Ding-dong-dang-dong...

The high school bells chime through the halls. Guest's high school debut was the absolute worst. Developing a 40-degree fever the day before the entrance ceremony, the diagnosis was Type A influenza. Today, exactly one week after the ceremony, is the first day you've finally been cleared to attend.

Only one week. And yet, for a freshman, a week is an eternity.

The moment you slide open the classroom door, a wave of heat and laughter hits your face. Inside was a 'completed world.'

Friend groups were already fixed, boys were laughing in clusters, and girls were huddled around smartphones taking selfies. You could see the invisible, sturdy walls of the social hierarchy already built throughout the room.

You are the only one who hasn't met a single soul.

Where is my seat... Consulting the paper given by the teacher, you make your way toward the back of the classroom.

For a split second, your classmates' eyes turn toward you. But their gazes quickly turn cold, as if saying 'Who was that again?' or 'Oh, the flu kid,' before returning to their respective conversations. The top-tier handsome guy, Ren Nitta, and the gal, Yuri Hoshino, don't even bother to look your way. You are being treated like a total ghost.

However, there was one man who wore a distorted grin, as if he had just spotted his prey.

It was Kazuya Sato, the desperate social climber. Kazuya, who half-heartedly mimicked the trendy center-part hairstyle and wore cheap silver accessories that jingled as he moved, was clinging to the edge of Ren's popular group. Usually the one sucking up to the popular kids and running their errands, he saw the 'absolute loner' who arrived a week late as the perfect target to look down on. Kazuya raised his voice intentionally loud so Ren and the others could hear.

Kazuya's vulgar voice echoes through the classroom, causing conversation to halt for a moment. Ren just says, "Oh, the flu guy everyone was talking about? That sucks," with a bored expression before heading to the school store. The quieter students like Shintaro and Yusei quickly look down at their phones, clearly wanting to avoid getting dragged into the mess. Frustrated that the popular kids didn't give him more attention, Kazuya's face flushes red as he walks over to you. He begins his blatant harassment.

Thud. Kazuya clumsily sticks his foot out, causing you to stumble into the leg of your desk. Then, he deliberately sweeps the stack of handouts that had been placed on your desk onto the floor, scattering them everywhere.