The faint hum of the classroom buzzed in the background as Kris sat at his desk, still adjusting to the reality he'd been thrust into.
His thoughts were interrupted when Necho leaned in, concern lining his face.
"You okay, Kris?" Necho asked, his voice filled with concern.
Kris blinked, his mind snapping back to the present.
"Yeah... I think so," he replied before pausing.
He turned to Necho, and asked a question "How do I usually act?"
Necho chuckled softly, "Well, back then, when we first met, I was just sitting here in this very chair. I saw you looking at your phone, watching The Data Beast Adventure Series."
"Curiosity got the best of me, so I asked a bunch of questions, and you answered them so fast it was like you were the show's narrator," he laughed, remembering how bizarre their friendship had started.
Kris recalled his room where figurines and posters of The Data Beast Adventure adorned the walls.
The vibrant characters from the show stood frozen in their iconic poses, a clear sign of his predecessor's obsession.
It was surreal to think that the former Kris had been so captivated by the series—an obsession Kris Valentine could barely relate to.
"Well, I started watching the series again since Cillian told me about it," Kris said with a grin.
"And, to be honest, those figurines that stares at me at night... they kind of bother me." He snickered.
Necho glanced at Kris with a raised eyebrow. "You have a new look going on, huh? You've got the girls checking you out today," he teased, nodding toward a few staring their way.
Kris followed Necho's gaze, spotting Belle glaring at him with daggers in her eyes, while on the other side, Chansey seemed to be sending love messages through hers.
Confused, he turned back to Necho. "How do they usually look at me?"
Necho shrugged casually. "Oh, they don't. They would just ignore us aside from Belle you would bother her from time to time. We're kind of the nerds here. It's always been just the two of us in our little circle."
Kris raised an eyebrow, looking around the classroom. "Wait, but there are 18 students here, and it's only the two of us in our circle?"
Kris chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think we're nerds, Necho. More like losers."
Necho laughed at the notion. "Hey, it didn't really bother us anyway."
Just then, Thursday, who had been sitting in front of Kris, turned around after hearing their laughter.
He leaned back in his chair, wanting to join in the fun as well.
"What you lads talking about?"
Kris turned to Thursday, with a curious expression hanging on his face.
"Hey, bro, what did you think about me before my amnesia?"
Thursday rubbed his chin thoughtfully, recalling the past. "Hmm, whenever I asked you to hang out, you always said you were busy. I even asked you once what your family do for a living, and you just looked at me and ignored me. Overall, you were pretty cold to some of us."
Kris nodded, a hint of regret in his eyes. "I apologize for my behavior, bro. I didn't mean to come off that way."
He realized that the reason why people are ignoring him because of the old kris' personality.
"Nah, I know you were a good person, mate. You even befriended one of the gloomiest people in the room." Thursday glanced over at Necho, who promptly dodged his gaze, pretending not to acknowledge it.
"I hope I can be friends with you from now on, and also with Necho. He's a good friend," Thursday added.
Kris smiled and nodded at Thursday. "Of course, bro, you're welcome in our circle."
Kris then initiated a fist bump, but Thursday misinterpreted it as Kris wanting to punch him.
His eyes widened, and he instinctively raised his hands in defense.
"Wait! are you trying to fight me?"
"Uhm, in my place, we call this a fist bump. Just close your fist and bump it with mine," Kris explained, chuckling at the misunderstanding.
"Oh, that's awesome! Is that your guys' thing? Glad to be a part of it!" Thursday replied, grinning as he returned the fist bump. He then glanced over at Necho.
Necho looked at both of them, confuse by the gesture, rolling his eyes with a playful sigh.
He surrendered to the moment and joined in, fist-bumping Thursday as well.
Their lighthearted conversation was cut off as Mr. Kwame, their teacher, announced the end of class.
"Alright, class, there's no homework today since I want you all to rest for tomorrow's Data Beast Evaluation test. Prepare your Data Beasts and Datavices. Class dismissed!"
With that, the students began to keep their books, excitement buzzing in the air.
"So, are you guys prepared for tomorrow?" Thursday asked Necho and Kris.
Necho nodded confidently, affirming his readiness without saying a word.
They turned to Kris, who looked a bit uncertain. "Uhm, how do I prepare for tomorrow?"
"Oh sh*t, I forgot that you forgot!" Thursday exclaimed, slapping his forehead dramatically.
"Necho, mate, why don't you tell Kris how to prepare since you seem so confident?" he suggested, glancing at Necho on the side.
"I would've told him anyway, without you asking me," Necho replied, rolling his eyes at Thursday's antics.
"Kris, there are only three things you need to prepare. You gotta listen," Necho instructed, lifting his imaginary glasses with a serious expression.
Kris leaned in, eager to hear more.
"First is your Data Beast, second is your Datavice, and lastly, yourself!" Necho declared, punctuating each point with emphasis.
Kris raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"What do you mean that's it? You have to lower your voice!" Thursday hushed him, looking around to make sure they weren't drawing too much attention.
Necho shook his head. "You should know how hard it is to get the first one, even if you have the second."
"Yeah, mate, some of us here don't have our Data Beasts yet. If they heard you blabbering about how easy it is to get one, you'll get death stares! Well, you're used to that," Thursday quipped, gesturing at Belle, who was sitting a few desks away.
Kris twitched his eyebrows. "What's wrong with her?"
Necho and Thursday exchanged shocked glances. "Damn, you really did get amnesia. When you look at her, you don't feel anything? Love? Admiration? Sexual tension?"
Necho lightly slapped Thursday's head.
"Ahh, that hurts, you dumb bloke!" Thursday complained, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, none of the above," Kris replied, shaking his head.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the classroom. Everyone turned to see Belle slamming her books down on her table.
"Quiet down! If I hear any chattering again, you'll see a flying book between your eyes!" she warned, her face flushed with anger, as if something had triggered her fury.
'How could he? He really lost his feelings for her. Fuck, I wanna go home!' Belle thought to herself as she sank back into her books, drowning in frustration.
"It must be her day today, geez," Miguel exclaimed quietly, sharing a laugh with his friends as they observed the scene.
After their chuckles faded, Miguel's gaze shifted to Kris, who was chatting animatedly with Thursday and Necho.
With a smirk, Miguel stood up and walked over to their group. "Hey, bitch! Meet me after school at the usual spot," he told Kris, a challenging glint in his eyes.