One of the Typical Traits of an Introvert “Being Forgotten by Classmates After a Holiday”
“Yo, Shuhei. You look different this morning—did you decide to make a late high school debut this semester?”
The one who said this to me was my only friend in high school, Shibata Tomoya.
Our seats were next to each other, and as fellow introverts, we naturally became friends—or at least, that’s how I remember it.
But since these memories are from five years ago, they’re pretty fuzzy.
“Well, something like that, I guess.”
“Whoa, seriously? Forget the high school debut thing. Let’s just keep living quietly like microscopic algae, like we always have as introverts, alright?”
“Or maybe you should try changing too, Tomoya.”
“Come on, if introverts could change that easily, there wouldn’t be any introverts left. Seriously, though—what’s going on? You’ve bulked up, and you’re like a whole different person. Did you join a French mercenary unit and head off to the Middle East or something?”
“Well, you know, a lot happened.”
“What’s with the ‘well, you know’? Did you actually go to the Middle East or something?”
“Nah, I didn’t go to the Middle East.”
“Right? Don’t scare me like that.”
“Haha, my bad.”
Well, I didn’t go to the Middle East, but I did go to another world.
And I even fought and defeated the Demon King.
So, yeah, “a lot happened” pretty much sums it up.
Of course, if I said that outright, people would think I was crazy, so I don’t mention it.
After chatting with Tomoya for a while at our desks, the bell rang, and the homeroom teacher came in.
Following the teacher’s instructions, we moved to the gym, where the usual, boring opening ceremony began…
“Why do principals always love to talk so much…?”
As is typical for such ceremonies, the principal’s speech, which didn’t really have any substance, had already gone on for over ten minutes.
Whispering so only I could hear, Tomoya muttered,
“Can’t argue with you there.”
I couldn’t help but agree.
“Don’t they realize no one’s listening to a speech this long? It’s pure self-indulgence.”
“If they realized that, they wouldn’t talk so much.”
“Exactly. Ugh, I hope I never turn into one of those selfish adults.”
Not only Tomoya, but a quick glance around showed most of the students were clearly bored stiff by the lengthy speech.
Even some of the teachers weren’t bothering to hide their tired expressions.
As for the second-year dean, who was running the ceremony, he kept glancing at his watch with visible irritation.
Personally, while I found it annoying, compared to the life-or-death struggles I faced as a hero, the principal’s long-windedness was just a minor annoyance, so I listened attentively.
Come to think of it, back in the other world Orphermaus, the kings, ministers, and other bigwigs also loved to talk endlessly.
Maybe people who rise to power naturally develop the urge to talk a lot.
As a hero, whenever I was asked to give speeches, I always kept them short and to the point.
Finally, after nearly 15 minutes, the principal’s “precious” speech came to an end, and we returned to the classroom to start the traditional new semester activity: the seat lottery…
One by one, we drew slips of paper from a box on the teacher’s desk.
“Number 7… That means I’m in the very back seat by the window.”
“No way! That’s an amazing spot. Lucky you. Let’s see… I’m number 15. Ugh, seriously?! The front and center? My second semester is ruined…”
Meanwhile, Tomoya ended up in the so-called “VIP seat” at the very front and center. He gave me a despairing look before slumping his shoulders and moving to his new spot.
I sat down in my new seat at the very back by the window.
Next to me was… the leader of the outgoing girls’ group, Hasumi-san.
“Looking forward to sitting next to you, Hasumi-san.”
Since we’d be neighbors for a while, I greeted her briefly.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Same here… um…”
Hasumi-san’s face briefly showed an “Oh no” moment.
She quickly regained her bright smile, but the meaning was obvious.
“Oda. Oda Shuhei.”
“Oh, right, Oda-kun. Sorry, I just blanked on your name for a second. Nice to meet you, neighbor!”
This is one of the typical traits of an introvert, “Being forgotten by classmates after a holiday.”
Honestly, she probably never remembered my name in the first place, but of course, I didn’t point that out.
That’s just how introverts are.
In fact, living quietly and unobtrusively is what being an introvert is all about.
So it’s no surprise that, after a summer vacation lasting over a month, most girls in the class didn’t remember the names of the introverted boys.
(Yeah, that’s the kind of position I was in before I went to another world and came back. It’s kind of nostalgic.)
In the other world Orphermaus, I was famous as the hero everyone knew, so this was a refreshing change of pace.
(Over there, I was always “that hero, Shuhei Oda,” no matter where I went. I couldn’t even walk around freely. Thinking about it, this is easier and not so bad.)
Life as a hero in the other world, constantly on the brink of death, was truly tough.
Compared to that, life back here feels slower, almost like an easy mode, and I can see the positive side of everything.
“Peace really is the best…”