The moment the headmaster showed me a bundle of papers, I should have known, we were getting more than one transfer student.

"Introduce yourselves, from the left." Miss Maire was her cheerful self today.

The classroom was awfully quiet. I didn't like the looks of things. I already knew one of the newbies, the Battlesuin one. And I could vaguely guess why we were getting so many new students. Not to mention all of them were bigshots.

'You just had to upload it, didn't you, Clyde."

With a sigh, I gazed at the five newbies staggers at me.

I had a good breakfast this morning and my exercises went well too, but why did it have to crumble down like this?

"Ella Branford." Braided golden hair, about my height. She actually looked fairly beautiful if nothing else.

"Trevor Vennlil." Taller than me, also blonde. I didn't like the glare in his eyes though.

"Mclain Ganesh." He was both shorter and skinnier than me. Probably Asian.

"Aurora Hleilis. Pronounced Leilis." This girl winked straight at me when she introduced herself. A redhead with bountiful bosom. I could guess why she was sent here.

'Does the universe want something to happen?'

I didn't know why but the universe probably hated me for some reason.

Last but not least. "Hyorin Battlesuin." Just like yesterday, she had her signature smile. Though at first glance, she seemed like an unrivaled beauty, she was definitely trouble.

And yet, her voice was so friggin soothing, as though she was putting a spell on me with mere words.

"Normally we only accept transfer students near the end of terms. But this year the headmaster made an exception. So blame the geezer, not me." Miss Maire's other personality came swinging back.

Could they switch at will or something?

I didn't know why but the first class felt more than taxing enough. And not to mention every single transfer student glared at least once at me. Their intentions were crystal clear.

"Oh, before I forget. Tomorrow's the due date for your assignments. Be sure to complete them or you'll end up getting negative credits. You probably already know this, but if you get less than ten negative credits by the end of the term, you'll be held back a year. Don't forget that."

'Assignments? What assign-'My memory made a sharp comeback. 'I didn't do it, did I?'

All the blood from my head drained and I felt faint. 'Oh sh*t.'

I really wanted to run away right about now.

***

The First class was always history and always taught my Miss Maire. The rest of the classes shuffled quite a lot. I hadn't picked up on the teacher's names yet but I could definitely tell them apart now.

I had a knack for physics. Chemistry and biology rubbed me the wrong way, and so did social studies. Actually, I was barely making any progress at all when it came to anything other than physics. 'Was I even talented to begin with?'

But then again, academic achievements didn't really mean all that much to me anyway. I'll be judged based on my abilities and capabilities rather than my academics after all.

The day after tomorrow would have been my first day off. Honestly, this whole week felt more than just grueling. I still couldn't believe that it's only been a week. Felt like ages.

As usual, our Angelmen friend wasn't in class. I really wanted to give him a pounding but regretfully he was stronger than me.

However, Marg was behind me as usual but she clearly avoided me. I guess I might have done something she didn't like. But what?

With constant tension, I couldn't really focus on anything. 'Why the hell didn't I do it earlier!?'

Classes ended around 2 and I really wanted to go straight to the dorm and do the assignments. I didn't care about anything else, not friends, not clubs, and certainly not interacting with the newbies. Technically I was a newbie myself but why should I have cared?

I was the first one to get out of the class and also the first to get out of the school building. But I really wished I wasn't.

For there were at least a hundred students waiting for me at the building gates with posters and a smile. Club seniors.

'Today was supposed to be club recruitment day, right?'

I took one step back and everyone took one step forward. This went on for a few more steps and before I knew it, I was running for my life.

Why was I running? I had no idea. But I couldn't really waste my time, playing club members with them either. I really had to start the assignment sooner than later. It was a twenty-hour assignment even if I went on a modest pace. Meaning, I'd probably end up sacrificing most of my sleep if I started now with my full attention. And I couldn't afford to lose credits either.

My dreams depended on it.

'Run Helio!!'

And run, I did.

These guys were very persistent if nothing else. Almost like a mob.

