On the way to the dormitory apartment
"Look who's here," a red-haired guy suddenly approached me, leaning against a nearby wall with an air of confidence.
'I don't even know you,' I thought, choosing to remain quiet.
"You're an attention seeker, aren't you? If you want, I could just give you my whole attention, you know?" another guy with yellow hair chimed in, winking at me with a smile that did nothing to endear him to me.
'Disgusting. Why would I want a mango-shaped faced[1] like you?'
"Lolol, let's make a bet. She'll be the first one to get expelled," another voice piped up from the trio—this one belonging to a blue-haired guy.
'Who the hell are these bunch of assholes?'
As I navigated my way toward the dorm, I found myself confronted by a band of wannabe power rangers; they were wearing about as much personality as their colored hair suggested.
I didn't want to provoke a fight; I simply needed to get to my dorm room without further incident. It was clear they were just trying to annoy me, maybe to draw some attention to themselves.
When it became evident that I wasn't going to respond or react, they eventually drifted away, leaving me with one last taunt. "Bitch," they snickered among themselves as they walked off.
Inside, I felt my anger bubbling up, but I forced myself to calm down. Stay focused, I reminded myself. I can't afford any unnecessary trouble. I still don't know how to fight, and I need to train before I can defend myself.
Shaking off their words, I focused my attention ahead as we arrived at the dorm.
Wait. is this where we'll be living? My eyes widened in awe.
The building looked like a 10-star hotel, its grandiosity nearly overwhelming. How rich is this academy?
Once again, I found myself awestruck as I gawked at the magnificent structure. Jude had mentioned that the building had 100 floors, each with ten rooms—one person per room—according to grades. The penthouses were exclusively reserved for the top five male and female cadets, and it seemed only Cypher had refused his, declaring it too extravagant.
As we stood outside, Jude motioned for us to enter. "You can now head to your respective rooms. The smartwatch I'm giving you acts as both your phone and identity from now on. You'll use it daily. Just swipe it against the lock, and your door will open."
As Jude was explaining, I noticed that the other first-year classes had just arrived. There were a total of five: Agastia, Cosmos, Diaspora, Seofon, and Akasha.
"Remillia! Remillia Lockhart!" Jude called out, prompting me to snap to attention.
"U-uh, yes? Why?" I replied, still not used to the sound of my own name.
"What do you mean, 'why'?" He scrutinized me with an intensity that made my skin crawl, as though he were a predator ready to pounce. I forced myself to remain unfazed, but I sensed a flicker of satisfaction in his expression as he observed my reaction.
"Smartwatch. Come and take it," he commanded, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"Ah… Yes, sir," I managed to say, fighting the urge to cringe as I made my way to collect my smartwatch. I could hear the muffled laughter of students from other classes behind me, mocking my discomfort.
'I can't take this anymore. Today has been filled with embarrassing moments,' I thought as I quickly grabbed the smartwatch and hurried into the dorm.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
As I stepped into my assigned room, I was taken aback. The space was expansive, stretching out like a ballroom, with ceilings high enough to make me feel small.
My eyes widened as I surveyed the luxurious furniture and elegant decor that adorned the room. This is so different from the tiny apartment I had called home for weeks.
I settled into a plush armchair by the window, unable to shake a sense of unease despite my surroundings being so lavish.
As I absently played with the dagger strapped to my waist, a thought crossed my mind. "What if I just dropped out now?"
Suddenly, a mini-version of myself popped up on my left side. "That might be for the best. At least you wouldn't have to raid dungeons or defeat monsters," she replied with a cheeky grin.
"Is that...?"
Before I could finish my thought, another mini-me appeared on my right side. "No! Don't listen to her! If you drop out, how would you plan to escape this world?" she urged, eyes wide with concern.
Caught in an internal conflict, I finally made up my mind—I would stay. Perhaps I would try following the main story for now. The bigger question remained: how could I get close to the main characters?
'Do I need to become popular?' I nodded to myself. 'Check mark. I've already done that by choosing the weakest weapon.'
But even that wasn't enough. I needed more to gain their attention.
I stared down at the dagger in my hand.
Nah.
What good was a dull blade in a world where power and prestige were everything? If I needed to stand out, I had my work cut out for me. I would have to find my niche—not as a mere character in someone else's story, but as someone who could carve out my own destiny.
[1] It literally means "shaped like a mango," meaning your side profile looks like a mango where your chin is longer than the "beauty standards.