Starlight (Kojiro Nanjo)

Chapter One: Silly Little Secret

"Afternoon, Ms. Saito!" One of the students greeted cheerfully. "Please tell me it's a movie day today."

"Unfortunately, no movie today." The teacher shook her head, earning a sigh from one of the students. "But we will be learning all about solar energy, which is just as fun, right?"

"Absolutely not." The student groaned out their response, dropping their head down onto their desk as another student came barreling through the classroom door.

Head over feet, the familiar red head plummeted to the floor with a shriek while his skateboard rolled straight toward his teacher's desk. The woman pressed her heel atop the deck, causing it to reach it's half as the now injured boy muttered out a quiet apology.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to skate inside, Reki?" The woman huffed, grabbing his board from the ground and shoving it under her desk for safekeeping.

"I know, I know." The boy replied with a deep exhale, pushing himself from the cool tile with a groan in pain.

"Is there blood?" His teacher had asked, not ripping her gaze away from the papers on her desk. "Did you break a bone?"

"Well, no."

"Then take your seat."

"But what about-"

"You should know the drill by now, Reki." Her stare alone shut the boy up, causing him to turn his heel and make way toward his seat. "You'll be getting it back at the end of the day. You're lucky I don't give you detention. I'm sure any other teacher would do it happily."

"You're right." The boy gulped, plopping his body into his chair before kicking his feet up onto the counter. "Which is why you're the cool teacher, Ms. Saito."

"Nah, a cool teacher would let us have a movie day."

"Yeah!" Another student nodded along, slamming their hand against their desk in a rhythmic pattern. "Movie day! Movie day!"

      The class quickly followed suit, all of them beginning to chant in unison while they banged the tops of their tables with their fists. God, these kids could be so relentless. The only one not joining in was Reki, though she was sure the red hair probably would have if he wasn't aware he was already skating on thin ice, and class hadn't even officially started yet.
      An unfamiliar boy wandered his way into the room, his footsteps so unsure and hesitant as he poked his head in. Upon noticing his confused stare, Ms. Saito raised from her seat and welcomed the boy at the door.

"Hey there, come on in." She smiled sweetly, motioning for the young boy to step forward. "You wouldn't happen to be our transfer student now, would you?"

"T-That'd be me." He stammered, taking another step into the room where the rest of the class could get a good luck at him.

"Perfect!" Ms. Saito grinned, clapping her hands together excitedly as her gazed began to scan over one of the binders of her cluttered desk. "I'm sure you've already been through this a hundred times today, but unfortunately I'm going to have to make you do it for your one hundred and first. Could you introduce yourself to the rest of the class for us?"

"O-Oh, sure!" He nodded, before growing very still and quiet as their watchful eyes evaded his every space. "..How should I start?"

"How about you just tell them your name and a fun fact about yourself?" She prompted with a shrug. "For example: My name is Ms. Saito! A fun fact about myself would be.. this is my first year officially teaching my own class! And I am so excited to share the wonderful world of science with all of you."