"Hello everyone, it's nice to meet you all. I have just arrived in Nagazora and my name is Ki Tengo. Due to this, I may be lacking in some areas, but I hope we'll get along."

This is how my self-presentation in front of my class went. The teacher mentioned that I was here thanks to Raiden Ryoma, which got me a few interested stares from my classmates. That didn't last long. Fine by me, since I wasn't someone who was okay with being under attention anyway.

"Thank you, Tengo-kun. Now, you should take the free seat at the back." The teacher looked at a seat in one of the back rows. I quickly took my place there, relieved that this was over. One of my major defaults was the fact that I was not much of a social person. As such, things like presenting myself in front of a class, weren't my cup of tea.

However, when I took my seat-

"Nice to meet you, Tengo-kun. I hope we'll get along from now on." My neighbour greeted me. I turned to look at her and I was stunned for a second. She was a girl with black hair, violet eyes, and of remarkable beauty. She seemed familiar, but it was probably just my imagination.

"Likewise, um... Sorry, I didn't get your name. Who are you again ?"

The class went silent at my words. The girl in front of me looked surprised too. I began to hear whispers.

"Is he serious?"

"Did he really come here thanks to Raiden-sama's goodwill? I mean, the teacher said it so it has to be true, but..."

"Yeah, it's weird that he doesn't even know the face of Raiden-sama's daughter."

...Huh, daughter?

I jerked my head back at her. That's when it clicked. The sense of familiarity I felt earlier was because she looked a bit like him ! Crap.

"I'm very sorry, Raiden-san ! I didn't know you were his daughter!" I apologised while panicking inside. Shit, was she displeased ? Was she going to complain about it to her father? He wouldn't have me expulsed for that, would he !?

The whispers in the class grew in intensity. Wonderful. Just the attention I hated.

"No, it's fine! I was just surprised, that's all ! Such a thing doesn't occur often for me." She quickly said, then smiled wryly.

After that, we properly greeted each other, (Albeit a little awkwardly) And the class went on. Great, one of my flaws has been showed right away: I'm not one to remember quickly about people. Hearing a name once isn't enough for me to properly save it in my memory. While I had done some research on Raiden Ryoma, I failed to remember that he had a daughter until she told me ,even though I knew it.

...

Nothing much happened after that. The attention on me quickly died down ,something I was thankful for. The day carried on like I expected it to carry on. I could clearly feel the difference between the lessons here in Chiba Academy and the lessons in my previous Academy. I would have to put in more effort in order to keep up.

At the end of the day, I passed through the gate of the school to go home and overheard some students talking about me:

"Look, that's the scholarship guy."

"They say he's smart enough to receive a scolarship."

"He just got lucky, that's all."

"It's all because Raiden-sama is so generous."

I'm literally hearing it from meters away. You guys aren't very discreet. I lightly sighed as I made my way to my home. This new life wasn't gonna be easy, eh ?

I guess I should explain. The majority of the students who got to a high-level Academy like this one did it thanks to a special environment, students who got scholarship like me are different : due to that, they are looked down upon by some of the students. That was what I learned during today's classes.

However, Raiden-san was diffferent : she treated me normally, with only friendliness in her attitude. Felt like a relief, honestly. I was lucky to get that seat at the heiress' side in class.

"I'm back" I announced, opening the house's frontdoor.

"Welcome back, Ki !"

"Welcome back, Ki."

When I came back home, my mother energetically welcomed while my father spoke in his usual calm way.

I smiled at how their greetings mirrored their personnalities before my mother bombarded me with questions about this first day. I answered them, along my fathers', but in truth didn't have much to say. This had been an exciting day, though it did warn me of the diificulties on the road ahead. My father ruffled my black hair affectively, while my mother hugged me.

As for the two of them, they were adaptating to their new jobs quite fast and didn't encounter problems, fortunately.

"Not like I worried about my very easygoing parents, though."

My mother and father didn't miss that line.

"Care to repeat that, young man~?"

"I'm also interested in that, KI."

...SHIT. I seriously said that out loud ! Not again !

"I, I meant amazing ! Like, you can adapt quickly ?" That pitiful attempt at saving myself wasn't going to work.

My father put his arm around my shoulders. "How about you telling us...

...in what way, exactly, we're so amazing ?"Finished my mother as she cocked her head with her famous smile.

I'm done for.

...

I fell in my bed, completely drained from the day. Nevertheless, it had been fun. Meeting Mei, Getting to know my new Academy... as I closed my eyes, I felt like this new life in Nagazora was getting off to a good start.

I groggily opened my eyes. Maybe saying it that way is a bit misleading. After all, I'm still in a dream. Since that accident years ago, I've been having a recurring dream. In these dreams, I am in a strange place where is there is only a tree. Yet it is humongous. It covers every single last bit of space my eyes can see. An enormous trunk along with branches and roots spreading everywhere, of various sizes. But this time it's different. The reason I always perceived this as a bad dream was because I always fell off the branches. It was an interesting, but weird sensation: This place felt familiar, but I never seemed to be able to make my way inside of it. I always end up falling, even though, I feel like I should know how to not fall. The confusion,the irritation resulting from it , and the fear led me to treat this as a bad dream.

And yet...

The tree felt warm. No, not just the tree. The whole place was giving a sense of warmth and security, like a safe haven I could always go back to. The irritation and confusion were finally gone, and for the first I jumped, rolled across the tree ,laughing with complete freedom flowing in my veins. This dream was great. The best I had since a long time.

...

The best I would have for a moment, too.

...

As the boy smiled in his sleep, happy inside of a fun dream, his stigma engraved in his chest glowed, growing and empowering itself, for It knew the moment was coming.

...

...

...

"*Yawn*I had a realy good night." I said as I stretched my body, having just woken up. I turned down my alarm and got up , to go get washed up for the next day.

...

"Ki, breakfast is ready !" announced my mother downstairs.

"Coming !" I answered as I put my shirt on...and froze.

I hurriedly took my shirt off, checking on my chest if what I had gotten a glimpse of was really there.

...Nothing. As I sighed in relief, I couldn't help but whisper...

"Did I imagine a tree on my chest because of that dream ?"

Author's note:

Hey, time for first chapter. First, an apology. I changed the story repeatedly because too many ideas are in my head and it became a mess to organise. Definitive change this time, I promise. As always, feedback is appreciated in the comments, and if you like the chapter, drop a fav. Thanks for Reading !