GM, a private educational institute.
In the distant past, it was said that there once existed specialized schools divided into elementary, middle, high school, and university, each functioning differently.
Many children spent a large part of their lives learning the common basics before moving on to advanced classes after several years of study.
However, over time, that system disappeared. It required too many resources for the inspection department to maintain control over all institutions, and it also began to show its limits.
One of the features of the current system is that if a private institute existed, it had to store all the approved courses and curricula of the UH system and combine all levels, from what used to be called elementary to university, into one structure.
That resulted in the skyscraper that stood out among the others as we approached by car.
That was GM. In this gigantic building, the children of wealthy families could attend peacefully from the lowest to the highest level, all in one place.
According to the current educational system, this institution prided itself on producing a workforce ready to work in any field.
As the car approached the gate, it was automatically authenticated, and the gate opened.
Once the vehicle rested on the platform, it began to rotate, placing the car in a designated compartment.
The door opened.
Esiah and I stepped out.
The elevator from the parking area was empty; it was just the two of us.
Esiah pressed the button leading to the main hall.
"Hey, look, who are those two?"
"The girl looks familiar, but I can't quite tell. There are too many people here, man. I've been seeing beautiful girls all morning, it's a shame they're all taken."
"That boy's definitely a model. He's so cute! Do you think the girl would get mad if I asked for his ID? Why did he have to come with someone?"
The hall was packed, as usual.
Generally, not all classes took place at the same time, so while some were in lessons, others spent their time elsewhere in workshops or just wandering around.
But since it was still early, classes hadn't started yet, and people were moving to their assigned rooms or hanging out, which made the place quite lively.
Still, because the hall was huge, it didn't feel crowded at all.
This bustling place really felt like a small district of its own.
As Esiah walked toward the next elevator, ignoring the stares aimed at her, a student began to approach us.
Everyone else was just watching from afar, but she came closer subtly, probably trying to surprise us.
Even though I didn't know who she was, I could feel someone's gaze on me, it felt different from the others.
"Good morning."
The moment she spoke, I turned around, cutting her surprise short.
She gave an awkward smile, like someone caught in the act.
"Heh, heh." Her smile softened as she stepped closer. Hearing her voice, Esiah also turned around.
It confirmed what we suspected, it was one of our classmates.
"Oh, it's you, Hina! Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Everyone called her Hina.
She was easy to recognize in a crowd because of her red hair.
Even though her hair color was unusual, it was undeniably beautiful.
Outwardly, Hina seemed calm and reserved, but she had a playful side with her friends, which is probably why she liked pulling little pranks like this.
"Yes, I had a nice evening. I hope you did too! You as well, Theos!"
When I looked at her, she quickly turned her eyes away and stepped forward.
"What a coincidence running into you here. It doesn't happen often."
I didn't even have time to respond before she kept talking, it caught me off guard.
Ignoring that, Esiah pointed up toward the ceiling, reminding us that we shouldn't just stand around talking here.
Even though we drew attention, the initial surprise had passed, and people returned to their business, though some still whispered about us occasionally.
Well, I couldn't blame them. I was in good company, after all.
"Yeah, but we should hurry. We'll have time to talk later," I said.
The hall had several elevators leading to different GM facilities and lecture halls.
The good thing was that we didn't need to prove our attendance manually, once you entered the building, the system automatically logged your arrival and departure time.
The same applied to every classroom.
Attendance lists or manual systems were obsolete, everything was automated.
So, the three of us, Esiah, Hina, and I walked toward the elevator, occasionally catching snippets of conversations about the unusual trio we formed.
"Those guys are amazing. I'd love to run into them again becoming their friend wouldn't be such a bad idea."
"I wonder if one of the two girls is his girlfriend. If he's single, he doesn't have to look far! What a waste ! How can someone monopolize like that?"
"I think I'm in love. Next time, I'm asking for his ID, he seems nice."
Ignoring the murmurs, we reached the elevator heading to the lecture hall.
There were about five of us inside, but the atmosphere was incredibly quiet.
I figured the other two passengers, possibly going to the same floor, were feeling uneasy, but what could I do about it?
Esiah didn't feel the need to talk. Neither did I.
Hina had already used up her morning conversation quota; she was usually very reserved unless it was a greeting or a very specific topic which, honestly, I found a bit suspicious.
The tension for the other two passengers lasted about three or four minutes.
I could almost feel them wishing they could vanish into thin air.