Square One

Chapter 1.2 - Entering the School of Dreams

As Ayanokouji entered the school, he was immediately met with a scene reminiscent of an airport's security checkpoint, albeit far more sophisticated. The hall was lined with sleek, black partition barriers that directed students toward a series of what he assumed to be verification stations.

In front of him, students were placing their fingers on gleaming surfaces of the stations. He noticed that each station had an LED screen and a camera that tracked the student's face simultaneously as they scanned their fingerprint. Soft, ambient beeps sounded in unison, indicating successful verifications.

Once it was his turn, Ayanokouji was guided by a woman in a crisply tailored uniform.

"Please place your thumb here," she instructed.

Following her directions, Ayanokouji pressed his thumb onto the pad. The machine whirred for a moment, and then a pleasant chime sounded. The screen displayed his name, class details, and a photograph from his student profile.

"Student Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, S01T004651," the uniformed woman announced, reading from the display. "Verification complete." 

A few seconds later, the woman handed Ayanokouji a sleek, white-cased smartphone. "This will be your school-issued smartphone, equipped with everything necessary for your time here at Advanced Nurturing High School," she explained, her tone professional yet welcoming.

Ayanokouji assessed the device, his fingers gliding over the cool, matte finish. As he flipped it over, the school's emblem, elegantly embossed at the back, caught his eye. Out of curiosity, he applied gentle pressure between his thumb and forefinger, testing its sturdiness. It felt solid, definitely more durable than his last phone.

"Your phone comes preloaded with the ANHS Student App, where your time table, GPS for homeroom location, and other functions could be accessed. There is also the ANHS Maps app to serve as a general navigation guide, as well as other essential applications. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the phone's various functions," she continued, her smile broadening slightly to ease the formality of the induction.

"Thank you," he replied, meeting the woman's gaze with a short nod.

And with the school's map already loaded on his smartphone's display, Ayanokouji set off in the direction of his homeroom.

---

As he continued his trek towards his homeroom, a nagging thought tugged at Ayanokouji's mind: how should he present himself to his classmates?

The first idea that came to him was the most straightforward— just introduce himself. He played out the scene in his mind, strolling confidently into the room, offering a dazzling smile, and saying, "Hey, I'm Ayanokouji! Let's be friends!" 

But as he visualized it, he immediately felt a pang of second-hand embarrassment. 

"I should punch myself for thinking of that," he chided himself.

Then, a subtler thought emerged— observe and approach someone approachable. But what did "approachable" even mean? Were there telltale signs, specific facial cues, or just a gut feeling?

And if he did that, what if they thought he was intruding?

"Maybe I should just wait," he thought. "Let someone else take the initiative."

But that approach had its pitfalls too. What if everyone was waiting for someone else to take the first step? He'd then become that guy who never spoke to anyone on the first day.

Ayanokouji let out a sigh. He recognized his line of thinking was getting ridiculous, but he also had never been in a formal school environment before. The boy was worried that he might be isolated for his entire high school life if he won't do anything.