March 10th – High School
Students, especially teenagers, are naturally noisy, but that morning the racket was beyond the limit. In the hallway on the ground floor, room 202, second-year class of high school, the students wouldn't stop talking; the commotion was so loud it was almost impossible to understand anything. A huge stir filled the place.
Almost losing her temper, feeling the blood rush to her head, stood the biology teacher. A medium-height woman wearing glasses, her light brown hair tied back. She was usually in a great mood, but that was nowhere to be seen that day:
"QUIET! PAY ATTENTION! SIT DOWN RIGHT NOW OR I'LL GIVE YOU A TEST NEXT CLASS!" she shouted desperately, trying to keep control of the classroom.
That was her last resort; nothing could be more effective than the threat of a surprise test. The students, especially the girls, finally turned their attention to the teacher, annoyed.
"Oh, come on, missss… The new student hasn't even introduced himself." protested one of them.
"We at least have to know who he is, right?" added another.
The nerve of these kids, the teacher thought, adjusting her glasses, realizing she was being challenged. With no other way out, she decided it was better to give in than risk losing control completely.
"Alright then, stand up and introduce yourself, student…" she asked.
Sitting awkwardly at his desk, head lowered, a redheaded boy already seemed annoyed by the girls standing around him. At the teacher's command, he stood up, walked to the front of the class and said:
"Hi, my name's Adonis." He stood straight but tense.
The boy spoke his name and immediately went back to his seat, disappointing the more curious girls who had hoped for a longer introduction. The teacher gave him an approving nod, grateful he had finished quickly, which allowed her to continue the lesson.
"Perfect! Thank you, and welcome. Anyone who wants to know more, interview him during break time." she said, feeling victorious.
The girls, however, didn't give up. They kept staring at him, whispering countless comments, obsessed with the new boy's appearance:
"He's so handsome!"
"So dreamy!"
"A Greek god!"
"I could just eat him up!"
WHAT… KIND OF GARBAGE COMMENTS ARE THESE? thought the redhead, horrified by what he was hearing.
The first three classes flew by. The new student had become the number one topic of conversation at school, especially among the high schoolers. When the bell rang, the classes rushed to the courtyard for the break.
That morning, Aino was glowing with happiness. She walked across the courtyard as if she were floating. Spotting her friends, she ran over to them and, with a huge smile, asked:
"GIRLS!!! ISN'T IT A WONDERFUL DAY TO BE ALIVE?"
"YEEEESSSSSS!" replied Akiko, always full of energy.
"Why?" asked Miyu.
"No!" answered Yukino and Naoko, sarcastic.
"Did you see the gorgeous boy who arrived this morning in second year?" Aino went on, completely ignoring her friends.
"None of us are in second year…" Naoko pointed out.
"I don't feel like checking out guys." Yukino replied.
"Look at how magnificent he is, right there, surrounded by his faithful admirers!" Aino insisted, pointing at the boy who had caught her full attention.
On the other side of the courtyard, Adonis stood still, irritated, surrounded by several girls.
I just wanted to eat… he thought, feeling anger build. The questions wouldn't stop:
"Are you single?"
"Where are you from?"
"Go out with me?"
The stream seemed endless.
"Do you know what they're calling him? The Greek god! Because his name is Adonis." Aino said proudly.
"But Adonis isn't a Greek god, just a mythological character. And he died, killed by a boar." Miyu replied.
"He's nothing special. They're just worked up because he's new." added Yukino.
"I actually feel sorry for him. He looks completely uncomfortable." Naoko said.
"WHO?" asked Akiko, completely out of the loop.
Annoyed with her friends, Aino frowned:
"BUT! GREEK GOD OR MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTER, IT'S ALMOST THE SAME THING! UGH, YOU GIRLS ARE HOPELESS!" she shouted, clenching her fists in anger. She turned away, sulking.
"Wow, she really got upset." Naoko commented.
