Chapter 7: Calm Before A Storm

CHAPTER 7: Calm Before A Storm

Fear is as instinctive as curiosity.

Human nature seeks out the unknown, and just as there exists a fear of the new, the ambition to explore those depths is also present.

As a result, humans naturally seek out the very things that frighten them.

 

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John settled in class for Homeroom at exactly 8:40 AM.

Homeroom usually started ten minutes before classes—the latter began at 9:00 AM. In essence, John was ten minutes earlier than usual.

“I made a mistake…” The young boy murmured.

He soon realized that he had nothing to do in the short while he remained in the class. Not only was he friendless, but he was stuck in a seat he didn’t want. Naturally, John wanted to complain, but decided never to let his smile disappear.

“... She’s not even here yet.” He murmured, looking at the seat in his row—directly beside a window.

Had it not been for a couple of students already in class, John felt like he could have just gone to the seat and seen how it felt like.

“Hey, Charlotte. You’re here already.” A voice rang close to the class’ entrance, causing John’s head to swiftly turn in its direction.

“She’s here!”

The girl in question had brown hair, and her violet eyes glowed like diamonds. John found himself enthralled as he watched her walk into the class.

“Hi. You’re early too.”

“Yeah, I figured we could have a test for punctuality.”

“Really? Hahaha.”

“Oh, did you braid your hair?”

“Yeah, I’m trying out a new style.”

“The Dorms were comfortable, and I had lots of free time.”

“I was so nervous, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me too!”

John watched as Charlotte made her way from one company to another, fluidly engaging everyone in conversation. Her elegant smile and smooth stride exhumed confidence, and John could not keep himself from observing.

“She sure is popular…” He murmured.

Charlotte was a natural at social interaction. John felt like he could do it if he tried, but could anyone really achieve her level of flair in conversation?

“Just how much experience does she—?” John paused mid-sentence as he noticed her gaze shifting in his direction.

Her smile broadened slightly and she waved.

“Is she looking at me? She’s waving now… at me?” John had never received such gestures—especially from someone as interactive as Charlotte—so he wasn’t expecting it.

Charlotte gave a slightly exasperated expression and finally began moving in John’s direction. Before the boy could tell, she was right in front of him.

“I was greeting you from afar, yet you ignored me. That’s not fair, John.” Charlotte gave a mock frown.

“A-ah, you were? I didn’t… I’m sorry, I—”

“I was just kidding, John. You don’t have to take me seriously.” Charlotte responded to John’s surprisingly flustered reaction with a confident laugh.

“Haha! Is that so? I see, I guess I was a little surprised… Charlotte.”

“You remembered my name?”

“Of course! You’re our class celebrity. I’m even more surprised you remembered mine.” John replied with a soft laugh.

“I mentioned this already, but I never forget a face or a name. We’re all going to be studying together for a while, so I want to get along with everyone.”

“Well, I can see that you’ve practically achieved that.” John smiled, looking at the other members of the classroom.

Charlotte had managed to befriend everyone in such a short span of time. If that wasn’t miraculous, then what was?

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“Well, I’ve only reached out to the newcomers. It’s a bit hard to reach out to the others… especially—never mind that…” Charlotte hesitated for a moment before concluding the conversation.

She probably felt it was wrong to speak ill of her fellow classmates. 

“So naive…” John whispered under his breath.

“What was that?” 

“Ah, nothing.” He gave a sweet, unassuming smile.

For a moment, a surprising air of awkwardness hung in the air, and both parties kept staring at each other. As expected, though, Charlotte broke the silence.

“Well, I’ll see you around, John.” As she ended the conversation with a wave and walked away, John found himself waving back.

Even though their conversation had no real meaning and served no definite goal, compared to the ones he usually had, John didn’t entirely dislike it.

He was smart enough to engage in idle conversation, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. However, there was something about Charlotte that made him interested… something beyond logic.

“I want to talk to her again. I guess we’ll talk later.” 

With that, John resumed fiddling with his Tablet.

 

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Mr. Archibald started Homeroom on time and finished before their first class began by 9:00 AM. This time, his attire consisted of a navy blue blazer and a white shirt underneath. His pants were also blue, and he donned black shoes.

Compared to the previous day, he looked much smarter, but it was still a somewhat casual outfit. Still, the way he smiled and the confidence he exuded were top-tier.

“He’s even better than Charlotte…” John silently commented.

Once Homeroom was over, it was finally time for classes.

The first teacher for the day was a lady.

She looked stunning, and just like the Homeroom Teacher, she was dressed causally—albeit not too much.

“Good morning, everyone. This should be your first class in The Government Course, right? I’ll be teaching you World Affairs for this term, and we’ll be covering municipal and international matters. Buckle down, this will be quite an epic journey.”

John spread his lips and readied himself, just as his teacher told him.

After classes yesterday, John was already fascinated by the Academy’s methods of teaching. 

Unlike regular High Schools that focused on basic subjects like Algebra, Calculus, Biology, etc. The Richardson Elite Academy had a unique curriculum, and the way the lessons were taught was also novel.

The Elite Academy had seven departments—or could they be called areas of study?

Government

Family and Values

Business

Arts and Entertainment

Media and Technology

Religion and Philosophy

Education

These were based off of the seven pillars of society, and the Academy realized that the students needed to be well-versed in every field to become geniuses in the real sense.

Subjects were dispensed from all the seven fields of study/courses, and only the ‘Education’ Course had orthodox topics like Maths, English, etc. 

Everything else was a new world entirely.

“Well, I wasn’t taught the normal way too, but I expected all High Schools to follow that mundane and inefficient pattern. So this is why this one stands out…” 

This method of teaching most likely spanned across all of Richardson Academy’s levels of education, and John could now understand why the school was considered the best.

Now focusing his attentive gaze on the lecturer, and clinging to every word, John anticipated the absorption of more information.

“Well, then… let us begin the class.”

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