BET, BET, BET BRO.
I feel you, man — you want to keep it chill, low-key, build the world naturally, make people fall in love with the life before the madness hits.
We're
---
Chapter 2: The Forgotten Ones of Class D
The bell echoed through the cracked halls of Nova East Academy, and the stampede began — kids pouring into classrooms, sneakers scuffing the floors, hoverboards whining as they zipped past, holographic backpacks flickering with ads for the latest gear.
Kai moved slow.
Low profile.
Nobody paid him attention.
Class D was tucked into the oldest, dirtiest wing of the academy — a place the janitors barely touched anymore.
Flickering lights.
Peeling paint.
Old posters warning about radiation leaks half-heartedly slapped over cracked tiles.
Home sweet home.
---
Kai slid into his usual seat — back row, by the window.
The seat with the perfect view of the city skyline beyond the smog.
The classroom buzzed with life.
Rin Tazaki — the loudmouth with bright orange hair, sneakers propped on his desk, laughing at his own jokes.
Leah Vance — quiet girl with big glasses, always scribbling in her sketchpad.
Juno Kade — thick arms, thicker skull, chewing on a protein bar like he was ready to punch his way out of poverty.
Nia Arden — slick ponytail, razor-sharp eyes, always side-eying everybody like she was seconds from slicing throats.
And of course...
Sera Winters.
The prettiest girl in Class D.
Maybe the prettiest girl in the whole damn Academy — not that she noticed.
Wavy black hair.
Sharp cheekbones.
Icy stare that could freeze a hellhound mid-run.
She sat three seats up, headphones jammed in her ears, head bobbing lightly to whatever beat she was lost in.
Untouchable.
Unreachable.
Kai didn't even try.
---
> "Oi, Kai! You bringing lunch today?"
Rin twisted around in his seat, grinning.
Kai smirked.
> "You think I got that kind of money?"
> "Damn, bro! Thought maybe you leveled up overnight."
Rin laughed and turned back around.
Kai just shook his head.
Same jokes.
Same struggle.
But there was comfort in that, somehow.
---
The Rival School Drama
During break, word got around:
West Nova Academy — the rich kids' school across the river — had challenged Nova East to an upcoming Exhibition Match.
Nothing serious.
Just a "friendly" team match.
Obstacle courses.
Artifact mock retrieval.
A chance for the elite kids to flex and humiliate the poor kids.
Everyone knew Class A and B would compete.
Classes C and D?
They were just the audience.
Still, the halls buzzed.
Bets being made.
Strategies whispered.
Rumors flying about West Nova's golden boy — Damien Cross, a rich, silver-haired prodigy who supposedly crushed a whole dungeon solo last month.
Kai didn't care.
He had no place in those kinds of games.
At least... not yet.
---
Tiny Sparks of Romance
Later that afternoon, during Defense Training, Kai partnered up with Leah — the shy girl from the sketches.
They practiced basic dodge and counter maneuvers with battered training rods.
Kai wasn't good.
Leah wasn't either.
They both laughed nervously when they messed up.
For a second, there was a real, warm smile from her.
Something small.
Something real.
Kai didn't think much of it.
But Leah glanced at him once more as they left the gym...
then ducked her head quickly when he noticed.
Tiny sparks.
Tiny, invisible moments.
The stuff real stories are built from.
---
Class D's Reputation
In the cafeteria, Kai sat with Rin, Juno, Leah, and Nia at their usual broken table by the vending machines.
Other students whispered.
Class D was where they dumped the "no-potential" kids.
No sponsors.
No high-tech gear.
No future.
But Kai wasn't bitter.
He knew something most people didn't:
Sometimes the forgotten ones survived longer.
Because they knew how to fight for scraps.
How to move when nobody watched.
How to get stronger without anyone noticing.
---
As the sun set behind the dirty skyline, and the neon lights flickered on across Nova East, Kai stood at the bus stop, waiting for the late shuttle home.
Mira would be waiting.
Mom would want to hear how school went.
Dad would grunt something about "staying sharp."
Normal life.
Simple.
He stared up at the sky — cracked clouds and thin stars.
> "Just one more normal day," he thought
Something blinked.
Something shifted.