~ Ayano's Pov, three weeks later... ~
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DING~ DING~
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'I guess it's time for the tests to start...' I took out both my pen and pencils... For some reason, I can't help but feel weirded out by how fast this month had lasted, or rather, how it ended. Today marks my second month coming in to this world, and to be completely honest, I'm still not entirely used to it all.
But...
"Ayano-san."
I think I'm getting by. "Hmm... Sekai-san? What do you need?"
"Well, it's nothing much, but I was just wondering... What, university do you plan on going to? You know, after the exams are finished?"
That... was a very solid question. I actually didn't think much about what I'd do after the exams were finished. But before I could answer...
"Yeah, I'm pretty curious as well, what are you gonna choose?" Renji asked.
I scratched my cheek for a sec, "Well... I haven't even decided yet to be completely honest."
"Well... you should hurry. Though honestly, it's quite careless of you to not think of anything this late in the semester... So, here." Sekai had both scolded me, and handed me her phone in the process.
I smiled, "Well, I definitely know who my new mom is..."
She mockingly huffed, "Hai~ Hai~ Just hurry and place your number in already, oh son of mine."
"Haha~" I chuckled a bit under my breath, slipping her phone from her hand and punching in my number. "There, happy now?" Ever since these past few weeks, Sekai had been doing better and better... She was no longer sad like before. And to be honest, I was liking her personality, she was quite charismatic, smart and quirky, and best of all, funny.
Before I knew it, Sekai had taken it back with a smug grin. "Very. Now I can call you at 2 AM to ask if you've figured out your future yet, go me."
"Please, don't." I said, half-laughing, half-serious. More so serious...
"Umm, guys. I just realized something... We've all pretty much have known each other for what? Two months now, and we haven't even shared numbers with each other..." Renji added.
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"Good point... I'll create a ThatsAppgroup for all of us then...?"
Sekai nodded, "Please do."
As Renji pulled out his phone, I couldn't help but feel a strange warmth stir somewhere deep in my chest. It was subtle—almost too subtle—but it was there. Familiarity. Comfort. A small but steady sense of belonging for once.
Crazy, right?
Two months ago I was essentially wandering aimlessly in a world that wasn't really mine. Now here I was, casually trading phone numbers like I'd been part of this life the whole time...
"So... what should we even name the group then?" Renji asked, scrolling through his contact list with a little furrow between his brows. "Something cool? Something, I don't know... ironic?"
"Oh! What about... Three Idiots and a Cursed Transfer Student?" Sekai offered, grinning like the cat who just got in on some whipped cream.
I stared at her, mouth open. "Excuse me?! Cursed?" I wasn't cursed... At least, I think I wasn't.
Renji burst into laughter. "Wait—wait! I'm not even mad at that. That actually slaps."
I rolled my eyes, "You two are unbelievable..." I mumbled, shaking my head with a slight smile. "Just put something normal. Like... Study Group or whatever."
Sekai made a loud ugh noise. "That's so boring, Ayano-kun~! Where's your sense of drama?"
"Left it back in my other life," I shot back dryly, though the grin on my face betrayed my tone.
Eventually, we settled on something completely chaotic and Sekai-approved: 'Don't Forget the Exams (Also Ayano Might Be a Ghost)'....Yeah, I had questions too. But I let it slide.
A few moments passed in comfortable silence as all our phones buzzed with new group notifications. A faint breeze passed through the open window beside me, catching the corner of my study papers and lifting them ever so slightly...
That weird feeling returned again—like I was on the edge of something. Not bad. Just… different. Like a page was about to turn in my life.
"Hey…" Renji said suddenly, glancing over. "You alright?"
I blinked. "Yeah... Just, thinking a little."
"About what?"
I looked out the window for a second before answering. "...About how different everything feels. How fast things can change. And how maybe, that's not such a bad thing after all."
Renji nodded, like he got it. Sekai, surprisingly, didn't tease me for saying something that I, admittedly thought was slightly cringe despite being true... In fact, for once, she looked quietly thoughtful.
"Yeah..." I heard her murmur, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Change isn't always bad... Sometimes, I think it's the only way forward in life..."
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We all fell quiet again after that, but the silence felt full—not awkward like it used to be. Like we were all kind of marinating in the same kind of thoughts. Like even though we hadn't said it out loud, we were all thinking the same thing.
Things were changing. Fast.
And somehow, without even realizing it, these people I had slowly started calling friends were changing with them. I, was changing with them.
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I slid everything I needed into place, took one last sip of water, and exhaled.
"Well, here goes nothing," I muttered under my breath as we all stood up to head for the exam room.
While we all were sitting down with together, Sekai nudged me with her shoulder. "You're definitely gonna ace it, Ayano-san. And after that, we'll figure out that whole future thing, yeah?"
I looked over at her, then at Renji trailing just behind us—pretending not to listen but clearly grinning.
"…Yeah, sure. Let's figure it out. Together." And maybe, just maybe, this world... wasn't so bad after all.
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Before I knew it, today's exams were over, just two more days left and I'll be finished with high school life, even though it didn't last very long. It was, eventful to say the least. Before I left, I walked over to Katsura. She was the only person that we knew that wasn't added yet.
