Cote Crossovers | Alternative Universe.

『Chapter 5 - Unpredictable Guest』

In the abyss of human nature, where the pieces of the puzzle called life never quite fit perfectly, we find ourselves playing roles on a chaotic and ordered stage. Amidst the tragedy and comedy, we laugh in defiance of despair, yet our laughter echoes with the shadows of our deepest sorrows.

Perhaps our shared struggle against inner demons is what binds us together, revealing the beauty in imperfection and the unpredictable dance of chaos and order that defines our existence.

But even in this intricate dance, we ponder the abyss of human nature—where the roles we play and the masks we wear blur the lines between reality and fiction. Each of us carries our own darkness, our own untold stories, yet in these shared moments of vulnerability, we find solace and understanding amidst the enigma of life's unfolding drama. And as we navigate the twists and turns of our intertwined fates, we are reminded that amidst the darkness, there exists a fragile beauty—a fleeting glimpse of hope that illuminates our journey through the shadows.

Just as I was about to conclude my internal monologue, a sound disrupted my thoughts. Just when I arrived at the good part, I thought. Looking up, I saw that the door of our Class 1-C was open, and an unfamiliar man was heading towards the board. Quickly realizing he was likely our teacher, I scanned my classmates' reactions.

The man, who I assumed to be our teacher, was neither tall nor short. He was wearing a formal green suit, and due to his apathetic expressions, one could easily ignore him in the crow. Though he did possess some physical traits that might overshadow his lack of carness; an unusual blond short hair and a piercing pair of blue eyes.

The teacher soon turned around to face the classroom. His face, his walk, his presence—everything surrounding him released a mysterious aura, enough to make some of my senses warn me about the danger this one man could potentially cause. This particular feeling was slightly different than the one I usually have around normal criminals. In a sense, the man before me was vulnerable, yet impervious in another.

He then swiftly lifted a black pen and wrote his name in a beautiful manner, masterfully demonstrating his unappareled calligraphy level, to witch most students were left in admiration. "Welcome to Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, and congratulations, I assume," he said. His voice was exactly as I imagined; empty, cold, and monotone—perfectly matching his facial expressions.

Honestly, I was curious. He immediately got my attention, and so was the case for the rest of my classmates. Something about him felt familiar to me, yet I was confident I never encountered this person in my life. I thought by learning more about him I could erase this Deja-vu-like feeling, so I was patiently waiting for him to deliver his introduction speech.

From my position, I couldn't fully read the name he had written, but I was able to detect the necessary letters to form a comprehensive conjecture.

His name was Johan—Johan Liebhart.

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Everything the teacher explained could pretty much be summarized in one word: The S-system. Mainly, it was this system that made this school so different from any other educational institution in the entire country. Said more simply, this advanced high school was highly unusual. Even without mentioning that everything from our guaranteed future to our monthly allowance was unheard of.

Of course, such things are impossible. The world wasn't that good, and life was certainly not fair. I wasn't naïve enough to believe any of their promises, not with all the things I was able to witness.

Truth is, the instructor never really specified how many points we will receive each month. Just that they are distributed the 1st day of each month. That only helped to increase my doubts and skepticism, but it seemed most of the students didn't think much of it. Perhaps I was the only one who noticed that, or maybe they feared voicing it. Because during the teacher entire explanation, no one dared to intervene. That probably showed how intimidating this man was.