Van stood on the same spot for a while, sound around him was muffled by his countless thoughts running wild in his head. If he had what it takes to stand among the legends of Duel Monsters, then this was the time of his life in which he would find out.
The boy slowly relaxed his body, exhaling, trying to get a better grasp of his surroundings. That was until a sudden slap on his back followed by both Chiaki and Koji at callings of…
"Man, you were so cool right there!"
"You actually stood up to Seto Kaiba!"
And both of them wrapping their arms around his neck, like a playful hug
Ended up scaring the daylights out of him, making him jump and let go a loud yelp followed by an angry "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT YOU IDIOTS." . Then brought a hand to his chest with his heart now racing because of their little joke
"Wait, what's wrong?" Chiaki asked confused.
"I stood up to freaking Seto Kaiba, you said it. Of course, that left me on edge!" His eyes giving a sharp and angry glare at them, yet that didn't make reaction any less entertaining for both of them. Van then took another breath, relaxing himself though with an expression that on his face that still showed that he wasn't feeling that well at the moment.
Koji gently patted his back while trying to help him recover, "There, there, Van. Just breathe, deeep breathing".
Van grunted, then said, "Let's just get going inside."
Chiaki chuckled and moved along with her new friends, simply saying, "Yeah, let's."
As they walked past the door, a man would clear his throat and say, "Mister." The tone was dry and serious.
The trio of teens looked over and saw a man, well-dressed with a dark purple vest and a dark blue, long sleeved collared shirt. Pants that matched with the shirt, and he was wearing the fitting footwear to be on the gymnasium.
"Those glasses, take them off. Those accessories are not part of the dressing code of the school, take them off." The tone was imperative, yet respectful.
Van narrowed his eyes, annoyed, but knew it would be dumb to argue against that. He took them off and placed them in one of his pockets. The group was soon joined by Koji and Chiaki's parents and picked their seats, and thus decided to kill time chatting and getting to know each other a little more. However, given Van's case, most of the conversation was one-sided with both the teens and parents asking things to him about this life, and how his homeland is. The typical curiosity before a foreigner.
As the minutes went by, more people went into the gymnasium, fillings the seats and spots. Haruko, her friends and Mokuba would eventually walk in, showing that the good spirits of their earlier chatter had carried on, and Mokuba's personality managed to give a better picture of the Kaiba family to Rika, Saori and Sayuri.
Not long after they went in, and looked around for a good spot to chose, Mokuba pocked Haruko and pointed over to a large stage. Members of the staff were there, and Seto could be seen there speaking with several people. With his attention particularly focused on an elderly man whom he'd exchange a handshake.
"See?" Then chuckled, "Even while taking it easy, he will try to find something to keep himself occupied related to the company's projects."
The blonde girl sighed, stating, "Let's just hope he stops overdoing it. I'm certain if there is something serious going on with him, of it was just an excessive workload on his shoulders, but…-"
That's when she felt her step-brother's pats on her back, "Don't worry so much. After all, we will be looking after him as well. So, Seto being well, is on us too!" He'd then give her a bright smile and add, "Let's go find some seats, I think the ceremony is going to start any minute now."
Haruko smiled back and nodded, but when she was about to turn and look for seats, she stopped" Wait, what about Seto, shouldn't we wait for him?"
Mokuba laughed a bit and stated, "I think brother has just gotten dragged into the ceremony itself." As he pointed again at the stage, showing how the elderly man was bringing another chair to the stage, offering to the president of Kaiba Corp, a seat among the staff.
"Ugh…" Haruko complained, "He will not be in the best mood after this… let's go". Then motioned Mokuba, so they could look a couple of seats together. Her friends were currently with their families, leaving both step-siblings to experience the ceremony together.
Haruko would finally find a couple of seats for both of them. And as they were sitting, she asked, "So, will you still have your private lessons instead of assisting prep school?
"Mhm!" Mokuba nodded, taking a seat and then looking around, "But I think I will attend high school next year."
