Volume 1 - CH 3

Posted on February 22, 2022by Soafp

Translator: Soafp

The first day of my new school was coming to an end.

As expected of an advanced school, the classes were very challenging, but I had been studying hard, so it was no problem. As long as I took my classes seriously, I wouldn’t have any trouble getting good grades.

I packed up my things and recalled the events of today.

Let’s start with the good points.

Making friends with Mahiro on the first day was an unexpected blessing.

I had a conversation with him and we seemed to get along well. Even without the information from the junior high school, we seem to have a good chemistry. I will continue to get along well with him.

The atmosphere of the class was also good.

It was only the first day, but the students were basically serious and respectful. As a school for higher education, there seemed to be few delinquents. The atmosphere was cheerful and there was no bullying.

I had the impression that many of the teachers were good at their jobs. The homeroom teacher, Mizushima-sensei, is beautiful and seems to be a nice person, and there are no other teachers that I have a bad impression of so far.

Next, the bad points.

There is only one bad point. Yes, the demons known as goddesses.

I didn’t expect all the demons to have gone to school here. I was completely unprepared for the fact that even the girl who went to an all-girls middle and high school had come here.

But I’m not that pessimistic about it.

It’s because my true identity has not been exposed. My appearance and surname have changed, so it would be difficult to identify me as the old Shota Mukawa. Mahiro, who I had met many times at the same junior high school, didn’t notice me, and if I continue to act like a hick, he won’t recognize me.

In fact, there was no contact from the Red Devil. If she didn’t notice, there was little chance that the others would notice.

All I had to do was stay away from her.

It’s a simple mission.

I heard that those demons are praised as goddesses. In other words, they’re popular. It’s unlikely that a popular girl would go out of her way to contact a man.

“Shota, can I have a word with you before you go?”

Mahiro called out to me.

“What’s up?”

“I know I’m in the middle of your lunch break, but I thought I’d tell you about God. I thought it would be good for you to know since you are in this school.”

“…… I want to know. Please.”

If you bring up the subject of these monsters, I have no choice but to listen.

“First of all, don’t make an enemy of God. That’s a must.”

“Can I ask why exactly not to make an enemy of God?”

“Because they have a strong influence. First of all, the contest is not just a beauty contest. The position of god is held by a person who is favored by the students, and it requires not only good looks, but also academic ability and good behavior.”

So they evaluate more than just appearance.

In a way, it’s like being student body president.

“Although, all of them are very nice looking.”

Well, there’s a difference between what people really think and what they really say.

“What’s the other reason?”

“The teachers trust us, I guess. People who are elected by God are supported by many students. That means the teachers can’t treat them like dirt. If they had a problem with God, they would lose the support of their students. So, don’t make enemies with God. If you fight with them, the whole school will become your enemy.”

It was an unpleasant piece of information, but he was probably right.

Even for teachers, any trouble these days is a social problem, and they don’t want to clash with a male god or goddess. It’s hard for a teacher to touch them.

“…… Are you saying that the school recognize the gods?”

“It was originally just a beauty contest, but after the revision, the school officially recognized it. The gods have a role to play during school events. They give out awards and greet people at events. I think they appear as guests at every event.”

So it’s not like they’re just for decoration.

It’s true that having a handsome man or a beautiful woman present an award to the students will inspire them, so in that sense, it’s probably an appropriate use.

“So, I’ll tell you about the current goddesses. It’s the first time in history that there are multiple goddesses, but each of them has their own factions that can be troublesome, so you might want to pay attention to that as well.”

“…… Faction huh.”

“I know I’m overreacting, but I think it’s just more of a fan base. The fans don’t get along well with others, so be careful what you say.”

“By the way, do you know Akazawa’s fan base?”

“She has a wide range. She’s the school’s idol.”

It seems that Yuuhi Akazawa, the red goddess, has a wide range of supporters.

“She is popular among all the students rather than a specific group. She is an overwhelmingly beautiful girl with an unrivaled legitimate beauty, an idol-like face and a personality that treats everyone equally. She’s smart, athletic, good at talking, and has many friends. She’s an idol on the high street. I heard that she was even scouted by an agency.”

She’s always been in that line. Even in junior high school, she was popular as an idol and wore a smile on her face.

It was no surprise that she had been scouted by an agency. She looks like that. No one would question her if she said she was actually a member of an idol group. I can understand why she is the center of the group.

“She was cute since junior high school, but now she’s become the flower of the high mountains.”

“…… Did Mahiro went to the same middle school?”

“Yes. In fact, three out of four of the goddesses came from the same junior high school. It’s a miracle, now that I think about it.”

“That’s a great coincidence. Haha.”

Of course I knew that, but I pretended to be surprised.

