An Ordinary Classroom
Soma Kamiya
Handsome and refreshing
Cheerful and energetic
I can communicate normally with both the boys and girls in my class.
I often talk with Noa.
So far, I've only exchanged greetings with Rin.
I'm not particularly interested in romance.
Ren Kiryu
I'm close with Soma. We're practically childhood friends.
He's quieter and calmer than Soma.
Slightly long black hair.
Good at sports and fairly good academically.
Very popular with girls.
I almost never talk with Rin.
Tuesday
Morning.
As usual, several students were already in the classroom by the time I arrived.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Asakura-san."
"Morning."
I gave a slight bow and headed to my seat.
I placed my bag on the chair and sat down.
"..."
I looked out the window.
The morning air was still slightly chilly.
Resting my chin on my hand, I gazed blankly at the school grounds.
"Good morning, Rin!"
"Oh, good morning, Noa."
Someone called out to me from behind.
When I turned around, Noa was standing there with a smile on her face.
"Isn't it a little early for you today?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, you don't usually get here before me."
"I just happened to wake up a little earlier."
"Ah, I see."
Noa stood beside my desk.
"What did you do yesterday?"
"Nothing special. Just went about my usual day."
"Another secret?"
"It's not a secret."
"Then what were you doing?"
"...Playing games."
"That's normal."
"So it's normal."
Noa smiled.
"Rin, sometimes you hide things in such a strange way, you know?"
"Really?"
"Definitely."
After that, Noa headed back to her seat.
I watched her back as she walked away.
Noa really could get along with anyone.
I'd only been in the classroom for a few minutes, yet she'd already talked to several of our classmates.
"Good morning, Noa!"
"Good morning!"
"Did you finish yesterday's homework?"
"Yay, yay!"
"Let me see it!"
"Do it yourself!"
"Please!"
"Well, I guess it can't be helped."
Laughter echoed throughout the classroom.
I watched the scene unfold and smiled faintly.
—She really was the complete opposite of me.
I was basically always alone.
It wasn't as though I felt lonely or anything.
I'd been the same way in my previous life.
I rarely approached anyone of my own accord.
But now, Noa naturally came over and talked to me.
That was enough.
"Hey, Kamiya."
"Yeah?"
At the back of the classroom, several boys had gathered together, chatting.
"About Asakura-san..."
"Asakura?"
"The girl by the window."
"Oh, yeah."
"Isn't she cute?"
"Ah... I get what you mean."
Soma Kamiya casually glanced toward Rin.
"She really is cute."
"Right?"
"But isn't she kind of hard to approach?"
"I get it. I think that's pretty cool, though."
Ren Kiryu, standing beside Soma, also glanced toward Rin.
"...Definitely."
"Have we ever actually talked to her before?"
"Not really."
"Me neither."
Soma smiled.
"But apparently, she's pretty popular with the girls, too."
"Really?"
"I heard it earlier."
"Ah, I see."
Ren looked at Rin once again.
At that moment, Rin was talking with Noa.
Noa said something.
Rin gave a faint smile.
"...She's really cute when she smiles."
"Right?"
Soma grinned.
"You seem a little interested."
"No, not really."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Hmm."
The two of them didn't dwell on it any further and moved on to another topic.
For the time being,
Rin was completely unaware of their conversation.
First Period
Mathematics.
"Now, let's take a look at this problem... Asakura."
"Yes."
The teacher called on me.
I stood up and looked at the board.
I checked the problem.
"...The answer is x = 4."
"Correct."
I sat back down.
"Impressive."
A faint voice came from somewhere behind me.
I didn't bother turning around.
—I didn't dislike studying.
My grades in my previous life hadn't been bad either.
However, it wasn't something I was particularly good at.
I felt the same way now.
I followed the lesson as usual and solved the problems as usual.
It was fine.
Second Period
Japanese.
The teacher was writing on the blackboard.
I took notes.
"..."
The classroom was quiet.