"Really?" The girl replied, showing both a degree of surprise and joy in what he said, "Any particular reason why? You could continue just having lessons and taking the exams."
The boy then leaned back on his seat, humming in thought while swinging his legs back and forth "Hmm, well, Seto did it, that's for starters. I may take those years off from the company because someone as young as me being among engineers does make things tense for them." He'd laugh a bit, adding "Jokes aside, we actually spoke the other day. When you… well." The boy then showed an embarrassed smile to his step-sister, which was returned in kind. Then continued explaining, "Among other things, we thought the experience will be good for me. As he said, he thinks I will learn things he did not. And now since you are here, at least I know that at least for two years I won't be alone around here. So, that's another reason!"
Both chuckled, Mokuba eager about the thought of what awaited him in High school, and Haruko moved by his words. They were always looking after each, both brothers. What was really getting her at this point was how much Mokuba was trying to find ways to pull his weight and stand next to Seto rather than behind him. He was also trying his best to make her feel included among them.
Things then quieted down, and the ceremony made way for the different the principal's speech. An aged man stood in the middle of the stage, holding a microphone in one hand and a sheet of paper. The man poked the microphone a couple of times, checking its volume and accidentally causing a bit of feedback.
"Greetings, thank you all for coming and allow me to welcome back to the staff, and our dear returning students and parents. And a special welcome to all new students and families who have chosen Domino High, the place for the next part in both your children's education and life. My name is Akio Teramoto, principal of this institution." The elderly man then stopped for a moment, clearing his throat and continue, "At last, this beautiful day has arrived. And while we know very that, not all of us love coming to school. We can agree that we love catching up and meeting once again with both our friends and favorite teachers. It brings great pleasure seeing you all gathered this morning. Without taking much of your time, I want to mention the pillars from what I've sought to make our institution stand for. Discipline, hard work, respect, and cooperation. At the end of the day, you are all here for your future's sake, and we are here to help guide you.". The man wandered a bit along the stage, with a slow and calm phase, showing a gentle smile to the families and students watching. "Yet, remember that your classmates are just as important as we are because they will be there to support you whenever we may not be able to do so. They will be there to celebrate along with you during your highs and help you back up during your lows, just as we also will be. Thus, let us start our new year at school, with hopes and dreams; knowing that surely we will all do our best to achieve what we call dreams, not matter how big, small, ambitious or limited they might be. With all that being said, I thank you all for your patience, and once again welcome you to Domino High." With the speech over, the man slowly bowed down as the crowd delivered a round of applause to the principal.
Chiaki exclaimed while clapping, "He sounds so relaxed and nice for a principal." Then looked at her sides, for both Koji and Van's opinions.
Koji was the first one to finish clapping and fold his arms, "I don't know, never trust a gentle face of a headmaster. It could hide a real tyrant, Chiaki!"
The girl just rolled her eyes and then looked over Van, with curiosity. The boy just shrugged at her, "Hey, it's my first time setting foot on a Japanese High School, I wouldn't know."
"Still, that's a man who should be respected. He wouldn't be in his position if he didn't have all that it takes for that charge and all the weight carrying it." The voice of a man spoke literally beside Van.
The boy then simply turned around just to see none other than his uncle, Daichi. With his hair neatly combed back, wearing a very nice white suit and pants, and darker clothes to match as a contrast to the white as the underclothing. The smell of cologne could be easily caught, while also noticeable that he had recently shaved. In short, his uncle's looks at that moment could be simply described as spotless, to the point that if someone saw sparkless shining from him, it would be believable.
Van just paused for a moment, with a blank stare on his face that suggested he was processing what was going on, before finally yelling, "What th- how I- I mea-WHEN THE HECK DID YOU GET HERE?!"
Daichi just showed a confident smirk, as cool as he could be, and replied. "A while ago, wanted to give you your space. Never said I wasn't coming, did I?"
