Chapter 5

In the classroom of Class 3-B, Tsukimi Higurashi was introducing himself under the teacher’s guidance.

"I am Tsukimi Higurashi, a transfer student from Kyoto. I look forward to your guidance."

His introduction was concise, revealing no extra information. The boy’s lips curved at a perfect angle; he was composed, polite, and possessed an air of refined elegance, fitting the stereotype of a Kyoto local perfectly.

"Wow, is he a young master from a prominent Kyoto family?"
"He looks so cold and aloof."
"Nice, he’s a handsome guy!"

Tsukimi ignored the whispers of his classmates, maintaining a flawless smile. My apologies, I was born in Tokyo, I am not a young master, nor am I aloof... but I am indeed a handsome guy.

"Very well, Tsukimi-kun, please take the seat behind Nioh-kun. Nioh-kun, please raise your hand."
"Hi, puri~"

Tsukimi looked at the boy who had raised his hand. He had moon-white hair, with a lock of hair at the nape of his neck tied back with a bright red cord. There was a noticeable mole beneath his lip, and his narrow, ink-green eyes were watching Tsukimi with a smirk.

He looked like a fox plotting something mischievous.

Tsukimi walked to his empty seat, sat down, opened his brand-new textbook, and listened to the teacher’s lecture.

"Ring—"

After class, the students no longer hid their curiosity, glancing at the new student intentionally or otherwise.

"Higurashi-kun, I am the class representative, Jugo Sawada. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," the boy with a decent appearance said earnestly.

Tsukimi nodded: "I understand, thank you, Sawada-kun."

Then, Jugo Sawada placed some paper on his desk: "These are club application forms. Rikkaidai requires every student to join at least one club. You can look through them over the next couple of days to see what interests you. Once filled out, hand them to me or directly to the club president."

Jugo Sawada briefly introduced several clubs, emphasizing the sports clubs, led by the Kyudo Club.

"Piyo, class rep, don't show favoritism. The Tennis Club clearly has better results," Nioh, who had been listening for who knows how long, interjected disapprovingly as if he couldn't stand it anymore.

The composed and steady class rep’s expression cracked: He is so infuriating, yet there is no way to refute him!

"Exactly, exactly! Our Tennis Club has won the national championship two years in a row," a red-haired boy suddenly appeared, saying with great familiarity, "Higurashi-kun, your first choice must be the Tennis Club!"

Tsukimi felt a bit helpless: "I appreciate the recommendation, but I don't know how to play tennis."

What is wrong with you tennis boys? Not everyone knows how to play tennis, for heaven's sake!

The red-haired boy, Bunta Marui, looked at him with sheer disbelief, as if asking, "How is that even possible?"

"Heh, what a shame," Jugo Sawada scoffed. He didn't bother arguing with them further and said to Tsukimi in high spirits, "Higurashi-kun, take your time to consider."

Tsukimi: Sawada-kun, where did your steadiness go? Your persona is crumbling!

Marui reached into his pocket, pulled out two green-apple-flavored bubble gums, and shared one with the new student: "Here, have one. This is my favorite flavor; it’s delicious~"

"Thank you," Tsukimi accepted politely.

Marui unwrapped his gum, threw it into his mouth, and chewed a few times. Noticing Nioh watching him, he said guardedly: "What? You stinky fox, there’s none for you!"

"Bunta-pig, eat it yourself."
"Hmph!"

Tsukimi: "You two get along so well."
Nioh and Marui: "Who gets along well with him?!"

The two exchanged a look and immediately looked as if they had swallowed a fly.

Tsukimi: They have great chemistry, too.

He didn't say that out loud.

"By the way, why does the surname Higurashi sound familiar?" Marui mused, resting his chin on his hand.

"My surname isn't particularly rare, so it's not strange to have heard it somewhere," Tsukimi didn't realize the severity of the situation yet.

"Puri~" Nioh smiled enigmatically, "Didn't Akaya brag about his 'miraculous experience' at the Tennis Club yesterday?"

The other protagonist in that story was named Tsukimi Higurashi.

Marui suddenly realized: "Are you that 'Pure White Exorcist of Curses'?!"

Tsukimi: "..."

Pure white what? What kind of exorcist?

At this moment, Tsukimi was not only suffering from social death, but he was also deeply embarrassed. Thinking back to Sanada’s strange behavior this morning, he was likely already "famous" throughout the entire Tennis Club.

"Heh," Tsukimi felt a flash of anger. Forget it, they’re just kids.

Nioh pulled his hand back from the desk behind him: "Akaya is at that age where he's a bit delusional, his words are always nonsensical. Everyone just listens and lets it go."

Tsukimi changed the subject: "Actually, what Kirihara-kun said wasn't entirely false."

Nioh: "?"
Marui: "?"

"But!" he emphasized, "I definitely don't have such an embarrassing nickname!"

So that’s the point?

Nioh felt he understood why their ace junior in the tennis club liked him—they shared the same attributes.

Tsukimi suddenly felt the loneliness of being misunderstood. See? I said there was no need to hide it, because no one would believe it anyway, only to be treated like a delusional kid like Kirihara-kun.

What ignorant people.

Just as Tsukimi was about to fall into a bottomless philosophical contemplation, the bell rang, pulling him back to reality. Oh, math? Easy as—well, I’d better listen carefully.

After the four morning classes ended, Tsukimi packed his books, grabbed his lunch, and prepared to find Renji Yanagi.

"Higurashi-kun, let’s have lunch together."

The cunning fox showed a level of enthusiasm inconsistent with his personality, but Tsukimi, unaware, gladly agreed.

