Their scholarship was completely discussed for both Ken and Sakura, being the two smartest kids who got the first and the second-highest score here in Hirosaki University, and two of the four selected students who were exclusively invited to enroll in this institution.
Sakura moved her head to look for the other two scholars who are supposed to be here already for them to discuss the scholarship. Even Mr. Sato is looking displeased with those other two's absence.
"We'll just proceed without them. Darn it, being late on the first day of classes." the director says so to himself as he views the time on his wristwatch. And so, they started their conversation regarding that matter.
The terms for the scholarship are simple. As long as a certain student average is met at the end of each semester, they won't have a problem regarding both of their tuition fees. All they need to mind are the miscellaneous fees that come with enrolling in this school.
After everything has been discussed, Mr. Sato, the director of student affairs, asked in his business-like tone, "Do you have any other questions? Or clarifications perhaps?"
Both Ken and Sakura looked at each other. Finally, it was Ken who spoke first "None that I could think of."
With a swift move, Mr. Sato then looks at Sakura. The latter shook her head no as well.
"Alright then. You may go now to your classes. A copy of your schedule has already been inserted in your student handbook. Please refer to that one to go to your respective classes." A half-hearted smile is now visible in Mr. Sato's slightly wrinkled face as he looked at them for the last time.
Ken and Sakura bowed their heads before they left his office. There, Sakura and he grabbed their printed schedule in the handbook that the director had handed out to them earlier.
Sakura is still a bit uneasy with Ken lingering around. She can't still believe it with her own eyes, that her ex's best friend is here and that she has to, if not talk to him, then see a familiar face in the classroom for the next four years-- after she thought that she could start a new life in this institution.
Just as Sakura is about to leave here, a pair of students (both a girl and a boy student) appear to be having some argument as they head towards the student affairs office. In her mind, Sakura guessed that these might be the other two students whom Hirosaki gave the privilege to enroll in here.
"I can't believe we are still stuck with each other in college! And because of you, we are now late for the appointment!" says the girl with the shiny black medium bob-cut hair with a pin on it and almond round brown eyes.
"No, it was because of you that we are late!" countered the guy with the sleek grayish hair and a pair of almond jet black eyes.
"Oh, just forget it! I'm going in." Without waiting for her acquaintance, the girl opened the door and walked into the office. The guy follows after her.
Both Sakura and Ken were stunned after seeing that. Just what was that all about?
Without waiting for him, Sakura started to make her way towards their next class, which is the subject titled: Fundamentals of Computer Software and Applications. Silently behind her, she could feel Ken's presence trailing from behind.
"What? We are in the same field, remember?" Ken's eyebrow was raised only after Sakura turned to look at him for the second time around.
Sakura only ignored him and proceeded to their classroom.
---
After pushing the door in front of her, a classroom filled with more or less twenty students already had first caught Sakura's attention. In their class back in high school, there were more students than this. But all the same, it still makes her a bit nervous to be in a room packed with people she doesn't know.
Hayashi Sakura kept a straight face and held her chin high. Remember, your goal is to make as many friends as possible, she reminded herself to help her feel relaxed. You have to blend in with everyone.
Yet as hard as she's trying, she knows for herself that she could never blend in with the crowd. Apart from her lack of social skills and introverted nature, there are her bi-racial looks that make her quite outstanding in the crowd.
Hazel brown hair that reaches her shoulders, round chestnut eyes, and fair skin color don't really look like the typical type of a Japanese girl that everyone here is so accustomed to-- thus the reason why she's treated as an outcast ever since.
Walking in the middle of these students is like walking on an icy path. The intense stares they threw in her direction definitely give her the chills, and the whispers they gave to each other are like a threat to her.
She knew, then, that her bi-racial features would still be a hindrance for her to make new sets of friends… just like it has always been in the past.
Since all the seats at the back and on the second to the last row are already occupied, Sakura has no choice then but to take a seat in the front row.
Unloading her things, she kept her head low while avoiding making eye contact with her new classmates. Even in college, no one was still willing to sit next to her.
To keep herself busy, she opened her phone, and to her surprise and delight, Sushi Roll's message popped up in her notifications.
…
SushiRoll
- Smile. Enjoy your first day of class!
…
After reading it, a smile was automatically planted on her lips. It's weird how Sushi Roll's message pops up at the right circumstances such as this one… as if he or she is monitoring her life 24/7 in an invisible spy camera or something.
Just then, Sakura hears indistinct noises from the chair being moved as someone is seating on her right. As her gaze shifted to her right, Sakura's eyes almost went into full circles when she saw Mori Ken taking the seat next to her.
Why wouldn't he leave her alone?-- is what her mind is asking right now.
"What? Am I not allowed to sit here?" he asks in a mocking tone in which she only ignored and pretended not to hear.
First, she knows that Ken and she are schoolmates. Then the next thing she knows is that she and he are actually classmates once more and are pursuing the same college field in business. And now this?
"You've got to be kidding me," Sakura mutters to herself, her eyes shut in frustration.