*Hours Later — Downtown Food Spot*
Michelle slammed her tray of street-side pork belly on the table and beamed, her excitement barely containable.
*"Oh my gosh, gyal! I heard you got a special admission into Imperial's!"*
Her voice was loud enough to draw stares, but Michelle didn't care.
Nao gave a half-laugh, her fingers nervously clutching her chopsticks.
*"Ha ha… yeah."* She didn't want to sound unsure, even if her mind was still reeling.
Michelle didn't notice. She threw an arm over Nao's shoulder, squishing them together.
*"Let's celebrate over pork belly and ginger ale!"* she sang.
*"Uh... yeah. Sounds great."*
Nao forced a smile, her thoughts far from celebration.
Michelle grinned wide, stuffing a chunk of meat in her mouth.
*"Promise me you won't forget some dirty poor gyal like me when you start swimming with rich kids, huh?"*
Nao blinked, then looked her in the eye with a soft, genuine smile.
*"Promise."*
---
*Next Day — IMPERIAL'S GROUND*
*Class 4 Residence, Courtyard*
A group of four girls huddled by the fountain, clutching their coffees, eyes scanning the passing students.
*"Have you heard?"* one of them whispered, lowering her voice.
*"The new student. Copy of Viki."*
*"Oh, yes!"* another girl chimed in. *"I saw her—like a calm version of Viki, but with darker hair. Same face structure. It's giving creepy."*
*"Twins?"*
*"Doubt it. But if she is, I pity her."*
They all giggled.
---
*ADMIN OFFICE — Imperial's West Wing*
The room was dimly lit, flooded with cold hues from the tall windows.
Mr. Williams sat behind his massive oak desk, tapping a pen slowly against a report file.
Nao stood before him.
*"I suppose by now, you understand the price for being admitted into Imperial's under the 'Equal System',"* Mr. Williams said, voice cold, eyes unreadable.
Nao's brows furrowed.
*"But… why?"* she asked cautiously.
Mr. Williams leaned back into his leather chair, his smile thin and venomous.
*"You didn't ask that when you wore the uniform. Humans—your kind especially—are always quick to accept gifts without asking the cost. Now here you are, asking why… just because it's no longer in your favor."*
He paused, letting the silence cut through her.
*"This school isn't a sanctuary. It's a fortress. And fortresses don't open their gates for charity."*
*"So you got me enrolled to… keep an eye on me?"*
He chuckled.
*"Smart? Not quite. I didn't bring you here to observe you. I brought you here to *contain* the situation. That boy's death threatens everything we've built. The media, the sponsors, the board—they don't care who died. They care how it affects us."*
He leaned forward now, his fingers interlocked on the desk.
*"You being here is… poetic. You take the place of the dead. You carry the secret. You slip up? You talk? Then it's *your* crime. And the school—"
he gestured to the Imperial's crest on the wall—
"remains untouched."*
Nao's lips parted but no sound came.
Mr. Williams smiled.
*"Welcome to Imperial's, kid. Now go put that uniform to good use."*
---
School hall.
"He just put everything on me ..fvck"
She stood looking at the school.
"Is this worth it"
She looked at the golden board by the sides carrying names of last year winners.
"Hell yeah"
She whispered.
A guy walked sides her.
"You must be Nao?..I was told to escort you around the school"
He said.
"Oh..sure"
She said.
"I'm Sato..welcome to imperials"
He said walking ahead as she followed.
"T..thanks"
She said .
They took the elevator to floor 3 covered in the design of a mall.
Nao mouth almost dropped..it was unlike anything thing she has ever seen.
"This is imperials mall..where you get your cloths and stuff"
He said.
"W..wow "
She said inaudible.
"And we also got the eatery, Arcade, study clubs..and lots more"
He added.
"So this..like a world itself"
She said.
"You quick.."
He smiled softly .
"Yes"
"I suppose you being new..your a class 3"
He asked.
"Oh..I don't really know about that"
She said.
"Imperial starts with class 3 so..i suppose we're in the same class"
He said .
"Oh..I guess this school want to be different in all ways"
She chuckled a bit.
"You bet"
He said laughing.
MINUTES LATER.
*Class 3*
The teacher had just left the class..Nao could feel eyes on her as they all muttered.
Just then the whole class feel silent with the opening of the door.
"Damn.."
One whispered.
"Omds..Tashiba"
Another said her cheek red.
"Nao..Asano"
"Huh.."
Nao turned to the person, it was Viki and 2 guys.
"Um..yes?"
Viki scoffed..
Walking towards her.
She sat on Nao's table.
"You must the famous look alike"
She said as if trying to quench her anger.
Nao stared at the whole class trying to understand the situation she was.
"Speak kid"
Viki added.
"I'm Nao..nice to meet you?"
She said not too sure of what was going on.
Viki clenched her fist on the table.
"Ha..what?"
The class began to laugh. Trying to hold their laughs so it won't annoy viki..
"Woah..i heard about the "nao" and damn..she really looks like you, just dark hair, Innocent eyes.."
Tashiba said swirling his hands on her curly hair.
"And cuter"
It was like a Spear stabbing viki ears.
She slapped tashiba hands off Nao as she grabbed Nao's hair.
"ack-"
Nao shouted.