The boy stared at him in disbelief, asking "T-then why di- UGH… never mind…" Then grunted, being completely certain that his uncle came in the last minute because he had initially forgotten about the ceremony.
The ceremony continued without any delays or interruptions, before finally the announcement being made that teachers would start leading students of the different years to their classrooms. The first year students, along with their family, were called by a teacher… who happened to be the same one who previously stopped Van and demanded him to take off his sunglasses. Figuring that he wanted to move on with a better note and impression towards him, the boy made sure to be among the first ones to gather and await to be led to their classroom; he was then joined by his Uncle, who didn't skip the chance to properly greet the teacher and strike a short conversation with him.
Haruko, meanwhile, decided to wait around for Seto so the three of them could together join the rest of her classmates and their families. "Ugh, where did her go? He was on the stage with the staff a moment ago."
"Let's just check the stage, maybe he is behind speaking with him" Mokuba shrugged before moving towards the stage, Haruko joining him.
The girl would split from her friends for the moment. Tagging along with her younger step-brother to find their elder. As they headed up the stage and just like Mokuba called, there was Seto with the Principal.
"Do not worry about their initial impressions." The principal said. "I'm confident that even begrudgingly the Club will be sponsored, and in time, the rest of the staff will see what you and I do Mr. Kaiba"
The Kaiba Corp president didn't add anything to that and simply replied, "As it was agreed, the company should have supplied the schools with the needs for the Dueling Clubs by the end of the week. I expect your students to treat them with care."
The elderly man let go a gentle laugh followed by a slow nod. Then he'd turn his attention to both Haruko and Mokuba. "Oh, hello there." raising his hand with a greeting gesture.
Both Haruko and Mokuba were taken a bit aback by his easy-going nature, but choose to show proper respect and bow slightly while saying "Hello, mister principal."
"I must apologize, I suppose you were waiting for Mr. Seto." Then he'd add, "I am familiar with the young mister Mokuba Kaiba. But I believe this is the first time we meet in person, is that right, miss Haruko Kaiba?" Keeping that relaxed and gentle stance towards her, and yet, managing to give an air of authority as one in his position should.
"Um… yes, that's correct, sir." The girl replied a bit shyly, and a bit half-hearted, the name may be there, but she still didn't feel entirely a part of them. And still felt a bit weirded out when she was addressed by such.
"My expectations for you are just as with all our students." The man said, "I trust that you may have set your goals and will work hard in achieving them, or if you haven't that you will eventually find them. Either on your own, or thanks to others you will get to know in your time here." Then he'd look over to Mokuba, "And I hope to see you soon among our students as well, mister Mokuba."
Both step-siblings looked at him with a mix of both curiosity and confusion. Yet, only decided to give him a silent nod.
"I hate to interrupt, but we were in the middle of a conversation. I believe the two of you can continue without me." Seto said while keeping his arms folded.
The principal looked over to Seto, "Of course, but are you certain you wish to take your time away from your brother and sister? We still have plenty of time." Then glanced at both his younger siblings, "And I'm sure they'll appreciate it as well."
"Wait!" Haruko exclaimed in realization, before checking over the entrance of the Gymnasium. In her mind, she'd see in her mind a couple of big arrows pointing at an empty spot next to one of the doors where her classmates along with the teacher were gathering. She froze there for a bit letting her mind process things and the clearer it became, the more her nerves would go up, "They were-OH NO!" exclaimed now panicking for a moment before turning to her stepbrothers and the principal. "They already left, w-where is my classroom!?"
"Uh-oh, not a good start…" Said Mokuba, while Seto just limited himself to just glance on another direction and let go a soft grunt, annoyed by Haruko's clumsiness at the situation and, in his eyes, making a fool of herself.
The principal, however, let go a hefty laugh making the attention of the Kaiba trio to focus on him "Ah… they haven't left long ago, so you should be able to catch up before the introductions and the pictures. Freshmen's classrooms are around the first floor. On the first day, they all should gather in Class 1-A room. The divisions will be established after the introductions are done."
