The first lights of dawn crept over the distant horizon.
Jake found himself once again walking toward the train station, the crisp morning air nipping at his skin and revitalising his senses.
Engrossed in his thoughts, Jake wandered down the familiar path, reflecting on the previous day's events. The memory of his uncontrolled self still gnawing at him.
Approaching the familiar alley, Jake’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
Once a dark place of violence, the alley now seemed clean and innocent in the morning sun.
It appeared as if nothing sinister had ever happened here. The alley was spotless and devoid of any trash or debris that might reveal the events which unfolded there.
They really worked fast this time.
Jake had anticipated a scene packed with curious onlookers and officers working under the watchful eyes of the public. Instead, an eerie silence enveloped the area that once again was devoid of any human presence.
***
Jake boarded the train, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he effortlessly slid his newly purchased student ticket through the machine. The saved time didn’t go unappreciated by him.
Inside one of the cabins, Jake sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the towering skyscrapers that seemed to stretch infinitely towards the heavens. The rhythmic hum of the powerful engines filled the air, blending with the symphony of urban sounds in the surroundings.
The cityscape, adorned with a tapestry of glass and steel, showcased the grandeur of human ambition. Majestic towers pierced the sky like modern-day monoliths, their reflective surfaces capturing the essence of the metropolis.
***
Jake found himself swept into a turbulent tide of youthful voices and animated exchanges, the moment he set foot through the gates, guarding the entrance to the school,
The atmosphere crackled with the electrifying energy of countless conversations intermingling, creating a symphony of teenage banter. An amalgamation of laughter, whispers, and exclamations echoed through the air, enveloping him in a mosaic of sound.
Jake pressed his lips together, and took a seep breath, attempting to stifle his rising annoyance.
Noisy places are really the worst.
Navigating through the labyrinthine hallways of the school, Jake couldn't help but catch snippets of gossip drifting like whispers through the wind. Fragments of the conversations that happened everywhere around him.
"Have you heard? Peter got a new girlfriend.” A voice tinged with excitement exclaimed.
"Did you hear? There's a new teacher in our English class…” A girl with animated gestures announced, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Have you seen the news today?" A voice, tinged with a mixture of urgency and curiosity, pierced through the symphony of teenage banter.
Jake’s steps faltered. intrigued by the topic, he drew closer towards the small group of familiar faces. They should be from my class …right?
Jake positioned himself on the edge of the group. Oblivious to his presence, they continued with their chatter.
"What do you mean?" The one to the right asked curiously.
"It seems there was another murder yesterday near Saburishima," another answered with a stern expression.
Oh, so the news already picked up on it? That was fast. Jake thought.
"Really‽ Isn't that like really close to our school?" a third student - Jake vaguely remembered him as Mike - chimed in from the sideline, his voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and concern.
"Yeah, and have you seen how they found him? I almost threw up just looking at the news report." Someone else added, with a mix of disgust and morbid fascination.
Hearing how his classmates discussed the murder, Jake felt a weird sensation washing over him. He turned away, carefully concealing his true emotions behind a mask of indifference, and left.
Their voices soon blended with the never-ending chorus of chatter that reverberated throughout the bustling halls, fading into a background noise that echoed through the corridors.
***
Reaching his seat, Jake noticed that most of his classmates had already settled.
How the heck did she manage to be late— again!
To his surprise, Olivia's chair was once again conspicuously empty.
Puzzled by her absence, Jake discreetly took out his phone and began scrolling through the news. The usual daily events filled his screen—another murder, a shooting, and a political scandal—none of which managed to pique Jake's interest.
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Suddenly, the boisterous chatter ceased, and the classroom fell silent. Glancing up from his phone, Jake realised that their teacher had arrived.
Before them stood a young man with a lean build and an air of enthusiasm, his short black was trimmed neatly, and he looked freshly shaved.
"Good morning, class. My name is Mr. Laurel, and I’m going to teach modern politics as well as being your homeroom teacher."
“… he was not here…”
“…why did someone else…”
Jake peeked around the class, seeing a myriad of questioning expressions on the faces of his classmates.
“Hrmh, silence!” Glancing around the class, Mr. Laurel added, “Let's not waste any more time on my absence. We have a lot to cover this semester, and I'm excited to dive in…"
Damm, he really is too passionate about this. Much to his distaste, Jake felt how his lazy school life was slowly but surely drifting away from.
"Alright, everyone. Today, we'll start with an overview of the political landscape and its evolution over the past few decades. I want you to think critically about the issues and events that have shaped our world today…"
***
Ding Dang Dong
The ringing of the bell marked the end of the first lesson.
Hearing the sound of freedom, Jake packed his things together.
Thinking about what he should be making for dinner, he lost himself in his thoughts, not noticing the strange looks some of his classmates were giving him.
Some time later, Jake finally left the classroom at last.
Without having anyone to talk to, he decided to explore the school a bit.
This place really is huge—what waste of resources.
“Hey newcomer,” a voice suddenly interrupted Jake’s peaceful alone time.
The autumn sun streamed through the windows, casting golden rays across the polished floors, and Jake suddenly found himself in a standoff with a group of four.
Each of them had a menacing smirk plastered on their faces, their eyes narrowed and arms crossed.
