Mysa Akita Agustine
Its been almost a week since I had begun attending this Sectarian High, and my impression of it from the first day hasn't changed much. It still feels as slow as ever. But hopefully, that all is going to change today.
"We are going to have our first combat class today. Are you nervous, Miss Mysa?"
Ellie was a sweet girl. I don't even remember doing anything good to her, but she was always pleasant and polite towards me. And it wasn't just cause she was scared of me. I could tell that much. She was just that polite of a girl that she would even make small talk with me from time to time. Over the course of a few days, I understood that, and then I just couldn't make myself to be needlessly rude towards her. So I was beginning to reply more often to her.
"Not really." I replied to her. We were sitting on the bench on the far back of the classroom, waiting for the teacher to arrive.
It was 7:50 right now, and the class was scheduled to begin at 8 o'clock. So it wasn't that the teacher was running late, but rather that the students had come in earlier. And on a Saturday morning, nonetheless.
That just goes to show how excited, or perhaps scared, the students were for this Combat Class. I think the rumors played a vital role in that. There were all sorts of them, about how strict the teacher is, on how the class lasts all day on the weekend and how more than half the students end up puking on their first time in this class.
I must admit I had also gotten caught up in all those rumors and felt a bit strange about this class. But at least I wasn't as nervous as the person sitting beside me.
Although Ellie was the one to ask me if I was nervous or not, there was no need to ask the same thing of her. I could see her tapping her foot and moving her head back and forth on the desk. First, she would keep her head down on the desk and then suddenly raise it and look all around her before leaning back with a strained look on her face.
It was almost relaxing seeing her so nervous. Although not so much when, she hastily stood up and chirped, "Good Morning!" in a terribly squeaky voice right beside my ear.
That signaled the arrival of the teacher, So I slowly stood up from my seat to greet the teacher, but I didn't need to say, "Good Morning!" Cause by the time I stood up, the class had already said that in a chorus.
"Hmm, file out of the classroom in a single line."
The teacher had the physique and the bearing of a veteran soldier. He had a deep voice and gave the impression of a stern commandant. He had an overbearing aura that made the whole classroom fall in silence in a matter of seconds.
Under his watchful eyes, the students stood up and formed a line in a uniform manner. Since me and Ellie shared a bench on the very back of the classroom, we ended up being the last two people on the line. The teacher didn't bother introducing himself and just led the class to the grounds.
The structure of the Sectarian High was just a giant square, and the classes for all four years took place on a different side of that square. And in the middle of that square was the vast open ground in which the Combat Class was going to be held. I thought we would be the only ones arriving there, but as we descended the stairs, I could make out figures of other students gathered on the open ground.
As our class reached the center of the ground, I noticed two things. First that the students that had gathered there were divided into two groups. And they weren't divided equally. One group contained way more numbers than the other group, and I happened to recognize some faces in that larger group. That means they were first-year students. As I looked at the other group, who were lesser in numbers, were strangely more confident than the other group, I deduced that they must be the seniors.
Almost instinctively, the other students of class-A arrived at the same conclusion and assimilated with the group of first-years. As I started walking towards them, the students parted quicker than I could even get a good look at their faces. It seems that people of other classes were way more scared of me than my own one.
That unusual behavior was not gone unnoticed by the senior students. I received many curious glances before the teacher took his place in the center.
"My name is Arcadium, the headteacher of the combat classes. Since this will be the first class for you lot, I will be teaching you personally today, along with your seniors, who are going to be showing you around the ropes.
"These here are Year 2 students who have volunteered to be my assistants today. Make sure to listen to them properly." The teacher pointed out the group of seniors for us first-year students.
"The Combat class will be the only class you will be taking on the weekends. It can last about two to six-hour, depending on how long it takes you to complete the drills. Now I don't have much time to waste, so first-year students quickly start the warm-ups. Second-year students, show them how it's done."
With those stern words from Arcadum, the non-existent wall between the first-year and second-year students came down. The second-year students excitedly approached us, wearing some shady smiles. One of the few girls approached me with a bounce on her steps.
"Hello, my name is Karen! It's nice to meet you!" She made direct eye contact with me while smiling an energetic smile. She had long dirt blond hair, cleanly tied into a ponytail. And a look to her that portrayed a confident, reliable image.
