"Huh? A school with only a few students?"
As Sato chatted casually with the girls on their way, the topic drifted to their middle school experiences.
Suddenly, Umaru clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise and stared at him.
Sato smiled calmly and said, "Well, there wasn't really much choice. Japan's declining birthrate is getting worse every year, and most young people are moving to the cities. It's no surprise the countryside is empty."
"If I'm being honest, it wasn't too bad. Though Ichika-neesan was great at teaching elementary school kids and tricking middle schoolers, she was nowhere near high school level yet."
"But it still sounds pretty amazing, only a handful of students, one per grade!" Gabriel and Umaru's eyes sparkled with interest. Shouko Nishimiya quietly listened nearby.
"Well, in some ways, it really was kind of amazing," Sato admitted, unable to suppress a smile as he felt a wave of nostalgia for the small school called Asahigaoka.
After he left, it was probably just the siblings from the Koshigaya family still there.
SCREECH!!!
A sudden, sharp braking sound up ahead yanked Sato out of his thoughts.
He immediately heard cries of alarm from the distance.
"Someone, someone got hit!"
"Are you okay?!"
A crowd quickly gathered at a nearby intersection. It was the morning rush hour, so the streets were packed with people heading to work or school.
Exchanging glances, Sato and the girls quickly picked up their pace and slipped around the edge of the crowd.
In the middle of the street, a Toyota Crown had come to a stop. The driver was anxiously checking on a boy who'd been hit.
To Sato's surprise, the boy seemed to be wearing the same uniform as theirs, Private Mixed High School.
Nearby, a girl with pink hair buns clutched a fluffy dog tightly in her arms, staring at the scene in confusion. Judging by her grip on the pet, she was clearly overwhelmed.
Even more surprising, the girl was also wearing the school uniform.
Sato scanned the scene and pieced together a rough idea of what had happened. His gaze landed curiously on the pink-haired girl.
Why on earth would she bring a dog to school? And that boy on the ground, probably a good-natured type who just got unlucky.
Sato didn't know what to say, just one word:
Unlucky.
Seeing the driver finish the emergency call, Sato gave a small shake of his head and turned to lead the girls away.
But then, he caught a glimpse of Gabriel's eyes: radiating saintly light, practically overflowing.
And judging by her movement…
Whoosh!
Sato's expression shifted, and he quickly stepped forward to subtly block her path.
"Let's keep walking. The driver already called for an ambulance. We're just ordinary people who don't know what we're doing, we shouldn't get in the way."
He emphasized the words "ordinary people."
As expected, Gabriel hesitated mid-step, an uncertain look on her face. Sato quietly exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness. As an angel, there were probably strict rules against exposing herself in the human world.
Honestly, he feared her revealing her powers in front of everyone more than he feared the current situation.
Even though the term "exchange student from Heaven" hinted that there was some connection between the human world and the celestial one, it was clear that whoever was in charge didn't want those matters made public.
Sato hated trouble. That's why he had to stop it before it started.
As he led the girls past the Toyota Crown, he noticed the rear window had rolled down slightly, revealing a pair of tense, cool eyes.
As they passed, the owner of those eyes spotted them, then quickly turned away and raised the window again.
Sato didn't give it much thought. Families who could afford private chauffeurs were surely wealthy or influential. Naturally, they wouldn't step in personally to deal with situations like this.
Soon after, they went their separate ways.
Sato walked with Shouko to Private mixed High School, while Umaru and Gabriel headed toward their own schools.
…
Private Mixed High School.
The school was large and located near Tokyo Bay. A chilly, salty sea breeze drifted in from the distant ocean.
Cherry blossom trees scattered across the campus, their petals fluttering like fireflies: soft, romantic, and beautiful.
As Sato watched the streams of students at the gate, filled with youthful energy, an unfamiliar feeling crept over him.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a crowd like this," he murmured to himself.
Noticing the girl beside him tilting her head curiously, he smiled.
"You don't know which class you're in yet, right? Let's go check."
Sato already knew his class. With strong academic performance, he had been recruited by the school to boost their college entrance rate. When he received his admission letter, it included his class placement.
But Shouko clearly didn't know yet.
The bulletin board area was packed with students, mostly freshmen. Members of the student council were maintaining order.
"Please don't push. Take your time. Once you find your name, head to your classroom. If you're unsure where to go, ask a student council member and please make room once you're done."
Sato shielded Shouko as they approached the bulletin board, keeping the crowd at bay.
She couldn't speak. If someone bumped into her or stepped on her, she wouldn't be able to say a word.
"There sure are a lot of people," he muttered. Back at Asahigaoka, the entire school had only six students, including him.
"Let's see… Class A. Hmm… found my name. Now where's…"
As he scanned the board, he felt a tug on his sleeve.
"What is it?"
Shouko pointed to a corner of the list. Following her gaze, Sato saw her name near the bottom of Class A.
He blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected them to be classmates.
Suddenly, he turned to her, extended a hand, and grinned brightly.
"Looks like we're classmates now. Let's get along, okay?"
Shouko blinked in surprise, then her face lit up with a brilliant, sunshine-like smile. Her soft, pale hand gently clasped his.
She didn't say a word, but her eyes seemed to speak for her.
Sato felt a slight stir in his heart but couldn't help thinking:
This girl really has no sense of danger, huh?
Feeling the softness of her hand, that was the thought that crossed his mind.