"Where the fuck am I?"
I opened my eyes and found that I'm laying in the middle of a green lush forest.
My head still ached but I endured it as I got up from the ground. I looked around and tried to remember how I got here.
"Ahh! I remember now!"
Yelling from the emptiness of the forest, I began to remember how I got here. I checked my body and looked for any injuries.
"Sigh ... I thought I'm done for!"
I sighed in relief when I found that I'm still alive and didn't receive any injuries.
------
I am Alexander, also known as Alex. I would describe myself as a twenty-one-years old young man, a graduating student at a prestigious school named Institute of Magic Technology, and not to brag but my grade is at least the top.
There's nothing particularly unique in my looks, though I'm at least average by most measures. I mean a typical Asian boy with black hair.
I'm sitting in front of the quadrangle as I wait for our Principal's speech. The whole quadrangle was filled with chairs where all 7th-year magic engineers sit.
In front of me was a stage with colorful designs that fit with the graduation theme. One flag was standing on the side of the stage, it was the United Nations.
I adjusted my magic engineer uniform as I straightened my seat.
Magic engineers job is not simple, we apply the principle of science and mathematics using magic to develop an economical solution to technical problems.
Yes, Magic - was once thought of as fictional but now used in everyday lives. Using complex codes and new-found energy, Magic has become a product of science technology.
I looked to my side and faced my sleepy classmate.
She is Sarah, my only childhood friend. Even though she slept soundly, her long and red hair, small eyes, and white skin did not fade. She still looks elegant and all in all still beautiful.
I took my smartphone from my pocket and looked at the time. It's 0950 ten more minutes.
I tapped Sarah's shoulder to wake her up. She raised her head and looked at me with sleepy eyes.
"What is it, Alex? I'm still sleepy"
"The ceremony will start in ten minutes, maybe you want to groom yourself first?" Sarah turned on her smartphone and checked the time.
"Ehhh? Why didn't you wake me up right away?" Sarah's cheeks puffed as she slapped my arm.
Sarah is still cute even though she was angry. (S.I.M.P)
"I just... I can't" I scratched my head.
"Fine! Okay wait a minute, I'll just fix my make-up and bangs"
Sarah hurriedly ran towards the restroom and left me dumbfounded.
"It's been fifteen years, and she still did not change"
I only smiled, reminiscing the past as I watched Sarah run and wait for the remaining time.
----------
Sarah rushed back to my place and sat near me - out of breath and sweating.
"What the fuck is that fixing for" Of course, I can't say that loudly, so I just handed the bottled water.
"Ha ... Ha ... Just right in time, two more minutes" She takes the bottled water. Removing the cap, she happily drank the water. "Refreshing! Thank you, Alex."
I'm not happy, I swear.
"Yeah, right in time. I thought you will sleep in the restroom too" Sarah just glared at me.
I didn't mind her glare and looked at the Principal walking towards the stage. He stops in the middle and places his belongings on an iron desk as he prepares his voice to cast a code spell.
"Speaker!"
Various lines of codes surrounded the Principal's body and in a few moments a transparent voice amplifier appeared floating in front of him.
"Good day 72nd Magic Engineer Graduates."
The quadrangle was filled with a loud sound as the students applauded when they heard the word "graduates." I also clap at the Principal's opening speech.
The Principal raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"Mankind with the power of science has come a long way. Once fiction, now we use it in our daily lives. Magic, the only reason this school was built," The Principal looked at Sarah and nodded. "Today, I invited the best of the best students in this entire batch to give her final speech!"
"Yes!" Sarah stood up straight from her chair.
Sarah moved towards the stage when she reached the center. The Principal moved to the side and handed his voice amplifier to Sarah.
"Ehem ... Good day, Batch mates and also, you Principal Jones," Sarah bowed to the Principal and continued "I am Sarah Gadtula and I'm happy to be a part of this graduation speech."
Everyone applauded at Sarah's initial speech.
Who wouldn't marvel when an intelligent beauty was in front of you? Of course, none. (S.I.M.P)
Sarah waited for everyone to silence and then returned to her speech.
"We have traveled so far during our years as magic engineer students. We enjoyed various hardships and fun, we also had tested our ingenuity in deciphering magic codes, making thesis spells, and more. We also had tested our strength and resilience throughout our combat training ." Sarah smiles and continues " I'm happy as a Magic Engineer student, and I know, also you and now, we finally are here in a new phase of our lives. Most of us will join in the military, and some are in the industry to try what we learned ---"
Sarah was in the middle of her speech when one Class B student suddenly stood up, the reason to cut her speech.
Everyone looks at the student who so slowly approached the stage.
I knew her! She was Chea Xiaoqing, one of Sarah's opponents in one contest about quantum magic codes and time-space spells.
Chea stopped at the bottom of the stage then faced Sarah, she was smiling wickedly. I felt a sudden chill, I feel something bad was going to happen and I wasn't wrong.
"Code 2310 MCD"
Chea was wrapped in several layers of code. A shotgun-like Magic Calculating Device appeared from her hand and began charging some black energy.
"Fuck! A time-space MDC... Accel!"
My body stood up subconsciously. It happens so quickly that I didn't realize that I activated my acceleration magic. My feet are engulfed with three layers of codes full of zeros and one.
Before Chea pulled the trigger, I quickly moved towards Sarah to protect her.
"Alex!"
This was the last thing I heard from Sarah before the black energy swallowed me up and disappeared into thin air.
It is not so bad to die while protecting a beautiful woman. (S.I.M.P)
"Please author-san just this one" (S.I.M.P)
---------
Back at present
Because of being a simp, I got here in the middle of the forest and I didn't know what part of Earth this is. I'm just thankful and sigh in relief that I'm still alive and breathing.
I'm in the middle of thinking about what happened to Sarah when I heard a growl. I looked around to search at the source of the sound.
*Groooooooowl*
"Shit! It's just my stomach"
I facepalmed from my stupidity. I remember that I didn't eat breakfast before going to the ceremony.
"FUCK I'M HUNGRY!"
I yelled again in the middle of emptiness and my stomach continued to growl. I decided to find food and figure later how to get out of this forest.
(S.I.M.P)