After an hour, Yuki was losing it. The corridor was still a zoo, with students crowding around the results board as if it were a free concert. However, Yuki was playing hide-and-seek with her anxiousness, hiding in the shadows. To cope, she'd discovered the vending machine, which was getting *worked*. Coins went in, and goodies came out. She relied on vending machine treatment to reduce tension. A cemetery of empty chip bags, cookie wrappers, and even a lonely iced tea can was sprouting at her feet. "Okay, okay," Yuki said, staring at the food pile. "Just a little longer, then I'll face the music. Breathe, Yuki. Just breathe. Maybe one more pack of Pocky for good luck?"
She took a long breath, attempting to calm her pounding heart, and looked at the board again. There are still too many people and they are just too noisy. Her gut flipped, telling her that this was not her scene. She didn't belong in the spotlight, on the social rollercoaster. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in snack limbo, the throng began to thin out. A gap developed, resembling a route opening up. Yuki sensed her chance.
She approached the board cautiously, her pulse thumping like a drum solo. The names on the list were first fuzzy, consisting only of letters. But then her gaze rested on something at the very top. "Yuki Hageshi." *Wait.* Is it Yuki Hageshi? She felt a rush of adrenaline and read it again, making sure she wasn't seeing things. The name was *exactly* her own. No way that was a coincidence. Could it really be...?
Yuki double-checked, tracing the letters with her finger, filled with shock and excitement. It was not just any Yuki. This was *her*. At the very top. Number one. She truly did it. "OMG, I'm number one!" she gasped, scarcely believing it. A flood of exhilaration washed over her, letting her forget about her anxiety for a while. Her brain was buzzing. She wanted to leap, scream, and do a victory dance. But she was able to keep it together (basically). As she fought to regain her breath, she broke into a wide grin.
Before she could even process what happened, she grabbed her phone. She *had* to tell her mom back in California, ASAP. Her hands were shaking as she dialed, her mind totally hyped.
Before she could grasp what had happened, she grabbed her phone. She *had* to inform her mother back in California as soon as possible, and as she called, her hands shook and her mind was racing. The phone rang a few times, and Yuki walked back and forth, looking at the results board as if it would vanish. She was so focused that she didn't see the call connecting. "Mom, Mom!" she said to herself while fiddling with her phone. In her enthusiasm, she accidently activated the front camera. The phone rang, and she didn't glance at the screen.
Then her mother's voice came through the speaker. "Hey, Yuki, how's the first day—OMG, what is *that*? Yuki, what's up with your face?!" Yuki stopped, her eyes expanding. *Huh? * She finally checked her phone. The camera was capturing her face from the worst possible angle: big eyes, gaping mouth, and a superb expression of astonished astonishment. Her mother started laughing. "OMG, you look like you just saw a ghost…or maybe you just remembered you have a pop quiz!" her mother mocked, still laughing.
Yuki felt her heart skip a beat. "No!" she exclaimed, her cheeks going crimson. "I—uh—I wasn't—I mean, it's—!" She fidgeted with her phone, her fingers sliding. She unintentionally switched to the rear camera, then back to the front, nearly dropping her phone before repairing it. Finally, she appeared on camera, her face still flushed but attempting to appear normal. She exhaled. "M-Mom… I'm… I'm number one! I passed the entrance exam… I actually did it!"
Her mother's voice altered; the taunting was replaced by pride. "Oh honey, that's amazing! I'm so proud! You're incredible! Just don't burn yourself out, okay? It's gonna be tough." Yuki gave an uneasy chuckle. "Yeah… I know." After hanging up, Yuki gazed at her phone, her enthusiasm dimming. She had made it to the top. But it did not feel like a complete victory.
The realization struck her hard. Being number one in a classroom full of strangers drew attention. It meant that everyone would be watching her. It implied being in the spotlight, which was her biggest dread. The strain of being the best student, of being *seen* by everyone, seemed like it was going to consume her. This was *not* the life of a hikikomori, or a secretly renowned Vtuber who simply wanted to relax online. For the first time since seeing her name at the top, she wished she could simply hide, return to her room, and be *Yuki* online, rather than Yuki Hageshi, the surprise academic star. Her new world was terrifying, and she wasn't sure if she was prepared for it.