A bustling crowd jostled for position, their eyes fixed on a paper displayed on a notice board. At its top, the heading read "B. Tech 2nd Semester Final Result and Ranking," followed by columns of names paired with rows of test scores. Among them, one name reigned supreme: "Kai" – the undisputed number one.
All eyes then shifted toward a tall young man amid the throng. His long, flowing obsidian hair framed a stoic and composed face, while his crimson eyes moved steadily over the list. After confirming his own rank, he turned decisively on his heel and strode through the crowd. His right hand reached into the back pocket of his bag, and with a brief search, he withdrew a retro, folded GameBoy Advanced PS Console.
A slight smile broke his otherwise stoic expression as he unfolded the device and powered it on. The screen lit up to reveal Pokémon Fire Red. His fingers moved with practiced precision over the buttons—worn smooth from years of dedicated play, as evidenced by the scratches that marred its plastic casing.
As he continued his game while making his way slowly forward, a sudden hand clamped onto his shoulder. Startled, he nearly missed the figure—a brown-haired young man who emerged with a wide grin. Kai's gaze briefly lifted to deliver a withering side-eye, silently conveying his displeasure at the interruption.
The brown-haired interloper, a few inches shorter than Kai, broke the silence, "Well, well, who do we have here? Kai, the mysterious, handsome boy who's secretly an otaku."
Without diverting his eyes from the screen, Kai replied coolly, "Stop bothering me, Ron. And being a Pokémon fan is no secret."
At that, Kai halted in his tracks, and Ron found himself involuntarily pulled backward, his hand still lingering on Kai's shoulder. Finally, Kai set aside his console, looked directly at Ron, and said, "Don't waste my time—get straight to the point. What do you want?"
Ron shrugged and released his grip. "Okay, Mr. Serious. I'll be direct. Tonight at 9 PM, a group of first-years is hosting a party to celebrate the end of our final examinations."
"And of course, you're specially invited…"
Ron covered one side of his mouth and whispered smugly, "…by the popular girls. Beauties from the second and third years will be there, too." He tilted his head slightly, grinning as he searched for Kai's reaction. But Kai maintained his usual deadpan expression and replied, "Then? I ain't going."
Ron's face registered disbelief. "Eh? But why?!"
Kai shrugged nonchalantly. "I just don't wanna. I need to finish my Pokémon Fire Red tonight. Now that exams are over, I'm planning a marathon of Pokémon games."
Immediately after his response, Kai resumed walking, leaving Ron momentarily stunned. "Hey! Wait!" Ron called out, hastily chasing after him.
When Ron caught up, he spoke again, "Okay, I get it. But heed my warning—you're missing a golden chance to get a hot chick."
Kai's tone remained indifferent. "I'm not interested in girls who drink booze and party all night."
Ron squinted, teasing, "Then what's your type, mister high standards?"
Without missing a beat, Kai pulled out his phone and unlocked it, turning the screen toward Ron. Ron's eyes widened at the sight: the wallpaper featured a cute anime girl in a swimsuit.
"Wha—what the hell is this?!" Ron blurted out upon seeing it. "Don't tell me you like 2D girls!!!"
At the sound of "2D girls," Kai's eyes flared as he yelled, "How dare you insult my Mika-chan?!"
"Those booze-drinking, party girls will betray you! But…BUT!! My Mika-chan would never betray me!!! NEVER EVER!" Kai declared dramatically, striking exaggerated poses to demonstrate his unwavering dedication to his favorite waifu.
At that moment, Ron realized that Kai—the mysterious, handsome first-year engineering student—was, in fact, a hardcore otaku. Recognizing this, Ron decided not to push the invitation any further and awkwardly said, "O-okay, Kai, I understand your feelings, ha-haha…ha."
"Hmph." With that curt response, their conversation ended as Kai stormed away.
Ron, still reeling from Kai's peculiar taste in girls, stood rooted to the spot, watching him disappear into a crowd. Muttering to himself, he sighed, "What a weird guy. Who would have thought he'd be such a hardcore otaku and a nerd?" He added quietly, "I guess the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover' really is true."
