The high school sat atop a hill, so getting there meant walking up a gentle slope.

Cherry blossom trees lined both sides of the road, making it especially beautiful at this time of year.

Come to think of it, during my previous life, I had always dreamed of walking up this hill with a girlfriend someday.

In the end, that dream never came true.

At the top of the hill stood the school building, with the entrance on the left.

Since we were starting our second year, the classes had been reshuffled, so the first thing I did was check the class assignment board.

Not that I really needed to.

I already knew which class I’d be in from my previous life.

I was just confirming it to be safe.

As expected, I had been assigned to the exact same class.

It seemed I had truly returned to the same world.

After changing into my indoor shoes at the shoe lockers, I walked down the familiar school hallway toward my classroom.

Once inside, I checked the seating chart.

Even my assigned seat was exactly the same as before.

“Hey.”

“I’m Murase.”

“Nice to meet you.”

As soon as I sat down, the guy in the seat in front of me turned around and greeted me.

Just like last time, the student sitting there was Murase Ritsu.

He was of average height but had a solid, athletic build.

He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he certainly wasn’t bad-looking either.

“I’m Mogami.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

“You’ve got an impressive build.”

“What club are you in?”

“The cooking club.”

“Seriously?”

“You look like you could fit into any sports club.”

“I guess it’s both a hobby and something practical.”

“What about you, Murase?”

“What club are you in?”

“The tennis club.”

“If I remember right, first-years mostly spend their time picking up balls, don’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“As a first-year, you barely get to step onto the court.”

“But starting in our second year, we finally get to use the courts properly.”

“I’ve been waiting for this.”

After chatting with me for a while, Murase turned and started talking with the classmate beside him.

Looking around the classroom, I noticed everyone enthusiastically introducing themselves to their new classmates.

Since the classes had been reshuffled for the second year, that was only natural.

Back in my previous life, I had been little more than an unnoticed background character, so I rarely started conversations myself.

This time, I decided I’d at least chat with the classmates sitting near me.

Just because I’d gone to another world didn’t mean I’d suddenly become an outgoing social butterfly.

A background character was still a background character.

Come to think of it, I had been a background character in the other world too.

As the party’s Negotiator, I never achieved flashy victories in battle, so I had never been someone who stood out.

“Good morning, Morioka.”

“Good morning.”

“Um… could you tell me your name again?”

“Mogami.”

“Nice to meet you.”

A girl had taken the seat next to mine, so I greeted her.

Her name was Morioka Sara.

She was rather short and gave off a quiet, gentle impression.

She had long hair and wore glasses.

“What club are you in, Morioka?”

“The English Conversation Club.”

“Oh.”

“That’s impressive.”

“You must be fluent in English.”

“No, no.”

“Just because I’m in the English Conversation Club doesn’t mean I can actually speak English.”

When I returned from the other world, every one of my skills had disappeared.

Still, I really wished the language comprehension skill—one of the classic abilities people get when transported to another world—had remained.

If I’d kept that, I’d have aced every English exam.

“What about you, Mogami?”

“What club are you in?”

“The cooking club.”

“Really?”

“You look like you’d be good at sports.”

“I’d say it’s both a hobby and something practical.”

Just then, homeroom began.

The school day finally came to an end.

“Finally, classes are over!”

“Murase, do you have club practice on the very first day?”

“Yeah.”

“We finally get to use the courts.”

“I can’t afford to waste even a single day.”

“I see.”

“Good luck.”

After chatting with several classmates for a while longer, Murase left the classroom.

Since it was the first day, the rest of the class also seemed eager to get to know one another.

As for me, I headed toward the cooking room.

The cooking club didn’t have fixed activity days.

Members were free to use the cooking room after school whenever they wanted.

Most of the club members simply dropped by after school whenever they felt like it, cooked something, and then headed home.

I had originally joined the cooking club because sports had never been my strong point.

My parents were always busy, so I often had to make my own dinner.

I figured that learning to cook through a school club would teach me far more than trying to figure everything out at home by myself.

I could have switched clubs when I entered my second year.

But after sticking with it this long, I had genuinely come to enjoy cooking.

So I decided to stay in the cooking club.