I finally arrive to my dream school

The sun gleams through the curtains on a bright new day. The birds chirp outside singing their beautiful song as the bees buzz around flowers, each part of nature doing its job. Then, there's Natsume, your average sixteen-year-old art student who would love nothing more than to sleep in just five minutes longer.

Unfortunately, his mobile phone had other plans as it buzzes on his bedside table and his alarm plays a gentle, yet annoying melody that would make anyone want to turn it off. Natsume groggily gets up and swipes away the alarm that had been bothering him for the last minute.

On the bright side, this was his first day at a new art school. He had been waiting for this day for months on end, and finally, it was happening. He was going to his dream school! In contrast to how he was truly feeling inside, Natsume slowly got out of bed and dragged his feet down into the kitchen, slouching himself at the table with a bowl of cereal.

As he scoops each spoonful into his mouth he ponders what his school life might be like: How quickly will he make friends? Will his teachers take kindly to him? Will anyone even accept him? These cold thoughts fill Natsume's head, but as he places the now empty bowl into the sink, these thoughts quickly leave him.

Natsume is a dark-haired boy on the shorter side of the height spectrum, he wasn't particularly fit but made sure he got regular exercise even if it was just walking around the streets now and again. The boy has dark circles under his eyes, not because of any particular strain in his life, they just showed up one day and he hasn't been able to get rid of them.

Natsume then rushes back upstairs to get ready for the day ahead, throwing on his clothes in such a way that would make him presentable to his classmates and teachers, yet approachable since he didn't want to be the one to engage with the people around him. He combs his short hair over to the side making it appear straighter and tidier, at least that's what he thought looking at it in the mirror.

When he was finally done he tossed his bag on his back, and jogged out the door and to the bus stop. The streets were bustling with people going about their everyday lives, and Natsume was no exception. This new school life would become routine to him, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

As Natsume finally got to the bus stop, he saw it filled with people of all ages, children with their parents, elderly folk, and people like him. Natsume stood with the rest, and next to a boy his age who was also dressed as if he was going to school.

This boy noticed Natsume peering over at him, and in return gave him a friendly smile. The two of them stand in silence for a short moment before the boy turns back to Natsume.

"First day at school too, right?" the boy questions, clearly not being able to bear the silence too much longer. He looked as if he was going to explode if he didn't talk to someone soon. Natsume was glad someone was at least wanting to talk to him, and in turn, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Uh-huh. First day, It's exciting." Natsume replies, his expression unchanging. He often feared that his expressionlessness was intimidating to other people, and he was certain it was, but luckily there were people like this boy who didn't care either way.

"So, what did you enrol for?"

"Painting. And you?"

"Same!" The boy replies, his eyes lighting up as though this was a lucky coincidence for him when in all reality the school specialised in the arts. The boy turned back to face the road, and away from Natsume.

"Perhaps we'll be in the same class. Which is lucky, I could use some friends." Natsume jested, though the boy likely couldn't tell that Natsume was joking through his monotonous voice. The boy just smiled.

"Well, we could all use some friends." He whispers under his voice before turning to Natsume, holding out his hand. "I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Ike! A pleasure to meet you." Not surprising Natsume in the slightest, he decided being Ike's friend wouldn't hurt. He grasps his hand and shakes it.

"I'm Natsume. Pleasure to meet you too, I'm sure we'll get along well." He responds just as the bus rolls in. Natsume and Ike sit together in the back of the bus, chatting about their hopes for the new school.

"I've heard the teacher throws a party at the end of each month to celebrate each students achievements." Ike says, looking as though he's excited to find out if this rumour is true or not.

"I doubt it, why every month? If they're going to do that it'd be likely near the end of the year."

"Yeah, It's just what I've heard." Ike dejectedly looks down at his feet, understanding that Natsume may be right. The two sit in silence for a short while, not having anything to do as the bus passes each stop.

"What do you think our classmates and fellow students will be like." Ike asks, nervously twiddling his thumbs. Natsume looks at everyone else on the bus, the only people left appear to be the people who are commuting to school.

