"So, any ideas on how to make ourselves known to the whole school?"

Van was currently seated at a u-shaped table, there were four other students seated along with him, including Gemma. He quickly noticed the black-haired student seated at the middle of the table, she was one of the people that spoke during the entrance ceremony.

​​

Van didn't really know what he should be doing here so he has been keeping his mouth shut. They really haven't told him what the purpose of the Student Council body is. He was briefed by Gemma on some of the things they have done, but from Van's perspective… they were just playing.

"Tch', a loud scoff then echoed throughout the small room, quickly disrupting Van's thoughts. Van had been trying to avoid his existence ever since he got here but… it was really hard when Gerald was doing nothing but stare at him the whole time while leaning on the wall.

"Why don't we start by kicking out the beggars from the Academy?", he said as he crossed his arms.

Van, however, only looked at him with a smirk on his face.

"You!"

"Enough!", the student council president slammed her palm on the table before looking straight into Gemma's eyes, "You really brought us trouble here, Gemma", she said.

"S… sorry, Pres", Gemma scratched the back of her head as she slightly let out a chuckle, "I didn't think the Headmaster would also bring in the psycho"

Hearing Gemma's mocking words, Gerald could not help but once again click his tongue as he looked at Gemma threateningly. Of course, Gemma did not back down as she also looked at Gerald, her eyes turning yellow and fierce.

The student council president could only take a long and deep sigh as she shook her head. "What about you, freshman?", she then looked at Van, "Any suggestions?"

"...No", Van quickly answered. Honestly, he already forgot what they were talking about.

"Seriously!?", the president could not help but groan in frustration, "None of you have any ideas!?"

"Uhmm… Hannah?", one of the old members excitedly raised her hand, her short pink hair bouncing on her shoulders as she did so.

President Hannah slightly twitched her eye as she saw who was raising their hand, but after a while, she just sighed and pointed at her, "Yes, Greta?"

"What if we become idols?", she said.

"Huh?", Hannah could not help but raise an eyebrow, "Entertainers?"

"Hm", Greta nodded her head, "I heard there were idols back in ancient times. Women and even men perform songs and dances all around the world. And they were quite famous", she said, her eyes lighting up with passion.

"Where do you keep hearing that?"

"...From one of my father's books"

"Father?", Hannah could not help but let out another sigh, "Wasn't he also the one who said that the people in the old world were scared of a mere temperature change in the environment? And that it would be the end of the human race?"

"Y… yes!", Greta's eyes lit up even further, "You read one of his books!?"

"Yes, to laugh", Hannah bluntly said, making Greta turtle back on her seat. "And even if we do go with the entertainer idea, who among you could sing and dance?"

Hearing the student council president's words, almost all the people in the room looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. However, there was one who momentarily raised her hand, one of the old members that had been quiet the whole time. But seeing as she was the only one to raise a hand, she quickly retracted her hand.

Gerald, who could no longer control his patience, grunted in frustration as he removed himself from the wall. "Why not just set up a school festival and plaster your banners all over the place?", he said.

"This is so stupid", Gerald continued, "People don't know you exist because you're not doing anything except recommend student rules to the faculty. Do a festival, the Tokyo Academy is doing it every year"

"Y… you've been to Japan before, Gerald!?", Greta stood up in excitement as she looked at Gerald.

Gerald, however, could only roll his eyes. He was going to study there originally because they had better facilities, but when Harvey said that he wanted to go to NYSA since it was nearer, he chose to stay.

Gerald's eyes then turned serious as he looked down on Van, who was peacefully sitting at the table, "And they also have a main event…", he said, "They host a tournament where every student of all levels could participate"

Realizing where Gerald is going with his suggestion, Van could not help but furrow his eyebrows as he looked at Gerald. Their noses twitched as they stared each other in the eyes.

"Great idea!", but before anything could happen between the two of them, president Hannah clapped her hands as she stood up, "And we will also go with Greta's idol idea. I saw Janice raising her hand earlier"

"!!!", Janice could not help but widen her eyes. She thought that nobody saw her.

