Ren eventually arrived at his classroom. Some of the students were already there, talking to each other. This was always the most difficult part of getting into a new school—trying to talk to other students and make friends.
Thankfully, he already knew that a good majority of the students in his class were also starting their first day on Star Island. Because of that, the ones who had been on the island since middle school or even kindergarten were more open, which made it easier to fit in.
After a while, he found his way into a conversation.
"Hey guys, have you tried the new DLC of Sekiro 5?"
"Oh yeah, I tried it. It was so difficult."
"Like, what the hell? The first boss of the DLC is so hard that even learning his moves barely helps."
"I know, isn't that unreasonable? How the hell are you even supposed to deal with it?"
"Oh, are you guys talking about that DLC? I know how to deal with that boss if you want to know."
Ren had slipped into the conversation smoothly without a problem.
The two guys looked at him. "Oh really? Do you actually know how to deal with the first boss?"
"Yes," Ren nodded excitedly. "The boss has a weakness to piercing damage. Using blunt weapons like a staff makes it much easier."
Just like that, Ren had successfully made his way into the group's conversation.
Huh. That was easier than I thought. Maybe TV shows exaggerate this kind of situation.
In reality, it wasn't that TV exaggerated the situation It's just that ren was actually very comforting to talk to. With his wide interests in media—not just games, but novels, stories, and even social media—you could talk to him about almost any topic without it being awkward. Because of that, he could fit in easily without even realizing it.
It also helped that he didn't just manage to talk to those two people. Before he knew it, he had surrounded himself with over ten students who all wanted to join the conversation. Again, he didn't realize this was a talent of his, it's just he never realised it because he never bothered socialising before because he already had his circle of friends back home and he never had to put himself out there
Eventually, the teacher entered the classroom and told everyone to return to their seats. Class officially started.
But before anything could happen, the door opened.
A student walked in.
He was late.
You're late," the teacher said.
That immediately confused the student.
"Sir, didn't the class just start?" Kai replied. "Why are you calling me out like this?"
Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem. Yes, he was only late by a couple of seconds, but being late—even by a second—on your first day wasn't a good first impression in school, or anywhere else.
" But I'll let this one mistake slide just for today," the teacher said. "We were just about to start roll call, so you might as well tell everyone your name now that you're in front of the class."
Normally, anyone in his position would have been embarrassed, but the guy didn't even hesitate. He looked at the class confidently.
"Hello everyone. I'm Kai Mercer."
The name caused the entire classroom to react. Murmurs and chatter spread almost instantly. Everyone seemed to recognize it—everyone except Ren.
Ren did recognized Kai the moment he entered the room. He was the same guy he'd spotted earlier, the one standing with a group of students, the only one who hadn't been smiling. Other than that, though, the name didn't register immediately.
Kai… Mercer?
After a few seconds, it clicked.
The Mercers were a famous hero family. Ren remembered their legacy went back to Kai's grandfather. Still, while they were world-famous, they were based in America, and not on the same level as Blue Light—someone everyone around the world instantly recognized. That was probably why it had taken Ren a moment.
I thought he'd be in an advanced school.
But it didn't really matter. Ren had heard plenty of stories about children from famous hero families ending up in normal schools on Star Island. It wasn't that surprising.
Kai took the last remaining seat—right next to Ren—but Ren didn't pay much attention in the moment.
And with that, they continued on with the rest of their school day.
And so, Ren finished his first day of high school and started walking back home.
Nothing really happened today. It was just another school day. If he had to describe it, it was good—not bad, but not great either.
He checked his phone as he walked. Looking at the numbers he'd gotten, he smiled a little. His socializing hadn't gone badly. He'd exchanged numbers with a few classmates, though he couldn't really call them friends yet. At best, they were just acquaintances for now.
Ren looked up at the sky. He wondered when schools usually ended here. Different countries had students leave at different times, and thankfully, it was still pretty early in the day—before lunchtime. That way, students could eat at home or together.
Thank God it isn't Japan's school schedule. If anime is accurate, Japanese students go home at sunset.
He shivered at the thought.
So… what should I do for the rest of the day?
Maybe he could try calling one of the numbers and hang out, or just play some video games with them online. While he was thinking about it, Ren kept walking.
Then he saw something.
A couple of guys were dragging someone.
Ren stopped, surprised. Is this really happening?
When he focused, he caught a glimpse of the person being dragged.
It was Kai.
Ren was genuinely shocked. He had just seen him earlier at school, and now he was in this situation. How did it end up like this so fast? Is he some sort of protagonist and this is the start of his brand new arc?
When he focused on Kai again, he noticed that Kai looked angry—but at the same time, he seemed to be going along with them as they entered a building.
Ren didn't hesitate. He called the island police and told them the location. A minute later, he hung up.
The cops are on their way.
What should I do? Should I wait until they arrive? Or should I just leave? What can I even do?
Just watch?
What the hell am I thinking? I should go in there and help him—but that's stupid. What if—
Ren clenched his fist so hard his hand started to hurt, forcing himself to stop the spiral of thoughts.
Without any hesitation, Ren walked toward the building.