When we finally get an anime adaptation, this would be a great point to end off the first episode. Anyways, Ven looks at the dumbass with a confused look, still maintaining his poker face but looking like a local in an east-Asian country when a tourist asks them something in a completely unknown language.
-…?
-Apologies, I wasn't audible enough? I asked for your humble opinion concerning bikinis.
Is this guy for real?! Why in the ever-living hell is that the first thing that comes out of your damn mouth fool! Ven turns around and looks forward, closing his eyes and hoping he'll go away.
-A thousand apologies but I'm very persistent, I won't stop asking you this question until I get an answer! I'll hound you every single day and I won't back down even if you file harassment complaints!
Shit! Ven's ultimate weakness, perseverance! He can't do anything against it and eventually, he will crack under the pressure, this is a critical moment for Ven's future, let's hope you make a good decision! So, Ven decides to stop ignoring him and actually answer the damned question.
-L-Like on myself or…?
Wow. You never cease to surprise me, Ven. That was a question, and it certainly was asked.
-Nah, on the opposite gender.
I'm actually a bit relieved, imagine if this guy was into guys wearing bikinis. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just simply not good to be so open about your fetishes, people can get uncomfortable and stuff.
-I *guess* they look pretty good, and it's probably comfortable but super erotic bikinis make me a bit…uncomfortable?
The guy smirks all knowingly looking somewhat pleased with himself. What the hell is your deal man! Also, stop being so modest Ven, erotic bikinis turn you on as much as the next horny teenager.
-Does that mean you don't like bikinis then?
The only men that wouldn't like bikinis are probably gay men but I'm actually not sure about that, being gay means you're attracted to men but do they find women, or in this case, women in bikinis attractive? Maybe they like it when the bikini is on their male partner? Can I get please get some sort of opinion from a professional gay please? I'm desperate.
-N-No I like them, but I feel pretty annoyed when a bikini is needlessly erotic, it's fine to have them and wear them but swimming in public with them? That's the intended purpose, but you don't need to reveal that much.
The fool count seems pretty surprised by that answer. I share the same opinion, of course, their body their choice, but do you REALLY, need to show off that much?
-And what type of bikini is your personal favorite?
-I guess…The ones where the strings are connected via a metal ring, I like how it's practical but is also an accessory and looks pretty good while not being too erotic in my opinion.
The king of tomfoolery looks taken aback for a second but quickly regains his composure. What's up with that reaction, that answer doesn't merit such a shocked expression.
-Is that so? I know you don't care but my personal favorite are swimsuits.
Remotely not the same thing but I won't argue with an "expert".
-But…aren't swimsuits not considered bikinis? Aren't they in a separate category?
-Yes. Is that a problem?
-N-no it's just…you asked me what my favorite bikini was, but you said swimsuits are your favorite, I don't understand why you asked me about bikinis when your favorite isn't a bikini?
Somehow, Ven is pretty into this discussion, he's actually facing the guy and thinking about what he says and how to respond.
-That's a pretty good observation on your part, but I refuse to explain my reasoning. Let's just chalk it up to me being a big fan of women's swimsuits for now.
Ven looks in front of him only to gaze upon an empty classroom. Not a single person in sight. The discussion was just…so engaging.
-…I can't believe this. How did I get so caught up in this stupid conversation?
-Guess we're gonna be late eh? Minute 1 score 1 ain't that right new kid? Or do you prefer Ven? Maybe boyo? Venny-boy, how about that?
Stop. Stop talking. You're not funny in the slightest. You attempts at humor fail in every aspect possible, so much so that your failed attempts count as some of the most stunning…ly garbage performances of all time.
-Choose whichever, I don't care… Who are you anyways?
-Oh, me? My name is Rains Claudia , I'm a top tier delinquent, nice to meet you, Ven Sinclair.
Huh? This is…unexpected? İt's not very common to encounter someone with a name as weird as "Ven Sinclair" but I guess here we are. On another note, this is weird. İ'm not referring to the fact that Ven's first conversation with this guy was about bikini's, sorry if the female audience feel uncomfortable but I'm just a narrator, or how hilariously unfunny he was, no it's about something else. This guy is…awkward as all hell. Not in the nervous, shaky type of awkwardness but it feels like he's hiding something, paired with the fact that he feels unnatural, almost like an actor, I'm going to chalk this up to be something super important to the plot and this is totally not going to be used as an excuse to justify why the first thing to come out of his mouth was "what is your opinion on bikinis".
