Curiosity is common within the vessels, especially between those who are viewed as ‘smart’ (although ‘not smart enough’).

Yulai Lan is curious, perhaps too curious. The researchers have noticed an uncommon pattern in the young man, one connected to his aforementioned curiosity.

Yet, Yulai Lan is not known to be a troublemaker, he’s rarely seen around by his fellow year. They, in turn, also can’t guess what goes on through his head most of the time — not that Yulai is any kin to share. Thoughts can be impulsive and impulsive is well past the imagined forbidden territory.

Today began the same as any morning of the last several days, but a shift in the air makes him wonder. Why are the students, who are mostly too quiet and proper, too eager to start, suddenly murmuring between one-another?

The head teacher — a robot, as the first year of the academy doesn’t require any being of higher cognitive functions to teach — enters the class in the same manner as usual. After a curt nod, it forgoes the daily formalities, instead approaching with a new greeting: “The Researchers have decided to call an exception this year. As such, we will be welcoming a new student today.” It states, its posture perfectly straight, hands on top of the desk, ignorant to the whispers which grow louder.

Thus, we come to Yulai’s current cause of curiosity.

It is quite uncommon — one dare say unheard of — for the students to receive a new addition into their block; even more so when they joined two weeks into the lessons. Classes in the academy are divided into fixed ‘blocks’, a number of students specifically picked to be trained together for the next five years. The blocks are organized since early childhood, enabling everyone to become familiar with one-another. It is advertised as a tactic to ensure high level teamwork later on (not really anything else, not even basic human interactions).

Attention fully captured, Yulai is left to observe. He pushes himself with one foot, the front of his chair hovering as he leans back, a position the boy hopes makes him look formidable to some extent.

“She’s two years late into the block selection, but she’ll be joining us either way.” The teacher continues, pressing a button near the edge of its table, a simple command making the classroom doors slide open.

Yulai taps his chin with a pen, while creating a rhythmic back and forth atop his chair.

Two years later into block selection… Oh, so she is already in her 20s? That’s another point to add to the newcomer’s list of oddities. The class only quiets down when the student in question enters, her flowing purple hair contrasting strongly against the gray of her uniform. The lines along the arms and zipper are white, much like the rest of the students. No one can spot a band wrapped anywhere, however.

The silenced class roars again, this time even louder.

“Are you from the Isolation Wing?”

“What’s your rank?”

“Are you an outcast?”

“Do you even have a GA?”

The boy sitting on the other end of the classroom arches his neck up to try and peek over the heads of his classmates, a wrong move on his side as he loses balance and falls backwards, the loud resulting noise momentarily shushing the class. Yulai keeps quiet, looking down as he feels all eyes on him.

It didn’t matter how used one becomes to the gazes or how well one blended in, they all still made him want to disappear.

It also doesn’t exactly help that the prim and proper students of the academy expected someone with high anatomy scores to be… not clumsy.

Looking up towards the newcomer, Yulai’s lips stretch into a small smile, catching the change in the girl’s hazel eyes, her own lips pouting as if she wants to hold her laughter back. The girl had entered the class with her eyes filled with excitement, like a child being introduced to a new side of their ability.

But then as the barrage of questions returns, the light in her eyes fades like blown fire. Now, they look different, dull. Lifeless even. They remind the boy of the eyes of the researchers. The researchers he had to witness dragging his friend towards the Lockdown Wing.

“Hey, what’s your name?” His call is almost high pitched, a counter-spell towards the one sided interrogation going on. The girl flinches, startled and on edge as she is.

“M-Minji.” Ah, even her voice is something to admire.

“Hi~! I’m Yulai, nice to meet you!”

It’s an exchange of grins and warm smiles. Minji commits the welcoming features, soft topaz gaze and fluffy looking black hair, to memory, while Yulai can’t help the ever widening smirk as the look in the girl’s eyes gradually changes. Paying more attention to the questions still storming around, he can only deeply sigh.

He has never seen Minji around the NVD, and without knowing her vessel code, he can’t guess whether she transferred from the LCD or not. The Isolation Wing is a bit too extreme of an answer, especially so provided that Minji possesses no rank band. She is definitely a Rank 4 considering she’s here to begin with, right?

Deciding to play the role of the armor in shining knight- wait… knight in shining armor, Yulai puts his hands in front of his mouth, drawing Minji’s attention again. “Hey! There’s an empty seat next to me.”

Purple bangs fall over her eyes as the newcomer attempts to make herself as small as possible, head lowered as she navigates through the tables. It’s as if she knows where everything is, the map of the class in the back of her mind. The boy follows her the entire way, smiling softly when the girl peeks at him with one hazel eye.

A few seconds later she carefully sits down on the table to Yulai’s right. Another few seconds later and Minji almost falls from her chair when the holographic screen pops up from her table.

Yulai stifles a laugh, both in fear of his class and in worry for the newcomer. He begins explaining everything to the older girl, attempting to maybe cheer her up once or twice…

Still, no matter how much time passes, nor how much he whispers, Minji refuses to look up. Not to give her attention to the screen, nor the head teacher.

She is only physically with them.