THE DRAGON DESCENDANT

Campus Life

Chapter 5 – its campus life

The first semester of the third year cohort was set to commence on a Monday and as such, today marked the admission day for new students. Michael had been booked alongside Charlotte who majored in history. He had been homeschooled since he was four, and history was his favorite study. For as long as he could remember, he never failed in any history test or exercise, per se; he was more than qualified to be in Charlotte’s major. However, there were little hitches during his admission, some being that he did not have valid academic certificates and that his nationality and origin was exceedingly obscure. Nonetheless, after a call from the billionaire, Michael’s admission documents were automatically put in the institution’s system. For the purposes of blending in and attract the least amount of attention towards the billionaire’s daughter, Michael was coerced into being a student in Charlotte’s class.

Normally, Charlotte drove in an entourage of two cars to university. However, today was different; she only had Michael with her in her personal car. Since the latter did not have a driving license nor possess any knowledge in driving, he sat in the backseat as Charlotte drove. Much to Charlotte’s annoyance, Michael was visibly enjoying the car ride. Had she not shut her vehicle’s windows, he would have had his head stuck out in the wind like a dog. She had intentionally hit bumps on the road to make Michael uncomfortable but the latter had great stability, her actions only served to churn her stomach.

“ I won’t drive my BODYGUARD to school. What kind of a bodyguard doesn’t know how to drive?” Charlotte’s face was full of reluctance

“ I will learn.” Michael said simply, intent on keeping the conversation to a minimum with her.

“ You better learn it fast because tomorrow you’ll drive.”

“ How am I supposed to learn that in a day?”

“ Sounds like a ‘you’ problem.” Charlotte snappily retorted as she abruptly hit the brakes. When Michael looked outside, he realized that they had stopped a distance away from the university’s entrance.

“ This is where you get off,”

“ Why?”

“ The only thing worse than having you as my bodyguard is listening to rumors that I’m dating a nobody from upcountry,”

“ Who would even think that?” Michael frowned

“ This is campus,” Charlotte scoffed “ now f**k off, I have somewhere to be”

Against his will, Michael stepped out of the vehicle wondering how he was supposed to guard someone who hated him with every fiber of her body. Even before he could shut the door, the car sped off leaving him in a literal cloud of smoke. Stranded in a completely strange environment, Michael was not as conspicuous as he was when he arrived first in Vortis City. He gathered less glances and nobody seemed to speak in hushed tones after seeing him walk by. After getting a decent haircut and a whole wardrobe of better clothes, he looked like any other student. He thought that the moment he got rid of his moustache, he grew down five years, his face childish in every possible way imaginable. It rather beat the point of being an intimidating bodyguard.

As Michael navigated his way inside the very large university, he gathered that he had never been in such a setting before. It was like every scene from a young adult film, only in real life. A majority of the people walked in couples, it almost gave Michael pressure that he never had a girlfriend in his entire life. He also realized that those that walked by themselves tended to be in a hurry, probably because they could not stand the unbreathable romance in the air.

It was an hour before Michael found his way to the history classroom. This was after a few kind strangers pointed him towards the right direction. It was not a huge class, the students inside numbered not more than fifty. Almost instantly, he caught sight of Charlotte and an empty seat behind her. The class was already in session but bigheaded as he was, he straightaway walked in. Maybe he chose to ignore the fact that the lecturer paused to stare at him disbelievingly, or he thought that no one would mind his late arrival. Either way, he did not seem bothered by his discourteous action.

“ Excuse me…” a voice stopped Michael on his tracks. He turned to look at the lecturer; a middle-aged man with an old man’s haircut –a receded hairline that had retreated back all the way to his neck.

“ Who are you?” he followed up with a question

“ Michael Lee, I’m supposed to be in this class”

“ You are forty minutes late” the lecturer said sternly

“ I apologize, I got lost…”

“Lost?” he interrupted “ what kind of lazy excuse is that? Don’t you have a school map in your smartphone?”

“ I don’t have a …” Michael paused when he realized that he forgot to buy a book and a pen, let alone a phone.

“ Where do you intend to write your notes?” the lecturer asked as if he had read Michael’s mind

Some students lightly sniggered amongst themselves

“ You are not prepared for this lesson, you are late, rude and…lazy” the lecturer pointed. Michael did not think he was in the same category as lazy but he did not object. Did not want to be kicked out of campus on his first day.

“And students, “ he paused to gaze at Michael from top to bottom “these qualities, perfectly embodied in Michael Lee, are some of the reasons that led to the fall of the Valdrogo Empire in the Coal Era.”

“ The main one being their chieftain’s marriage to a spiteful and vengeful widow who sacrificed her kids for dark magic” Michael said. Being respectful did not mean that he would not correct the lecturer. However, his words made silence course through the students and the lecturer look him in a new light. As long as he did not utter an abomination, he was fine with whatever that was to come.

“ Take a seat, Michael Lee,” the lecturer said

Michael walked towards Charlotte but upon noticing that, the latter took her handbag from the floor and briskly put it on the empty seat behind her. Michael could only go to the back of the class and sit there until class ended.