***
While sitting at my seat, making idle chatter with my seatmates. The rest of the class keeps talking about how they didn't expect Kael to be that kind of a person, mostly instigated by Vanessa's entourage and simps.
Just as people where creating their own head-canons about him, he showed up. Kael Ashford, A tall guy for a 13 - 14 year old, messy grey hair, deep crimson red eyes and terrible acne, sporting our summer uniform, top button loose, bag slinged over his shoulder.
He walked in eerily calm under the judgeful gazes of everyone, despite not actively paying attention to him as a person it was quite easy to tell that his cheerful demeanour we all have seen for the last month and a half wasn't there.
Vanessa ceasing her chance abruptly stomps her way infront of him with her entourage in tow.
"Everyone! Look who showed up, the loser pervert himself, Kael Ashford himself."
She cruely exclaims to everyone like some type of cliché bully.
"Hah, look at his face. So full of pimples and he thought he could get with Vanessa with a face like that"
"Yeah, and what's this? In his letters he boldly exclaimed how he fell in love at first sight"
" Right? Saying stuff like ' Dear Vanessa, If I could pick every star in sky to give to you. They would pale in comparison to your beauty'. What a loser"
Vanessa's entourage and simps kept going on and on about his cliché and cringe lines getting laughs from most people in class, while others like myself found the situation awkward.
No one could possibly have a rebuttal or even say what they said was a joke after having all this evidence laid out bare for everyone to see, most of us even expected him to cry.
"Is that all?"
"..."
Silence, it hung in the air for a brief moment, seriously nothing. He said that as if every rude comment and laugh didn't stir anything in him, in a tone and demeanour that made it seem as if he found the situation a waste of time.
Vanessa being the first to break out of her daze.
"Hah, what going to act like this doesn't effect you?"
"It doesn't."
The curt and short answer caught everyone off guard again.
***
(Kael's POV)
Seeing everyone stunned I simply find this whole situation annoying, having gone through all this ridicule before and accepting it like a waste of space for years.
I saw no reason to bow my head down and accept it, I was foolish back then thinking everything will eventually pass if I did nothing.
'How utterly ridiculous'
I think to myself vowing to go on about my second chance at life with a shread of backbone even if it leads to me getting in trouble.
"Now if that's all, get out of my way"
Vanessa's entourage and simps disliking my attitude and way of speaking to her spew more words.
"You waste of sperm, who do you think you are to speak like that to Vanessa"
"Yeah, you waste."
Seriously, they act like she's some kind of goddess descended to the mortal plane. Not that I can blame, I thought so back then aswell. And naturally being a simp that looked both ugly and had nothing to offer I got ridiculed for it by her and the rest for years.
However, I'm not that same person, more so I don't intend and taking it all like i did back then.
"I'm Kael Ashford, pleasure to meet you."
I retort back walking past the group with a relaxed expression eventually reaching my seat and waiting for the class to start.
Before they could react our grade 8 Math teacher, Mr Roswelt walked in. A no nonsense teacher who believes in corporal punishment although the school doesn't accept or practice such methods, everyone knows not to poke that bee hive.
"What's going on here! Take your seats immediately! Unless you wish to take notes while standing for the whole class"
Naturally everyone broke free from their stupor and took their seats.
"Alright open page 69 of your text books, today we'll be talking about—"
As the class goes on I'm naturally just going through the motions of paying attention, I'm internally plotting my next steps going forward.
'I shouldn't go about this second chance carelessly...'
The immediate things I can think of to deal with is to focus on acquiring as many useful skills as early own as possible and working on scoring high grades to gain both financial freedom and freedom to operate more openly to get ahead using my future knowlegde in the future.
After all, I unfortunately have no access to some overpowered system or anything like that. I don't even know why I was sent back to the past, but that doesn't matter to me. Whether it's a God's sick joke or a devil's scheme I'll use this chance to my full disposal.
'In terms of keeping high grades, I could probably utilise a method known as the memory palace'
A method of placing information with rather bizarre keywords or representation along a specific route inorder to perfectly recall information. Typically done by creating a mental map, usually a room or any familiar space you designate
'Naturally it's not easy...'
Building my own, especially to the level and profiency I want could take months to a year.
'It's best to start with a small shelf and practice to retain that information for now, I'll expand on it as my profiency grows'
Leaving it at that I should also start focusing on getting rid of this acne. If I follow the same routine I desperately clung to in the past I should be able to get rid of 90% of them in 2-3 months.
'Oh well I'll just focus on my immediate goals.'
***