The leader, someone how he remembered as Brad, a tall, muscular guy with a buzz cut, stepped forward, flanked by his lackeys: a lanky, shifty-eyed, the wide-shouldered Mike, and lastly the one on the right, Jake couldn’t quite remember his name, had broad grin plastered on his face.
Sigh, why can’t they just leave me alone… Jake lamented internally.
"Well, well, well," Brad sneered, his voice dripping with contempt, "if it isn't the new one. What do you say, Eric? Should we give him a proper welcome?"
"Yeah, let's show him what it's like to be a part of this school." Eric chuckled sinisterly.
Jake was quite irritated why the went to pick on him so quickly. He clearly had only arrived at the school yesterday, what kind of injustice was this!
Looking at the situation, the odds were clearly not in his favour, especially with so many people around, limiting his actions to things he could reasonably explain.
In a flash of inspiration, Jake suddenly thought of something. Quickly acting on his idea, he put on his most innocent of expressions and tilted his head to the side, using a casual tone as he said:
"Hey, Brad, did you know Mr. Laurel is looking for you? Something about modern politics. He seemed pretty upset at you."
Brad's brow furrowed in confusion.
Jake latched onto the moment of confusion and added, "You should probably go find him before he gets even angrier,” pointing down the hallway.
Seeing the group’s hesitation, Jake swiftly turned on his heel and walked away, leaving them to ponder on his words.
He could hear their frustrated groans echoing through the hallway, as they debated whether to follow up on his claim or continue their confrontation.
Taking a look at the nearby clock, Jake realised that it was time to go back for the next lesson.
***
Entering the room as the last one, he noticed the group already seat and glared daggers at him.
I guess, I really pissed them off now.
The second lesson was somehow even more boring than the first.
Jake let his mind wander, not thinking about anything in particular.
***
Ding Dang Dong
The ringing of the bell signalled another break, and pulled Jack’s attention back to the confines of reality.
Hua… that was boring as heck.
Seeing how everyone was leaving, he also made his way out of the class.
Jake knew full well that Bard would not let him just get away like this, but he also couldn’t really do anything to them without causing a scene. That was not something he needed on his second day.
The more Jake thought about it, the more annoyed he became, trying to think about a way out of this dilemma for good.
Since he couldn’t really do anything at the moment, he just left the classroom. At least he already had a plan for what he would do about this break.
Jake did not fail to notice the devious looks on the faces of the group on his way out of the class.
As soon as he was outside, Jake heard how the group stood up and started following him.
Let’s increase the speed a bit.
Jake quickened his pace. He couldn’t let the group catch up to him before he arrived at his destination, otherwise things would go from bad to worse really quickly.
Walking hastily around the last corner, Jake was finally greeted by the sight of an old, unassuming iron door.
Made it! He triumphed in his mind.
With the free time he had during the last break, he had explored the school quite a bit, especially the unusual places not mentioned in the introduction they got yesterday.
One of them being this humble iron door, that was the only one too directly lead to the otherwise restricted roof of the school.
Suddenly, Jake heard footsteps echoing along the corridor. Soon the group of four appeared from the same corner.
“We finally…got you..stop running!” Mike shouted between his gasps for air.
Jake watched with an amused smile, while the group tried to catch their breath.
"What's the matter, Jake? You seem lost," Brad taunted, smirking, the exhaustion still clearly visible in his face.
Jake rolled his eyes sarcastically, "Oh, I'm just enjoying your lovely company and you?"
"Well, we just wanted to have a little chat with you," Eric chimed in, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
All this time, Jake inched closer and closer towards the door behind him.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," Jake responded nonchalantly.
Under their watchful gazes, he suddenly opened the door behind him and disappeared in an instant.
“You little shit… wait till we get you!” Bard bellowed furiously.
Jake ran up the dark spiralling staircase.
Without any light, he quickly lost sight of the group, only hearing the echo off their distant steps bouncing of the walls.
After what seemed like an eternity, Jake finally reached the end of the stairs, when his path was blocked by another iron door.
‘Urgh…’
It took him a considerable effort to open the old, rusty door.
Setting foot on the rooftop, Jake swiftly slammed the door shut and wedged a nearby piece of wood into the door frame, effectively barricading it.
From the other side of the door, he could hear their angry pounding and exasperated curses. But the wood held on, at least for now.
Jake took a look around his surroundings, and marvelled at the incredible scenery that unfolded before his eyes.
The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow on the buildings as they stretched towards the sky. The city skyline extended in all directions, a tapestry of skyscrapers, parks, and winding streets interwoven in a dynamic display of urban life.
For a moment Jake forgot about the school and all other things. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself a moment of peace and tranquility.
For some unknown reason, the rooftop was not a wasteland of bricks and concrete and instead provided a sheltering oasis for a wide variety of wild plants.
He even managed to spot a tree growing nearing one of the edges, even though he really had no idea how something like that was possible.
Sitting down next to the tree, Jake led his legs hang off the edge. The mild breeze rustled the leaves and pulled on his air.
He gazed down at the people below.
This high up, they looked like insignificant ants. Although each of them had a life and relationships, emotions and feelings, they all were destined to be forgotten by endless annals of history.
What a sad reality.