Chapter 89: The Spotlight’s Stage
The grand clean-up was scheduled for Friday, coinciding with the last period of the afternoon for 'series of activities'.
Among all the classes, the 'Free Activities' was undoubtedly the most popular, even more so than Physical Education. The reason was simple: it offered far more freedom. Students could either stay in the classroom to play around or head out to the playground, basketball courts, or engage in any sport of their choice.
For the bolder students who dared to engage in clandestine romances, the Free Activities was a rare opportunity for a "double date."
In contrast, Physical Education classes required everyone to do warm-up exercises or run a couple of laps before being allowed to engage in free activities. This routine ate up valuable time, leaving students feeling they didn't get to enjoy themselves fully.
Furthermore, during PE, sneaking back to the classroom was forbidden, and everyone had to regroup at the end of the class to be dismissed together.
However, the downside of the Free Activities was that all grades had it scheduled on the same day. As a result, basketball courts were in high demand and often had to be claimed by force, leading to conflicts and disputes.
Given the strict discipline policies at this high school, fighting had severe consequences, including inevitable punishments. Thus, resolving conflicts through physical altercations was not an option; the only way to settle disputes was on the basketball court.
A more harmonious approach involved dividing into multiple teams for half-court games, where each team would rotate out after three baskets. Those who wanted to stay on the court longer needed to "hug the thighs" of skilled players—essentially, forming alliances with the best players for better team chemistry.
In practice, few students were shameless enough to openly "hug thighs." At this stage, pride was everything, and the highest compliment among boys was a simple "You're awesome."
Thus, students typically stuck with their classmates when forming teams, rarely seeking alliances with those from other classes.
However, the "noble boy" Marcus El Postacio from Class 1-3, with his affluent background and school bully appearance, played basketball well. Despite his showy dribbling and sometimes off-target shooting, his form was aesthetically pleasing.
As a result, many basketball enthusiasts from other classes were willing to team up with him. As long as he passed the ball more and avoided reckless shots, their three or four-person squad could easily dominate the half-court games, establishing a "nomadic group" during the Free Activities.
With Marcus around, they never lacked a basketball court. In fact, the most sought-after court, with its prime location and netted hoop, was almost always occupied by him and his friends. Only the best players in the school could compete on this court, which was the "NBA" level of the campus, while other courts were merely tagged "Nah."
During the Free Activities, this basketball court always had a crowd of students watching. Most of the spectators were boys, as the common trope of many girls watching basketball was rare at Thessaloniki First High School. Such scenes only appeared during school basketball tournaments when girls served as cheerleaders for their class teams.
Girls had their own favorite activities during the Free Activities, like badminton, table tennis, or even childhood games like shuttlecock kicking and jump rope.
As for the academically driven girls, they treated the Free Activities as a self-study session. Some even headed back to their dormitories, given it was the last class of the day. Unlike PE, there was no need to regroup for dismissal, and they could go directly to the cafeteria for dinner afterward. Some girls preferred to use this time to shower when the school's public bathhouses were less crowded, thus saving more time for studying later.
In short, students utilized the Free Activities in various creative ways, making it the most beloved part of the school schedule.
Technically, the Free Activities was meant for student clubs to hold activities. However, Thessaloniki First High School didn't promote club activities as much as foreign language high schools did. If students wanted to start their own clubs, especially in their first year, the school generally didn't oppose it.
For instance, Santos El Zanthos from Class 1-1 was keen on forming a rock band, which could be considered a club activity. He had been trying to recruit his friend Dionysius, believing that with Dionysius's popularity, the band would thrive.
Unfortunately, Dionysius showed little interest, leaving Santos's band idea in limbo. He figured he might have to wait until college to make it a reality, given the intense academic pressure at Thessaloniki First High School, the best performing high school in the province, where everyone focused on grades, making club activities seem like a waste of time.
...
It was now Friday afternoon, and the third period had just ended.
In Class 1-3, students who had been dozing off during the history lesson were now wide awake and energized.
Their history teacher, Ms. Cassiopeia La Casso, was known for her monotonous lectures. She strictly followed the textbook, never wasting a minute on digressions or entertaining anecdotes. She had a habit of writing on the blackboard while teaching, requiring attentive students to simultaneously listen and take notes.
Despite being a highly experienced and excellent teacher, Ms. Cassiopeia had a remarkable knack for ending her lecture precisely when the bell rang. She never extended her class by a minute, always leaving promptly with her teaching materials.
This punctuality earned her a lot of respect from students, although some felt her lectures were so dull that self-studying the history textbook might be more engaging.
Xanthia always paid close attention in history class, mainly because the historical developments in this parallel world were bizarre. She feared that if she accidentally answered exam questions based on her original world's history, it would be embarrassing.
Like for example, the roman empire stays alive but transitioned into constitutional empire and United States isn't the hegemon of the world.
The specifics of this bizarre history of the world were too sensitive to discuss openly. Discussing them could lead to accusations of historical revisionism and potential trouble from the authorities.
As the next period was the Free Activities, the classroom atmosphere visibly relaxed. Some students seemed to have forgotten that this particular Free Activities had been requisitioned.
For example, Sunny, an avid soccer fan, was already rushing out with his beloved "soccer baby," eager to head to the field.
Although the soccer field wasn't as coveted as the basketball courts during the Free Activities, arriving early meant more playtime. With enough players, they could form two teams and have a more organized match rather than a chaotic kickabout.
Sunny loved organizing informal matches into proper games. It showcased his impressive dribbling skills, and even if he occasionally missed a shot, it didn't matter. He had already demonstrated his prowess as a "speedster."
Unfortunately, fewer girls watched soccer compared to basketball, a fact that often disappointed Sunny. His amazing footwork went unappreciated by any admiring female fans.
Indeed, the only one who understood him was his "soccer baby." Yet, there was that one time when his "soccer baby" was desecrated by "Urine King" Jimmy, a grievous incident!
Speaking of "Urine King" Jimmy, his nickname had almost faded into obscurity, overshadowed by the newly crowned "Laughing Fart Queen" Hera La Andronikos.
Hera had risen to fame with a single speech under the national flag on Monday. Since then, her reputation had only grown, fueled by gossip and rumors.
Unlike Jimmy, who became more subdued after earning his nickname, Hera seemed to grow more brazen. She had recently stumbled upon an intriguing rumor.