My eyes went on a state where it can’t seem to blink because of what it is seeing right now.

In the duration of four months, I can’t believe the school has gone through a lot of upgrades. It’s basically like a newly built school. Well, there definitely are remnants of the old look of the facilities that I can remember since the last time I’ve been here.

“I better get going now. The other students are already staring at me.”

With a weak voice I released those words after a sigh. I continue walking until I got passed the school gate and I saw students looking at the bulletin board that made me rather surprised.

“The bulletin board is being used? That’s new.”

I went to the bulletin board after the students dispersed and what I can see are lists of students. Perhaps it was organized by year and class assigned to the students, including me. I pointed at my name and looked which class I am.

“Class-“

“As usual, we’re both at the same class again!”

A voice perhaps tired and breathing heavily spoke behind me. Setting aside being surprised, I turned around and saw another student with a medium build, hair that I can’t distinguish if it is messy or not, and an exhausted smiling face. His sweat is pouring down to his chin as he placed his right hand onto my left shoulder. Considering that he’s out of breath, he probably ran to school.

At first glance, I already know who he is—Nagi Kajima, we’re on the same year and section and he is one of my friends in this school.

“Nagi.

Why are you running in a very sunny weather in the start of our school year? Do you really want to kill yourself?”

“Well… I woke up at 9 and sprinted from our house to here. I thought I was going to be late you know. Besides, I can be rest assured since it's not summer anymore.”

“I don’t want to talk about to the topic of waking up. Anyways, we are in Class 4A. There’s nothing new about that, yes?”

I tightened the strap of my bag and started walking, but it seems that Nagi is not walking behind me.

“Uhh… Gin? Where are you going?”

I turned around and saw that our distance is approximately 11 meters. His face looks confused though I don’t know what the reason is to that puzzled face.

“Huh? What do you mean? Of course, to our classroom at the fourth.”

“…

Our classroom is at the other side, right? It has been announced a week ago. Ah, I get it. You’re still not used to going there huh?

Come on, let’s go.”

“Huh…?

HUUUUUUUUUH?!

I totally didn’t know anything about that! Wait a second, was there even a building there now?”

“Haha… You’re right. Let’s go.”

I just told a blatant lie to him. My sweat is pouring down like a waterfall. I almost embarrassed myself because of being ignorant to what is happening in the world.

The two of us walked to the left pathway of the courtyard and stumbled upon students passing by. They are walking opposite our way and by the looks of it, they’re probably juniors.

We reached the school library but we’re not yet stopping. What showed up after the library is a building with two floors consisting of four rooms per floor that summed up to eight classrooms. For the second time in this day, I felt defeated once again.

The stairs are wider than the old building and the security camera on the top corner of the wall is the newest model of the cameras used in our school.

“Motion tracking, huh?”

“4 – A”, is what is written on a small slab of a sturdy wood attached to the wall.

“A sliding door? That’s also new.”

I opened the door of our new room and what I saw inside were six columns of chairs, and five rows in equivalent. It has the same wooden platforms that has the same material of the class signage but thicker.

How resourceful. There are drawers underneath.

“Yo! You two are late!”

The one who shouted was Akira Bentley. He’s currently seated on the very corner seat at the back nearest to the window and beside him is Jean Ando. Those two are also my friends in this school, and if I include Nagi, I only have three friends here and the same goes for them.

“Am I seeing things? You’re earlier than me for once.”

I am talking to Akira, who was always late almost every single day. If my memory serves me right, he already had 254 school days of being late for three years. If not late, he’s just barely on time. We always tally how many times he’s been late since the four of us became friends.

“Ha. Don’t underestimate me. I woke up at seven in the morning today and I am the first one to enter the classroom. Isn’t that greeeat?”

“Oh, please. Not with the topic of waking up again. And you stole my usual place!

Are those seats free beside you two?”

“Yeah, go on.”

I sat beside Jean and on my right is where Nagi sat. It’s always like this every first day of school because it won’t last long. Tomorrow, the seating plan which was made by our class adviser will be functional.

There are twenty-three students already in the classroom including us. It’s pretty much the same seeing that some of my classmates this year were also my classmates for three years. There are probably seven more coming sooner or later. And because of that, something caught my attention.

“We’re only thirty this year? That’s surprising. Last year we’re 42 but it depleted like a quarter now. I wonder what happened to them.”

“It’s probably because of that incident four months ago. Don’t you agree?”

