Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 1 [Yuuto Birth]

Chapter 3: My New Dream-like School Life

About a week after my admittance to GEN Academy, I received a uniform and information booklet in the mail, with an attached letter that had all the necessary information. They even kindly sent me a digital version through email too.

On the letter were thorough instructions on what to do on April 1st, the day of our entrance ceremony. We were to go to the docks by 7am, and to wear the gifted uniform. With my uniform was a red tie, which meant I was in the nation Drachma Red.

As we'd be living on the island the school was on during the duration of our semesters, it was highly advised for us to bring some luggage. Since I didn't want to carry around a lot of stuff with me, I packed the bare necessities to get me through the first month at the very least.

After all, GEN Academy is the academy city on water. The island was similar to a small city, with facilities such as shopping malls and cafes at our disposal. Even though one might think to bring money to purchase items on school grounds, it was firmly stated in the letter that we couldn't bring any money with us. I wonder why.

On the night before the entrance ceremony, I was double-checking the list of required items that was on the email. One of them was a Vanguard deck. I glanced at the deck of cards on my table, and exhaled. I opened one of my drawers and took a deck-box from it, tossing it into my suitcase. I cleaned up the cards on the table and chucked them into my drawer, stashing it away and locking it.

I went to sleep, anticipating tomorrow.

April 1st.

I arrived at the docks with only a few minutes to spare. I decided to go walk there by myself and spare mom the trouble, as she had to drop off my little sister to middle school the same time I left the house.

As I stared out towards the vast ocean, I took a deep breath. The salty scent of the seawater tickled my nose, and the early spring breeze was really refreshing. It made me feel like I was starting something truly amazing.

Thankfully, I wasn't being treated differently to everyone else. After that strange entrance exam, part of me wondered if I'd get alienated once more from my future peers. Now learning that wasn't the case, my heart was at ease, and I felt like every other student present.

I walked down the side stairs to the lower level of the docks, where there was a mass of students collectively waiting, with what seemed to be some GEN faculty on patrol. I blended into the crowd of people, feeling contempt at thennormalcy. I held my suitcase closely to me as I wandered around. On the upper level of the docks were crowds of parents seeing their children off.

I wish mom was here to say some words of good luck to me. Even though she cheered me on during breakfast, I feel like I would've felt happier if she said those words here.

From the sea of faces around me, I could roughly make out Mikazuchi-sensei standing at the front, lined up with other faculty members. The adults looked incredibly smart and business-like. Were they our future teachers?

It seems the beginning of cliques and groups were forming, as similar people were bunched up together and conversing. As I didn't know anyone from my middle school who was also coming to GEN, I had no friends among the crowd. So, I decided to hang around at the back with the other straggler kids and check my phone for the time.

6:53am. As I leaned against the wall, part of me felt a bit claustrophobic as I was being sandwiched between it and the other students. I slumped my shoulders, considering how I was going to make friends. While social situations were not my forte, I feel like I should at least try here where it's socially acceptable to talk to other people.

After all, one of the golden rules was that it was only acceptable to make new friends during the first three days of high school. After that, you've got to stick to your clique no matter what. As my head wracked with ideas on how to get friends, I heard an angelic voice from behind me.