The Strange School

"I'm telling you, Mom, are you sure you don't want to reconsider? This school feels incredibly sketchy to me!"

"Are you sure this isn't some kind of pyramid scheme school?"

In front of the neat and imposing school gates, many students were stepping off buses and walking into the campus one after another. Only one black-haired boy stood frozen at the entrance, speaking into his phone with a tone of utter helplessness.

"Don't worry, Mom has already checked it out. This school is actually very famous in Japan, and it's backed by the government. You're just overthinking things."

"But..."

"No 'buts.' Alright, I'm hanging up now; your dad is rushing me. Just enjoy your next three years of high school! Your father and I are heading out on vacation now~"

Beep~

The boy's mouth opened and closed several times. Looking at the now-darkened screen in his hand, his mouth twitched, but in the end, he didn't say a word.

They're definitely trying to get rid of me. These parents are absolutely trying to get rid of me.

Just throwing me into a Japanese high school for no reason.

An Xiao rubbed his throbbing temples with his hand, glanced at his phone, and finally handed it over to the teacher checking students at the gate.

How could a school like this even exist?

Looking at the words "Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School" written in Japanese above the gate, An Xiao once again felt that his mother's decision was completely unreliable.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was famous in the outside world for its perfect faculty resources and a 100% rate of advancement to higher education and employment. Furthermore, only students who passed recommendations and the school's strict screening process were eligible for admission, and it operated under a three-year, fully enclosed education system.

Not only that, but the school also promised not to charge any tuition or special fees, and it covered all living expenses for students during their time at school, requiring no financial burden from parents.

An Xiao looked up at this "unique" school. The information he had looked up online flashed through his mind, and the more he thought about it, the tighter his brow furrowed.

Just as An Xiao stood there in a daze, a vibrant female voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Excuse me, are you having some trouble?"

An Xiao turned around to see a girl with orange hair standing behind him, her face full of smiles.

"My name is Kikyo Kushida. I saw you standing there for a while and wondered if you were having any problems."

"Ah? Oh, no, I was just thinking about something."

Realizing his current situation, An Xiao scratched his cheek, feeling a bit awkward.

"I see. But you should keep an eye on the time, classmate. The entrance ceremony is starting soon."

The girl named Kikyo Kushida raised the watch on her wrist to show An Xiao the time.

"Right, thanks... My name is An Xiao, a student in Class B."

"A Class B student, huh? I'm in Class D. If I ever visit your class, make sure to introduce me to your friends."

After saying that, Kikyo Kushida trotted forward a few steps, waved at An Xiao, and then ran off into the school.

She's right. I'm stuck here for the next three years anyway, so why worry so much? I'll just take it one step at a time.

An Xiao sighed softly, deciding to stop overthinking. He checked the time and, finding he had plenty of it, took the admission guide the school had provided earlier out of his bag and wandered around the campus to familiarize himself with the environment.

When the time was right, he headed to the gymnasium for the entrance ceremony.

By the time An Xiao arrived, the students of Class B had already divided into two lines—boys and girls—based on their height.

After a quick glance, An Xiao stood at the very back of the boys' line.

Just as he steadied himself, a boy in front of him who looked quite sunny turned around and greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, classmate. My name is Soh Shibata. Welcome to Class B."

An Xiao was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted and introduced himself as well.

"My name is An Xiao. I'm a student from China."

Just like that, the two chatted back and forth until the school leaders took the stage, at which point they stopped.

Perhaps all school entrance ceremonies were more or less the same, especially the speeches from school leaders, which were all empty, meaningless drivel. However, due to his suspicions about this school, An Xiao listened half-heartedly, only glancing at the Student Council President once or twice.

In the end, An Xiao didn't gain any useful information.

After listening to that long string of nonsense, An Xiao felt a bit dazed, his head nodding off until Shibata tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him back to his senses.

He followed the crowd to the Class B classroom, found his seat according to the nameplate on the desk, and then slumped over his desk like a puddle of liquid.

The back row by the window—the seat of kings.

Feeling the faint coolness radiating from the desktop, An Xiao finally shook off his muddled thoughts.

He blinked hard, tilted his face against the desk, and rested his chin on the surface, idly observing his future classmates.

Just as An Xiao was killing time, the girl sitting in front of him—who had straight pink hair and an exceptionally delicate appearance—suddenly turned around. She paused for a moment upon seeing An Xiao slumped over his desk, but quickly smiled and said, "Hello, classmate. It's nice to meet you. My name is Honami Ichinose, and I'll be sitting in front of you from now on."

"My name is An Xiao..." An Xiao sat up and repeated the same introduction he had given to Shibata earlier.

Seriously, how many times have I introduced myself today?

Why does it feel like self-introductions have become so frequent since I arrived in Japan?

An Xiao muttered to himself in his heart.