-So what the hell are we waiting for, let's get moving party people!
No I take that back I'm pretty sure he's under the influence, get away Ven, he'll corrupt you and you'll get involved in lots of dangerous situations! Ven gets up and already looks fed up with him but can't deny the fact that he's probably a decent guy.
-Fine let's get moving, but you're gonna make up an excuse ok?
-Eh, it's not necessary, if you get good grades you can be late for up to 10 minutes and they won't even say anything. This school is very forgiving towards it's best students.
Treating people differently based on their academic results and rewarding them with exclusive rewards seems kinda unfair if you ask me. If you ask me, students with good academic results do deserve some sort of reward for getting there, but these "special privileges" like the one he mentioned about allowing students to come into class late doesn't seem like an appropriate reward. They're basically promoting missing or skipping a portion of class because of their good academic results, that's not professional, unless they trust their students to not disapoint them. I wouldn't count on it, seeing as how they're teenagers.
-Yes…A top tier delinquent…One of the best students. Aren't delinquents supposed to cut class and get shitty grades? The hell are you doing being a good student?!
Rains averts his gaze, it almost looks like he's embarrassed or something.
-İ am…a very unique delinquent.
Please don't tell me that you're an "intelligent bad boy".
-Probably because that's all there is to you, right?
Ven says that pretty enthusiastically, sounding pretty proud of that burn. Hell yes, he's actually showing his emotions! This is a moment in history, take a picture!
-Yeah that's exactly it, great intuition- Oh fuck off!
Rains looks pissed off but amused at the same time, meanwhile Ven's poker face is still going strong, I know all that face muscle training wasn't for nothing!
-…So, are you yet another anti-social, para-social, whatever social quiet guy with no friends? Or is there something more to you?
Another weird question, a bit insulting actually. But is it me or did his voice change a bit? It felt like there was a shift that occurred off-screen while I wasn't paying attention. Not that I don't ever not pay attention, not at all I'm very attentive, better believe it!
-What?
-I'm not insulting you or anything, but I'm just wondering if there's something special about you, something that differentiates you from other people.
That's not the type of question you ask someone when you meet them for the first time, dumbass. Learn some tact.
-Why does it matter? Do I need to have something that differentiates me from other people?
-No, but it makes you more interesting, it attracts people to you. Nobody is a fan of the average Joe after all.
You're completely wrong on this but I'll Ven tell you how wrong you are.
-Your logic is flawed. The "level of interest" that someone has is very subjective, some people can definitely be basic but that doesn't make them objectively uninteresting, they're bound to interest someone. Some people might consider someone that is "special" more uninteresting than a person that isn't. On another note, your average Joe attracts a lot more people than most people who have something that differentiates them from other people. That's because the average Joe is very sociable and normally has a large group of friends, one of those friends might actually be someone "interesting".
-That maybe true but the reason people appreciate the average Joe is because the average Joe is basic. They are captivated by the lack of complexity and simplicity of that average Joe. In short, they aren't really fans of the average Joe, they only hang around the average Joe because it's the most common type of person around and they aren't scared of him.
-Point is, it doesn't really matter if the person in question has something that differentiates them from others. Having something like that, as you said, only amplifies your level of interest. And that's mainly subjective.
Maybe Rains had some good arguments after all. Guess he's not your "average dumbass".
-Did you purposefully lead the conversation this way to avoid answering whether or not you had something "special" about you?
-No. I don't really think there's anything that special about me.
Don't underrate yourself. There's the hallucinations! And so many other things that I'm not going to list right now because they'll be revealed later!
-I don't think so. There has to be something special about you, otherwise, the logic I'm using is entirely flawed.
-Whatever. Think what you want to think, it doesn't concern me.
And don't be so nonchalant! You're not going to pull any girls with that attitude. Nonchalance is so overrated. And old. They continue walking, why is this school building so big and the classes are so far from one another? Not practical at all, I do not approve.
-Hey, what do we have next?
-Maths, I think? No, no it's maths alright. Which means that the teacher is a…w-woman. İf the teacher asks anything you better be the one to answer Ven!
-Why? And what's up with that long pause between "a" and "woman"?
Rains looks away, like genuinely turns around and faces the wall.
