If I were to view myself from the eye of a stranger, how would I see myself?

To me the impression I give off to others is foremost. And in a class filled with teenagers, giving off an adequate first impression becomes critical.

With each passing minute, a new kid enters through that door.

What impression would they have of me?

I cannot help but be dead worried about that.

The one who enters would see a gleaming guy resting on the corner seat, with one hand on his cheek and the other brushing his sapphire hair. He would notice my sharp cheekbones and clear ivory skin. But the gem that would stand out the most would be my bright emerald eyes. Eyes observing the atmosphere outside the window with a solemn look.

Well to some my blue hair and green eyes might come off as an unusual combination, sure but enticing nonetheless.

How could any guy or girl resist such a look?

And what kind of impression would I give? Cool, mysterious, attractive?

Curiosity is a cruel thing. Although I'm dying to know, I cannot know for sure. And I cannot just ask anyone. That would be rude and ungentlemanly.

After a while, I realized things were not precisely progressing as I had anticipated. For instance, right now, girls were supposed to fawn all over me. But I see no girls one or two desks near me. Only a blonde guy sleeping mannerlessly beside me.

As more time passes, the anxiety within me only increases further. Nearly half the class is already filled. Yet my presence seems anonymous.

I made a blunder. I reckoned the guys who arrived first would get noticed by everyone who came after them. But that was foolish.

It's the guys who arrive last that make a more significant impact. For instance, just a while ago, a guy entered. His black eyes engrossed nearly all of the girls' attention.

It's reasonable to say that none in this class have previously known each other. So, everyone would be looking forward to seeing what kind of people they would spend their next four years with. When someone enters through that door, they will take a quick glance around the class. But that's it. Next, the desk they choose to sit in will be entirely dependent on the student's personality. Then, there can be only three foreseeable scenarios:

They decide to sit beside a student and socialize.

They decide to open their smartphone and not care for others.

They keenly observe the door in anticipation of what kind of person might enter.

After pondering for a while, I realized entering the class late would have been a more suitable option if I wanted to get noticed.

Ten minutes until the class starts. Yet my presence seems anonymous.

Only 5-7 seats remain.

The ones who arrived around this time received quite a lot of attention—especially the girl with white hair. Most boys ogled her figure with dazzled eyes.

Girls were no exception. Every time a good-looking guy would enter, they would start to murmur and giggle among each other.

That's impolite and ill-mannered, I dare say. Although, I would be lying if I said I didn't want all that attention.

Now, I realize that my decision to arrive first in the classroom was illogical and plain stupid. For over an hour, I have been looking out the window with a solemn gaze in a fixed position. Not even flinching once.

All meaningless.

I could now only sigh and look at the blonde guy sleeping with his head buried in his arms, in the desk. He sat beside me and did not seem to give a care about the class. Well, now that I realized that no one really looked behind, staring out of the window seemed pointless. So I imitated my neighbor. I buried my head in my arms and dozed off elegantly.

————————

The class started at sharp 10 am. The boys were exceedingly delighted to see the professor who entered the class. She looked to be in her mid-30s. Her silky black hair and amber eyes were enticing but surely not as enticing as my own eyes.

The sole element I liked about her was her dress code. A long white coat and black pants. Along with high heels. Her clothes barely revealed any skin and emanated a hint of elegance.

On the topic of dress-code, I particularly do not like the academy's student dress code—a white shirt and a blazer expressing a shade of black and gold. Girls wear skirts reaching up to their knees while boys wear black pants.

The shade of black and gold neither suited my sapphire hair nor my green eyes.

"Let us begin," With her sweet voice, she started her lecture. It was the first day, so she explained the rules. I could see most did not take her seriously. Many were whispering to each other, some were occupied on their smartphone, and the guy beside me was still asleep.

It was the first day, still, in my eyes, she seemed too flawed for a military lecturer.

She lectured on the rich history and regulations of "Draco Magic Academy." Something I was already familiar with since I read a lot of books in the library.

So, I again decided to imitate my neighbor and dozed off elegantly.

I woke up after around 2 pm. The 4-hour lecture was over by then. The blonde guy beside me also woke up and let out a heavy yawn.

"Is..it over?" he asked. His molten gold eyes still looked half-asleep. I didn't answer. He seemed too undignified.

Grumble!

His stomach grumbled.

Grumble!

So did mine. A bit embarrassing, but even I was famished.

"Look at that. Guess, I won't be having lunch alone," he said with a smile. I assume that was an indirect way of saying..asking me to lunch?

After the professor left, everyone stood up and marched towards the exit. I, too, stood up. The very first thing I did was compare my height with the others. By age, all of them were 16-18 years old. But the average height was surprisingly high. Most of the boys were at least 170 cm tall. I stood at 176 cm.

Since I could not stand out by the first impression, I hoped I would be able to stand out by being the tallest guy in the class.

But again, my plan failed. When I stood up, so did the guy beside me, and he matched me in height. It would not have been much of a problem if only he matched me in height, but I could tell that guy with black hair and eyes who came late also matched my height. In total, there were at least five more who matched me in height.

Luckily no one stood taller than me.

"So…you do know where the cafeteria is right?" The blonde guy asked. To think there were people who still have not memorized the academy's blueprint. I could not help but sigh.

But then, a sudden commotion attracted my attention.

