"Phew… all set!"
Alain stood in front of the mirror, finishing adjusting his uniform tie.
"Still…"
He let out a small whistle, his expression turning slightly flushed.
Turning to look at himself in the uniform with a faint impressed look.
"Fits like a glove. And actually looks pretty good."
Soon, the boy gave himself a few light slaps on the face to refocus.
"Today's the real deal! No slip-ups, Alain…"
With one last deep breath, he grabbed his shoulder bag and left what would be his new dorm for the next year and a half.
The Island's atmosphere wasn't that different from what he was used to.
People at cafés with holographic screens floating near their faces, watching videos or in the middle of video calls.
Zero gravity trams that anyone could hop on for transportation, along with cleaning robots keeping the scenery easy on the eyes.
(And still… this place feels on another level.)
If he had to point out one difference, it would be that the tech quality here was at least five years ahead of the rest of the world.
(The rumors about Nereus-0's development index weren't just for show, huh…)
As he was about to cross an avenue, his path was blocked by a construct of solid light.
"What the…"
A female holographic figure quickly appeared, floating slightly above the asphalt, dressed in a civil police uniform.
> Attention: Green Signal: please remain behind the safety line. For your safety, avoid interacting with it, it is still in experimental phase.
Alain blinked a few times in surprise, shrugging as he waited behind the line.
(This is gonna be one intense adjustment, huh…)
A few minutes later, the signal shifted from green to red, quickly dissolving.
>Red Signal: pedestrian crossing released.
The holographic figure gave a slight bow before dissolving as well.
The boy simply shrugged and continued on his way.
(Let's see… I left at 6:00 A.M, now it's…)
Alain pulled his phone from his pocket, briefly turning on the screen.
(6:30. The gates close at 7:00.)
Unlocking the device, he opened the map app.
(From the dorm to the Academy, on foot, it's 40 minutes…)
Letting out a sigh, he turned off the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm taking the tram."
The rest of the walk was calm. The boy took time to memorize landmarks and shops along the way to Little Garden.
In the end, he stood in front of the prestigious institution.
And his first reaction to the magnificent building—
"… This reeks of snobby, spoiled kids."
The discomfort on his face was pretty obvious.
"Haa… patience. Alright, let's see… I need to go to the faculty first."
Alain stepped inside the Academy. As he approached the gate, it cast a strip of light from top to bottom across his face.
> Identity Confirmed: Alain Romani, Class 2B Student. Check in time: 6:45 A.M. Welcome!
(Not even UN offices go this hard identifying employees…)
The gate opened just enough for Alain to enter, and he did.
With his feet inside Little Garden, a holographic screen quickly appeared at his side.
"Good morning, Mr. Romani. This is an automated message containing the file for the institution complex map and your Student ID."
Along with the message, a notification popped up on Alain's phone. When he turned it on, there were two downloadable documents.
"The Complex Map is to facilitate your integration into the new environment, but it is essential that you have the Student ID downloaded within the perimeter!"
After the message, the holographic screen shut off and Alain just sighed at how abrupt it was.
"Alright… I'll download both. Now let me check… it's this way, right?"
He continued walking through the building, moving at an unhurried pace down the corridors toward his objective.
In front of the faculty room door, Alain took a deep breath before knocking three times.
"Come in!"
A somewhat tired male voice answered, inviting him in.
"Excuse me…"
The place was incredibly organized, and several teachers were working quietly at their stations.
Alain noticed an elderly figure making a small gesture for him to approach, and he walked over.
"You're the transfer student, right? Alan Romance?"
"Uh… it's Alain, Alain Romani. There's an i after the second a… and Romani and Romance aren't that similar, Mr…?"
"Hugo. I'm the History teacher and the one responsible for Class 2B. Sorry about that, my memory's a bit faulty with age, hohoho."
The man stood up from his seat. He was shorter than Alain, around 1.56 or close, with his back slightly hunched forward.
He extended his hand to the boy, who returned the gesture.
"Come, I'll take you to your classroom and introduce you to your new classmates."
"I'm looking forward to it."
Alain replied with a formal smile.
The two left the faculty room in relatively peaceful silence until they reached the second floor of the Academy.
