We didn't know the school's layout, so we went to check the information board. There was one to the right that we saw after entering the school. It was an interactive kiosk, similar to the ones in the shipping hub.
It contained many features to discover, but we had little to no time. Once we found the location of the gym, we ran straight to it. Running only helped slightly when the school covered an enormous area.
The fact that the map showed a café, a grocery store, a cafeteria, many sports and recreational buildings, and last but not least, a whole mall behind the school, was mind-blowing. I imagined these buildings would be two times larger than normal ones.
Eventually, we reached the school gym. I looked at the clock on the back wall, and we were five minutes late. Luckily, we met a chaotic setting - students were strolling around the area, talking to each other, and eagerly waiting for the ceremony to start.
There were signs in front that showed the names of all classes. Saki and I were placed in the same class: 1-B. We only knew this because we shared information from the school beforehand. No lists or data about our class were given, so we didn't know who would be in 1-B.
Another observation was that, apparently, the school had five grades to go through. Normally, high schoolers in my country only need to spend three years of education unless they choose to repeat their grade. But I saw 5-A and 5-B far left of the gym.
Moreover, it seemed that all three beginning years had four different classes each, in which numbers signified grade levels, and letters showed exclusivity of classes: A to D, while the last two years only consisted of two separate classes: A and B.
While observing the gymnasium, a sudden announcement came.
"Attention, everyone! Please locate and make your way to your class line. The ceremony will start in a few minutes."
Our line was second from the left. We were already close, so I took my time to study the place further. In truth, I was elated. I couldn't keep my eyes away from the crowd. All my life, I longed for an ordinary school life that I saw on the TV screen. Because I was homeschooled by my parents since I was an innocent child, I had no exposure to the outside world, with the exception of Saki, of course.
Though I had become accustomed to an undisturbed environment, I still wanted to experience the animated and moving life. Think of it as being isolated for a decade, you would yearn for a company or a spark of communication. That is if you got to communicate with people and took a liking to your social life after getting locked up.
If you had never talked to a single person, you wouldn't even entertain the possibility of talking to one. Becoming isolated would be a norm for you.
I carried these thoughts in the past. The movies I watched didn't influence me much. Neither did the sight of people merrily chatting. A dramatic change was needed to sway one's mind, and that change happened.
People always say that only you can turn your life around, but that is wrong. One person can change your mind, and it doesn't necessarily have to be yourself.
I silently glanced at Saki, but she caught me in the act, "Do you need anything, Hiryu-kun?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Really? I saw you smile slightly. That's a rare occurrence, like witnessing a UFO or seeing a person using a brick phone."
"Come on. I'm not that expressionless. Stop exaggerating."
"See yourself in the mirror then you'd know," she chuckled.
I saw an individual walking out from the side of the stage. Saki and I quickly lined up with the class. I thought we were at the back of the line until some students came lining up behind me. I didn't want an awkward encounter by twisting my neck to see them, so I decided to ignore that for now.
Now that everyone had settled, I focused on the individual standing by the podium. Anticipating something new and exciting, my inner self couldn't stop trembling. The man on the stage started speaking in a dead silence space.
Five minutes passed, ten minutes, then 20 minutes. The enthusiasm died down little by little, minute by minute. The speech felt excessive and repetitive. Half of it was people exchanging greetings and gratitude. It didn't live up to my expectations at all.
I might have placed too much confidence in this event because I have never seen a school opening ceremony.
To be honest, I was hoping that we could learn more about this town in general or anything remotely compelling about the school, but none of these happened. I sighed in disappointment.
"What a way to start a new school year," I thought.
But then, I realized that it would be unwise to discuss such topics. Only the first-year students were the ones in the dark about everything.
Moreover, divulging sensitive information to the masses would be inefficient, especially if the masses were students. Some would be distracted, and some would misunderstand, which could spread disorder.
The disclosure should be done in a concentrated environment with a small group of students. Doing that would increase the individuals' attention span and give them a clearer view of the situation at hand.
Still, I couldn't understand why the school would tire the audience out before feeding them crucial info. Maybe it was a traditional act that all schools had to do, even for the weird ones like HRA.