The Prodigy - Classroom Of The Elite

Every year, the school year kicks off with an entrance ceremony where we have to listen to speeches from important people like the student council president. To be honest, it's not the most exciting way to start things off. I found myself almost dozing off because the speeches were just so dull.

After the ceremony was over, most of the students rushed back to their dorms or went to hang out at cafes and other spots with their new buddies. But I decided to stick around.

You might be wondering why I didn't join them.

Well, I really don't like getting caught up in big crowds, so I waited until most people had left before making a move.

After hanging around for a bit, I eventually left the school. But instead of heading straight to the dorm, I decided to stop by the nearby convenience store to grab some essentials.

Living on my own for the first time, without my family's support, had been going alright so far.

When I walked into the convenience store, the first thing I noticed was how spacious it was. I quickly realized it might take a while to find everything I needed.

Once I had everything in my basket, I went to the cash register to pay. As I was making my payment, I couldn't help but notice two people near the entrance. Even though I only glanced at them briefly, I recognized them right away.

They were both from my class, but that wasn't the main reason I remembered them. The real reason was that they were my seatmates. The girl, if I recall correctly, had introduced herself as Horikita Suzune.

The boy next to her was named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

I grabbed my purchases from the counter and noticed that they had also spotted me. Honestly, I wasn't all that concerned about it.

Horikita didn't seem to care and continued with her shopping, while Ayanokoji turned slightly toward me.

"Hi!"

I was the one who broke the silence, not him. It wasn't because I was eager to chat, but more because I couldn't stand the way he was staring at me.

I might be overthinking things. It was probably just a casual glance at someone standing nearby after realizing they were there. In this case, that someone was me.

He seemed pretty indifferent to my greeting, though he did appear to recognize me. I had thought my introduction was bland enough to fly under the radar, or maybe it was so dull that it actually stood out?

"Hi. Came for shopping?"

It was a typical question, and honestly, it felt a bit forced.

"Yeah. What about you, Ayanokoji-kun?"

I asked, using his name to keep the conversation going.

I'm not sure why, but his name stuck with me, even though I usually have a hard time remembering people's names.

"Same," he replied.

"Alright, I guess I'll get going then. I'm done with my shopping," I said, since there wasn't anything specific I wanted to discuss with him at that moment.

He just nodded, and the girl next to him, Horikita, didn't seem to pay me any mind at all.

"Nice to meet you," I said to him, turning to leave. "And nice to meet you too, Horikita-san," I added, acknowledging her as well before heading out.

Even though she ignored me, I figured it was polite to say those lines before leaving the store.

As I stepped outside, I spotted the same red-haired student from my class—the one who had dramatically walked out during the introductions. I decided to ignore him and continue on my way. It looked like he was heading for the store as well.

The dorm wasn't far from the store, so it only took a few minutes to get there.

Once I arrived at the dorm building, I headed straight to the elevator to get to my room. This was the place I'd be calling home for the rest of my school life.

The keycard for room number 447 on the fifth floor and a handbook filled with rules and regulations were handed to me. These were the guidelines I, and presumably every student, needed to follow.

As I skimmed through the handbook, it struck me as surprisingly basic. My first thought was, "Are these even rules? They just seem like the fundamentals of being a decent human being."

I took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and as the doors opened, I quickly found room 447.

Using the keycard I received at reception, I unlocked the door. There was also an option to use a passcode, which seemed like a nice security feature.

Finally, I opened the door to my dorm room, stepped inside, and closed it behind me. My first thought was, "I've got some work to do to make this place feel like home."

This is where I'd be spending the next three years of my school life, so it was important to make sure it reflected my interests and felt comfortable.

The setup included a bedroom, kitchen, and an attached bathroom. The size of the place was a pleasant surprise. I had expected it to be a bit cramped, thinking I'd have to make some adjustments, but it turned out to be more spacious than I had imagined.

With that in mind, it was time to start organizing and personalizing the space to make it truly my own.