"Look kid..of course your new, you see not much people wear make up in here..Except me tomorrow be a good girl and don't wear any ..am I clear?"
She put on a warning smile.
"I bet Nathan would have loved this"
Konan said.
"Let her be viki..You don't think the little makeups is what holds her beau-"
"BAAM!!"
Tashiba was now holding a chair in his arms with viki who tried to hit him with it seconds ago.
"Damn..I hope you ain't mad cupcakes"
He smirked.
The whole class began to mutter.
Viki let the chair go and walked out .
"Ha..Tash, you want Nathan killing you?"
Konan said walking out .
Tashiba scoffed dropping the chair before walking out.
Nao stared..confused.
"Oh my..the new girl In trouble "
The whispered continued.
~♤~
"She dragged my hair, asked me to never wear make ups on..sir, this bully"
Nao said .
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that..sides viki is a senior don't you think its best you obey than ..rattle"
Joko Class 3 residence lecturer said .
"But..I put them on to- cover my acnes"
She said
"I have nothing more to say on this case"
He said typing on his computer.
Music room
it was quiet and looked empty.
There was Mira..sat next to a piano.
She has been staring at it for a while now.
`~◇~`
The hard play on the guitar circled around the whole band. Sato killing it with his drum playing with Ryan and kaze going stern with their guitar playing, Mira by the piano sides and Ria singing moving her body rhyming with the beat.
"This perfect..I could use this to shake my effects in"
Mira said in her thoughts ready to amaze the crowd.
"This could also rhyme with what whole performance "
She added.
"And..now"
She moved her fingers about to touch a key but her fingers just seized and landed on a wrong key..shaking the whole scene into something else.
"No..no..fvck"
Nervously she rushed trying to bring back the rhyme.
`~♤~`
"What was I thinking ?"
Mira said.
"Ahhhhh..."
She kicked the little piano in front of her letting it fall.
"Dammit"
The announcer speaker at the middle of the hall spoke "STUDENTS REGISTERED TODAY, ALL HEAD TO FLOOR 5 TOMMOROW MORNING"
It went on for about 3 times before It stopped.
Nao walked through the hall, the students muttering looking at there phones or just loose little group squirming around.
"Need help?"
Nao heard a voice behind her.
"Huh?"
She turned, meeting eyes with a guy about 5'8 ft tall.
"You seem to be lost"
He said .
"Oh..yes..ha I mean, definately"
She chuckled a bit trying not to look weird.
"I'm ryan"
He said.
"Nao..nao Asano"
She replied.
"Cool..you looking for your dorm?"
"Yes.."
She said her hands fidgeting against her books.
"Can I see your profile badge.."
He said.
"Oh..this?"
She showed him the badge hanged around her neck.
"Hmm..let me show you then"
He said leading her ahead.
Minutes later after the walk.
"Here"
They stopped in front of a room the door holding a badge "145".
"Oh..thank you very much"
She said .
"Hmm..so, you must be a soloist by your description"
He said hands in his pockets .
"Not really..I mean yh..but not too much"
She said .
"O..oh, how about tommorow ..meet at my club?"
"Y..you want me joining your club?"
She said surprised.
"Wouldn't hurt"
He said.
"Y..yes..sure..absolutely.."
She said almost bursting in excitement.
"Great".
#*#*#*#
Club 9
"She just became the talk of the school just by stepping in"
"Crazy"
"Scratch that..Ryan got her in our club, you know viki might try to steal her"
Sato said.
"Lol..I think she just turned viki enemy"
Ria said laid on a ball.
There were surrounded in musical instruments.
"So she's replacing mira?"
Sato said.
"She obviously got kicked out of the team dude"
Ria said almost annoyed.
"How yall talking about her like you have heard her sing..plot twist she turns out to be a terrible soloist"
Kaze said not turning to them.
"She might not be all bad"
Ria said.
"Ha..Bet"
He scoffed.
"I guess we're going to find out tommorow"
NEXT DAY.
6:34AM.
Nao stared at the mirror..her acnes which doesn't seem to be getting off was staring right at her, she couldn't..she has to cover it up.
"Ugh.."
She picked the kit and pushed the little dust on her face rubbing it around the surface covering it up.
"I hope I don't run into that weirdo today "
Floor 5.
With the help of observing nao got to floor 5 dressed on the uniform as everyone else there.
"Here...we go with clubs"
Mrs Marion the head assistant to the musical attendant said scrolling against the huge screen in place of the board at the center of the room showing different names under different clubs names.
"There's only 5 clubs in imperials, Vicki log, celestrix, malaysia lights, zylons metals, D-x..It was usually 6 but The last club Graniteville left after the epic fail last year..obviously the club at the top Vicki log followed by d-x and celestrix. Celestrix is also a popular band but not on record because they only go on hardware metals..the reason your here is to let you know that if your not in any of the clubs before weekends, you can't and won't ever be given a chance to become amongst the musicals rather than just the viewers and cheerers..except that's what you came here for"
Minutes later everyone leaving floor 5 after the information .
Some now eager to find a club to get picked in while some unbothered .
Nao stood by the elevator entrance having no idea where this "club" Ryan spoke of where rather less the name.
"Just great"
She said in her thoughts .