I left the examination, and the once hushed environment was now buzzing and loud with chatter. Students with different uniforms out of our district walked in straight lines to their booths, laughing and talking with their neighbors.

A group of girls wearing familiar silver blazers walked past and stood near my previous booth. One girl locked eyes with me and waved.

Don’t know her and I certainly wouldn’t care to, anyway.

I turned around, yawned, and checked my Proatrix for the time. I suppose it would’ve been unfair to classify Seya into the metaverse program. However, I never expected them to issue examinations in schools from multiple prefectures. This program must have had to do with more than just good grades. I wonder what the criteria were, and what did the abbreviation LPL stand for, anyway?

“Reina! You look well. How are you?” A girl’s voice said from behind.

The girl that waved from before smiled while fixing her glasses. Long brown hair with wispy edges, brown eyes, and a fair complexion. I searched through my memory for someone who met her appearance criteria but came up with a blank. Though I don’t know why I tried. I seldom remembered anyone after a first glance.

She puffed her cheeks with a tilt of her head. “You seriously don’t remember? It’s Yejin Han! We went to Jeongmal High in Porasure prefecture together.”

Yes, that was my last school, however, I don’t remember anyone from there specifically. Were we in the same class before I transferred? I didn’t show up to class except for exams, so who knows?

“Apologies, I don’t remember you,” I said.

Yejin’s eyes widened, and she seemed a bit hurt, but she smiled.

“Oh, that’s okay! I don’t think we met but that one time in the library. You used to always get high scores on our exams but never showed up to class. I was interested in getting to know you, but you always said you were busy when I asked to hang out.”

Ah, so you were a nuisance.

“One day you didn’t show, and the instructor said you transferred to Seya. Everyone was shocked, but I wasn’t. You’re super smart and I expected nothing less from my rival.”

“Your rival?” I repeated.

“On the class ranking sheet, you were always at the top and I was right below you. That’s until you left, I suppose… but we’re reunited for a final duel!”

What was this girl talking about? I’m considering just walking away. Her wild imagination was exasperating.

“Wait, duel? You knew you’d be coming here for this exam?” I asked.

Yejin nodded. “Mhm. They didn’t notify Seya students about it?”

“I have to go,” I said, then strode out the doors.

This got more ridiculous by the minute. Most Seya students had enough influence to skew the test scores, so I could understand not telling us. But the fact that students from other districts knew about this exam is inexcusable. Someone has to know something, and I know the exact person I needed to talk to.

. . .

As I walked down the halls of the academy, both students and professors followed me, pestering my ears with questions I didn’t have the answers to.

“My father paid good money for me to be enrolled in this academy! I wasn’t told I had to take some stupid test to stay here!” A boy said on my left, clicking his teeth.

“Vice President. There’s talk that they’re relieving instructors for a new teaching device. Is this true? Should I be worried about my job?” An instructor probed on my right.

“I wouldn’t mind being taught by androids. Maybe we can customize them to look fine as hell. Some of these old grannies need to stay home, anyway.” The boy on my left said with a chuckle.

The instructor glared at him and pinched him by the ear. “You don’t know how much we professors have to sacrifice for you ungrateful kids! If we leave, you’re all in danger of being as unruly as the lower districts!”

“What the hell? Let go of me! Do you know who I am, lady? My father will sue your ass into the dirt!”

The rest of the students who followed me gathered around as they continued throwing insults at each other. Despite not stopping in the first place, I took the opportunity to lose them on a corner.

A girl ran up to me and grabbed me by the wrist. I snatched it back and raised my hand to slap her, but looked into her concerned eyes.

“Vice President… You won’t let those filthy lower-district students kick us out. Would you?” She said with a pouting lip.

I rolled my eyes and put both hands on her shoulders with a smile.

“Of course not. I'll do everything I can to ensure that Seya students are taken care of. The student body is my priority.”

She began crying, and I consoled her for a bit before waving as I walked past the corner. Seriously…That annoying little bitch almost made me lose it. I needed to keep my cool and stay focused.

It was quite funny, though, seeing all these imbeciles squander to secure their positions, and in most cases, positions they never deserved.

A large group of students crowded the stairwell to the council room hall. Two bulky men in black suits stood blocking the entrance like a barricade. A red glare flashed from their eyes behind their black sunglasses; Not humans, they were androids.

I flashed my aiguillette and Proatrix and they stepped to the side. The council doors had already been opened, with three members standing in the middle of the room.

“Toshiaki. Do you know what’s going on?” I asked.

Aisha and Chihiro glanced between him and me with uncertainty in their eyes. Toshiaki sighed and turned his back towards me.

“Are you ignoring me? As Vice President, I’d like to know why I wasn’t notified about today’s examination. Someone give me an answer.” I repeated in a demanding tone.

Toshiaki turned around, fitting his hands in his pockets. “You weren’t supposed to become Vice President in the first place, you know. If the first designate declined, then the honor would go to the prior year’s president. The only reason Aisha declined was because she knew you’d make a fuss and tear down the council to have your way.”

I looked over at Aisha. She couldn’t keep eye contact and glanced at the ground.

“Does it look like I came here to talk about some stupid position? Why are schools from other districts coming to take our examination? Does this have to do with the program your father talked about?” I asked.

Chihiro gripped her hands to her side. “I thought you changed, Rei… but you couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“Chihiro? What do you mean? Why do you look so angry?” I asked.

A few more steps came from behind. Fergus, Tagaki, and a few other council members circled around me.

“Don’t play dumb, Reina. Toshiaki told us all about your scheme to take over the council.” One member chimed in.

“Using that repugnant Gamers Club to dictate a new learning system that caters to fat fucks and virtual sluts. You should be ashamed of yourself.” A female member said with a disgusted face.

Fergus scratched beneath his shirt, then smacked his teeth. “That look when you first walked into the council room said it all. You’re just another stuck-up little bitch aren’t you?”

Toshiaki grinned as the rest of the members continued hurling insults.

What the hell was going on? Did Toshiaki use the fact I helped the Gamers Club and his father to twist it into an advance on his position? And were the council members really that naïve to believe him?

If I looked at this from a logical standpoint, sure today was tumultuous, so they may have felt their position at this school could have been in jeopardy. Attacking the one person they deemed most illegible and excusable for the situation was the most plausible action to take. Freud talked about this type of behavior, the theory of displacement, where individuals transferred their negative emotions onto a less threatening target to ease internal tension. And these guys were a textbook example.

I realized this school was more about wealth than academic excellence.

A sharp pain stung across my face, taking me off guard as I fell to the floor. I looked up to Chihiro with her hands raised, my cheek burning as she sobbed.

“My parents put a lot of assets on the line for me to get into this school. Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” Chihiro said.

I can’t believe it… even Chihiro is lashing out at me. These idiots couldn’t keep their cool under pressure. Discomposed, arrogant, and most importantly…

“Pathetic.”

Chihiro took a step back. “W-what? What did you just say?”

My heart fluttered, and chest pounded. I breathed heavily with widened eyes as I laughed before taking a step back.

“I said you’re all pathetic! The newest generation of leaders, my ass! This academy is supposed to comprise the elite! So why are you all so eager to blame me when your precious status became precarious? You’re all worthless, pathetic, affluenza-afflicted scions who need a reality check!”

Toshiaki clapped with a scoff. “I think we heard enough. Let’s start a vote to dismiss Vice President Reina from council. Can anyone second this notion?”