The morning homeroom class was essentially an entire class period.  After introductions, Hayakawa-sensei went right into letting us know what to expect, and that she was also our Math Teacher.  Japanese Language, Contemporary Society, and Science were part of our mandatory curriculum before lunch, and we had other teachers for those classes.  My other assigned classes which were essentially electives included Art-Literature, P.E./Home Economics, and English.

I was actually quite happy with the selection.

Sitting next to Chiya-chan was fun, and the day taught me something quite interesting.  Schools in the big city were far more orderly and structured than the all-ages pre-high that I went to back home.  There we often joked around, even with the teachers.  I didn’t get that feel that it was alright to do that here, and found that the students were all rather focused on the classes. 

It threw me off a little.  I’m by no means dumb, but well, I’m not a scholar either.  It’s not like I had plans to enter some great college or anything.  For me I figured High School was just the end of the road for my youth.  So, I wanted to make plenty of good memories here.   As for what I wanted to do in life afterwards… I had nothing specifically planned.

Maybe I’d find something I wish to pursue eventually, but until then, my main priority was making as many friends as I could and trying new things!

Japanese class was easy enough, but Contemporary Society threw me for a loop at times.  Science was… boring.  There wasn’t a whole lot that I found interesting about it.  If it was something more specific, like animal biology or horticulture, I’d probably have paid more attention.  I know in Tono City, those are some of the more fun classes actually, since there are quite a lot of farms and ranches out there.  

The lunch bell eventually rang, and that’s when I was faced with my first conundrum.

“…are you going somewhere?”  Chiya-chan asked me.

“Ah, do you remember that gyaru from the entrance ceremony?”

“The one you gave that pink handkerchief to?”

“Un.  She asked me to come to the Sakura tree by the auditorium for lunch.  So…”

“…oh, I see…”  Chiya-chan didn’t show it on her face, but there was enough obvious disappointment in her voice to make me feel bad for my obligation.

“You can come with me if you want?”

Chiya-chan just shook her head.

“No, I’ll be fine.  I hope we’ll see each other later.”

“Me too!”

I waved bye to her as I left, wanting to drag her along with me, but I could tell she was just too timid right now.  Meeting someone as extroverted as Mai would probably be tough on her.  I would work on helping her overcome that if I could.  But for now, I really wanted to see Mai, if only to ask what all that business was with the whole Soeur Ainée stuff she had me go through.

I passed through the hallways a bit quicker than I should have perhaps done.  When I turned a corner, I found myself colliding with another student.  We both ended up on the floor, relatively uninjured.

I got up quickly and saw I had knocked a number of things out of her hands.  I set about picking them up quickly so I could hand them back to her.  She was wearing the ribbon of a second year student.

“I’m sorry!  Are you alright, Senpai?”  I asked, as she still remained on the floor, though sitting upright.

“Why don’t you look where you’re going!?  There’s no running in the hallways!”  She yelled at me.

I might have deserved it, but still...  I did apologize and tried to help afterwards.  It was an accident.

I stared down at her, only then recognizing her as one of the people who had been talking at the podium during the entrance ceremony.  Ugh, this might be bad.

“Would you like a hand up?”  I offered an outstretched hand, but she slapped it away, getting up on her own.  Instead she all but snatched the papers I had picked up off the ground and held in my other hand.

“Be careful in the future, first year!”  She spat angrily at me before storming off.

I sighed.  Well, that’s one person I might not make friends with…

I continued on, a bit more cautiously until I reached the tree, where Mai alone was.

“You made it, Firecracker!”

She seemed genuinely happy to see me.  I was happy to be invited, so hopefully those feelings were mutual.

“Is it just us?” I asked.

“Just for a moment.  The girls went to get us some grub, so they’ll be here in a little bit.”

“Oh, okay…”

There was a large blanket spread out underneath the tree.

“Grab a seat.” Mai said to me, so I sat down on the blanket and she sat right next to me.

“So, how’d your first day go so far?”

