Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
Built atop an artificial island fully funded by the government, this elite institution was shrouded in mystery and prestige.
Currently, in Class 1-D…
The freshmen were in the middle of their self-introductions.
Joining a new class, introducing yourself, getting to know each other—these things matter.
"Sorry to interrupt, everyone. I'm Yosuke Hirata. I hope we can all take a turn introducing ourselves. Let's get to know one another and become good friends."
Like that.
Or like this:
"Hi! I'm Kikyo Kushida. My goal is to be friends with every single person here! I want to make lots of great memories, so please feel free to come talk to me anytime."
And soon, it would be his turn.
Right now…
By the window, a boy with short black hair sat in silence.
If one had to describe his appearance—he was decently handsome in an unremarkable sort of way.
The lifeless look in his eyes—a dead-fish stare—dampened the appeal somewhat, but overall, he was the kind of person you could get used to looking at.
…
His name was Hikigaya Hachiman.
He had originally been enrolled at Sōbu High in Chiba. But on the very first day of school, he'd been hit by a car while trying to save a small dog that had run into the road.
Three weeks of bedrest followed.
For a first-year student, that was practically a death sentence. Social circles in high school formed in the blink of an eye. Sometimes within a week—no, even two or three days.
It was easy to imagine what awaited him when he returned: another lonely, isolated high school life.
But fate threw him a curveball.
A certain teacher—Shizuka Hiratsuka, head of student life guidance—offered him an unexpected path.
She recommended him for transfer to Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
The reason? Apparently, a spot had opened up after an issue with one of the new students.
As an alumna of that very institution, Hiratsuka-sensei thought of him.
And gave him her personal recommendation.
Too kind. Unfairly kind, really.
And this school… it offered astonishing perks.
It boasted a 100% college acceptance and employment rate.
More importantly: no tuition, and no need to bring living expenses.
You heard right. Tuition-free. No need to pay for your own room and board.
It sounded like a dream. Unreal.
Which, naturally, made it all the more suspicious.
Even so, despite how shady it seemed, his parents signed the agreement without much resistance.
Sometimes, he felt like he must've been adopted.
But then again…
His little sister Komachi was only in her second year of junior high. In two years, she'd be taking high school entrance exams.
And if she didn't get into a public school, the tuition would be a burden.
That's why, if he could at least eliminate the cost of his own high school education, it would ease things for their parents.
That thought comforted him.
Plus…
It wasn't a bad deal for him, either.
He was joining the Advanced Nurturing High School just as the school year began.
That meant—just maybe—he had a real shot at fitting in this time. Getting in early. Finding a circle.
Being alone wasn't inherently a bad thing. But in a group-oriented environment, it could become exhausting.
He had too many memories of gym class spent scrambling to form teams—playing doubles in tennis or baseball entirely by himself.
So…
If there was a chance, even a small one, he figured it might be worth it to seize it.
His sister had told him, too: If you get the chance, try to change. That twisted personality of yours could use it.
In other words, she was asking him to really try to make a friend.
And now…
Komachi—watch closely.
Making friends isn't that hard after all.
This was his chance.
With that in mind…
Hachiman had already drafted an incredibly intense, over-the-top self-introduction.
Something like:
"Pandering to others, faking smiles, staying in touch just to blend in—none of that is true friendship. That's not what it means to be a friend."
"The kind of person who bikes across town at 2 AM just because you called for help—that is a real friend. No questions asked."
"So, if anyone here shares that mindset—let's be friends."
And yet…
Nope. That's definitely not gonna fly.
Could friends like that even exist in real life?
Just as he was thinking that—
"Suzune Horikita."
The girl sitting behind him, a stunningly beautiful classmate, stood up and gave her introduction—if you could call it that. It was just her name. Nothing else.
Hachiman had been trying very hard not to notice her until now.
But there was no denying it.
This class was weird.
While most of the boys looked… let's be charitable and say "average," aside from one decently handsome guy named Yosuke Hirata, the rest could charitably be called "rough drafts."
The girls, however…
Were overwhelmingly attractive.
After the entrance ceremony in the gym, all forty students—twenty boys, twenty girls—had filed into the classroom.
And of those twenty girls, ten were strikingly beautiful.
Names like Suzune Horikita, Kikyo Kushida, Maya Satō, Megumi Karuizawa, Meiyu Wang, Chiaki Matsushita, and Haruka Hasebe—any of them could've easily been the "class beauty" in a typical school.
But here they were, all gathered in a single class.
Paired with the school's suspiciously perfect 100% college and job placement rates…
Something about all this felt… off.
And now, it was his turn.
"Next up—"
Hachiman held his breath.
And then—
He began.
"I'm Hikigaya Hachiman… from Chiba. My interests are…"
"What's going on here?"
A calm, commanding voice cut through the classroom.
Everyone turned.
Standing at the door was a tall woman with a sleek black ponytail.
Her figure was statuesque.
She wore a tailored black suit, with a crisp white shirt beneath—black and white in sharp contrast, radiating a dignified elegance.
Black stockings. Garter belt. High heels that echoed across the floor with a rhythmic clack, clack, clack.
Her voice was low but surprisingly resonant. Magnetic.
If a stereotypical otaku were here, they'd probably beg to be stepped on by her heels.
But Hachiman?
He figured if she wore a maid outfit as contrast, she'd look even more stunning.
And just like that—his dramatic self-introduction was cut short.
The woman walked to the front of the classroom, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote her name on the board.
Then, she introduced herself.