Gifted Academy: The Perfect Student

I opened my eyes, the morning light filtering through the window. The alarm on my phone rang immediately as I woke up. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and took a moment to catch up on the events of the previous day.

I decided to freshen up, washing my face and brushing my teeth before making my way out of the dormitory. The door creaked as I pulled it open, my footsteps echoing down the hall as the ceiling lights flickered on, sensing my presence.

The school was still quiet. Most students were likely still asleep. I made my way to the reception area, but it was empty. I stepped outside, the cool morning air refreshing against my skin. The school was a comforting atmosphere with modern infrastructure and well-kept garden beds. I set out on a walk, taking in the surroundings and enjoying the peace and quiet before the day truly began.

As I strolled through the schoolyard, I caught sight of Fujiharu standing outside the school's new karaoke centre. She appeared to be deep in thought, and I had intended to head to the library, so I continued on my way, passing her by. But not long after, I heard footsteps behind me, and a familiar voice called out.

"A-ya-to!"

Fujiharu had caught up with me, and she was wearing a big smile. It seemed like she was in a good mood today.

"Hey, Ayato! I just heard that the karaoke centre is finally open! Want to go check it out together?"

I saw no reason to decline her offer, so I simply nodded my head in agreement.

"We'll be some of the first to check it out!-"

"Wait, Are you sure it's open? It looks like it's still under construction."

I said, pointing out the scaffolding and construction equipment surrounding the building.

"Oh, I must have misunderstood my friends. They said it was supposed to open soon. My apologies, Ayato." Fujiharu said, looking embarrassed.

"Um, maybe we should go somewhere else then... Ayato, where do you want to go?"

Fujiharu asked, turning her attention to me. Before I could respond, Fujiharu interrupted me with an idea.

"How about we eat breakfast in the cafe again together!"

"Are you going to pay for me again?"

"Ayato, you're not considerate... I'm a girl, you know~" she replied with a playful pout. "It should be the reverse!"

But I politely declined, "I'll pass then. I can make my own breakfast."

"Oh, well-"

"I'll get going then. See you later, Fujiharu."

I walked away from the arcade, heading towards the library. Fujiharu seemed a bit disappointed, but it was not my concern. I reached the library and scanned the shelves for something interesting to read. I came across a new book that I had not seen before, so I decided to give it a try. I walked to a secluded seat and sat down, but to my surprise, someone was already there. I turned my head to the right and saw Fujiharu sitting right next to me.

"Hi~," she said with a small wave of her hand. "We met again, Ayato."

"How did you get here?"

"..by walking?"

It was definitely not a coincidence. She was always like this, always trying to pry into my personal life and question my actions. But I didn't want to argue with her, so I decided to change the subject.

"So, what have you been up to lately? Have you been studying for the midterms?"

"Um yeah, I've been trying to study as much as I can. It's important to do well on the midterms." Fujiharu replied, her expression serious.

"I see. Well, good luck with your studying then."

"Thanks, Ayato. How about you? Are you studying too?"

"Of course. I'm always trying to do my best."

I lied, trying to avoid any further questioning.

"Okay, that's good to hear. Let's study together sometime!"

"Sure, we can do that."

We continued to talk for a while longer until Fujiharu wanted to get breakfast.

"Oh, I'll get some breakfast. Do you wanna come?"

"No thanks."

Fujiharu's eyes cast downward for a moment before he raised his face again with a warm smile and bid me farewell.

I returned to my book, immersing myself in its pages for a short while before setting it down. As I prepared to leave the library, I made my way towards the exit but unfortunately, my foot caught on one of the rug's loose edges, and I stumbled forward.

My hands shot out to steady myself, but in doing so, I collided with a bookshelf. The shelves shook, and books of all sizes and colours cascaded to the ground.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the mess I had made. My mind was blank as I bent down to start picking up the fallen books. I had just finished stacking the last book onto the shelf

And immediately left for my dormitory.

As I opened the door to my dorm room, I encountered resistance. It seemed that the door handle had been caught by someone else. I released my grip, and the door handle moved, revealing Kimura on the other side. He had just woken up, it seemed, and was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Mizuhara, you're up early.." he said, stifling a yawn.

"Yes, I decided to take a walk around the school," I replied.

"I see," he said, still half-asleep. "Well, I have to go now. See you later."

And with that, Kimura left the dorm room, leaving me to enter.

As I entered my dorm room, I immediately headed towards the kitchen. It was not that I was particularly enthused about cooking, but it was a necessary task in order to sustain myself. I opened the fridge and scanned the contents, deciding on making scrambled eggs with bacon and toast.

I cracked the eggs into a bowl and began whisking them together with a fork, seasoning them with a pinch of salt and pepper. I then placed a pan on the stove and added a small amount of butter, letting it melt and sizzle before adding the beaten eggs. I stirred them continuously with a spatula, ensuring that they cooked evenly.

While the eggs were cooking, I placed a few slices of bacon in a separate pan and let them fry to a crisp. I then grabbed a loaf of bread and popped it into the toaster.

As everything finished cooking, I plated the food and sat down to eat. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and seasoned perfectly, the bacon was crispy, and the toast was golden brown. The food was good, but it did not evoke any particular satisfaction from me. I simply ate because it was necessary to fuel my body.