Chapter 2: Tennis Class!
Giving himself extra time, he finally didn't have to go all out just to reach the classroom before class started.
Although there weren't many people around when he got to school, and there were only a few minutes left before class.
But at least he had enough spare time to avoid a panicked race against the bell.
Luke walked onto the school grounds alone.
It's worth noting that Mikasa and Annie didn't go to the same school as him.
Honestly, Mikasa's somewhat withdrawn personality wasn't exactly suited for school life, and neither was Annie's.
Plus, to make things easier for housework and grocery shopping, the two maids chose the private Toyogasaki High School, which was closer to home.
So, it was also more convenient for him to have his own private time and enjoy the relaxed pace of school life.
He headed up the stairs. The bell hadn't rung yet.
As he approached the corner landing, liking the cool sensation, he walked close to the chilly wall.
Spotting the corner, he gradually slowed his steps.
He really didn't feel like having a head-on collision contest in this accident-prone spot.
"Ah!"
A blonde girl, wearing the Sobu High girls' uniform, appeared right in front of him.
The sudden appearance made the girl's eyes fly open.
She stopped abruptly, but lost her balance because of it, her body falling towards him.
Luke stepped back and put out an arm.
The blonde girl flailed in panic, trying to regain her balance on tiptoe.
Her waving hands grabbed onto the arm he'd put across his chest, and her body leaned right against him.
Even through their clothes, he could easily feel the girl's frantic heartbeat.
Hmm, pretty soft.
The girl stopped herself from falling further and took quick breaths to calm down.
These kinds of surprises really get your heart racing.
He'd already been trying to be careful, but still ran into trouble.
If he'd known, he wouldn't have put on headphones to listen to music, which prevented him from hearing her footsteps.
Looking at the blonde girl, Luke gave her a quick scan.
Her fairly common blonde hair was a bit messy, with a few curls at the ends.
Her features were quite pretty, and it looked like she had a touch of makeup on.
Hmm... looked like we are classmates. Yeah, maybe.
With that thought, seeing she had regained her balance, Luke gave a slight nod and walked past her towards the classroom.
"Hey!"
Miura Yumiko clutched her chest, glaring angrily as the cause of the incident just walked off without a word.
She wanted to chase after him and say something, but remembering she had other things to do, she had to let it go.
Still, wasn't that guy her classmate?
Miura Yumiko tried to recall, uncertain.
Once inside the classroom, Luke vaguely recalled the blonde girl's identity.
She was indeed his classmate, seemed pretty popular, had her own circle of friends, and was clearly the center of her clique – a total normie.
But it didn't really matter.
Before entering the classroom, even though he didn't need glasses, he'd put on the item the system had given him long ago: [Inconspicuous Glasses].
These incredibly ugly glasses lived up to their name, drastically reducing his presence and making him unnoticeable.
While they weren't like those presence-erasing items from some stories that make the wearer practically invisible and able to get away with anything...they were more than enough to let him openly sleep in class or slip out early.
Since he often went out at night helping people with exorcisms, he was almost always sleep-deprived. So, Having an item like this was a real godsend.
Soon, the first class began.
A female teacher walked in, wearing a white lab coat draped over her shoulders, over a black top that showcased her impressive figure.
If this weren't a high school, you might mistake her for a researcher or a doctor.
It was their Japanese Literature teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka.
At the same time, right behind her was a panting Miura Yumiko.
Even so, she didn't forget to shoot a fierce glare across the classroom.
Luke wasn't bothered. He just focused on blending in, and as Hiratsuka-sensei hurried her along, Yumiko completely missed him.
Hiratsuka Shizuka began her lesson.
He tried to listen attentively for a bit, but the sleepiness he couldn't fight crept up on him, aided by Ms. Hiratsuka's pleasant voice.
Although he wanted to show the beautiful teacher some respect, his eyelids felt like heavy gates, unable to resist the relentless assault of drowsiness, and slowly closed over his dark eyes.
Muttering a silent 'good night,' Luke drifted off.
...
In a hazy daze of sleep.
Luke felt someone nudging him. Coming to his senses, he reluctantly opened his eyes.
"Hmm? What's up?" he mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Hey, next period is P.E.," an unfamiliar classmate with grey hair reminded him.
Seeing the classroom emptying out, Luke realized the next class was tennis.
"Oh. Thanks."
Luke stretched his stiff neck and thanked the cute girl who'd woken him.
He picked up the [Inconspicuous Glasses] that had fallen onto his desk.
No wonder someone had noticed him – otherwise, he probably would have slept right through P.E.
"Huh, I don't think I've seen him before," the unfamiliar cute classmate muttered quizzically.
P.E. class was such a pain.
Instead of sweating buckets under the sun 'enjoying youth,' he'd much rather be comfortably napping in the classroom, lulled by the teacher's voice, savoring the sweet feeling of wasting time.
And so, tennis class began without a hitch.
Like every P.E. class, it started with warm-ups, after which the teacher demonstrated and explained all the basic moves.
"Alright, start pairing up and practice hitting. Spread out!"
Then, the students started pairing off in twos and threes, spreading out across the courts.
For this kind of activity, students with established cliques quickly formed groups.
Even those in odd-numbered groups could usually use their decent social skills to team up with other spare students.
But, just as there are socially adept people, there are also socially awkward ones.
That's usually why the P.E. teacher would strictly enforce pairing up for practice.
However, Luke wasn't worried in the slightest.
He didn't need to make up some physical or mental excuse for the teacher.
He'd just put on his glasses, keep a low profile, and quietly slip off to the side... huh?
"Hey. You're actually in my class? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
Miura Yumiko stood with one hand on her hip, the other gripping her tennis racket tightly, her eyes locked onto him.
Crap.
"I prefer to keep to myself," he said.
"I haven't forgotten about this morning."
Miura Yumiko looked annoyed just thinking about the morning incident, idly spinning her racket in her hand.
She looked kinda cute when she was angry.
So, her intention was crystal clear.
Luke thought for a moment, then picked up a racket.
"Alright. Here's your chance for revenge. But just so you know, this is my first time playing."
...