I took the quiz within the 20-minute time limit. Honestly, I was quite thankful that all of it was material I knew or at least knew enough about to come up with an answer. In my last life, I was 21 and in university, so this whole atmosphere felt like a high school-level exam. I wasn't stressed and proceeded calmly.
"Great! That completes the Freshman Scaling Exam. You guys can go home now. Tomorrow, we start normal school days. Be here at 8 a.m." With that, the topaz-eyed woman gave her final instructions and walked out of the classroom.
'That was an exam?'
I couldn't believe it, but it definitely made more sense than a quiz. I managed to answer all of the questions completely, except for the constructed response. I only got drafts down for it, and there were many mistakes, but at least I had something written.
The essay question about goals and pursuits was almost ironic. What were my goals now? I had been given a second chance, but to do what? I wasn't sure yet. The best I could do was bullshit my way through the answer and hope I wasn't graded too harshly.
I put my pen in my backpack, which rested to the left of my desk. It was a normal backpack—black in color and from a brand I didn't recognize.
Standing up, I slung the backpack over my shoulders and did a quick scan of the classroom. Most people seemed average at first glance, but four stood out—two girls and two guys. The girls both had black hair, one with golden eyes and the other with green. As for the two guys, both were blondes, but one had violet eyes while the other had silver.
I didn't bother analyzing their body types and instead focused on more important things.
Everyone seems to have their little group except for me. The golden-eyed and green-eyed girls seem to be friends, and the two guys at least know each other.
"Hah~" I sighed.
'The original owner of this body must have been a loner or something.'
[Quest arrived.]
'T-That's so damn random.' My lips twitched as I watched the golden screen appear before me.
[That's normally how it goes. Anyway.]
[Quest: Talk with one person in your class]
- Accept: Socializing Skill Level 0
- Decline: Nothing wrong with that
Reading the accept and decline options, I raised a brow. I wasn't expecting something like this at all.
[Quests are completely optional. If you decline or accept, whatever happens, happens. Now, the great thing about being able to see the quest details is that you can get a basic idea of the consequences of your actions.]
'You mean I get a peek at whether something good or bad will happen?'
[Kind of… The world is more grey than that, but I guess we can start with that interpretation.]
'I'll accept then. It isn't that hard to talk to someone!'
[Socializing Level 0 acquired. Refer to the skills tab for more information.]
After that last little bit, the golden screen disappeared again. I scanned the room once more, fake-stretching so I wouldn't look weird for standing still too long.
After a little stretch, I knew exactly who I wanted to talk to.
I took a step forward, leaving my desk behind as I walked in a straight line towards two girls; The golden and green-eyed girls that stood out the most. I had a very simple plan here…
"Excuse me." I spoke as neutrally as possible. The two girls, blocking the pathway, had no choice but to turn toward me and realize the inconvenience they were causing.
"Sorry!" The green-eyed girl quickly sat back down, apologizing. The golden-eyed girl just nodded and followed suit.
Turning my head to the green-eyed girl, I smiled. "No problem."
I had barely stepped past them when I heard a voice behind me.
"Hey, how do you think you did on that exam? I think I did pretty well—definitely top three!"
I paused, giving the green-eyed girl a raised brow. Her tan skin matched well with her upbeat nature.
Rubbing the back of my head, I let out a few sounds of contemplation.
"I guess... maybe top ten? I don't really know. I accidentally spaced out until there were like 20 minutes left."
"N-No way! You answered everything in 20 minutes?!" She stood up in exaggerated shock. Her little outburst garnered some attention, but I just chuckled.
"I couldn't edit my response to the constructed response question, but it's whatever."
"It took me 40 minutes just for the response question..."
"Bhehe~ Ophi, you finished way before that, you perfectionist." The golden-eyed girl finally spoke for the first time.
So, green-eyes here is called Ophi. Nah, that has to be a nickname. No way someone actually just named their child that!
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad name but it just sounded incomplete.
"Ophi?" I figured the best way to find out was to ask.
"Oh! My full name is Ophelia Rosen. And this right here is my best friend, Katelyn!" Ophi introduced herself before gesturing toward her friend.
Katelyn reached out her hand, her skin smooth and clearly well cared for. She shared her friend's tan complexion, though Katelyn's looked earned—sun-kissed from effort—while Ophelia's seemed something she was simply born with.
"Katelyn Noire."
I accepted her handshake with a calm nod. "Eizkel Rhyse."
"Wow! Cool name, dude." Ophi jumped back in, but this time, it felt more casual. She tapped me on the shoulder, and I won't lie, I kind of enjoyed her openness. But I didn't want to overstay my welcome. I already accomplished what I wanted to do anyway.
Besides, the two had been talking about something before I interrupted, and sticking around any longer would feel weird.
"Hehe, thanks. I'll see you guys later, then. Nice meeting you two!" I walked out of the classroom without looking back. I had completed the quest and met two people, which felt nice.
'I can handle being alone, but I don't think I could ever be a true loner.' Thinking about it, I just couldn't. I enjoyed socializing, at least to some degree. At MOST I could do like a day or two without talking to anyone and that's if my social battery was drained completely before.