This morning’s breakfast is green bean porridge—my absolute favourite.

The comforting aroma of sweet coconut milk mixed with green beans filled the cafeteria, bringing a small smile to my face. But not everyone shared my enthusiasm.

“Ugh… What is this? It looks disgusting. Is this really food for humans?” Irana’s voice was loud enough to turn a few heads.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Irana, don’t be so rude. It might not look appetizing, but it’s healthy and delicious. This is my favourite food you know.”

She turned her sceptical gaze toward me, her nose wrinkled as if the porridge itself had offended her.

“Onee-chan’s favourite? Don’t lie. You’re just saying that to make me eat this, aren’t you?”

I frowned. “No, Irana. This really is my favourite. It’s sweet, tasty, and incredibly good for you.”

“If Onee-chan says so…” she muttered, still clearly unconvinced.

I shrugged. She might not believe me now, but maybe she’d change her mind after trying it.

After getting our food, I scanned the cafeteria for Viola. She wasn’t at our usual spot. Just as I turned to look toward the far corner, a familiar, grating voice called out.

“Oh, Boss! Finally, we meet… Wait, boss? Boss, why are you wearing a girl’s uniform?”

It was the gang of mischievous boys who always seemed to find me, no matter where I was.

“Hmph,” I replied, crossing my arms. “What do you mean, why? I’m a girl, so of course, I wear a girl’s uniform.”

The boys froze, their jaws dropping as if I’d just confessed to a heinous crime. Then they huddled together, whispering in a flurry of animated gestures.

I ignored their antics and spotted Viola sitting alone at a table in the far corner. Why is she all the way over there? I grabbed Irana’s hand and made my way toward her.

“Boss! Wait!” one of the boys shouted behind me. “We’ve just decided on a new nickname for you!”

I groaned inwardly. “I don’t care. Don’t bother me right now. Shoo, shoo!”

“Boss! Just listen!”

“Later! I’ll hear it later. Now leave me alone!”

Finally, the boys gave up, and I exhaled in relief. “Irana, let’s go. Viola’s been waiting too long.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Viola,” I said as we reached the table.

She waved off my apology with a small smile. “Don’t worry, I haven’t waited long.”

I slid into the seat across from her, while Irana plopped down next to me.

“By the way,” I began as I picked up my spoon, “have you heard anything about class distribution? Is there any news from upperclassman?”

Viola tilted her head thoughtfully. “Not officially, but there’s a rumour going around that the classes won’t be mixed this year. Girls will be with girls, and boys with boys.”

I nearly dropped my spoon. “Wait, what? That’s new. Are you sure?”

“I’m not completely sure, but I heard it from a new student who has an upperclassman relative.”

Irana raised an eyebrow. “That source sounds… unreliable.”

Viola shrugged. “Maybe, but it makes sense. The rumour’s everywhere, and it’s too specific to be made up.”

I leaned back, digesting the news. “If it’s true, then we definitely won’t be in the same class.”

“What do you mean?” Viola asked.

“Well, obviously, because I’m—”

“Blegh!” Irana interrupted with a loud gagging sound. “What is this?! It has no flavour at all! Onee-chan, you lied to me! It’s not sweet or delicious!”

Startled, I turned to her. “Huh? That’s strange.” I glanced at her bowl and immediately spotted the problem. “Irana, where’s the coconut milk?”

“The what?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Oh no…” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “And let me guess, you didn’t add sugar either?”

She blinked at me blankly.

I sighed again and swapped our bowls. “Here, take mine.”

I stood to get coconut milk and sugar, but when arrived there, a long queue had already formed. Great... Just great

“Boss?” a familiar voice called.

The boys had found me again.

“Didn’t you already get food earlier?” one asked, puzzled. “Are you that hungry?”

I smirked, handing my bowl to the nearest one. “Actually, I forgot to add coconut milk and sugar. Do me a favour and swap your with me, okay?”

Without waiting for a response, I grabbed his bowl and walked off.

From behind me, I heard the commotion start.

“That bastard! How lucky can he get?”

“Give me that bowl!”

“The precious bowl touched by the boss!”

I shook my head, quickening my pace. Some things never change.

----------------------------------------

After breakfast, the next task was to check the bulletin board for class distribution. That was the plan, at least, until the dorm mother announced that all students were to gather in the field under the blazing morning sun.

The entire student body assembled, standing in rows that looked uncomfortably like a military formation. It felt as if we were a battalion preparing for war. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. It was just the morning assembly.

But honestly, it felt endless. Sweat trickled down my neck as I stood there, trying to pay attention to whatever the dorm mother and the principal were saying. I couldn’t. Their words became background noise as the heat sapped my energy.

Finally, the assembly ended, but instead of dismissing us, the dorm mother divided the students into groups of three and assigned each group a task. My group? The most thrilling, glamorous task of them all: cleaning the toilets.