She quickly bowed before him, respectfully as she exclaimed, still on her nerves, "T-thank you very much Principal, e-excuse me, but I need to go now. Come on guys!" before rushing off and out of the Gymnasium.
Mokuba followed her closely while exclaiming, "W-wait up, wait up!"
The elderly man just exclaimed to them, noticing the two younger Kaiba siblings running away, "No need to run, be careful on your step!" Yet, it seemed that his words were unheard, this didn't bother him that much just yet. He did enjoy seeing the energy of the freshmen students on their first days at school.
Seto nodded at the principal and then walked off, following the track of both Haruko and Mokuba, yet not bringing himself to run off like they did. He'd catch up to them when he does, and that was about his mindset at that moment.
Meanwhile, on the first floor. The freshmen were gathered both inside the classroom, and just outside in the hallway. Parents were getting to know each other and some already exchanging contact numbers in case of things for situations such as school trips, excursions, and the like. There were also photographers, who in fact, had been present as well earlier, during the ceremony, in the gymnasium. They were capturing the moment. With some students already posing together for the photos.
"Cheese!" Three voices exclaimed together, as the clicking of a camera went off, capturing a picture of Van, Koji and Chiaki posing together to have a little something from the school that commemorated the day their friendship had started.
"That's a good one!" The photographer said, "We will print them later through the year, but they will be uploaded in the school's site this week."
"Neat!" Koji said. "Oh hey, Van. Want to do a little something during the break?"
"Hm, a little something like what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
The chubby student would chuckle and respond, "Oh, you know what I'm talking about, a Duel, man!"
"Oh!" A confident smile spread on his face, "That I can do, sure!" Then his eyes would slowly narrow, showing some discomfort, "… by the way, do you guys know where are the restrooms? I have been holding on since the start of the ceremony…"
Chiaki would react with some disgust, "Could've done without that extra info Van…" Then pointed at the end of the hallway, "I saw them over there, at least I saw the women's restroom, so the guys' shouldn't be far from it."
Van would then move away, nodding at Chiaki "Thanks!" responded while speeding up to start running. However, as he was doing so, and crossed in front one of the open doors from the classroom a man's voice would yell at him.
"No running in the hallways!"
He was caught in the act by none other than the teacher. Who stared down at him making the boy quickly change his phase into a hurried walk, grinning his teeth and grumble while in his mind he thought 'Damn, he really has his sights set on me… I'm screwed.'.
His uncle, who was present and hanging around with the parents of his nephew's classmates, saw the scene and facepalmed, muttering "This kid…"
Van would still reach to the restroom in time, and deal with his merry matters there involving nature's call. While on his way back, feeling a lot more relieved from that inner burden, Van found himself shaking his hands trying to help dry off the humidity from his washed hands; hating to dry them with paper towels.
As he was about to place his hands in his pockets, he heard footsteps echoing in the hallway, but before he could realize they were coming from the stairways he happened to be walking by…
"Watch out!" a girl's voice exclaimed
Van turned and the first thing he saw was golden yellow, then a person who was rushing up the stairs bumped into him quite hard, making him stumble on his side "Uh, ah woah!" Van quickly managed to gather his balance and remain on his feet.
The girl, however, had stumbled back and in her attempt to get a hold of her balance ended up with her feet standing halfway of the step's edge. She spread her arms and swinging them around "Ah… ah oh no, oh no, I'm gonna… AH!" With the movement of her arms, her body jerked back and forth, making it even harder to keep her balance. That final yelp came out from her when it was clear that she was going to fall backwards.
"I got you!"
A young boy's voice yelled from behind, bringing his arms up to try and catch her; however, it was Van's arm who managed to quickly reach out to one of hers and pull the young woman to him. With that, the girl stumbled forwards instead. Both teens managed to avoid falling on the ground, yet the sudden rush did leave them a bit agitated.