One classroom went by. Two classrooms went by. And then another ten.

'Just how long have I been running?'

And then all of a sudden I was pulled into a classroom, in an instant. The mob-like seniors run after what seemed like a shadowy clone of myself.

Though I was dumbfounded for a second, I quickly composed myself.

"Thank-" I was about to thank the person who saved me but- but it was one of the transfer students and the one who winked at me during the introduction, no less: the redhead.

I had a bad feeling about that grin of hers.

"No need to thank Me." She stood directly in front of me and placed her hands on both of my shoulders. "Instead." It was awfully dark in here. I could barely see her face and I was by the door too. "Marry me." She was awfully bashful about it.

'Did my ears malfunction again?'

"Come again?"

"You won't have to if you don't want to." She became a little sad. "I guess I could settle for just one night. But I would have liked to get married before doing it." She became even sadder.

Did this girl have any idea what she just said?

The way her chest pressed against mine gave me all sorts of ideas, and I knew I had to run from here too.

'I've to make a decision.'

I grabbed both of her shoulders like she'd done a second ago.

She squeaked as if not expecting me to be so forward.

But I wasn't going to back down now. I had my decision after all. "Sorry, but I can't be with you. I have a dream and that's more important to me."

She looked at me with glassy eyes for a second and then glared at the very next. "Your dreams are more important than me? Even though you defiled my body with those hands and chest of yours?" Her voice was hoarse and she was emitting a lot more than just murderous aura.

'Excuse me!'

"Yeah, sorry, later." I didn't know what kind of BS she was spitting out but I didn't really have time for it.

And as usual, I started running.

"Wait you piece of!" Now instead of the mob, the girl was following me, more like chasing me like a zombie on steroids. And instead of running, she was coming at me like she was swimming in the floor, through the shadows.

'What the hell. I just wanna study!'

With two drops of tears in both my eyes, I jumped off from the second floor, rolled on the ground, and ran for the dorms.

For once I was glad I always worked out in the morning. I had enough stamina to run and enough muscles to handle jumps like this. Of course, my powers did help me strengthen my body, but it was so meager that I never really paid attention to it.

But once out in the open, I noticed she just stared at me from the second floor: She'd stopped following me. Was she afraid of jumping? No, she was afraid of the sun. Smoke came out of her skin whenever a ray of sunlight touched her. Was she a vampire or something? She did look awfully pale but did vampires even exist?

My whole body shivered once and I walked straight for the dorm.

***

I made a lot of progress. I was almost out of all the trouble. The girls weren't following me and I didn't have to deal with the mob either.

'Just what is wrong with this school?'

"Hi there, Helio." Selene came waving.

"SHHH!" I shushed her before she could make a fuss. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Jintel?"

But honestly, at this point, it was probably meaningless. A lot of people knew my name and shushing every single one of them wasn't possible.

She giggled. "Yeah, not happening." And she had the gulls to say it with a straight face too. "Anyway, let's head over to the club. You'll get in today, right?"

"I was going to but I have to do some assignments. I kind of forgot and-"

Before I could finish, Selene grabbed me as if she was hugging me, and lifted me up from the ground. "Nope, you're coming with me. You can always study later."

"Oh! Come on! Give me a break! And what are? A gorilla? Why are you so strong?"

Her grin disappeared and she glared. "There are certain things you should never say to a girl. I was about to let you go since you didn't want to but-" She paused and grinned harder. "YOU'LL BE coming with me to the club, WON'T YOU?"

She squeezed me harder. This woman was definitely a gorilla, there was no doubt about it. But I couldn't say it out loud anymore. "Okay, okay, now let me down." I was going to run first chance.

"Nada." She gave me another grin, eased up a little, and started running herself.

'Why the hell is this happening to me?'

"ARGHHH"

I tried to scream and struggle but it was pointless as this gorilla had at least ten times stronger grip than humans at least, maybe more.

Now I really, really wanted to cry. Oh wait, I might have already done that.