When we entered the classroom, I froze.
There was a robot standing at the front, waving at us.
"Hello! I've been waiting for you for a while," the robot said, its face forming a friendly blue smile.
...A robot.
"We have a fucking robot as our instructor?" the guy with threads said. "Has AI really advanced this far already?"
"Yeah... this is crazy," I muttered, barely processing what I was seeing.
Judging by the looks on everyone else's faces, I wasn't the only one in shock.
"Quit standing there and sit down. You're already late—you're testing my patience now," the robot said.
Its cheerful blue expression instantly shifted to an angry red.
That got us moving.
We rushed to find seats. There were three desks at the front and three at the back, so I ended up sitting at one of the desks in the back. As I slid into my seat, I felt a familiar presence beside me.
...Of course.
My desk mate was the guy with threads—the same one who'd been annoyed with me back at the entrance.
Neither of us said a word. We just sat there in silence, staring forward as the robot began speaking.
"I am very disappointed," the robot said coldly. "On your very first day of class, you are already late. I expected more from the talented individuals Elite Education has chosen."
My stomach tightened.
"It wasn't our fault," the guy with threads suddenly snapped, standing up on his chair and pointing straight at me. "It was this idiot who made us late."
The room went silent.
Have you ever felt every eye in a room turn toward you at once?
Yeah. That.
"Have you read the application clearly, student?" the robot asked, its voice sharp and serious.
The guy with threads clicked his tongue but answered anyway. "Yeah. As a group, we're responsible for taking care of each other. And we're required to arrive at class together every day."
I clenched my fists under the desk.
So even if I mess up once... it's not just on me.
Great.
"Elite Education is a school where bonds—such as friendship—are important," the robot continued. "Forming these connections will make living and studying here much easier. I strongly encourage you to connect with one another."
Of course it would say that.
"Do we have to?" the girl with two ponytails said, her tone dripping with annoyance. "I mean, we can arrive to class together every day and just not talk. I don't understand this forced friendship you're pushing on us."
She didn't even bother looking up from her phone.
"Of course, you don't have to follow my advice," the robot replied, its face returning to a friendly blue smile. "You're free to ignore it. However, I highly recommend that you don't."
"Whatever," the girl with two ponytails muttered, already scrolling again.
"Isabella, get off your phone," the muscular guy seated next to her said firmly.
She shot him a sharp glare. "I told you not to talk to me in school, Jax."
The room tensed.
The muscular guy stayed quiet, but the serious look he gave her said more than words ever could.
She rolled her eyes, then finally slipped her phone away.
...Those two definitely had history.
"Do those two know each other?" I muttered under my breath. "Maybe childhood friends or something?"
If this was what bond-building looked like, I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried.
And somehow, I had a feeling this class wasn't just going to test our intelligence—
—but how long we could stand each other.