"Are you alright?" Van asked, noticing that he was still holding her by her wrist, and quickly letting go, taking a step back and raising both hands with an embarrassed smile on his face and a soft silly laugh at the situation itself.
"Y-yeah" Haruko replied, her face was still a bit red from the sudden rush and the scare. "Thanks… huh?"
When things slowed down, both were able to take a better look at one another.
It was only at that moment that Van could see her better. Noticing her long, vibrant golden locks, albeit a bit tousled from the moment that just happened. The orange eyes of the young woman gazing at him with the same curiosity. Seemed to be a little shorter than him, giving the impression of sharing the same age. The Domino High uniform gave away the obvious, she was also a student.
On the other hand, she could see a young boy. A little taller than her. His dark hair reached straight down to his neck, it also seemed to be a bit disheveled. His icy blue eyes regarded her with both curiosity and concern. He also wore the school uniform.
However, soon after their little exchange of words, something would come to both Van and Haruko. An odd feeling which did actually bring tranquility to both of them. When she was about to speak, another voice would break their silence.
"Hey, are you alright sis?" her younger-stepbrother had rushed next to her
Haruko quickly shook her head and smiled at the younger boy, "Y-yeah, he managed to catch me before I fell…"
"Lucky you, also thanks… uh…" Mokuba paused for a moment, giving Van the moment to introduce himself.
"Hey, you guys alright?" asked an agitated Koji who quickly came into the scene along with Chiaki, Daichi and a couple of students. These students quickly approached the blonde girl, looking over her. They were, indeed, her friends.
"Haruko, are you alright?!" Saori, asked. While Rika and Sayuri were checking that she was fine and trying to tidy her hair up
"We saw what happened across the hallway, did she get hit?" Chiaki asked Van, to which the German teen showed a gentle smile and waved off her question, letting her know that nothing serious happened.
Haruko, however would be trying to get her friends of her "H-hey I'm fine, stop that!" growing more and more embarrassed, before eventually managing to make Rika and Sayuri step back stretching her arms at them, to keep a bit of distance and say "Trust me, I'm fine!" . Then sighed saying "My fault… I was so focused on catching up to the rest of you that I didn't see him coming." Then glanced at Van, adding, "Luckily, he was able to react in time and prevent something worse from happening."
Daichi walked over to his nephew and planted his palm on his head, in a bit of a rough pet, while saying "Attaboy, well done!" Yet, Van's expression did not show to be pleased by being pet on the head by his uncle, much the opposite. His eyes were narrowed and lips pressed, being clearly bothered by that.
Mokuba then added his two cents in the conversation, concluding, "Well, like sis said, good thing nothing serious happened. What's your name, by the way?" he asked his 'step-sister's savior'
'sis?' Crossed the boy's mind for a moment before he replied Mokuba's question, "Well, I'm Van, nice to meet you… aren't you Seto Kaiba's brother?" Responded before adding a second question, "Wait, what are you doing around here?"
"Well, that's-" Mokuba was about to respond when
"What's the meaning of all this gathering? We are supposed to go in the classroom right away!" The voice of the preacher who was approaching the scene called. His eyes inspected those present, stopping for a couple more of seconds on Keller.
Van froze on the spot looking at the teacher nervously muttering between his teeth "Didn'tdonothin…!" rapidly.
Haruko was quick to intercede and bow before the teacher, "It was my fault, sir! I was running up the stairs when I hit Van. I almost fell down the steps, but he caught me in time."
The teacher looked at her in, then glanced back and forth between Van and Haruko."I see… I hope this serves as an experience of why running in the hallways is prohibited. Understood?"
A moment of silence took over the moment. Haruko and Van nodded, Haruko particularly nervous at what her clumsiness had started.
"Very well." The teacher said before turning around, "To the classroom, students, and teachers only. Family members may watch in silence from the hallway." His tone, posture, and movements gave an air of authority that matched that of the principal. However, unlike him, this person showed a far more disciplined and stern attitude than the elderly who had given the speech earlier.
