Kaiho and Saito walked together through Orchid Station, the bustle of commuters around them gradually fading into the background as they talked.
Kaiho glanced at Saito, hesitating slightly before speaking. "Well, since we're buddies now, can I ask you something?"
Saito nodded, his expression calm. "Sure."
"About your isekai… how do you feel about it?" Kaiho asked, his curiosity evident.
Saito paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. "To be frank, I don't know how to feel about it. There's no clear purpose like defeating a demon lord or gaining power I don't have any idea about what to do , I am just going with the flow I guess ."
"What about family?" Kaiho inquired gently.
Saito shook his head. "I don't have one. I've always lived alone, so it doesn't make much of a difference."
"And friends?" Kaiho pressed further.
"I do have some friends, but we're not that close," Saito admitted with a hint of regret in his voice.
"I thought Japan was supposed to be where you grow up with childhood friends and maybe even develop feelings for each other."
"I did have one childhood friend," Saito continued after a moment, his tone wistful. "But she moved away, and since then, we've lost touch."
A brief silence settled between them, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging in the air.
Saito broke the silence, turning the conversation back to Kaiho. "What about you? Do you have family and friends?"
Kaiho sighed softly. "Well, would you keep this a secret? I'm not actually the son of the Omni King. My parents passed away, and Koshiro took me in."
Saito's expression softened with understanding. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"There's nothing to be sorry about," Kaiho replied, his voice steady. "As for friends, yes, I do have them. And I miss them too. Hopefully, I get to meet them again someday."
As Kaiho and Saito reached the entrance of their classroom, they noticed Lucky and Nat following closely behind, laughing and chatting loudly. The four entered together, their footsteps echoing slightly in the large room.
Merlin stood at the front, his usual composed demeanor intact. "Kids, take your seats," he announced. "You'll find your uniforms and books under your desks."
Kaiho pulled out a neatly folded uniform from beneath his desk and held it up, inspecting it. "Wow, it looks like a suit," he remarked, a hint of awe in his voice.
Saito examined his own. "It's similar to the ones we have in Japan, but it's not exactly a suit."
Kaiho turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Coat, shirt, tie—looks like a suit to me."
Saito shook his head. "Didn't you have uniforms like this where you're from?"
The classroom buzzed with quiet chatter as the students inspected their new uniforms and books.
Kaiho held up his uniform, examining the crisp white shirt, red tie, and blazer with the academy's emblem embroidered on the chest. "Wow, it looks like a suit," he commented, turning it over in his hands.
Saito glanced over, adjusting his own tie. "It's pretty similar to school uniforms back in Japan, but not exactly a suit."
Kaiho shrugged. "Coat, shirt, tie… looks like a suit to me. Didn't you have something like this back home?"
Saito shook his head. "Not quite. Ours were simpler."
Kaiho continued, "Where I come from, the uniform's a checkered shirt, blue pants, and a tie with the school's logo. Trust me, it doesn't look good. Oh hey, looks like there's a different uniform for sports too… Wait, why do we all have different colors? Mine's red."
Lucky grinned, holding up his yellow gear. "I got yellow!"
Nat unfolded his uniform. "I got red too. Looks like we're on the same team, Kaiho."
Saito held up his own blue uniform. "Guess I'm in a different group."
Kaiho was about to say something else when the door burst open and Alenna marched in, arms crossed and a mischievous grin on her face.
"Alright, kids. Get ready to run."
The entire class stared, a collective groan echoing.
Kaiho blinked. "Whaaaaa…?!"
Saito whispered to Kaiho, "Each lecture is supposed to be about 45 minutes… except Combat. It lasts twice as long."
Kaiho frowned. "Last time, we ran for like six hours."
Saito nodded grimly. "And we barely survived the first three."
The next thing Kaiho knew, they were outside, running laps around the massive training field. His breath came out in ragged pants, sweat dripping down his face. "Huff… Huff… Ok… I can't… talk while running…"
After what felt like forever, Alenna finally shouted, "Stop! Everyone, follow me!"
Kaiho stumbled to a halt, hands on his knees. "Is… it over?"
Saito, still catching his breath, shook his head. "I'm not sure about that… We're not heading back to class."
Five minutes later, they stood in front of a massive double door. Alenna pushed it open, revealing a state-of-the-art gym. Rows of weights, exercise machines, and training gear stretched out across the enormous space.
Alenna turned to face the group, her arms still crossed. "Welcome to the academy gym. Now, get to bodybuilding. The gym trainer will correct you if you mess up, and I'll be making rounds. Understood?"
Kaiho blinked. "I… don't know if I should be happy about this or scared. I mean, at least I get to do my daily training."
Saito thought to himself, What could go wrong?
Nat cracked his knuckles. "Seems easy enough."
Lucky smirked. "Yeah. Easy peasy."
Two hours later…
Kaiho collapsed onto a bench, clutching his back. "Oh, my back… My hands won't stop shaking!"