"I don't know, everyone will be different for sure... I think as long as we all treat each other with respect, we'll be fine." This appeared to be the answer Ike was looking for because he met eyes with Natsume with a smile spread across his face.

"I think so too, I guess worst-case scenario, everyone hates each other and we spend the year in silence" Ike jests as the bus finally reaches a halt, flinging Ike out of his seat and into the next row, which luckily is empty. Natsume helps him up off the ground and the two, finally, make it off of the bus to be greeted by a humongous, fancy-looking school, It appeared with a large white coat of paint on the 10 stories that were presented before the two boys. Ike looked up in awe at the gargantuan walls presented before him.

Natsume, however, was more interested in what was beyond the walls. He wanted to see what was inside. He walked down the path as he met the gazes of people who were chatting among themselves. The number of people in the courtyard alone was incredible. The school was hard to get into, yet there were all these people here, who likely took the same route as Natsume.

One person caught Natsume's attention more than anyone else. A man who had a wide, smile and dark-blue hair. He seemed so out of place among everyone else. He was most likely a teacher, He wasn't built like any of the other students and definitely didn't seem around their age either. He also appeared to be very chatty, Natsume couldn't overhear any of the conversations, but he and the people he was talking to seemed really happy.

As Natsume turns back, he walks up to the rotating doors at last as Ike rushes to catch back up to him.

"Sorry, I was just completely stunned at how big the school is."

"I know, It's like a dream, isn't it." Natsume responds to the star-struck Ike who stands behind him as they both enter through the door. Upon entering, the building seemed so much bigger on the inside. It was as if they entered a shopping centre, there were cafes everywhere you looked, and Natsume even spotted a few shops that sold everyday school supplies such as backpacks, pencils, pens, erasers, you name it and it was there.

Not wanting to wait any longer for his first day to begin, Natsume started walking up the stairs to the classrooms. Ike rushes up next to him, not wanting to be left behind. The hallways are bustling with life as the two boys make their way through the school. Natsume suddenly stops in his tracks before turning back to Ike.

"Where is it we're actually going? Where do we find out our classes?" He asks as Ike pulls his phone out of his pocket in response. After a few taps and swipes, Ike finally looks back to Natsume.

"I... Deleted the email." Ike laments, slowly putting his phone back in his pocket. Ike rubs the sides of his head, trying to generate a memory that would lead them to where they need to go.

"How about we just ask somebody." Natsume sighs, turning around and walking up to the blue-haired gentleman that was in the courtyard moments prior. The man was tall, much taller than Natsume and Ike, looking up at the slender, but tall man intimidated Natsume. Slowly Natsume opened his mouth.

"Excuse me, sir. We're lost, do you know where we'd be able to find our classes?" the boy asks politely. The towering figure turns around and looks down at Natsume. His face turns to that of a wide smile.

"It's just over there!" The man points over to a pinboard covered in paper from top to bottom. Just before. He lets out a little chuckle before continuing. "Perhaps you'll be students in my class? I do look forward to seeing you two around the school."

"Thank you, sir." Natsume responds, his expression still unchanging despite the pressure placed on him. Natsume and Ike walk over to the board and begin searching up their names.

As they scan the pieces of paper for their names, Ike's eyes light up yet again. He bounces up and down on the spot grabbing onto Natsume's shirt as he does so. He then stops and points at a piece of paper. Natsume gets a closer look to see Ike's name, and just below it was his own name. Ike and Natsume would be spending the school year together.

Natsume continued scanning the page for the classroom number and once he had found it, he started walking, Ike not far behind. It wasn't long before they found the place they were looking for. The two boys stop outside the classroom for a moment and look at each other. The excitement filling Ike was appearing to reach a bursting point.

"You ready?" Ike asks with a sparkle in his eye, almost as if he was telling Natsume to prepare for Ike's entrance into the classroom. Natsume places his hand on the doorknob, opening it.

"Don't do anything stupid" Natsume demands, not wanting to be embarrassed on his first day. Ike rolls his eyes in response and reluctantly nods. The two enter the classroom while Ike mumbles under his breath.