"Don't mind the stairs?"
"Huh?"
Hugo broke the silence with a small icebreaker.
"These past months, my back's been killing me, you know…"
"That must be tough, huh? But there are elevators in Little Garden, right?"
"There are, but I'm a coward. I don't trust those metal boxes that go up and down."
Almost like irony, when they reached the second floor, they could hear the elevator arriving and a few students stepping out.
"Young people don't like a bit of exercise. But you came up without complaining, I like you."
"Thanks?"
A few minutes later, they stopped in front of the Class 2B door.
"Let's see, your first class will be with Ms. Monroe. Can you wait here for a second?"
"S-sure."
Hugo knocked twice and opened without waiting for permission, closing the door behind him.
(... He seems like a nice old man? … No, he kinda feels like an aged Jean.)
Alain shook his head slightly, leaning against the wall as he waited to be called.
(What kind of introduction should I do? They'll probably guide me or something…)
Seconds after that internal question, Hugo appeared at the door and gestured for Alain to enter.
The room was silent, everyone looking at him as he walked in.
"Well, Ms. Monroe, it's all yours now. Have a good class everyone, and get along with your new classmate, alright?"
Hugo then left the room.
"Ahem! First, hello Mr. Romani. I'm Cecília Monroe, Contemporary Literature teacher."
The woman extended her hand to Alain and once again he returned the greeting.
"Now… how about you briefly introduce yourself to your classmates?"
"H-huh… sure! Let's see…"
Alain turned to his classmates, his expression calm.
(Ok… how do I do this?)
But his mind was racing.
(Damn, can I just say my name and end it? But Shirley and Jean said…)
The boy briefly had a flashback to the night before the first day of school.
> "Don't even think about just saying your name and calling it a day!"
> I agree.
He was in a group chat with Jean and Shirley, trying to figure out how to introduce himself on the big day.
> You need a BANG, you know? Show up with a vibe that makes people want to know more about you.
>Ever thought about scaring them?
>That only works for you, Shirley.
> Quiet, Jean.
(I should've asked Marietta or Marcos for help…)
Alain just watched the flood of messages in silence.
>Either way, just showing up and saying "my name is Alain Romani, hope we get along" is banned!
>I agree with the baguette.
The boy returned to reality with an internal sigh.
(In the end, they didn't help at all.)
He quickly scanned the room, and among the many new faces, he noticed two important figures.
Isaak and Theodore Greywood. Two of the VIPs who were part of the protection unit during the operation.
(The Captain said they've already been informed, but I need to contact them with the keyword first…)
Inside, Alain was a mix of frustration and defeat, but in the end he mentally shrugged.
(… so I need to introduce myself as at least somewhat sociable so it's not weird when I approach them, right?)
The boy took a deep breath and then—..
"Pleasure. The name's Alain Romani, so make sure you memorize it, ok?"
With a snap of his fingers flowing into a spin as he wrote on the board behind him.
"I like games, vkei, and strong flavored food. One of my goals is to get along with all of you, so get ready!"
Turning back to his classmates, he gave a small fist tap to his chest and sent it toward them.
…
…
And for a brief moment, an awkward silence filled the room.
(Haa… I messed u—)
But soon, the classmates started clapping, some of the guys smiling and commenting about games. A few girls shyly commented on Alain's looks.
Isaak and Theodore were also clapping, Theodore in a frantic way and Isaak in a more contained and formal manner.
(… I genuinely don't understand teenagers…)
And all he could think was: how did anyone think that was good?
Ms. Monroe approached as well, lightly clapping with a satisfied smile.
"Great, Alain. Now how about you take a seat? Let's see… there's an available spot over there, behind that girl with glasses."
(Girl with glasses…? The one with pigtails? Behind her, then…)
Alain discreetly glanced again at Isaak and Theodore.
(Perfect, they're each on one side of me too. It won't be weird to start a conversation with them then.)
The boy gave the teacher a smile.
"Alright, I'm counting on you too, Ms. Monroe."
And he moved to sit in his seat.
(Ok, so far… so good. Now all that's left is to wait for an opportunity to use the keyword in a more private area.)