The Author's POV

-Clank

Opening the door to my room, I was immediately greeted by two individuals standing in front of the door.

"Hello"

"Nice to meet you"

"Yes? How can I help you?"

Standing on the right side, with a friendly smile on his face, was a rather lanky individual with long curly blond hair, and green eyes. Extending his hand towards me, he introduced himself and his friend on the left who was a stark contrast from him in terms of appearance.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Leo Smith from room 905 and he's Ram Johnson from room 907"

With a bulging belly and greasy ginger-colored hair, the individual on the left, Ram, had a rather awkward but friendly smile on his face as he nodded his head.

"Good evening"

Alternating my gaze between the two of them, I raised my brow and looked to my left and right where rooms 905 and 907 were. Thereafter, smiling at them I said

"Oh? Do you guys live next door? Doesn't that mean we are neighbors?"

Nodding his head, smiling kindly, Leo said

"Yup. We just received notice that someone was moving in today, and we wanted to be the first ones to greet you"

Smiling back, I extended my hand towards them and introduced myself to them.

"That's very kind of you, hello, I'm a first year and my name is Ren Dover. Pleased to meet you"

Nodding their heads, Leo and Ram shook my hand

"Pleased to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too"

Shaking my hand, a couple of seconds after we let go, a rather awkward silence enveloped the corridor. Noticing this, glancing at my room, I suggested

"...Do you want to come in?"

Hearing my suggestion, looking at each other, Ram and Leo nodded their heads.

"That would be ideal"

"Thank you"

Seeing how friendly they were being, I decided to let them in. Although this place was filled with arrogant brats, that didn't mean everyone was like that.

Seeing at how they didn't arrogantly look down on me or tried to establish their dominance upon our first meeting, I knew that the two of them were rather nice individuals...It was a nice change of pace considering what I was constantly going through in class.

"Alright, please come in"

Smiling even more brightly, I stepped to the side and let them in. It was a good thing they came as I had a few things to ask them with regards to this building.

Smiling, Leo looked towards Ram and gestured for him to go in

"After you"

"Thanks"

Nodding his head, Ram entered the room followed by Leo shortly after. Thereafter, seeing that the both of them had entered the room, looking left and right to see if there was anyone else, I eventually closed the door.

-Clank!

Closing the door, I turned around a said

"Welcome, although I just moved in here, the place was already furnished before I came so just have a seat while I make some tea"

"Sure"

"Thank you"

Nodding their heads, Leo and Ram calmly walked towards the sofas and sat down. As they walked towards the sofas, from the side of my eyes, I managed to observe that they seemed to be rather familiar with the layout of the apartment.

...It seems like their rooms were similarly decorated.

"huu..."

Seeing that Leo and Ram were comfortably sitting on the sofa, heading towards the kitchen, I quickly heated a teapot and exhaled lightly.

This was the first time I met people that were either not arrogant brats or novel characters. I didn't want to leave a bad impression. After all, being a loner wasn't really something I loved.

A couple of seconds after Leo and Ram sat down, coming back with a steaming pot of tea, I sat on one of the sofas and poured tea for them.

"Thank you"

"Thanks"

Thanking me and taking the teacups in front of them, Leo and Ram carefully took a sip of it. Placing the teapot down and blowing on my teacup, I looked at them and asked

"You guys are also first years?"

Taking a sip of the tea and savoring the taste for a couple of seconds, placing the teacup down, Leo looked at me and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm from class A23 and he's from class A19, what about you?"

"Class A-25"

"..."

"..."

As soon as finished speaking, silence enveloped the room. Thereafter, I saw both Leo and Ram look at me with a trace of pity in their eyes.

"..I feel bad for you"

"Yeah"

Confused, I couldn't help but tilt my head to the side and ask.

"Why's that?"

"...aren't you in the same class filled to the brink with second-generation kids whose arrogance knows no bounds? Isn't it tense?"

Frowning slightly, I couldn't help but ask

"Is it not like that for you?"

