It felt different - the day. Weather notwithstanding, for once, (Y/n) felt like she was supposed to be able to breathe, but she couldn't. They had told her they would be away for a little less than half a year. The letter they had left wrote as much anyway, but there was no way she could believe that, regardless of her hopes. They might have been gone starting that morning, but it could have been another trap; just another excuse to discipline her. She fully expected them to show themselves before the end of the day. So, she had to behave.

No, she should have been satisfied with Narahashi finding her. At least, for the time being, she could play normal. It was easy enough to do that when the girl found her patron walking down the street. She struggled for a bit to find the right smile before running up and greeting the girl. Her name was Motoko, but most people knew her as the youngest daughter of a wealthy manufacturer. That must have made it easier for her to take on charity projects like the (h/c) haired girl.

Though, for (Y/n), her use was not in the money she had. On the contrary, as a person of interest, she was able to gather tons of information at school. So, she let her spiral into a little ramble of hers, talking about the newest gossip and rumors that crossed her path. All the while, the younger of the two listened, saying not a word and continuing to smile.

The previous day had been dry, but that day, apparently, was a special day. With the closure of their sister school, Jindei Private High School, there was a surplus of rare transfer students coming to Keisetsu. She listed out name after name of the new students, practically doing so in one breath. Of course, each one of them were either wealthy, famous, or both, but that was merely because of their school's prestige. That was the whole point of the school, after all.

As usual, the moment Motoko noticed Aria, her closest friend, she practically forgot all about the (h/c) haired girl. Maybe it was because she was quiet. (Y/n) chuckled somberly but figured it was for the best. Wandering behind them obediently, she fell into the same routine, entering their homeroom and sitting in her seat. While the two other girls talked cheerfully, she merely waited for time to pass, ignoring the stares that were directed at her.

When the bell rang, signalling the start of classes, their teacher began to go over their new trimester. She made reference to the list she handed out, noting all of the special events. Most were fancy parties and trips, but it wasn't like it was something the (h/c) haired girl could afford. Well, maybe Narahashi would pay for her. Or maybe the school would pity her a bit more.

"Most of you have already finished tests, but I'll have to speak to Shun. Does anyone know where he is?"

"No," the rest of the class scoffed, almost in unison.

"Right," the woman mumbled, clicking her tongue, "Well, anyone who has completed but failed their tests is able to take remedial classes through next week. I'll hand a slip to each of you to fill out at the student council's office," A pause. "For announcements today, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about new students coming in from Jindei after its...incident. I shouldn't have to tell you to treat these new students with care, but, this time, especially, we have two highly important students."

"Miss!" Motoko squealed, raising her hand excitedly while Aria playfully nudged her, "Is it true that a Trewin will be attending, starting today?!"

Everyone in class began sending one another looks of awe, murmuring to one another. (Y/n) narrowed her eyes. She probably wasn't the only one that thought such an important person's presence would be a pain. Still, as always, she kept a passive look on her face, a stark contrast to the uncontrollable excitement around her.

"That's right, but he'll be going by 'Hirasi'," Ms. Naoko sighed, rolling her eyes, "Thank his mother. In related news, there will be an increased security presence on school grounds during his attendance. The same is being done for Young Master Akahito. Please show them courtesy."

A knock at the door sounded, prompting the woman to jump just slightly. It wasn't anything new. Dealing with such privileged kids meant being subject to all kinds of harassment. The most startling thing (h/c) haired girl had seen was when some of the girls put firecrackers in the woman's desk. Everyone got soaked that day as the sprinklers got set off. Of course, there were no punishments. Either way, the door was opened to reveal two new students.

Like everyone else, they were freshmen, so they were around her age. One looked a bit older than the other. Though, that might have been because he appeared more self-confident, standing with a disciplined posture. His features were a bit unusual for an Athainian, the male possessing striking scarlet hair and a few freckles across the bridge of his nose. Still, he retained the typical mannerisms of an Athainian.

The other seemed more Athainian in terms of appearance, but, when it came to his posture, it seemed completely different. And while the redhead was confident, he seemed drawn in to himself. (Y/n) could not stop staring at his white hair, narrowing her eyes at it. It was such a displeasing color. He didn't deserve the color, she thought.

"These two also came from Jindei, so please welcome them into our homeroom. Would you two mind introducing yourselves?"

The white-haired boy flinched, fiddling with his uniform and shuffling behind the other male. He seemed to whisper something to him, his friend merely rolling his eyes playfully and nodding. Before he spoke, the teacher handed the redhead the smartboard's pen, allowing him to write his own name before doing the same for his friend. He then gave a hollow smile to the rest of the class, speaking in a calm and confident voice.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Shota Yasojiro, the young master of Yasojiro Technologies, as most of you will know. Thank you for allowing me to join this homeroom. I am eager to get to know you all," the male hummed before motioning to the white-haired boy behind him, "This is my friend, Takuya Miyahara, the young master of Kouseika. He's quite reserved, so please take care not to crowd him."

"Wonderful. Welcome to Keisetsu, you two. We don't have assigned seats here, so please feel free to take an empty one. In homeroom, we usually go over important announcements and take time to do work, but, since the new trimester just started, feel free to socialize."

