To my surprise, the hallway wasn't empty—at least not the left side. I glanced right. The middle was more than half empty, while the right side had no one at all. Shadows stretched across the walls as the overhead lights flickered slightly, making the scene feel bigger than it was.
In the middle, a guy paced back and forth, glancing at his watch. When someone tapped his shoulder, he jumped slightly.
"Pssh, Ruden."
"Huh, what?"
He held a mic in his left hand and immediately looked up at his friend, who nodded in my direction. I sighed, bracing myself. His gaze shifted to me, and he raised the mic with a smile.
Before me, mostly giggling girls were gathered. For a second, I braced for ridicule—thought they'd been making fun of me all along—but their whispers didn't carry mockery, just excitement.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS THE CHALLENGER, F0 CLASS—"
I stepped forward, looking left. Ten boys split like sliding doors, forming a clear path. "NARUHIYAAAA SATOOOOO!"
The hallway felt like it stretched endlessly as I looked at it, with dizziness I glanced back once inside the classroom, where my two followers yet awaited to leave, the echo of my steps mingling with the rising chatter of the crowd.
The sound hit me, sharp and thrilling already mixing with distant echoes of ringing somewhere deeper inside my brain. To my surprise, they weren't laughing at me. The boys cupped their hands around their mouths and cheered, voices merging into a chorus.
"SATO! SATO! SATO! SATO!"
The blinking lights of our school reflected off the girls' wide eyes, the shimmer of excitement bouncing off every corner.
"COULD IT BE HE IS A LONE WARRIOR, CHALLENGING A BIGGER RANK ALL ON HIS OWN FOR DESPERATE ATTEMPT OF SURVIVAL- OR!!?"
My chest tightened—not with fear, but with something electrifying, like the moment before a storm breaks. As I stepped forward, finally starting my way towards the centre grounds, Anastasia stepped right behind me with the other girl besides her.
"IT APPEARS FOLLOWING THE UNDERDOG IS, ANASTASIA VOWENSTRUCK THE LIGHTING OF 'CROWS UNDER ACADEMY', AND EMILIA.. Just a book worm."
Emilia raised her first towards him "WATCH IT BRAT-"
The cheers rolled like thunder, "SATO. SATO. SATO." bouncing off the walls and making my heart hammer in rhythm with them. I could feel the heat of a hundred gazes on me, yet it didn't feel heavy—
"SATO! SATO! SATO!"
It felt electric, like the world had shifted to focus entirely on this moment even though my heart beat like there was no tomorrow, probably because there will be no tomorrow. I couldn't help but feel incredible at that one moment.
So this is what circusants feel? I can see why Dokuremi accepted so easily now, he wanted to feel it. This thrill, this atmosphere.
Anastasia and the other girl moved quietly behind me, their presence steady, almost protective. I caught glimpses of the girls in the crowd, faces lit with excitement, whispers spreading faster than wildfire. "So thats the face of the wild F0 rank challenged an D rank? And that Dokuremi out of all? How incredible!?"
"YOUR A LEGEND SATO!" Someone yelled, "YOU CAN'T BELIEVE HOW QUICKLY YOUR NAME SPREADED HAHA!"
The boys parted farther, giving me room, their chants growing louder, synchronized:
"SATO! SATO! SATO!"
Even the pacing Ruden had stopped, watching as the crowd followed behind me, closing the gap like the sea closing in on its shores. Every step I took felt magnified, the hallway stretching endlessly, my heart continued beating harder, faster, sharper. The crowd was tightening around me on either side. Voices rose higher, a chorus of encouragement and anticipation. "SHOW THOSE D RANKS, IN THE NAME OF ALL F'S!" The flickering lights caught the shimmer in Anastasia's hair, the other girl's well uncaring glare really, and for the first time, I felt the weight of the moment— I wanted to run.
I was seconds away from stopping, calling it off.
My breathing followed after my heart became faster, sharper, painful to inhale or exhale.
I lowered my look, trying to distract myself from the long stretch of the hallway-
I can't do this, there is no way-đ
Completely 've stopped in my tracks.
Suddenly Anastasia quietly spoke into my ear "Raise your look, lover boy."
"Huh- What?"
Following her instruction, I slowly looked upwards.
It was her, Marianne smiling brightly, waving me over from the distance. Behind her Ryuzaki with something that appeared like a makeshift flag, a letter F being carved in front of the C.
Marianne- Even ryuzaki..
I looked behind me the mass following me, the announcer yelling something into the mic, Anastasia having her arm raised against my right side making sure the kids don't get too close, Emily doing the same for the left side hesitantly but diligently, as her role demanded her to.
Can I really let them all down? Again again and again?
This is the only chance I've got.
Get it together me..
Suddenly with all of my might, I slapped myself. The cheering stopped for a second while Marianne's smile dropped.
Be arrogant.
To be arrogant, act arrogant.
"You've got this, Sato! For all the F's who are looked down upon!" Someone yelled from all the way in the back.
What I realized in that instance, the reason so many kids are following me was because the school hallway wasn't just a hallway anymore. Nor was it for my survival only anymore. It was a stage, a battlefield, a place where the impossible felt possible—and for the first time, I wasn't just walking through it. I was actively participating in it, as a leader.
Where lower ranks always were discriminated against, in a society where bullying is not only permitted but encouraged towards the lower ranks, the F's were the very bottom of its anarchy.
And in their eyes to change that, and for its own survival someone even lower than them stepped forward to 'protect' them. My eyes glistened while my heart quieted down. In an instant of silence, my arm slowly raised instinctively, not knowing why, just letting the energy carry me. The crowd appeared to watch in silence for a second, then it erupted , a storm of voices, clapping, and whistling.
Today is when everything changed, it must.
Otherwise, I'll cease from existing.