Marui: "Wait, I’m coming too!"

Sitting on the lush rooftop, Tsukimi still couldn't figure out why a normal lunch break had turned into a group activity for the Tennis Club, making him, an outsider, feel quite awkward.

Listening to Renji Yanagi’s introductions, he matched the faces before him to their names. Finally, Tsukimi said: "I’ve heard much about you all."

The purple-haired gentleman nodded slightly: "Likewise, we have heard much about you."

"Pfft!" Nioh laughed, "Yagyu, don't tell me you believe Akaya’s stories? Well, I suppose it makes sense; Yagyu is terrified of ghosts, so it’s natural for him to have a favorable impression of an 'Exorcist of Curses' who slays demons."

Yagyu subconsciously retorted: "I..." don't.

Before he could finish, he heard Tsukimi say: "Yagyu-kun has a good eye. Don't worry, with me around, I will ensure you are never troubled by spirits or demons."

He sounded extremely confident.

Everyone: "..."

Yagyu pushed up his reflecting glasses: "Thank you."

Akaya Kirihara said with genuine envy: "That’s so cool, Yagyu-senpai."

Nioh and Marui, who considered themselves to have a grasp of Tsukimi’s personality, were relatively calm, while the others were completely bewildered.

They secretly shot questioning glances at Renji Yanagi: Is Higurashi-kun really this kind of person?

Renji Yanagi pretended not to see: "Let's eat."

Tsukimi’s lunch was provided by Renji Yanagi. Yes, Renji Yanagi himself.

He leaves for school after six, and even then, he still manages to make a lunchbox for him. The moment he took the lunch from him this morning, Tsukimi’s respect for his childhood friend reached its peak.

The lunch box made by Renji Yanagi had a very "Yanagi-style" touch: a balance of meat and vegetables, nutritious, light in flavor, and unexpectedly delicious.

He unintentionally glanced at Nioh’s lunch box next to him; well, it wasn't even half the portion of his. Then he looked at his other classmate—it was all cake.

Compared to these two, Sanada’s lunch, which clearly had too much meat, looked normal.

Holding onto his sense of camaraderie, Tsukimi asked hesitatingly: "Nioh-kun, Marui-kun, are you guys really okay eating like that?"

The two who were called out tried to hide their lunch boxes with their bodies, ostrich-style, but it was clearly futile.

"It is too slack!" Sanada said, "Only by replenishing enough energy can you better handle the training!"

"Nioh and Marui’s menus are indeed subpar," Renji Yanagi opened his eyes abruptly, "but Genichiro, you are no better."

Tsukimi: "Renji is right. Sanada-kun, you need to balance your meat and vegetables."

Sanada: "..."

Sanada felt guilty and wanted to lower the brim of his cap, but touched nothing. Because Rikkaidai had regulations, he had to take off his beloved cap while at school, but he often felt uncomfortable.

Seeing the usually decisive vice-captain get shut down, Akaya Kirihara couldn't hide his schadenfreude.

Hehehe!

Then, intimidated by a glare from Sanada, he didn't dare speak, stuffing mouthful after mouthful of a ham sandwich bought at the school convenience store, until he choked.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Renji Yanagi unscrewed his water bottle: "Drink some water."

Akaya Kirihara drank it, rolled his eyes, and collapsed.

Everyone: "!!!"

Jackal Kuwahara exclaimed in horror: "Akaya! What’s wrong with you?!"
Marui was distraught: "Akaya, don't die!"

The scene was chaotic for a moment.

Yagyu narrowed his eyes and discovered the truth: "Just now, Akaya collapsed after drinking the water given by the strategist, right?"

Everyone: "..." They seemed to understand.

Terror.jpg

The oblivious Tsukimi used his imagination: "Was he poisoned?!"

"Renji, someone is trying to harm you!" As a result, through a series of coincidences, Kirihara-kun took the hit.

His logic was clear and well-founded; the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

No, no, no, Higurashi-kun, you know nothing about your childhood friend!

Even though the person was Tsukimi, Renji Yanagi felt a bit offended.

"There was no poisoning. This is a vegetable and fruit juice I recently developed. I considered the nutritional value from all aspects, though the taste is slightly subpar."

Marui: "Oh yes, yes, only 'slightly'..."

Tsukimi felt he really didn't understand sports boys: "It’s just vegetable juice, how bad could it taste?"

Even if you added bitter melon, it wouldn't make someone faint, right?

Sanada said in a deep voice: "Higurashi-kun, do not underestimate the vegetable juice!"

Especially one made by Yanagi!

Tsukimi presented facts and reasoning: "In elementary school, Renji and a friend of his used to make this. I’ve drunk it, and it felt fine."

It was just normally bad.

Nioh: "Then have you considered that the strategist has evolved?"

"Please do not use such strange words to describe me." As the center of the discussion, Renji Yanagi remained as calm as ever.

Tsukimi was originally unconcerned, but when he picked up the water cup, he froze.

He asked calmly: "Renji, why is this vegetable juice multicolored?"

Renji Yanagi: "That is not important, it is very nutritious."

"And that luster, like gasoline?"

"That is normal; it does not destroy the nutritional components."

Tsukimi: "..." How should I tell him that this is not normal at all?

And besides nutrition, shouldn't you consider other things, like the taste, or the color?

A drink shouldn't be completely devoid of color, aroma, and taste, right?

He had so many complaints in his heart, but seeing that his childhood friend hadn't made him test the poison, he chose to shut up.

Tsukimi silently put down the water cup and acted as if nothing had happened.

The lunch ended in a bizarre atmosphere.