-Ok Ven, I will share with you the most known fact about me, so keep your ears open and your eyes peeled!
-So you're telling me something about yourself that everybody else knows, how ecstatic.
How important could this fact possibly be, I'm betting that it's either something erotic or uninspired.
-İ…am completely terrified of members of the opposite sex.
HUH? WHAT? The delinquent is terrified of WOMEN? B-but how? Most delinquent's are supposed to be womanizers who constantly catcall women and make weird comments about them usually involving their bodies. This dumb ass introduced himself as a delinquent and is already failing at his (supposed) main character trait!
-Y-you're terrified of women?
Ven can't help but make a shocked expression, he's so shocked that he is also concerned at the same time.
-Yes, I prefer to not think about them, talk to them or interact with them. More like I'm incapable of doing so but, go fish right? I'm not sexist though. But even having this conversation about them is taking a toll on me.
How does your fear of women get so bad that talking about your fear of them makes you feel uneasy?
-O-ok?
-My reasoning for this is…Rather complex you see, so I won't be explaining it today.
I agree, it's too early to start dropping backstories. Let's wait at least 20 chapters or more, getting back on track, Rains stops in front of a classroom, looking mildly disappointed. It's the start of school after all.
-We're here. Knock on the door for me would ya? I wanna enter behind you.
-B-but…Eugh. İ give up.
Ven knocks on the door and enters with Rains following him.
-First day of school and already late? This is expected from you Mr. Claudia but I wasn't expecting Mr….
Ven averts his gaze, making sure to look away as the teacher attempts to make eye contact with him.
-Sinclair. Ven Sinclair.
-I was never told that you were the type of student to come late to class so casually, I'm guessing punctuality is not really your thing?
Drop the sassy attitude bitch, don't talk down to your students as if they're inferior to you.
-No it really isn't, but it's a question of who deserves my punctuality. Maybe I'll make an effort if I deem the person in question worthy. My criteria is based on how unnecessarily sarcastic that person is, by the way.
You could've handled that better, you've still got a ways to go, but that comeback wasn't half bad. The teacher backs off, not bothering to hide how pissed off she is. I hope someone pisses on you, teach!
-Well, I am miss strawberry, kindly take your seats.
Ven scoffs for half a second, me personally, I snicker a bit too because what the hell do you mean your last name is strawberry!
-Just take your seats and don't think about asking questions, get a move on.
Conveniently enough there are two chairs at the far end of the classroom, completely vacant and looking very delightful.
-Can't believe you just casually did that in front of the entire class, are you mad perchance?
Hah, he's totally bewildered! Relish in Ven's growing skills in the sense of humor department and the making comebacks department.
-Only if you're psychotic.
How interesting. I've never thought about it before, but Rains must have some type of mental problem, right?. I wonder which one it is, trauma and PTSD are the prime candidates, but is there more to it than that?
-That's true. That is very true.
End of the school day
Well…Would you believe me if I said the school day went by in a flash? Of course you wouldn't because school is a hellhole with an outdated system where time is manipulated to move at a snail's pace! That's completely wrong by the way. This is a reality where the school system is actually great and very respectful towards students and their problems. But anyways, everyone is leaving school, excited of course, because who wouldn't be? Oh, maybe that one girl taking care of the flowers might be a bit sad but she probably has tons of flowers to come back to at home everyday.
-Hey Ven, I forgot something.
Hmm? What, like at school? At home? Is it an object? What the hell did you forget?
-Cool, What is it?
-Heh. I'll remember it by tomorrow.
Screw you! Why would you mention that if you knew you were going to remember it by tomorrow! Just say you forgot it yesterday tomorrow! You're wasting my time!
-The first day of our last year of high school eh? İt wasn't anything special you know?
Outside of you, it was pretty ordinary, I think. Still, I get the impression that a lot of "special" things will happen at this school. Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I want Ven to have fun here and enjoy this school year as much as he can.
-They say that a series has to have a strong and special and unique beginning to captivate the audience, but I find the start of most series to be boring. Most of the cast hasn't been introduced yet, things are set up but it will take some time for them to be properly explored, things are foreshadowed, most information is kept from the audience and it feels slow. Point is, the beginning of a story or something else, be it good or bad or controversial or stupid will always be boring. There can be some exceptions but that's generally the case.
