I woke up and remained sitting upright in bed for a while, just staring blankly as the sleep slowly left my eyes. Once I felt awake enough to move, I dragged myself to the bathroom.
I pushed the door open only half-conscious of my surroundings. The sound of water hitting tiles didn't even register as a warning. I just moved toward the sink desperate to splash some cold water on my face and wake up.
HISSSSSH
'Wait, shower noises..?'
'Oh yeah, I forgot I have a roommate.'
I kept my eyes away from the left and hurried out, closing the door behind me. I sat back on my bed and thought in silence for a moment while clenching my right hand into a fist.
'That punch was pretty harsh, I mean he did deserve it'
While I was thinking about that, I heard the door open. I looked up and saw her standing there in just a towel, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders.
"Morning."
"Oh, yeah"
I noticed that she wouldn't even meet my eyes, but I didn't let it bother me. I kept my distance as I walked past her to get into the bathroom. Once I finished my shower and brushed my teeth, I stepped back out into the room.
She was already dressed. I grabbed my uniform from the backpack sitting at the corner of my bed and headed back into the bathroom to change in private. By the time I finished and walked back out, she had already left.
I spent a few minutes styling my hair before locking the room and making my way toward the school grounds. I needed to see if my accuracy had improved.
"Fireball."
The spell hit the target. I launched five more in a row, and while they weren't perfect center shots, every single one of them hit the mark.
'Well, that's progress at least.'
I took a moment to stretch before heading to the dining hall to scan the menu.
'33,000 credits, 29,000 credits... wow these meals are pricey.'
I kept scrolling through the options until I spotted the Salmon Set.
'Salmon set? I should get that one.'
I stepped into line behind two other students. After the first person finished their purchase, I realized the girl standing directly in front of me was my roommate.
The system window materialized in front of me once more.
[Name: Mizuki Sayanagi]
'Mizuki..? So she's my roommate'
I watched her struggle with the payment. She swiped her card once and then twice, but the machine refused to accept it.
'Huh? Why is my card not working..?'
She looked like she was about to try again, but I stepped up and swiped my own card on the reader before she could.
"Can I get 2 sets of Salmon set?"
'He looks familiar. He looks just like my roommate.'
She turned and looked at me with wide eyes as the transaction went through.
"The other one is for you."
"Oh, umm thanks."
The lady handed over our trays. I grabbed mine and headed for an open table, and Mizuki followed behind to sit right next to me.
We sat down at a small table in the corner of the dining hall. The smell of the grilled salmon was great, but the silence between us was heavy. She kept looking at her meal, then back at me, then at her card on the table.
'She seems bothered about the card.'
I took a bite of my food before looking up at her.
"What's your name?"
She flinched slightly as if she didn't expect me to speak first.
"Mizuki... Mizuki Sayanagi."
"I'm Julian."
"I know. I mean, I saw your name on the door."
She went quiet again, poking at her salmon with her chopsticks.
"Why did you do that? The credits, I mean. You didn't have to pay for me."
'I have plenty of credits anyway.'
I leaned back and looked around the hall.
"Don't worry about it. Think of it as a token of friendship."
"Friendship?"
"Yeah. Since we are going to be living together, let's be friends."
She looked down at her tray for a second, then gave a small, almost invisible nod.
"Okay... let's do that."
"Eat up. The salmon is going to get cold."
We finished our meal in a quiet, comfortable rhythm. Once the trays were empty, I stood up and reached for hers.
"I've got it."
"Oh... thank you."
I watched them slide away behind the wall as I went back to Mizuki and walked with her.
After a while, we reached her classroom. Mizuki gave a small wave goodbye and I waved back before continuing down the hall. I reached my own class and took my seat beside Yuki.
I pulled out the new phone Julian's mom had sent and checked the date.
'February 6th, 2025.'
I tucked it away as Professor Garen walked into the room and moved to the front of the class.
"Listen up. Today we will have a test where you will be forming teams of four. You will be teamed up randomly and sent to the testing grounds alongside the other first-year classes."
Professor Garen placed a box of armbands on his desk. We lined up to take them. After the person in front of me grabbed hers, I reached in and took one. I stepped to the side and looked at the number.
'Team 142?'
"Listen up students."
Professor Garen pulled out an artifact. He walked to the right, pressed it, and placed it on the floor. A glowing portal immediately appeared.
"This portal will send you to a specific coordinate based on the armband you are wearing. Once you step through, your body will be transported to the testing grounds for forty-eight hours. Ten points for every student you defeat. If you are knocked unconscious or defeated, your armband will trigger and you will be pulled back here immediately. If you survive until the end, you will be retrieved when the time runs out."
I watched as the students ahead of me began to move toward the light. Everyone walked into the portal immediately, vanishing into the blue swirl. I joined the crowd and went in.
When my feet hit the ground, the air was cool and the smell of pine filled my nose. I was standing on a floor of lush green grass, and the pine trees were spaced out enough that I could see quite a bit of the terrain ahead.
'Team 142.'
The game begins.