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A strange wave of cultural nostalgia, one might even say, "national pride", passed over Gendou as he entered the Ishin school grounds, a testament to Ishin's identity. Gendou looked about nervously, but his anxiety right now was more akin to giddiness. He had made it, and he knew that his mother's spirit was watching over him. Gendou had done his best to try to fit in, hoping to discard his status as social outcast and prime target for bullying, so he had worn the uniform that had been sent to him along with his acceptance letter and the guidance pamphlet.

There seemed to be a crowd at the entrance, probably first years like himself taking a picture at the gate to commemorate their acceptance, but Gendou was by himself, and felt a selfie was a bit...disrespectful given the gravitas of the school. Besides, Gendou didn't want to screw up in the slightest, and had resolved to never be late for anything, especially not on on his first day. So the first order of business would be to get to the entrance speech well before it started. To avoid physical contact, Gendou kept his distance from the crowd and shuffled his way past the gate when he heard a loud announcement.

Slightly startled, Gendou turned to look at what all the fuss was about, and saw Haruhi greeting the school. The thought to wave at her and return the greeting crossed his mind, only to be immediately crushed by a pessimistic sense of low self-worth. She obviously wasn't directing her greeting at him, and trying to talk to her would probably just throw off her vibe. She was clearly enjoying herself, and didn't need Gendou's awkwardness to spoil her mood. During this momentary introspection, Gendou caught himself staring and immediately averted his gaze, hoping that he hadn't creeped her out too much. With heavy thoughts of sudden doubt weighing on him, Gendou hung his head and quickened his pace towards the assembly hall. He would feel more at ease sitting as it would allow himself to feel smaller and less exposed.