Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 154
Chapter 154: The Eccentric Classmates
Even after revealing my true identity, there was no immediate reaction from my classmates.
It’s not like they would instantly believe that the stunning silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty standing before them was actually the same unremarkable, average Japanese guy they once knew as their classmate.
This isn’t some convenient story.
This is the normal reaction.
In that sense, the fact that Shiori quickly accepted my new appearance was an exceptional case.
If we’re being realistic, my classmates probably think this is some kind of elaborate prank show or a planned TV stunt.
In fact, they were all fidgety, like they were waiting for something to happen.
Now, how should I handle this situation?
The lack of response was seriously troubling.
Silence took over the classroom, while out in the hallway, students who overheard my confession were shouting, “Kamijo? As in that Kamijo!?” causing a commotion.
Because I was hanging out with two handsome guys, my name—Sora Kamijo—was fairly well-known outside the class.
Of course, not in a favorable way. More like, “Why is he friends with those good-looking guys?”—that kind of curiosity.
The story spread in no time, and before I knew it, students were crowding around the windows like something out of a horror movie, trying to catch a glimpse of me.
Then the teachers rushed in, instructing everyone to return to their own classrooms.
Inside, it was dead silent. Outside, total chaos.
Amidst the confusion, the silence was suddenly broken when one of my classmates stood up and walked over to where I stood, frozen.
Her name was Yuuna Maeda, the class monitor. With her long black hair styled in a braid and ponytail, she always gave off a fashionable and elegant impression. She was one of those girls considered quite beautiful.
Maeda stood in front of me, her refined face staring directly into mine.
What’s going on?
Was she questioning my earlier statement? Her expression was more serious than usual.
Sweat started dripping from my forehead as I mentally braced myself, ready to withstand whatever she was about to say.
It felt like I was trapped in a cage with a wild beast, the tension so thick I could barely breathe.
Maeda slowly extended her arms, then—
“Kyaa! Sora-kun, you’re so cute!”
Suddenly, she hugged me.
Huh?
Before I could even form words, I was frozen in place, completely enveloped in the floral scent unique to girls.
That moment set off a chain reaction. As soon as she exploded with that strange outburst, the rest of my classmates shot up from their seats and sprang into action, like they’d been jolted awake.
“The class monitor has lost her mind!”
“Of course, the monitor, who’s obsessed with cute things, would be the first to go!”
“I’m so jealous! I want to hug Kamijo-kun as much as I can right now!”
“Heh, the class monitor and a beautiful silver-haired girl entwined… I have no regrets in life!”
“Hey, Watanabe’s nose is bleeding again, and he’s passed out.”
“Just leave him, he looks happy. He’ll be back up by the time the teacher gets here.”
“Good morning, Kamijo-kun. That silver hair of yours is gorgeous. Just tying it up in a ponytail seems like such a waste, so can I play with it later?”
“Hey, Nakai, that’s not fair, cutting in line!”
A variety of reactions were coming from my classmates. Among them, Nakai, the gal-type girl sitting directly in front of me, spoke to me with her usual casual tone as I was being hugged.
The mood in the classroom had completely shifted from the funeral-like silence earlier to something incredibly lively.
The boys were muttering things like, “I know it’s wrong, but she’s just my type!” and, “Ah man, being this cute should be illegal!” while they clutched their heads in despair, yelling strange things at the ceiling.
Meanwhile, the girls started swarming around me, gushing, “She’s so tiny and adorable!” and “C-could you call me onee-chan!?” Their excitement was palpable as they crowded closer.
Struggling to somehow escape from the class monitor’s tight embrace, I watched the scene unfold in utter confusion.
What happened to the silence just a moment ago?
Why am I even being hugged by the class monitor right now?
I have no idea.
Everything is so unclear, but there’s one thing I do know for sure.
They’re accepting me for who I am now.
Before I could feel happiness, I was puzzled, wondering why. My two best friends, smiling as they observed the classmates, answered me.
