(Dazai Crowley's POV)
Cerulean Academy, Present Day
The boy's dormitory.
Looks like I finally made it.
I stopped for a moment and looked ahead.
A single three story building lied in front of me.
As I continued to look around though, male students, both young and old, passed by me.
So this is what a boy's dormitory looks like.
There really wasn't a single girl in sight.
—Well, all save for one in particular.
"You finally made it."
A familiar face approaches me.
It was Class D's homeroom teacher, Mrs. Gwein. And from the looks of it, she doesn't seem very happy.
"You're late."
"Sorry."
I bow my head lightly.
At first, I only intended to stop by the convenience store so I could see how the Class Point System worked for myself. Which I did.
—However, thanks to my encounter with Ryoku, the whole trip had turned into quite the detour.
Because of that, I ended up arriving here a little later than what we had initially planned.
My mistake, I guess.
Mrs. Gwein sighs.
"So? What do you think?"
I glance back towards the buildings ahead.
"So this is where I'll be expected to spend the next two years of my life, huh?"
"You don't like it?"
"It's...—a little different from what I'm used to."
"I'm sure it is."
We spend a short moment in silence together.
"—In any case, you're probably tired after today, right? Come, I'll take you to your room."
"Thank you."
As a boarding school, Cerulean Academy has several dormitories to accommodate students. They are divided by classes, genders and age, leaving a total of ten dorms altogether.
And as right now, for the next two years, I will be living with other male second years of Class D.
On that note, me and Mrs. Gwein head inside.
I was surprised to see the interior be a lot more luxurious than I originally expected.
To be perfectly honest, I was a little worried that the boy's dorms wouldn't have been well maintained, but apparently that wasn't the case.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
"You coming?"
Mrs. Gwein tells me.
"Ah, sorry."
I follow her to the nearest elevator.
And then, we ascend to the third floor.
I raised my eyebrow.
"You got me a room on the top floor?"
"Yep."
"How kind."
Typically in prestigious schools like this one, the top floor was usually reserved for nobles and students of high renown. However, it appears the school has made a special exception for me.
Hmm, I wonder why.
"Don't thank me. It was your father's idea."
I stop for a moment.
My father, huh.
"I see...—I'll be sure to thank him later then."
The elevator stops and the doors open.
We continued walking for a while.
On the way, I noticed various students my age come and go from their own rooms. From the looks of it, there seemed to be no key required.
Instead, students only had to swipe their ID across the appropriate card reader, granting them entry. I see. So not only were they our wallets, but even our own IDs were designed to be our keys as well. Technology sure is amazing.
"We're here."
Eventually we stopped by one room in particular. According to the nameplate, it was "Room 308".
I glance down at the floor. The doormat was different from all the others. Huh, did somebody change it? Mrs. Gwein approaches the door before swiping her card and opening it. I step inside.
"Pardon the intrusion…"
Walking into the doorway, we were then greeted by the sight of a young boy training in the front room. From the looks of it, he was practicing basic martial arts. Jab, jab, weave, jab, jab.
Moving ever so slightly on top of a tatami mat, he repeated the motions.
His gloved hands jabbed through the air lightly like spears, while his feet danced softly yet precisely. There was no unnecessary movement.
It was truly a flawless form.
But it was then I noticed something different in the way he was training.
—Oh, I see. He wasn't just "training"…—No, he was off in his own little world, fighting as if to simulate live combat.
Wham! A powerful right hook came in hot, downing his imaginary foe in an instant.
The very air in the room shook tremendously.
"Incredible…"
"Hmm?"
The boy's focus was broken. He turns his head, his ponytail swaying in the other direction.
The moment he faced us however, I immediately recognized that sweaty face of his.
"Oh, it's just you, Mrs. Gwein", he says.
The boy then glances at me.
"—And, this is…?"
"His name is Dazai Crowley."
"Ah, so "he's" the one you've been telling me about."
He grabs a nearby towel to wipe his hands and face before extending his hand.
"It seems like the two of us will be roommates from now on. It's nice to meet you. My name is—"
"—I know exactly who you are."
I purposely cut him off.
He stops.
"You're related to one of the Ten Elites. The son of the second strongest Bravado in the world."
"—Emmel Naiden", I continued.
He immediately narrows his gaze.
Shortly after though, he started chuckling.
"Heh, my, my, I see someone's done their research."
He steps away for a moment.
"—However, I'm afraid I'm not as great a guy as they make me out to be."
"What do you mean?"
"It's exactly as he says."
Mrs. Gwein suddenly tells me.
I glance at her.
"During both the entrance exams, Emmel barely managed to score a measly fifty."
"Fifty?"
In most situations, that's borderline failure. If it wasn't for his lineage, I'm sure he wouldn't even be standing here right now.
"Indeed. That's exactly why he's in Class D right now. In other words—"
"—It means you're looking at a certified disappointment…"
Emmel sighs and scratches the back of his neck.
"Oh…—I see. My bad then."
It appears I've misjudged him to some degree.
"Nah, you're fine. I'm used to it at this point."
And yet he shakes it off, almost as if he was numb to such unfortunate misunderstandings.
"Right now, I'm just a guy named Emmel. Sure, that may not be what you've been expecting of me, but for the next two years, we're going to be roommates. So…—I hope we can still get along."
As he says that, he extends his hand out again.
I glance at him for a moment.
"—Of course."
I shake his hand.
"Well then, here's to a lasting friendship."