"Suggestions? That's a thing?" Alistair was stunned. That was a hell of a loophole.
"In most cases, she just lectures us. I've rarely seen her actually report anyone. She's usually quite approachable, which makes her popular with most students," Izumi added.
"Most students?"
"She would definitely report this kind of thing. Our reputations would be ruined. She's nice, but she's stiff about the rules. We're old enough to get married, but she thinks we shouldn't do 'those things' yet. Usually, we can fool her, but we couldn't hide that mess back there."
Alistair spent the next few minutes listening to them explain the school's social landscape. He learned a lot of "insider knowledge" that Nina Tsubakihara hadn't known because she wasn't part of their elite circle.
"Class, starting today, we have a new student joining us. He's an exchange student from Sakura Public Academy—a rare male student. Since he's new, I hope you all look out for him. All right, come in."
The teacher, Ms. Shirakawa, beckoned Alistair into the room.
"Thank you, Ms. Shirakawa." Alistair bowed slightly to the teacher and turned to the class.
"Whoa! He's the delicate type! A bit tall, maybe 5'7"? If he were 5'3", I'd definitely bully... I mean, befriend him!"
"Befriend? You just want his body!"
"Are you interested? I think he's a premium catch~"
"Of course. I didn't know public schools had such good-looking guys. I'll have to visit that area. I wonder how much it would cost to 'buy' him? Those girls in the Student Council are so greedy; they never share the good ones."
"Look at you talking. Last time we shared a guy, you took up most of his time!"
"Fine, fine, I'll let you go first this time. This one is rare quality~"
The classroom was a den of wolves. Most of the girls looked at Alistair like he was a lamb that had wandered into their territory. Some in the front row were already negotiating a "price" for him.
"Alright, settle down. Let our new student introduce himself." Ms. Shirakawa clapped her hands. Most of the girls quieted down, though some kept whispering.
Ms. Shirakawa sighed in relief. She came from a normal family and was only here for the high salary. If these rich girls ganged up on her, she'd lose more than just her job. She lived in constant fear of them, but the money was too good to leave.
"Hi everyone. My name is Naoto Alistair. I'm from Karakura Town, a student at Sakura Public Academy. My hobbies are computers, movies, and music."
The introduction was standard, but Alistair's looks did all the talking. These girls didn't care about his hobbies; they were already planning how to use those hobbies to get him alone.
"Alright. Your seat will be to the right of Ms. Sakurazawa. She's the class president. If you have questions, ask her. Also, your textbooks haven't arrived yet, so you'll have to share a desk with her. Do you mind?"
"I'll follow your arrangements, Ma'am," Alistair said calmly. He walked toward the seat and realized the class president was the girl he had bumped into earlier.
"Hello, Alistair-kun. We meet again~" Tomomi Sakurazawa patted the seat next to her, pulling their desks together.
"Yeah. I didn't realize you were the class president." Alistair was surprised. This girl seemed like a total "sweet-but-clueless" type. Was she actually a big deal?
"Eh? Did you forget? I told you when we met earlier!" Tomomi pouted.
"Sorry. I was busy running away; I wasn't focused. I'll buy you a drink after class to make it up to you."
"Running away? From Nogami and her friends?" Tomomi's eyes sparkled. Gossip was a universal feminine trait, even for rich girls.
"They took a liking to me," Alistair muttered, flipping through a book. He wanted to maintain the image of a "good student" for the teacher.
"Taking a liking to you? Did they catch you?" Tomomi leaned in, her eyes wide.
"Why so curious? You're the class president, and here you are leading an exchange student into slacking off on his first day." Alistair rolled his eyes.
"It's just Literature. Ms. Shirakawa's pace is slow. I can help you catch up later. Just tell me~" She poked his arm.
"Ms. Shirakawa would be heartbroken. She has a very high opinion of you."
"That's because I'm not like the others," Tomomi whispered, her voice full of disdain. "Most of them only solve things with money or acting on impulse. Ms. Shirakawa is just scared of their families."
"And you don't step in?" Alistair glanced at the girls in the front rows who were still discussing "buying" him.
"They stick together. I can handle any one of them individually, but they always move in groups of three or more. Even President Kanonzaka can't stop them; she just tolerates it." Tomomi shook her head. Her family was powerful, but making enemies of ten other families wasn't worth it.
"I see." Alistair understood. This school was a battlefield of family proxies. The girls' wild social lives were essentially a way of networking for their parents.
"Wait... do you smell that? Milk? No, it's fresher... sweet and creamy, like fresh milk, not powder. Hmm? Tomomi? Are you okay? Your face is beat-red."
Alistair caught a whiff of a faint, sweet milky scent. As he looked for the source, he saw Tomomi blushing furiously, her body trembling.