The group proceeded to move towards the classroom. With Haruko stopping briefly to breathe deep, calming herself a bit, and with a low tone of voice say "Hey…" To Van.
His attention was caught, stopping along with her, "yeah?" tilting his head a bit to his right while asking.
She brought one of her hands under her chin, asking, "Have we… met before?" Her orange eyes staring at his Icy blue ones.
"You and me? Uh…" Van shifted his look upward, giving some thought to her question before shaking his head, "Hmm, no, not that I remember."
Something did, however, feel off for both of them. prompting a mutual humming in thought before, Daichi called out for his nephew.
"Hey boy, come on, no slacking!" with a grumpy tone.
Said call made both teens react and quickly join the rest of the class. Once inside, they noticed how the desks for the students were neatly stacked at the back of the room, in a way, so they wouldn't end up scratched or damaged in any form. There were, however, several rows of chairs for the large group of students that were there. Both teenagers noticed good spots for them and then headed to their seats. Van, choosing a seat by the center of the second row from the hallway, ended up sitting close to both Chiaki and Koji, who were setting on both his sides. While Haruko sad at the center of the last row against the window, where she had a view of the campus outside, her three friends would be sitting around here, Sayuri and Saori in front and behind her, and Rika besides her, sitting on the following row.
The man stood in front of the classroom, behind his desk. Looking over the students on their chairs. "The reason you've been initially gathered is that I will be naming the students who will be separated in the second division of this grade. If a classmate you wished to be with is sent to a different division, save us all your complaints or making a scene. You will all have plenty of time to be together, that includes club activities."
At that moment, Seto arrived, joining Mokuba, who was watching what was going on inside the classroom from the hallway. The tall, slender, young adult crossed his arms and remained quiet. His attention set on his Step-sister and also on the boy who spoke to him earlier.
The teacher then opened a folder, flipped a couple of pages before speaking again "If I call your name, you are standing by the door, understood? … Let us start …" Those were some minutes of tension for the students, who were already bonding with each other. It would go by rather quickly, but it would feel a lot slower by the likes of Van and Haruko's group of friends. However, the list would be finished with both groups managing to stay together in the same grade division. All of them shared a silent celebration, with the girls holding hands with each other, holding back their happiness. And the trio doing a slow hi-five among each other, so they wouldn't make any real noise that could bother their teacher.
The man at the front of the class then addressed those who were called. "Alright, now all of you are to head to the following classroom…" instructed them as he pointed the direction of the hallway they had to follow, "That would be 1-B for you. Your teacher should already be waiting for you there. You may now leave quietly, have a good semester ahead." The group of the second division proceeded to move to their classroom, the teacher then walked around his desk and stood in front of it, facing his class "Now, I shall introduce myself. My name is Asahi Otake, I will be your Japanese, English, and Mathematics teacher. You may know that I am a very strict teacher, I rarely give second chances to recover from failing marks unless I see there is a clear effort to improved which would demand said chances. " The man then paused for a moment before asking, "Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes Asahi Sensei!" The class replied loud and clear.
With a single nod, he continued instructing the class. Asahi lifted his arm and calmly pointed at the back of the room. "Now, you're to work together and organize your desks respecting the spot of your current seats. Furthermore, you are to leave the extra seats at the back of the class. You are not exactly running against the clock, but be mindful we don't have all morning" Then he clapped his hands twice, "Start!"
The students then proceeded to do as instructed, with some students helping each other quicker than others, as it was apparent that they had already had forged a basic level of trust and understanding that lead them to prioritize helping ones over others.
When everything was set, the students began taking the seats they had picked before.
"Now." Said Asahi, "We'll get to know each other. You are to stand where you are, and speak for the class, understood?" The man then brought his hands behind his back, standing right, walking a bit in front of the desk rows. Finally, his gaze set on Van and moved one of his hands forth, waving it upward, motioning the teen to stand up, "Why don't we start with you, mister?"
