Ayanokouji P.O.V
"Today, the academy starts. I should better get ready."
I got off from my bed and went to prepare myself.
Yesterday, after parting ways with Shiroyanagi, I went directly to my room without doing anything special. I spent the day just thinking about a few things, and today I would start anew inside the academy.
"I think Akira Shiroyanagi is someone to watch out for..." I muttered to myself.
After getting ready, I went to the bus stop. Getting inside, I took the seat from the last third, which was reserved for me.
Looking around, I noticed some other students who were also going to the same academy as me since we were all wearing the same uniform.
ANHS is completely different from any normal high school. If you are able to graduate from Class A, you can get into anywhere you want, and that's why everyone tries their best to reach for the same thing. But in the end, only one class will receive that privilege.
"Excuse me... Could you give up your seat?" I heard a girl's voice asking for a seat from a distance. I turned my eyes towards her, and what I saw surprised me.
"That's a priority seat. I think you should let this elderly lady sit there," the girl said sweetly.
"My, my, you are a pretty girl..." the man with blonde hair said.
"While it may be a priority seat, there is no law requiring me to relinquish it," he continued.
"But just look at her. She is so old and can barely stand," the girl said with concern.
"You want me to give up my seat just because I am young? Nonsense, pure and simple. Even if I am young, standing consumes more stamina than sitting."
"So why should I do something so detrimental with no benefit to myself?"
The girl paused for a bit to answer.
"I think you'd be contributing to society," the girl said.
"I have zero interest in contributing to society."
"Besides... What about those sitting in the other seats? The difference between priority seats and others seems rather trivial to me."
"Thank you, girl, but I am fine," the old lady said.
"Excuse me! Would any of you be willing to give up your seat?" the girl asked the others.
I had no intention of helping either, so I kept silent. While I was at it, I noticed a black-haired girl sitting on the other side of me, reading a book. She also didn't seem interested in getting involved.
"Um, you can have mine," a passenger raising her hand said.
"Thank you." The girl then guided the old lady to her seat.
The girl seemed like she was very kind and always willing to help people, but for some reason, I felt there was more to her than meets the eye.
After a while, I removed all the thoughts from my mind and stood up from my seat as the bus arrived at the destination.
I started walking towards the door, and as I opened it, a gentle breeze hit me, making the day feel good. Stepping out of the bus, I began walking until...
"Hey, Ayanokouji, let's go together." A familiar voice came from behind. I stopped my movements and let the person catch up to me.
The person had a smile on his face, as if he was very excited for today. I don't know why, but that can wait. I can simply ask him directly.
After coming closer, he began to speak. "I was waiting for you here, but you kept on walking without seeing me."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. I must have been lost in my thoughts. Anyway, you seem quite excited today, Shiroyanagi," I said, noticing his enthusiastic demeanor.
We had only met once before, just yesterday when he came to check a few things beforehand, so I didn't know much about him yet, except that he was more than an average person.
"Of course, today is the start of the academy. Don't you feel the same way?" he asked.
"No, I don't feel anything... In fact, it's just another normal day for me," I replied, my usual apathetic self.
"Um, I understand now... Ayanokouji, are you--" His words were interrupted.
"Hey, you're the one who was on the bus," a girl with long black hair that reached her waist interrupted. "You were looking at me on the bus, and why is that?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, my apologies. I thought you didn't seem interested in giving up your seat, just like me," I explained. "You hate getting involved in stuff like that too, huh?" I continued.
"Don't assume we're the same. I didn't give up my seat out of conviction," she retorted.
Ah, so she's even worse than me.
"If that's all, then I'm off," she said, turning her body away as if ready to leave.
"Conviction? Then shouldn't you introduce yourself?" Akira, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
"Huh? What do you mean?" the girl glanced at him, asking for clarification.
"I mean, you look like someone who always stays alone, so I want to ask for your name," Akira said with a smile.
This made the girl pause in her tracks, unsure of how to respond, remaining silent.
What is Akira after? I don't think he genuinely wants to know her name; there must be something else he's after.
"It's Horikita Suzune. And who are you two?" she said, revealing her name and asking about ours.
"I'm Shiroyanagi Akira, and this is... well, you can call him my friend, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," Akira said.
Huh? Friend? We're not yet friends. We only just met the other day. I suppose he's expecting a certain reaction from me when he introduces me as his friend.
"Hello, I'm Ayanokouji, as he said. I guess we can consider ourselves friends," I said, playing along.
"Now that the introductions are over, I'm leaving," Horikita said nonchalantly, as if she didn't care.
After seeing her off, I turned to Akira, who was currently smiling.
"Care to tell me why you said that?" I asked.
"Nothing in particular... but in a way, I hope we really do become friends," he said.
Is friendship the only thing he's after? I doubt it, but I can't say that out loud.
"Okay, we can be friends since I don't have any reason to decline, I guess," I said.
We both started walking towards the entrance hall, where all the new students would be gathered for an introduction to the academy. Even though we were heading in the same direction, it felt different for me. The reason for me to enter this academy is...
"By the way, Ayanokouji, are you ready to introduce yourself in front of everyone?" Akira asked.
"Huh? You mean to everyone?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes. Oh, didn't you know that?" he said, looking at
me with curiosity.