“Hmm… so far so good, I guess?  Had to do self-introductions and realized classes are boring.” I answered honestly.

“Hahaha, yeah!  Well, it’s only for a few years, then you can finally do whatever you want.  Still, I’m excited this year, because now I have my own Cadette!”

“Mai… what exactly was all of that Soeur stuff, anyway?  Was that why you gave me the handkerchief?”

“You’ve got an empty head, Firecracker, so I figured it’d be good if you had someone watching out for you.”

“I appreciate it, but that doesn’t quite answer my question.”

“Hmm.  It’s not like there’s a deeper meaning behind what I did.  I just wanted a Cadette, and you seem like an interesting person, so I just made it easier for us to get to know each other this way.”

“Oh…”

“Do you think I’m a bother or something?”

“No, not at all.  I just don’t know anything of the school’s history or traditions, so I was going in blind.  I’d love to hang out with you and your friends.”

“That’s the spirit!” She said, patting me on the back. “So, any cuties in your class?”

“Eh?” I was surprised at the sudden question.

“Cuties?”

“Yeah, any real beautiful girls?  What kind do you like?”

“Uh…?”

“Am I wrong?  I don’t think I’m wrong though.”

“I wasn’t really looking at anyone like that, though…” I replied.  I hadn’t been paying any special attention to anyone other than Chiya-chan, and that was just so she wouldn’t feel nervous or alone in class.

“Well, it still is only your first day in high school.  Maybe it’s not a priority for you yet.” Mai answered and turned to lie down on the blanket.

“Then, what about Mai?”

“Oh, still pretty much the same folks in my class, so not much variety.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a nice Kouhai to take advantage of.” She suggestively stated.

“Should you be saying things like that so openly?”

“Haha~ probably not, but what else can I say?  In case you haven’t noticed, I stand out quite a bit, and it’s not likely I’ll find someone who’s willing to stay the course with me for a long time, so I just have to enjoy the short thrills whenever I can.”

I nodded.  Mai’s appearance was pretty extreme when it came to how she dressed in violation of the established school dress code.  I sat with her and we just talked about nothing for a little while.  Eventually Non-chan, Kayacchi, and Suzuha arrived carrying bags full of food.

“Right on time!”  Mai said as she sat up and collected a couple of neatly wrapped buns and can of tea.  She tossed a bun into my lap.  “Dig in, Cadette!”

I was hesitant for a moment, but when all the girls sat down and began to eat, I decided to join them as well.  My bun had noodles in a teriyaki glaze in them, and tasted pretty good.

Non-chan was sitting down and Mai was resting her head in the lap of the girl with the red hair.  Meanwhile Suzuha was resting against with her back against the Sakura tree and had Kayacchi sitting in between her legs and laying against her.

I felt like an odd duck.

But I wasn’t disappointed.  It’s nice to see how friendly they all were with each other.

“It sucks that we’re not in the same class this year.”  Kayacchi complained. “At least Suzu and I are in the same class, so it’s tolerable.”

“I know what you mean.  I got lucky having Non-chan with me, or I’d be crying.”

“Liar.  If Non-chan wasn’t keeping an eye on you, we’d have to deal with too much fallout.” Kayacchi said before taking another large bite of her own bun. “Hey, Kouhai.  If she gets too frisky with you, don’t be afraid to shut her down.”

“Eh? Frisky?”

“Yeah, she’s a huge pervert.  I can only imagine what she has planned for you.”

“Shut up, Kayacchi!  I’m her Soeur Ainée!  Our relationship will be a pure and sisterly one!”

“That’s a load of bull!”  Non-chan said, joining in the conversation.  “I’ve seen the kind of novels you read!  What was the title of that one… 「Imouto Control.」 where a cute an innocent younger step sibling is slowly corrupted by her new older and more experienced sister until…”

“I told you, I bought that book by accident!”

