First Day At School

As I stand there, staring into the mirror, I place both my hands on the corners of my mouth and pull it up. "Smile..." I let go, and my face returns to the usual deadpan face I see every morning.

"Remember: you're Ricky. A confident and arrogant boy." A big smile appears on my face as I say it aloud. I scan my reflection in the mirror.

A V-shaped jawline, green eyes, and cherry-like lips. My hand moves over my hair, wet and disheveled. With a comb, I carefully part it into two neat sections. Though, my hair refuses to stay in place and some locks fell over my forehead.

With my body dry, I slowly begin to button up a crisp white dress shirt, the fabric smooth under my fingers. I secure a green tie around my neck, adjusting it until it's perfectly centered. The black suit jacket slides on next, followed by matching black dress pants. Finally, I step into polished black leather shoes.

I take a step back, looking at the finished image in the mirror. "This is who I am." I murmur to myself. "Ricky, ready to take on the world." Then, I unbutton the last button near my neck.

"Now, that's better." I nod in approval.

I quickly head downstairs and open the door, stepping into the crisp morning air. The walk to the school takes fifteen minutes. Ted Sheeran plays through my earbuds, the beat tapping out a rhythm that matches my fingers drumming against my thigh. Despite the music, I can't shake the bitter taste in my mouth. High school again... I let out a deep sigh.

As I approached the school, my smile twisted slightly. "I'm too early, I guess." I muttered, the empty grounds heightening my sense of unease. Not a single soul was in sight. The open gate stood before me like an ominous welcome, casting long shadows on the path ahead. I hesitated for a moment, the familiar tightening in my chest returning, before stepping inside.

The school's architecture was imposing, a blend of modern and traditional elements, with towering windows that glinted in the morning light. My footsteps echoed eerily in the empty corridors as I wandered around, searching for my class. I pulled out my phone, trying to recall the direction.

"Where's Class 1-A?" I muttered to myself, glancing at the signs on the walls. "I'm only seeing second-year classes."

Lost in my thoughts, I wandered deeper into the building, the silence pressing in on me. I turned a corner, my eyes scanning the rows of doors. Suddenly, a force pulled me back, and I fell backward with a thud, something heavy pinning me down.

Dazed, I tried to make sense of what had happened. My back throbbed from the impact, and I blinked up at the ceiling, momentarily stunned. Slowly, my vision focused.

"Hey! Watch out." A voice exclaimed above me. I struggled to sit up, shaking off the disorientation. My eyes met a girl with furrowed brows. Her sharp blue eyes looking at me and her cheeks flushed. Her blonde hair framed her face in tousled waves. Scattered around us were what I guess are her books.

"I'm sorry," I managed, my voice a bit strained. "I should've been paying more atte....."

"Yeah, you should've." She cut me before I could finish my apology.

She glared at me, her annoyance clear in the way her eyes narrowed. She offered me a hand, which I took, pulling myself up. As I brushed off my clothes, I noticed she was wearing the same uniform as me.

"Are you new here?" she asked, her eyes seemed to focus on my neck for a couple of seconds.

"Yeah." I admitted, glancing around the empty halls. "I'm looking for Class 1-A."

A look of understanding crossed her face, softening the annoyance just a bit. "You're in the right wing, just a bit lost. Follow me, I'll show you the way." she said, eventually she would look back, and her eye would stop at my neck.

I nodded, grateful for the help, feigning ignorance to her irritation. Despite her reaction, she seemed like a good person. I smirked slightly as she gave me the cold shoulder. We walked down the hallway, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the polished floors. The walls were a pale green, with lockers lining on the right side and large windows letting in the morning light on the other side.

She stopped in front of a door and opened it. "It's here." She walked in.

"You don't need to give me a tour of the class." I said, trying to lighten the mood. She looked back at me, her eyes narrowing.

"You're funny, huh?" she replied, her tone flat. I got the feeling she didn't really mean it as a compliment.

I found a random chair at the back of the class and sat down next to a window. The room was sparsely decorated, with plain white walls and wooden desks arranged in neat rows. A cold breeze blew through the open window, slightly messing my hair and carrying the faint scent of freshly cut grass from the school grounds.

