As I've had stated to my uncle, I woke up early. Before my alarm clock rang, even.
The sun hadn't even risen yet.
For some people it was weird for me to wake up around these hour.
Even so, I could do my morning routines as planned, with an exception if it's raining in the morning.
The first routine which I took sometimes was to train my body. I could take a few runs running around the district.
But since I was kind of tired because of the fight the other day, I decided not to do it.
Instead I went to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
I knew I still felt tired and sleepy, but I had a big day waiting.
Well, not really big but it was my first day coming to the academy, so I had to get prepared.
Sometimes I took a shower in the morning because it helped me to refresh my mind for whatever that would happen in the day.
The moment I took off my clothes, I didn't wait any longer to let the warm drops from the shower to fell to my body.
When it poured to my head, I began to close my eyes.
Slowly and surely I cleared my mind from any thoughts.
I did it for a few minutes.
When I felt enough, I opened my eyes and turned off the shower.
With an exhale I took a towel and wiped my body dry before I went to my room.
'He said to wear usual clothes as I see fit because it's the academy's rule...'
I opened my wardrobe to take my clothes that I hadn't wore for a long time.
A black t-shirt covered by long blue shirt with white, long pants.
When I looked at the mirror, I noticed my hair was a bit messy, so I straighten it.
"Alright..."
After my hair straightened a little, I looked at myself in the mirror before I nodded to myself.
As I left my room and went to the kitchen, I noticed he had woken up.
Sitting at the table with his carefree smile he greeted me the way he used to be.
"Morning, kid."
A deep sigh was my respond.
"Didn't expect you wake up this soon, old man."
He chuckled.
I turned my gaze to the wall clock.
There was still some time before I go to the academy.
"So," I spoke while turning my gaze back to him. "What's your order?"
"The usual, please."
So I began to cook our breakfast, two eggs in the basket and two hot tea.
Because it was a simple breakfast, cooking it wouldn't take long.
To me, cooking was my daily routine. I had been doing it since I was a kid.
And it was my duty to cook for us since my cooking was better than him.
That's what he said, anyway. I knew he was just too lazy to do it.
When I was cooking, there was no conversation happened. It was silence all around, the only thing we could hear was the sound of our breaths.
It was unusual for him to not saying anything. Usually he would begin to talk about anything that came to his mind, but that morning, he didn't.
However, I suddenly felt a weird tension.
I decided to ignore it and keep cooking.
The moment I had finished and put the eggs to the plate, I turned around and directly stared at him.
As I thought, he really did look at me with that smirk the whole time I was cooking our breakfast.
"What?" I asked with puzzled look.
With that very smile he only gave a respond, "Nothing."
I was seriously at a loss, but I set that aside since we were about to take our breakfast.
He still looked at me with that smile even when I had put our breakfast to the table and sat on my seat.
With a sip I asked him again, but with annoyed tone.
"What is it?"
Undaunted, he finally let out what was on his mind.
"You're excited, aren't you?"
"!"
He lifted his cup and took a sip while I coughed heavily.
"What...what did you just say?"
"You're excited," he repeated as he showed a slight smile.
I didn't understand by what he just said, and it seemed he knew I didn't get it as he added with another sentence.
"I know it is too sudden for you, I mean signing you up without asking you beforehand, forcing you to attend educational activities when you told me you don't want to."
In an instant I fell silent.
"You just accepted it by waking up early, too early even. Then wearing your favorite clothes, and even cooked breakfast for me, which you rarely do except when I begged you to do so. I should've done this a long time ago if I knew it would turn out like this."
With another smile he finished his sentence.
My gaze lowered while slowly putting the cup I held in my hand back to the table.
Hearing that from him was surprising.
I didn't expect he would say that. I knew I did tell him to not sign me up to any school or such, but...
If I had to say it myself, I just wanted to move on from what had happened, just like he said the other night. And he gave me the chance, even though he forced me to do it.
But then again, he was right.
I really got excited, but I didn't realize it before he pointed it out.
In the end, I just sat in silence.
On the other hand, he chuckled once more and turned his attention somewhere else.
The atmosphere became heavy around us, although for a short time he lighten it up.
"Let's watch something, okay?" he said as he turned on the TV.
The moment the TV turned on, the first program we watched in the early morning was the breaking news.
What was more, the news was about the attack of the monsters that happened on the night before.
I didn't really pay attention to it because I began to eat my breakfast while calming my mind.
But at some point I heard that the reporter said there was no civilian casualties.
I exhaled my breath in relief, knowing the civilians were safe.
And it took his attention.
"You look pleased, kid," he commented. "Care to tell?"
I knew he was just teasing me. Ignoring him would make him do it more, and I didn't want that.
"Well," I replied with a sigh. "You know I was there last night, taking down those monsters all by myself, don't you?"
He gave a nod.
"I'm just glad that there's no casualties, that's all."
"I see..."
I noticed from his tone that he sounded disappointed.
"I thought you were glad she's fine and all..."
I heard him murmuring that.
"She?" I tilted my head.
"You know, the girl who fell from the building and you saved her," he shrugged.
"Oh you mean her..."