Miyu and Yukino calmly watched the scene, while Akiko remained lost in her thoughts.
Break passed, and everyone returned to class. The morning ended quickly. At noon, the bell rang and the students rushed outside, eager to go home.
But no one was in as much of a hurry as Adonis, still being chased by his admirers. At his limit, he started to run.
"Wait, Adonis, we'll walk you home!" one girl offered sweetly.
"NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME!" he shouted, sprinting away at top speed.
"He's so handsome, right?" one student said.
"Bye Adonis, Greek god!" another teased.
The boy, exasperated, sped up even more, attracting the attention of passersby.
"I'M NEVER GOING BACK THERE AGAIN!" Adonis gasped, his heart pounding.
He finally reached his building, close to the school. Normally a ten to fifteen minute walk, but he had made it in only five. The building, old but well maintained, had the advantage of spacious apartments. The street was calm, contrasting with the lively neighborhood and the nearby soccer field.
What was that? What a bunch of lunatics… he thought, catching his breath. He pulled out his key card, entered, and took the elevator.
"It's over, the day's over. I need to mentally prepare myself for tomorrow." he muttered.
He reached his fourteenth-floor apartment, opened the door… and jumped back.
"KOA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" he shouted, stunned.
In his living room stood Koa, a 1.87-meter-tall man, dark-skinned, with short white hair and a long layered fringe, his athletic body marked with scars. His jade-green eyes gleamed, and a scar ran across his face from the corner of his eye to his jaw.
His imposing presence demanded silence. Dressed in black, a tank top, tactical pants lined with belts and chains, and military boots, he radiated a fierce aura. Piercings on his lips, ears, and eyebrows completed the look.
"I was surprised too. They assigned me to your mission." Koa said.
"But… dude, wasn't it supposed to be Itzel?" Adonis asked.
Did this kid just call me 'dude'? Koa thought, surprised by his tone.
"He's already overloaded. So they sent me instead."
Adonis, already resigned, quickly relaxed and thought about lunch. His day had already been full of surprises… and the week wasn't looking any better.
The Next Day – High School
That morning, the school had a different atmosphere. During break time, all the students were gathered for an important message. The new ones didn't really know what it was about, but the older students seemed thrilled.
"STUDENTS! GATHER AROUND FOR A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!" Mira, the biology teacher, called out.
"THE GINCANA SEASON IS OPEN!!" she declared, raising her arm.
The news was met with loud enthusiasm. Screams, jumps, and joy exploded across the courtyard.
"I FEEL YOUR ENERGY! THE LEADERS WILL BE THE 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD YEAR CLASSES! THE OTHERS WILL BE ASSIGNED BY DRAW!!" she announced.
"Already?" Yukino muttered, stunned, clearly unenthusiastic.
The rules were simple: three teams, each led by one of the high school classes. The middle school classes (5th to 8th grade) would be divided among them. Competitions included arts, sports, and quizzes. Some students were buzzing with excitement, others were grumbling.
"YAAAY, FESTIVAL! GINCANA!" shouted Akiko, ecstatic even though she had never experienced one before.
The winning team would earn one extra point on all their grades. Second place, +0.75; third place, +0.5. That explained the fierce rivalry.
A chorus erupted: "GO, THIRD-YEARS! GO, THIRD-YEARS!" Their battle cry, unchanged for twenty years.
"ARE THEY TRYING TO SUMMON SOMETHING?" Naoko wondered.
"IS THIS SOME KIND OF RITUAL?" Adonis exclaimed, finding his second day even stranger than the first.
"Hahaha! You're so funny, Adonis!" a classmate replied, thinking he was joking.
The official school colors were red, white, and blue. After the draw:
"The First-Years will be the Red Team! The Second-Years, the White Team! And the Third-Years, the Blue Team!" the teacher announced. "And this year's theme will be… THE ENVIRONMENT!"
The rest of the morning was disrupted by the excitement of groups discussing their roles, slogans, and presentations.