"Mysa Agustine." I shortly replied deliberately in a loud voice. Almost immediately, I could feel the stares of all the second-year students quickly snap towards me. The girl in front of me also looked on at my face in pure shock, but suddenly that look was replaced with a pleased one.
"Oh, You won't believe it! Our Friend is-"
"Let's go and do our stretches over there, Ellie." I cut her off before she could take this small talk any further. And leaving that girl standing, I grabbed Ellie's hand and went over to an empty corner.
"Huh?!" Ellie let out a foolish voice beside me, which I ignored and kept walking until we reached a spot away from that girl and the other students.
When we reached the spot, and I let go of her hand, Ellie kept looking back in the direction where the girl was still standing with a flustered look on her face.
"T-that was so-! That was so!"
"What?" I asked in a carefree tone as Ellie seemed to be at a loss for words. She opened her mouth like a fish a few times before gulping and just shaking her head silently.
So we began stretching away from all the other students. And after what happened with that girl, no one approached us either. I was glad they were smart enough to not bother us.
But then, I noticed Ellie behaving unusually. I hadn't even done more than two stretches when Ellie started glancing nervously over towards the group of students. I followed her eyes to see an argument in full swing taking place between Year two and some very familiar Year 1 student.
Zake Barnardy and Juan Feek, the very two students that I had beaten in the past, right now seemed to be in a heated argument with one Year 2 student. Watching them, I couldn't help but click my tongue at the absurdity of it. After that thrashing, I was sure they would have been humbled, but now it seems I was dead wrong. Look at their Arrogance! Picking fights with Year 2 students!
It was obvious how it was going to end up. Even an idiot could tell that if a fight broke out, the Year 1 students were going to be the ones to get the shorter end of the stick. I was resolved to ignore it, thinking of how it could be another humbling lesson of their lives, but then I looked back at Ellie.
Her concerned eyes told me all I needed to know.
"Barnardy!Feek!" I shouted over to them. I was, after all, the leader of the Year 1 students. It would only make sense for me to rein in the situation.
And then immediately, I had the full attention of the group gathered around them. The two in question looked more confused than anyone to hear me shout. But the most intense reaction I received was from the Year 2 student who was squaring up with them. He had mixed reactions of bewilderment and nervousness. But whatever was the case, it was too early for those two to get some seniors to hate him. So before it could turn into something bigger, I quietly beckoned them over.
They weren't big fans of that. But after a few moments of staring between me and the Year 2 student, they began walking towards me. The Year 2 students were beyond confused at that. I heard them muttering something amongst themselves, but I didn't bother much with that. They would probably find out about what happened after the Entrance Ceremony. That was no problem since I had no intention to hide it in the first place.
Right now, My attention was focused more on the two students before me, that were looking at me in confusion.
"Start Stretching." I curtly told them before turning away and continuing the stretches I had been doing before. From the corner of my eyes, I could see the relieved look on Elliot's face. It was a bit unusual to see her like this.
Does she have a crush on one of them..?
My confusion was soon cleared up as Elliot unexpectedly began squaring up to Zake.
"Picking fight with the first Senior you meet, are you Dumb?"
"Oh please, I didn't start shit! He was the one being a prick."
"Never your fault, is it?" Ellie spoke in a fashion that I had thought impossible. They bickered back and forth like that seeming to have forgotten all about their surroundings.
While I stood there watching them in shell-shocked amazement, the other spectator of the scene, Juan, turned away and started stretching. After a few moments of seeing their conversation progress to Zake venting out to Ellie, I also followed his lead and went back to stretching.
It was something of a pleasant surprise to see that they get along but seeing them like that made me remember some of my times from the previous year, making me feel a bit lonely.
"*Clap* *Clap* Alright, now gather up."
Arcadum's loud shout signaled the end of the stretches, and once again, we gathered around him in a group.
"Ok, Year 1 students, Your first task is simple, just gotta run some quick laps around this ground. The first one to complete 4 laps can rest, the others all will run two more, and then we will begin with some Martial Arts guidance."
And with those orders, from thereon our hellish Combat Class began in earnest.