The fourth period that day was chemistry.

I stared blankly at the blackboard and felt gloomy.

In lab classes, we usually have to pair up or form groups.

And every time, there’s a fight over who gets to pair with me. At first, we paired by student number, but soon some girls started complaining, “That’s not fair!”

Apparently, being paired with me was considered unfair. In the end, pairing by student number was scrapped, and now…

“Today, we’ll be doing an experiment to make copper sulfate crystals.”

The moment Nishinomiya-sensei said that, the atmosphere in the classroom changed.

Everyone’s eyes turned to me at once.

All the girls stood up at the same time.

“Sensei, let’s do a lottery!”

“Hurry and get the lottery ready!”

“It’s my turn this time!”

Girls who wanted to be my partner raised their hands and demanded a lottery.

Honestly, this world is messed up. There’s a system where if a girl wins the lottery, she gets to be my partner. For everyone else, the teacher just randomly pairs them up.

Among the girls, there was only one who stayed in her seat.

My childhood friend, Shiroyanagi Wakana, sat to my right. Her student number is just before mine. She used to be my lab partner when we paired by student number.

Her long black hair was tied back, and she had a smart face. She’s the only girl in this school who doesn’t treat me specially.

“Aren’t you joining?”

Wakana turned to look at me.

“Do you want me to?”

“If possible.”

“Hmp. You’re already popular, and it’s still not enough?”

“That’s not it. Wait, is this even considered being popular?”

“I guess so. At least all the other girls are lining up for the chance to be your partner.”

It still didn’t feel right. This would never have happened in my old world.

“So, besides making a situation where every girl wants to pair with you, is there any other reason?”

“Not really, I just feel comfortable with you as my partner.”

“Hmm.”

“So it’d be nice if you joined the lottery too.”

Wakana looked like she was thinking for a moment after hearing my honest answer.

“Alright. I’ll join the lottery for you.”

When she stood up, the classroom buzzed.

“Shiroyanagi-san is joining too?”

“That’s rare!”

“Ugh, if Shiroyanagi joins, my chance drops by like 3.45%…”

Amid the girls’ chatter, Wakana calmly walked forward.

Nishinomiya-sensei started handing out the makeshift lottery slips made from chopsticks.

Today, every girl in the class was participating, including Wakana.

One by one, they drew their slips.

Not this one.

Not this one.

Not this one.

After a string of misses, it was Wakana’s turn.

She drew her slip with a blank expression.

“I got it.”

Silence fell over the classroom.

A few small sighs escaped from the other girls.

Wakana showed no emotion as she returned to her seat next to me.

“You’re lucky with the lottery.”

“They’re just unlucky.”

Wakana was as indifferent as ever, but I honestly felt relieved.

If I were paired with another girl, I’d have to be careful about every little thing again. But with Wakana, I could just focus on the experiment like normal.

“Then, let’s get started.”

“Mm.”

Even now, I was still a special presence in this classroom.

But sitting next to Wakana, I could almost forget that for a little while.

Chapter 4: "Why Do I Get a Special Rule for Choosing a Lab Partner?"