Early April.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in my room, bathed in the gentle spring sunlight, I let out a deep sigh.

Reflected in the mirror was a beautiful girl with a black high ponytail, wearing a brand-new bright red leather randoseru (big backpack) on her back, her white hands peeking out from the slightly oversized navy blazer sleeves—Nanase Shizuku 'six years old, mentally a 26-year-old man'.

"...Doesn’t suit me. Seriously, it doesn't suit me at all."

Starting today, I was officially a first-grade elementary school student.

Even with memories of my previous life, my mind was that of a working adult who had experienced both the bitter and sweet sides of life.

Thinking about spending the next six years carrying a randoseru in this small body and relearning basics like "math" and "language," my mental exhaustion was already nearing its limit.

"Shizuku! Hurry up or you’ll be late! Oh my, my child looks so dignified with that randoseru—cutest in the world!"

"Yeah yeah, I got it, Mom. I’m heading out."

Pushed out the door by my doting mother, I stepped onto an unfamiliar route to school, different from the kindergarten I had grown used to, feeling the weight of the leather on my back.

* * *

The entrance ceremony ended without issue.

The representative speech wasn’t given by me, but by the daughter of some wealthy family.

In this world, parents probably pull strings desperately to get their children noticed by boys.

For me, not standing out unnecessarily was a huge win.

And then, during the break after the first homeroom.

Class 1-1 had, just as expected—or rather, even more evolved than in kindergarten—turned into a scene straight out of hell.

There were 32 students in this class.

Only two of them were boys.

One was a chubby rich kid stuffed into a tight designer kids’ suit.

The other was a studious-looking type, nervously adjusting the bridge of his glasses.

By my standards from my previous life, they were just "bratty kids."

But in this world, they were "young kings"—just standing there was enough to make others kneel.

"Hey, your randoseru is amazing! It’s a custom leather one, right? What brand is it?"

"My dad’s an executive at a foreign company! Want to come over this Sunday? We’ve got the latest games!"

"Stop pushing! I booked time to talk to him first!"

"Huh? Your dad’s just a section chief, right? My mom runs an IT company. The future asset value is completely different."

...Speechless.

Back in kindergarten, the competition was about offering sandbox toys or mud balls.

But the moment they entered elementary school, it had evolved into realistic status battles over "parents’ income" and "family standing."

This couldn’t possibly be a conversation between six-year-olds.

So this is early elite education in a world with reversed sexual norms.

The two boys, meanwhile, accepted all that excessive devotion as their natural right.

The chubby one grinned, saying, "Hehe, yeah. My dad had it flown in from Italy."

The glasses one coldly filtered the girls, saying, "...Hmph. If you want to speak to me as equals, first prove your IQ is above average."

‘...Is this a zoo? No, it’s more like a beast-tamer auction.’

From my prime seat—the very back by the window—I rested my cheek on my hand and watched the horrifying scene, letting out a long, deep sigh.

I was fully aware my eyes had gone dead.

That distant look.

The scene I had seen over and over in kindergarten was now repeating itself even more intensely with the start of compulsory education.

I almost felt dizzy at the sheer depth of the burden these girls carried.

Suddenly, I thought of that adorable blonde girl who had ended up going to a different school.

Aoi, who always used to follow behind me.

I wondered if she was getting overwhelmed and crying in a group like this.

'...I’ve got her phone number… maybe I’ll go check on her after school.'

Shaking my head with a "good grief," I turned my gaze out the window, shutting out the noisy classroom.

Cherry blossoms in the schoolyard drifted gently in the wind.

Counting petals would be tens of thousands of times more meaningful than watching that desperate competition.

And just as I sat there, distancing myself from the surrounding chaos—"...Hey, you."

A sharp yet composed voice suddenly fell from above.

When I slowly looked up, a girl stood there, arms crossed, looking down at me instead of joining the group around the boys.

Short, fiery red hair.

Sharp, upturned eyes full of strong will.

Tall, and clearly the dominant, queen-type beauty.

With two followers standing behind her, she had likely already established herself as the leader of the girls in this class.

"...What?"

Still resting my cheek on my hand, I replied briefly, radiating annoyance.

"You’re Nanase Shizuku, right? I’ve been watching you. Why haven’t you gone to greet the boys? As a girl in this class, are you planning to abandon your duty to respect them?"

It seemed my refusal to pander had struck a nerve.

A baptism on the very first day of elementary school.

Annoying, but—I slightly curled my lips and let out a small scoff.

"Duty? Never heard of it. I’m not so free that I’d waste time flattering guys I’m not interested in."

The moment I said that, the entire classroom froze.

Even the girls who had been laughing and chatting around the boys turned to look at me in disbelief.

The red-haired girl opened and closed her mouth in shock, then her shoulders began to tremble.

"W-what!? Do you even understand what you’re saying!? Boys are treasures in this world! Ignoring them isn’t just lacking common sense as a woman—it makes me question your humanity!"

"Common sense, huh. Well, looks like mine’s a bit different from yours. So just leave me alone."

I waved my hand dismissively, signaling her to leave, and turned my gaze back to the cherry blossoms outside.

'...Ahh, I messed up. Got myself marked on day one.'

Behind me, I could hear the red-haired girl shouting, "Hey! I’m not done talking! How rude!"

But I completely ignored her.

A brand-new first grader.

It looked like my elementary school life was going to start far from peaceful—full of chaos.