I went to bed after the long ponder only to get a few hours of sleep because I disregarded the time. Still, I woke up on time, thanks to Alhan. He didn't ask me why I went back late. It's not like we're close friends already; he had just known me for a day and still considered me an acquaintance.
Soon after I woke up, I prepared the needed things and wore my uniform. I looked in the mirror beside my bed to check what I looked like. 'Sigh' wearing my old uniform brings back so many memories. Albeit I'm wearing it again, the uniform's extravagant design can still make me gasp.
Here it is, my first day at the academy as its actual student. Before leaving the dorm, the helper notified us that our names were written on the bulletin board outside our respective study halls. Alhan and I decided to look for our assigned study hall together. I can't remember where it is, but I am certain that Alhan and I are in the same section.
While walking in the hallways, we noticed how large the number of students inside one study hall is. Let me guess. It is probably around more than twenty. On the contrary, it doesn't make any sense since less than a hundred students managed to pass, so why would they want to squeeze in many students in one section? I didn't notice this when I was young, but I'm confident that the academy is big enough not to have more than twenty students in one section.
After checking the different sections, we were still unable to find our names. Hmmm, strange. We looked almost everywhere until we finally found our names in one section for early-level students that remained. The assigned study hall for us is the farthest from the dorms deep inside the academy building.
'Coincidentally, we were in the same section.' That's what Alhan is probably thinking right now. I couldn't tell him I already knew, so I just acted according to his response. We went inside the hall together and noticed the vast room; it seemed that it could house more than twenty students.
Alhan looked around. "Is it just me, or is the number of students inside this hall fewer than the others?" He asked with a perplexed look. I looked around and observed the people around me per Alhan's statement. However, I got disappointed with the similar faces. I don't remember all of them, but Alhan is right. We seemed fewer than the others. It doesn't make any sense. The study halls we've seen are smaller than before; however, there are only a few students here.
As someone from the future, I might have overlooked this fact.
It feels that the atmosphere inside this room is not tense but somewhat awkward. None of my class fellows are talking to each other but minding their own businesses. "Fortunately, there are no assigned seats." Alhan expressed a relieved expression. I nodded in response and asked, "Where do you plan to sit?" Alhan pointed to an empty seat in the front row. "I am okay not wearing my glasses if I sit there."
"I'm not comfortable sitting in front, so I'll just stay in the back" I contently smiled and continued, "See you later, Alhan." He smiled and gave me a silent nod.
As I went to the back seats, I ignored the familiar faces before me, specifically Lia, and acted as if we hadn't encountered each other last night. I'm not scared of professors, but the back seats can provide me with the best position to observe and oversee everything. I was not too fond of sitting in such locations before, but now that my old manners had failed me, I didn't have a choice.
A few moments after, a reserved-looking woman entered our study hall.
"It looks like this section has promising students." She was carrying a stack of papers and placed them on her desk in front of us. "I am Diana Rocher, your adviser until the last level."
I remember her. She is our one and only adviser here at Central Academy. However, I lost contact with her when I left.
She continued. "All of you are in this section due to your compatibility. The academy was able to determine that in your interview." She's correct, the academy calculates students' compatibility with one another, but they don't want all sections to be compatible. Sometimes, they're an experiment. Although she didn't lie, her statement is misleading. The academy would really like the students to believe that they want to make the students comfortable with each other.
I am sure that our section is full of incompatible students. Some scenarios might have changed a little because of my actions, but I am confident that this section still has the same students: There's Natalie, who is very upright; Alhan, who's very stern; Verphillia, who was once a timid loyal dog to some monster that I don't know what her personality is anymore; Other students with contradicting personalities along with those that compliment, and of course, me―a manipulative, cunning and mischievous egoistic ignorant idiot. Based on my memory, our section became one of the worst in no time.
She then started to discuss.
[ Authors Note: The following parts are pieces of information you might find boring. If you don't want to read this part, feel free to skip it to the last part of this chapter. Skipping will not affect your understanding of the story. ]
The gradings are called performance rates. It is made up of Numbers 1 to 5, with one being the lowest and five as the highest. Looking back at the Academy rules, students' performance rates should be in the range of 3 to 5. According to Diana, students will be graded according to their academic performance, evaluated scores from our respective academy organizations, and other outstanding acts. My performance rate in the past is four, and I was a student committee member.
Diana also discussed how the rankings in the section work. The student with the highest performance rate will become the class representative, and each section has that. The representative in our section before was Natalie, which might change now since my actions have something to do with it. All in all, sections are named after the representatives'.
Representatives and outstanding students are invited to a dinner party every once in a while to represent the academy. The party will be full of influential people and other royalties leading the nations to socialize with each other. I was never invited to such a party, but I believe Lia got invited to one.
She also stated that Central Academy is known for its elegant uniforms. However, despite the same design, the colors for each level differs. Early-level students have uniforms in different shades of white; second-level students have different shades of gray; third-level students have different shades of brown; and lastly, last-level students have different shades of black.
The academy personally tailored the uniform I'm wearing. The upper part consists of a long-sleeve polo, necktie, and vest with the academy's crest on the left with some other elegant designs. They also provided us with a long coat and pleated pants.
Female uniforms, on the contrary, are not as many as the males. They only need to wear a knee-length collar buttoned a-line long-sleeve dress. The academy provided the ladies with a short cape coat and long thigh-high socks.
Lastly, a belt is given exclusively to all the academy students. In short, the academy uniform itself already costs a fortune. The uniform, however, is not worn whenever there's a gathering.
It took me a month in the past to remember how school works; luckily, I don't need to understand it any more thoroughly.
---
After a short while, Diana finished discussing.
"There will be events and competitions that will require every section to work together, so whether or not you are friends doesn't matter. When it comes to power, even enemies collaborate."
She started handing out the papers on her table. It was our schedule for the first month. Of course, the first week of the year is always for introductions and other orientations. Classes will thoroughly start next week.
Diana continued, "Your schedule for today is mainly for introductions. You will be allowed to talk with each other once I leave. Academy organizations will then be held in the main hall this afternoon. You are all dismissed." She walked away from the study hall without looking back.
The moment Diana left, everybody sat in silence. I wonder how someone can loosen up this heavy, awkward atmosphere between everyone.
Well, it's better to wait and see.