Chapter Text
A/N: Saiki’s thoughts will be in Italics, but when he “speaks” there will be both italics and quotes. Other’s thoughts will be in between ‘these’
One of the few things Saiki k really enjoyed doing was watching TV. He couldn’t read the TV characters ' minds, so he was actually able to be surprised. Tonight, he was partaking in his regular ritual of binging bad telenovelas and eating coffee jelly.
“But- You see, what I’ve been meaning to tell you is-” The male lead was interrupted mid sentence. Suddenly, a commercial flickered onto the screen. God damnit, he was about to reveal his biggest secret. Saiki thought.
“Are you a rich young high schooler with way too much time on their hands?” Saiki ignored the chipper voice from the tv, and was about to leave to get a coffee jelly when the man caught his attention. “Then join Ouran high school! Now with a new diverse range of clubs and programs, including a brand new Baking program-!” He immediately turned back to the screen. Rich people sweets? “-And do not worry if you are a commoner. Students who transfer here may sign up for a scholarship relating to any of our clubs and programs! Of course you can also opt for the classic academic scholarship! Visit our website to learn more!” Scholarship?
He immediately turned to his computer, looking up the name of the website currently flashing on the screen. He went to the scholarship page, and sure enough there was a list of possible scholarships for the school, with “Academics” listed at the very top. The scholarship exams were being held in the middle of the school year it seemed… Next week?! Saiki thought. This was convenient. He wouldn’t have to deal with all of the regular pests that enjoyed making his life hell.
* * *
Saiki was surprised by how easy it was to get his parents to let him sign up once they found out about the scholarship. He would easily be able to pass any of the scholarship tests. The tests were being held throughout the school, with all contenders meeting in the main hall first. It was a sunny Saturday, and the school was a short train ride away. According to the website, the regular entrance exams for transfers would be held the same day. This proved to make Saiki’s life harder, as the entrance hall was mostly rich bastards. The headmaster walked onto the stage to address the students.
“Welcome all, to our Ouran Academy! Today we will be testing the skills and intelligence of each of you to truly find out if you are fit for our profound institution!"
Saiki’s mind was almost overwhelmed with all of the thoughts of the people around him. Reaching into his pocket, he fished around until he found what he was looking for. The special ring that he used to block his mind reading. It was helpful when he needed to focus. A lot of things were riding on this opportunity, though he would likely stand out as a commoner, the rich bastards would leave him alone. Surely they would all think they were “too good for him”, right?
It had taken a long time to convince his parents to allow him to go to the test, though things got much easier when they realized that the scholarship meant he could go for free. His mother was especially hung up about it, as he was going to “leave all of his nice little friends behind” (one of the main reasons for joining Ouran in the first place). Again, he was able to bring up “how great the opportunity was” and how he would be able to “make many valuable connections”.
The room instantly became quiet once Saiki slipped on the ring. The only voice he could hear was the Headmasters, and it was comforting to have a break.
“-And with that, let us begin! Scholarship contenders, off to the right. Line up to the right and a faculty member will lead you to your respective testing rooms. Good Luck!” Saiki turned to the small line of about 20 students lining up for the scholarship. Fewer than expected, but he was hardly surprised. He had found out the night before that the scholarship was generally prestigious, and difficult to get. Most students his age wouldn’t even want to try. The school's enrollment system was interesting, because students were also able to partake in the scholarship exams over the summer to be able to start from the beginning of the year. Had he known about it, that would have been Saiki’s course of action as well.
At the head of the line, there was a tall faculty member waving to the crowd, shouting “Scholarship students come over here!” Saiki quietly walked over and joined the line. There wasn’t anybody from PK Academy, which proved to be convenient. He had assumed that Kaidou would show up, but, ironically, he was usually forced to spend his time studying instead of watching TV in the first place. The man led the group of students through a doorway and down the hall. The entire school felt like it was painted pink. Interesting. Saiki thought.
“All students here chose Academics, so you will all be testing in the same room.” The man said, opening a door to a large classroom. There were about 30 desks, more than enough for the present company, and each had a packet and a pencil next to it.
“Take a seat at any desk you like, and do keep in mind that should you cheat, you will be immediately failed and removed from the premises. Luck.” He said. Saiki sighed. Good grief. He walked over to a desk near the back of the room, and sat down.
Looking at the test, he realized how much he overestimated the difficulty level. The questions were easy, and once he finished he had to pretend to still be working on his test so he wouldn’t stand out. He knew he got every answer right. Once the test was over and he was able to leave, he pulled the ring back out of his pocket. (It was put away for the duration of the test just in case he didn’t know an answer). He slipped it onto his ring finger and headed for the train. Now all he needed to do was wait.