A New Beginning at CCG Academy

The sun was shining brightly as Suzuya walked into his classroom, his head held high despite the whispers and stares from his classmates. He had grown accustomed to being shunned, but it still hurt. He scanned the room, his eyes searching for an empty seat. That's when he saw Mr. Shinohara, his teacher, standing at the front of the room. "Good morning, class," Mr. Shinohara said, his voice warm. "I'm sure you're all aware that we've been having some... issues with Suzuya-kun's education. As of today, we're going to be implementing a special program to help him catch up." Suzuya's eyes dropped, his face feeling hot with embarrassment. He knew he was behind, and it was all because of Big Madam. "For the rest of the year, you'll be paired up into squads of five," Mr. Shinohara continued. "You'll be working together on assignments, and I'll be monitoring your progress. I expect you all to work together and help each other out." Suzuya sighed, knowing that no one would want to work with him. He was the outcast, the kid who didn't know how to write or do basic math. The classroom erupted into chaos as students began to move around, forming their squads. Suzuya stood frozen, his eyes scanning the room for someone, anyone, who would be willing to work with him. That's when he saw them, a group of four students who looked just as lost as he did. There was Nakarai, a 17-year-old junior with short blonde hair and piercing black eyes. Mikage, a 16-year-old sophomore with really short black hair and a single earring. Tamaki, a 15-year-old sophomore with brown hair and brown eyes. And Hanbee, a 15-year-old sophomore with long black hair and white eyes. As they introduced themselves, Suzuya's eyes lit up. Maybe, just maybe, this would be a chance for him to finally talk to someone who didn't treat him like an outcast. "Hi, I'm Suzuya," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. The others smiled, and Nakarai took charge. "Alright, let's get started. We need to work together to get a passing grade. I'm Nakarai, by the way. I'm the oldest here, so I guess I'll be the leader." Mikage nodded, his eyes fixed on some distant point. "I'm Mikage. I'll be handling... celestial mechanics." Tamaki grinned. "I'm Tamaki. I'll be handling... um, video games and stuff." Hanbee looked down, his eyes avoiding Suzuya's. "I'm Hanbee. I'll... I'll help Suzuya-kun with his writing." Suzuya's face lit up with a smile. "Thanks, Hanbee-kun!" As they began working on their assignment, Suzuya stared blankly at his paper. He had no idea what to write. The others started writing, their pens scratching across the paper. Nakarai looked over at Suzuya. "Hey, Suzuya-kun, why aren't you writing?" Suzuya shrugged. "I don't know how." The others looked up, their faces confused. "What do you mean you don't know how?" Tamaki asked. Suzuya's eyes dropped. "I've never been to school before. I was... homeschooled." Hanbee's eyes widened. "You mean you've never learned how to write?" Suzuya shook his head. "No." Nakarai's expression turned serious. "I see. Well, let's start with the basics then." As they began to teach Suzuya how to write, Nakarai couldn't help but notice the signs of abuse on Suzuya's body. The way he winced when he moved, the numbness in his eyes. After class, Nakarai asked to see Suzuya's grades. Suzuya hesitated, but eventually handed over his report card. Nakarai's eyes widened as he scanned the page. "All F's, and missing assignments? Suzuya-kun, how did you manage this?" Suzuya shrugged. "The teachers thought I was faking it. They didn't believe me when I said I didn't know how to write." Nakarai's expression turned grim. "I see. Well, we'll get you caught up in no time." As they walked to the computer lab, Tamaki asked, "Hey, Suzuya-kun, why didn't you eat your lunch?" Suzuya's eyes lit up. "I was waiting for someone." Just then, Big Madam walked into the cafeteria, her group of friends in tow. Suzuya's face lit up, and he grabbed his lunch, bringing it over to her. Big Madam smiled, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Ah, Suzuya-kun, my little boy. How are you doing today?" Suzuya beamed. "I'm doing great, Mama!" Big Madam laughed, her voice husky. "Good. Now, let's see what you've got there." Suzuya handed her his lunch, and she inspected it. "Hmm, chicken nuggets. Your favorite." Suzuya nodded, his eyes shining with excitement. Big Madam handed him two chicken nuggets. "Here, Suzuya-kun. Enjoy." Suzuya walked back to his friends, his face lit up with a smile. "Hey, guys, I'm done." Nakarai raised an eyebrow. "That's all you're eating?" Suzuya nodded. "Yeah, Mama said I could have two nuggets." Hanbee offered, "Hey, Suzuya-kun, do you want some of my food?" Suzuya shook his head. "No, thanks. Mama didn't say I could eat that." Nakarai's expression turned grim, his eyes narrowing as he watched Big Madam and her friends. He had a bad feeling about her, and he was determined to keep an eye on Suzuya. As they continued their day, Suzuya's smile never wavered. He was happy, truly happy, for the first time in his life. But Nakarai couldn't shake off the feeling that Suzuya was hiding something, that there was more to his story than he was letting on. And as they walked out of the school, Nakarai made a mental note to keep a close eye on Suzuya, to protect him from the darkness that seemed to surround him. "Hey, Suzuya-kun," Nakarai said, his voice low. "Can I ask you something?" Suzuya looked up, his eyes shining with excitement. "Yeah, what's up?" Nakarai's eyes locked onto Suzuya's. "What do you mean by 'Mama'? Who is Big Madam to you?" Suzuya's smile faltered for a moment, before he recovered. "Oh, she's just... my caregiver." Nakarai's expression turned skeptical, but he said nothing. He would get to the bottom of this, and he would make sure that Suzuya was safe. As they walked, Mikage began to explain the concept of black holes, and Tamaki started talking about video games. Hanbee listened intently, his eyes fixed on Suzuya. And Suzuya, well, Suzuya just smiled, his heart full of joy and his spirit soaring. "I'm so happy to be with you guys," Suzuya said, his voice barely above a whisper. The others smiled, and Nakarai nodded. "We're happy to have you, Suzuya-kun. We're going to help you, no matter what." Suzuya's smile grew wider, and for a moment, he forgot about Big Madam and the pain she had inflicted on him. All he knew was that he had found friends, and that was all that mattered. "Thanks, guys," Suzuya said, his voice filled with emotion. "I'm so grateful to have you." As they walked, the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the school. And Suzuya, well, Suzuya just smiled, his heart full of hope and his spirit soaring.