"Fudge."
Seven cursed.
"Where am I supposed to go?"
Instinct told him to follow the crowd, but the problem was… the crowd was going everywhere.
There could also be the chance that the real protagonist was among them.
Some went left. Some went up a staircase that led to the rooftop of the marble buildings. A few were already lining up near the elegant spires.
Others were just admiring the view and gawking like tourists as if there was a chance of them not getting accepted, at least they have seen the Academy up close.
He looked around.
He noticed that most of the serious-looking ones like they were actually here to enroll were heading toward the right wing of the Academy past the blackstone path and towards what looked like a wide open field.
Step.
He started to walk towards the right wing.
Step. Step.
But with each step he took, he could hear a splash of the water.
Splash. Splash.
Step.
Splash.
'But it's not raining…'
Thus, he stopped. But, to his surprise, the splashing sound continued even though he remained still in one place.
Curious, he walked towards the alley between two of what seemed to be the classroom, and the sound splashing grew louder and louder.
Splash. Splash!
He peeked inside and saw a girl.
She had soft purple hair with light pink streaks. It was sectioned into two parts that looked like a mix between a bob and twin tails, or more similar to the jellyfish cut.
She sat alone on a bench, facing the stone path.
At her fingertip, a small water droplet floated.
Flick.
She flicked her fingers.
Plip. Plip. Plip.
The water droplet bounced across the ground like a skipping stone.
'Stone skipping?'
Seven thought.
But, the thing is, the way it was implemented could not be called or referred to as 'stone skipping'.
It was more like…
Water skipping.
After all, it was not a stone skipping across water. It was a water droplet skipping across stone.
She flicked another.
Again.
And again.
Seven tilted his head.
"Who plays with magic like that…?"
He did not know whether to be impressed or mildly concerned.
|| Basic Information ||
|| Character: Aeloria de Havin ||
|| Age: 16 ||
|| Talent: Water Magic ||
"...Havin"
The last name 'Havin' was the renowned magic family of the continent, just like the Harts.
'But who is she…?'
He thought.
After all, there was no mention of a girl named Aeloria in the novel.
In the end, he decided to leave. But even before he could take a step away…
"Ughhh... I loathe this."
The girl spoke.
She sighed as she formed another floating water droplet at her fingertip.
"I despise it with every fiber of my being!
"Why…? Why? Why was I registered for this dreadful, insipid exam?!"
She launched the bubble sideways with more force than necessary.
She began to talk to no one but herself.
"If I do everything incorrectly on purpose, will they let me leave with dignity?
"No.
"Of course not.
She formed a new water droplet.
Yet this time, she did not send it across the stone but popped it herself.
"Yes, that's it!"
She looked up, and Seven finally saw her face.
Her eyes were heterochromatic, and the pupils were shaped like teardrops.
Her right eye was soft pink with a darker pink droplet at the center. The left was a reversed mirror; lavender with a deep violet ring around it.
She raised both arms to the sky with fists clenched in a dramatic flair.
"I shall fail gloriously!
"A grand, poetic defeat!
"Let the annals of the Academy remember me as the most theatrical dropout in history!"
But as quickly as it came, the energy quickly faded.
She lowered her hands and a grim look took over her expression.
"…Wait!
"What if that old Maxvlque hears about this?
"No."
She shook her head.
"No, no, no. Compose yourself, Aeloria!
"You cannot be both dramatic and a disappointment!"
Finally, after all that mumbling with herself, she stood up.
"Very well then, Exam! Let us duel!"
She summoned one final water droplet and flicked it with an elegant movement.
Plip.
It bounced once.
Plip.
Twice.
Three. Four. Five.
On the seventh bounce, it popped directly beneath Seven's boots.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met.
"Mon dieu! Who are—"
Seven ran.
He bolted before she could finish her sentence.
Step. Step.
He was not sure if she followed.
But he did run as fast as his complexion could, fast enough to melt into the crowd by the time he reached the right wing.
It was packed.
Not in a literal sense, but just enough that even if that woman remembered his face, she'd have a hard time spotting him now.
"Fudge…"
He ran a hand through his hair.
"What's with that crazy—"
"Hey."
A voice called out.
He flinched.
'No way.
'Did she find me already?
'Am I in trouble?'
His thoughts spiraled, but when he turned around, he let out a relieved breath.
Hah…
He exhaled.
It was a different person.
|| Basic Information ||
|| Character: Souma ||
|| Age: 17 ||
|| Talent: None ||
It was a man with brown eyes and messy strawberry-blonde hair. Most of it was short, except for one section in the back that trailed down to his shoulders.
He looked straight at the man's eyes.
"Sorry, but I think the line starts back there."
The man pointed behind him. Sure enough, there was a line… sort of. But amidst the chaos, it was hard to spot unless you were really looking.
"Heh, I know the wait's rough, but I'd appreciate it if you could head back to your spot. Everyone's been waiting a while now."
"...Oh."
Seven replied.
He glanced toward the crowd again.
'There's a line…?'
But then he looked at the man again. After all, if he stepped back into the open, he might run into her, that crazy woman, again.
And that would mean trouble.
"…I'm already here. Seems easier to just let it be."
He meant to sound casual, but his voice naturally came out flat and expressionless.
The man sighed and scratched the back of his neck.
"You've got a point, but…"
He gave a helpless laugh.
"Heh, never mind. I won't push it. I'll just let the proctor know, in case."
"...Sure."
"…"
"..."
In the end, despite the man raising his hand, there was no proctor that came over to handle the situation.
Many eyes were locked at him as the crowd thought they were accomplices where one would get in line and the other would just cut in and say "I just used the bathroom" folly.
But he just shrugged and left Seven be.