How about a presentation?

"Are you planning to go out?" Hasebe asks me.

"No."

"Huh?"

Leaving her completely in the dark, I stride toward the lectern. At my sight, the class calms down a bit.

'Good, the impression they have of me seems quite right. Now, let's steal the spotlight from someone.'

I reach the lectern and stand tall facing the class. To bring the rest of the distracted students back to me, I clap my hands. The sound emitted is neither too loud nor too soft. It took just three claps to grab everyone's attention.

"Thank you for your attention. Please excuse me for taking your time, but I have an announcement to make to the entire class."

I make eye contact with everyone before continuing.

"Starting from today, we will all share the same class, and if we stick to what has just been told to us, we will follow the same curriculum for three years. Therefore, I suggest we take advantage of this moment to get to know each other. The sooner we bond, the better it will be for the future. What do you say?"

My question isn't really a question. It doesn't require an answer. It's just a formula to make my suggestion accepted.

"I see no problem."

"Yes, let's all get to know each other!"

"It's true that we know nothing about each other, not even our names."

"I agree."

Each student responds favorably in their own way. Whether they agree or not, the choice wasn't given to them in the first place.

"Well then. As the instigator, I'll start. My name is Kōenji, Kōenji Rokusuke. I'm delighted to be in this prestigious high school, and I fully intend to graduate from here. Outside of studies, I enjoy swimming, training, and spending time with my friends. Nice to meet you all."

I bow slightly to greet the class, then straighten up and address everyone again.

"Now it's your turn. Let's follow the seat numbering order."

As I say this, I gaze at the student occupying seat number 1.

He's a young teenager with a slender build, brown hair, and a gloomy look. The kind of character who feels like background material.

He stands up without hesitation, probably galvanized by my introduction.

"Hello, my name is Miyamoto Soshi. As for my aspirations, I want to become a lawyer someday. I'm not very good at sports, but I like video games and anime. I also hope to get along with all of you."

'Not bad. Looks like our extra has something to offer.'

Next is his neighbor, a girl with bluish hair reaching her neck.

Unlike Miyamoto, she doesn't stand up immediately, fixing her gaze on me intensely. In response, I warmly smile at her and meet her gaze with mine. Eventually, she can't take it anymore and breaks away, her face full of embarrassment. Deciding to remain seated, she introduces herself: "I'm Shinohara Satsuki."

'A short introduction. At least she deigned to give her name, that's the main thing.'

"Um..."

The next one is another girl with a still childish face and medium-length brown hair.

From her way of speaking, it's clear she's a very shy person.

'In the novel, the students in her class tried to encourage her, but it had the opposite effect. It took the right words to bring her out.'

"Calm down, no rush, take it easy."

At my words, she calms down, takes a few breaths, and tries again: "My name is Inogashira... Kokoro. Um, my hobby is sewing. I'm quite good at knitting. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

All delighted to have been able to speak without embarrassment, she sits back, satisfied.

The introductions continued after her.

"It's my turn, it seems. Hi, everyone, I'm Hirata Yōsuke. In middle school, a lot of people called me Yōsuke. Feel free to use my first name! I guess my hobby is sports in general, but I particularly love soccer. I plan to play soccer here too. Nice to meet you!"

It's time for the main characters to introduce themselves. This one is one of them, Hirata Yōsuke. In the novel, he was the one who suggested making introductions. He's someone who cherishes group cohesion above all, but he's also a naive idealist.

If I took on his role, it's because he failed in the novel. However, although he's not meant to be a leader, his charisma and friendly aura can be of some use.