Class 2-4 at Raizen High School. That was the class Itsuka Shido was in.
“Everyone~ Please take your seats! We have a surprise for you today! Please come in~”
When their homeroom teacher, Ms. Okamine Tamae, called out, the classroom door opened and two people appeared.
“Huh?”
As soon as the two of them showed up, Shido couldn’t help but be shocked.
“My name is Yatogami Tohka! Starting today, I’ll be in this class! I look forward to getting along with everyone!”
One of the two was Tohka, and
“Good day. My name is Higakieta Hai. I look forward to getting along with everyone.”
the other was the [Knight].
*********
After the introductions were over and they went to their assigned seats, the students swarmed around them.
And then the questions began.
“Hey, hey! What high school did Higakieta-kun transfer from?”
“I have never attended high school.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. I learned a trade before I reached high school age. Then my superior helped me enroll, saying that youth should be enjoyed.”
I wasn’t exactly lying. I had never enrolled in high school here, the commander had told me to go, and the commander was the one who helped me get in.
“I see~”
“Then, Higakieta-kun, do you have a type? Like, an ideal girl?”
My ideal type, huh... I’ve never really thought about it. I’ll just make something up.
“As for my ideal type, I can’t really say there’s anything in particular I prefer. I’m sorry I can’t give you a proper answer.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine! That’s better than the boys in our class, who are all crazy about girls, at least.”
When the girl looked around, the boys who met her eyes immediately looked away. Well, I get it. There’s nothing weird about a guy liking girls, and right now, they’re in the middle of puberty.
“But why do you speak so formally, Higakieta-kun?”
“That is...”
As I answered the questions one by one, before I knew it, the first period was about to start.
“All right, everyone, take your seats.”
At the teacher’s words, the students returned to their seats with obvious reluctance.
Thank goodness. I almost had all my information pried out of me.
******
“Knight! What brings you here?”
When lunchtime came, that was the question Shido asked me.
“As the commander said last time, I’m your bodyguard. This is part of that job. Well, I’m getting paid a bonus for it too, so it’s a win-win for both of us.”
At my answer, Shido nodded.
“By the way, calling you [Knight] here sounds weird, so please just call me by my name. And you don’t have to be so formal with me either.”
“Yes, no, I mean, okay. Got it, Shido.”
“Shido! Welcome! Let’s eat together!”
Tohka had already pushed her desk up against Shido’s and was getting ready to eat.
“Ah, Higakieta. Do you want to eat with us too?”
“Would it be all right if I joined you?”
“Of course.”
“Then, excuse me.”
I carried my chair over to Shido’s desk. When I arrived, I saw Tohka and a white-haired girl... Wait a second, wasn’t that the girl who chopped off my neck?
“...”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no. It’s just that the female student over there looks oddly familiar.”
“Ah~ You mean Origami. The guys say she’s one of the most popular girls in school.”
A popular girl who goes around slicing people up, huh. Is this school really safe?
“Good day, Tobiichi-san.”
“Tobiichi.”
“Pardon?”
“My last name is Tobiichi.”
At her answer, I felt a little awkward. I’d heard Shido call her Origami, so I thought that was her family name.
“Ahem. My apologies, Tobiichi-san.”
“But you...”
Tobiichi narrowed her eyes and stared at me closely.
“What is it?”
“...Never mind.”
Whew, I thought I’d been found out. If she realized I was the [Knight], she might try to take my head off again. I don’t feel pain, but who actually wants to die?
“Mmm! Let’s eat already! Shido!”
“Yeah. Let’s eat.”
And so everyone took out their lunch boxes and opened them.
“Huh? Higakieta doesn’t have a lunch box?”
I was the only one who hadn’t taken mine out. It wasn’t that I didn’t have one; it was just a bit large.
“It takes a little time to get it out because it’s a bit bulky.”
“How big can it be...?”
When I finally pulled my lunch box from my bag, Shido’s mouth dropped open.
“An eight-tier lunch box?!”
“Haha, I do eat a lot.”
“No, that’s not just 'a lot'!”
What I had produced was indeed an eight-tier bento. Inside, all kinds of side dishes were lined up neatly.
“Wow... How long did it take to make that?”
“Hmm, maybe about four hours?”
Cooking had been a hobby of mine since I lived alone before I was possessed. After inhabiting this body, I never seemed to get full no matter how much I ate, so I just made as much as I wanted.
“...Want one?”