I didn't understand why he mentioned her of all people.
For some reason the topic changed immediately to the girl's identity. Well, it was rather reassuring knowing he didn't comment my 'excited' behavior again.
However I knew he had a purpose for bringing her up to the topic. A purpose I didn't really know and it made me wonder why.
With confused look I asked, "What about her?"
"Do you know her?" he asked me back.
Of course I replied with a simple, "No," as I shook my head.
"Really?"
Certainly he was on to something.
"Yes," I answered with a sigh. "Why are you asking me this, anyway?"
He chuckled again. I raised my eyebrows.
"You didn't ask her name?"
How?
"She was unconscious, old man."
I was rather annoyed at him at this point.
"Oh really?" he commented as he smiled.
That smile again. I knew something was definitely fishy about it, yet he gave me another puzzle before I could ask.
"Nevertheless, didn't she look familiar to you?"
This time I comprehended the whole point of this topic he brought up.
Both of us had met the girl before. That's one point secured.
Still, I didn't know who she really was.
Then again, he didn't bring this up for nothing. In most cases he would bring a topic like this because it was important, I'm sure of it.
"Familiar, huh..."
The more I think about it, the more I felt she wasn't just familiar.
To me, she resembled the very same person I met back when we were kids. Her appearance, her face...
If that girl was really her, then why I didn't recognize her at first sight that night?
Maybe because we were in unsuitable situation?
It couldn't be, could it? We just met there by coincidence. There's no way that girl was her.
I tried to convince myself that, no matter how bitter the truth would be.
Eventually I trapped myself in the vortex of my thoughts.
As I shook my head and exhaled my breath, I could only respond with, "Not really."
"Oh yeah?"
It was then I knew the meaning of that comment.
I was definitely lying to myself, knowing deep down in my heart I had a feeling it was really her, but at the same time I wouldn't know the answer unless I search for it by myself.
Asking him about it would get a teasing like 'should I tell you' or something like that, and it was already annoying that ever.
So I changed the topic to avoid getting teased by him.
A topic which hadn't discussed from the very beginning.
"That aside, where is this academy located? And what class I'm into?"
After I asked those questions to him, he showed a slight smile to me before he began to answer each questions.
I think he noticed I was trying to avoid the conversation.
Surprisingly, he didn't pry it further and instead began answering my questions.
"The academy is located at an island not far from this city," he explained as he chewed his food and swallowed it. "You need to take the monorail to get there. Remember the station you saw back at the east of this city?"
"So that station leads to the academy, huh. No wonder you told me only those who have the pass can enter."
With a nod he continued, "That station is the nearest from here. There are another stations which lead to the academy, but it takes around thirty minutes or so to get there."
"Okay...What about the pass?"
"About that..."
He produced a card from his pocket and gave it to me.
"Show this card to one of the officer when you meet them. They'll let you through."
It was an ID card. The words written there were my full name and 'student' as my status in the Seven Stars Academy.
Judging from that alone, I guessed that the teachers also had their ID card with 'teacher' as their status written on it.
The design itself was pretty unique. As the name implied, the design had seven golden stars which formed like northern lights.
I was in awe, for sure. I mean it was my first time to see such ID.
"Lastly."
After saying that he coughed, taking my attention.
"When you've reached the academy, go to faculty office and find a teacher called Takashi Masato. You can ask him about the other questions you asked to me."
I felt he was just being lazy for giving the rest of the answers I needed.
At the same time I felt it was my time to go to the academy.
The moment I turned my gaze to the clock, I noticed it was already 6.30 AM.
As if he could read my mind, he told me something I wanted to ask.
"Oh right, the train leaves at 7. You should get ready."
With a nod, we finished our breakfast and cleaned up the table.
When I was about to leave the kitchen, he called me again.
"Go get your backpack now, kid."
"...I'm going to do it now."
"Also don't bring too much items, okay?"
There's no need to tell me that...
After I took my backpack and put my stuffs into it, I went to the front door.
He was waiting there, leaning his back on the wall with his arms crossed.
"Any other stuffs I need to hear?" I asked before he could speak first, knowing he wouldn't be waiting for me for nothing.
"Well..." he trailed, stroking the back of his head as he averted his gaze to me. "There's only homeroom today, so you will get home early."
I didn't say anything.
"If you need anything, come see me at the restaurant. I'll be there."
Then I responded with a sigh, "Is that all?"
He chuckled.
"Don't get surprised by what you'll find there."
It was clearly some kind of warning, but if I try to ask him I knew he wouldn't tell me anyway.
So I just shoved it aside by saying, "Sure..."
As I left our house, he spoke again with that smile of his.
"Enjoy, kid!"
I closed the door, ignoring his smile and encouragement.
"Seriously that old man..."
As I exhaled my breath I began my steps to the station he told me to.
Although I stopped, thinking again by what he just said.
"Don't get surprised, huh..."
I wouldn't be surprised by what he warned, knowing he himself was full of surprises.
I mean, why should I?
Knowing that much, I just exhaled my breath once more and put a slight smile and spirit on myself.
"Alright, I better get going."
So I began my steps again.