“Mmhmm, so then what about 「One Kiss a Day Until She’s Mine!」 where the gyaru character blackmails her ex’s new girlfriend…”

“Stop listing the damn ero novels!  What about the pure stuff?  I have pure stuff too!  What about the 「Yuri  Cases」!?  That one is completely tame!”

“If I recall, you kept complaining that there wasn’t any good smutty scenes in it.”

“Stop bullying me!”

“Says the bully.”

“Firecracker, save me!  I’m not a degenerate, I swear!”

“…”  I wanted to believe her, but she had said just a few minutes ago that she was looking for a Kouhai to take advantage of…

“I… uh… believe you?”

“That’s not convincing at all when you say it like it’s a question!!!”

Lunch went like this until it was nearly over.  Suzuha wasn’t much for speaking, but it didn’t go unnoticed that she had her arms wrapped around the waist of Kayacchi.  Mai spent the entire time resting on Non-chan, and I was treated to a wonderful view for my entire lunch.

Mai eventually invited me to a Line group which consisted of everyone here, and also opened a private chat with me.

〈GalGoddess〉 Don’t listen to those dumbasses, okay?  I’m really here for you!  Anything you need help with or wanna talk about, just say it.  You don’t need to hold back with me!  I’m your Ainée, so if it’s advice, especially about love, you can count on me!

〈Hanabikimasu〉 I’ll keep that in mind.  Thanks, Mai!

With lunch over, it was back to class.  I was added into everyone’s contacts on Line along the way, and when I got to class, it was to a very welcome sight!

“Hello students.  I’m your English teacher, Ogata-sensei.”

Yes!  Yeeeeeesssssss!!  I had Saiyuri as my English teacher!  I also had Chiya-chan with me still, so it was perfect!   Well, it was perfect.  Until I remembered how terrible I was at English!

It’s not all bad though, I have Saiyuri to help me with it at home, so I should have an advantage.  I still don’t know what I’d ever use English for?  Maybe there are some good western romances I could read if I become capable enough?

Do Westerners even know about good Yuri though?

It was food for thought, and I was munching on it because whatever noise Saiyuri was trying to feed me with her lesson, it wasn’t all that appetizing.  From what she had said earlier, I thought for sure I’d end up with a different teacher…

Chiya-chan was diligent with her notes, and seemed to have a decent grasp of the lesson.  Perhaps I could invite her over sometime later on for a study session?

Class ended without incident and the last class was Art-Literature.  I didn’t have Chiya-chan with me here though, so I was alone in class.  Rather than any lessons, it was mainly the teacher asking some of us about what kind of literature we liked, who our favorite authors were, and stuff like that.

I was a bit hesitant to commit to any singular author.  I’ve read so many great books, so I kept it vague saying I liked books on romance, and how I’ve recently come to enjoy reading ongoing webnovels that never seemed to end.  

“Literature is nice, and one way to truly appreciate what goes into it, is to write a story of your own.  So your assignment is to write a short story in your favorite genre, try to keep it below four thousand words.  It’s a homework assignment and will be in due in two weeks, so make time for it!  Don’t worry if it’s not perfect or if it needs plenty of editing.  This is just an assignment to build an appreciation for what goes into the writing process for a writer that you might not have a clue about as a reader.  You’d be surprised how much effort is needed for just five minutes of reading!”

I wasn’t too thrilled at the assignment, remembering my own failed attempt once at writing then the terrible cringe I felt afterwards.

It was back to homeroom for the wrap up, and after saying goodbye to Chiya-chan, school let out.  It was 3PM, and I had a whole lot of nothing to do.  I mean, I had homework, but who wanted to do that?

So, I made my way to the faculty office after asking Hayakawa-sensei where it was.  It seems Hayakawa-sensei had talked with Saiyuri… that is, Ogata-sensei, and understood the situation with me living with her, so she took the time to escort me there.

I killed time by chatting with my friend, JadeBunny as I sat next to her at her desk.

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Hiya, Jade!  How’d school go for you?

