A SEOUL MATE- A REINCARNATION ROMANCE (Book 1)

The bell rang, Frank nudged me on the arm. "This is your stop. Class B, right?"

I nodded clutching my books tightly. "Yeah. Thanks for walking me here."

Frank smiled. "No worries. I'd stay and make sure you settle in but my own class is waiting. You'll be fine, Buchi."

I gave him a half-smile, trying to get some confidence. "Let's hope so."

He shifted his bag and jogged off, leaving me in front of the classroom door. I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped in.

Immediately, twenty or so pairs of eyes locked onto me.

"Who's that?" someone whispered.

"Must be the new student," another voice said.

I could feel their stares, sharp and assessing, as I made my way further into the room. A few students leaned toward their neighbors, murmuring comments I couldn't quite catch.

"He's tall," a girl near the window said loud enough for me to hear.

"Looks confused," a boy added with a smirk.

I shrugged it off and resumed scanning the room this time for a seat. There was one open seat in the middle; I went towards it, started to sit down but a girl beside it promptly dropped her bag onto the chair.

"Sorry," she said, not bothering to look up. "Taken."

I scowled but didn't fight it. I moved to another desk this time near the back. In an instant, a boy leaned over and laid his blazer over the chair.

"Mine," he said shortly.

My patience thinned. I turned toward him. "Really? Are all these seats yours too?"

His eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind." I sighed, stepping away.

"Must be an international student," someone muttered behind me, and a few others snickered.

I finally saw an empty desk right at the back, by the window. Nobody was around it, so I claimed it in a flash, dropping my bag onto the chair before anyone could protest. Outside, the view was tranquil; a line of trees was swaying gently in the breeze.

Just as I sat, a girl with a sleek ponytail and a sharp expression walked over to me. She leaned casually against the desk, peering down at me.

"You're the new guy, right?"

"Yeah," I said cautiously.

"What's your name?"

"Buchi Lyon," I replied.

She blinked, then burst into laughter. "What kind of name is that?"

Annoyance bubbled in me. "The kind you no fit talk about, Omo this people self" I said in pidgin.

Her brow furrowed. "What did you just say?"

I leaned back and smirked, "Don't worry about it."

She opened her mouth to retort but the door opened, and the room fell silent. Coming in was a man wearing a neatly tailored suit holding a briefcase.

"Good morning, everyone," he said in a firm, yet approachable tone of voice. "I am Mr. Han, your instructor for Technology and Technical Innovations- or as we call the class for short, TTI 001.

Some straightened up a bit, while others looked bored already. "This course will introduce you to the basics of artificial intelligence and machine learning. By the end of this semester, you should have a foundational understanding of how AI systems work and how they're applied in real-world scenarios." He began writing on the board as he spoke: Neural Networks, Algorithms, and Machine Learning Basics.

"Before we get into it, I know we have a new student with us today." He looked in my direction. "Mind if you introduce yourself?"

I rose reluctantly as all eyes again fell on me.

"My name is Buchi Lyon," I started, trying to make my voice clear. "I'm an international student, and I look forward to studying with you all."

There were a few muffled laughs.

"Welcome, Buchi," Mr. Han said with a nod. "Let's get started."

He launched into a lecture on the basics of AI, explaining things like data processing and algorithms. The class seemed half-interested; some students took notes while others doodled in their notebooks.

About twenty minutes in, Mr. Han paused. "Can anyone explain what a neural network is?"

Silence.

His gaze swept across the room, but none raised their hand.

He raised an eyebrow. "No one? It's a basic concept in AI."

Still, no one moved. Some students exchanged sheepish glances, while others avoided eye contact altogether.

"Buchi," Mr. Han said, turning to me. "Any ideas?"

I hesitated, feeling the weight of the room's attention. "Uh… I've heard of it, but I'm not sure."

The class erupted in laughter.

"Figures," someone muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

My face burned with embarrassment.

Quiet, said Mr. Han, raising a hand toward their silence. But before continuing, I stood up.

"Actually," I began-my voice steady-"a neural network is a system of algorithms designed to recognize patterns, working by simulating in almost impeccable detail the way in which human brains process information and manage analysis using layers of nodes for all critical deliberation.

Mr. Han arched an eyebrow in surprise. "That's…an excellent explanation, Buchi. Very well done."

I sat down again, trying to ignore the 'I am stunned' expression surrounding me.

"Now that Buchi has introduced that, let's build a little more on it, he said, writing extra notes on the board; delving into how Neural networks are used in object detection and natural language processing.

Writing down notes, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked sideways toward the door and saw that same senior again. He was standing outside the door, looking at me with narrowed eyes. For about a second or two, our eyes met, then he turned away and headed off. The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Before you go," Mr. Han hollered over the noise of scratching students, "go read pages 10 through 20 in your textbooks. We'll discuss them next time."

I jammed my notebook in my bag, heading for the door, glad to be well out of sight and earshot. But as I emerged into the hall, I couldn't get the feeling my first day was far from over.

"Buchi, wait up!

I turned to see the girl from earlier, the one who had laughed at my name, jogging toward me.

"What now?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

She smirked. "You're full of surprises, aren't you? First the name, now the AI stuff. What's your deal?"

I frowned. "What's your deal?"

Before she could respond, Frank appeared, sliding to a stop beside me. "There you are! How was class?"

"Eventful," I muttered.

Frank looked at the girl, then at me. "Who's she?"

"None of your business," she replied, folding her arms.

Frank chuckled. "Interesting. Buchi, I think you're already making waves."

"Great," I said, rolling my eyes as I adjusted my bag.

As we walked further and further away, a thought couldn't help but cross my mind: What had I just gotten myself into?