4 First Meeting

Leo woke up earlier to search for the school he's transferring to, wouldn't want to have a bad impression especially to his target. He took the Metro Red Line to the edge of the city, a rather affluent suburb populated by the rich and famous. A few people gave hidden peeks at him, mostly staring at the badge of his school uniform. The school he is going to is a prestigious school, normally attended by the elites.

The school is located just 5 minutes away on foot. The path to school is pleasant, with a wide well-paved cobblestone walkway, it gives a rich historical aura but by no means antiquated. It is as if this part of the city held its ground against time and won. A gentle breeze blew through, swaying the trees laid by the walkway, fluttering Leo's navy blue coat. There were very few other students, maybe he got here a little too early. He took his time and enjoyed the walk.

Once he arrived at the main gates, he looked up at the main building in its entirety. The 5-storey building looks modern with a hint of gothic architecture. The campus is divided into 3 blocks; the main block in the middle where most administration offices and cafeteria are, the west block where the classes are held, and the east block where the clubrooms and gym are located. A large field is located behind the main block where sports activities are held.

"Uhh, where is my classroom again?" he rummaged through his bag to find his documents before giving up and tried looking for other students to ask but there aren't any of them around. Sigh…

He continued wandering around the school, making a mental map of the places he went before ending up at a park behind the school. Some geese were swimming around the lake and there's a hint of lavender in the air. It's quiet and Leo felt at peace. Then he noticed a girl under a tree, deeply engrossed in her book. Her black hair made him remember something but he can't quite get a grasp on it.

'I shouldn't disturb someone busy,' thought Leo.

He walked back to the west block and this time most students are already present and he managed to find his class easily with their directions. He did not know which seat he should take thus he waited around and found a familiar face. That's not who he was expected to see here.

"Daniel?! Why are you here?"

Daniel looked around and found Leo calling him, he wasn't surprised.

"Hey Leo, didn't Arthur tell you?" Daniel pushed his glasses up and his glasses shone for a brief moment. "I'm here as your support and you call me Mr Witz. I'm your homeroom teacher."

Leo was confused, I never had a support and now he's also his homeroom teacher?! What is the old man trying to do? Can Daniel even teach?

"Don't give me that face. I have a teaching license you know."

Ding dong!

Before he could collect his thoughts, the school bell rang. Students started flooding into the class and to their respective seats. Their boisterous chatter continued. Aaron went into the class first and asked Leo to wait outside until he's called.

Daniel clapped his hands three times loudly.

"Quiet down everyone, we have a new transfer student with us today. Please come in and introduce yourself, Leo."

He walked in casually with his left hand in his pocket and waved with his right hand. Everyone's gaze focused on Leo and the classroom quieted down.

"Hey everyone, I'm Leo Ake, just call me Leo. Nice to meet everyone and I hope we can be friends", Leo gave a warm smile at the end of his introduction. There were some whispers in the class, especially amongst the girls.

"Alright, thanks for the introduction, Leo. I hope everyone can get along. Um, how about sitting behind Luna?" Daniel showed his seat while smiling at him. Leo interpreted it as a smug smile.

When he walked past Luna, she wasn't even paying attention to his introduction until he got close to her before she noticed him and gave him a warm smile.

Leo blushed a little. 'Ahhh she looks way better in person. Stay professional, Leo. Focus.'

His seat is located beside the window overlooking parts of the neighbouring houses. The red roof tiles contrasted beautifully with the blue cloudless skies.

He would peek at Luna once in a while but she never once looked back.

--------------------------

"Alright class, that is all for today. Remember to revise the topics I have taught today. It will be coming out in the test."

The class stood up, bow, and thanked the teacher before he left.

'I should introduce myself to her first, I suppose' Leo thought.

As he started to stand up and introduce himself to Luna, the class started to swarm and surround his desk, leaving him no room for escape.

"Hello! I'm… Nice to meet you!" "Where are you from?" "Can we trade numbers?" "Hey, hey, hey! Welcome to class 1-1!" "Do you have a girlfriend?"

So many people talked and asked questions at the same time, making him unable to respond to any of them.

"You are suffocating him, you know," a quiet voice came from the front, obstructed by the crowd.

The crowd stopped the racket upon realising their behaviour and started talking in a more orderly manner. "Ah yea, sorry about that."

The conversation went smoothly from then. He got to meet many new people, and he tried to remember all their names. He had fun talking to them. By the time the crowd dissipated, he noticed Luna wasn't there anymore. He packed his belongings and went to the rooftop to have his lunch. He has always preferred to have his lunch on the rooftop. It was quiet and the view magnificent. When he reached the rooftop, he was in awe. The view was better than he imagined. The historical townscape made him feel as if he was transported back to the middle ages, minus the modern infrastructure. The vantage point elevated the feeling of a king standing on the top of his castle.

He sat on one of the benches and began unpacking his lunch box. He prepared his lunch with last night's leftovers before he left for school. As he was going to grab a bite, he felt something rub at his leg. He looked down and saw a black cat brushing its head against his leg. It looked up and gave him a beady eye look.

'Aw, it's so cute. Is it someone's pet? The school pet?'

He dropped a piece of dumpling, and it gave a soft thankful meow. It nibbled for a while before biting the rest and ran off. It jumped off the walls and ran on the roof nimbly before disappearing from view. Leo quickly finished the remainder of his lunch and left. He wanted to check out the clubs on the East wing, especially the art club.