Morning came too quickly, and I found myself frantically moving from my room to the kitchen and back upstairs to grab my school bag. My dad, a kind-hearted and gentle soul, was reading the newspaper at the dining table, while my sister, Kanao, was already there, teasing me for waking up late again.
"Look who decided to join the living!" she smirked, taking a bite of her toast.
"Shut up, Kanao," I grumbled, grabbing my own toast and gulping down a glass of milk. Dad, ever the voice of reason, warned me about talking while eating, but I was too busy trading barbs with Kanao to listen.
"You know, Kyle, if you spent as much time studying as you do sleeping, you might actually pass your exams," Kanao said, her sarcasm grating on my nerves.
I was about to retort when I choked on a piece of toast. My sister burst out laughing while my dad quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver on me. As the food dislodged, I relaxed, only for Kanao's teasing to resume.
"Oh man, you really can't do anything right, can you?" she said, doubling over in laughter.
I shot her a glare, ready to retaliate, when I noticed the clock read 8:10 AM. I was already ten minutes late, and today was exam day. Panic set in. I kissed my dad on the cheek and gave Kanao a defiant look before grabbing my skateboard and zooming out the door, my dad's voice trailing behind me, reminding me to be careful.
At school, the friendly school guard greeted me enthusiastically, but I just zoomed past him and into my classroom. Ms. Smith, my teacher, joked about me arriving just in time for recess. My classmates laughed, but my best friend, Rowie, threw me a worried look.
Ignoring the laughter, I sat down, grabbed my pen, and started answering the exam. Thankfully, I had studied the night before, so I didn't find it too difficult. After two more exams, the bell for lunch rang, and I was exhausted. Rowie and I headed to the cafeteria to eat.
Rowie's mom was an amazing cook, a stark contrast to my dad. Ever since mom died, dad had been struggling with cooking. He often burned the rice, fried dishes, and sometimes even the stove. Miraculously, the house was still standing despite his unfortunate kitchen skills.
As I opened my lunch box, I saw Pororo inside, munching on my food. Bits of food were still on his cheeks, and his stomach was bloated. I pinched his ears, which made him yelp in pain, and we started bickering.
"Hey, that's my lunch!" I hissed.
"Yours? I thought it was mine," Pororo said innocently, still chewing.
Rowie, who had been watching in confusion, finally spoke up. "Kyle, are you okay? Who are you talking to?"
I froze, realizing how crazy I must have looked. "Oh, just...talking to myself," I said, forcing a laugh.
"Do you want to talk to Ms. Higashino about your mental health?" Rowie asked, concerned. Ms. Higashino was our school psychologist.
"No, Kyle, I'm fine. Really," I insisted.
That afternoon, I skated back home, relieved that the exams were over. The sun was setting beautifully in the west when a blur sped past me.
"What was that?" I exclaimed.
Pororo peeked out from my backpack, his forehead jewel blinking. "I sense a beast nearby," he said.
"I just felt something zoom past me," I replied.
"Hmm...interesting," Pororo mused.
Then it happened again. This time, I caught a glimpse of it—a half-horse, half-human creature.
"A centaur!" Pororo said.
"Why is it zooming past me?" I asked.
"It's challenging you to a race," he explained.
"With that speed? I don't think so," I said, shaking my head.
"It's too late. Once a centaur challenges you, you have to race. It's the only way to catch it," Pororo said matter-of-factly.
"Catch it? Are you out of your mind? How am I supposed to beat it? It's so fast we can barely see it!"
"Don't worry, there are ways to beat a centaur," Pororo said, thinking deeply. "Like what? Buy a turbo car or something?" I asked sarcastically.
"Hmm..."
I looked at him, still skating. The centaur had passed us five times by now.
"Hmm...I...I don't know," Pororo finally admitted.
I nearly tipped over my skateboard. "I thought you were thinking?"
"Yeah, I thought so too," he said.
"What about the beasts I've captured in the book? Can I use them against the centaur?" I asked.
"Well, first, you don't have restraining beasts. Second, you don't have a speedster beast...so we're doomed."
"How about Kumiho? Can we use her powers to transform into something speedy?"
"Hmm..."
"Pororo! What do you think?"
"I dunno."
"You're a useless guardian!" I spat.
"Hey, give me a break. If only I had my powers back, this would be a walk in the park!"
On the sixth pass, a red mark appeared on my feet.
"What is this?" I asked Pororo.
"Well, my friend, that's the centaur's way of inviting you to a race. Should you win, you'll capture the beast. Should you lose...well..."
"Well, what?" I pressed.
"You're gonna be her boyfriend for life or something," he said nonchalantly.
"What?"
"You heard me. She's gonna drag you to the spirit realm and be her companion until the end of time. That Centaur has taken a liking in you. You could have stopped skating earlier, which would have meant you didn't accept the challenge and the Centaur would respect that, let it slip in. And then we can plan to capture it next time but you kept skating, so..."
"You didn't tell me!" I shouted.
"Oh, I didn't? Sorry," he said with a smug look on his face.
"I hate you."
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out."
The thought of becoming half-horse, half-human, and being married to a centaur was terrifying. I imagined my dad crying at our wedding and my evil sister laughing hysterically at my predicament.
"No!" I screamed.
"We'll plan everything tonight. We only have 24 hours to prepare before the race begins," Pororo said. My body dropped in resignation.