Upon entering the classroom, it appears as though it's bustling with life, just like the rest of the school. People appear to be getting along fine, and it seems like people have already started forming friend groups and relationships with one another. Immediately Ike jumped in and started talking to their class too.

After getting to know Ike for a few hours, it was clear that he was the chaotic type, which in turn made it less of a shock that he wanted to do some form of art and get whatever was in his head down on a canvas. It was nice to think that it could be the reason that majority of his classmates were here.

Natsume knew that it was the same reason he was here. He painted to understand himself. If he could learn about himself and make a living off of it, why shouldn't he?

Natsume found an empty seat and sat down, letting out a sigh of relief, as if the hardest part of his journey was already over. He lay his head on the desk in front of him, it wasn't like he didn't care what was happening around him, but his classmates would need to talk to him first.

As if his wish had been answered, Ike returns to Natsume, sitting at the desk next to him. A few of their classmates surround the two boys. Natsume, not wanting to be rude, lifts his head off the desk. In front of him stands two girls and a boy.

One of the girls, a girl with orange eyes and black hair with a streak of red through it, holds out her hand to Natsume, offering a handshake which he obliges with. grasping her hand and shaking it.

"Good morning! My name is Minori!" The girl enthusiastically introduces herself. She appeared to have a similar energy to Ike but appeared much more outgoing than even him.

"Yeah. I'm Natsume" He unintentionally responded bluntly yet again. Minori furrowed her brow, not exactly getting the response she was hoping for. "Sorry, I'm not exactly good with people" Natsume continued, as he explained the situation.

"That's fine, don't feel forced!" The boy reminds Natsume with a smile. "I'm Kanata, by the way. Pleasure to meet you." he continues, leaning into Natsume as if examining him. This made Natsume feel a little bit uncomfortable, but he didn't want to say anything that may make him even less favourable to his classmates.

"And what's you're name?" Natsume finally asks, turning to the last person: a girl with blue hair, completed with a red bow. She stood about two feet shorter than Kanata and seemed to have a strong grip on his hand. She seemed somewhat intimidated by Natsume.

"I'm U-Uno..." she replied anxiously. sensing this anxiety within Uno, Natsume softens his voice, although it took some effort.

"It's nice to meet you." He nods, turning back to Kanata. "You two seem close." Kanata smiles in response to his comment, letting out a chuckle.

"We've been dating for a year now." He answers. That response didn't shock Natsume too much. "We met on a course here last year and things worked its way from there." he concludes with a grin. Natsume nodded in response again.

"That's nice, I'm happy for you." Natsume yet again responded coldly, this time, intentionally. He had no intention of getting into any sort of romantics during the time that he spent here. He thought it was stupid and cheesy. It was hard for him to envy something like that.

Some more time was spent with the class getting to know each other. Everyone seemed to be enjoying each other's company and some bonds were quickly being formed between people. Natsume and Ike finally get to chat after what felt like hours. The two chat about their peers and how they feel about them. After their conversation, they sit in silence with nothing but the chatter of their classmates in the background

"Kanata's going to get on my nerves." Natsume whispers to Ike, who laughs quietly in response. It was nice having a friend like Ike, he didn't judge Natsume too much for not being able to express himself well.  Natsume was thankful, it wasn't often that someone he'd met would understand his struggles.

"Yeah, I think He's going to bug me too." Ike nods. "He seems a bit too full of himself, right?"

No, it's not that Natsume thinks to himself. The way he was looking at me... Somethings up with that guy. Natsume shoots a glance at Kanata and sure enough, he's still peering over at him.  The already lacking trust Natsume had for Kanata was already beginning to shatter further.

As the classroom calms down and people begin to fall silent, the handle to the door begins to twist. The door swings open as the man who guided Natsume and Ike to the pinboard enters. The tall man with dark blue hair prances in before tossing himself into the chair at the front of the class.

"Helloooo everybody!" The gentleman sings. "I am Aoi, your teacher for the year!"