My previous schools compared to this? Well, you may have guessed it.

It's completely nothing alike. Those places were more like of a battlefield where every man fought for themselves, pushing and shoving just to get to their classes. Here, it was the polar opposite, eerily different.

I glanced around the classrooms that I passed, filled with the gentle hum of idle talk, and the low murmur of conversations that created a surprisingly soothing background noise, as if I had stepped into a staged drama show, where every element was trained and perfectly placed, every movement scripted.

Why is everything so organized here? It felt too good to be true. I never thought I'd find myself thinking this.. but I could actually see myself enjoying school if all of them were like this. It's almost… awesome.

I realize that I'm using the word "school", of all things. Maybe there's hope for me. A hope that I could finally transform myself into a fully functional member of society, someone who understands the unspoken rules of social interaction, and doesn't trip over his words or feet at every opportunity.

This place… No, this school—it could be my playground, my personalized training ground. A place where I could sweat and bleed metaphorically, of course, to shape myself into someone far better. Someone who my past self will look up to.

Someone who isn't stuck in his head, overthinking every little thing, but someone who can actually engage, interact, or maybe even thrive in social activities. It sounds almost impossible, a task fit for Hercules. (The reference to Hercules in the passage is an allusion to the famous Greek hero known for his extraordinary strength and his Twelve Labors— a series of seemingly impossible tasks that he had to complete as a form of penance.)

But maybe, just maybe, this is the environment where I could finally get it normal. But, what is normal supposed to mean? Why does it mean to be considered normal in our society? No one really knows, if I had to guess.

It's a concept that's easy to understand from face value, but no one grasps it fully. We've been copying what others have been doing for decades, maybe even centuries. Following trends, and mimicking behavior.

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Then, if everyone is just imitating everyone else, can we even say there's such a thing as normalcy? The idea of being absolutely normal is a paradox, an impossible feat.

It's a moving target, shifting with every new trend, and societal change, and every cultural wave. Maybe trying to be normal is just another form of delusion.

After all, the only thing more absurd than reaching absolutely normal is pretending that it actually exists.

Oh snap! Maybe I should actually head into my class now. As much as I enjoy these little internal monologues, they tend to take an alarming amount of time away. It's like I'm a spider, getting caught in my own webs. I struggle and spin around until I'm dizzy.

And there's absolutely no way I'm going to be that one guy who runs late on the first day. I don't want to ruin my nonexistence reputation just yet. Besides, I owe it to this school. A spotless, quiet, and calming place like this deserves at least a minimal amount of respect from me. Yes, an appreciation, even if it's just by being punctual.

So, let's go. I'll save the existential musings for later.

After a lengthy minute of wandering the faint halls in search of my class, I finally spotted the classroom plague that matched my schedule. This is it. This was the place where I would either blend in or stand out, where my first impression would take its final form.

I took a deep breath and squared up my shoulders, preparing myself for whatever was laying behind that door. I slid the door open slowly, bracing myself for the new environment. A quick bright light flashed my eyes, as the image of the whole classroom slowly appeared.

All heads in the classroom turned towards me. The teacher, mid-lecture paused abruptly.

Great. Is it my hair? My clothes? Do I look that much out of place? I quickly went through potential reasons for this sudden spotlight.

"Oh, Kita. We were expecting you, but it turns out we've run out of space. Please head to the classroom with no plaque. That's where you'll be for now. I'm sorry."

That shattered my confidence I had left.