Growing up poor and small was always going to be an invitation to be picked on, at least in the neighborhoods where Nagi grew up. Nagi has known this since he was old enough to remember. Showing up at school with faded hand-me-down clothes, not being able to fill out his family tree for those stupid grade school assignments, not having the latest gadget to show off in the playground: all these things were fodder for the ruthless idiots who had nothing better to do than push him around. Things got a little better after Nagi worked his way into one of the best private high schools in the city, gaining entrance via one of their merit scholarship programs funded by techy billionaires who had an eye for the next generation of programmers.
At least here, the kids are too rich to really care about the scholarship kids. Most of them are into clubbing or high tech VR or (the studious ones) have their eye on college and beyond. Of course, there used to be the occasional jerk, but most of them left him alone after he actually started making friends, like Omi and Ken and Naru.
What he hasn't escaped yet is the scrutiny of teachers like Gilmore, who felt it was beneath him to teach the likes of Nagi. Maybe he thinks his talents are wasted unless he's raising the next CEO or chief medical officer or senator. Whatever. Nagi just needs to endure one semester of this bastard's class before he moves on to better things. Thankfully, it's a mathematics class, so it's not as though he can be graded unfairly (unless he's accused of cheating).
Still, he silently dreads each Tuesday and Thursday, when he has to sit in his class and be berated again, just for existing. Nagi doesn't expect his friends to stand up for him, but maybe he should have? It's been a relatively new thing for him, people having his back. Certainly, no one has ever tried to challenge authority on his behalf.
He tries to stop him. But maybe he doesn't try hard enough? Or maybe Omi just has a mind of his own. Nagi sinks a bit in his chair when Gilmore kicks Omi out. Ken shortly follows, red-faced. Nagi just stares wide-eyed, unsure what to think. He certainly can't concentrate on the lessons. The class proceeds seemingly forever. Gilmore only shoots him nasty glances, which is easier to ignore than his tongue lashings. The hour is finally up and Nagi quickly heads to the door. He pauses in front of Omi awkwardly, glancing at him.
no subject
At least here, the kids are too rich to really care about the scholarship kids. Most of them are into clubbing or high tech VR or (the studious ones) have their eye on college and beyond. Of course, there used to be the occasional jerk, but most of them left him alone after he actually started making friends, like Omi and Ken and Naru.
What he hasn't escaped yet is the scrutiny of teachers like Gilmore, who felt it was beneath him to teach the likes of Nagi. Maybe he thinks his talents are wasted unless he's raising the next CEO or chief medical officer or senator. Whatever. Nagi just needs to endure one semester of this bastard's class before he moves on to better things. Thankfully, it's a mathematics class, so it's not as though he can be graded unfairly (unless he's accused of cheating).
Still, he silently dreads each Tuesday and Thursday, when he has to sit in his class and be berated again, just for existing. Nagi doesn't expect his friends to stand up for him, but maybe he should have? It's been a relatively new thing for him, people having his back. Certainly, no one has ever tried to challenge authority on his behalf.
He tries to stop him. But maybe he doesn't try hard enough? Or maybe Omi just has a mind of his own. Nagi sinks a bit in his chair when Gilmore kicks Omi out. Ken shortly follows, red-faced. Nagi just stares wide-eyed, unsure what to think. He certainly can't concentrate on the lessons. The class proceeds seemingly forever. Gilmore only shoots him nasty glances, which is easier to ignore than his tongue lashings. The hour is finally up and Nagi quickly heads to the door. He pauses in front of Omi awkwardly, glancing at him.
"...hi."