"Yes, it's Sobu High School. It seems like it's the same school your sister attended," her father's voice echoed through the phone.
"I sent you the link to the school's introduction earlier. You've looked it over, right? ... Well, in that case, enjoy your high school life, Yukino."
Yukino Yukinoshita hung up the phone, a quiet sigh of relief escaping her lips. She had just learned that her family had selected the school for her, and that her father had promised she could move out after starting high school. The thought of finally being independent had settled a bit of weight off her shoulders.
As she walked out of her room, she just happened to see her older sister, Yui, returning home, taking off her shoes at the entrance. Despite having a few drinks, Yui's makeup remained flawless, not a single smudge to be seen.
Yui bent slightly to remove her shoes, and the movement was so graceful it could have been painted in an art gallery.
In terms of her presence, she seemed more suited to being the center of attention at a glamorous event than as a college student.
When Yui finally looked up and saw Yukino, a tipsy smile crept onto her face. "Oh, is my little Yukino waiting for me?"
Yukino crossed her arms, her gaze cold and sharp. "Cut the nonsense."
The relationship between the two sisters had always been strained. Whenever they met, sharp words and sarcasm were frequent, and this tension was exactly why Yukino had planned to move out after starting high school.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Yui's usual mocking tone was notably softer tonight.
She walked over to Yukino and gently patted her on the shoulder. A mix of perfume and a faint scent of alcohol enveloped Yukino, a surprisingly warm and comforting smell.
"You're going to be a high school student soon," Yui murmured, almost to herself.
"Little Yukino is growing up. I might feel a bit lonely, you know…"
This perfect, seemingly invincible sister of hers was showing rare vulnerability, her usually composed self slipping just a little under the haze of drunkenness.
Yukino furrowed her brow as Yui retreated to her room. She couldn't decide if her sister was toying with her, but as Yukino lay on her own bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, she couldn't help but feel a small flicker of happiness.
Her past school life had never been enjoyable. She had been bullied in elementary school, sent abroad for middle school, and had only recently returned to Japan for high school. She wasn't the shy Yukino she had once been, and she couldn't help but hope that her new high school life would be much better.
With a small sense of optimism, she drifted off to sleep, unaware of the bizarre and absurd reality that awaited her when she woke up.
When Yukino regained consciousness, she was surrounded by the noise of students' whispers and low laughter, mocking and derisive.
She opened her eyes and found herself in a strange classroom, filled with unfamiliar faces. The students around her were either sitting at their desks or gathered in groups, chatting amongst themselves. What stood out, however, was the malicious way they all stared at her now and then.
Those stares were full of contempt, as if they were secretly mocking her.
Yukino's mind buzzed.
She recognized that look.
Yukino Yukinoshita had always been an outstanding student. Her cuteness and charm made her popular with boys since elementary school, which had led to the envy and jealousy of her female peers. As a result, she had been ostracized, and she had lost count of the number of times her indoor slippers had been hidden, mostly by girls.
It was because of these experiences that she had transferred to a school overseas for middle school.
Looking down at her desk, Yukino noticed the insults scribbled on the surface with chalk:
"Slut"
"Trash"
"Homewrecker"
"Bus"
Even when she had been bullied the most in elementary school, it had never been this blatant.
This was straight-up bullying.
Yukino bit her lip, suddenly standing up.
"Who did this?!" Her voice was icy and full of fury.
The classroom, once filled with chatter, became eerily quiet. Then a girl in the back of the room let out a mocking laugh. "Yukino, you're so disliked, maybe it's divine punishment coming to get you."
"Yeah, yeah! Yukino, have you ever stopped to think about why people hate you so much?"
The two girls, dressed in trendy outfits, spoke with such sarcastic venom that it seemed as if the words "villain" were written all over their faces.
Given Yukino's extensive history of being ostracized, she could easily tell that these two were the ones who had probably defaced her desk. There was a 98% chance it was them.
One of the girls continued to sneer, "You've stolen so many boyfriends from other girls, why are you surprised people hate you?"
Yukino had never done such a thing, but these girls were clearly spreading lies out of pure jealousy.
It had been this way since elementary school, and it hadn't changed at all. How ridiculous.
Just as Yukino was about to defend herself, she turned slightly and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the classroom window.
Her messy, blonde hair. Deep eye makeup. Bright red lipstick. Her school jacket tied around her waist. Her school shirt hanging loosely, and her fingers adorned with garish, colorful nails.
She looked like a stereotypical Japanese "gyaru" (a fashionable, rebellious girl).
Yukino: Who... is this?
Wait a second.
Is this me?!
In that instant, Yukino's mind was in a whirlwind.
She was so shocked that she forgot to retort. Just then, the school bell rang, and students who had been out in the hallway returned to their seats while the teacher slowly walked in, carrying a stack of textbooks.
The middle-aged male teacher immediately noticed the mess on Yukino's desk. Frowning, he looked at her.
"Yukino, don't disrupt the class."
In the past, because of her excellent grades, she had always been treated like the ideal student, even with her peers' jealousy. Most teachers had been kind and supportive.
But this cold, dismissive tone? That was something she had never experienced before.
Yukino, sensitive to the change, pressed her lips together. She didn't say another word and instead pulled out a pack of tissues from her wet bag, carefully wiping the chalk marks off her desk.
Just as she was cleaning, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
[System has selected the best course of action: Announce loudly to everyone that you actually prefer girls!]
Yukino: ...