The jumble of voices was so chaotic he couldn't even tell who was talking to whom.
Laughter, announcements, and the soft tapping of shoes across the concrete blended into a single haze of sound.
Evening in the city of Aspída was bursting with life—students, locals, merchants, and vendors all crowding the school district.
A city of magic in the truest sense.
Ao stepped out of his dorm building, inhaling deeply as a refreshing breeze brushed past him.
"Damn… what a view…" he murmured, tilting his head up toward the sky as it shifted colors.
Rows of tall buildings stretched into the distance, and far away, the lights of the commercial district were beginning to flicker on one by one.
The smell of food drifted from street stalls. Voices layered over each other like waves.
He had never seen a city this alive in his entire life.
The lights, the sounds, the smells— it all felt like it could swallow an outsider like him whole in an instant.
"Oof—! Sorry!!"
He hadn't even taken more than a step off the sidewalk when someone crashed into him from behind, sending him stumbling forward—straight into a girl, knocking the water bottle from her hand.
"Shit—!" he blurted without thinking.
The girl kneeled slowly to pick up the bottle, then lifted her head.
Her cold, sharp gaze made Ao jolt in place.
She wore a school uniform under a black hoodie, a short skirt, deep violet hair tied in a side ponytail.
Her ears were lined with black earrings, and a silver ring pierced her lip.
Her eyes looked tired beneath their dark circles, yet strangely alluring.
"...."
She stared at him for a moment before finally speaking.
"Be more careful." Her voice was flat, quiet.
She turned away quickly, almost like she was trying to escape him, though she glanced back once before disappearing into the crowd.
"H—hey, wait, I really didn't mean to…"
But his voice vanished into the noise around them.
He stood there awkwardly, scratching his head like a dog that had knocked something over.
Shaking it off, he forced himself to regain composure and continued walking to enjoy the evening scenery.
He wandered the city as much as the exam boundaries allowed—some areas were restricted by exam staff, likely to preserve testing zones. He didn't mind and just explored what he could.
Starting from the residential district where the dorms were located, he walked all the way to the edge of the division he applied for.
By the time he realized it, he'd walked quite a bit, so he decided to stop at one of the vending machines scattered around.
In a narrow alley with fewer people, a vending machine stood beneath a rental building filled with shops on each floor.
Ao bought a cold soda and sat against the wall beside it.
'There are fewer people now… makes sense, tomorrow's the first exam day…'
He scanned the area while sipping from the can.
Once he finished, he checked messages from home and replied to friends who lived far away.
'Come to think of it… among the examinees, I saw a few wearing the actual Aspída uniform.
Didn't think I'd see any upperclassmen here…'
He tossed the empty can at the trash bin— and missed completely.
"Ah, crap."
He stood up to pick it up, but someone else beat him to it, dropping it neatly into the bin.
"Uh—sorry… that was mine…" Ao muttered, avoiding eye contact.
The boy glanced at him lazily, then gave a light smile. "Oh, my bad. You were about to pick it up, huh?"
They bowed slightly to each other.
But then, the boy stared at him intensely for a few seconds, as if trying to remember something.
"Oh— you're the one I bumped into earlier."
"Huh!!??"
Ao's eyes widened as memory flashed back—
this was the guy who shoved him, causing him to crash into that girl.
"I recognized you from your hair color. Did you dye it?" The boy reached out to touch Ao's hair curiously.
"It's natural… don't touch me." Ao slapped his hand away and stepped back.
"Ah—sorry, sorry. It's just rare to see something like that," the boy said, scratching his cheek shyly.
"Is this your first entrance exam here?"
"O-of course it is… what, you think I'm a repeater?" Ao glared as the boy flinched and raised both hands apologetically.
"Sorry! It's my first time too."
"Then why'd you even ask!?"
The boy burst out laughing while Ao bristled, unable to keep up with his pace.
"Oh! Right, forgot to introduce myself.
I'm Renuru Carirael, from Elsagol. Nice to meet you."
He extended a hand toward Ao.
Ao stared at him for a moment before reluctantly taking the handshake.
"I'm Onishima Ao, from Maddymontis. Nice to meet you."
By the time the sun fully set, the fluorescent city lights had taken over.
Some students returned to their dorms, while others roamed the night streets.
"So, going anywhere after this?" Renuru casually slung an arm around Ao's shoulders like they'd known each other for years.
"Hey—! Quit it!! Don't cling to me!!" Ao shoved him away.
"Sorry, sorry. Didn't know you hated skinship…"
Renuru immediately bowed with clasped hands, leaving Ao stunned at the sudden switch in behavior.
"What is with you, Carirael—"
"Just call me Renuru."
"Whatever… since we've already met, wanna go grab something to eat?"
Renuru pointed ahead and started walking first.
"Uh… sure, why not."
Ao followed behind without thinking much.
"Think of it as a welcome meal for a fellow examinee. So, noodles or rice?" Renuru asked while scrolling through his phone.
"Either's fine."
"Don't say stuff like that—how am I supposed to guess what you want?" Renuru flicked Ao on the head lightly.
Ao blinked in confusion but didn't argue. "Then… rice."
"Perfect~ same here.
Recommended rice places in Aspída… search!
Found one! What do you think of this place?"
He held his phone out.
"The pictures look amazing."
"They really do…" Ao's eyes sparkled.
"Okay, let's go with that. Let's go~!!"
Both of them ordered the same dish—beef bowl.
Ao's eyes shone with excitement, while Renuru looked even more hyped, snapping pictures nonstop.
"Looks soooo good~!!" Renuru snapped a photo instantly.
"Okay!! Time to dig in!"
"That fast!? I thought you'd take way longer!"
Ao blinked, surprised by the instant photo.
"Of course! I'm a genius when it comes to taking pictures." Renuru proudly showed the shot.
"It actually looks good…"
"And that's without the final touch."
Ao stared at his confident face.
"You really are full of yourself…"
They ate in a mostly empty shop, where the soft hum of the ceiling TV and the bored yawns of the owner filled the air.
Their laughter echoed throughout the restaurant, prompting others to mutter:
"Those two act like they've known each other for years."
After they became more comfortable, Ao started allowing some physical contact again—which Renuru abused immediately, wrapping an arm around him all the way back to the dorms.
By the time they arrived, Ao changed his mind again and revoked Renuru's skinship privileges.
Morning came in a flash.
After his shower, sheer excitement knocked Ao straight into sleep.
The first exam day had finally begun.