Mr. Sakayanagi hadn't mentioned anything about it, or perhaps he assumed I already knew. Either way, I wasn't particularly skilled at introductions, and I couldn't avoid doing it this time.
The only thing I could do now was to ask someone who knew more about it, and luckily, Akira was there. I decided to inquire.
"Shiroyanagi, what should one say during the opening ceremony?" I asked, seeking guidance.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he began to explain, "Well, if I had to suggest something, maybe talk about yourself or one of your hobbies. Alternatively, you could simply state your name and leave. It's a matter of personal preference."
The last option seemed like the easiest one, I suppose.
Just as I was considering that approach, someone unexpectedly intervened.
"But I have to tell you, if you choose the last option, it might be troublesome later on. After all, you're an elite," Akira cautioned.
His words halted my movement. How did he know I was an elite? I never disclosed that information.
"Tell me, did you guess it or were you already aware?" I inquired.
Looking me directly in the eyes, he responded, "Sorry, I don't make guesses. After we parted ways yesterday, I tried to find information about you, and guess what I discovered?"
His question left little doubt in my mind.
"Nothing, right?" I replied.
"Exactly. There was information about every other student, except you. That confirmed my suspicion that you are an elite," he disclosed.
So, he had already known Horikita's name as well. He truly is an intriguing individual, thinking and acting at a level beyond the ordinary.
"Are you an elite too? Because without that, you wouldn't have been able to obtain information about the other students. I doubt the academy would simply hand over the names of the students to any ordinary student," I reasoned.
"Guess you caught me," he said, approaching me with an intense gaze. "I am an elite, just like Ayanokouji."
***
"Next, we'll hear a few words from the Student Council President," a girl with purple hair announced.
"I am the Student Council President, Manabu Horikita," she declared.
"I would like to extend my greetings to our newest students. As you may know, our school has achieved great success in all aspects, boasting a high employment and college entry rate."
"This is the pride of our high school, earned through hard work. And this time, I want the new students to showcase their skills here."
"That's enough about the school's introduction. Now, I would like two students to introduce themselves, and these two students stand above everyone else here—the ones we call elites."
"And this time, among the new students, we have two elites. Without further delay, I will call the first name—Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, please step onto the stage."
***
I was seated in the front row, closest to the stage, with Akira beside me. When I heard my name, I stood up and made my way to the stage.
This was bound to be troublesome.
Taking a deep breath, I began to speak. "Hello, my name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I excel in various fields, and my hobbies include playing the piano and reading books. I hope we can become friends," I said, sharing the information Akira had suggested.
As I looked out at the students, I noticed many of them, particularly girls, smiling at me. Had I said something that made them happy? I couldn't quite comprehend it myself, so I decided to ask Akira later to clarify if I said anything wrong.
"Thanks for your introduction. Next is... huh? Oh, that's how it is. The next student is Shiroyanagi Akira. Please come to the stage," Manabu announced.
I couldn't help but notice that the student council president paused for a moment before saying Akira's name. He seemed slightly surprised to see Akira's name on the list.
With his hands in his pockets, Akira made his way to the stage. He positioned himself in the center, where he could see everyone, and began speaking.
"My name is Shiroyanagi Akira. Like Ayanokouji, I excel in everything, both academically and physically. I enjoy playing games, especially ones that require specific conditions and requirements to complete. I hope we can become friends as well," he introduced himself confidently.
After his introduction, Akira joined me and stood next to me.
"Alright, that's enough for the introductions. Your respective class teachers will provide further instructions. One more thing, both elite students will be in the same class, separate from the others and above Class A. This means that these two don't need the privilege of graduating from Class A. They came here to fulfill their own reasons. That's all. Have a good first day," Manabu concluded before leaving the room.
The other students started making their way to their respective classes, casting curious glances in our direction.
Well, it seems that Mr. Sakayanagi's prediction about attracting attention has already come true.
*sigh*
Turning to Akira, I asked, "Shiroyanagi, did I say something funny during the introduction? Most of the girls were looking at me with smiles..."
He appeared slightly perplexed by my question. "Seriously, Ayanokouji, you didn't even realize why they are looking at you? I suppose you're not familiar with social dynamics or experienced this kind of environment before."
Akira was right. This was the first time I had introduced myself in front of so many students. I'm not well-versed in understanding these situations, which is why I turned to him for an explanation.
"Allow me to enlighten you. One of your hobbies that you mentioned was playing the piano. I believe that's quite popular among girls. Hearing that you're skilled at it probably surprised them and made them somewhat attracted to you," Akira explained.
Ah, so it's because of the piano. Perhaps I should have chosen a different hobby to mention.
"Regardless, I think I understand now. And you mentioned gaming as your hobby, which may have surprised the student council president," I responded.
Akira smiled and replied, "Yes, but I didn't have many options at the time. After all, they brought me out of my boring life for a while, but lately, even that hasn't sparked my interest because it's become too easy."
So, he didn't have anything specific to say during the introduction, so he mentioned gaming instead. It seems we share a similar sentiment of saying things for the sake of introductions without truly feeling connected to them.
"In any case, we can discuss this further after our first day. Let's head to the class for now," Akira suggested.
"I don't mind," I agreed.
And so, our first day officially began.
Chapter 2 ends here