...
She stood by the vending machine, quietly punching in her drink selection like she was trying not to exist too loudly. Katsura was always like that—kind of there, kind of not. Mysterious in a way that didn't feel like a personality trait, more like a defense mechanism if anything.
"Yo," I called out softly, careful not to startle her.
She turned her head, slow and cautious, like a cat that wasn't sure if I was offering food or throwing a rock. "Ayano-san…"
"Hey. So uh, we made a group chat. You weren't added yet. Thought I'd fix that."
Her fingers paused around the can she'd just pulled from the machine. She tilted her head slightly. "Group chat...?"
"Yeah, just something casual. We made it on... ThatsApp. It's mostly memes and exam panic. You in?"
She blinked, eyes narrowing just a little. "ThatsApp...?"
I paused. "Uh. Like a messaging app? Sort of like Line or Discord?"
Katsura looked down for a second, pressing the cool drink against her cheek absentmindedly. "I've heard of it, but… I don't really use those kinds of apps much."
"Oh?"
She shrugged lightly, a small, almost embarrassed smile tugging at her lips. "I guess I've never really had a reason to. As you know, I don't really talk to a lot of people. Not because I dislike it, but... people tend to not really get close to me, I guess. And, I've gotten a bit used to the quiet."
There was no bitterness in her voice—just quiet honesty. Not self-pitying, not cold. Just her, explaining her world like she didn't exactly expect anyone to really understand it.
"That's fair," I said softly. "But, I don't know. I think we'd all like you to be part of it. Even if you won't say much."
Katsura glanced at me for a long second, almost thoughtful, her fingers curling around the drink. Then, quietly: "...Okay. I'll join it. I might not talk a lot, but… it might be nice to see everyone talking."
That made me smile—one of those small, real ones that sneak up on you. "You're not obligated to say a thing. Lurking is a totally valid role."
She let out a very soft laugh. "Good."
She handed me her phone—older model, modest wallpaper, barely any apps on the home screen—and I added her to the chat. Her username popped up right under Renji's last message—something about wanting to burn his math textbook ceremonially.
"There. You're official now," I said, passing it back.
She looked at the screen, eyes skimming over the group name.
"...That's what you named it?" she asked, a little more amused than judgmental.
I sighed, "I take zero responsibility. It was Sekai."
As if on cue, her notification banner lit up at the top.
Sekai:KATSURA HAS ENTERED THE CHAOTIC RING. WELCOME. 💥🔥
I chuckled. "Told you."
She shook her head gently, lips barely twitching. "It's kind of… warm. In its own odd way."
"You'll get used to them," I replied with a smirk. "Or maybe they'll get used to you."
We walked out together, not saying much, but the silence wasn't stiff like it used to be. It was that same kind of warm quiet I'd shared with Sekai and Renji earlier. Familiar. Safe, in some weird and fragile way.
The sun had started to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the courtyard... Students were now passing by in clusters, buzzing with exam-day relief, plans for summer, and just a bit of nervous energy for the future.
"Hey, Ayano-san?"
I turned toward her.
"...Thanks again." Katsura said, looking ahead.
I nodded, falling into step beside her. "Anytime."
As we reached the school gate, Sekai waved frantically from across the sidewalk. "Took you long enough! Was she resisting the group chat or what?"
"She asked a very reasonable question," I replied, sliding my hands into my pockets.
Renji popped a snack into his mouth and muffled through it, "You sure it wasn't you dragging your feet?"
"H-hey!."
We all shared a final laugh... With that, I waved them off one last time as well, seeing them all walk off together...
...
I dropped my hand, 'I guess, it's time to finish this quest of mine, huh...' I checked on my quest's progress...
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{MAIN QUEST PART 1: Stop ALLthe illegal activities in the town area, but first, start with the rooks... [Quest can be done overtime...]
Tasks;
Henchmen: 2844 / 2844 (Complete)
Mini-Bosses: 5 / 5 (Complete)
Final Boss: 0 / 1
REWARD; ??????}
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I stared at my hard work for the past few weeks. Each, and every day I fought, exhausted and improved upon myself... Just to finally complete this quest... And fortunately for me. I didn't have even to even look for the boss man himself.
The system... it was showing me the way right to him...
'Status.'
___________________
Name: Ayano Keiji
Class: The Little Chosen One
Height: 177 cm | 5'9"
Age: 17
Health: 8000 / 8000 [50000 / 50000]
Energy: 5100 / 5100 [10000 / 10000]
Strength: 251 / 1000
Defense: 251 / 1000
Agility: 251 / 1000
Spirit: 251 / 1000
Passive Skills;
-Martial-Arts-Mastery
-Recovery
-Critical Hit
-Energy Manipulation
-Circulation of Light
-Weapon mastery
Skills;
-Charge Shot - Cost: 100 Energy
-Multi-Strike Destruction - Cost: 100 Energy
Martial Arts Learned;
-Judo [Mastered]
-Brazilian Jiu-jitsu [Mastered]
-Muay-Thai [Mastered]
-Boxing [Mastered]
-Taekkyeon [Mastered]
-Capoeira [Mastered]
-Aikido [Mastered]
-Jeet Kune Do [Mastered]
-Kung Fu [Mastered]
-Taekwondo [Mastered]
-Ssireum
_______________________
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I had trained extra hard, and learned a few more martial arts than before, making myself much more rounded as a fighter, and it was all thanks to my passive that I've even made it this far.
