Ding, ding, ding!!!
"Ughhh," I groaned in bed as I swayed from side to side. This loud, disturbing, and utterly annoying sound was an unpleasant reminder that I'd be late if I didn't get up.
If you were wondering where the sound was coming from, it was from the new alarm clock that I just got yesterday.
I regretted buying it because of how it abruptly woke me up and nagged at me to get up, although in a way, it was simply just doing its job.
Anyway, in an attempt to stop the loud noise, I slammed it—instantly turning it off but potentially damaging it slightly.
"Heugh," I sighed. "Don't tell me it's already morning."
I was way too tired to stand up, so I tried falling back asleep, but when I tried to fall back asleep, I suddenly remembered something—I remembered that I was late.
"Oh shit, I'm late!" I stood up abruptly.
Late for what, you might ask? I was late for my first day of school at Japan's top high school.
"Shit, shit, shit!" I propelled myself from the bed and into the bathroom.
Hey, don't get me wrong, I was not some kind of nerd that was fond of school, but it was either school or my freedom.
Needless to say, I chose my freedom. I mean, I couldn't just stay there, especially since he was dead.
Six years had passed, and yet I had never found myself gasping for air in sorrow, never felt the crushing weight people often talked about.
It was like I had skipped that part entirely.
Then again, it's me we're talking about.
You see, I wasn't exactly the most emotional person, though maybe I was acting like this precisely because it was him.
I mean, after all he did, I suppose I grew a certain amount of apathy towards him.
Though I couldn't particularly say I hated him despite everything, either—it was complicated.
Anyway, I rushed through a bath while brushing my teeth and hurriedly started putting on my uniform; might I add that the uniform was rather glamorous indeed.
A black blazer, a plain long-sleeved white shirt, a brown tie with white stripes, and black shoes.
The school wasn't strict about the dress code, so you could wear the uniform however you liked.
I knew all this as I read the school handbook last night. The school was so lenient that students could modify their uniforms without fear of punishment.
Of course, this meant you could wear accessories like bracelets and hairpins.
I capitalised on the school's leniency on the uniform arrangement.
I wore a black shirt under my white one, left the first button undone to show it slightly, untucked my shirt, and wore a blue tie with black stripes—loosening it just a little.
I also slipped on a black bracelet and a watch, though I chose not to wear the blazer.
"I'd say I look nice enough," I grinned widely at my reflection. "Now, time to leave."
I dressed as I did so I could look as friendly as possible. I never really had friends throughout my life except Hiro, of course, but he was my childhood friend, so he didn't count.
Though too much black might be counterproductive.
Before leaving my hotel room, I checked my travelling box (suitcase) to see if I had left any of my essentials, but it seemed I hadn't, so I left for the door.
Goodbye, Haruto, till we meet next, or if we even meet again. And Ayato... I hope you're doing okay.
I was sure that saying it in my mind might have made the entire goodbye useless, but even if I did say it aloud, they wouldn't hear me—I was just trying to be sentimental, that's all.
I ran down the stairs of the hotel because the elevator needed maintenance. Before checking out of the hotel, I made sure to visit the hotel cafe.
"Just a bagel and coffee, please."
Good thing I still had some spare change.
"See you again!"
Some welcomers bid me farewell as I ran out of the hotel to my taxi (I called a cab on my way out).
I simply waved back with a faint smile.
I could tell you a million reasons why I didn't want to ride the bus—one being the stench—but the main reason was I simply didn't want to.
The car door shut with a solid thunk, sealing me in a quiet sense of relief because I made it in time.
"Good morning," I greeted the driver.
"Morning. So, where are we going, young man?" the cab driver asked.
"The EHS campus, please."
The driver's eyes found mine in the rearview. "Ah. One of those kids, huh. The elite."
I chuckled a bit at his words before speaking. "I wouldn't really call myself an elite, considering the school accepts all Japanese students."
"They say that, yet the exams are like hell, right?" He started the car.
"Yeah," I sighed; the memory of those brutal questions was still fresh.
"Y'know, my kid actually went to it before it was revamped."
"Oh, they did? What did they say about it?"
"He said something about the curriculum being hellish; I don't really remember the details."
"Hellish, huh?" I muttered; well, it was more to myself than to the driver.
Hellish? I thought I was going to have a blast or something.
My words might seem sarcastic, but I actually was hoping to have a good time.
His words deterred my happiness and zeal a bit, making me look a bit saddened.
The driver caught my look and flashed a smile. "Don't worry. You got in, didn't you? Most don't even make it that far. You'll be fine."
"I hope you're right."
Now that we were on the road, I could unwind a bit; well, with nothing else to do, I pulled out the school handbook for a quick reread.
It was concise yet effective; it stated how Tokyo Metropolitan Elysian High School—the school I was going to—was founded in 2012 and was already Japan's top high school by a reasonable margin in only 7 years—that was in 2019.
Though then it was just called Tokyo Elysian High School. Anyway, in 2020, the school was abruptly shut down because of renovation, as they were overcapacity.
Then in 2023, they re-emerged under government control—becoming Tokyo Metropolitan Elysian High School.
As a government-owned school, it boasted the best curriculum and the largest educational campus in the world, though that was still quite debatable.
The school's prestige attracted admiration from students in America, Korea, China, the Soviet Union, and beyond. However, only Japanese citizens were allowed to enrol.
"So, uh, I heard about the weird rules at the school. Are they true?" I asked the driver.
"Hmm? Oh, right, I heard rumours like that too. Well, they weren't true when my kid went there, but I suppose they didn't have a massive island by then, so go figure."
"Ahh, I see."
Just like I asked, the school had weird rules, and I didn't mean the apparent segregation; I meant rules that applied to even the students.
These rules banned personal phones, all forms of currency, and any interaction with the outside world—the last one being only made possible by the school's isolated campus—making the campus a self-functioning society, the first of its kind.
This school was in a league of its own; its campus was so large that it housed malls and other recreational centres—it was basically a city, as it was about 10 square kilometres in size.
It was on a separate island connected to the mainland by an underground tunnel; it truly embodied the word 'prestigious'.
And the exams made sure to emphasise that. Just like the driver said before, the exams were something else. Getting into this school was also a hassle.
The entrance exam was something else entirely—something only elites could pass.
The school was targeted at geniuses, the gifted, the exceptional, or just the insanely lucky. At any rate, I didn't fit the said criteria.
But at least I got in.
Now I can have a fresh start and maybe even make friends. No, I have to. Or else I'll have to...
I stared out the window, admiring the bustling city of Tokyo. I had lived in Tokyo for 16 years—my entire life—but I had never seen this city, not once.
The sheer energy of it, the life—it was intoxicating. To be out of my old room, out of my old routines, my old silent existence, my old life… it was a physical rush.
I was rapidly approaching Tokyo Harbour, the designated area that would take me to school—it made my mind wander a bit about my future.
I had finished my compulsory years of education, and now, I was a student at Japan's top high school.
I was on top of the world, but what was I actually doing? I was living my dream, I guess, but was that really the answer?
What was even my dream to begin with?
Freedom? Happiness? Realised Curiosity?
Was that dream even correct? Would I even achieve it?
I wasn't exactly sure… yet.
I just wanted to be happy; well, it was what I thought, at least. But was that the correct approach?
But before any of that, I would like to ask you, yes, you, an interesting question.
It's a difficult question; perhaps one could even call it philosophical.
At any rate, it was one that deeply bothered me, especially at this point in my life.
So, can you please answer this?
Do all humans have free will?