It's been a few weeks now since the start of my freshman year of high school. If I had to put it into words, it's just generic.
I know I shouldn't expect things to be like in movies or anime, but there isn't any excitement or thrill, no bumping into my soulmate or anything. I just wish something interesting would happen.
I walk toward my classroom and open the door. As I enter, no one even bothers looking up, everyone engrossed in talking with their friends before the first bell rings for first period. I head to my desk and take a seat at my usual spot near the back by the window.
I lay my head on my desk trying to catch as much sleep, but my rest was interrupted by my best friend sitting next to be.
"Hey David why did you get to class later than usual? Normally you get here before me" she asked.
Letting out a yawn, I say, "I slept through my alarm because I was too caught up reading a new manga I found. It's called A Mage's Path to a Harem. Honestly, if it weren't for my mom waking me up to eat breakfast, I would've been late."
She gives me a questionable look before asking, "What's this new manga about? It's got an interesting name, to say the least." She lets out a small chuckle. "What, are you feeling lonely at night?" She flashes me a cheeky smile.
Rubbing my eyes with my fingers, I shrug. "Not really. It's about a perverted high schooler at the very bottom of the social hierarchy whose only goal is to build a harem. He gets dragged into a supernatural world because he has some ridiculously overpowered ability, and somehow that turns into instant popularity and a bunch of beautiful girls falling for him."
I glance over at her. "It's rubbish, honestly," I add, letting out a tired laugh. "But once you start reading, it's weirdly hard to stop."
She raises an eyebrow. "How is it hard to stop?"
I sit up straighter, trying to crack my back against the chair before answering. "Mostly to see if someone will actually call out the MC. Like, why does everyone just accept that a guy who was bottom of the barrel suddenly has a bunch of attractive girls surrounding him? Girls that most students basically treat like idols."
I shake my head. "In, like, three days everyone just moves on, no more questioning, no investigating what happened to cause such a sudden change."
"Maybe they used magic to make it seem natural. You did say that there is the supernatural involve in the story." She respond as she doodles something.
"That's so lazy from the author" as I lean in to get a peek on what she is drawing "If the author just uses magic to suddenly make everyone not involved in the story to accept the situation then what's stopping him from"
The bell suddenly blares overhead, cutting me off mid-sentence. A few students groan as conversations die out, and the teacher steps up from his desk to start the lesson.
I sink back into my chair, annoyed, not at the bell, but at how unfinished the thought feels.
The teacher begins to write something on the board. It spells out a name.
"Funny. In mangas, this is usually where the main character is introduced," I whisper, not expecting an answer.
"Hey, David," someone whispers. I glance toward the source of the voice it's my best friend.
"What?" I whisper back.
The classroom door opens, and a student walks in.
"Here, look at what I drew," she says, handing me the doodle she's been working on.
I look at the doodle it looks like a typical magic circle you can find in manga. A circle with intricate patterns and a weird symbol in the center.
Confused I look closer. At the same time the teacher introduces the student.
"This is Simon Elwin. He's from England, so he might not be used to the customs here in America. I expect you all to treat him like you treat your friends and give him a warm welcome to help him adjust."
"Hello. As the teacher said, my name is Simon," he says, his voice confident. His lips curl into a charming smile, one that could make any girl's heart flutter. "It's my pleasure to meet all of you, and I hope we can all be friends."
His eyes scan the room, lingering on each student.
I look up, distracted from the circle, which lets off a faint glow before dissipating. Simon Elwin… weird. That's the same name as the protagonist in the manga I read. And what's with the weird drawing Jane gave me?
I glance at Simon. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a perfectly symmetrical face. His calm expression and easy posture make him stand out from the usual freshman awkwardness. He only looks at the girls, as if trying to remember their faces, and seems to give no attention to the male students.
"Why don't you take the seat next to the window over there?" the teacher says, pointing to the empty seat in the second row.
As he walks toward the empty seat near the window two rows ahead of me, my mind races. Is this some kind of coincidence… or is this really happening? Why does he look exactly like Simon from the manga I read?
He's acting differently from the manga too. In the story, he was way more perverted and nowhere near this charming. When it first started, he proudly announced during class introductions that he was going to build a harem.
Is this really the same Simon?Is he just acting… or does something happen later that turns him into a pervert?
There's still some time before the plot is supposed to start. Today is August 23, 2025, but when does it begin again? Damn it, why is my memory failing me now of all times?
In frustration, I look down and notice something or rather, the lack of something. The doodle Jane gave me is gone.
Did she take it back?
I glance at Jane's desk, but there's no sign of the paper no folded sheet, no notebook tucked over it. A small wave of panic rises in my chest. Not wanting to draw attention, I discreetly scan the classroom, but there's no luck. It's like the paper vanished.
I glance back at Jane and try to get her attention."Hey, Jane."
She looks over, signaling that she's listening.
"Did you take back the drawing you gave me?" I whisper. Then, after a pause, I add, "And… why did you draw something so weird?"
Before she can respond, the teacher calls me out.
"David! Do you have something you want to say to the class?"
"No, sir," I reply, feeling my face burn. I'm not used to having this many eyes on me. Why does everyone have to stare right now? I think.
"Then why are you talking during class? If you want to chat with your friends, do it between periods or at lunch," the teacher scolds before turning back to the board.
"Yes, sir." My ears feel like they're on fire from embarrassment. I decide to hold off on my questions for Jane until later and pretend to focus on the lesson.
Lost in my thoughts, I can't even focus on today's lesson. I glance toward Simon. He seems to be paying full attention to the teacher, completely unaware of the glances he's receiving from around the classroom.
Almost every girl I see is looking at him they seem far more interested in Simon than in the teacher.
I glance at Jane to gauge her reaction, but she, too, seems absorbed in the lesson, giving no sign that she's noticing anything unusual.