High school life was finally over. I already had plans to take a certain university abroad, which would be a brand new experience for me, compared to how it was during my high school.
I could not make friends back then. However, that did not mean that I never had friends to begin with. My friends from junior and middle schools chose different schools for their future paths. Each school had a unique purpose for various students.
The school I chose was also a great one. However, the students were toxic and awful and they never cared about studies to begin with. Whenever I wanted to talk to them, they would just say, "You are a bright student, you're a topper. Go focus on your studies."
Weak academic students often asked me about my daily routine and how I scored well in exams. That question was irony for me because they almost passed exams with thirty marks or less, while I scored above sixty-five.
During those times in middle school, I could easily score well above nineties. But things were chaotic in high school. I couldn't concentrate and study well. I blamed the school and students for ruining my life. I played video games and watched anime to reduce the stress after reaching home from school.
My parents didn't scold me for my weak performance, but rather they were concerned about my mental health and sadness. It was regret. I received direct admission into the university I wanted to study in. Fees were definitely high, but my parents didn't scold or complain about it.
This time, I wanted to make sure that I would not regret again and repeat the same mistake I made two years back in high school. My family told me to study well, have fun, and enjoy my new stage of life.
21st August, 2025, 9:10 PM
As I was reminiscing about my past achievements and history, I could see the view of Berlin from the window pane while on plane. The flight hosts were making announcements regarding the arrival of our destination.
It was nighttime so I saw the city which was shining brightly like the stars as seen from the sky. We would land soon after four to five minutes. During that time, I decided to close my burning eyes for a bit, while my father sat beside me waiting for the landing.
And I was gently hearing the loud cries of babies in their parents' arms, both in front and back. They were crying continuously, their voices loud and piercing. I wished to call it gentle but,
So annoying….
With that said in my mind, I closed my eyes and endured for a while before landing at the airport. My father and I would then rest in a rented house for two days before visiting the university.
24th August, 2025, 7:30 PM
It was a two-hour sleep before I woke up late in the morning. I was currently in the hostel room of the university that I checked-in yesterday.
Two of my trolley bags under the bed were closed waiting to be opened soon. I looked at my room and the surroundings, before thinking what to do next.
The bookshelf and the almirah were adjacent to each other on the left corner of the room. I checked the almirah, and there was a locker box in the middle section, on the right part of it.
I opened the curtains of the only large window, and saw the nighttime view. My room was in the fifth floor of the C-block, which we could also call it the freshers-block. The fifth floor was the highest floor in the block.
As I closed the doors of the almirah again, there was a mirror attached to the right door of it. I saw my reflection and realised that I had to freshen up.
Black hair, medium haircut, shining blue eyes, a regular teenager face that you can notice, and dry lips. Yeah, I needed to wash my face soon.
I realised that I would have to introduce myself in the future, specially in the lecture classes. Hitori Kirishima, 18 years old. My name means alone, but that didn't mean that I was always alone.
It also had a hidden meaning, like my parents wanted to added Tsuyoi somewhere in my name but couldn't. Then it would be Hitori Tsuyoi, which meant powerful alone. I would always try to manage things by myself.
I was not sure if I could manage all those obstacles by myself this time. Making connections with other people, touching grass, avoiding to be slacking and unconsciously dozing sometimes.
Then someone knocked at the door, not sure who it was since father left the campus and went back to the flat.
I opened the door to find a gentle-looking, middle-aged person with black-covered phone in his right hand.