It only took 2 hours to get to Tokyo. The trains, unlike most things, have stayed relatively the same. The speeds that the train was reaching were close to 320 kilometres per hour. Usually, I would need a pill against nausea since I get sick when travelling on long distances but it was actually a relaxing trip. Unfortunately, my cranky father never got me a proper cellphone so I couldn't play any games on it to pass the time. Even though tons of my classmates had phones that were state of the art, my father didn't find them to be useful for me. I begged him but the usual response would be 'That sort of device is not needed in your hands. It's dangerous, unhealthy and it will corrupt you,' If I spoke about it more after that I would get a spanking.
"I won't miss him anytime soon."
After my train stopped, I stood up and took my backpack and luggage and slowly got off.
I took a deep breath as I stepped out and I stood there not knowing where to go next. I glared around and the station was full of people getting off and on the train. I caught a man going down a staircase which led to the streets below. I followed and it was the same guy that was at the last station. He lit up a cigar and readjusted his hat. I wasn't too far behind as people were going up and down the stairs. The man turned in a different direction after he had got to the bottom and I was left wondering where to go next. The city lights were mesmerizing. It was very alive as skyscrapers were almost dazzling the sun and large screens projecting the latest news, commercials and articles. It was truly astonishing that I was standing in place for 5 minutes with my jaw open.
Thereupon, I noticed that I have been standing in place for too long. I didn't really know where to go. The city was huge and if I didn't ask anyone for directions I could be searching all day. I stopped a man in a suit, who was probably a well-respected businessman, for guidance.
"Excuse me, where can I find Umaya Junior High School?"
"Kid, don't you know that there are information boards all around the city. Go to one of them and find out."
The man responded flatly.
"An information board?"
The man didn't answer as he ran off in a hurry. I carried my luggage and looked for it while excitement filled my body but also the feeling of intrigue and fear of being in a new place without knowing anyone.
"A new VRMMO has been released!"
I stopped and looked up at the big screen from where the sound was coming from.
"Get your headset and get ready to dive into the game of Granshield Online! It features epic battles, creating alliances and most importantly, an immerse in-game experience."
It showed a variety of pictures and gameplay that looked amazing that I caught my eye.
"I want to try that,"
I sighed a bit disappointed that I don't have the money for it right now and resumed until I found an information board.
"Is this it?"
I pondered as I looked at the thin screen in front of me. It was located on a wall of a random building or so I thought. It was in its own area where not a lot of people passed by. Above it was stated that it was an 'info board' so I assumed that this was it. Although, there was nothing on or inside it. I was bewildered until I touched it. It turned on unexpectedly that it made me jump.
"Hello there, how can I help you?" A robotic male voice talked to me.
I pointed a finger at myself to make sure it was talking to me.
"Yes sir, you are the one that needs help correct?" It asked putting a smiley face on the screen.
I was nervous and I didn't know why. Was it because of the voice or just me being an anxious person?
I gulped and asked it:
"U-uh, How do I get to Umaya Junior High?"
It processed my question and after a minute it replied back.
"Umaya Junior High is located here... It should take you 10 minutes to get there if you follow this route." It showed a map and the red trail that leads to the school.
"It's only a few blocks away, thank you so much, " I smiled.
"You're welcome sir, have a great day." Everything on the screen disappeared and I headed towards the school.
"Maybe I should find a place to stay first before I go there."
I was thinking that it would be better to look for that first but the school was near so I stayed on track. It wasn't easy to miss either, as a big billboard was sponsoring it. 'This is where you realise your potential,' it was written on it with a young man giving a thumbs-up beside it.
"Since I am already here, I guess I'll register," I muttered to myself as I crossed the street.
It was a good thing that once the lights turned red a sort of visible barrier rose up. It was like glass and the ground lit up green. It indicating to the driver that the pedestrians had the right to cross. I counted 20 seconds before the light turned green for the cars and the barrier was lowered. I went through the gate of the school and into the courtyard. Surprisingly, the gate was open which meant that it was accepting applications. It was kinda weird for me. I was still dragging my luggage and the people in the courtyard looked at me strangely and I wasn't very comfortable with it. The doors automatically opened for me when I was in range of them. On the right side, a little further down the hallway, I saw a woman sitting down, typing something on a computer.
