Animate! Exclusive Short Story Bundled with Volume
22
CLASS REARRANGEMENT
April…
After going through a year of tumultuous upheaval, we
finally rose to our third year, making us seniors in school. Today was the
opening ceremony, but we had another event no less important to our concern
than this.
Class Rearrangement![1]
In Kuoh Academy, class rearrangement is nonetheless considered
as one of its established annual custom, still being looked as an important
event for us high schoolers as it would separate me and my classmates who had
been in the same class and cared each other, so it was natural to be worried.
Me, Asia-chan, Zenovia and Irina had been together
in the same class as far as I could tell. Matsuda and Motohoma were practically
inseparable, that I believed that separating them in different classes would
weaken that relationship, so I just hope it wouldn’t happen.
Thus, we gathered around the school entry hall to
see class rearrangement announcement.
“Uuu, I don’t want to be separated from Ise-san and
everyone!”
That was right. She doesn’t want to be separated
with me, Zenovia, Irina, and Kiryuu. We had been staying together for a year. Suddenly,
I felt like the idea of everyone in the class getting away and spread out
becoming scary. Zenovia and Irina felt that also, with their faces getting
tense.
“I too don’t want to be separated from everyone.”
“Indeed, indeed, I do want to stay in the same class
until graduation!”
To do so, we needed to keep an eye to the sheet
written with the announcement.
I was… THERE! THERE! It was class B! There were also
Asia, Zenovia, and Irina’s names! Asia and Zenovia were also written with conspicuous
larger katakana than me making them stood out.
“Ise-san! I am glad we’re together again!”
Asia showed her smile with tears dropping down on
her eyes.
“Aa, please take care of me until graduation!”
I was glad I was able to be together with Asia again!
Also, I got my sight fixed to a particular spot and felt relief from it.
With all the Church Trio getting together, the three
girls were snugging each other in great joy.
“Zenovia-san, Irina-san! Please take care of me
until graduation!”
“Aa, it’s gonna be fun!”
“Yeah, everyone’s happy together!”
While hugging each other, the three girls whirled
around. They approached Kiryuu while still feeling happy.
“Fufufu, I’m also in the same class alright.”
Oh, was Kiryuu also in the same class?
“YEEEESSS!”
The four girls came together and happily hugged each
other.
Two person put their hand on my shoulder. They were
Matsuda and Motohama’s
“Ise, we seem to be together again, you know.”
“As it was always been since middle school, my dude.
To the point that I thought it was fate”
Really, I looked at the seat arrangement just in
case… yep, it truly was.
Ha ha hah, guessed we had no other choice. Really,
this inseparable bond hadn’t been going since middle school. Although, knowing
these two was near gave me a peace of mind.
I gave such a wryly smile, to these two people.
“Well, take care until graduation. It seems like our
troupe isn’t gonna change even after two years eh.”
Two subsequent unchanged years, and our trio of inseparable
relationship along with the Church Trio and Kiryuu added made it some sort of a
crowd, so much that it could be said that it seems to me that I could at least
enjoy my three years of high school life … or so I thought, however, when these Rias’
groupies pulled me away while kept barraging about some shameful questions one
after another!
But the two of them were having complicated facial
expressions.
“Ise, so what may you become in this same class together
after a painful year before?”
Motohama said as I turned towards the seat at my
sight in surprise. The girls raised their voice in higher pitch after
previously seeing our class seat announcement.
One person appeared, and he pushed his way through
while the girls were in rare squeeing. It was Kiba.
“Well, Ise-kun.”
“What is it, Kiba?”
Kiba happily said it to me.
“For this year, I will be in the same class. For one
year. Please take care of me.”
Welp!
I couldn’t say anything. Kiba is gonna be a
classmate for the third year too?
That, that is, the girls raised their voice even
higher! This bishonen becoming their classmate surely was different and
considerably important!
Or rather, being in the same class together with
Kiba. ….. Somehow, that anticipation was not existent since I didn’t have a
choice.
Kiba then remarked.
“By the way, our homeroom teacher is…”
Kiba’s voice was interrupted by Rossweisse-san’s
appearance.
“I became the homeroom teacher for Class 3-B”
Thus, Ahem, Rossweisse-san marked her entry by
proudly puffing her chest.
The homeroom teacher for class 3-B, Rossweisse-san,
wrote down to confirm the seats! She was turning towards the teacher’s table
with caution… or so, oi oi, the Gremory members were gathered in class B!
Now that it had come to this, I just couldn’t bear
to feel the concern and anticipation of the class rearrangement farewell
announcement around the school vicinity (backyard, still applies) in my body
and soul already!
Thus, our life as a third grader of high school with
Rossweisse-san as our homeroom teacher came starting! It’s going to be fun!
Meanwhile, Saji and the Sitri members grouped
together in Class C.
The school was felt with various expectations from
this announcement.
---- DxD
----
The usual trio now had Kiba joined. One month had
been passed. Present customs had been established.
Homeroom teacher Rossweisse-san said to us while
standing.
“Since the opening ceremony one month ago, I was
planning to change the seats. Please make a group between four to six students,
and I hope that you can give votes on how you will sit in the classroom.”
Ah, changing seats. As for the starting first month
of the academic year, usually she would just be “Order of attendance number for
now” for the seat positions were fixed based on that. The students of the new
class were already used to each other, so as a result, both teachers of several
subjects as well as the class members itself regretted the arrangement.