“Akazawa-san has always been very popular.”

“Heh. So she must’ve had a boyfriend then?”

“That’s—-“

It was then.

Suddenly, I felt the presence of someone.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

I looked up at the familiar voice and saw Akazawa standing there.

…… You’ve gotten prettier.

She had always been cute, but she had become much more mature in the time I hadn’t seen her. She has a neat face, long eyelashes, and a clear nose. And yet, there was still a hint of youth in her, giving the impression of a legitimate beautiful girl.

My eyes were drawn to her red hair. I wondered if it had grown a little since then. Her beautiful hair, which seemed to reach almost to her back, swayed in the breeze coming in through the window, leaving a lingering impression in the air.

My heart skipped a beat at the chance encounter at close range.

“Nice to meet you. I haven’t greeted you before, have I? I’m Yuuhi Akazawa, a member of the class committee.”

Nice to meet you, huh?

Apparently, even from this distance, she hasn’t noticed my true identity.

“Hi. I’m Nijitani.”

“Fufufu, I know your name. Shota Nijitani-kun.”

Akazawa chuckles. The gesture is very cute, but I think it’s because of what happened in the past.

“So, Nijitani, do you have a minute now?”

“I’m free, but why?”

“The teacher asked me to show you around the school. I was wondering if you’d like to join me now.”

She said something about a class committee.

I don’t want her to show me around at all, but if I refuse her, I’ll look weird.

If I look around the classroom, the boys are looking at me enviously. The girls seemed to be paying attention to me as well.

Fortunately, no one noticed my true identity, but there was a high risk of being exposed if I dared to approach.

However, it would be more difficult for me to refuse her. It would be foolish to carelessly make enemies from the very first day at the new school. I’ve been told not to make enemies with the goddesses.

“Thank you for going to the trouble. I’ll ask for your help then.”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

I said goodbye to Mahiro and left the classroom.

Akazawa led me around the school.

I was very excited.

The Tenkain Gakuen is a school with a long history. The old school building was rebuilt a few years ago. Just the fact that it was a brand new building was enough to get me excited. I was surprised to see that the school had a cafeteria, unlike the high schools over there.

“Fufu, you’re funny, Nijitani-kun.”

“That came out of nowhere?”

“Your eyes are sparkling. You look like a child.”

I’m sorry for being a kid.

“…… Because I’m new to this school.”

“Oh, I know what you mean. I felt the same way last year.”

“You did?”

“We’re just like each other, aren’t we?”

Akazawa smiled shyly.

The idol smile would have been enough to win over any naive boy, but there was me who was disgusted by the smile.

She is still the same old girl huh.

By sympathizing with the other person, she can make him feel closer to her and close the distance between them to gain favorability. This is a trick that she used a long time ago. With this technique, I was torn apart in the palm of her hand.

I was taken around the city while having a casual conversation. After visiting a few facilities.

“—Yes, we’re here. This is the library.”

The last place I was taken to was the library.

There was a good selection of books in the library. The school has an uptight impression, but there were light novels in one corner. I wondered if there was someone who liked them. We seem to be on the same page.

“I guess that’s all I have to show you”

“Thank you for guiding”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll leave you alone then.”

After the tour, Akazawa walked toward the exit.

It was a dangerous event, but somehow I managed to get through it without being discovered. I didn’t want to make contact with her, but this was acceptable.

“Right, Nijitani-kun, you moved here from the countryside, right?”

Akazawa suddenly turned around.

“Y-yeah. I’m a respectable country boy.”

“With all due respect, but did you ever change schools before you came here, Nijitani-kun?”

“No ……. This is the first time in my life I’ve changed schools.”

“Can I ask you why you moved to this school?”

“My parents transferred me, because of my father’s job. I could have stayed there with my friends, but I’m not good at housework, so I came with them.”

It’s all a lie, by the way. I had already decided on this setting. I’ve given this answer many times today alone.

It’s a way to avoid being recognized as the old me. I hadn’t calculated that there would be demons here, but I also didn’t want the people from my middle school to know that I existed.

For some reason, Akazawa was disappointed when she heard the answer.

“I’m sorry for asking you such a strange question.”

“It’s okay. It’s the fate of transfer students.”

“Thank you. Ah, if you have any problems, please feel free to consult me.”

The problem I wanted to discuss was right in front of me, but there was no way I could say that.

“Okay. Keep up the good work.”

I waved Akazawa off, and when she was completely out of sight, I let out a big breath.

It was a close call.

My heart skipped a beat, wondering when I would be found out, but I managed to get through it. If Akazawa didn’t notice it, it would be fine with other demons.

Because she was also my childhood friend who I had been playing with since kindergarten. It’s also my first childhood love that I have nothing but bitter memories of.