"Would you all just shut up already...?"

Don't you hate it when other people make noise all the time? Whether it's in a classroom, in your home, in a concert hall, or in an open area, it's always a bother when there are loudmouths everywhere.

It's only worse for those who are like me.

I prefer it when everything around me is quiet because that way, I can focus on more important things than making pointless noises. Unfortunately, my classmates aren't like that and — for some reason — they feel the need to make noise wherever they go.

Especially today, because it's the school trip and all of them are excited like a bunch of little kids going out of their homes for the first time.

...wait a second, I haven't even introduced myself yet.

It's Wakitani Shindo, but you can call me whatever you like. I'm a second year student studying in Yokohama High School, and most people call me an otaku but, I wouldn't really refer to myself in that way personally.

Otakus are defined as people who obsess over anime and manga, but that's not me. While I do enjoy a good read or an entertaining show once in a while, they're not my only hobbies. I'm more invested in sitting before the television and playing video games all day. If I'm not doing that, then I'm either sleeping or just enjoying the benefits of being by myself.

This is likely the part where you'll think of me as a typical NEET, but I'm not. Like I said, I'm a second year student in Yokohama High and for someone like me, I'm doing well on my own.

I'm not like those shut-in losers that you normally read about in light novels and manga because I have a brain up here in my head and I know how to use it, it's as simple as that.

Despite my hobby of playing video games, I'm one of the top students in my class and because of that, my parents let me do as I wish as long as I keep on achieving high grades.

That's just how parents work in my opinion. Just impress them with your academic performance and they won't bat an eye on you at all. In this case, they fear the possibility of their children underperforming in school, so you'll have to subvert their expectations to get on their good side. If you fail to do that, well, the worst case scenario would be that they'd think of you as a lost cause.

It's not hard to stay on top, at least for me.

This is likely the part where you'll think of me as a prodigy of some sort, but I'm not. I simply loved to read books at a very young age and thanks to that, I have a wider range in my knowledge and vocabulary. From there, I developed an interest in reading manga, light novels, web novels, and other forms of written literature, which is how I got to where I am.

Other parents would berate their child for focusing on these things instead of their academics, but with a little proof that they have absolutely nothing to worry about, they'll leave you alone.

As a result, I live a very comfortable life for someone my age. I don't even have to apply for a job yet, which is too much of a hassle for a high school student like me.

Don't get me wrong, I do respect the risks that students take when they apply for part-time jobs, but it would be less of a strenuous task if they finished college first. The degree and certificates that you receive do help out a lot, after all.

Speaking of which, I still live with my parents until now, but I'm also planning to change that once I get to college. The normal apartment space usually costs around fifty thousand yen, which I can easily provide since I've saved up a ton of money from my unused allowance through the years.

I'm not a materialistic person, and if I had to spend money, I'd rather buy food instead of wasting it on pointless things. Sometimes, I'd buy a new game if I feel like it but my point still stands. At least, if you buy yourself something to eat instead of some lame merchandise that's going to fail the test of time, you'll come out of it feeling satisfied and with a full belly.

Hm, I don't even know how much money I have since it's been two years since I last checked my savings. I'll make sure to give it a look once I get home from this boring trip.

At this point, you may think of me as some overpowered protagonist that you can find in manga and light novels but like before, I'm not.

I'm just an ordinary guy; too ordinary, if you ask me. You can find a lot of people like me almost anywhere and furthermore, if I was a manga protagonist, I'd have lots of friends whom I can rely on whenever I need some sappy motivational speech to keep my spirits up.

The thing is, I don't.

I don't recall any particular instance where I went out and made friends because I always spent my time indoors instead of being outside and playing with others. When I was a kid, I was reading books and now, I spend my free time playing video games or taking a nap.

Even when I'm in a place filled with lots of people and they're talking amongst each other, I'll just find a corner where I can sit all alone and enjoy being by myself. You don't know how many times I've been to parties — be it a birthday or some other event — and stayed away from everyone else.

That's right, I have no intention of making friends at all.

Why? It's fairly simple. I don't like talking to other people, and I mean no disrespect with that. I just prefer it when I'm alone because first of all, it's peaceful and second, I'd have nothing to worry about but myself and my family. The less people that I have to worry about, the better.

