It all started on a regular Tuesday morning. The sun was doing its thing, lazily climbing into the sky, and I was just a regular guy with a not-so-regular request. I wanted a new PC. Not just any PC – the kind that could handle the latest games without breaking a digital sweat.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200. Motherboard: MSI B550-A PRO ATX with PSU EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G5, 80 Plus Gold 650W and Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition, and finally SSD: Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD for the operating system and frequently used applications. HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200 RPM for additional storage.

So, there I was, in the kitchen, eyeing my mom over a bowl of cereal. She was doing the usual mom stuff, sipping coffee, and scrolling through her phone.

"Hey, Mom," I said, trying to sound casual. "You know that super-awesome gaming PC I've been dreaming of?"

She looked up, eyebrows raised. "Yeah?"

"Well, I was thinking... could we, you know, get it?"

She set her coffee down, giving me that mom-look. You know the one – a mix of 'Are you serious?' and 'Do you think money grows on trees?'

"Don't you have one already? It didn't get broken, right?"

"Ah, N-No. But I told you before, I want to start a streaming career and make money, Mom, please!"

Looking seriously at me, she sighed, "Drop the useless thought and focus on your study. Those things will not build your future."

Again, I better not argue with her about it. I know how it will end up anyway. I took a deep breath and focused on my original goal.

"Mom, I'll do anything if you buy me this PC. What about that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I am ready for anything and everything, just ask!" I said with a grin.

"Alright then, If you want me to get you the new PC," she said, not missing a beat, "you have to be the first in your class."

I nearly choked on my cereal. "First in my class? Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yep. You want a top-tier PC, you gotta earn it."

Now, normal kids might've hesitated or argued, but not me. I was standing at the gates of high school, ready to tackle whatever came my way. Middle school was a bit of a snooze-fest for me, mainly because I didn't bother with all that study stuff. But high school? That was my chance to hit the reset button.

"I can do it," I declared, perhaps a bit too confidently. "Easy peasy."

And just like that, the deal was sealed. Little did I know, my high school adventure was about to take a detour into the downright bizarre.

"The school will start next week, right?"

"Yeah, I better prepare myself from now."

As I confirmed, my mom's expression shifted from skepticism to a thoughtful gaze. She leaned back, sipping her coffee, and finally spoke, "Have you sent your registration papers and finished all the necessary matters?"

I nodded, "Yeah, Mom, all done."

She continued sipping her coffee, "You know, it's a bit strange. The school is in the same city as our house, but they insist you live in the school's accommodation."

I shrugged, "Guess they want that full 'boarding school' experience. But don't worry, it's not that far, and I'll come home on weekends."

"Alright," she said, her gaze lingering on me for a moment. "A scholarship from a school directly managed by the government...did you make sure it was legit, right? And not just some scam email."

I sighed in defeat, "It really hurts how much your expectations for me are down, you know?"

"Well, that was just unexpected. I am your mother, and I know you're not dumb, but a scholarship from the government? I have the right to doubt given your grades from previous years. Right?"

I rolled my eyes, understanding her concerns. "Mom, I get it. But they saw my potential. Maybe high school is where I finally shine, you know? Plus, they mentioned some special programs for high achievers. It's legit, I promise."

She sighed, setting her coffee down. "Alright, kiddo. Just make sure you're not getting into some kind of trouble. Government scholarships don't just fall from the sky."

"I won't, Mom. Trust me." I gave her a reassuring smile.

Part 2:

I think I didn't introduce myself yet, did I? I'm Kazuki Nakamura, your run-of-the-mill 16-year-old with an affinity for average. Tousled black hair, and brown eyes – I blend seamlessly into the background of the school life. And until recently, my daily routine was about as thrilling as watching paint dry.

But let's rewind a bit, to the day when the monotony of my existence took a sudden detour into the extraordinary. Picture me, casually scrolling through the digital realm in my room, a typical teenager immersed in the comforting glow of a computer screen.

And then, a ping.

An email.

Cue the eye roll. Another one of those school enrollment emails, I assumed. The kind that floods your inbox whenever it's time to dust off the backpack and brace yourself for the impending academic onslaught.

Except, this wasn't the usual spiel.

This email, my ticket to the extraordinary, detailed a scholarship offer from a government-managed school—a chance to break free from the shackles of average and embrace a unique academic journey. My initial skepticism wavered as I delved deeper into the contents, discovering the promises of a top-tier education with all expenses covered.

