I was woken by a gentle tap on my face the next day. But I should've just pretended to be in deep sleep and ignored the tap. Waking to a crying face, as if you have just woken up from a long coma, is the worst possible way to start your day.
Ever since I came to this place, the urge to choke someone to death has been constant.
"Here's your breakfast," Genevieve said, as she placed a plate of eggs and bacon with a bowl of plain white rice on the side. She also prepared the same set of food for herself and sat across from me. I'm not gonna lie, seeing her smile with her eyes still puffy and a bit misty is borderline creepy.
"Hey, I watched the news last night, and I'm kind of curious about something," I said, remembering my unanswered questions.
"Oh! So you've discovered our school's exclusive channels! What do you think? Amazing, right? " She exclaimed, her eyes twinkling in excitement.
"Yeah, the shows are quite good," I said.
"I know, right! Not to brag, but the movies here are top notch! By the way, my favorite actor is Clint Devon, by the way. He's just so good! Sadly, I'm graduating this year, so this will be my last year watching his films. Oh, the heartbreak! "
I just watched her as she dramatically ate her food. I grabbed a tissue from the kitchen counter when she began tearing up once again. If dramatic were a person, her name would most likely be Genevieve.
"Anyways, I have some questions," I said, before the conversation diverted into another unwanted direction.
I began telling her about what I saw on the news last night. The good thing about Genevieve is that, even though she's extremely dramatic, she's quite a good listener.
"Oh, you're curious about that. Only people under guardianship and wealthy elite students apply for courses at the registrar's office."
My brows knitted. "Why is that?"
"There are two main reasons: One, the registrar is overwhelmed by the numbers. As you've heard on the news, just this year, more than 20,000 students are coming to our school. With that amount, our poor administrative building would be flooded! So, to solve this problem, students will undergo a three-day briefing in various facilities owned by our school in different cities. and choose what course they'd like to apply to on the last day. Students then get sorted into the various departments, and from there, it's up to the respective department how they'd transport their students to the academy," she explained.
She drank from her glass before continuing. "By now, the cities around the academy are probably flooded with students waiting for the academy gates to open. Fun fact, our school has seven gates. Two are located at the opposite ends of this city, while the rest are located in the neighboring cities."
"I know." I intervened, knowing full well that the conversation would most likely branch off on a different track. "Can we please proceed to the other reason?" This is another problem with Genevieve—she often gets sidetracked when she talks.
I have long known about the school's seven gates, though. It's quite famous in the outside world. When you look at the geography of the city borders where it is located, you'll see that the seven gates are parallel to each other, meaning they are all in the front portion of the academy.
What's baffling about it is the fact that the seven gates are the only ones that show when one tries to find the geographic location of the academy via satellite. Nothing else. So, up to this date, no one knows how big the academy really is. People from the outside could only have estimated guesses. But I know for sure that their guesses are far from the truth.
"The second reason is quite simple, they aren't privileged enough," she bluntly stated.
"But I'm not privileged either."
"You aren't, but I am."
"..."
"Since I am your guardian, you get to become an elite kid in this academy. Awesome, right? "
I feel silent. For some reason, her words made me feel uneasy. I know that people I've met here keep on reminding me that this is a simulation of reality. That rich-privilege does exists! But I never got used to it.
Besides, me being a part of that group now sounded like a joke. I never thought the words "privileged" and "me" could ever exist in the same sentence. Who would have thought that a simple program could make it possible?
Not sensing my discomfort, Gene continued, "The wealthy students of the academy had to come ahead of the other students since they had to choose and buy their houses. Once you're inside the academy, you can't go out unless you graduate or get expelled. So the registrar makes exemptions and allows walk-in registration."
I began collecting my plate as I finished eating.
"By the way, there are also some who come to the academy not to buy houses but to buy information regarding the academy that is not available to the general public. As you know, information is an imperative weapon during your early days in this place. That means, the more information you have in your arsenal, the more security you will gain."
"Isn't that unfair though?" I absentmindedly uttered.
"It is. But as I've said, it's the reality. "
I don't really understand the logic of this school's adhering to the biases of life. Other schools are trying their best to give an equal opportunity to every student, regardless of their social status. Yet, this academy is actually doing the exact opposite. Is this their way of filtering out the poor? If that's the case, then why accept us in the first place?
"I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that," Gene said, cutting off my train of thought. "Having money may give those wealthy kids a slight boost. But remember, they don't have parents here. No matter how much money they are given, if they don't use it smartly, it will still be useless..."
"...Besides, when it comes to gathering academic points, the playing field is fairly equal. To be honest, the ones with the real advantages here are those under the guardianship program. Having a guardian is equivalent to gaining wings in a wall climbing race. So if you're thinking about the most unfair thing that exists in this academy, that would be the guardianship program you happen to be under. "
…
The official opening of class begins. The once silent streets in the morning are now bustling with students going to and fro. The number of vehicles roaming the streets also multiplied. But aside from that, there isn't really that much of a change, especially in our neighborhood. Probably, because most people in our street are from the higher classes, and I've always seen them going to work in the early morning.
I think there are only about five first years here, including me. The other four owned their own houses, while I'm the only one under guardianship.
Only private vehicles are allowed to enter our street, so Gene had to drop me off at the bus stop. She even wanted to directly take me to my college, but I profusely declined. First, because the location of my department and hers are in two opposite directions, and second, I don't trust her to act normally.
"We should probably buy you a bike. As much as I want to, there will surely be days that I can't drop you off at the bus stop and it's too far for you to walk. There is a bicycle parking rack near the bus stop, so you can just leave it there. What do you think?"
"I'm really thankful for your thoughtfulness, but I have to decline."
".….."
And here we go again. Her lips formed a thin line, indicating that my refusal was making her upset. Every time I refuse her overindulgence, this happens. Now I understand why most children born into wealthy households grow extremely detached from reality.
If most rich parents are like her, then it looks like those elite kids will have a hard time in this academy.
With extreme patience, for the hundredth time I explained, "This school is designed to help students gain the essential skills needed for them to thrive extremely well in society through experience. If you keep indulging me and spoon-feeding me everything, then I'll never grow. You'll be graduating this year. What will happen to me after you leave? " I made my voice pitiful and dramatic.
She fell silent for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine!" I heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank you. To be honest, the bus stop isn't really that far. It's just a few minutes' walk, and I can just wake up a bit earlier. Besides, walking is good morning exercise. Also, since you are providing everything for me, once I find a job, I won't have anything to spend my money on. So why not just save it to buy a bicycle instead?"
It seems that my cooing worked this time, as her face began to brighten once again. I can't help but sigh in my head. I don't think this guardianship is a privilege. It's more like torture.