"Morning, Asagiri-chan." A black-haired boy walked in, wearing the same uniform as me. His uniform seemed a bit snug, as if he'd outgrown it recently. He waved energetically to the girl who I bumped into earlier. His brown eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Hey." he said, noticing me for the first time. He walked over, practically bouncing with each step, and pulled a chair next to mine, sitting with it inverted. Leaning his arms on the backrest, he gave me a broad smile.

"Yo, sup." He said. His voice was deeper than I'd expected from his energetic demeanor.

"Sup. I'm Ricky." I replied, extending my hand. He shook it with a grip that felt like he was trying to crush my bones.

"Ricky?" His eyes widened in curiosity. "Are you a foreigner?" Maybe it was my accent that gave me away. I had worked hard to learn Japanese over the past two years, ever since my parents told me about the move, but I still had some rough edges.

"Yeah..." I scratched my head awkwardly before asking, "Is my Japanese that bad?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No, no, your Japanese is fine. It's just... your name sounds American." He rushed to clarify himself. I chuckled at his eagerness.

"Just kidding, I know I'm good." I tried to put on an arrogant smile, hoping my astonishing, newly acquired, 0.5 points in acting would help me pull it off. He stared at me with deadpan eyes, clearly taking me seriously. I winked at him.

"Pfff... you're really funny to mess with..." I tried to keep a poker face, but seeing Yuji struggling to keep a straight face made me buster in laugh.

Initially, his brow furrowed, but ended up laughing with me. "Sorry, I couldn't hold it in." I said, wiping tears from my eyes.

"I'll get you back for that." he said, grinning mischievously.

"By the way, I'm Hirochi Yuji," he said, pausing for a moment. "But you can call me Yuji." His smile was bright and genuine.

"Nice to meet you, Yuji...kun?" I said, still finding Japanese honorifics a little weird to use.

"Pffff... just Yuji is good," he laughed out loud. "I'd get chills if you called me that." He was laughing so hard that tears appeared in his eyes. His laughter was so genuine and hearty that it drew the attention of a few other students, who smiled at the scene.

As Yuji finally stopped laughing, he leaned forward on the backrest of his chair, a curious look on his face.

"So, where're you from, Ricky?" Yuji asked, leaning forward, genuinely interested.

"Chicago," I replied, the word feeling foreign on my tongue now. "Actually, I arrived yesterday."

"Chicago, huh? That's cool. It must be a big change, right?" he said, nodding thoughtfully.

"Is it different?" He paused, searching for the right words. "Like, the life, is it different when you move?"

"Yeah, it's different, but I'm getting used to it." I said, glancing around the classroom. The room was starting to fill with students, the chatter and laughter all across the room. 

"Stick with me, and you'll fit right in." Yuji grinned, giving me a playful punch on the shoulder. 

I noticed that girl talking to a group of girls near the front of the classroom. She glanced over at us, her expression softening slightly when she saw Yuji with me.

Yuji caught me looking and nudged me with his elbow. "Don't worry about her. She's all bark and no bite." He said with a wink. 

Thinking for a moment, Yuji stood up abruptly and ran over to her. Without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist and started dragging her toward me. It was like watching a mother haul her reluctant kid across a playground. Asagiri-san rolled her eyes, clearly used to this kind of behavior from Yuji.

"Yo, Asagiri-chan. Say hi to Ricky." Yuji said, grinning widely.

Asagiri-san looked at me, and to my surprise, for some seconds her face seemed to freeze.

"Hi, Ricky-kun." She said, extending her hand.

I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you." We both said at the same time, our eyes met and held for a few moments. Her blue eyes, framed by loose strands of blonde hair. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and she relaxed her posture. She gave me a small smile.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about earlier..." I began, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.

"No worries. I'm also sorry. Let's just leave it in the past." She said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Watching Yuji and her banter with a smile, "Maybe this place won't be so bad after all." I muttered and Yuji clapped a hand on my shoulder. "See? We're all friends here." he said with a grin.

"Asagiri-chan's cool once you get to know her." Yuji said and clapped again on my shoulder.