Viola and Irana weren’t in the same group as me. Instead, I was paired with two strangers: a girl with twin tails and another with a ponytail who seemed older, possibly a second-year. Great. My luck couldn’t get worse.

But Aria, think positively. It’s just cleaning toilets. How bad can it really be?

...

...

...

I take back my words.

The girls’ toilet was horrifying. Used sanitary pads littered the floor, and the stench was unbearable. My stomach churned as I surveyed the mess.

“Yuck… I almost threw up just smelling this,” said the twin-tailed girl, covering her nose.

I nodded in agreement, swallowing hard to keep my breakfast down.

“We’d better clean this quickly,” said the ponytail girl, her tone weary yet resolute. “The dorm mother will scold us if we don’t.”

“Are girls’ toilets always… uh… this filthy?” I asked hesitantly.

“Only at the start of the semester,” the ponytail girl replied. “It gets better once the janitors start their routine.”

“So we’re the unlucky ones who have to clean it this time?” the twin-tailed girl groaned.

The ponytail girl gave a bitter smile. “Unfortunately, yes. Let’s just get it over with.”

I grabbed a trash bag and reluctantly picked up a used sanitary pad from the floor, holding it as far away from myself as possible. The thought of girls being this careless made me shudder.

This experience also served as a grim reminder: I hadn’t experienced that part of being a girl yet. Note to self: research how to properly dispose of these later.

Time dragged on as we cleaned the mess. By the end, my hands felt raw from scrubbing, and my body ached from crouching and reaching into tight corners.

“Finally... it’s done,” the twin-tailed girl said, her voice filled with exhaustion. Her pale face mirrored my own fatigue and nausea.

“Let’s report back to the dorm mother,” the ponytail girl said, trying to sound upbeat despite her clear exhaustion.

The three of us trudged back to the dorm mother in silence. None of us had introduced ourselves during the entire ordeal. Even after reporting back, we went our separate ways without exchanging names.

The dorm mother handed me a brochure detailing our class locations, a school map, school rules, and a list of available clubs. Fancy, right? This school really does seem elite. But seriously, what kind of elite school doesn’t have an active janitor at the start of the semester?!

As I scanned the class distribution, my heart leapt with joy. Good news! I was in the same class as Irana and Viola!

When I found them, relief overwhelmed me. Without thinking, I ran up to them, throwing my arms around them both. Tears welled up in my eyes. It felt like I hadn’t seen them in years.

“Uuuh... Oh no, my eyes... Tears are flowing! This is so embarrassing, crying on the first day of school.”

“Onee-chan?” Irana’s voice was concerned. “Why are you crying? Did someone bully you? Tell me who it is.”

“No… no one bullied me!” I stammered between sobs, trying to explain.

“Aria…” Viola’s voice turned serious. “Just tell us. Who dared to make you cry like this?”

Why were these two gentle girls suddenly acting so fierce?

“No one! Sob… no one bullied me!” I took a deep breath, finally managing to calm down a little. “Think about it. Who could even bully me?”

They paused, seemingly considering the question.

“…Right. It doesn’t seem possible for anyone to bully Onee-chan,” Irana admitted.

“Yeah,” Viola agreed. “I can’t imagine a cold-blooded monster like Aria being bullied.”

“Cold-blooded monster?” I repeated indignantly, but before I could respond further, a voice cut in.

“She’s crying because… just my guess… the disgusting toilet.”

I turned toward the voice and immediately recognized the twin-tailed girl from my cleaning group. Oh no. I wasn’t ready to explain anything. Without thinking, I buried my face in Irana’s chest to hide.

“Uh, you are…?” Viola asked politely.

“Ahem. Pardon my lack of manners. My name is Minami Kotori. You can call me Kotori. I was in the same group as her earlier,” she said, gesturing toward me.

“Oh, I see,” Viola said, offering a small smile. “I’m Viola Ronela. You can call me Viola.”

“And I’m Miyazaki Irana,” Irana added.

“…And her?” Kotori gestured to me.

“Weren’t you in the same group?” Irana asked.

Kotori nodded sheepishly. “The place we cleaned was… quite disgusting. We were so focused on finishing that we forgot to introduce ourselves.”

Irana nodded in understanding. “This is my twin sister, Miyazaki Aria.”

I felt calmer now. Taking a deep breath, I emerged from my hiding spot, still sniffling but managing a smile.

“Hello… sniff... Nice to meet you, Kotori. As Irana said, my name is Miyazaki Aria. You can call me Aria or Ari for short.”

Kotori stared at me silently for a moment.

“…Why are you just standing there like that?!” I blurted, feeling self-conscious under her gaze.

Kotori blinked, startled by my outburst.

“…Is your sister always like this?” she asked Irana.

“Usually not in public,” Irana replied with a smirk.