COTE: Someone Extraordinary (Kiyotaka x Honami)

Arc 1 Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Arc 1: The First Term Arc

Part 1

Monday morning. I'd never rode on the metro before, and although it was a brand new experience for me, I had no desire to ride on it again anytime soon. I sat down with my eyes wandering, taking in my surroundings with my legs crossed and my arms folded a little awkwardly.

All the windows on the train were shut tightly, the air gradually grew so stuffy that it was as if the trailer was full of thick smog. I was struggling to breathe. The lights were annoyingly dim as well, which cast a darkened shadow over the many faces of workers and students alike packed tightly into the trailer car. The seats weren't big enough, the people who sat on either side of me were being pushed up against one another as if we were sardines in a can.

The smell wasn't refreshing either, a mixture of the festering garbage tucked deep underneath the seats and the odours emitted from my fellow commuters quickly blocked my nose. I was instead forced to take deep breaths through my mouth which wasn't much better.

This may seem harsh as it was my first time on the metro. I'm sure most of the people commuting have already gotten used to scenes like this, during the morning rush hour on Tokyo's metro system.

Furthermore, I was far too excited to dwell on it for too long. If I wasn't surrounded by so many people I'd be practically squirming in my seat in anticipation.

I was on the way to my new high school that I would be starting today for the first time, The Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, a prestigious school that is rumoured to nurture only the best of Japan's future generation. It had a high placement rate for students graduating and moving on into the workforce or a university of their choice, 100% to be precise. With their thorough and state-directed teaching methods, they spare no effort in pursuing the nation's desired future.

However, the big downside was that you would have to remain on the school's campus for the duration of your time at high school. That's a whole three years without seeing your family or friends not involved with the school.

I had made so many wonderful and caring friends in middle school, and I was going to miss them greatly, but I had to look forwards and prepare myself for my new school life properly.

I was on the student council at my old school, and I eventually worked my way up to be the President, so I intend to join the council here also. I had to make sure to make lots of friends as well and bring as many people together as possible, otherwise, it would be a very depressing three years.

I was going to miss my family too. My home life wasn't easy, to say the least, because my mother had grown sick and was struggling to provide for me and my younger sister.

My father left shortly after I was born, but I don't blame him for it, I'm sure he had his reasons. However, he had shifted a large burden onto my mother which she was struggling to cope with.

Part of the reason I chose to apply to this school was to help her. The school fees and my basic living expenses are covered by the government, so my mum won't have to provide for me anymore. In return for me not being able to see her for the next three years, she wouldn't have to provide for me during that time. It seemed like a good deal.

As I was daydreaming, the metro pulled into the next station, stopping with a piercing screech. It was my last stop. I got up and gently pushed through the crowd of people still standing huddled in the trailer and hopped off the metro and onto the station platform.

I'm glad that's over.

At the very least I won't be riding that metro for the next three years and was grateful for that, as I watched the train take off again down the track and behind the wall obscuring it from my vision.