While you would typically be paired with a random student at our school, we have decided to assign you to a room with your brother. At his explicit request. You can find your room number printed on the bottom of this letter, and may begin moving in once orientation is complete. May your developing years spent at Raijin be ones of great academic achievement!
You skip down to the bottom of the letter and see three numbers "278" printed on it. A glance up reveals the matching gold number painted on the solid black door of the two floor dorm building.
"Looks like we're here," you adjust the three bags tied to your back and the two suitcases in your hands. You look over your shoulder at Yamato, who's carrying one suitcase and his laptop under his arms. You jerk your head at the door, "Want to do the honors?"
Your brother steps forward, pulls a card from his pocket, swipes it through the rectangular opening in the gray number pad above the handle, and pushes the door open. He holds it for you while you duck to stop the bags from hitting the door frame. The two of you take a moment to drink in the room you've been given.
The entrance leads straight into a living room with a flat screen, two plush looking chairs sitting right across from it, and a small round table between them in the middle of the room. Multiple empty shelves stand to the left and right of the TV, their wood polished to a sheen.
Down the hall to your left you catch a glimpse of a bed with the whitest, cleanest sheets you've ever seen on it through an open door.
The hall to your right shows two doors. The open one leads into a kitchen complete with an electric stove and microwave while closed one has the word "Bathroom" emblazoned above it.
And, of course, there's the wonderful pine scent that hits your nose the moment you take off your shoes. You take in a deep breath of it and let it out with a satisfied sigh.
Then the both of you walk into the bedroom and toss your junk on your respective beds, taking care to place the bag containing the stuff from your parents gently on the floor. You take the bed to the left of the door while Yamato takes the one to the right. Both of you open the black suitcases with decorative "R"s emblazoned on them to pull out your uniforms.
You frown at the solid black shirt while you start to take off your clothes, "Urgh, still don't like the looks of this thing. It's so...plain. Think anyone would mind if I wore my white shirt under this?"
"Considering how many of our peers looked at you with clear disgust when we entered the campus grounds, making adjustments to your student uniform would most likely result in further ostracization among the student body, along with possible disciplinary action from the faculty for violating the uniform code," Yamato replies after you glance at him for an answer. He's started undressing too.
"Yamato, we just got here," you turn back to your own changing with a shake of your head, "I'm pretty sure no one's 'disgusted' with us yet."
"Incorrect. In all past Official Japanese Secondary Education Rankings, Yokohama Raijin High School has been ranked third 75% of the time. 90% of the students who graduate from here get into positions that give them great influence over the future of the country. 80% of those students are the Heir Apparent of various corporations and political parties within Japan."
"Aaaaannnndddd that means?"
You hear Yamato close his suitcase just as he answers, "That of the 200 students that go to this school, the vast majority are, or will be, apart of 'Society's Elites'. In contrast, we are here on Scholarships that pay for us to stay on campus. We are apart of 'The Masses'. The student body being kind to either of us is extremely unlikely."
Your brother starts walking out of the room as you zip up your pants, watching him leave with a concerned frown. A shake of your head follows as you unbutton the top two buttons on your uniform so you can breathe better. Then you follow your brother outside into the living room where he starts to set up his laptop on the small table.
One step is all it takes to stand in front of him and place a hand on his laptop. His black eyes are identical yet duller than yours as they look up to stare you down. But you can still see the small flame behind them, waiting for something to spark it.
"Ok, bro," you start, "What's eating you?"
"As I said when we applied to this school, choosing to live on campus is ill-advised," he flatly explains, "There are too many risk involved to see it as a wise decision."
You smile and place a hand on his shoulder, "That's because you're thinking about it the wrong way. You're only thinking about the risk. Think of the rewards."
Before he can reply you jump back and hold your arms out, "Look at us, bro. We're
high schoolers. These will be the most important years of our lives! Here is where it all starts! Forming friendships that last a lifetime! Taking pride in your school and learning to love everything you do! Discovering your passion and following it through to the end! School crushes that will blossom into the unstoppable force of passion that is Love!"
You strike a pose while planting your foot on the table and pointing towards the ceiling, "And the best way to experience it all, is to be directly in its path! Sure there are risks, but they pale in comparison to the unfathomable rewards that await us when we overcome them! No matter what gets in our way, we will prevail! For we are the Nagai Brothers! And nothing can stand in the path we blaze to our future! Are you with me?!"
A glance at Yamato shows him supporting his head with his hand while looking at you with uninterested expression that you've grown familiar with. Your smile doesn't abate. He finally shrugs while emitting a short sigh, "I suppose there is a non-zero chance of the events you reference happening. So, I will concede that you are correct in this situation. Please remove your foot from the table and cease your posing. Wrinkling your school uniform before classes start or your Martial Arts Club meets will likely result in disciplinary action, which could include the cancellation of your Scholarship."
"Oh, right," you chuckle while stepping down from your perch and sitting in the open chair, "Actually, what do you have to do to keep your Scholarship again? If you told me, I can't remember. Sorry."
"It is no matter," he leans back in his chair, "Due to my scholastic ability, they have given me three possibilities for how I can go about keeping my Scholarship. The first is to join the Robotics Club and enter competitions with them. The second is to join the Chess Team with the same conditions. The final is to keep my grades above a certain percentage, consecutively, for my first two years. I currently plan to thoroughly investigate each option and then choose the most viable of the three."
You smile and give him a light punch to the shoulder, "That's my bro for ya. Figures your smarts would get you not one good deal, but three huh?"
"It is...only natural," you swear you hear the slightest hint of an emotion edging its way into his voice. It was slight, and only lasted a second, but it was there.
The tiniest hint of pride.
With a chuckle you stand up and start heading to the kitchen, "Well, if you need any help, you know where I'll be. You know I'm here for you."
"And I will be here when you require my assistance to pass your more mentally taxing classes."
"Hey, don't think that'll happen the entire time we're here," you send a cocky wink his way, "Who knows? Maybe this school rubs off on me and I end up smarter than you?"
"Maybe, Hayato. Maybe."
You laugh then turn the corner into the kitchen for a drink.
Time to begin your time at Raijin High.
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Current AP: 2
Pick Two Skills to Train.
Skills with (+) gain 15 a week.
Skulls with (-) gain 5 a week,
Skills with neither gain 10 a week.
When Training with Someone Else:
Shared Skill Bonuses get a +10 to points gained.
Your Debuff of a Skill will get canceled out if your Training Partner has the Skill as a Bonus.
If both Skills are Normal, you both get a +1 Point Gain Bonus.
If you have a Skill at Normal, but your Partner has that same Skill at a Bonus, you get a +2 Bonus to the points gained.
If you have a Bonus to a Skill, but your Training Partner has a Debuff to that same Skill, then you don't get any extra points, but they do.
[] Train Alone
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[] Train with Yamato Locked. Yamato is busy helping you get everything set up in the Dorm.
[] Train with the Gauntlets
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- [] Give Gauntlets a nickname? (Optional Write-In...)
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