Chapter 33: Welcome To SHU (Part 2)

Hector moved through the busy crowd with ease, pushing between parents and their soon-to-be university children. He kept muttering, "Perdón, disculpe," and "Excuse me, sorry," as they moved forward. Don followed closely behind, clutching his papers tightly.

As they approached the gates and guard posts, Don noticed that new students had to show their papers before being allowed entry, a process Hector proceeded to explain. "Since you haven't got your university ID yet, you'll need to show your papers to get in," he said, pointing towards the booths where students were being verified by guards.

Once they reached the front, Hector led Don into a booth together. The guard inside looked up and immediately sighed upon seeing Hector. "Is this another one of your 'cousins,' Hector?" the guard asked.

Hector grinned sheepishly. "You know I have a big family, man. ¡Mi familia es grande!" he said while shrugging his shoulders.

The guard nodded sarcastically. "Yeah, I bet. Go through, but remember, this year all students are limited to two relatives each, and this counts as number two for you."

Hector showed surprise. "¿De verdad? That's new. I have a big family who mean a lot to me, you know. My mother and father aren't here either, or my sister with cancer and little brother with depression," he said, his tone as pleading as he could make it.

The guard rolled his eyes and pointed out, "You have different mothers, brothers, sisters, and fathers every semester, Hector."

Hector shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? That's just how loca my family is," he replied while showing a wide smile

The guard sighed and waved them through. "Go on, but I better not see you come with anyone else again."

Hector groaned as they walked out, the guard turning to Don. "Welcome to SHU."

"Thanks," Don replied, stepping through. He thought, 'who knew university navigation skills would come in handy in this world.'

Once past the booth, Don took in the inside of the university campus. 

It was large and beautifully designed, with wide pathways lined with greenery and flowers. Tall buildings with modern architecture rose up on either side, their glass facades reflecting the morning sun. 

The air was filled with the sounds of excited chatter, birds singing, and the distant hum of campus life.

'This beats any university I've ever seen in my past life,' Don thought, feeling a sense of awe. He put his hands in his pockets and smiled, genuinely curious about what life in a hero university would be like.

Hector stood beside him, shoulders slouched. "If I knew it was only two people per student, I would've charged more. Now I have to come up with weird outfits and borrow other seniors' IDs," he muttered, clearly frustrated. 

Then he looked at Don and forced a smile. "But don't worry, amigo. I'm a stand-up businessman, and I'll give you a full tour regardless."

Don nodded, appreciating Hector's attempt to honor their agreement despite the setback. "Lead the way, Hector."

Hector straightened up, regaining some of his usual swagger. "Alright, first stop, the registration office. You're gonna love it here, Don. Let's get you settled in."

Hector led Don through the maze of paths and buildings toward the registration office. "SHU could either give you the best or worst years of your life amigo, you have to be careful how you carry yourself here," Hector warned.

Don raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Hector smirked. "To survive at SHU, flashy superpowers aren't enough. They're a great bonus, but not enough. The best way is to offer a service in this competitive university market, like me. I supply a variety of goods. You need something, just ask. But it doesn't even need to be a business. You could join VR-FPS & Battle Royale Leagues or get into hero economics. The main goal is not to be isolated. To survive, you'll often need favors."

Although Don wasn't sure what those leagues or Battle Royale entailed, he got a rough understanding of what was needed. 'This is a lot like university in my former life, hierarchy and operation wise at least,' he thought. 

With Hector being so knowledgeable as a senior, Don felt he was perfect to learn about the school from, hence the good investment. 'Corruption and backend deals really make the world go round.' 

They soon arrived at the registration office, a grand building with wide steps leading up to large wooden double doors. The inside was full of activity as new students formed lines to register. Hector pointed to one of the shorter lines. "Join that line and register for Gender Studies and Hero 101. As for bonus courses, it's best to choose after seeing the lecturers for this year. You've got two months to decide on which courses you'll be examined in, so don't stress. Grades for the first year are useless anyway. It looks better on your resume when you show steady growth rather than perfection from the start."

Don nodded, thinking that was actually very good advice. "Thanks, Hector."

Hector grinned. "And don't forget to chat up a few girls. Aquí en SHU, if you don't shoot your shot, alguien más lo hará," he said, giving Don a playful wink before running off.

Don watched Hector disappear into the crowd, then turned and joined the line Hector had pointed out. 

The registration office had students and staff moving about constantly. The sound of chatter filled the air, mingling with the clacking of keyboards and the occasional announcement over the intercom.

As Don waited in line, he took in his surroundings. The registration area was spacious, with high ceilings and large windows letting in plenty of natural light. There were several booths set up, each manned by staff members who were assisting students with their registration process. 

When it was finally Don's turn, he stepped up to the registration booth. The staff member, a middle-aged woman with a kind smile, greeted him. "Welcome to Santos Hero University. Can I have your papers, please?"

Don handed over his documents, and the woman quickly scanned them. "Alright, Mr. Don. You'll be registering for Gender Studies and Hero 101. Do you have any other courses in mind at the moment?"

"Not yet," Don replied. "I'll decide on the bonus courses after seeing the lecturers."

The woman nodded approvingly. "That's a good strategy. You have two months to finalize your courses, so take your time. Here's your temporary ID. Your permanent one will be issued after registration is complete in a week."

Don took the temporary ID and thanked the woman and stepped away from the booth and turned to leave.