35 Opening Ceremony

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, Professor. But that camera...?”

“Haha, you mean this? It’s the day our Name is officially entering the academy, so I thought we ought to commemorate it!”

“The first-years are the stars of the entrance ceremony anyway.”

“But today, I want Name to be the protagonist of the most wonderful story. Now, why don’t you stand over there by the main gate?”

“Okaaay.”

It had been a long time since I’d had my picture taken.

I’d never particularly liked the act of someone recording me in the first place, but in this life, I didn’t feel nearly as reluctant about it.

Being unable to get a word out when meeting strangers was a thing of the past now.

Perhaps this body was naturally outgoing; despite having nothing but memories of feeling exhausted whenever I met people, loneliness was the first emotion I felt when I thought I’d been left alone...