Chapter 2

## Scene 2

* Japanese
* English

## Chapter Chronology

**“Wooo... An Unsettling Karaoke Booth”** (そわそわのカラオケボックス, *Sowa Sowa no Karaoke Bokkusu*?) is the second chapter of Misaki Takamatsu's manga series, *Skip and Loafer*.

## Summary

The day begins with a customary self-introduction by the students in the class, with Kento Yamada starting the process, followed by Mitsumi Iwakura as called upon by their homeroom teacher, Sakura Hanazono. Earlier that day, Mitsumi was travelling on a train with her aunt Nao, feigning confidence about her self-introduction. However, Nao suggested that she should smile. During the train ride, a group of students from another academy were heard making random comments about Nao, noticing that she held onto the pole and stereotyping her as a man. Although the students were speaking quietly, their conversation was audible enough for Nao to hear. However, Nao became distracted when Mitsumi touched her hand and asked if her smile was appropriate, causing Nao to embrace her niece affectionately. Mitsumi recalled this earlier encounter and decided to smile during her self-introduction in front of her classmates.

During her introduction, Mitsumi provided her name, birth month, and place of origin, specifically mentioning that she previously lived in Ikajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. Mitsumi's classmates asked her several questions, which she answered and when Mitsumi revealed her aspiration to work for the government, she was asked why. Mitsumi attempted to make a joke, stating that she is a woman who exceeds all expectations and deserves to be at the top. However, her classmates seemed to have taken her response literally, and were flustered by her answer.

The next student to introduce himself was Sousuke Shima. He began by stating his name and where he hails from, which is Tokyo. When asked about his future aspirations, he mentioned not having any specific dreams at the moment. However, he jokingly added that he would like to work under Mitsumi, which garnered laughter from the audience. Mitsumi, on the other hand, while perusing Shima's personal biography, couldn't help but think of him as her dog Satonosuke, as they both shared similar looks and names starting with the same syllable. This coincidence left Mitsumi spellbound.

Sakura then announced that she was looking for a boy and a girl to volunteer for the committee. Mitsumi eagerly stepped forward to volunteer, while the male classmates urged Shima to do the same, and he accepted the position. As the two stood up in front of the class to write something on the board, the rest of the classmates couldn't help but notice how well they seemed to vibe with each other, despite only having started school together for two days. While Mika was observing them, along with the rest of the class, she couldn't help but speculate that Mitsumi, who she found to be weird, would likely develop feelings for Shima. However, Mika was also interested in whether Shima was a natural charmer or if he was purposely trying to vibe with Mitsumi. This piqued her curiosity, and she couldn't help but want to find out more.

To celebrate their post-entrance examination, Mika invited everyone to a karaoke, and Mitsumi was excited to go as it would be her first time. Mika also invited a few guys, including Shima, who agreed to come upon hearing that Mitsumi would be there. One of the girls coming with was Yuzuki Murashige, whom Mika found very attractive but hoped would not join them. After class, Mika warned Mitsumi not to trust Shima easily, as he might lead her to get hurt due to his popularity and attractive appearance. Mitsumi acknowledged Mika's advice, and while they were talking, Yuzuki was observing them from a nearby distance.

To be continued...

## Characters in Order of Appearance

**Kento Yamada**Debut
**Mitsumi Iwakura**
**Sakura Hanazono**
**Nao**
**Sousuke Shima**
**Mika Egashira**
**Tsukasa Mukai**
**Yuzuki Murashige**Debut
**Kinomoto**Debut
**Fumino Toyama**
## Footnotes

 One common stereotype is that women tend to hold onto the grab handles in public transportation, while men tend to hold onto the poles. However, it's important to note that this is a generalization and not necessarily true for all individuals. Different people may choose to hold onto different parts of the train or bus for a variety of reasons, such as comfort, balance, or convenience.
 The given name of Shima is written in kanji, with the first character being **"聡,"** which is pronounced as *Satoshi*. This kanji character carries the meanings of **being wise**, **intelligent**, or **clever**, and is commonly used to refer to young boys who embody these qualities.