Night had fallen, in one of the many rooms of the university dormitory, a clock ticked steadily, its hour and minute hands both resting at 11. In the modest space, a table was cluttered with engineering textbooks, a messy wardrobe stood in the corner, and a brightly glowing fluorescent light illuminated the ceiling. A tall young man lay on the bed.
His crimson eyes were intently fixed on his console, while his fingers navigated the controls with pure muscle memory.
When the minute hand struck 12, Kai exhaled deeply and murmured, "Finally." His gaze remained locked on a message flashing across the screen: "Gotcha! Mewtwo was caught!"
Kai had managed to binge-play and finish the entire Fire Red game in a single day, just as he had declared to Ron. Folding his console, he gently put it down on the table piled high with engineering textbook. Muttering to himself, "Gotta sleep now," his eyes drifted toward a medium-sized carton package with words printed on it "Calisthenics Elite Weight Vest: 20kg." A grin spread across his face as he added, "I have new things to try in the morning."
Soon, his phone vibrated. He picked it up to find a message from Ron: "You sure you don't wanna come? The real party has yet to start." Kai replied simply, "No." Ron immediately shot back, "Okay weeb -_-," but Kai merely shrugged off the derogatory remark, muttering, "Pretty sure you'll find only hoes in there."
Without warning, a surge of heat and a spike of adrenaline coursed through him. Kai groaned, "Argh, not again." He reached for a water bottle on his table along with a small bottle of pills. Taking a long gulp, he swallowed a pill before setting down both the water bottle and the pill bottle labeled "Benzodiazepines." Then, he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as the heat and adrenaline subsided.
Glancing at his phone wallpaper one last time, he smiled and whispered, "Good night, Mika-chaan~." He tossed his phone onto the table beside his console, switched off the light, and let his head sink onto the pillow with a soft thud. His eyelids grew heavy, and the toll of late-night studies finally caught up with him as he drifted into a deep, sound slumber.
Morning light shone across Kai's face, gently pulling him from a deep slumber. As he blinked open his eyes, his crimson gaze met an unfamiliar scene.
Kai sat up and yawned, rubbing his eyes. His brows furrowed as he realized the mattress felt softer and stranger than usual. When he fully opened his eyes, his shock deepened. The room was unfamiliar: a different bed, a smaller table by his side, and his books, console, and phone were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a quirky Blastoise table clock ticked away at 6 o'clock in the morning, its hands moving across what should have been the Pokemon's shell.
Darting his eyes around, Kai's gaze settled on a life-sized mirror. He rose from the bed and marched toward it. Stopping just inches away, he peered into the mirror and was stunned to see himself in unfamiliar pajamas—and not as the 19-year-old from the previous night, but as a younger version of himself, a 12-year-old boy.
Tilting his head toward a wooden window with half glass panes, he noticed sunlight filtering in. Slowly, Kai walked over and reached for the window with his right hand. As he pushed it open, a burst of bright sunlight forced him to shut his eyes. When he finally opened them again, an entirely new scene unfolded.
Outside lay small, rustic houses with slanted roofs, white walls, and rooftops painted in red and blue. Wooden fences encircled little gardens bursting with colorful flowers. Beyond, lush greenery spread out into open fields, while a large silver mountain crowned with snowy peaks loomed in the distance.
A gentle coastline featured soft waves caressing the shore, with a few fishing boats bobbing along. On a slightly elevated hill in the distance, a large, modern building gleamed with reflective glass windows. A dirt path wound through the town, leading north and south to a small dock by the sea.
Kai's eyes widened even further when he noticed a flock of flying figures—Pidgeys and Pidgeottos soaring in the sky.
Then, his attention was suddenly drawn to three distinct sounds: a low, throaty caw reminiscent of a crow; a sharp, high-pitched screech like that of a hawk; and finally, a gentle trill akin to a morning dove.
Following the direction of the sounds, Kai no longer felt startled, having been surprised before. Perched atop an iron pole, the three heads of a Dodrio roosted like a living clock, heralding the start of a new day.