Obstinate Elitists

8

The lunchroom was huge and befitting for a fancy school. A dome-like ceiling sat up there, windows adorning it instead of cement. Because of that, the blue sky and golden sun shone through the space, creating an uplifting mood. Green plants placed in every corner and the table were made of wood with velvet chairs to accompany them. Goodness. It was beautiful, but not practical at all. You shook your head at the view of it yesterday and still held the same feelings towards it today. Rich people... you couldn't seem to understand them.

At least the food was delicious. It was the one thing that kept your day yesterday from being a total failure. None of it frozen like the corndogs you've eaten in your past life, it was fresh and much more healthy. You took one bite of it and had been unable to stop until the tray was licked clean... as gross as that sounds.

As it was lunchtime, you found a spot in line and waited for the line to move forward towards the waft of food. Silent while the people around you spoke to their friends, you felt a little lonely. You remembered the days when your friends chose to bother you at lunch, despite your need to study. It was annoying to you back then, but when you thought of it now, you had a lot of fun. Heart squeezing in pain, you took a deep breath and shook your head to yourself. You already had the chance to cry last night... and crying in public at this school was pretty much asking for a bad reputation to your family's name. Family's names were important to these esteemed people, yes?

A tray was already in your hands and you went to choose the choices of food in front of you. With that done, you paid your meal with the money mother gave you. Avoiding to look at the tables packed with students, you found an empty table and sat down at it. It was not a surprise that these table groups were just as cliquey. You didn't like it. It felt as if people could look over at you and your empty table to judge and criticize you.

Sighing to yourself as you scooped food into your mouth, you began to think about what happened today. The second day of the school felt a little too similar to the first for your liking. Your first three classes you've had so far were hard and humiliating. The same girl who decided to trip you in the hallways began to make your time in Martials Arts a bit hellish as well. You learned that her name was Michiko. You wondered why she would waste her time talking shit about other people. Was she that bored? Perhaps she should focus on herself instead, considering she was not even an elite.

A clatter of the tray startled you, so you looked upward. Locking eyes with a warm brown, you raised your brows in surprise. It was Eito. You nearly forgotten that he had asked to eat lunch with you. "You found me," you uttered out, blinking in awe for a few moments. "I... I'm so sorry. I should've went to look for you."

He smiled at you and shook his head, his dark ponytail waving back and forth. "It's no big deal. You weren't too difficult to spot. It was my fault anyway, since I didn't clarify where to meet up."

You nodded and mustered the courage to ask him a question. "I hope it's not rude to ask, but what rank are you?"

He held his pointer finger. "One," he said simply, taking a bite of chicken. "I deliberately fail my tests."

"You... what?" you said in shock, widening your [e/c] hues. Why would he do that? Hoping that he would elaborate on that, you were left disappointed when he merely nodded. Unsure of how to continue this topic, you eventually quitted and returned to eating your food. As someone who was quiet at the lunch table, the lack of social skills here was pretty obvious. You had allowed your louder friends to fill the silence in your previous life, but because there were only two people at the table currently, things became much more difficult.

Beginning to feel a little awkward as you continued to stuff your mouth with food, he finally broke the silence, much to your relief. "How did your classes go today?" he asked, glancing at you in interest. He didn't seem to feel the tension at all -- maybe it was just you.