The Rumored Recruit

There was buzzing and murmuring in the air as the students gossiped. A new rumor about an unusual boy who was going to be attending the academy in a few days had spread. The rumors varied but all had the same ending: the boy was "not a pure human." Or so the rumors went.

A short teenage boy dressed in a black school uniform—different from the standard school uniform that most of the pupils were wearing—walked the hallway of the building that contained the recruits' classes.

The boy was none other than Zain. On his left chest was an ID badge that shone with a dim blue light. On the badge was written Rank C. Zain's eyes were focused on finding his class as he kept looking at the door names.

The students couldn't stop staring at him.

"That's him, right?" one of the students whispered to his friend.

"Wasn't he supposed to arrive a few days from now?" a girl asked.

"Look, why does it say Rank C? How is that possible?"

"And how come he is already an elite? Isn't he a recruit?"

The students spoke among themselves as Zain walked past them. Even the upperclassmen gossiped, yet no one dared to approach him. Those in a hurry moved closer to the walls to avoid crossing his path.

Zain took a brief glance at some of the students who gossiped loudly.

'Such strange people. But what was I expecting... smiles, maybe?' Zain thought as he continued searching for his class.

He remembered what General Garry had told him.

"Now listen carefully, Zain. Most humans are wary of things they don't understand. The academy students—and even the teachers—will be wary of you, so remember to ignore them and focus on what you want. I'm sure, with time, you'll have friends and your academy life will be great. Until then, just try not to kill anyone."

Zain smiled and shrugged off the memory.

"Look, he just smiled. That's creepy. Then it's true, right?" one of the girls whispered.

'What?! I wonder what kind of rumors are being spread about me.'

Zain sighed as he finally stopped in front of a steel door with the words "Class C" etched on it.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Zain entered the classroom. It was already filled with students, though not so many that Zain couldn't count them. The teacher was already standing at the whiteboard with her comm in her hand as she called out the names of the pupils in the classroom.

The teacher was a woman wearing a black dress with a white shirt underneath. Despite the dress being a bit bulky in design, it clearly displayed her feminine features. She appeared to be in her early twenties. Her skin was pale white, and her lips were crimson red. As she stared at the boy who had just slid the door open, her crimson eyes matched her lips, making her look stunningly beautiful.

Zain's heart skipped a beat as the teacher stared at him. He stared back, trying to discern who she was, when he involuntarily glanced at her chest, where the badge displaying her rank was pinned. On the badge was written Rank A.

Zain was not well accustomed to human behavior or communication skills. In that moment, he felt flustered. He stood still, not knowing what to say, as he stared at the teacher.