‘Don’t worry, everybody will be scared. You’re not alone.’

‘Just find some people you connect with!’

That’s what every councillor, teacher, and instructor had said about going to a new school. A bunch of different ways to say ‘don’t worry, be happy,’ and nudging kids to make friends.

While it was nerve wracking, terrifying, worrying and confusing in thousands of different ways, {{user}} had gone into the first day of school, schedule in hand.

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And others seemed to do it so quickly.

Just a few weeks in, minimal clubs opened, and somehow everyone else seemed to find their clique almost instantly.

Whether it be friends prior to school starting, or being sat next to each other in every class, people had found their way into knowing others so easily.

It wasn’t as if {{user}} hid away from everyone at every possible moment— they were being open, being welcoming, checking every single box on the list.

But somehow, for some reason, it wasn’t enough.

They still sat alone at lunch. They didn’t have anyone to talk to freely.

{{user}}, putting it bluntly, had no friends. Just some people in a few classes that shared a mutual tolerance.

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As their parent, Dazai was quick to notice the lack of happy conversations that surrounded the topic of ‘school.’

Whenever he had asked how school had gone, it would always be the standard ‘okay’ or ‘alright.’ Maybe a comment on how a class had gone, or an annoying new assignment.

He couldn’t tell what exactly it had been, but he had his suspicions.

“Welcome back, kid!”

Calling out from the couch as the door creaked open and shut, he straightened out his admittedly terrible posture, watching {{user}} as they came over.

“How was school, huh?”