Nat flopped down beside him, completely drained. "To think they'd make us repeat the whole set if we messed up… I did the same exercise four times."
Lucky groaned from the floor. "It was six for me… And I'm starving…"
Alenna walked over, holding a tray of protein shakes. "Here, drink up. It'll help with muscle fatigue."
Nat and Lucky practically pounced on the shakes, gulping them down without hesitation.
After finishing his drink, Nat finally spoke. "Man, I didn't expect them to cut off our mana during training…"
Kaiho blinked. "Wait—cut off your mana? What are you talking about?"
Nat wiped his face. "Most of us circulate mana through our bodies to strengthen ourselves. It boosts stamina and physical abilities, so we can run longer and lift heavier weights."
Kaiho raised an eyebrow. "Even with your mana sealed, those guys were still lifting 20 to 30 kg dumbbells easily."
Saito, nursing his sore arms in the corner, thought to himself, Meanwhile, I was barely lifting 6 kg dumbbells…
Suddenly, the door opened, and Merlin stepped into the gym. "Alright, everyone. You have a 15-minute break. After that, we'll resume regular classes. Make good use of your time."
Kaiho sighed, leaning back with his eyes closed. If this is just the start, I'm doomed…
As the break ended, Kaiho let out a long sigh, adjusting his uniform as he sat down at his desk. His hands still trembled slightly, the aftereffects of the intense gym session lingering.
"Man," he muttered under his breath, flexing his fingers in an attempt to steady them, "15 minutes went by like a breeze. Ten minutes just went into changing clothes, and the rest… walking here. I don't think I can even hold a pen properly. My hands are still shaking, but… I guess the protein shake is helping me recover a little."
The next lecture began, and to Kaiho's surprise, the lessons were far more engaging than he had expected. Merlin stood at the front of the classroom, explaining the basics of rune magic.
Instead of overwhelming them with lengthy paragraphs, Merlin broke down each concept into bite-sized points, carefully explaining the principles of mana flow and rune activation step by step.
Kaiho jotted down notes—albeit a bit shakily—impressed by how clear everything felt.
"Honestly, I thought I'd be struggling after the gym, but sir's actually really good at teaching. He simplifies things so well… No long paragraphs, just straight to the point. This is way easier to follow than I thought it'd be."
The next lecture began as the door creaked open. A tall, imposing figure stepped into the classroom, commanding attention the moment he arrived. The man had jet-black hair neatly combed back, sharp black eyes, and a serious expression that made the room fall silent.
"I am Albert Stan," he announced, voice firm and precise. "I will be your Mathematics teacher for this term. For those of you who have chosen Language or Strategy as your sub-subject, please proceed to the library immediately. The rest, remain seated."
A group of students, including Kaiho, Nat, Lucky, and Saito, rose from their seats. As they made their way toward the library, Lucky whispered, "Man, I hope this teacher isn't as strict as he looks."
They entered the library, where another figure stood waiting. This teacher had a more elegant appearance—blonde hair, calm blue eyes, and wearing a tailored gray suit with a striped tie. He adjusted his cufflinks as the students settled in.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted with a warm yet professional tone. "My name is Negan Stinsford, and I will be your Language instructor. For the remainder of the term, you will have combined lessons with Class A."
Kaiho blinked. Class A?
Negan continued, "You may also know them as… the Golden Bloods."
Nat scowled. "Those punks? Seriously?"
Negan raised an eyebrow, finally noticing the pair at the back. "Who are you two? I don't see your names listed here for Language."
Nat gestured at himself and Lucky. "I'm Nat, and this is Lucky. We're in Class B."
Negan flipping through the application forms. "Strange. It says here both of you registered for Mathematics, not Language. You're in the wrong class."
Lucky blinked, confused. "Wait, what? That can't be right—"
Kaiho narrowed his eyes. "Sir, there has to be a mistake. Check it again, please."
Negan handed them the sheet, the subject choices clearly marked: Mathematics.
Kaiho's eye twitched as he turned to Nat and Lucky, voice low but clearly irritated. "You two… what the hell did I tell you? I specifically said NOT to choose Math! How do you mess this up so badly?!"
Nat and Lucky exchanged an awkward glance before Nat scratched his head.
Flashback
Lucky tapped his chin. "Hey, what did Kaiho say we should pick again?"
Nat shrugged. "Uh… I think he said something about Math, right?"
Lucky nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Definitely Math. Let's just write that down so we don't forget."
Present
Kaiho pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath, "These absolute morons."
Kaiho "Well, at least you've still got you here"
Suddenly, Negan spoke up again, flipping through the sheets. "It seems we still have one more student from Class B who hasn't arrived yet."
At that moment, the door creaked open once more.
A gentle, familiar voice echoed from the entrance.
"May I come in, sir?"
Kaiho's heart nearly stopped.
Negan glanced at the list. "Ah, the third student… Dove, correct?"
Kaiho's pulse raced. No way…