Trouble at the First Day

*Trrriiing*

The bell rang, signifying the end of the class. The students began to pack up their belongings as the teacher, a woman in her mid-30s, closed her book. This woman was Mizuki, the same person who had received Shroud at the airport earlier. It was now time for the lunch break.

"Oh, and before I leave," Mizuki addressed the class, her gaze settling on Shroud, "Would anyone like to volunteer to help the new transfer students familiarize themselves with the school campus after school?"

Shroud appreciated Mizuki's good intentions but knew that it wasn't necessary. Still, he couldn't deny the appeal of having a guide.

Mizuki scanned the class, waiting to see if anyone would volunteer. To his left, Shroud noticed Kevin raising his hand, volunteering to assist him in getting acquainted with the school.

"Ah, Kevin, alright, help Shroud get familiar with the place after school then. For now, how about you assist him in finding his way to the cafeteria?" Mizuki suggested.

"Alright, Miss Mizuki," Kevin replied, and Mizuki nodded, content with his response. With the class now dismissed for the afternoon, Kevin extended an invitation to Shroud to accompany him to the cafeteria.

Shroud accepted the offer with a nod and said, "Very well, lead the way, Kevin." Although Shroud's tone carried a sense of respect, there was also a subtle undertone of authority within his words.

But Kevin, still a high schooler, remained oblivious to the subtle undertones of authority and simply brushed them aside.

As they made their way outside, another person joined their company, and this newcomer was none other than the second prince of Senba High— Su.

"Oh, and Shroud, meet my friend Su," Kevin stated as he introduced Su to Shroud. Shroud responded with a courteous nod before extending his own introduction to Su. In return, Su greeted Shroud with a polite, "Hello, Mr. Shroud."

"No need to be so formal, Just Shroud is fine," Shroud remarked as the trio exited the classroom. It was then that the whispers of gossip began to circulate.

"Hey, do you think the duo has turned into a trio?" inquired Hina, one of the students.

"Perhaps, but I must say, this trio doesn't strike me as the best combination," responded Aiko.

Curious, Hina probed further, "Why's that?"

Aiko chimed in, "Look at Kevin and Su. They both exude the charm of our school's finest. However, this newcomer doesn't quite fit the prince mould," Aiko observed.

"Now that you mention it," Hina mused, "Shroud may not have a prince's face, but his physique is rather impressive." Her mind wandered briefly to a shirtless image of Shroud, causing a slight blush to creep across her cheeks.

Observing her friend's behaviour, Aiko couldn't help but shake her head. Meanwhile, Hina continued to voice her thoughts.

"hmm, but thinking over it, I agree with you," Hina continued, undeterred. "This trio, I must admit, doesn't seem quite harmonious."

"Hmm, why do you think so? I'll share my thoughts after you," Aiko responded. Hina proceeded to elaborate further.

"Firstly," Hina began, "Kevin and Su possess an air of regal elegance that puts this newcomer in the shade."

"Secondly," Hina continued, her brow furrowing in contemplation, "Kevin exudes unwavering confidence, and Su radiates a profound sense of serenity. But Shroud... Well, for some inexplicable reason, he sends shivers down my spine."

Pressing on, Hina continued, "There's just something about him that exudes an eerie aura," Hina concluded, her expression marked by uncertainty.

"Oh, how intriguing," another student chimed in. Hina and Aiko turned their attention to a young man with bright blonde hair and piercing green eyes who had joined the conversation. 

"My apologies for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but overhear your discussion," he said.

Aiko frowned slightly and inquired, "What's on your mind, Hayato?"

"It's about the new transfer student," Hayato replied. Hina and Aiko exchanged knowing glances.

They were well aware of Hayato's feelings of jealousy towards Kevin and Su, who were often regarded as the princes of Senba High School. And why wouldn't he be jealous? One was brimming with confidence and athletic prowess, while the other exuded calm intellectuality.

Both Hina and Aiko were keenly aware of Hayato's previous attempts to sow discord between Kevin and Su. However, since he couldn't outmatch either of them in athletic prowess or intellectual prowess, he had chosen a different path: the realm of influence.

Hayato had gathered a following comprised mostly of boys from various grade levels, each talented in their own right but lacking the extraordinary allure of Kevin and Su.

They, too, harboured envy towards the duo, not because of any deficiency in looks but due to a certain natural charm that both Kevin and Su seemed to effortlessly possess.

"Whoa there, no need to get so defensive, ladies," Hayato remarked with a disarming smile, attempting to conceal his underlying concern. He was well aware of the adoration the girls held for Kevin and Su.

'*Tch* This is so annoying,' Hayato thought to himself in frustration. However,  outwardly, he maintained a polite demeanour as he addressed the two girls.

"Ladies, I harbour no ill intentions towards our academy's princes. I'm simply curious about the newcomer," Hayato stated, his eyes narrowing with intrigue.

Before Hina and Aiko could respond, Hayato probed further, "I overheard you mentioning him as 'creepy.' Are you suggesting he might be a potential threat or something?" His question left an uncomfortable tension in the air, causing Aiko to visibly bristle with irritation.

"Hayato! It's not right to make such judgments about others without knowing them," Aiko scolded with a visibly enraged expression.

Hina shared a similar frown of disapproval as she added, "Aiko is absolutely correct, Hayato. It's unfair to label someone that way behind their back when you don't even know them."