She finally noticed me when I approached.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
I didn't know what to say.
''Is this the place to register for the school?' No, it seems too casual. Maybe, 'How do I register for this school?' No, too direct...'
While I was debating what was the best way to ask. The woman was getting worried.
"Um, are you okay?" She asked as she tilted her head at me. I regained my senses and rushed an answer stupidly.
"Y-yes... I was just wondering how to apply for this school?"
My response was quick that I don't think she understood all that.
'Just wonderful, not only did I make myself look like dunce by just staring at her but I even rushed an answer out like a nervous prat. She probably thinks I'm a weirdo now.'
I closed my eyes and frowned in my own disappointment, waiting to be ridiculed for my behaviour but to my surprise, I heard a giggle. I opened my eyes and I was met with a warm smile.
"You should have said so. There is no need to feel so stressed in front of me," She stood up and unlocked a drawer. She pulled out an application form and offered it to me.
"Here you go, " I grabbed it along with a digital pencil, "Fill this form and return it once you finish. You can sit over there, " She pointed at a set of chairs and tables behind me.
"Thank you," I bowed my head and sat down at one of the chairs.
"Let's see," I whispered quietly.
The first part of the form was simple. It was the usual name and surname, family member count, workplaces of your parents etc. The second part was really confusing. There were questions like 'Do you have any abnormal abilities?' or 'Were you a 'special case' in your previous school?'. Those kinds of questions made me scratch my head. I noticed the woman was glancing at me from time to time like she wanted to ask me if I needed any help. I was tempted to go and take the offer but decided to just answer truthfully and what I thought was right. After finishing, I sighed. I wasn't sure if it was from the trip or this complicated form but I definitely needed to lay down. I got up and returned it.
"Thank you, were the questions a bit tough?" She asked to see if her assumption was right.
"A little, I guess,"
"Have you read the back of the paper?" She turned it around and there were a few paragraphs of what seemed like 'important things you should have read'. I felt like facepalming myself for not checking but I was so focused on the questions that it slipped my mind.
"No I haven't, I forgot to check,"
I looked away nervously.
"It's not a problem," She waved it off and I turned my attention back to her.
"Basically, what you should know is that testing is in 2 days from now and if you want this registration to go through, you have to be present."
"Oh no, I'm not ready for this. 2 days!? There is no way I can revise any subject within that time,"
Internally, I was panicking. How could I get anything done in that time frame? Even if I stay up all night, I wouldn't be able to memorise everything.
"U-um, what kind of testing is it though?" It seemed like a dumb question to ask but I needed to know.
"Oh, it's not your regular 'test'"
She indicated with her fingers sarcastically. It was a bit of relief for me but it raised more questions.
"I can't give anything away but I'll just say get ready and good luck," She smiled faintly.
"Right, thanks for everything," I was about to head out when I realised I haven't found a place to stay.
"One more question," I ran back to her, "Do you know a cheap place I can stay at for a while?"
"Like a motel or something?"
"Sort of, I just need a nice place to stay. I wasn't born in this city, "
"Ah, I see, " She went to her computer and looked while putting on her glasses.
"Hmmm, this will do," She nodded.
"There is a small hotel just around the corner. It is designated for foreign students like you and it doesn't cost much for a room."
"Really?" My eyes widened a little, "Thank you again for helping me out,"
"You're welcome. Have a good day," She went back to work and I left the school.
I didn't even realize that it was the afternoon and my hunger was rising. Good thing I packed myself some leftovers from my favourite meal yesterday.