Tohka was staring intently at my karaage, so I offered.
“Mm! Mm!”
“Haha, go ahead.”
The moment I finished speaking, Tohka snatched a piece of karaage at a speed too fast for the eye to follow.
“Is it good?”
“!&(*&@(!!!”
She seemed to be saying something very enthusiastically, but with her mouth full of food, I couldn’t make it out.
“Chew first, then talk. Chew first.”
“Ahaha, but Higakieta, why aren’t you using honorifics with Tohka?”
“Ah, well...”
I whispered so only Shido could hear.
“Because Tohka has a track record of killing me?”
“Ah...”
Shido looked apologetic. Wow, he really is a pushover. He actually feels bad about something he didn’t even do.
“You don’t need to feel bad. It was just a misunderstanding back then.”
“If you say so... Well, all right. Oh, can I have one too?”
“Go ahead.”
Shido took a piece of tonkatsu from my lunch box. For the record, there are no vegetables in my bento. Even if there are, they’re just for decoration. Meat is justice!
“Mm! This is amazing?!”
The moment Shido took a bite, his eyes flew wide open. It’s not that good, is it?
“Just as Shido said! It’s incredibly delicious!”
“I don’t think it’s that special, though.”
“Higakieta. If you keep being this modest, you’ll start to get annoying.”
“Shido. Eat mine too.”
At Tobiichi’s voice, I turned my head and saw something burning in her eyes so intensely I could almost see actual flames. Was she jealous?
“Huh? Wait a sec... Mmph!?”
Against Shido’s will, Tobiichi shoved her own lunch into his mouth. Then she pulled the chopsticks back out and began examining the spot where Shido’s saliva had touched them.
“What is she... kind of scary...?”
Honestly, my assessment was that she was one hundred percent yandere material.
******
After school ended, it started pouring rain.
thud. thud.
“Haa... I didn’t even bring an umbrella. And Shido already went home.”
Shido had left early, saying he had something to do. Since I lacked an umbrella, I was just standing under the awning of a nearby shop, staring at the sky.
Well, no helping it.
I opened my inventory, took out the high-grade knight set, and equipped it. Strangely enough, the armor wouldn't rust from the water, and no attack could dent it. The game's properties had carried over perfectly.
“Hm? What’s this?”
As I was walking home in my armor, something bumped against my foot. Curious, I looked down.
“...A doll? And it even has a hand slot?”
At my feet lay a puppet doll.
“P-please give it back...”
Hearing a voice, I looked up and saw a little girl.
“P-please, give it back...”
“Ah, so this belongs to you. Here you go.”
Since she was asking for it, I figured it was hers and returned it.
“Yay! Thanks, mister! Yoshinon slipped and fell by accident, and Yoshino got blown away!”
“Huh?”
When the girl slipped her hand into the doll, the doll started talking. I went blank for a moment at the incomprehensible situation.
I thought... a doll... can talk?
“Hm~? Mister? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Ah, my apologies. I was just thinking for a moment. Nice to meet you. I’m the [Knight].”
“Oh! So you really are a knight, just like you look! Hi! Knight mister! My name is Yoshinon! Cute, right? Cute, right?”
The talking doll, Yoshinon, had an incredible amount of energy. I’d seen talking masks before, but this was my first time encountering a talking doll.
“Yes, you’re cute. By the way, is Yoshino the little lady’s name?”
“That’s right~! This girl’s name is Yoshino! I’m Yoshinon!”
“You both have lovely names.”
At my compliment, Yoshinon joked that flattery wouldn't get me anywhere.
“But why is the little lady outside in this weather?”
“Ah~ That’s a little hard to explain, so I can’t really tell you~”
I nodded. Well, everyone has their secrets.
grumble
“Hm?”
“Ahaha~ Looks like Yoshino is hungry!”
At the sound of her stomach growling, I looked at Yoshino and saw that her face had turned bright red. She was clearly embarrassed.
“Ahem. Since it seems you're hungry, would it be all right if I treated you to a meal?”
“What, what~ What are you planning to do to Yoshinon if you take us with you! Pervert~”
Yoshinon said this while clutching her own shoulder with her arm. That’s actually impressive. Anyway, I had no ulterior motives; I genuinely just wanted to buy her food. It would be pitiful if a child went hungry.
“I have no strange intentions. So, will you come with me?”
“Yoshino! What are you going to do~?”
grumble
“I-I’ll go...”
As she spoke, Yoshino’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.
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