Chapter 2: Publish By Rvie (Completed)Alone in the stark, fluorescent-lit hallway, I felt the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders, each moment heavy and suffocating. Great going, Kaito. At this rate, I’ll graduate without anyone even acknowledging my existence! The thought gnawed at me, wrapping around my mind like an unshakable vine that tightened with every passing second.
With a resigned sigh, I pushed open the heavy classroom door leading to Class 1-C—my designated purgatory. The thick creak of the door echoed in the silence, and my heart raced in rhythm with my anxiety. Was this really it? Was this how I would make my mark in the world—to be just another face in the crowd, forgotten and unnoticed?
“Alright, settle down, class!” The homeroom teacher, a man whose eyes, though warm and inviting, held an unmistakable authority, clapped his hands to get our attention. “We have a new transfer student joining us today. Come on in, Kaito!”
As I stepped across the threshold, it felt as though time had frozen. Instantly, all thirty pairs of eyes swiveled in my direction—some curious, others bored, and a few indifferent. The weight of their stares bore down on me, making my throat feel like it was full of cotton. Every heartbeat was amplified, echoing in my ears.
Don’t screw this up. Just… say… your… NAME—
But instead of a steady proclamation, I tripped over my own thoughts and almost literally fell into the room.
THUD.
“KAITO AIZOME!” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips in a rush.
And then, as if the universe conspired against me—
The [AFTERMATH] of my awkward introduction rippled through the class like a poorly executed magic trick:- Elis, a girl seated in the front, inadvertently snapped her pen in half with a resounding CRACK, and ink exploded across her pristine notebook in a chaotic mess.- Laughter erupted around me, sharp and mocking, slicing through the thin layer of my already frayed confidence.- The teacher slowly removed his glasses, exhaling deeply while rubbing his temples as if he were assessing the possibility of early retirement from the madness of teenage antics.
“Welcome, Kaito,” the teacher said with a warm smile, thick with a forced cheer that felt utterly out of place.
“We’re glad to have you—”And then came the dreaded SNAP!
Ink sprayed near the window, creating what could only be described as an abstract masterpiece on the wall. Unfortunately, Elis’s desk was now a splattered canvas of blue-black chaos, the ink staining her uniform skirt with a drippy reminder of my graceless entrance.
The teacher blinked at the inky aftermath, momentarily caught off guard. Right. Let’s see what we can do about this…
Just then, a whisper, barely audible over the residual laughter, cut through the stillness:
“Psst. Over here.”
[SPACING BREAK]
My gaze darted around the room until I spotted Elis, her expression a blend of curiosity and what I could only assume was exasperation.
There she sat—Elis, with her ink-stained notebook, looking every bit the organized student who now found herself tangled in the chaos that was my existence.
[SPACING BREAK]
Her voice broke through once more, laced with a blend of disbelief and amusement:
“Why are you in the same class as me?”
I chuckled nervously, the sound mingling with the lingering awkwardness of the moment.
“Right! I totally remembered I was in the second class section, hahah! When the teacher said to sit down, I figured I had no choice but to obey!”
As my cheeks flushed with embarrassment, I realized this first day might not be just about fading into the background after all.
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