Kai turned toward the vehicle, ready to leave. "I'll be heading out now, so try not to miss me too much," he said.
Shenice pouted, her expression as soft as July's snowy buds. "When you get there, don't forget to send me pictures of the world's top school. I want to see it too," she replied.
***
'She would really love to see this,' he thought, feeling a pang of regret as he couldn't use his phone to send her any updates. Kai sighed inwardly, wishing he could share the moment with Shenice. He longed to share his experience with his closest friend.
Stepping out of the car, they headed straight to the administration building, where they were greeted by Stacy-Ann Francis, the enrollment officer. After a quick introduction to the school and receiving a rulebook, Kai was escorted to his first class of the day.
'Wow, I'm not even settled in yet, and I already have to start class,' Kai thought, marveling for the fiftieth time at the academy's efficient system. He passed through what felt like a maze of long hallways and over twenty classrooms before finally reaching his own. It was a clear sign of just how vast the Academy really was.
As they walked toward the classroom, Stacy-Ann remained silent, not uttering a word to Kai. Upon reaching the door, she stepped inside with Kai following closely behind.
She briefly pulled the teacher aside, speaking with her for about two minutes. When their conversation was finished, Stacy-Ann walked past Kai without a word and retraced her steps back down the hall.
'Is this how they all are? Even the teachers?' Kai thought, feeling a flicker of disdain. However, his expression remained composed and pleasant.
"Clap, clap! Can I have your attention, elites?" the teacher called out, immediately drawing the class's focus away from Kai.
"We have a new student. Go ahead and introduce yourself," she added, her gaze directed expectantly at Kai.
"I'm Kai Johnson, a scholarship student," Kai said, purposely emphasizing that he was there on a scholarship.
"Oh, so he's one of those,"
"Yeah, I pity such creatures,"
"Is he for real?"
"What a pity. He's very good-looking, I'll give you that,"
"Yeah. What a pity for such a cute face,"
As soon as Kai finished his introduction, a wave of whispers rippled through the classroom. Though likely meant to be discreet, the students spoke openly, with no regard for the teacher or the new student standing right there.
Kai, completely unbothered, stood tall and confident, his usual small smile playing on his lips. His unshaken demeanor took the students by surprise. Some gasped, others smirked, and a few cast him looks of disdain.
"Seems this one's thick-skinned," a boy seated at the back muttered to the student in front of him.
The person in front, however, didn't acknowledge the comment and continued to stare intently at Kai. Feeling the weight of the gaze, Kai met the person's eyes, and for a moment, neither of them looked away. The tension in the room thickened, and sensing things could escalate, the teacher quickly intervened.
"Alright, Student Johnson, you can take the seat at the back," the teacher said, pointing to the only empty seat in the back of the classroom.
As Kai walked past his new classmates on his way to his seat, he caught a glimpse of a very beautiful girl sitting to the right side of the classroom. With a playful smile, he quickly shifted his gaze and continued toward his desk.
Just as he was about to sit down, a pair of feet appeared on top of the chair. Kai looked up, prepared to face the pretentious person looking to start trouble on his first day.
To his surprise, the feet belonged to a handsome boy with long legs, piercing gem-like eyes, and ash-brown short hair. His hair was styled to look casually disheveled, yet it still held a neat sheen, giving him the aura of a rebellious teen. Kai couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'What a waste of such a pretty face,' Kai thought with a small, almost pitying smile.
"I'm sorry, the seat is taken," the handsome boy said with a smirk.
Kai, still maintaining his small smile, looked at the boy with an unwavering glint in his eyes.
He turned his gaze to the teacher, hoping for some intervention, after all, she was the homeroom teacher and surely would support him. But, before he could even process his thoughts, he noticed that she was deliberately avoiding his gaze and continuing with her activities, offering no help.
'So even the teacher's position is lower than that of an actual student. What blasphemy,' Kai thought, his frustration rising.
'Looks like everything has to be done by myself,' But before he could act on it, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, you can just sit there. Don't make a fuss, or other scholarship students will suffer," said a plain-looking boy sitting in front of Kai.
"Suffer? How?" Kai asked, genuinely curious. The boy was about to explain when the handsome student from earlier threw a pencil at him.
"Yo, Shawn, are you ignoring me on purpose?" The handsome boy asked, feigning anger.
"N-No, I wouldn't dare, Arlo," Shawn replied, his voice trembling. The fear was evident in his shaky tone, and his wide-eyed expression made it clear he was terrified.
With a loud sigh, Kai placed his hands on the chair and pulled it back. Seeing Kai's movements, Arlo quickly pulled his foot away to avoid having it hit the floor. Without missing a beat, Kai took a napkin from his uniform pocket, wiped down his seat, and tossed the napkin directly in front of Arlo's chair as he finally sat down at his desk.