The two became the most popular people in the room for a bit, if only because they were new. There was also the added element of them being particularly powerful individuals in the social sphere. At least, their families were. Nonetheless, the (h/c) haired girl didn't have time to speak to them. Almost immediately, she was bombarded herself, her less-achieved peers flocking to her and handing her their remedial class slips.

"Say, could you just fill mine out now, Shiratori?" one girl giggled nervously, "It's only for chem, really, and it's just such a pain to go to the student council room."

"Sure thing."

There was no shortage of work for the vice president, especially when the president himself chose to avoid his work. The rest of the class period, the girl started filling out the slips, pulling out her phone to find the schedule for them. It was a tricky process, angling the outdated thing enough to read the tiny numbers and letters on it. One of her classmates noticed, frowning as he nervously worked up the courage to speak.

"You know," the male paused, pointing to the phone, "Just - Wouldn't it make your life a lot easier if you had a computer?"

"Well, sure, but there's nothing I can do, you know? I can only use the ones in the council room."

"Yeah, but..."

"It's really fine, Anon," she smiled gently, watching the male's face light up bright red, "Would you like me to sign your remedial slip?"

The brown-haired male gave a startled gasp, flushing in embarrassment. He'd been trying to hide it but it was hard to hide anything from her. Shyly, he handed her the slip, his face going pale when she started reading it. Well, she would have been embarrassed, too, if she had failed three classes. Still, for his sake, she put on a reassuring smile, handing back the slip. When he still looked a bit mortified, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright. A lot of students struggle with these subjects. If you need help, why don't you study with me sometime?"

"What, you mean it?"

"Sure. I can't promise I'll be a good teacher or anything, but you know I'll try my best. Come see me in the student council room after school and we can set something up."

The bell rang once more, signalling the end of homeroom, but the brunette was easily touched by her words. His friends harassed him for it, wondering how he was able to get a meeting with the most sought-after girl in the school. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean popular, or socially accepted, but she was a breath of fresh air in a school filled with spoiled heirs and heiresses.

As (Y/n) made her way to the next class, she noticed that the new redhead was following her. He looked around, a bit confused, but, eventually, when she entered the mathematics room, he seemed more comfortable. The male tapped her on the shoulder, startling her a bit. When she jumped, he did the same, taking a few steps back. Curiously, she lifted a brow, prompting him to smile.

"I'm sorry. It's just...I didn't want you to hit me."

"Why would I do that?"

"You're (Y/n) Shiratori, aren't you?" A nod. "T-That's why. I'm sure you understand. I don't think I could handle a hit from you. I just wanted to ask if I could sit with you. It's always better to sit next to someone you're familiar with, right?"

The girl chuckled. Not many people knew her background. Most people that knew her just thought she had gotten in on academic merit or because of her connections. Still, it'd been a while since she had been allowed to participate in such things. Nonetheless, she was flattered he remembered her name, allowing him to take a seat next to her. Apparently, he was also in the same class, meaning he must have been in the advanced curriculum, too. And, judging from the way he kept up with the material, she was impressed.

This was a "part b" class, meaning they weren't necessarily starting the class. They were using information from the previous trimester to do the work, the class continuing until "part c". Still, despite the fact he was new to the school, he did quite well. There were only a few times he leaned over to ask her to decipher the teacher's methods. Along the way, they garnered a mutual respect, she supposed.

"Did Jindei have this same class?" she asked politely.

"Something similar. Though, there were a few kids that kept distracting our teacher. We must have gotten behind in the curriculum. I should be able to catch up soon, so there's no need to worry."

"That's a relief. I guess I won't have to babysit you."

"Of course not. But I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better. Ms. Naoko said Takuya and I should stick to you until we feel comfortable here."

"She always says that. But I'm afraid it's not my job."

"No?"

"No."

The girl gave a cordial smile before turning back to the board, focusing intensely. She had only spoken to him out of politeness, after all. There was no obligation to help him when she knew every new student had a tour of the school. Besides, the orientation committee was there for the express purpose of helping new students. Her work was more so towards organizing events and making the school look good.

Still, Shota was a bit shocked how suddenly she cut off their conversation. Though he didn't assume she was an extrovert, he figured she was generous enough to help others. After all, she had done that for the others in the homeroom, even offering a study session to one. He stared at her for a solid moment before turning back to the lesson. And, yet, it lingered in his head the entire class, forcing him to stop her when she started packing her things for her next class.

"I...realize it's not your job," he started, darting his eyes away, "but I could - "

"If you need something, I recommend Aria Tani. She's the one with green hair in our homeroom. Then, till we meet again, 'kay?"

Very hurriedly, the younger girl left, shoving everything in her bag before fleeing to her next class. Shota stood there for a while, befuddled at the distance she had chosen to put in between them. Noticing that, a group of his peers chuckled, choosing to clue him in on the elusive (h/c) haired girl. Of course, they didn't mention the most important part, but...well, if he was lucky, he wouldn't need to know.

"That's the elusive princess of Keisetsu. Careful you don't get too close or the knight'll teach you how things work around her."