The days of high school were finally over. I can rest now!
Edward Marshalls thought to himself.
Damn, that was a hard test... What the hell. I can't believe the Ministry of Education actually thought that was humanly possible.
He had just completed the infamous HSFEs (High School Final Examinations), which everyone had to pass in order to graduate. These exams weren't actually that difficult, since only two subjects were mandatory to pass for the certificate, but Edward had struggled nonetheless.
After all, he'd only had one year of high school.
Ahhhh... What should I do now? I've done it, but I'm still feeling uneasy... It's almost like I'm more relieved than happy for the exam to be over.
As if she could read his mind, Edward's mother, Evelyn, called out to him.
"Ed, Honey, why don't you look for work while we await your results?"
That's it! Let's see how hard minimum-wage jobs really are. Good job, Mother!
Edward pictured himself giving his mother a thumbs-up (chibi-style, of course) and walked over to the dining room to greet her. She was sipping tea as he took a seat at the table, sitting diagonally from her. Edward poured himself a cup of water and started sipping it as he awkwardly stared at his mother.
"What are you doing? Stop that."
"Ack! I was just thinking, my bad..."
One important thing to note about Edward: he had mean eyes. Like, really, really mean eyes. Looking at someone subconsciously was a bad move for him, as they'd probably mistake his stare for anger. He needed to curb this habit, but for now, he'd have to just deal with it and avoid staring at people.
"Anyway, honey. You're better off finding a job in the city, there's not much opportunity here in the village. You could live a few months with Olenna, your step-mother."
"Hmmm... True. I guess that works, and I can take care of her too. She's getting old. I think she turns 72 this year? Damn, time sure flies fast."
"You should go by train. I'll send you off this Friday. Get your things."
Edward nodded and went to his room.
∗ ∗ ∗
He waved goodbye to his mother as she drove off after dropping him at the train station. He had three bags with him: one for clothes, one for convenient personal items, and one for his laptop.
Soooooo~ how do I buy a ticket again?
Edward walked up the stairs into the station and approached a counter, where he was greeted by a smiling old man behind the glass. Seeing him, Edward couldn't help but smile back.
"Hey, uh... is this where I can buy a ticket?"
"Of course, young man! Where to?"
"The Capital, one adult ticket."
"That'll be 4.50."
Ed reached for his wallet and pulled out some cash. If there was one word to describe the look on his face now, it would be crushing anxiety. He was irrationally worried he might not have enough to cover the fare.
"Oh, you can't pay with cash these days. They don't trust us folks with that no more... I'm afraid you'll have to use your card or QR-pay services."
Ed sighed in relief and paid with his debit card as the receptionist handed him a token.
Damn, I'm terrible at maths. Much easier to just swipe a card. One of the rare times I'm actually grateful for cashless technology!
"Use this token to get to the second platform. The train to the Capital should be arriving soon. Safe travels. And be careful not to get in the women's coach."
He thanked the old receptionist with a nervous but genuine smile, then climbed the stairs to the footbridge to reach the second platform.
I feel good. Just a simple interaction, but without any ill-intent or hostility. We could use more of that in this world.
He boarded the train as soon as it arrived, and it carried him towards his destination without any major issues. Well, mostly—he had to change trains a few times as he was travelling from the villages to the big city.
Edward wasn't particularly anti-social; he had no trouble making friends and acquaintances. But... because of his overthinking, he often caused himself unnecessary anxiety and trouble. It doesn't help that he has really, really, really, mean eyes inherited from his father.
Well, now that I don't have to switch coaches for the third time, I guess I can finally enjoy my favourite novel, "Necromancer," in peace…
Oh yes, he was also completely obsessed with Necromancer, a light novel featuring a skeleton king as its main character. It wasn't particularly popular in his country, so there weren't many people he could chat with about it. The lack of a "Necromancer Buddy" made him feel a bit down. Although the story was exceptionally good, the animated series had cut a lot of content, resulting in a mediocre adaptation that had driven people away.