Vroom!
Vroom!
A teenage boy crossed the street without waiting for the light to change, leading to him having to dodge the cars passing by.
Fortunately, the boy managed to get to the other side safely.
The boy had short silky dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
He had a stern expression and a unique vibe about him.
The school uniform he wore was slightly untidy and his hair was a bit unkept.
This boy's name was…
Shin Muro.
And this was his first day of high school.
**
'Woah…'
Walking into Laxus Flare academy, Shin took time to observe and admire every inch of the building.
The walls, windows, the roof, and even the lights were all maintained with the utmost of care.
Every step that Shin took was a cautious one, as if he was trying to make sure he didn't ruin anything.
His eyes were widened, like a caveman who had just seen the very first fire.
Seeing something like this was not just surprising to Shin, it was astonishing.
'Something like this…can truly exist?'
Money.
This building must've cost a lot of money.
Definitely more than Shin or anyone he had known, would've seen.
That thought was incomprehensible to Shin.
The idea that a place could cost that much was always there, but this was an upfront confrontation.
To Shin, it was daunting.
'Does no one understand how amazing this is…?'
Shin looked around, seeing other students his age entering the school as well.
They all had shocked expressions however none of them were as shocked as Shin.
After all, how could those who had everything react the same as those who had nothing?
**
Due to it being the first day, it was natural for an entrance ceremony to be held.
This ceremony was held in the school's auditorium.
The room was large, accounting for the entire student body of a little over 1000 students.
Each year was split apart by which could easily be noticed by the varying colors in school uniform.
Shin sat among the fellow freshmen, quietly listening to the principal speak.
'They all look…so well off.'
Slightly glancing at his new peers, Shin noticed how their appearance differed compared to his.
They looked more tidy and prepared. Their hair was better taken care of, their uniforms were ironed with less creases.
They smelt better and had various accessories on them.
He had also seen some with the newest phones and headphones.
In short, they were nothing like him.
'Their parents must have occupations and careers. How else would they afford such things? I guess…it doesn't really matter. It'll be fine. I'm not that different from them anyway.'
After that thought, Shin took a small breath in and out.
**
'Good…'
Taking a bite out of the chicken burrito he got from the lunch lady, Shin made a satisfied expression.
It was lunch time so naturally he was sitting at a table in the cafeteria.
Although, he wasn't alone.
At the same table, 3 other students sat with him.
He had class with these students during the previous period and one of them suggested that they should all sit together.
None of them had any prior friends so the idea made sense.
"Oh guys, did you guys hear about the new Gundam rocket console coming out soon?" One of them asked.
'The hell is that?'
While Shin paused in confusion, the two other students nodded.
"Yup."
"It's absolutely crazy!"
Soon, the students began to converse about a variety of topics.
Video games, shopping, jewelry, clothing, new tech, and many more things.
However, Shin didn't know a single thing about the things.
'What are these people talking about? I don't understand…'
It didn't take long for Shin to be completely excluded from the conversation.
He simply watched as those around him got along, unable to do so himself.
'Am I that out of the loop? Did I miss something? Why don't I understand? Am I that different?'
Slowly, a sinking feeling invaded Shin's stomach, making his expression contort into one of unease.
Quickly, Shin got up from his seat and went to find the bathroom.
Once he did, he entered and found an empty stall.
Locking it shut, Shin sat down on the closed toilet.
He rested his face in the palms of his hands.
'Why did I have to be born into such a situation? While these people get to enjoy these things? Why can't I have those opportunities? Those fun things? Why am I inferior?'
You see, Shin was born into a very poor family.
Neither of his parents had stable or long term jobs, often switching constantly.
They always had just enough for food, rent, and other necessities, but nothing other than that.
No games, no phone, no television. Hell, there weren't even books. He had to go to the library in order to read.
Shin had attended a poorly funded elementary and middle school that was just nearby to his household.
But, Shin was different from his peers.
He learned more content at a much faster rate than others.
No one around him was anywhere close, allowing him to be at the top of his class.
He also got extremely high scores for the entrance exam to get into Laxus Flare academy.
In fact, he definitely could've gotten into the number 1 high school in the country, but it was too far away from his household.
So in the end, he was limited by his financial state once again.
'Damn it…'
Shin was confronted with one simple fact.
He was less than the others.
That's why he couldn't get along with them.
'That's wrong!'
But this fact…was it a fact at all?
'Me? Less than them? Ridiculous!'
Shin slammed his fist against the stall.
'I'm smarter than all of these morons. I'm better than them. Why do I need to fit in with idiots like them anyway? Every thought I have is infinitely more complex than theirs. My capabilities far exceed theirs.'
One after one, these thoughts entered Shin's mind fueling him.
And soon later, he stood up.
He exited the stall and stood in front of the sink.
He turned it on and cupped water in his hands.
Then, he washed his face.
After a few moments of this, he looked up into the mirror on top of the sink.
There, in its reflection, he saw someone.
He saw the smartest person in the world.
**
Once a few days had passed, Shin had begun to adjust to the school.
His mentality was fully realized, completely built up.
And as he saw others fail, mess up, and make mistakes when he didn't.
His views were only reinforced.
His treatment of others also worsened along with this.
Yet, he didn't pay it any mind.
After all, they were less than him.
But then, there was an issue.
Soon, other people who began to do well in class stood out.
Those much more approachable and noticeable students began to get recognized.
However, that was still okay.
Shin was still better than them of course.
Those despicable rich brats were still inferior to him, even if they had some intelligence.
Those people were just brats who didn't understand poverty.
Anyone who had a problem with that was just an arrogant imbecile who couldn't comprehend his intelligence.
None of them were capable of any fault in themself.
So it truly didn't matter if a few had some talent.
But there was one.
A boy named Elliot.
Someone who began to get treated as someone intelligent.
And Shin couldn't stand that.
Because Elliot wasn't intelligent in the slightest.
He was a moron only good at academics.
Yet, only Shin could see that.
Only Shin could realize his inferiority.
That simple fact disgusted him more than anything else.