That wasn't the only thing either, I've even realized that my height had slowly improved over the past few weeks too... I'm still a shorty, just not a super small shorty.
Thankfully, I even got some more rewards from each of the mini-bosses I've defeated in that span of time. Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed enough to get any more silver keys out of it, just a bunch of bronze ones... But, I used them all to up my attributes a bit, increasing my health by two thousand more, and the same goes for my mana as well.
I think I'm ready for whatever boss this system, or world threw at me...
_______________________________________________________
~ Third person Pov ~
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Ayano looked ahead, 'I guess, this is the final stop...'
It was a seemingly abandoned metro station. A relatively decent hideout for a boss-esq monster. Without wasting too much of his own time, he went down the stairs... Following the system arrows, it led him to a relatively non-descript door.
Click~
He slowly made his way inside the room, and this time, he had seen remnants of people there. Packs of cigarettes, snack bags and old destroyed devices.
'This place... It looks abandoned, so why is the system-' He paused, thinking about his situation for a bit, remembering that he had likely wiped out everybody involved with this so called-boss already. And over time, he had began trusting the system... So, he went further.
He brushed passed all the rubble. finding himself in a long corridor. At the end, he could see a door up ahead. As he made his way there, he was sure he could feel the presence of something strong behind it. He opened the final door...
"Urghh~"
Of course, the air was filled with hints smoke and static discharge, but even through the haze, Ayano could see, people... Multiple of them.
"What, the?" As he got closer, he could barely make out the figure, but one thing was for sure, they were extremely malnourished, barely any fat left on their bones, he had even wondered if they were alive in the first place.
What he saw was four girls—all of them slightly bloodied, heavily bruised and barely conscious.
He stepped back unconsciously, disgusted at the sight of it all... 'It... It can't be...'
He slowly realized that they were the ones from the missing posters that had been circulating through the streets... Everyone of their faces was familiar to him. He remembered the quiet desperation in those grainy images. Families begging for answers, for miracles. And now here they were—thrown against the wall like discarded trash.
Every muscle in his body tightened...
And then, his eyes locked on the figure standing at the center of the carnage.
The man. He stood there, broad-shouldered, arms relaxed at his sides, blood smeared across one knuckle. There was no sense of urgency, no sense tension in his stance.
"How did ya'... No... You finally show up," he said, smirking. "Guess rats always find the scent eventually."
Ayano clenched his fists tightly, stepping forward, silent.
The man's eyes flicked toward the girls, then back to him. "Looking for them? Too bad. You're too late, and they aren't even fun to play with anymore... Especially the taller one, she was tight... Haha!"
Ayano didn't blink. Didn't speak.
"Nothing? Huh," the man chuckled, cracking his neck with a sharp pop. "Alright. Let me give you a proper introduction."
He raised one hand and brought it down like a hammer.
BOOM!!!
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The floor showed signs of cracking as his fist slammed into the ground beside him, a small shockwave rolling outward like a pulse. Small specks of concrete dust spiraled into the air.
"I was born a dragon..." the man said, pacing slowly. "Not just some freak with tricks—I'm the apex. Gifted with a blessed physique, and everyone knew it. People like you were made to be stepped on by those like me..."
The boss moved off again, with his frame, it was impossible quick.
Ayano registered the shift before the man's fist was already aimed at his head.
CRACK!
Ayano raised his arm and blocked it in time. The impact thundered through his bones like a freight train. His boots scraped across the ground—metal soles screeching against the broken tile.
The man followed up instantly.
WHAM! A left hook. Blocked.
THUD! A rising knee. Redirected.
KRAK! A backfist whistling through the air. Dodged by a breath.
The boss continued to press forward, each hit being a bit heavier than the last one.
Ayano gave ground, sliding with every blow, but he never broke form, not once. The strikes were relentless—practically blurs of muscle and rage—but he stayed in rhythm. Silent and focused.
"Still standing, eh?" the man spat, eyes narrowing. "You don't get it, do you?"
He lunged again.
BANG!!!
His punch landed square against Ayano's crossed arms, and Ayano slid a full meter backward, boots gouging fresh lines through the concrete. Dust curled around him...
He straightened himself, calmly, absolutely unshaken even.
'Did that last punch not affect him or something?' The boss thought...
While Ayano started brushing off the dust from his sleeve with one slow motion. The man's expression twitched. Just, ever so slightly...
"OH~HO! You definitely weren't supposed to block that one." he muttered, more to himself than to Ayano. "That kind of force breaks people ya' know. Crushes bones ya' know. I should know since I've tested it."
Ayano's eyes than finally locked onto the boss', showing a cold and clear indifference...
"I think..." Ayano said, his voice like steel drawn in silence, "I know exactly what to do with something, like you."
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END