〈JadeBunny〉 Ugh, I had a grueling first day…

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Oh?  Tell me!

〈JadeBunny〉 I’m part of the student council at my school, and there’s just so much paperwork.  Even on the first day!  The entrance ceremony was spoiled by a pair of idiots, and then some stupid girl caused me problems in the afternoon.  I’m stuck reorganizing some documents and it’s eating into my time to write!!

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Oh no!  So there’s a delay on DekaChi?

〈JadeBunny〉 As if!  I just have to figure out my schedule and plan for crap like this in the future.  The next chapter is definitely coming!  So, what about you?

〈Hanabikimasu〉 I had a great day!  I made five friends!

〈JadeBunny〉 Congratulations!

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Thank you!  I might need your help a bit later though if you can find some time.  I have an assignment right away in Arts-Literature, and have to write a short story in my preferred genre.  I was hoping for some tips…

〈JadeBunny〉 Tips in writing… from me?

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Yeah, DekaChi is fun to read, so I wanna write something fluffy like that!

〈JadeBunny〉 I don’t know what to tell you except just write what you want to write?  The process is different for everyone…

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Eh?  What do you mean?

〈JadeBunny〉 Well, I mean… have you ever read some stories where the romance seems completely unbelievable?

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Sure.  Quite a few, actually…

〈JadeBunny〉 Two things are definitely required when writing romance…  Experience and Passion.

〈Hanabikimasu〉 ?

〈JadeBunny〉 Experience is exactly what it sounds like.  You need to know the subject matter intimately.  Passion is your desire to want to share that with others.  I mean you can write it for yourself, and in fact you should, but… there’s a certain boost I get knowing I’m writing it for others’ enjoyment.

〈Hanabikimasu〉 I see…  But Jade, I don’t exactly have experience in romance.

〈JadeBunny〉 I don’t have much either, you know!

〈Hanabikimasu〉 …so what should I do?

〈JadeBunny〉 I’d say find someone who can help you.

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Help me?

〈JadeBunny〉 Yeah.  When’s your project due?

〈Hanabikimasu〉 In two weeks.

〈JadeBunny〉 Hmm, well, exactly how deep a of romance are you planning on writing?  It’s a short story, right?

〈Hanabikimasu〉 I don’t know!  I mean, I could keep it cute, but if it came to something like a kiss…

〈JadeBunny〉 I’m sure you’ll figure it out.  Worst case, you can just copy the good parts from novels you’ve already read, but the best stories are original and come from inside.

〈Hanabikimasu〉 Alright.  Thanks for your advice!

〈JadeBunny〉 Anytime!  Sorry I can’t be more helpful than that.

〈Hanabikimasu〉U~n, you were plenty helpful!  I’ll talk to you later, okay?

〈JadeBunny〉 Bye bye~

A few minutes later, a girl walked into the faculty office and it was the same one I had crashed into during lunch.  She noticed me right away and gave me a large scowl.

She came to deliver a handful of papers to one of the second year teachers, and I didn’t particularly care for her, but I didn’t want to leave a bad feeling between us so I got up and walked over to her.

“Ano… I’m really sorry about earlier.  Did I cause you a lot of trouble or injury because of that?”

“…” She sighed.  “No.  But don’t run in the hallways in the future, okay?”

“I promise!”  I replied cheerfully.

“First year, huh?  Narita-san’s Cadette?”

“Yes.  Do you know Mai?”

“She’s an obnoxious troublemaker, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that you somehow are her Cadette, though I wonder what on Earth they were thinking letting someone like her be a Soeur Ainée.”

“Mai is pretty nice though?”

“How long have you known her?”

“Umm… we met a few days ago, so…”

Her hand came up and rubbed her temples.

“Why am I not surprised…  Just don’t let her bad influence spread to you too much.  She’s a repeating offender, and a notorious delinquent.  Honestly, how she hasn’t been expelled yet is beyond me.  Just follow the rules, and behave yourself.  That’s the secret to a good school life, and how to be a proper lady.”

