shoes in the cubby and pulled out a pair of new indoor shoes. These will eventually turn completely black, and I'll have to wash them myself. That's going to be a hassle.

After putting on my shoes, I noticed a handmade sign pointing to the first graders' classrooms. It was clearly made by older students, with "First Graders This Way ⇒" written in big, bold letters. Very helpful.

Following the arrow up the stairs, I headed toward the classroom.

There were other kids who looked like first graders climbing the stairs too, but I wasn't confident enough in my communication skills to strike up a conversation. Seriously, how is it that I can't even talk to six-year-olds?

As I reached the classroom door, I took a deep breath.

I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and spoke to the girl next to me, who was facing away.

"...Hello."

"......"

But the girl remained silent.

Come on, say something...

But I couldn't stop here.

My goal for first grade is to make ten friends.

If I can't get along with the person sitting next to me, that goal will be hard to achieve!

"My name is Itsuki. What's yours?"

"...Nina."

Whoa! She answered!

Even though she still wasn't looking at me.

"Nice to meet you, Nina-chan."

"...Hmph."

After my greeting, she responded with what felt like a growl. Tough crowd. But then she stopped resting her chin on her hand and turned to face me.

"Itsuki, what do you want?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Your last name, tell me."

Her gaze, slightly more mature than I expected, pierced through me, and I answered since it wasn't something I needed to hide.

"My last name is Kisaragi. Itsuki Kisaragi."

The moment I said that, Nina jumped out of her seat with a loud bang.

She stood there, looking shocked.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like odd behavior, but in the chaos of the classroom, no one noticed. Nina then spoke in a barely audible voice, almost drowned out by the noise around her.

"R-Really...?"

Really, what? What is she talking about?

Could it be that she knows about me?

"Are you really the one who defeated the Sixth Rank Queen...? Itsuki Kisaragi?"

"You know about me? Then... um... Would you like to be friends?"

When I asked, Nina took a step back, as if she was a bit startled.

That hurt.

"Why are we in the same class?"

"Is it bad if we're in the same class?"

"Of course it is!"

Nina shouted, a mix of anger and confidence in her voice.

"I'm a Fourth Rank Bishop Exorcist! I came here to defeat you, Itsuki!"

.....Uh-huh.

Uh-huh...????