I find this funny. Because this is the beginning of this series. And it's super mega ultra hyper boring and slow.
-Holy tirade dude. I took you for the silent type that doesn't speak often and uses short sentences, but you can talk a lot!
What did you expect? Silent protagonists are only interesting if they have a reason for their silence or if they're in an rpg. If Ven was a silent protagonist, this entire story would fall apart.
-But isn't that a bit derogatory? The start of a story is meant to pull the reader in via an interesting setup no? Then it's a no-brainer that the start of most media, hell, most of everything is boring. The beginning is nothing more than the beginning and does it have to be anything else? I mean sure, if the beginning is an absolute slog then it might not be very exciting but if you know the rest is going to be good then it's kinda your fault for not continuing it.
Another thing that's been on my mind lately, does Rains count as an, I'm sorry for this, "intellectual bad boy"? Cuz this guy is definitely smart, but he goes around claiming that he's a delinquent, so does he fit the bill? I haven't really seen him do any delinquent stuff, so maybe he's just a poser? It can go either way honestly.
-İf that's the case, then why are most people so nostalgic about beginnings? Season 1 of a long-running show for example, everyone will tell you how nostalgic it is and how good it was when there were fewer characters and less intricate plots. But if the beginning is boring and 9 times out of ten it is, why do people constantly say it's good or even better than later seasons?
I don't know, maybe they're blinded by nostalgia?
-Because it was the introduction. Without it, they wouldn't have continued it. The beginning of a story is the most important part of a story, any story whether it be good or bad. That's why most people are so nostalgic about beginnings. İt represents a time where most things were simpler, the plot wasn't fully developed, there were fewer characters, they didn't know much about characters and their backstories or motivations and maybe there were somethings that they just didn't get when they first watched it. In another sense, it's reminiscent of most people's childhood, isn't it?
I'm stunned. Shocked to my core. Well done Rains, everytime you speak you never cease to surprise me.
-…
-Are you being silent on purpose because I noticed and mentioned how talkative you can be? You bastard you.
Nah, Ven just didn't have a good counter-argument. Yours was just that good. But don't get cocky, stay humble! And nimble if you feel like it!
-Well, I'll admit something, the first day of my last year of high school was…not bad, not bad at all.
A very rare moment where Ven is actually honest with his feelings, burn this moment in your brains folks, this won't happen again for a long time.
-But are you looking forward to tomorrow?
-As much as I detest to admit it, I'm always looking forward to something, even when it hurts me.
Ven, it's great that you're honest with your feelings, but make sure you don't disclose too much information. It won't be a good thing if people find out about your past.
-Ooooh, how cryptic, you should go write and produce an analog horror story and post it on yotube.
Oh come on author, you aren't even trying with that one, it's not clever, it straight up looks like you forgot a letter!
-Nah, I don't have the skill nor imagination to produce anything.
I know. It's not easy to produce something when you don't have the-
-Have you tried though?
…No, actually. Ven has never tried. But, will he actually be able to produce something decent if he tries? If anything, almost all of his efforts will probably be in vain.
-İ don't have to try, everything he says is true anyway.
And that's the reason why Ven doesn't bother trying. As long as what he said is in his mind, he can't do it. No matter how much he tries. Words are powerful, they have meaning to them. Unluckily for some people, you can never know the true gravity of the words that come out of your mouth.
-Who's he?
Don't bother asking, Ven will never answer that question.
-İt's getting late, I'll see you tomorrow I guess.
-So you also have things that you prefer to hide?
-Who doesn't?
Yes, but you have a lot more to hide than every other person.
-İ don't know, I just took you for the type of person who doesn't mind sharing anything.
That's idiotic. How could Ven have given you that impression?
-İ despise sharing but…There were times like that. İ prefer to forget those times and act like they never happened in the first place.
Rains smiles, it's just sad. His smile is plain sad. Nothing more to it, maybe he remembered something.
-Same. I'll see you tomorrow, for sure.
Rains starts Walking away as Ven does the same. A successful first day of school, because it really can't be anything else. Ven puts on his headphones, opens his music streaming app, enters his playlist and…stops as he scrolls through his massive playlist to find a song to listen to, randomly falling upon a song he hasn't listened to in 3 years or so.
-Ugh, I actually listened to that song? İt wasn't bad but…
He scrolls until he finds the perfect song, a song about a black papermoon.
End of chapter