I find myself standing at the front gate, a good 10 minutes ahead of schedule. With a sigh, I realize it's probably a good opportunity to locate my assigned class. The school grounds are alive with the energy of college students, but honestly, it's overwhelming, the air's practically saturated with the scent of pheromones.
Navigating through the bustling crowd, I catch sight of a bulletin board swarmed by students eager for information on classes and schedules. It's too packed for me to approach directly, but I manage to scan the board from a distance, finally spotting my name amidst the chaos.
"Ray Hakucho: Class 1A, Corridor 3." Well, at least that's settled. Stepping away, I notice another list nearby: "Top scores from the first exams of the year." Indulging in a brief moment of satisfaction, I see my name proudly sitting at the very top.
"1) Ray Hakucho 50/50 (Extra merit)
2) Evelyn Samishi 50/50
..."
The rankings beyond second place hardly register with me. With a nonchalant shrug, I make my way towards my class, only to hear a frustrated voice behind me exclaim, "Who the hell's Ray Hakucho?!"
Ignoring the hustle and bustle around me, I press on with purpose, already immersed in thoughts of the day ahead. As I settle into my seat, I notice that each desk sports a name tag. The clock reads 7:13, leaving a mere two minutes until class begins. Casting a casual glance around, I observe my fellow classmates, many of whom appear to be old acquaintances from high school.
A familiar face approaches my desk – it's Lily Ders, someone I remember from our shared high school experience last year, and the fact we work at the same restaurant. Given her Beta + designation, socializing comes naturally to her... which, to be honest, isn't exactly my cup of tea.
"Hey, Ray, how are you feeling?" Lily beams at me. Though I appreciate her genuine kindness, I'm not particularly in the mood for small talk.
"I'm good, thanks," I respond, hoping she'll pick up on my subtle cues that I'm not up for a conversation. With a nod, she returns to the lively cluster of teenagers.
I nearly doze off when the teacher finally arrives. As I glance up, I'm taken aback – she hardly fits the typical model of a teacher. For starters, her attire lacks any semblance of formality, and her unaltered pink hair stands out starkly against the backdrop of the classroom. Despite her diminutive stature, even from several desks away, I can discern that she exudes an Omega aura.
'Hello everyone, good morning! I'm Mrs. Mega, and I'll be your form tutor and humanities teacher.' It suddenly dawns on me that someone like her would be teaching a subject as pointless as humanities. As my classmates' buzz around me, I feel disappointed.
My thoughts are momentarily diverted by a boy rushing into class late... There's always one, isn't there? 'Sorry, Miss, overslept and missed my alarm!' There's some light-hearted teasing from the others, but I'm taken aback by his honesty. The teacher doesn't seem bothered, obviously, and tells him to take his seat. As he moves closer, passing three seats, then two...
Oh great, he's sitting next to me. What's worse is that I can already sense he's eager to chat. His bright orange eyes are practically a headache in the making. But I have to admit, they suit him. "Hey there! I'm Owen, Owen Gokai! I'm Beta +, what about you? I think you're an Alpha, or maybe Beta -… hmm, not too sure now that I look at your hair colour…"
Deep breaths, please. "Actually, I'm Beta -, not Alpha. And my hair colour is just fine. We all get to pick our colours when we turn 7-"
"Oh, right! Didn't mean to judge or anything. I actually think it's pretty cool! But hey, you forgot to tell me your name," he says, flashing me a bright smile. Note to self: bring sunglasses to school, or risk going blind by year's end.
"Well, I was getting to that before you interrupted… I'm Ray Hakucho." Huh... His expression shifted; is that fear? No, something else. I must've been staring at his peculiar expression for too long because he quickly adds, "Whoa, sorry, you're the top scorer in the whole school, right?"
"Yes, that's me. How-" I start, but am once again interrupted.
"Alright, class! I know we're all bursting with excitement to get acquainted with each other..." Not really. "So, I've decided to kick off our first humanities lesson with a group project!" Miss Mega practically radiates enthusiasm. This couldn't possibly get any worse.
"And here's the twist: Alphas will team up with Omegas, and Betas will pair up with other Betas!" And just when I thought it couldn't get worse...
"Hey, Ray," Owen whispers, looking like he's about to pull me into some illegal operation. "You're a Beta, right? Since I'm a Beta too, let's partner up!" Fantastic, the worst-case scenario.
Just as I'm about to voice my aversion to group work, Owen grabs my shoulder and declares, "DIBS ON RAY!!" What just happened... I really need to protest... "Marvelous! The first duo is set! Ray and Owen, you both earn extra credit for starting the year with such enthusiasm!"
Now I can't protest without missing out on those extra points... Sigh, I guess I'll have to roll with it. Owen looks thrilled. I can't help feeling a tad guilty for not sharing his excitement.
"Alright, team up, everyone! Your task: craft a poster illustrating the four human types - Alphas, Omegas, and both Betas. The duo with the most outstanding poster, balancing both content and creativity, earns a pass from cleaning duty for the entire first term!"
The class erupted into cheers, excited about the reward and the chance to delve into a humanities project. Despite feeling a twinge of dread, I reassured myself - perhaps I'm exaggerating the challenge. After all, how difficult could this project truly be?