The pop music club is made up of those who come off cheerful on the outside to hide their inner turmoil. Kalim, Lilia, and Cater all fit this.

The basketball club is made up of those who are rebellious and do not fit the standards their surroundings set for them. Floyd, Jamil, and Ace are all people who go against the norm.

The board game club is made up of those who will destroy themselves in order to get what they want. Idia and Azul have both sacrificed their own well-beings for their goals.

The equestrian club is made up of those who are strict in themselves, and often times others, as a result of their disciplined upbringings.

The track club is made up of those who give their all to be their best selves.

The spelldrive club is made up of those who strive to be stronger/on top.

The science club is made up of those who are deemed too eccentric to fit in.

The film study club is made up of those who are selfish and therefore misconstrued as cruel, when they actually care deeply for those around them.

The gargoyle study club and mountain hiking club only have solo members because they both represent isolation. Jade is isolated even amongst his peers due to being deemed untrustworthy and having strange hobbies. Malleus is isolated because of his upbringing and his long lifespan.

something i see a lot is people saying kalim would fit better in rsa, that he’s too kind or too harmless for nrc. and i get where that comes from on a surface level

but the more you actually look at his character, the less that idea holds up

because kalim isn’t ‘too good’ for nrc

he’s exactly the kind of character nrc is built for

a lot of this starts in book 4

that’s the first time kalim is forced to confront the reality of his situation with jamil. before that, he benefits from the system without really questioning it. he’s kind, he’s generous, but he’s also completely unaware of what that kindness looks like from jamil’s side

and that is a flaw

not a malicious one, but a real one

book 4 doesn’t just exist for jamil’s breakdown, it’s also the start of kalim’s awareness. and what’s important is that this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. it happens because he’s surrounded by people who don’t treat him like untouchable royalty

octavinelle makes him work

ramshackle doesn’t cater to him

nrc as a whole doesn’t bend around him the way his home life does

and that’s what forces him to start understanding, even if it’s only a little at first

you can’t just “step into jamil’s shoes,” but kalim does start realizing that his position affects other people in ways he never considered

and that’s exactly why nrc matters for him

because nrc isn’t just about villains or pride, it’s about characters with flaws being put in an environment where those flaws are constantly challenged

and kalim does have flaws

he’s pushy

not in an aggressive way, but in a way that comes from privilege. he’s used to getting what he wants, used to people accommodating him, used to things working out in his favor. he doesn’t see it as forceful, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t

and that ties directly back to his inspiration

the sultan isn’t a villain, but he isn’t flawless either. he’s well-meaning, but he makes decisions for others without fully considering them. he pushes jasmine toward marriage because he believes it’s right, not because he understands what she wants

kinda familiar, don’t you think?

kalim operates in that same space. he cares, but his care doesn’t always account for other people’s autonomy

and if you put someone like that in rsa?

nothing challenges it

rsa is an environment where kalim would succeed easily. he’d be liked, praised, and probably placed in positions where his behavior is rewarded instead of questioned

which sounds nice, until you realize it means he’d never have to change

nrc, on the other hand, doesn’t let him stay comfortable

people push back. people don’t automatically agree with him. people are stronger, sharper, more willing to call things out. even moments like leona’s speech to jamil in book 6 highlight something kalim also needs to learn

that effort, power, and growth actually matter

that you don’t just get to exist at the top without being challenged

and kalim needs that

not because he’s a bad person, but because he’s been raised in a system that never required him to question himself

nrc gives him that opportunity

it forces him to see beyond his own perspective, to understand the consequences of his actions, to exist in a space where he isn’t automatically right just because of who he is

and that’s what makes it good for him

kali​​m isn’t out of place in nrc

he’s exactly where he needs to be to grow