Before you even think of it, I'm absolutely not like those edgy characters who act all emo and dark just for everyone to notice them. I clearly have emotions of my own and use them as much as I can, which is exactly why I'm hoping for the other students with me to just shut it.

"Oh boy, I'm so excited! I've always wanted to go to Kyoto and now I can!"

"Hey, you better take lots of pictures! I emptied my phone just for this trip!"

"Then why didn't you bring a camera along with you?!"

"We don't have one!"

"Relax, me and my bros brought three between us! We got enough space for the whole day, so bring it on!"

*sigh*

As you can see, these people have no idea when to shut it, even though we've almost reached our destination. So much for hoping...

But, it's the school trip, so I guess it's understandable why they're acting like a bunch of excited children who can't wait to get out of the house, although this isn't the first time that they've been like this.

Just by observing my classmates from afar, I've noticed that most, if not all of them, don't take school seriously and think of it as a place where they can hang out and have fun like it's the mall.

I know that I'm in no place to say anything but at the very least, I don't treat school in that way. It's supposed to be a place that helps a person reach new heights in his life and be the doorway to achieving dreams. That's why I take my studies seriously, because like any other person out there, I have dreams of my own and I want to fulfill them.

On the other hand, I can't say that even if I was willing to make friends with my classmates, they'd accept right off the bat.

My classmates mainly dislike me for being 'weird' in their eyes when all I've done was either sleep in class, listen to music, read something, or play games on my phone. I've noticed the strange looks they keep sending my way whenever it's time for lunch or when I answer a question from the teacher.

If they think I can't notice it, they can't be more obvious than when we do group activities together. Every time I try to say something that would make our presentations more interesting, they just ignore it as if they can do better without question. If I could, I'd rather do an activity on my own without anyone else, but that would defeat the purpose of group activities.

Heh, if you ask me, they're the ones who are being weird. Have they never heard of people who only want to spend their time in peace? People who can't stand being around crowds? Those who are too shy to speak up?

If another introvert had taken my place in this class, I'd feel sorry for him. He'd never survive with these people around him.

But, it's not like I care. I'm quite content with being on my own because it's easier that way. I'm willing to work with others if it's needed but apart from that, I have no reason to get to know them on a personal level.

It doesn't matter what people think of me because I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm only looking out for myself, which is what any normal person would do, right? At the end of the day, the only one you can truly rely on is yourself.

"Alright, everyone. We've finally reached our destination, the Imperial Palace! Please leave your belongings here and form a single line as we go out."

Ah, I must have been rambling for so long that I didn't notice we're finally here. Thank you for snapping me out of my thoughts, Tour Guide-san.

I'm not going to do anything at all and simply stay where I am, and I'm sure that nobody will notice me because my existence is completely ignored in the first place. Like I said, they act like kids who are leaving their homes so it would take a matter of life and death to shift their attention towards something else.

"Come on, everyone! We're going to have a fun day here in this place!"

I stayed quiet and simply watched as everyone left the vehicle. As long as I don't make myself noticeable, no one will know I'm even here. No one was even sitting beside me either [obviously], so this should be easy!

Once I was sure that the bus was finally empty except for myself, I sighed in relief.

"Finally, some peace and quiet."

While everyone else is out there having fun and taking in the scenery, I'll just be here to catch on some sleep. I reckon that they'll be gone for about two hours, so I better make the most of this while they're away.

If I get hungry, I could always run to the nearest convenience store and buy something, but I don't think that would happen. Plus, our next stop after this would be the inn where we'll be staying, anyway.

I adjusted my position so that my legs were dangling on the arm of my seat, and my back was against the window. Of course, I covered it with the curtains first so that nobody can see me inside.

With that, I folded my arms and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to come get me—

Huh.

For some reason, it felt a lot easier for me to fall asleep now. Even if my classmates had gotten out of here earlier than before, it'd still take a few minutes for me to feel sleepy and shut my eyes.

Oh well, anything to help me get some rest.

But never did it occur to me that this would be the last time — literally speaking — that I'm ever going to see this world.