"Arisugawa Academy."
A so-called elite institution—its entrance exam as unyielding as a steel wall, and its student body… well, let's just say half of them are idiots, and the other half are masters of deception.
But of course, there's far more beneath the surface.
Right now, I'm standing in front of the Academy's imposing gates, staring at the place that's supposed to shape my future. The entrance exam? If you're wondering how it went… let's just say I obliterated it. A perfect 100%.
Not that I wanted to stand out—I seriously planned on living the quiet, low-key life.
…But with results like that, my "low-key life" is already slipping out of reach. And if I end up being the only one who can't stay hidden, things are only going to get worse from here.
The gates of Arisugawa Academy towered above me—jet-black, imposing, almost like they were the entrance to hell itself. But the moment I stepped through them, the atmosphere completely changed. Blossom trees lined the pathways, their petals drifting gently in the breeze, and in the distance to my left, I could see the Academy dorms standing quietly beneath the morning light.
This place was going to be my home until graduation. The suitcases in my hands were proof of that.
All around me, students from prominent families arrived in the kind of luxury cars you'd normally see in magazines. I even spotted a Bentley earlier.
The car I came in, you ask?
A bus.
Yeah, I know—not exactly glamorous. But honestly, I've always found showing off to be more trouble than it's worth.
Anyway, once I stepped inside, a staff member guided me straight to my dorm room. I unpacked in silence—posters of my favourite anime went up on the walls, and a framed photo of me, Dad, and Gramps took its place on the desk. A small piece of home in this unfamiliar place.
After settling in, the Academy issued me a cellphone—one that already had something… interesting installed on it. I didn't have time to dig into it, though, because we were immediately taken on a full-campus tour along with the other first-years.
That's when I noticed her.
A girl with soft blonde hair that shimmered in the sunlight. She looked like someone an artist had poured their soul into—elegant, refined, almost unreal. I considered walking over to introduce myself, but before I could take a single step—
Girls started approaching me.
"Hey, you look heavenly handsome."
"You're really handsome. If we end up in the same class, let's sit together, okay?"
…Stuff like that.
Honestly, I have no idea what's so special about me. Black hair and purple eyes feel pretty bland.
Well… I'm joking. I know I'm handsome.
But hearing it so directly from girls is… unusual. A little too unusual.
By the end of the long tour, I think I'd seen everything this school had to offer. A massive mall stocked with nearly everything, Then there was a gym, a basketball court, netball courts, a swimming pool, a soccer field, a full athletics track—you name it.
To put it simply, this place was a haven.
Back in my dorm room—with a few girls' numbers saved into my phone, and a few guys' numbers too (though I'm pretty sure they only want me to help them get girlfriends)—I collapsed onto my bed.
Tomorrow was the big day.
Tomorrow, I, Hoshikawa Rin, would officially start my life at the Elite Arisugawa Academy.
The following day…
Morning arrived as plainly as ever. Nothing special, nothing dramatic. Still, I was at least satisfied with the uniform: black trousers, a crisp white shirt, a black tie, and a white blazer. Simple, clean, stylish—perfectly my taste.
The girls' uniforms, however…
How should I put it?
If mouths can drool over good food, then eyes should be allowed to drool too—because those girls looked dangerously good. White shirts, black skirts… it was a visual ambush, honestly.
We were eventually called to the main hall, where what felt like every first-year in the Academy had gathered. The chairs alone looked expensive enough to make my wallet cry—thick cushions, polished frames, the kind of seating that practically screamed prestige.
As we chatted with one another, trying to shake off the nerves and act like normal students, she appeared.
A girl—no, a young woman—stepped onto the stage. She was definitely an upperclassman, probably a third-year. Her hair was a soft, silvery grey, flowing smoothly down her back, and her eyes were a striking, serene blue. A beauty so refined that the entire hall fell quiet the moment she appeared.
But what caught my eye more than anything was her uniform.
More specifically—her tie.
While all of us wore black, hers was red.
A mark of authority.
"Hello, my fellow students," she said gently, a graceful smile on her lips. "My name is Arisugawa Yukishiro, and I am the Student Council President. I am here to congratulate you on your successful admission into our esteemed Academy."
The room hung onto every word she spoke.
"I won't speak for long," the student council president continued, her voice gentle yet commanding. "Instead, I'd like to pass the honour of beginning the new semester to the first-year student who achieved the highest score in the entrance examination."
The moment those words left her mouth, my stomach dropped.
Oh no.
Who else here could possibly match me?
Don't tell me… don't tell me it's actually—
"Please welcome to the stage—"
But before she could finish, a male student wearing glasses hurried onto the stage. He leaned close and whispered something into the president's ear.
For some strange reason… I felt relieved.
As if my body already knew what was coming.
Like my fate was inevitable, but at least I'd get a few more seconds before it crushed me.
The president blinked, then let out a small laugh.
"Ah—my apologies for the interruption."
She straightened herself and faced the hall again.
"It seems I need to make a small correction. There were not one, but two first-year students who achieved the highest score. Both with the exact same result."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
Two people?
Matching my perfect score?
Now things were getting interesting.
"Please welcome to the stage—Hoshikawa Rin."
The moment my name echoed through the hall, my brain shut down.
I didn't even bother listening for the other top scorer's name—I was too busy contemplating whether I should run, hide, or fake my own death on the spot.
But in the end, my legs moved on their own.
As I stood up, a soft murmur drifted from behind me.
"Hey… he looks really handsome, right?"
"Right? I didn't notice before…"
Somehow, my pride skyrocketed instantly.
With that tiny boost of confidence, I walked toward the stage—excitedly, even—with a smile I didn't plan on showing.
And, for some reason… that simple smile sent a wave of reactions through the crowd.
I swear I heard a few girls squeal.
Some even gasped like they'd just witnessed a celebrity walking past them.
…This was going to be a long year, wasn't it?
....
A/N:Cheers to the first Chapter!!
Add to library!!