Glancing at each other, Leo and Ram simultaneously shook their heads. Taking another sip of the tea, Leo softly said

"Nothing of the sorts, our class is pretty chill. Moreover, everyone is united and we don't form our own cliques like your class does."

Frowning and interlocking my hands together, I leaned forward and asked

"How come?"

"Well it's because there really isn't anyone important in our class...you get what I mean?"

Thinking for a moment, I shook my head

"hmm...no, not really"

Nodding his head, calmly placing the teacup down, Leo explained

"Basically, because there really isn't anyone important in our class, no one needs to suck up to someone else's ass. If I had to say, our class is pretty balanced. Ram's class as well as everyone just gets along with each other rather than having someone commanding others and stuff like that..."

Listening to Leo speak, from time to time Ram would add a few things and nod his head in agreement.

"mmhmm...although we do have some people that have a stronger background because the majority in our class is similar, we are rather united and thus no such thing happens."

Placing my hand on my chin as I listened to them speaking, I lightly nodded my head.

"mhh...I see"

...it made sense.

With how most of the arrogant second-generation kids ended up in my class, it wasn't strange that they had all formed their own cliques and segregated themselves from the other students.

Resulting in this imbalance forming within the class.

After a while, looking at both Leo and Ram, I couldn't help but jokingly say

"Let me join your classes"

After a short pause, staring at each other, we all lightly chuckled

"hahaha"

"hahaha"

Chuckling along with them, halfway through my chuckle, I stopped laughing and seriously said

"Hahaha...I wasn't joking"

I really wasn't

Maybe at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to move out. Their place sounded like paradise in my opinion.

Although now that I took care of Arnold and a few other annoying brats, the fact that I was still ignored and verbally abused from time to time didn't change.

...and just like they said. Almost everyone in my class was part of an influential family or whose parents were important figures in their own right.

If I wanted to deal with them, I had to be thorough. I couldn't just pick a fight with anyone I wanted.

Especially considering the fact that I had a family to look after now, as they could target them at any time without my knowledge.

This fact became even more apparent with the incident with the Matriarch.

...actions had consequences, and unless I thoroughly destroyed my enemy until I made sure they weren't going to take revenge on me, I couldn't move.

Hence why, their classes sounded like paradise to me. A place where I didn't have to think too much about my behavior.

Looking at me with a trace of pity in his eyes, Leo tried to console me

"I feel for you, but classes change every year so you might get lucky next year"

Leaning backward on the sofa, a bitter smile appeared on my face as I sarcastically said

"haha, if only I was that lucky..."

He wasn't wrong.

Every year we would be assigned to different classrooms, so perhaps next year I would get lucky. But considering my luck so far...I could only helplessly sigh.

-Ding! -Dong!

As I was having a good chat with Leo and Ram, suddenly, the doorbell rang once again. Turning towards the door, I looked at Leo and Ram for a brief moment before saying.

"Hmm? more neighbors?"

Seriously looking at each other, Ram and Leo's faces became tense. Thereafter, grabbing me by my sleeve, Leo carefully said

"Ren...be careful"

Raising my brow and looking at them carefully, I couldn't help but slowly ask

"What's wrong?"

Looking at each other, after a short pause, Leo quietly spoke

"...we were planning on telling you this later, but actually, this building is not as peaceful as it sounds"

Frowning, I suddenly had an ominous feeling

"Not as peaceful as it sounds?"

Nodding his head, Leo and Ram looked towards the door with a little bit of fear.

"...yeah"

Noticing Leo and Ram's odd behavior, the frown on my face deepened. If I said I was surprised by this development, that would be a lie.

From experience, I could pretty much guess what was happening.

Although I didn't know much about this place, it seems like there was a social hierarchy here that I did not know of.

Whoever was at the door, was definitely someone that I wasn't going to have the pleasure of knowing.

-Ding! -Dong!

"Coming!"

Staring at the door, I looked towards Ram and Leo before making my way towards the door.

'...I'll have to observe first before making a move'