"Of course, he was going to pick me first…" Crossed his mind, grunting slightly and getting on his feet. He actually didn't like having the eyes of the whole class together like this. His hands inherently reached inside his pockets as a sign of this discomfort.
"Well… the name's Van Keller."
The teacher looked at his list and nodded "Hm, the list here says Van 'Botsu' Keller, a second name I might assume, or a mistake in the listing?"
Van then closed his eyes and pressed his lips, shifting his look to a side, nodding a couple of times "Yep, that's correct… my second name. I'm more used to be called Van, though, if you don't mind, sir."
The teacher gave a single nod, "Fair enough. A curious accent, Keller."
"Ah yeah." He then took a hand off his pockets and rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing around. "I came here from Germany, I'm living with my uncle." noted while looking over to the hallway, spotting his uncle from the corner of the open door, where the rest of the lingering parents still observed the class.
His remark about his nationality did spark interest and curiosity from the class, with muttering starting all around. Natural to assume they were not used to see a foreigner every day.
Chiaki and Koji just held their laughter as they picked up in Van's feelings regarding that situation.
On those seconds where the class were gossiping among each other, Van managed to pick that Haruko and her group were also part of said gossiping, chatting among themselves and eyeing him from the corner of her eyes.
"Hey, can you say something in German!?" girl from the class asked
And there it was, the question that made him take a deep breath and count up to a thousand in just a couple of seconds. "Why do they have to make such a fuss over this?" Crossed his mind before he just muttered the words, "Ich will mich unter einem Felsen verstecken."
That did please and impress his classmates, something did weird out the boy a bit more, specially since more whispering and gossiping around his person was triggered from his words.
"Alright, enough. You may sit, mister Keller. Next let's see…"
The introductions carried on with the teacher calling out people randomly. Yet, it seemed that the presentation from the foreign student still kept most of the attention. That was until Asahi pointed at the blonde girl who ran into Van earlier.
"Here we go, brother" Mokuba said, as they were still observing the class. Looking up at Seto as he hummed
"Let's see their reaction and how she handles that."
The blonde teen slowly stood up, while knowing she had the support of her friends, it was no better. She knew the moment she introduced herself, everyone who had a first opinion on her, maybe even based on her looks alone, would change instantly. Finally, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "My name is Haruko Kaiba, nice to meet you all, I hope we can become friends…"
And just as she called it started
"did she say Kaiba…?" "How is she related to them?"
And so on. To her, it didn't matter if the opinions were good or bad, it was simply about the feeling of being alienated or treated in a way that would make her feel… out, to describe it in a way. While trying to disguise it with her serene and polite act, she did feel anxious. She didn't wait for the teacher to grant her permission to sit down, she simply did so. Much to her luck, Asahi let that pass, perhaps the teacher caught on the classroom's change of mood.
"so that's why he is here!" Koji whispered to both Van and Chiaki
"What do you think is their story?" The pink haired girl replied. Then she noticed how Van was simply leaned back on his chair, with one leg crossed and the hands behind his head. "Hm, don't you look that surprised. Knew her?"
"Hm?" Van shook his head, and just played cool, "Nah, not really. Not the first rich girl I've seen." said with a silly smirk.
Chiaki just looked at him, unimpressed, "Getting 'on edge' again like with Seto Kaiba…?"
Van rolled his eyes muttering "Shut up…" prompting Koji to snicker, holding his ribs as he was trying not to burst out laughing.
The boy then added, "Well yeah, I'm a bit curious but… Seto is the legend, and she is… who knows?"
The introductions continued through the course, as the trio tried to keep talking without catching the teacher's attention. Meanwhile, Seto, seeing that things were in order at least for the moment, proceeded to make his leave from the scene.
"Seto, where are you going?" Mokuba asked.
"I will be with the principal, don't worry, I will likely be around here most of the morning discussing matters with the old man. You can join me if it works for you." then paused and looked over to the classroom's entrance, "But something tells me you'd rather stay around for the moment."