Then I heard a faint sound from the desk beside me.
Noa had dropped her eraser.
"Ah..."
She tried to reach for it.
I looked down at my feet.
Her eraser had rolled underneath my desk.
I picked it up.
"Here."
"Oh, thank you."
"You're welcome."
"..."
"......?"
Noa stared at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
With a faint smile, she said,
"Rin, you're actually really kind, aren't you?"
"Isn't this normal?"
"Things like this."
"......?"
I still didn't understand what she meant.
Third Period
Physical Education.
Since the class was divided by gender, the girls went to the gymnasium together.
"We're playing volleyball today."
Noa sounded excited.
"Are you good at volleyball?"
"More or less."
"Rin seems like she'd be good at sports."
"That's not true."
"I bet you'd be good at it."
"Don't get your hopes up."
The PE lesson began.
First came the warm-up exercises.
Then we moved on to some light drills.
"Asakura!"
"Yes!"
A ball came flying toward me.
I instinctively reached out.
It returned perfectly.
"Nice!"
"Thanks."
Noa smiled.
"You're really good!"
"It was just luck."
"That's obviously a lie."
"It really was just luck."
"Sure."
The PE class passed by with conversations like that.
It was fun.
In my previous life, I never would have imagined casually taking part in PE with girls.
But now...
It had become completely normal.
Lunch Break
The classroom suddenly became noisy.
"Rin, let's have lunch together."
"Okay."
Noa came over to my desk.
The two of us opened our lunch boxes.
"That omelet looks delicious."
"Want some?"
"Is that okay?"
"Sure."
"I did it!"
Noa smiled happily.
A few boys were watching the scene from not too far away.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Asakura and Mizuno seem pretty close."
"They seem to get along well."
"They're both pretty cute, aren't they?"
"I see what you mean."
"But they're completely different types, aren't they?"
"Asakura-san is the cool type."
"Mizuno is the cheerful type."
Kamiya looked at the two of them.
"Definitely."
Kiryu nodded in agreement.
"Mizuno will talk to anyone."
"What about Asakura-san?"
"...She spends a lot of time by herself, doesn't she?"
"But she talks normally with Mizuno."
"Oh, really?"
Kamiya laughed.
"I kind of want to be friends with her."
"Any girl would say that."
"That's rude."
The two of them laughed.
Still,
I'd hardly ever spoken to Rin.
We were just classmates.
That was all.
Afternoon
Fifth period.
I was looking out the window.
I was sleepy.
"..."
I yawned quietly.
The teacher was writing on the blackboard.
I took notes.
Just another ordinary day.
But then,
I suddenly remembered my smartphone.
The Onimiya Kishin account.
Yesterday's post.
A few people had left comments.
The stream would be on Saturday.
"...I'm looking forward to it."
I whispered it under my breath.
"Rin?"
"......Yeah?"
Noa looked over at me.
"Did you say something?"
"No, nothing."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
I was looking forward to it.
—Saturday.
I would be streaming as the Demon God again.
There were only seven registered users so far.
But...
Maybe there would be a few more next time.
With that small hope in my heart,
the afternoon classes continued.
After School
"Rin, let's go home."
"Okay."
I left the classroom with Noa.
"We have to start a little earlier tomorrow, right?"
"I agree."
"We have PE tomorrow, too."
"...I forgot."
"Again?"
"I need to make sure I bring my gym clothes home properly."
"Rin, you're surprisingly forgetful about things like that."
"......Huh?"
"Yep."
Noa smiled.
I laughed as well.
We walked down the hallway.
The school building was bathed in the evening light.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows.
A perfectly ordinary high school life.
Little by little,
I was starting to like this time of my life.
—And yet.
Behind the scenes of those ordinary days,
a new notification had arrived on the Onimiya Kishin account.
"I'm really looking forward to Saturday's stream!"
Still,
it was only one comment.
Just one.
But...
The story of Onigyu Onigami...
was slowly beginning to move.
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