Silent Resilience

Awkward First Impressions

The quiet sounds of footsteps echoed through the small apartment, followed by the gentle shutting of a door. With a book bag slung over his right shoulder, a young man slowly crept through the still home, silent as a mouse.

The young man could barely even be called so; he was only fifteen years old. His looks did not betray his age, though. Large, brown eyes sat behind a shaggy head of purple-brown hair, narrowed in concentration. His tanned, sun-kissed skin shone in the bright light streaming through the apartment's windows as he made his way past the small living room. He wore a dull-grey knit sweater with a tall collar, along with black dress pants that ended at his ankles. Multiple sets of black earrings adorned his ears, somewhat hid by his shaggy, dark locks.

Briefly, the boy glanced over at the sofa where his father laid. The older man snored loudly, an arm draped over his eyes as he was barely even balanced on the seat. The boy stifled a small smile at the sight before making his way past.

No doubt dad had worked another late night. The boy hoped he at least ate dinner before falling asleep.

His black polished shoes stopped at the front door. Carefully, the boy adjusted the bag before reaching his right arm forward, opening and stepping out quietly so as to not disturb his father's rest. As he shut the door behind him, he re-adjusted the bag before heading off to school.

It was a nice morning, he thought. The sun was bright and high in the sky, yet a gentle breeze shook the passing trees in a way that felt perfect to him. The wind ruffled his loose clothing, making him smile slightly, though it was gone in an instant.

The boy's name was Adriel Min, son of Asher Min, however his father preferred to go by just Asher. Around him, Adriel had gotten strange stares from the people on the streets as he walked to school.

Perhaps it was his piercings and various scars that grabbed their attention. Or perhaps the black glove that rested on his left hand, despite it only being spring. Or perhaps it was his tan skin and foreign features that made him stand out. Either way, Adriel simply ignored the stares with a blank look. Pulling out his earbuds, he plugged them in before blasting his favourite song.

After what felt like quite a long amount of walking, he had made his way to school. Staring up at the pink building, Adriel couldn't help but admire its architecture. Though bright pink struck him as a bit of an odd choice, he couldn't deny the building's beauty. With a smile, he walked through the front gates, ready to begin his first year. Around him, the cherry trees swayed in the cool wind.

Unfortunately, his arrival had stirred a bit of attention. Even with his earbuds in, and with slightly blurred vision, he could still sense the students around him whispering. Behind yellow-clothed hands and violet-donner shoulders, his rich classmates seemed to pay just a little bit too much attention to his makeshift uniform.

The loose-almost flowy material made him look perhaps too casual for such an elite academy. Still, Adriel simply ignored their burning gazes. He didn't have any better clothes anyways.

'Class 1-A, right? That shouldn't be too hard to find. Let's just hope it's close'

"Everyone, please welcome your new classmate! You may come in now"

With a deep breath, Adriel walked into the classroom, closing the door gently behind him. Turning to face the class, his face remained the same: blank and unassuming.

"My name is Adriel Min. Please take care of me"

As monotone as his voice was, the words came out gently, quiet even. His voice wasn't very deep, neither was it annoyingly high. It was just soft spoken, the class noted.