"Alright, I will talk to the Headmaster about this!", Hannah said before running to the door, "Dismissed!", she shouted, her voice slowly disappearing through the hallway.

"Oho", Gemma let out a loud scoff, "Good work, you psycho"

"Call me psycho one more time and I will make sure--"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever", Gemma waved her hands nonchalantly.

"Tch", Gerald could only click his tongue as he angrily marched out of the room, but not before looking at Van in the eyes one last time.

"Oh man", Gemma let out a huge sigh, "That psycho really has it out for you. Don't worry, it's our duty to protect freshmen from monsters like that"

"Anyway…", Gemma continued, "How was your first day?"

"Uhmm, Gemma? Who are you talking to?", Janice tilted her head and squinted her eyes.

Gemma quickly turned her head towards Van, but to her surprise, he was no longer there.

"..."

***

"Sorry, I'm a bit late."

Van ran straight to the Academy gates as soon as the meeting was over. Harvey and Beatrice were already waiting for him, with the addition of Victoria.

"Yo, how's our little politician?", Harvey let out a slight chuckle.

Van could only twitch his eyes. Ever since Harvey and Beatrice have learned that Van would be joining and was now a part of the student council, they have been teasing him nonstop.

"Hm…", Beatrice fixed her glasses, "Don't disturb him, Harvey… He is part of something important now"

"Pft", Harvey and Beatrice could not help cover their mouths, their muffled chuckles piercing Van's annoyed ears.

"Hm?", Victoria, however, could only tilt her head.

"Ah, right!", Harvey noticed the look of curiosity in Victoria's eyes, "Van is now part of the student council body!"

"...We had something like that?", Victoria blinked her eyes a couple of times.

As soon as Beatrice and Harvey heard Victoria's response, their muffled chuckle became a full-blown laughter. It took a minute before the two were able to calm themselves down.

"...Should we go now?", Van quickly said as soon as the two were done, "Will we be walking there?"

"No", Victoria quickly shook her head as she looked up to the sky.

"Hm?", Van also instinctively copied Victoria and also turned his head upwards. He could not help but squint his eyes as he saw a small dot, which was getting bigger by the second up in the sky.

"!!!"

As soon as the dot landed in front of the gates, Van's small frame could not help but be pushed back from the strong gust of wind that slammed his body. "W… what?"

Van blinked his eyes a couple of times as he looked at the huge object that pushed him away. It was a carriage… no, a coach would probably be the better word for it. There were four gryphons on each of its corners, presumably using them to fly the coach in the air.

Van was in awe as this was the first time he was ever seeing something like this. But seeing Harvey and Beatrice's nonchalant expression, it would seem that something like this was nothing special.

A man with a curled mustache then jumped from the box and quickly opened the door of the coach. "Miss Victoria", he respectfully bowed.

"And… these are your friends?", he then said as he looked at Van and the others, "Hello there, it's a pleasure to finally meet all of you"

"Oh!", the man then settled his eyes on Van, "You even have a friend from the elementary department, hello there"

"Don't be rude, Albert", Victoria quickly waved her hand as she stepped into the carriage, "He is my classmate"

"R… really!?", Albert instantly cleared his throat as he bowed his head at Van repeatedly, "I sincerely apologize!"

"P… please", he stuttered as he gestured to Van and the others to step inside the coach.

Van could only let out a sigh as he stepped inside the carriage. It wasn't his fault that he was small, he convinced himself. The coach quickly flew into the air as soon as all of them was inside, it slightly made Van dizzy, but after a few breaths to calm himself down, he was finally able to relax-- gripping the handle of the door tightly, of course.

"You know, Van…", Beatrice fixed her glasses, "I think we never really asked how old you are", she said, "And we've been friends for like a month now"

"...16", Van said with a slight sigh.

"I… see", Beatrice nodded her head, but after a few seconds, she suddenly stood up in shock, hitting her head on the coach's ceiling, causing the gryphons to slightly panic due to the coach suddenly shaking violently.

"Y… You're older than me!?"