The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

ASTRID finally arrived at Redwood Academy.  He planned to quickly go to the Registrar's Office where freshmen should register and get their student ID.  The procedure for registration was pretty easy because of the virtual directions floating around.  It involved the step-by-step process of what a freshman should do. 

First, one should go to the Registrar's Office.  This 'office' was not exactly just a building but a combination of three.  So, it's more like an area.  These three buildings represented the three departments in Redwood Academy of Performing Arts.  Music, Dance, and Acting.

After a freshman went to the respective building of their department, they would be given a number.  Once their number was called, not really called but rather showed on one of the virtual screens, they would have to go to a room where they would do all the registration procedure.

This procedure included showing their acceptance letter and giving their basic information that could easily be checked through their Terminal.  Then their student ID would instantly be processed and given to them.  By given, he meant being sent to their Terminal.

Going there, Astrid decided to take a shortcut.  He already had a copy of the map of the academy, so, that was easy.  He just didn't expect that on his way there, he would see three boys ganging up on a petite guy.  He couldn't see the petite guy's face but he could see the maliciousness from the face of the guy leading the trio.

"You really think you deserved the top spot at the Music Department?" the malicious guy said to the other with a sneer.  "You should curve your delusion.  The teachers only gave you high points because of your poor background.  In short, they only pity you."

The other two who were obviously acting like the guy's lackeys laughed in a timely manner.

"An orphan dreaming of becoming a star?  How ridiculous," one said.

"Maybe hearing others call him 'genius' got to his brain and he really believed it to be true," the remaining one added. 

Astrid brows furrowed when he heard that.  He really disliked these types of people.  He probably would encounter more of them here. 

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"I may not be a genius but I am talented.  More talented than you three could ever be.  So, why don't you save your breath.  Because no matter how much you mock me, it only sounded like the squeals of three jealous pigs."

Astrid almost laughed when he heard that.  The voice was very nice and melodious.  One wouldn't think that such a nice voice could say such artistic taunts.  The faces of the three people really turned into the color of pig's liver.

He saw that the three were about to attack the petite guy.  He didn't hesitate to use his mental strength on the three.  Which resulted in them fainting.  Astrid then lowered his cap and walked away from there. 

He wasn't worried that this incident would be traced back to him or that it would be blamed on the petite guy.  After all, making three people faint all at the same time could only be done by someone with SSS-level mental strength.  And would people really find someone like that in this academy?

Astrid continued to walk until he arrived at the area of the Registrar's office and he quickly saw the building representing the Acting Department.  It had the most student walking there.  Not really surprising, considering how most of the people on the Star List were actors or actresses.  Everyone who applied in this academy probably had the dream of being on that list.

The moment he entered the building, an AI machine automatically gave him his number.  Which actually looked like a coaster.  He took it and simply stood on an area where there were less people but he could still see the numbers on the virtual screen properly.  When he did, he tried to make his presence as non-existent as possible. 

Which was not really that hard.  He was an actor after all.  If he wanted to, he could be like someone invisible.  Well, not literally.  Just someone that people would pass by without looking twice. 

But he must admit, that was hard to do.  Especially when you have a very eye-catching hair color.  No matter how much you tried to be invisible, someone would always notice you.  So, he had to wear a cap to hide his hair. 

He didn't really want to be the center of attention.  Which he would surely be if people saw his hair and eye color.  He just wanted to register quietly, get his student ID, and then call Ellis.  That way, they could go to Polaris much earlier. 

Then, maybe after that he and his new agent could talk more properly.  Which they hadn't able to do the other day.  Ellis would be his agent from now on.  He wanted to know her vision regarding his career, whether their views would align or not.  Which was very important. 

What if she wanted to go to certain direction that he didn't want to?  It's important that they established thing.  Although he had a feeling that the two of them would probably have no such problems, it still wouldn't hurt to make sure.

After some time, Astrid felt the number in his hands vibrating, indicating that it was finally his turn.  He looked up at one of the virtual screens and looked for his number.  He saw it and then looked at the room number on top of it.  Along with his number, there nine more.  Indicating that ten of them would go to the same room.

It didn't take long for him to find the room.  When he knocked and went inside, he only saw an AI robot that was standing beside some device that would probably record their basic data.  In front of the AI were 10 chairs that were divided into two horizontal rows.  They were most likely for the freshmen that had been assigned to this room. 

He walked inside and the AI immediately turned to him and said;

"Please, sit in numerical order."

Astrid remembered that his name was the fourth on the list that appeared on that virtual screen.  So, he sat on the fourth chair from the left on the first row.  Soon, the other nine freshmen also arrived.  Just like what the AI robot said to him earlier, he also told them to sit in numerical order.

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After all 10 were there, the AI spoke again;

"Once I call your number, please step to the front."

Then he called a number and the one sitting on the first chair stood up and went up front.  Astrid quietly observed.  The procedure was pretty simple.  That device he saw earlier would scan the acceptance letter you've got, probably to ensure its authenticity.  Then it would scan your citizen ID which was basically automatically generated once you got a Terminal.  It's the proof that you're a citizen of the Empire.  Scanning that was probably done to record your basic information on the academy's database. 

It was soon his turn.  The process was very fast.  After only a few minutes, his information was already registered on the academy's database and his student ID was also sent to his Terminal. 

With that, he was now officially a student of Redwood Academy of Performing Arts.