“You were so engrossed with Takanashi-chan at the summer festival that you didn’t notice what was going on around you. Almost everyone in the class saw you back then.”
“Later, everyone called us out to explain you to them, and of course, given the situation in the world, they accepted it pretty easily.”
“Oh, I see?”
Thinking about it, that does make sense.
That day, I was so focused on coming out to Shinji and Shiro about becoming a silver-haired, blue-eyed girl and enjoying the festival with Kurono that I completely forgot my classmates would also be at the festival.
If they saw me with the two guys I know so well, it’s no wonder they’d want to call me out.
But if that’s the case, they could have just told me what everyone already knew.
Then I wouldn’t have had to feel so nervous.
Feeling a bit excluded, I frowned and interrogated the two of them.
Shinji and Shiro looked genuinely apologetic and apologized to me, who was surrounded by the girls.
“Sorry about that. But these guys asked us to keep it quiet from you.”
“Honestly, we wanted to tell you beforehand. It seems everyone wanted to surprise you.”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t do surprises like that, they’re not good for my heart.”
My two friends chuckled at me with those resentful eyes.
Well, from what I heard, Shinji and Shiro didn’t do anything wrong, and they were really supportive, so I should probably let it go.
As I stopped questioning them, Maeda, who was hugging me, seemed satisfied and stepped back a bit to represent everyone.
“Well, Kamijo-kun, were you surprised?”
“…Yeah, I was surprised.”
“Sorry! I was planning to reveal everything right after listening to your story, but…”
Maeda seemed to tremble slightly, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief as she looked at me.
“I—I just… think Kamijo-kun is way too cute! I can’t hold myself back!”
“Class monitor!?”
With no escape route for Sora, Maeda hugged her again, fully unleashing her desires.
“You’re so cute! Kamijo-kun, why don’t you come over to my place tonight? I have a ton of cute clothes that would look perfect on you!”
“Class monitor, didn’t Takamiya-kun and the others tell you not to talk about things like that?”
“Kamijo-kun, if you follow the class monitor, you’ll end up being her dress-up doll, so don’t do it!”
Girls who explode with their feelings are truly something else, and the force with which they hug is like a vise grip.
Judging that they couldn’t help, Sora’s two friends, along with the other boys in the class, could only stand back and watch.
As she was surrounded and jostled by the girls, trying to ignore the various things brushing against her body, the classroom door swung open with force, revealing a tall woman with a hairstyle reminiscent of a Japanese doll dressed in a suit.
Her name was Mirei Satsuki.
She was the teacher in charge, known as Sacchan among the class.
Satsuki scanned the classroom and furrowed her brow at the sight of most students not sitting in their seats.
“Hey! It’s time for morning homeroom! Everyone, get back to your seats!”
Her voice was loud enough to reach the entire classroom, causing everyone to hurriedly return to their seats.
Sora watched Maeda leave with a disappointed expression and took her own seat, meeting the gaze of the female teacher who had quelled the commotion with just a single word.
Having been briefed by the principal beforehand, she looked at Sora, whose appearance had changed as she had been told, with a troubled expression.
However, she didn’t have anything special to say.
Looking away, Satsuki turned to the hallway and called out to someone outside to come into the classroom.
The person who entered was another silver-haired, blue-eyed girl dressed in the female uniform of Kamisato High School.
The moment she appeared, the classmates other than Sora were left speechless by her delicate beauty.
As she blushed slightly, feeling shy under everyone’s attention, she stopped next to the teacher’s desk, prompting Satsuki to speak.
“This is a new classmate who will be studying with us starting today. She’s a first-year middle school student but passed the adventurer qualification and entrance exam, allowing her to enroll in Kamisato High School as an exception.”
“I know it might be intimidating to be in a school with mostly older students without anyone your age, but luckily, it seems like you’re related to Kamijo-san. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask him.”
“I—I’m Kurono Takanashi! Nice to meet you all!”
With the emergence of a genuine silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty, the classmates’ excitement reached a peak, resulting in thunderous cheers that echoed throughout the school.