Asagiri-san rolled her eyes, but smiled back at him. "Just don't bump into me again, okay?" she said, winking at me.

"Deal." I winked back.

As more students filed into the classroom, the door creaked open, and a man walked in. He was slightly overweight, with a noticeable double chin and a unibrow that gave him a perpetually serious expression. He wore a bright red Hawaiian shirt with yellow flowers, black pants, and slippers.

"Herou, everi bodi…" he began in what seemed to be an attempt at English, followed by a rough cough. Switching to Japanese, he continued: "Well, today we have a new student."

The chatter in the room died down instantly. Many students had already noticed me, given how loudly Yuji and I had been laughing earlier, but none had approached me directly. Now, with every pair of eyes on me, I felt my hands start to tremble slightly. I forced a smile, hoping it looked confident.

"Stand up and introduce yourself, Ricky-kun." The teacher said. I noticed his top button was fastened on the wrong spot, and he seemed to notice it too as he swiftly adjusted it, flushing as the class tried to stifle their laughs.

I stood up, my legs feeling a bit wobbly. "Hi, guys. I'm Ricky…" I paused, then exaggeratedly spread my arms wide, pointing at myself. "The most handsome guy in the world…" I said, winking. I let the words hang in the air for a moment before adding, in a softer voice but loud enough for everyone to hear: "According to my mom."

The class erupted in laughter. Even the teacher cracked a smile. Yuji gave me a thumbs up, and Asagori-san chuckled, shaking her head.

I took a deep breath. "I'm from Chicago," I continued. "Just moved here yesterday, so I'm still getting used to everything. I hope we can all get along."

The teacher nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Ricky-kun. Please take a seat."

As I sat back down, Yuji leaned over and whispered with a suppressed chuckle, "Nice one, prettiest man alive."

Asagiri-san, seated nearby, gave me a thumbs up. "Good job, Ricky-kun, or should I call you handsome from now on?" she said, raising one eyebrow.

"Maybe you've already fallen for me?" I widened my eyes, trying to look shocked.

For a moment, she stared at me, genuinely surprised. Then her cheeks flushed, and she quickly turned her head. "Stop messing with me." she muttered, flustered.

"That was great, dude." Yuji said, putting his chair back in place and giving me a nod of approval. "You're gonna be my secret weapon against her."

"Now, now... The class is starting. Save your talk for later." The teacher said, starting to write what looked like the quadratic formula on the board.

I glanced at the board and my eyes widened. Bhaskara's formula. The same formula that haunted me in my past life. Memories of late-night study sessions, crumpled papers, and near-failing grades flashed in my mind. My stomach twisted with a familiar unease.

The teacher began his explanation, "So, class, this is the quadratic formula: x equals negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac, all over 2a. Now, let's break this down. The 'a', 'b', and 'c' here are the coefficients from the quadratic equation ax squared plus bx plus c equals zero."

His voice was calm and methodical. He broke down the formula step by step, each part neatly explained. My pencil moved across my notebook almost on its own, jotting down notes that actually made sense.

I glanced around, noticing other students also engaged, their expressions mirroring my own surprise and relief. Maybe despite his eccentric appearance, he's a really good teacher.

"First, we calculate the discriminant, which is the part under the square root: b squared minus 4ac. This tells us the nature of the roots. If the discriminant is positive, we have two real roots. If it's zero, we have one real root, and if it's negative, the roots are complex."

I found myself nodding, finally I didn't felt dumb in a math class. It was as if a fog had lifted, and everything became crystal clear.

"Now, once we have the discriminant, we plug it back into the formula to find the roots. Remember to simplify your fractions and radicals as much as possible." he continued, his voice steady and reassuring.

I sighed softly, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over me. Today was almost too good to be true. "Honestly, I think nothing could ruin this day." I muttered under my breath, a small smile playing on my lips.

But then, my face froze. Shit. I did the worst possible thing someone could do. I glanced around, half-expecting something to go wrong. I could practically hear the dramatic music playing in the background of my life.

Yuji leaned over, noticing my sudden change in expression. "You okay, man?" He whispered.

"Yeah, just... realized something." I replied, trying to shake off the feeling of impending doom.