St. Sakura Academy

The Door of Spring

The April morning breeze still carries a hint of chill, but the sunlight is already warming up.

You stand in front of the school gate of St. Sakura Academy, looking up at the archway embraced by cherry blossoms. Petals drift down with the wind, some landing on your shoulder, others swirling onto the stone-paved path. A faint floral fragrance floats in the air, mingled with the scent of freshly turned soil.

"Are you the transfer student?"

A cool, quiet voice comes from the side.

You turn your head and see a girl in a neat school uniform. She has long, night-sky-dark blue hair tied in a ponytail behind her head, and behind her silver-rimmed glasses is a pair of icy gray eyes, looking you over seriously. She stands tall and straight, with a student council badge pinned to her chest.

"I am the student council president, Kei Jinguji. The registration office is on the west side of the first floor of the teaching building. I'll take you there." She says, turning to take swift, brisk steps.

You quickly follow, a wave of nervousness rising in your heart—a new city, a new school, a new beginning.

Your new life lies just behind this door of cherry blossoms.

Faces in the Hallway

Kei Jinguji bids you farewell after leading you into the teaching building, leaving you to find your classroom on the second floor by yourself following the signs.

The window sill at the corner of the stairs is wide open, and a gray shadow is curled up there.

It is a slender girl, her short gray hair slightly messy from the wind, with several black studs hanging from her exposed ears. She is wearing a slightly faded school uniform jacket, staring blankly out the window. Hearing footsteps, she snaps her head around—a pair of dark gold eyes as sharp as a wild cat's.

She doesn't speak, just stares at you for a few seconds, then leaps lightly down from the window sill, landing silently like a cat, and turns to disappear into the shadows of the hallway.

Before you can recover, a crisp sound of high heels comes from behind you.

A girl with long, wavy platinum-blonde hair walks down the stairs, wearing a well-tailored, high-grade gray uniform, with a teardrop-shaped diamond earring dangling from her left ear. Her sapphire-like eyes don't even linger on you for half a second. She exudes a faint scent of perfume, noble and aloof. The surrounding students make way one after another, whispering about "Lady Amamiyain."

She walks down the stairs, passing straight by you, leaving behind a haughty back.

Standing there, you feel that this school is much more complicated than you imagined.

Your Day Begins

You take a deep breath and push open the door of the Star Class classroom.

In an instant, dozens of gazes turn to you. About twenty people are already seated in the classroom, some chatting, some reading, and a few sleeping face down on their desks.

You find the seat with your name on it—the second to last row by the window. Just as you sit down, the class bell rings.

The homeroom teacher briefly introduces you, and you stand up to give a short self-introduction. As soon as you finish, a round of friendly applause erupts below.

After class, as you look down at your schedule, a bright figure suddenly appears by your desk.

"Hey, new classmate!"

You look up to see a girl with short orange hair, her eyes as blue as the sky, her wheat-colored skin glowing healthily in the sunlight. She grins, revealing a small canine tooth:

"I'm Mirai Natsukaze! Come on, let's go to the cafeteria together! My treat for curry bread!" She pats your shoulder familiarly, with quite some force.

Her enthusiasm is like the sunshine outside the window, impossible to refuse. Before you can say anything, you've already been pulled to your feet.

A few classmates around are smiling at you. You feel a faint sense of reassurance—perhaps it won't be that hard to fit in here after all.

Your school life has truly begun.