"The one thing I will most certainly miss is my mother's cooking, "
I let out a soft sigh as I went towards that hotel that the woman mentioned. The hotel was small but it was modern at least. The paint on the walls seemed like they were peeling off and the windows looked to be old school but apart from that, it looked good. It was pleasantly organised inside it as well. The lobby had a floating sofa, which looked to be made out of good material, an armchair, which was the same colour as the sofa and a nice and stretched out carpet. It seemed to have a sort of picture on it but I couldn't tell. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a boy laying in his chair. He didn't hear me enter since he had his ear pods in, probably listen to rock. I could tell since he was bobbing his head to the beat.
"Um, hello," I snapped my fingers in front of him but he didn't react. His volume must be high.
"Must have been a slow day at the office for him to be this relaxed," I thought as I was starting to get annoyed. It didn't help that I was tired and hungry as well so I decided to make my presence known. Leaning over the table, I took out one of his ear pods.
"HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO WHO ENTERS YOUR HOTEL YOU BUM!"
"Woah!" He fell off his chair and hurt his head.
"That might have been a bit overboard.
I didn't want to frighten and hurt him. I just wanted to get a room and take a nap. I wouldn't blame him if he shouted at me right now,"
I kinda regretted my action and I wanted to apologise.
"I'm sorry about that, I-"
"No, it's fine I was too cosy in my seat that I haven't noticed you enter. Just don't tell my uncle. He would be really angry at me if he found out."
He seemed really apologetic even though I should be the apologising. I definitely felt bad now for doing that to him. Maybe there was a better way to get his attention rather than scaring him and making him stress out. He didn't seem like the ignorant type but somewhat timid and shy. His black hair was shaded by his different colour eyes, one being green and the other red. I found that quite interesting. Did he have those eyes when he was born or was it genetically modified? I couldn't tell but the thought went through my head. He wore a red suit with a black undershirt and a white tie which his uncle, I assume, demanded. He kept scratching himself which was a sign that he wasn't satisfied in it. I don't have an idea if he likes his job or not but it all seems forced. I have to put him at ease.
"I won't tell him, " He looked at me as I said that.
"As I was saying, I am sorry for scaring you like that. I just had a long day and I would like to go and rest."
I yawned a bit.
"Oh, I see." He quickly turned around and took out a see-through notebook.
"Just give me a name and I'll register you in the database,"
He got ready to write.
"The name is Akiro Okuda,"
"So, I'm guessing you are going to Umaya?"
He inquired which was an easy presumption since it was so close to the hotel.
"Yeah, I thought I would give it a shot since my mother recommended it to me,"
"It's a good choice, I would like to have gone there but I had to continue the family business of working in this hotel. I hope you enjoy your stay."
He gave me a key card of some sort and sat back down in his chair.
"By the way, I'm Kagatani. If you have any trouble within the hotel just call, okay?"
"Will do, "
The hotel only had 3 floors and my room was coincidentally on the 3rd. I couldn't be bothered to take the stairs so I took the lift which was a much faster way of transport. On the side of my room, there was a device. I wasn't sure what it did until it showed the shape of the card needed to enter the room. I placed the card in front so it could scan it and it denied me access. I was surprised by that so I tried again thinking it was some error. It denied me again.
"What is wrong with this thing!?"
I was getting frustrated. I looked closely at the device and the card projection on it and at my card again. I tried the other side of the card and it opened the door.
"I feel really silly now. I think I should just eat and sleep. I had enough embarrassment for today."
I concluded and entered the room.
There was no switch to turn on the lights.
"No switch?" I muttered and looked around the room. The lamps we're on the ceiling but there was no way to turn them on.
I can't go search for it or ask Kagatani for help, I just wanted to rest. I left my door cracked to let in the light in from the hall. I left my luggage on the side of the bed and my backpack behind it.
I took out my dinner and ate like an animal which showed how hungry I was. I washed my hands and face in the bathroom after and collapsed onto the bed. At least the bedsheets smelled nice and which softened me.
"My first night in the city of my dreams. It can't get any better than this."
I was hyped for the start of my education. Even though I didn't have a clue of what this testing is going to be, I was optimistic that I could pull through.