About ten minutes later the classroom was full, and their Class Teacher, Teacher Hale, walked in.
Lucian had been watching the students file in; apart from Yukinoshita, there didn’t seem to be anyone else.
It was his first time in this two-dimensional world, so he really couldn’t place anyone; maybe he’d only find out once the teacher called the roll.
“Everyone’s here now.
From this point on, you’re all students of this class.
Some of you came from neighboring schools, some are from this one.
I hope you’ll all get along.” Teacher Hale looked over the students and laid out the situation.
Besides students from this school, the class included students from others; the principal’s methods were grander than anyone had imagined.
He’d used his authority to gather the Genius boys and girls from several nearby high schools, and pulled it off in just over two hours.
It was easy to picture how much clout that principal had; the other schools hadn’t dared make a peep and had simply handed their students over.
“Teacher, why is this?
Have students from other schools been transferred here too?” Someone who didn’t get it raised a hand and asked outright.
It was a question a lot of them shared.
Everyone wanted to figure out what was going on; it really was absurd to suddenly have so many classmates from other schools.
“Our principal is the highest-ranking administrator of this district.
He means to gather all the high-Talent students into one class for training.” With that said, there was no need to spell out more.
Everyone understood: the principal had used his authority to poach every promising student from the other schools.
That was why they’d all been brought together in this class; otherwise, there was no way students from different schools would end up as classmates.
The room fell silent at that, but the Class Teacher’s next words reignited everyone’s interest.
“From now on, your training will be led by the best teachers, and the school will provide the best resources you need.” Looking down at them, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
If all went well and this class proved its worth, it would become permanent, and the school would do the same every year afterward, gathering the promising students into one class, pouring resources in, and nurturing better Talent.
As the Class Teacher of the very first special class, she was actually under enormous pressure.
If she really botched it, it would hurt her whole teaching career, but if she led it well, the rewards went without saying.
Once these students made a name for themselves, she, as their Class Teacher, would share in the glory.
So what she had to do next was simple: teach this group well.
The specialized knowledge would be handled by specialized teachers.
Her job was to teach these students how to be decent people.
Sometimes character mattered far more than strength; she didn’t want any student of hers turning into a menace.
That was what this Class Teacher cared about most.
With that in mind, she looked down and continued, “Next, everyone introduce yourselves to one another.”
She was starting roll call, letting the students learn one another’s names, just like the first lesson of a new school year.
At her words, the students stood one after another, starting from the front row, to introduce themselves.
“Hi, everyone, my name is Jayden Cole.
You can just call me Jay.” The first student to stand rattled off his introduction and sat back down.
Self-introductions were something everyone had done at the start of every year, so no one was nervous anymore.
In fact, many in the class had already seen each other around and knew a name or two, unless they were like Lucian, a complete background character.
This round was really for the transfer students, so they could learn everyone’s names.
As one student after another stood, it soon reached Lucian’s row.
And quickly it was Yukinoshita’s turn.
When it was, many heads in the class turned toward her.
Clearly everyone wanted this beautiful girl’s name; students in the thick of puberty were incredibly restless.
A beauty like Yukinoshita was naturally the center of attention.
There were plenty of pretty girls in the class, yet everyone was still fixed on her.
“Hello, everyone.
I’m Yukinoshita Yukino, from Sakura District.
Please treat me kindly.” She finished and sat back down.
Hearing the name, many quietly filed it away; this elegant beauty would be their classmate from now on.
And since Lucian sat alone, his turn came right after Yukinoshita’s.
“I’m Lucian.” He said it and sat down.
The others noted the name in silence, thinking little of it.
Whose fault was it that Lucian wasn’t a pretty girl?
If he were, everyone would’ve given him a few more looks.
Even so, a fair number of girls were watching him.
Nothing to be done about it.
Lucian was handsome, so he naturally drew their eyes.
After he sat, someone behind him stood too.
“My name is Kato Megumi, from Sakura District.”
Lucian, who’d thought it was all over, was suddenly full of question marks at the voice behind him.
He instinctively turned, and saw a short-haired girl.
The sight left him stunned.
Saint Megumi was here too?
What was going on?
When had she even come in?
What kind of absurd Talent was this?
Lucian noticed something sharp: after her introduction, not a single person besides the Class Teacher had turned to look at her.
Everyone had subconsciously ignored the girl, which left him thoroughly surprised.
He turned to study her.
In that moment a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes, and then she caught him looking.
Kato blinked, and a subtle feeling rose in her chest: the boy in front of her had noticed her?
“All right, introductions are done.
Get to know each other; we’ll officially start class this afternoon.” Having heard everyone out, the Class Teacher set down the roster, satisfied.
Some students still hadn’t arrived, but most had, and by the time afternoon classes began, everyone should be present.
After giving her instructions, she left the room.
The moment she was gone, the class came alive.
Just then, Lucian spoke to Kato.
“What an absurd Talent.
Anyone whose strength isn’t far off from yours can’t notice you at all, and even those stronger than you would probably tune you out on reflex.”
He fixed his gaze on her.
Right now a faint, peculiar aura was radiating off her, one that reduced her presence to the absolute minimum.
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