Hayato, now perspiring slightly, conceded, "Alright, my apologies for jumping to conclusions. But didn't you both mention that this newcomer gave off a creepy vibe?"

Hina paused for a moment, deep in contemplation, before elaborating, "Yes, my gut feeling tells me he gives off a creepy vibe, but not the kind of creepy that suggests he's a pervert." She cast a brief, meaningful glance at Hayato.

Hina went on, "The eerie aura I mentioned feels more like the presence of a ghost from a nightmare. That's the type of creepiness that this newcomer, Shroud, seems to exude."

"Ghost? Nightmare?" Both Hayato and Aiko echoed in surprise, their curiosity piqued.

****

*ding*-*dong*-*ding*

"Alright, everyone, that's a wrap for today. I can see you're all quite exhausted, so let's call it a day," the teacher announced, signalling the end of the class.

Following tradition, the students and teacher exchanged formal bows before the teacher granted the dismissal. This was also the moment when Kevin was preparing to show Shroud around, but silently, Hayato approached them.

Upon spotting Hayato, Kevin's expression soured slightly, as he had a less-than-favorable impression of him. Shroud, on the other hand, regarded Hayato with an aloof and unreadable expression.

Undeterred by Kevin's disapproving expression, Hayato reached out his hand toward Shroud, initiating a handshake. Shroud briefly inspected Hayato's hand, their eyes meeting. After a brief pause, Shroud extended his hand as well, all while remaining seated.

"I'm Hayato, and I heard you're from America," Hayato reiterated, making an effort to strike up a conversation. Shroud responded with a sharp inquiry, "Were you prying?" His tone remained assertive, even though he remained seated.

"Oh, no, I just heard some rumours, but it seems they were accurate judging by your reaction," Hayato responded, a mischievous glint flickering in his eyes. "I've heard that in America, a proper handshake should be firm, Mr. Shroud," he added, tightening his grip.

Kevin was poised to step in, but his intervention wasn't necessary. Hayato's smug expression quickly transformed into one of discomfort. Kevin gave a quick glance towards Shroud who wore an aloof and unamused expression.

The explanation for the current situation was straightforward: Shroud had matched the strength of Hayato's grip, ensuring that he didn't exceed the force Hayato was exerting. He was well aware that applying his full strength could easily crush Hayato's hand.

Hayato put on a brave face as he struggled to hide his discomfort while shaking Shroud's hand. "Hello, I am Shroud," Shroud introduced himself, and in response, Hayato's grip gradually weakened. Eventually, Shroud released Hayato's hand, concluding the handshake.

Quickly, Hayato concealed his reddened hand in his pocket, while Shroud calmly placed his hands at his sides. Annoyed but determined, Hayato proposed an idea.

"You see, Mr. Shroud, I've been a student in this school since junior high," Hayato began, attempting to make amends. "So, if you'd like, I could give you a tour in Kevin's place," he proposed, extending an olive branch to Shroud.

Kevin attempted to intervene, "Hayato, that's unnecessary," but Shroud interrupted, "I am okay with it." Kevin was taken aback by Shroud's willingness to accept the offer, about to argue when Hayato grinned and took charge.

"Alright, great. Follow me," Hayato said, attempting to help Shroud stand. However, despite his efforts, Shroud didn't budge.

"No need to embarrass yourself; I am capable of standing up on my own," Shroud calmly asserted as he rose to his feet. Addressing Kevin, he added, "No need to get worked up, Kevin. I can't keep troubling you. Thank you for your help during lunch." Then, turning to Hayato, he said, "Lead the way."

"Ah, yes, right this way," Hayato replied, oblivious to the lack of respect in Shroud's tone. They left the classroom with Hayato leading, introducing Shroud to different classes and years.

As Hayato went about his tour guide duties, he discreetly sent messages on his phone that read, {gather behind the school}. Unbeknownst to him, Shroud was also engaged in messaging.

Shroud's phone displayed a name: Director Ryuzaki. He composed a message, {I will be initiating a call in 3 minutes. Make sure you are ready to accept it, Director.}

To be continued...

****

A/N: Hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to comment. Your thoughts and criticism are valuable in helping me improve and stay motivated to write more.

I've made some adjustments to the ranking system once more. I must say, Creating and fine-tuning a ranking system can be quite a complicated task.

Specifically, I've made slight modifications to the Zenith rank. Here are the details of the changes.

Old:

Low-Level: Beyond cosmic power, the Will of Honkai, Transcendent Boundless

Mid-Level: Near omnipotent, Tier 0/ Boundless, The Houkai

Peak-Level: True Omnipotence, The OO {vital status: unknown}.

Updated:

Low-Level: Beyond cosmic power, the Will of Honkai, High Extradimensional

Mid-Level: Peak Extradimensional, The Houkai

Peak-Level: True Omnipotence, Mystery Realms: Sea of Quanta, Imaginary Tree, and Adam Ruhani.

I've also made the decision to substantially reduce the presence and prominence of 'The OO' in the main storyline.

My concern stemmed from the initial setup of 'The OO,' which appeared to possess overwhelming power that could potentially disrupt the development of future plots, including 'PROJECT: STIGMA' and others.

To address this issue, I've opted to minimize references to 'The OO' and limit its usage by the OC, possibly even excluding it entirely from the  narrative (highly unlikely). If you're interested, I can certainly provide an abstract or additional information about 'The OO'.