Chapter Text
Perfection.
It’s something I always strive for.
No matter what it takes, I will do anything, to achieve my perfect self.
It’s something I have trapped myself in.
And I have no time to waste.
It’s still an early morning in the F.O.S Military Command College, not many students are present within the halls of the academy, those who arrived early are mostly there to seek out self-education, or just to enjoy the quietness of the halls before the daily student’s commotion arrived. One such student is Langston Smith, the straight A student and high achiever of his year, the embodiment of perfection himself. How could he not, he is the son of John Smith, and all Smiths must strive for perfection. People might find him weird and out of their league, and the lack of friends Langston had was the prove of that, nobody would want to befriend a perfect human being, after all. But Langston paid no mind to them. To him, perfection is all that mattered, no matter the consequences or cost he must pay. He would always go to the academy early to self-study before school hours started, all for the sake of a perfect score. And a place he always goes to whenever he needed a self-study session is the library.
During normal school hours, the library is a crowded place, students can be found everywhere within to self-study or self-assess what they’ve learned in class that day. But it got worse every time an exam week is coming up. The place would always be packed to the brim with students needing to cram everything before the week started. But as it is now, the library is quiet, with only the librarian and a few early risers like Langston himself strewed across the desks here and there. He found himself cooped up in his favorite spot in the library once again, one which not many students know about. It was on the second floor, hidden behind a few shelves. A small private heaven for those seeking refuge from the usually crowded place. Langston found this place by accident during one exam week, it was crowded, as usual, and Langston struggled to find a place to settle and study. After exploring the first floor and to no avail, he moved himself up to the second floor. By chance, he bumped into the shelves that hid the room, and he found himself opening the door to the small section he now called his second home.
He was originally here to self-study, but that plan went out of the window when he caught glimpse of a book with a blank cover he hadn’t noticed before. He was too absorbed into studying he didn’t really check the shelves for books or any interesting bits and pieces in the room. Seated on a small desk facing one of the shelves filled to the brim with books, he was so absorbed in a book to the point he didn’t notice a visitor entering the room.
“Oh! I didn’t know there’s someone here.”
A kind voice broke Langston from his focus as he looked up, an ashen blue haired girl peeking from the room entrance. From the looks of it, she’s the same year as himself, with the uniform and all. But why is she here? How did she know when he’ll be in this exact room? He thought he was the only one who know about this place, is she tailing him from behind? Or is she a stalker simply because he’s a brilliant student?
Casting his suspicions aside, he closed the book he was reading as he eyed the visitor carefully, “Who are you, and why did you follow me here?”
The girl only stared at him for a while before shaking her head sheepishly, “Oh, dear Gods no I’m not following you at all! I’m not that sort of creep, this is my usual go-to spot to study, I thought I was the only one who knew about this place, turns out I was mistaken, I mean it was a public space after all, haha.”
So, there are other people who knew about this place, Langston thought. But the timing couldn’t be weirder. During the times before this one, there has been no one else who came into this place at this hour besides himself, so why is this girl suddenly here at this hour?
“I have a quiz tomorrow and I forgot to revise days before so I need to cram as much as I can today, so don’t mind me and just continue enjoying your book.” As if she can read his mind, the girl answered with a smile on her face.
Langston nodded, once again casting his suspicions towards the girl aside and continue with his book. The girl’s footsteps echoed throughout the room as she took a seat on a different desk from him and taking her study materials out. Before she could start her session, she spoke again, breaking the silence within the room, “By the way, I don’t think I have caught your name.”
“It’s Langston… Smith.” He hesitated for a bit.
The girl gasped; stars could be literally seen in her eyes. “As in THE Langston Smith from Class 3? Wow I can’t believe I’m meeting the Ace student himself. What an honor!”
Langston raised an eyebrow at the exclamation. That was a weird reaction, he thought. People would’ve only thought of him as “the son of Smith” or “successor of the Smiths” and paid him no further mind after his introduction. But this girl…
Noticing Langston’s expression, she immediately apologized, “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to put you up in a pedestal or anything! I just really admire you, from your hard work to your brilliance.”
Admire? Me?
“Oh, my name’s Erika Stauner, by the way. I got too focused on you I forgot to introduce myself, sorry about that!”
The girl, Erika, smiled as she continued to take out the rest of her study materials from her bag, an odd selection of paper notes, pens, and textbooks he has never seen before. He heard from somewhere that during the Golden Age, humans are still studying using physical mediums like paper and books, just like the ones kept in the library. But to see someone at this day and age use papers like that to record notes when technology exists is truly weird…
Returning to his book, the pair soon fell into a comfortable silence with the occasional pencil scratches from Erika. Langston thought these small noises would annoy him, but strangely, it instead calmed him down and helped him focus more on his book. An hour passed before them realizing it, and it was already 6.30. Erika looked at her watch and started to pack her things up, the sound of paper rustling caught Langston’s attention, “Finished already? That was a quite short session.”
“Trust me, I wanted to continue if I can, but my first class start at 7 and I can’t be late,” she replied while packing the rest of her stationary up, “Don’t you also have morning classes?”
“Wait, what? It’s almost 7?”
“It’s 6.30 already! Don’t tell me you got too engrossed in that book to the point you forgot to check the time.” Erika chuckled.
Langston checked the clock in his terminal and, sure enough, it showed 6.35, “Crap, I mustn’t be late today!” Panicked, he immediately stood up and packed his own things, there wasn’t much to begin with so rushing things wasn’t that hard.
“You still have thirty minutes to spare, you know? No need to rush- “ Before she could finish her sentence, Langston was already out of the room in a hurry, not noticing the library book he brought alongside him.
Erika could only stand there in silence, staring at the doorway in which Langston has rushed his way out. She had heard of the reputation of the Smiths before, but not to this extent. What’s wrong with being a few minutes late to class? Everyone has been there before.
But then again, this is the Smiths people were talking about, and of course Langston need to live to that kind of expectation from everyone around him.
Erika stopped packing her things, seemingly remembering the gossips she has heard about Langston from her classmates during her first year attending F.O.S.,
You’ve never heard about Langston Smith? He’s that one guy from Class 3 who’s a loner due to his “perfect” nature.
Yeah, right who would be willing to befriend that guy. He’s too weird, all he thought about is study, study, study.
Feels like he got nothing else going on in his life besides being perfect and sucking up to his father.
Heard he doesn’t like getting disturbed while studying, so you better not cross him at all.
A strict lifestyle, combined with loneliness defined by only perfection after perfection…
She can’t help but feel sorry for him.
“So much to do for the perfect Smith, huh…”
Silently, she made a promise to herself as she exited the little sanctuary, not only because of her own curiosity, but also the sake of Langston himself.
It might be impossible, but... I want to befriend and know him better.