"Would you join me?" Apparently, the guy with black hair asked out a girl. The girl wore a black mask covering her face from her nose and below from what I could see. Her hazel eyes did look enchanting. From beauty standards, both of them seemed equally matched. I would not be surprised if she accepted and they started dating.

But she jerked her head and left.

"Oh wow. His self-worth must have been like destroyed," the blonde guy commented.

Indeed, that too on the first day. Quite harsh, but the guy kept smiling and acted like the rejection did not affect him.

Since I had the blueprint by memory, finding the cafeteria was easy.

The items and their prices were displayed on a widescreen.

There was a variety of items, and the price varied upon the item. Chicken curry costed merely a fang, while a serpent's meat costed nearly 1000 fangs.

"You are rich..right?" the blonde guy asked—a surprising question.

"What gave off that impression?" I asked.

"Just a hunch. I'm poor, you see." He pointed his arm towards a specific item on the screen. "But if you buy me that, I shall be forever loyal to you."

What a weird man. The item he pointed was "Dragon Meatballs." By far the most expensive item on the list.

"I politely refuse," I replied. It costed 100K fangs. I could easily buy over 100 skill books with that amount. I'd no reason to spend that amount to satisfy a stranger's appetite.

And I saw no reason why any student should spend that amount on just food.

"I'll have that one please."

Surprisingly someone did buy the item. It was the girl wearing a mask.

She carried the item in a tray. The pleasant smell dispersed through the entire cafeteria. Even my mouth slightly watered.

Carrying the tray, she strolled...strolled towards us. She halted right before the blonde guy.

"You wanted this, right?" She extended the tray towards him. "You can have it."

"Uh..um. Ah sure." He took the tray. It was clear that even he was confused.

After giving the tray, she turned back and strolled away. The blonde head looked at the tray, then looked at her leaving. His face flushed.

"I think…I'm in love," he exclaimed.

I thought he would be more suspicious but in love? What a fool.

"Were you acquainted with her before?" I asked.

"Of course not."

"She offered a stranger the most expensive item on the menu. Wouldn't it be safe to assume she had an ulterior motive to do so?" Besides, she knew he wanted that item. That meant she spied on our conversation.

"Ah. I see." Finally, he seems to have put some thought into it. "You're jealous 'cause such a beauty didn't offer you anything."

I felt a vein bulge in my forehead as I saw his smile.

"I might just give you one if you ask nicely," he said as he grabbed a piece with his chopsticks.

I scoffed and strolled towards the counter. And bought the "Dragon Meatballs."

"I do not need someone else. I can afford to buy whatever I desire myself." I said proudly. But RIP my 100K fangs.

"At least now, I know you're rich." He kept one of the pieces in his mouth. "Shit! It's delicious."

How mannerless. He could have at least searched for a place to sit before starting to eat.

"Umm..would you like to join us?" Just as we two were looking for a place to sit in, four girls surrounded us.

I smiled; this was what youth is about. This is how it's supposed to be. Everyone else fawning over me. That's reality.

"Sure," I said with a gentle smile. The girls giggled.

The two of us followed the girls, but surprisingly one more male was already sitting among the swarm of girls.

We both sat down.

"Hey, you're that rejected guy." The blonde guy remarked.

The other guy's eyes narrowed, "I'm not 'that rejected guy' I'm Edward Blazestone." He elegantly introduced himself. I liked that.

But more importantly, my gaze fell upon the item in his tray—dragon meatballs.

'Another rich kid wasting his money on a worthless item.' I thought as I picked up a piece and savored its flavor.

———————-

I stood in front of my dorm room as I wondered about today's events. It was a good day. My plans to stand out failed, but there would be plenty of opportunities for that in the future. The lunch was fun. The girls asked the three of us plenty of personal questions, like what kind of girl did we like? or how many relationships had we been in before?

Sometimes, I did feel like they crossed a line, but overall it was fun.

But it was when I left to find my door room that something unpleasant happened.

"What would you know. We're roommates." The blonde guy exclaimed excitedly.

In no way was I even a bit content. I always preferred to live alone. I even requested a private room from the academy. But seems like my request got rejected.

The blonde guy opened the door and entered. I followed behind. The room was vast. In total, there were four beds, five sofas, four chairs, 4 study tables, one attached washroom, and one bathroom.

I scowled, seeing the four beds. It meant there would be two more students.

"It's fucking soft!" The blonde guy cried as he jumped on one of the beds. "Wake me up, 10 min before the class."

He didn't even check whether his bags had been delivered to the room or not, he didn't even change his clothes, he didn't even remove his shoes. He straight up went and jumped into the bed and fell asleep.

I sighed.

I removed my shoes and blazer before entering the washroom.

Coldwater rained downed the tap. I submerged my head in the water. My hair and my face slowly got wet.

The coolness felt a bit relieving. But I'd a lot of worries. When I applied for this academy, I was a normal kid striving to be a soldier—seeking to slay the monsters that tormented humankind. Striving to be a hero, to get recognized, to make friends. I'd the same typical dreams as most kids.

Those were good days.

But I'm no longer that normal kid. I carry a secret. A secret that can never be revealed, which is why living with roommates is risky for me.

I lifted my head and looked at the mirror.

The mirror revealed my true face—my shiny white hair and my bloodred eyes.

My name is Alistair Bloodcrest, and I carry a secret. I am a Vampire.

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TO BE CONTINUED