Shinken High Trap Club

Chapter 1-8 Preferential Treatment

Shuuji wakes up to the throbbing pain all over his body, he carefully sits up from his bed, feeling for any signs of injuries in the total darkness.

His body seems fine except a few bruises, his head however, has a decently sized lump protruding from it.

Shuuji then probes around for his phone after the little wellness check, but eventually remembers that it was still left in the bathroom. With a dissatisfied grunt he makes his way there with wobbly steps, being careful not to trip over anything again.

Upon finally retrieving his phone, Shuuji turns it on without hesitation. The numbers 5:38 A.M. flashes brightly on the screen as Shuuji stares blankly into it.

No wonder it's still dark... Should I sleep for a bit longer? No... I should just get ready for school, no way I'm gonna be late again.

After the return trip back to his room, Shuuji finally decides to flip on the light switch. It takes Shuuji a fair bit of squinting before he could start changing into his school uniform, getting ready for the long day ahead of him.

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The brisk autumn wind blows through the empty streets. One can see the sunrise in the distance, the few cars driving past, and also the silhouette of a boy with a backpack.

The boy in question makes his way towards the school gates, despite the clock barely hitting 6 AM in the morning.

"Well aren't ya early today?" The security guard of the Shinken campus greets Shuuji warmly. Because of his repeated late arrivals, Shuuji was one of the more familiar faces to the warden.

"Ahaha yeah... Shirozaki-sensei will probably kill me if I showed up late again." Shuuji returns the greeting with an awkward laugh.

"Well I'm really not supposed to be letting people in before 6 A.M, students and staff included," the warden says as he scratches his head, "but seeing how rare it is for you to be on time, not to mention early, I'll make an exception."

Shuuji waves the security guard off with gratitude as he strides his way through the large track field separating him and his classroom.

Now what am I gonna do for the next hour and a half..? Maybe I should review the materials that were covered yester-

Wait...

Shuuji Itsuki rips open his backpack in a panic. After a bit of frantic searching, he fishes out a couple pages of empty assignments.

I completely forgot we still had homework...

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As it gradually approaches the start of school, more and more students begin filling up the room. Shuuji makes no effort to greet any of them as he plants his face into the papers amidst the chattering. His concentration doesn't break one bit even as Yuuki comes in to give him a friendly tap on the back.

Finally, minutes before the bell, Shuuji manages to finish all five pages of the assignment. Feeling reassured and accomplished, he decides to make a quick glance around the room. He then spots Yuuki looking out the window to his left and Beru checking his phone on the other corner of the class. He notices the empty seat at the back and proceeds to tap Yuuki by the shoulder.

"Oi, so what's up with Wynn?"

"Oh ho ho, welcome back to the mortal realm Shuuji-kun, I'm glad the immoralities you've been subjected to hasn't rendered you senseless." Yuuki's Chuunibyou seems to be on full drive this morning.

"Just tell me if you saw Wynn or not, didn't you guys walk home together yesterday?" Shuuji is more concerned about his new friend's whereabouts rather than his long-time buddy's Chuuni delusions.

"Oh yeah, regarding that issue..." Yuuki pauses for dramatic effect, "it might very well be possible that Wynn-kun has already been captured by the masterminds of the Syndicate, afterall, what better target is there other than our newly formed-"

"So you don't know either." Shuuji cuts Yuuki off with a deadpan expression, clearly growing tired of his Chuuni shenanigans.

"... Ah... ahem, I don't know either, I haven't seen him this morning." Yuuki seems to have picked up the cue and answers normally for once.

The buzzing of the bell comes exactly at 7:25 A.M, but unlike the bell it seems Shirozaki-sensei is late.

"That Shirozaki-sensei is late?"

"A teacher as strict as him? Impossible."

"No way, right? I wonder if something happened..."

Many are surprised by this unprecedented event, and murmurs soon begin to surface. Then all of a sudden, the door slides open as Shirozaki-sensei steps into the class.

"Quiet down everyone, the bell has already rung!" Shirozaki-sensei carries the same vigorous voice as always. However, one can see the dark circles under his eyes upon closer inspection.

The chattering very quickly dies down and is replaced by the sound of chalk pecking the blackboard, thus the morning session begins as usual.

Not too long into the lesson however...

"Ohayou gozaimasuuu! Ah, I'm sorry for being late, I accidentally overslept on the bus today." The person standing next to the door is none other than Wynn Chairman on his second day of the school.

Shirozaki-sensei stops writing mid-paragraph and gives out a long sigh.

"Please refrain from disturbing the class if you are late, take your seat and try to keep up with the class material." Shirozaki-sensei says as he resumes jotting down said class material onto the board.

Huh? I had to stand outside writing apology letters while Wynn just gets let off with a sigh? How is that fair??

Of course, Shuuji should know by now that even the most prestigious schools... no... precisely because Shinken is a school funded by the prestige that bribery and corruption exist.

That is especially true for the class of A-3, since most of its students consist of wealthy slackers who only have money to their names. Aside from all that however, it is quite clear that Wynn Chairman did not come to school to learn. As such, Shirozaki decided that it was better to give up on this lost cause altogether.

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