In the vast landscape of the internet, where scams lurked behind every hyperlink, this seemed too good to be true. Yet, as I cross-referenced every detail, a realization washed over me – this was no hoax. This was a golden opportunity that had somehow found its way into my ordinary teenage existence.

but the question was...what they found special in me to give me such an offer. my grades were barely above the average, and even my athletic abilities weren't great enough to catch the eyes of the higher-ups in such higher schools.

Perhaps they sent me the offer by mistake. or maybe they got the wrong person because of the similarity in names?

But that was impossible. in the email, it was clear they had all my academy records and even a picture of me. it was the reason I was sure this wasn't a scam.

Hey, who am I to judge? It felt like winning the golden lottery, and I wasn't about to mess it up. With that thought, I decided to seize the opportunity presented by this unexpected email. 

But there's just one thing I still regret not doing — not reading the school admission provisions before signing.

...

Fast forward, a week went by as fast as it could be counted, and the day for me to leave my parent's house came earlier than I thought it would be. The excitement that once fueled my anticipation had transformed into a mix of nerves and curiosity as I prepared to embark.

The morning of departure arrived, marked by the sunrise painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. My parents, wearing expressions of both pride and concern, gathered around as I loaded my belongings into the car.

"You've got everything, right?" my mom asked, scanning the luggage as if afraid I might forget an essential item.

"Yeah, Mom, I've double-checked. I've got all the textbooks, notebooks, and, most importantly, the cell phone," I assured her, patting my backpack.

My dad chimed in, "Don't forget to call home regularly."

"I promise, Dad. It's not like I'm going to the moon; it's just a school,"

After a round of hugs and some last-minute advice, it was time to hit the road. As we drove toward the school's accommodation, I couldn't help but steal glances at the landscape that had become so familiar to me.
Kōryakusei High School. The name of the school I am about to attend.

A place where the word "normal" took a vacation. It's not your typical high school, no siree. This joint is like the secret agent of education—top-secret operations and all.

First off, getting into this place isn't your usual walk in the park. Regular high school entrance exams? Nah, they laugh at those. There are two tickets to this rollercoaster: one is acing an acceptance test that only brainiacs from across Japan can crack. The other, the golden ticket I got, is a government scholarship. Rumor has it, that they don't hand those out like candy, and it was obvious.

Now, the real spice? The school's activities are like classified CIA files. They change every year, and students keep mum about them. It's like a Hogwarts vibe, but instead of magic, it's top-secret extracurriculars.
"Okay, here we are. Don't make any trouble while you wait for the bus, and don't waste the opportunity. My friends at work really didn't believe me when I said you had that scholarship in Kōryakusei," 

my father casually said as I took my step out of the car into the bus station.

I gave him a reassuring nod, "Don't worry, Dad. I'll make the most out of it."

After a final farewell hug with my dad, I watched his car fade into the distance, leaving me standing at the bus station. The surroundings were serene, with towering trees casting dappled shadows on the well-kept path. 

Students in their Kōryakusei uniforms moved about, their attire exuding an air of sophistication and prestige. The uniform consisted of a deep navy blazer with a golden emblem embroidered on the chest pocket, paired with neatly pressed beige trousers or skirts. A subtle touch of gold adorned the collar, giving it an elite school vibe

"Man, I just feel out of place even with wearing those clothes...I wonder how much money they are worth..."

I checked my watch, noting the time for the special bus's arrival. It was a unique aspect of Kōryakusei – to reach the school, students had to use the designated bus provided by the institution. No external transportation was allowed beyond this point.

The low hum of anticipation among the students intensified as the distinct rumble of the approaching bus echoed through the air. Its sleek, black exterior bore the Kōryakusei emblem, marking it as the exclusive transport to our destination.

The bus came to a graceful stop, its doors sliding open with a futuristic whoosh.

"There no bus driver?"

Yes. The bus was self-driven it seemed, but no one seemed to be surprised, I was the sole one, which kind of made me feel embarrassed.

The students filed in with practiced efficiency. I followed suit, finding a comfortable seat and watching as the landscape changed outside the tinted windows.

After about 10 minutes, we arrived at a bridge that stretched across an artificial lake. Once again, my surprise was met with indifferent gazes. While I knew about the lake, the bridge we were taking was typically reserved only for people who have a connection to the school. Was I the only one out of place here?

Another 5 minutes passed, bringing us to the Kōryakusei High School grounds. It was situated on an artificial landmass in the middle of the lake.

As I got off the bus, I saw a gate formed from natural rock waiting just ahead. All the young boys and girls dressed in school uniforms were passing through this gate.

"Okay, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. All right, here we go!"