I looked into my left and right to observe the classroom more. It turns out that there are four transfer students this school year. I’m not fussed about it though.

▪ ▪ ▪

*Ring*

As the bell rang, the students went back to their makeshift seating arrangements and then our class adviser entered the classroom with a clipboard resting under his left arm. Our adviser this year is Kiiro Kobayakawa from Class 4C last year. He’s a great teacher.

He stood in front of the table if I apply what is on his sight.

“It seems that everyone is here now and all of you have taken their seats. I will introduce myself. Some of you may know me already, but my name is Kiiro Kobayakawa. I am formerly the adviser of Class 4C but I was switched to be your adviser this school year.

Self-introductions will be set aside for later. Let me explain what happened that resulted to you, students to enter the school year this August and your everyday call time to be 10am.”

The school year always starts every June in Orio and classes begin at 7am, but we are an exception because of a certain incident.

“As you may know, the vicinity of the school suffered an excessive amplification of sound waves four months ago. That incident was considered an unprecedented event and is still unknown if it was a natural phenomenon or an intentional interference of someone by using the modernized technology of this generation.

What is unfortunate is that the school lost three of its staff because they died. And based on the autopsy from the police, their eardrums were destroyed and the brain was also attacked.

I am not a physics teacher but I will do my best to simplify it for you.”

His face looks stressed as he was looking at the clipboard he is holding. It is probably because he is a math teacher so he’s just reading what’s written on the paper.

“The soundwaves for the past three months in the school are very abnormal, and they were off the charts. Meaning, the sound traveling in the air somewhat amplified to a high frequency and to a dangerous degree. It means that it was the first time happening in the history. Either way, it is very dangerous even if it was a natural occurrence or an intentional action of a human.

As I have said, it destroys a person’s ears in general and it is within an instant. People can still live without the sense of hearing but this is a new case. The powerful sound enters your brain and it will disrupt all of the functions that the nervous system delivers to the whole body.

But a month ago, the incident was resolved and the amplification is now gone. Experts from other countries traveled to examine the incident and they resolved over 90% of it.

But there are still at least 10% left, so to be safe, world-class engineers developed a counter if ever it occurs again. We will be giving you all an earpiece that should be worn whenever you are around the school premises. Worry not, it won’t interrupt your auditory senses when you wear it. And if the incident happens again, the earpiece will detect it and it will act as an intangible shield to your ears.”

We were immediately given the earpiece and all of us wore it both on left and right ears. It kind of looks weird but it is actually comfortable.

“Sir Kiiro, there’s a chance that the waves can enter our body aside from our ears. How about those possibilities?”

My classmate raised his right hand and asked those out of curiosity. Our adviser looked at the clipboard once again and answered him immediately.

”Oh, sorry. Correction, the earpiece does not only shield your ears but your whole body. The technology was from other countries that Orio has not yet obtained until last month. Expect technological changes in the course of the year and onwards.

With that, I will end my homeroom but I’ll be back later for further reminders. Wait for your next teacher.”

Immediately after our adviser left, constant chattering enveloped the room.

As how my classmate addressed our adviser, that is what they call him indeed.

Regarding the incident, that’s the gist of what happened here, in Blue Ink High that led us here today being the first day of the school year.

Yeah, the earpiece really feels so comfortable and the dark gray color of it does not contrast to how it makes my ears float.

“It’s a great fit, weren’t they?”

Akira definitely felt satisfied after he wore the earpiece just after a few minutes ago.

“…the look on my face is disgusting isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it sure is.”

“Make sure not to melt your face.”

“Urk…”

Even though Akira was just joking around, his satisfied face turned depressed after hearing Nagi’s blunt reply to him. He started pouting while improperly seating on his chair.

“Pfft…”

Jean, who is on the seat beside almost burst out of laughter but he resisted it while I am just looking at the things that struck my curiosity.

“What are you looking at?”

“I really am an old man.”

“What?”

“I suppose I was living under the rock for four months. I didn’t even know that the technology here in Orio made a huge jump.

I do read the news everyday though. How did I miss those things? Oh, I think it’s because I only focus on watching the news about the incident here.”

“You’re just listless, that’s all.”

“And you watch too much anime.”

“You’re probably both right.”

My conversation with Nagi was interrupted because the sliding door opened.

“Alright, minimize your voices.”

It was the next teacher.

Three steps remaining.