Upon returning back home after his morning jog, Joshua took a quick bath, wore a fresh set of clothes similar to what he had worn yesterday while heading into the wilderness, hung his wooden pole and backpack on his back before stepping out of the house.
Having grown tired of eating Horned Rabbit soup continuously for the past two days, Joshua ate his breakfast outside at a small nearby restaurant before hailing a carriage and heading to school for the very first time since his arrival in this world.
After spending about half an hour sitting inside a carriage traveling from the edge of the village where his house stood to it's central district where Tree Village Intermediate Beast Apprentice Academy was located, Joshua now stood in front of the academy compound spanning over 5 hectares of land in square metres and was filled with multiple spectacularly built structures for different purposes.
"Wow..." An awe sound of amazement escaped Joshua's throat the very moment he layed eyes on some of these buildings upon stepping inside the academy compound after having the authentictity of his student ID card confirmed.
"Although I had already inherited memories of what it looked like, that's nothing comparable to doing so in person" Joshua couldn't help but comment with a low voice as he kept observing the hundred metres tall circular tower like building constructed from the combination of Iron wood and Azurite stone, both of which were Low Grade Common Grade materials, standing at the very centre of the compound and occupying around 1/5 of it's total landmass.
"I know right? I usually possess thoughts whenever I lay eyes in the academy tower" A soft but steady voice suddenly sounded out from behind Joshua causing him to jump away while looking back with shock.
"You.... You... You...." "My name is Olivia and not you, classmate Joshua. Don't tell that skipping school for just a single day has made you forget something so simple like what I'm called?" Olivia immediately asked back with a faint smile towards Joshua who temporarily became speechless.
Noticing his mistake, Joshua quickly got his bearing back in order before replying back with a bitter tone "I was slightly flustered, that's all. Then again, which other guy within our grade wouldn't respond the same way if the very goddess of our grade Miss Olivia suddenly sneaks up on him and strikes a conversation".
Adjusting her scattered brown curly hair which resulted from her morning jog to school with her right hand, Olivia thought for a short while before replying back to Joshua in agreement "Now that I think about it, you're definitely right about that but I just can't seem to understand why though?"
"Can you blame them? Although you aren't extremely beautiful facially, you are still a beautiful young lady in your own right, coupled with your hourglass figure, high charisma and strength as a Rank Seven Beast Apprentice. Any other regular guy wouldn't be confident enough to even exchange greetings with you, so much more, not over react when you're the one personally initiating the conversation" Joshua absent mindedly responded to Olivia rhetorical question.
Upon hearing Joshua words, Olivia instantly froze and subconsciously her cheeks turned slightly red while her brain attempted processing them "Really? Does he really find's me beautiful? I had no idea. No wait, that's not the point. With what he just said concerning regular guys, isn't he indirectly implying that he isn't one of them? It's seems I was right in believing that there was more to him than meets the eyes".
While Olivia thought were in shambles, Joshua was inwardly scolding himself "Damn you and your lose mouth, since she wasn't expecting you to answer her question, why couldn't just leave such dangerous thoughts to yourself? Are you trying to get yourself killed by making the class or even school goddess angry?"
The expected scolding Joshua was silently waiting for never came but rather, an awkward atmosphere slowly arose between both of them for a couple of seconds before finally been broken by Olivia nearly inaudible voice "Thank you for your complement".
"Yo... You are welcome" Joshua immediately replied back in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
"Very well then classmate Joshua, I hope you wouldn't mind escorting a beautiful young lady to class, would you?" Olivia suddenly asked using the courage she had mustered up from where even she had no Idea of.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure" Joshua replied back while also performing an 'after you' gesture.
Flashing Joshua a bright smile, Olivia started heading towards the academy tower and he on the other hand also smiled back in return before following along side her. Neither of them were lacking in intelligence so how could they not have understood what had just transpired between both of them.
Nevertheless, they had both immediately and unspokenly decided to let nature run it's course.
However, the both of them, including Olivia with her High Ranking cultivation as a Rank Seven Beast Apprentice had failed to notice the existence of a malicious pair of eyes silently spying on both of them through a binocular from the window of their classroom is on the 3rd floor of the academy.
"Damn it, who the hell is that fool and what gives him the right to flirt with my Olivia?" A young man angrily scolded as he placed down the binocular he had been using to spy on Joshua and Olivia a few seconds ago.
Upon hearing the words of this angry young man, another lanky looking young man with a pale complexion and gloomy presence chuckled and asked "Hehehe, young master David is angry, makes wonder who in this village is daring enough to do that?"
"No one I can't handle, so you can keep your wretch thoughts to yourself, Steven" David Omarion replied back to the lanky young man without sparing him so much as a glance while he made his way to his seat located at the very back of the classroom.
"Hehehe" Steven grinned and followed behind him before lazily choosing to sit down on the seat beside David.
As for Joshua who had been chatting with Olivia about random things while making their way to the classroom after reaching the 3rd floor through a floating platform which served the same purpose as an elevator.
He selected a front row seat at the very centre of the classroom and sat down in order to be close enough to all the teachers who had classes today and give them is full attention.
To his surprise, Olivia who had also chosen a seat right beside him in order to continue their conversation immediately stopped chatting with him the very moment a teacher walked into the class and starting concentrating intensively.
"Seems like there's more to her she lets on" Witnessing such an action did nothing but rose Joshua good impression of her.
Different teachers spoke taught about different subjects ranging from the characteristics of most Common Grade Beast found in a Low Grade Wildzone to major differences between Low, Mid and High Rank Beast Apprentice and so on.
This way, time quickly flew by and before Joshua even knew it, school had already closed and it was now time for him to say goodbye to Olivia.
"I guess, this is goodbye" said Joshua to the beautiful young lady who had stuck close to him all day today and played deaf to all the whispers that had gone around about her for doing so.
"Hmmm... For today" Olivia replied while nodding her head before remembering something and adding "Don't you dare skip school again tomorrow or in the future if not, I wouldn't hang out with you anymore since I don't associate with delinquents".
At her words, Joshua laughed and replied as he walked away "Don't worry, I wouldn't, I promise".