"Well, at least for a bit more, yeah. I'll join you later."
Both siblings nodded at each other before Seto headed off to the Principal's office, and Mokuba went back to his spot. By the time the introductions were concluding, family members started taking their leave, letting their children carry on with the rest of the day by themselves.
Meanwhile, the trio at the classroom were still whispering among themselves.
Van asked, "Wonder who among these people are actual duelists?"
Chiaki hummed and responded, "I wouldn't count many more as being part of the real thing. the game is common, but those who dedicate? is a different thing. I wouldn't be surprised if just the three of us, and maybe the Kaiba girl, were the only ones who took it more serious."
"Pft" Van grinned his teeth at that remark teasing "Kaiba girl, rubbing off the wrong way already?"
Chiaki then rolled her eyes and muttered, "Shut up… I'm slow with names…"
"Whatever the case may be…" Koji added to the conversation, eyes closed, with a serious and thoughtful expression spread on his face. "I'd say we are very lucky"
"Wait, what do you mean?" Chiaki asked, "Oooh wait, you mean there is less competition for you?"
Van rubbed his chin, "That could be a way to view it, yeah…"
Koji then lifted a brow, "What? No!" Then he leaned overlooking at the German boy, "I referred us, as in Van and I. Man, our class is filled with gorgeous girl after gorgeous girl!"
A long "Uh…" could then be heard from both Chiaki and Van, who stared at the chubby student in disappointment. With Chiaki facepalming and muttering, "Just like prep school…"
"Okay, the last one then. You, miss." The teacher looked at one of the girls in the back row. A girl with long, straight black, and bright hair; making it clear she took great care of it. Light purple eyes, the body build of an adolescent, which began showing the first notorious aspects of development and womanhood. Displaying great serenity in her movements, and excellent manners.
She held both hands together in front of her waist, narrowed her eyes almost shut, and with a slight bow introduced herself "My name is Kumiko Takara, It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope we can all become good classmates and friends. I also hope for all of us to give our best in the year to come."
"Oh, she sounds so mature and polite" Rika commented among the group of girls.
Saori would to point out "Look at her hair, looks so pretty!" with the rest of her friends agreeing.
Haruko however would not really comment, rather just mutter "Takara…" And think about that name, being certain of having heard it before.
Following the introductions, teacher Asahi proceeded to explain the format schedule they would follow in their years of high school. Going over the rulings and punishments behind every rule breaking and how far things would go. He'd also go into detail about the different extracurricular activities, and how the different clubs Domino High had to offer were divided in two groups: Sports Clubs and Culture Clubs. Overall, it was clear the first days would be rather repetitive. As a class with each new teacher would boil down to going through introductions once again, and the overall content of the subject itself, and the goals expected to meet through the year.
By the end of the fourth class of the day, the bell would ring, signaling the start of the lunch break.
Author's note: And here we are again, with the begining of what we could call as the High School arc (maybe?) Here you can expect the cast of characters to expand further from what we've seen so far. You can also expect slice of slife closer to what the OG series showed (prior to duel monsters) "duelist" left behind, and GX didn't quite manage to recapture for obvious reasons in both Manga and Anime.
Thanks to everyone who has been following the story so far, and likewise to the people whom, while they may not end up following the story; decided to take their time and read it regardless.
On a final note, I decided to add my discord on my profile in case anyone would like to add me and maybe chat about things.
(btw I've already had people asking me for tips and to check out their stories and give my opinion on them. I won't say no to that if you ask me, but take everything I say in that regard with a HUGE grain of salt. Remember that this is my first ever work, and decided to take the huge challenge of going straight ahead into a long term story instead of short ones, or one-shot's to get the grip of things. Keep in mind im doing this 100% expecting to make mistakes, I'm by no means a pro writing Fanfics or long stories in general.)
Without anything else to say. I wish you all a great weekend, take care and have fun. Until next week!
