A bell chimed across the school grounds. The students still lingering about hurried off to their homerooms, paying no mind to the student handbook left discarded on the ground. All except a handsome young man. He knelt and picked up the handbook, flipping idly through the pages.

Every handbook was assigned to a student with their student card. Without their handbook, students couldn't purchase lunch from the cafeteria or login to the student network. The young man turned to the last page where the student's picture ID would be located and froze momentarily when he saw the picture of a girl with long white hair. It wasn't her picture that made him pause, but the other information written next to the student's photo. He committed her appearance to memory. A slow smile spread across his lips as he stood up, slipping the girl's student handbook into his pocket and heading towards the school building.

Emery sat with her chin in her hands as she watched her classmate Ivan hug her damp uniform to his body. A very faint wisp of steam could be seen rising from her clothing.

"You can probably put your uniform back on." Ivan handed Emery her uniform, shaking it out for her.

"Thanks again." Emery gave Ivan a smile. The young man's cheeks reddened and a bit of steam began to rise from his hair. Emery pretended not to notice the steam.

"I-I'm just doing what I can for a fellow classmate." Ivan returned Emery's smile. Another student reached out and began fanning the steam away from the top of Ivan's head.

"I bet we could roast some marshmallows with this heat you're giving off." Lee continued to move his hand back and forth above Ivan's hair. Ivan quickly jerked his head around, swatting at Lee's arm.

"I'm not a stove!"

"But you could be. You and Shana are a match made in heaven right now," Lee laughed while moving out of the way of Ivan's hot skin. He turned and called across the classroom, "Shana, could you make us some marshmallows? Or maybe some instant noodles?"

A thin girl sitting near the door turned away from her friends to roll her eyes at Lee. "You just ate and you're already hungry?"

"It would just be such a waste to ignore an opportunity like this." Lee gestured towards Ivan who was quickly cooling down. "Aw wait, don't chill out. Emery, smile at him again, he's losing 「HEAT」!"

Emery didn't know how to respond and could only laugh awkwardly. Ivan hit Lee with his notebook before smiling apologetically at Emery.

It wasn't that he liked her, it was just that Emery was too beautiful when she smiled at full blast. Usually her smiles were pretty reserved, but when she wasn't being shy about it, her smiles could blind a person. All the boys in the class could definitely agree, though Emery was considered trash by the rest of the school, she was their dumpster's flower. She may be the lowest ranking student in the school, but if there were to be a beauty contest, she would not be considered trash then. The male students of class 6 had dedicated themselves to doing whatever they could to help out this precious flower that had been tossed into the rubbish heap with them. Ivan took this especially seriously as he was her desk mate. They suffered through thick and thin together and could be said to have a special bond.

Emery politely excused herself from her classmates' banter and headed for the restroom to change. She'd been wearing her jersey through homeroom and seat assignment. She was just grateful Ivan had managed to dry her uniform in time for the opening ceremony.

Sitting next to Ivan was a relief again this year. They'd been desk mates since they entered the school. Seats in class 6 were assigned by rank, alternating seats between those at the top and those at the bottom. Ivan and Emery were always seat mates as the highest and lowest ranked students in class 6. Even when a transfer student had come into their class in their second year, they hadn't changed positions. They remained steady companions throughout the years. Ivan always helped her out when she was in a bind. Or at least, he always helped to dry her things when they got wet from bullying and she never had to eat a cold lunch.

The opening ceremony was always a boring affair. Emery watched her classmate Miles from the corner of her eye. His neighbor was constantly poking him anytime he began to doze off. He was usually a very earnest student, but the opening ceremony always made him drowsy. All of class 6 kept their eyes on Miles to make sure he didn't seriously start to fall asleep. As soon as he did, their entire row would be snoring until the ceremony ended.

"Miles drank some coffee before the ceremony, but I don't think it's helping," Alora leaned over to Emery and whispered. Her eyes were anxious as she glanced down the row. Unlike their seating arrangement in the classroom, they were seated strictly by rank. Alora was the second lowest in their class and always kept Emery company during events like this.

"Katherine keeps poking him, so it should be okay." Emery and Alora both turned to glance down the row to see Katherine poke Miles again, this time a small spark shocking through him. He jumped and widened his eyes while the rest of class 6 couldn't help but let out a few giggles. Their homeroom teacher glared down their row, her finger over her lips.

Emery tried to hide her smile while Alora bit her lip to stop her giggles. A few of the hairs on Miles's head stood straight up, charged from Katherine's 「STATIC」 while Katherine's hair looked like it was ready to fly off her head. She quickly pulled a hairband from her wrist and wrapped her hair into a ponytail, shooting glares at Miles as she tamed her shocked hair.

Emery and Alora faced back towards the front. The principal had just finished his introductory speech, stepping back to let the student council president take the stand.

"I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all the new students that have been admitted this year and welcome back my fellow seniors and the underclassmen who are starting their second year." The student council president flashed a blinding smile. After his greeting, Roy began his customary warning to all the new students. Should they misbehave, he'd have to use 「REIN」 on them. "As you all should have been made aware, I was chosen as the student body president not only because my fellow students voted for me, but because of my power. Should any of you decide to disregard the rules, I will not hesitate to leave you powerless."

Alora shuddered next to Emery and wrapped her arms around herself. "I just love it when he threatens us. Every year his glare gets more fierce."

Emery grinned. "If he knew how gross you are, he'd stomp you into the ground."

"I wish he would!" Alora blushed, her head tilting to the side as she devolved into fantasy.

Emery elbowed her in the side. "Pervert." Alora slapped Emery playfully in the arm as Roy finished his speech.

"Before we're dismissed, there's one last announcement to be made. I will let our school's top student have the honor of informing you to the changes made in this year's inter-school tournament."

The auditorium buzzed with the excited whispers of the students. If Emery were the flower of the dumpster, then the young man who now approached the podium was the emperor of their school. Everyone knew this young man. He was one of the few S-rated powers in the high school. His fighting ability was unmatched and his looks were unparalleled. Even other high schools paid attention to him. There were rumors that schools had been trying to poach him nonstop since he first arrived on the scene. For the past two years, he had remained undefeated at the very pinnacle of the school.

Jun waited for the whispers of his fellow students to die down. His dark eyes swept the audience until his gaze spotted an impossibly white head of hair near the back of the auditorium. He stared straight at her, his gaze unwavering as he began to speak.

"This year's inter-school tournament will not be fought individually as single representatives of schools, but in teams of two."

The auditorium erupted into conversation. Students turned to one another, eyes wide as they comprehended the words the young man on the stage had just spoken. The only students who remained mostly unfazed were those near the back, the students of class 6.

"Even when he has something so important to announce, he doesn't mince words," Alora muttered. "It's too bad the president already has my heart, otherwise I'd definitely fall for that coldness."

Emery covered her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter. "Pervert."

Jun turned from the podium to let the principal dismiss the students, glancing from the corner of his eye towards that white head one last time.