(Ishida Shiki's POV)

Yawning, I swiped away a tear threatening to fall and let my mind drift away from the dreary math lesson going on. As much as I wanted to lay my head on the desk and sleep through the rest of the class, I couldn't as the math sensei seemed to have a hawk-like gaze that could catch any student not paying attention.

I did try and pay attention several times and I'm pretty sure I got the gist of the lesson but that's all. I just...don't really care.

However, my deskmate was the complete opposite.

I didn't really pay attention to who I was sitting next to until a few minutes ago when I heard vigorous writing. That's when I noticed my deskmate - a studious-looking girl with black hair, writing down lengthy notes in her notebook. She didn't seem to care about me and instead, kept her entire attention trained on math-sensei and the blackboard.

After peeking at her notebook, my lips twitched.

Damn. She has terrible handwriting.

Turning away, I let my chin rest on my palm and waited for this lesson to end.

It was now lunchtime.

After the bell went off, math-sensei dismissed us and left the classroom with her files and chalk. When she left the room, the class became noisy as everyone quickly formed their various friend groups and headed out for lunch.

Beside me, studious-san put away her notebook and pencil case before grabbing a small purse from her bag. She looked around the class with a bit of apprehension before letting out a sigh and walking out by herself. It appears she doesn't have any friends here like me.

For lunch, I brought a bento from home.

As someone who's already experienced the 'living alone' life, I picked up cooking as a necessity, not as an interest. However, it became a habit to make my own meals instead of buying them from the canteen.

My bento today featured rice (of course), beef bulgogi, kimchi, and pickled cucumbers. It was actually left over from my dinner last night.

"Itadakimasu~"

As I ate, I ignored the noise around me, completely immersing myself in my delicious meal.

But then I heard the chair next to me being pulled and I realized my deskmate had returned...with a single melon bread and a carton of milk.

Was that all she was going to eat? That's not very much.

That's when I noticed her school bag which seemed very old and with various patches. Her shoes also looked worn out and outdated.

I had a hunch.

After a momentary contemplation, I said, "Is that all you're going to eat?"

Studious-san blinked, a little taken aback by the question. Her face instantly went cold as she replied, "Yes. So what?"

"Ah, I don't mean anything bad by it. I was just wondering if you wanted some of my lunch since yours doesn't look like a lot," I said unfazed by her guarded expression. "I've got a free pair of chopsticks-"

"No thank you," she cut me off without hesitation.

"...Alright then," it seems she doesn't trust me enough to share a meal. Understandable.

Shrugging, I continued eating my bento and stayed silent. If she was that guarded against me over a meal, something must've happened to her in the past. Though a little curious, it wasn't enough for me to start urging her to open up to me.

Hell, I'm a student, not a counselor.

And besides, we've just met each other and our only relationship is that of deskmates. I did feel bad for her but I wasn't going to push it.

Thus, lunch was eaten in silence.

"Okay, everyone. Welcome to your first P.E. class of the year. Today, we're going to be doing some stretches and then you'll separate into groups for a round of volleyball."

Standing at the center of the school gymnasium was a tall, muscular, man wearing a pair of sunglasses. Why was he wearing sunglasses indoors?

Everyone around me, including myself, was dressed in our P.E. uniform which consisted of a white t-shirt and blue shorts.

Hearing that we were going to play volleyball today, several classmates of mine began cheering.

The P.E. sensei led us through a round of stretches ensuring that our joints were flexible enough before dividing us into groups.

The males and females were separated and four nets were put up.

Within my group, there was a total of six boys including myself.

"So, do you guys all know how to play?" one classmate of mine asked. "If not, I can tell you the rules."

The rest of us murmured various things but the general response indicated we were familiar with the game.

Then the classmate smiled, "Then let's plan our strategy of attack!"

Oh, so he's 'that' kind of classmate. The athletic, charming, hype-master. I wouldn't mind it if he was our captain.

As I observed the expressions of the rest of our team, I suddenly lost hope in winning any match. Three of them were fidgeting nervously while the other two were staring coldly as if the thought of teamwork was disgusting.

"My name is Shinji Jun! But you guys can call me Jun," the enthusiastic classmate said. "What are your names? We should get familiar with each other since we are teammates and classmates."

Despite all of us saying our names earlier this morning, no one really remembered who everyone was so another round of introductions was needed.

"Kagami H-Haru," one of them said with a slight stutter.

"Sawamura Souma," another one of the nervous three said.

"Yamashita Matsuo," the smallest of the three introduced.

Then the attention turned to the two members wearing cold expressions. One of them snorted before saying, "I'm Nakata Sho."

"Iida Haruichi."

And finally, it was my turn. As all eyes turned to me, I shifted uncomfortably and said, "Ishida Shiki."

"Nice to meet you all!" Shinji grinned. "Now that the introductions are over with, shall we get started on our strategy?"

It was silent.

"I'll take that as a yes," he continued unfazed by the lack of response. Respect to that positivity. "What positions do you guys want? I'm a middle blocker by the way."

"I'll be setter," Iida Haruichi stated. He glared at the rest of us, daring us to deny him the position.

Reminds me of a certain genius setter from a certain anime.

"And the others?" Shinji looked at the rest of us. Seeing the lack of response, I felt a bit bad and finally spoke up, "Um, I can be the libero. I can't jump high but I can receive."

"Kukuku! Alright! We've got a middle blocker, a setter, and a libero! The rest of you can divide the positions amongst yourselves."

However, looking at the four members left, it seemed unlikely they would arrive at a decision by the time it was our turn.