Transcendence Volume 2: Awakening

Chapter 22: Our first meeting

[Spring 2020]

Natsuki let out an anxious sigh as he blankly stared at the classroom from his seat all the while nervously rubbing his left wrist, sensing the bandages that he hid under the sleeves were starting to be undone. Had it been a different time he would have been excited, probably going out of his way to get to know his classmates.

But it was different, very different.

Just a year ago he had parted on very bad terms with his best friend whom he had known since they were children, worse was that thanks to him the best friend was practically disinherited by his own family save for a few members and had turned him into a social pariah. All in all, it was his fault.

He was all the more interested in staying home, maybe just play video games or something. The guilt of what he had done weighted too much that he was all the more than willing to just isolate himself. He sighed and looked at one of the students that arrived as well, she looked as she felt alienated by everyone.

I guess everyone has their crappy first day, Natsuki thought as he looked through his phone with a cracked screen.

A few minutes later, Homeroom finally began and introductions were made. While he didn't much care, he did make sure to take note of who his classmates were. Among them was the same girl from before, whom he learned was Natsuyama Karen, the same Natsuyama's that worked alongside the Chainiki Family of VEX, the same Natsuyama that was regarded as the second richest family within the Nation.

While he was among the many of their classrooms were shocked, but he immediately brushed it off. Mostly because her background has no significant effect on him, but his classmates have the opposite effect.

"Natsuyama-san can we be friends?" A handful of girls approached her during lunch break, he couldn't help but scoff seeing her slightly get overwhelmed by the offers from their classmates to be her 'friend' but it was clear that they are only after her wealth and influence.

Then there's the minor communication barrier that she has. According to her introduction from earlier, she had spent most of her childhood and Junior High in Russia and her Japanese while within the standards of reading comprehension is somewhat difficult at the conversation level.

Karen managed to escape them but managed to run into Natsuki once more that afternoon eating under the shade with a dejected sigh.

"You know they're just after your family background, right?" Natsuki told her, he didn't mean to assume things or even get involved but the possibility of her getting involved with those types of friends grated on his nerves so he couldn't help but try to intervene.

"...I know that..." She spoke in English as well, in contrast to her Japanese she was quite fluent in English without any hint of an accent.

"Then why?" Natsuki asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt," She said defensively, this earned a scoff from Natsuki slightly lightening his mood.

"In this School? Get real, this place doubles as a meeting ground for arranging marriages. I mean sure there are middle-class students too but they'll just be treated as outcast here, to be honest." Natsuki replied making his way to a nearby vending machine with Karen following after her. It was somewhat true, after all, Tsukiyama High and Aomori High. Both of which owned by the Akikawa-Amamiya Family both of whom were two separate families that were united thanks to an arranged marriage by their Eldest Children.

"And if rumours are to be believed, their Eldest Daughter Amamiya Hanako is currently studying in Tsukiyama. Though that came from Status Hungry dogs who are likely going to attempt to woo her to get some kind of prestige." Natsuki continued as he was about to order a drink. Admittedly all this is just a rant to let out his frustration on himself.