The school was so vast that I actually needed a 1x1 meter map they provided to navigate around without getting lost. It was like stepping into a complex labyrinth where each corridor led to a new discovery.

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, I was the only one consulting a map. Everyone else seemed to possess an innate knowledge of where they were heading.

"Let's see...hmmm... if I take this path, it will lead to the main building," I muttered while studying the map. The pathways branched out like a well-designed maze, revealing that the entire school operated under a system of its own.

Part 3:

I disliked the entrance ceremony, and I could imagine many first-year students felt the same way.

After what felt like hours of searching for the gymnasium, where the principal and students exchanged words of gratitude, I was finally on my way to my classroom.

There was far too much time spent standing in lines, and with so many irritating things to deal with, it all felt like a huge pain in the butt.

"Man, this backpack is killing me!"

Because of her sense of motherhood, my mother made me take all my books and study supplies with me in the backpack, even though I told her it was just the first day and there would be no lessons. But who listens to you...
As I walked through the empty hallways, there was something else nagging at me—the vibrant colors and unique hairstyles of the students around me.

While listening to the expressions of gratitude during the ceremony, I noticed a striking trend. Most of the students had distinctive hair colors or styles that made them stand out. It was shocking to see, considering how average my own hair looked. Were such styles allowed in this school, or was there some unspoken rule I missed?

Standing in front of the classroom I was meant to be in, I made sure to look at the sign above the door, which read "Classroom 1/2."

"I am probably the last one to arrive," I mumbled to myself, feeling a bit self-conscious as I was about to open the door and enter the room.

As I pushed open the door, the soft creak echoed in the otherwise silent classroom. It was like stepping into a room frozen in time, with twenty-five seats arranged neatly in five rows of five.

A quick scan revealed that indeed, I was the last one to arrive. The room was filled with an air of anticipation, and I could feel the eyes of every student fixed on me as I hesitated near the entrance.

The only available seat, ironically, was right in the middle of the class. It felt like the universe conspired to make my first impression the most memorable one.

As I walked down the narrow aisle, my eyes shifted to where I was hoping to sit. at the back of the room, near the window, there was already a guy sitting on it, a guy with brown hair and brown eyes, his jaw rested on his right hand as his eyes narrowed outside, not bothering about what was happening.

Just as I was about to take my seat, I caught an unusual sight. A little pale-skinned girl with very long, messy white hair was sitting on the lap of a spiky red-haired boy.

"What the heck?"

It was just a quick glance, as they were already behind me at the end of the class when I sat down.

"Oh, my? So you will be my neighbor this year,"

As soon as I sat, a voice came from my right. Turning toward it, I saw a beautiful girl sitting next to me.

A tall, stunning girl with a curvy figure, long thick black hair styled in a hime-cut, and burgundy eyes. The first thought that came to my mind was 'Lucky!'

"Oh, Y-yeah, nice to meet you. My name is Kazuki Nakamura."

"Mine is Yumeko Jabami. Please treat me well, Nakamura-san."

She smiled at me, and I returned the smile with a nod. It seemed my position wasn't that bad, and I could count myself lucky as I turned my head to my right.

Her legs were on the table as she leaned on the two last legs of her chair, playing with a pair of ink pens between her nose and lips.

Another beautiful girl with a tall, dramatic hourglass figure, light blue eyes, and long, thick, bleached strawberry-blonde hair tied in two twin pigtails.

She seemed the type of girl that we call Gyaru, as her jacket wasn't fully zipped, revealing a bit of her chest. She also wore heavy make-up along with fake long red nails.

"Should I introduce myself to her? I feel that would be the biggest mistake of my life if I did but..."

I decided to play it safe and focused on settling into my seat, avoiding any unnecessary interactions that might lead to awkward situations.

As the atmosphere started to grow thicker, with me holding my breath for some reason, the classroom door slid open, drawing everyone's attention.

I was expecting the teacher, and I think everyone else expected the same thing. It would be obvious also to add that I expected a human teacher, but the thing that walked inside the classroom was for sure not human.

With the appearance of a yellow octopus about three meters tall and possessing a large, bulbous head with a wide smile and small, beady eyes. He used two tentacles as arms, each having two feelers as fingers, using them to grab a chalk to write something on the board and utilizing the rest of seemingly jelly-like limbs—his tentacles—to walk.

"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for this class. You can call me Korosen—"

"HOLY SHIT, A TALKING OCTOPUS!"

I interrupted the thing's introduction, and all the eyes were on me. Once again, it seemed I was the only one in shock.

"What's wrong with you people?!"

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