For that reason, we assembled our close members. Me,
Matsuda, Motohama, were called the strange combination, with Kiba added up.
Even so, the number of boys in the school was scarce, therefore it was easy for
the male student groups to gather on the corners of the class.
Asia and the others seemed to form their group from their
usual quartet.
Matsuda asked
“Now, to give vote to the seats however, how about
beneath the window? Any other opinions?”
“A, me, I’m fine near the windows”
I gave my vote.
Upon a sudden, Kiba blushed and said to Matsuda.
“Now, now, Matsuda-kun. I, am good with the seat
behind Ise-kun… I want tobe on the same row as Ise-kun.”
And like, bruh, that bishonen said that! W, what was
with that otome’s desire~!?
“Kya kya…!!!”
“No way, Kiba-kyun!”
Kiba and I looked back and forth to find and hear some
of the girls weeping with a mix between sadness and joy.
Kiryuu shone her glasses and said.
“Watching things like this every day, I guess as far
as the girls concerned they would consider this unbearable in the future!”
What kind of situation was that!? However, with this
feeling of Kiba’s presence alone, their sad cries would be more likely rise up
every day!?
Nonetheless, I couldn’t wait for this to happen! And
appearing before us, the Seitou Kaichou Zenovia!
“The privilege of sitting near Ise’s seat also
belongs to us!”
“Right right”
“Being near Ise-san is good!”
Irina and Asia followed. Aaa Asia-chan! How such
frantic blush gave appeal, to the point of me dying of happiness!
“By the authority of Student Council President I will
sit beside Ise! Or, I shall sit close to Asia!”
What absurd words Zenovia! Use that authority
accordingly!
Irina remembered that her friend didn’t mention her
name.
“Zenovia! Am I not that good to you?”
“Control yourself, Irina!”
Asia was sweet and naive, while Zenovia sometimes
got strict towards Irina.
“Fookin Ise!!!”
Matsuda and Motohama let their jealousy burned
seeing all this.
The place of prestige went down wasted as Kiryuu went
in.
“Yes yes, for now, Hyoudou’s supposed group is
trying to decide to get their seat behind the girls’ group, we have no choice
to settle for the seats beside Hyoudou’s but Janken [2].”
Working for the seat close to me, Asia, Zenovia, and
Irina grouped together, and Kiba was the fourth person! ... The seat next to me
quickly became the source of concern of creating a small war between men and
women, I couldn’t feel anything but embarrassment!
As the four people heated up, the Janken showdown
started.
The first one who got the privilege was…
“I did it! I’m glad!”
Asia-chan was teary! This time the Janken was powerful,
Asia! I could feel the fates!
Asia got out, and the three swordsmen (Zenovia, Irina,
Kiba) set their sight on serious mode.
“Since Asia-san is out, we don’t have to necessarily
go easy now!”
“Don’t tell me that, Kiba!”
“I won’t lose.”
The situation heated up, their eyes wouldn’t stop looking
at the high speed Janken showdown! Then, they started showing the fastest hand
movement I had ever seen in Janken, how the hell, these three people? Why, did
they make such a serious effort to win the seat close to me? Especially Kiba!
Shortly after, votes for the seat order were
decided, it was at Rossweisse-san...
If the B class students’ votes were considered as
much as possible, moving to new seats would be green-lighted, with new arrangement.
Rossweisse-san uttered the new seat where students
would go.
Ultimately, our boys’ group and Asia’s female group
made peace and assembled together as an eight-person form.
My vote were accepted and I sat near the window. Then,
on my seat before was…Asia! On the diagonal right seat was Irina.
On the same row two seats in front of me was
Zenovia. Because she lost the Janken, she was a bit far from me.
“I won’t be defeated next time.”
Slightly annoying bravado, but she didn’t seem to
have given up yet. Well, in second year she sometimes would take a seat close to
me but, now that Zenovia sit near me, it’s going to be fun. I wouldn’t be tired
to be seeing her every single interesting reaction to lessons, to say the least.
And then, behind me was the inevitable…
I looked behind me and there was Kiba! He was so
fixated to the seat behind me, that he got the right for it from winning the
Janken after the admirable Asia.
Kiba looked satisfied.
Because of my curiosity, during lunch break, I
turned my body towards the back and asked Kiba
“Are you fine with sitting behind my back?”
Kiba answered while smiling.
“Yes. Being able to turn around to a friend and have
a chat with them during breaks It was a dream for me.”
…
Really, this guy… Surprisingly, such his desire to be
a dream, perhaps I should say it to be too cheap… Asia and the girls said while
bringing out their lunch boxes.
“Ise-san, let us eat lunch together.”
Matsuda and Motohama said while stretching their
lunch boxes.
“Yes, yes, food for new seats!”
That was right. Everyone having lighthearted chat
while enjoying meal together was special. Such moment like this, everyday peace
was something to feel from the bottom of the heart.
In any case, Asia, Zenovia, Irina, Kiryu, Kiba,
Matsuda, Motohama! Please take care of me for one year until graduation!
Translator's Notes:
[1] A school tradition of reshuffling each students to be designated in
different classes than their previous year so as to give them
opportunity to know other students of their alumnae as well as giving
new study atmosphere. Commonly done in a yearly basis at Asian schools
that mostly have one room per class policy and do not practice “moving
classes” routine, namely, the students go to the designated classroom of
that subject ala university.
[2] Janken means the classic Rock, Paper, and Scissor game
[2] Janken means the classic Rock, Paper, and Scissor game