“…”  I didn’t know what to say, nor was I exactly hung up on the idea of being a proper lady.  While I didn’t plan on causing trouble, the idea of being the kind of person who just keeps my head down is not one I relish.

“Then, if that is all…” She turned and left the faculty room.

I’m not sure exactly how much that may have repaired the damage of our first encounter, but I also got the feeling that it wouldn’t be the last time we would meet.

Eventually Saiyuri was freed from her duties as a teacher, and we walked together to the coupe.  Hopping in, we drove home in a few minutes, and the moment we got inside, she went straight for the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, cracking it open with a loud hiss, she guzzled it then let out a very unwomanly sound.

“Puhaaaa!  That really hits the spot!!”

“Sacchan?”

“So, how was your first day of school, Hanapi?” She asked, a look of relaxation returning to her face now that she was home.

“It was alright.  Way different than anything I was used to.”

“Is it really so different in Tono?”

“Yeah.  At least, in my old school.  I don’t know if the high school in Tono City would be similar to this though…”

“You’ll get used to it in no time.  So your tall friend is in your class, huh?”

“Yeah, we’re in most classes except for Art-Literature.”

“Well, that’s nice.  What did she take for her elective?”

“She said it was Art-Drawing.  She wants to draw manga.”

“Oh, that’s nice.  The pay is terrible for a Mangaka, but if she enjoys that kind of thing, then that’s all that matters, really.”

The working conditions for most Manga artists is terrible, and their pay is just as bad.  It can be said to be the same for writers as well.  There’s always fierce competition to be recognized as someone who makes something that absolutely has to be read, and even when making it big, it’s not like you suddenly become a millionaire.

Saiyuri explained it all to me.

“Can’t be worse than being a farmer…” I replied.

Saiyuri took another nice long sip of her beer.

“…poor Kaede.  Having to be a poor farmer’s wife when she could have been a rich model…”

“I don’t think mom really cared what she became.  She seemed happy enough.”

“I guess…  So, Kiddo, understand my lesson okay?”

I shook my head.  “Not a single word!”

Her face paled.

“Not a single word?”

“Nope.”

“…how much English were you taught?”

“We had a workbook we did once.  So, I know my letters and numbers at least.”

“…seriously?”

I nodded my head. “Seriously.”

“Ugh.  Okay… let me rest for a little bit, and I’ll make up a very basic test for you.  Don’t worry about it too much, it’ll just help me figure out where to begin with helping you.”

“Thanks, Sacchan!”

I spent a couple hours doing homework before I gave up, and didn’t write a single word for my Art-Literature assignment.  I made us dinner, and we ate a little bit while watching television.

Afterwards, Saiyuri presented the test and I did my best, but I’m pretty sure I got over half of the questions wrong.  She was just shaking her head as she read my answers and then placed the paper on the table in front of her.

“That bad?” I dared to ask.

“It’s bad, but not impossible.  I’ll just need to make some supplementary notes for you, and we’ll need to get you some less advanced workbooks.  Just pay attention to what you can in class, okay?”

“Alright!”

“Good, now, tell me all about how you got Narita-san to be your Soeur Ainée!”

I explained what happened in the morning, and at lunchtime to Saiyuri.  I also mentioned what happened with the girl I crashed into.

“So, it went like that…  I can’t argue that Narita-san is a bit of a troublemaker.  But she’s hardly someone who should be expelled just for expressing herself a little.  I’m perfectly fine with it, but don’t go overboard either, okay?”

“I wasn’t planning to.  Don’t worry, Sacchan.”

“So, what’s your schedule looking like tomorrow?”

“Pretty much the same, but I have PE at the end of the day.”

We relaxed together on the couch until it got late.  I finished washing the dishes and went to bed.  Tomorrow would be another fun day, and I had another five friends to make.

Checking my phone one last time, I sent a message to Chiya-chan and to Mai saying good-night.  Then I fell comfortably, and soundly asleep.