Scene 1
A voice called out from the right, sharp and sudden. "You?"
Yui jolted, her shoulders hunching up. She turned her neck stiffly. Haruto was standing there, coming back from the washroom area.
"What are you doing here?" Haruto asks, tilting his head.
Yui pointed a trembling finger toward the classroom door, steam rising from her head.
Haruto's eyes lit up. "Whaaat? You made it into Class 4 too?"
Yui nodded rapidly, her chin buried deep against her chest.
Together, they entered the classroom. Reina and Naoki were already seated. Standing before the blackboard, Kenmo noticed them immediately. A faint, small smile touched his lips.
"Yui Hanabira... Okamoto-sensei has been telling me about you for quite some time. So, you finally passed the test."
He gestured to a seat. "Sit down."
Haruto tried to shuffle toward a desk, but Kenmo's sharp gaze pinned him in place. "Haruto. Why are you so late?"
Haruto froze, scratching the back of his head. "I—uh—I had a little trouble waking up today, and because of that... I was..."
"Forget it," Kenmo cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You and Yui, come here."
Haruto blinked, but obeyed. They approached Kenmo's desk and stood at attention.
Beside Kenmo's desk stood a stone slab—smooth, circular, and rising from the floor, reaching waist height. Etched deeply into its surface was a complex pattern of ancient runes.
"The exams are approaching," Kenmo stated. "I was conducting an Energy Test for the class to gauge your magic reserves." He paused, tapping a finger against the desk. "But since you were late, the test is already over."
Haruto bowed his head, his shoulders drooping. "I'm really sorry. I'll try my best to be early next time."
"Well," Kenmo exhaled, gesturing to the stone. "Place your hand on it."
Haruto stepped forward. He took a breath and gently placed his palm flat against the center of the slab.
The entire class watched in silence, eyes glued to the stone.
Kenmo leaned in. But nothing happened. The runes were still, and the stone stayed cold.
Kenmo's eyes widened. What...? How is this possible? Why isn't the slab detecting his magic energy?
Haruto stood there, hand still on the stone. He looked up at Kenmo with a lopsided smile. "Can I... take my hand off now?"
Kenmo didn't answer immediately. What force is suppressing his energy? Dark Magic...? No, even that should be detected.
"Sensei...?" Haruto fidgeted his fingers against the slab.
Kenmo's gaze sharpened. He wrote briefly on a slip of paper. "You may go."
Haruto turned slowly and walked back to his desk.
"Yui," Kenmo called out.
Yui stepped forward timidly and placed her small hand on the slab. Two or three runes flickered with a weak, pale light—and then immediately extinguished.
A few students covered their mouths, their shoulders shaking.
"How did she even get into Class 4?" a boy snickered, his shoulders shaking with restrained laughter behind his covered hand. "Her magic energy is like steam from boiled water—gone in a second!"
"Fits her height perfectly," another boy jeered.
Sitting at his desk, Haruto glared at the boys, his fists clenching slightly. Tch... They are so stupid.
Yui stared at her hands, her eyes wide and vacant. Her lower lip quivered.
"You may go," Kenmo said softly.
Yui dropped her hands to her sides, lowered her head, and walked silently to her seat. She sat at the desk to the left of Rina, in the row behind Haruto.
Rina turned her head slowly toward Yui, her lips curved into a soft smile. "So, your holidays are over?"
Haruto glanced back. Does this girl not care about what happened yesterday at all?
Haruka, sitting to Rina's right, shifted in his seat. He had another juice box in hand, the straw perpetually between his lips. "Hey, don't bother her," he drawled, his voice lazy and monotonous. "She's probably in shock or something. Because of her grandpa."
Yui, eyes still fixed on her lap, shook her head slightly. "N-No... It's not that..." she whispered, her voice hitching.
Kenmo gathered his papers and walked out of the classroom.
To Haruto's right, Naoki sat in deep contemplation. He had both index fingers pressed against his temples, his face scrunching up as if trying to squeeze a thought out of his brain by sheer force.
To his left, Reina had her head down on the desk, looking unusually dull.
"Hey," Haruto whispered, leaning closer. "You look sick. What happened?"
Reina didn't lift her head. She blinked slowly, her gaze briefly flickering toward him from her arm. Her voice was muffled and drained. "No, I'm not sick."
"Then? Are you sad?"
"I don't know."
Haruto blinked. "What does that even mean?"
Reina groaned, a tired sound. "I did too much training yesterday. Now my whole body hurts. Everything aches."
"Is that why you look like... that?" Haruto asked, gesturing vaguely at her slumped form.
"No," Reina grumbled into the desk. "Because of the pain, I couldn't train this morning. I couldn't clean my room properly, I couldn't wash the dishes, and I can't focus on studying."
"You should take some medicine and rest," Haruto said earnestly. "You look really bad."
Reina turned her face away, still resting on the desk. "This pain only lasts a few days. It'll go away tomorrow or the day after. I just need to drink a lot of water."
Suddenly, Naoki sat up straight. A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. He swiveled on his chair toward Haruto and made a subtle hand sign.
Haruto caught it immediately and returned a quick, knowing nod.
Naoki leaned forward past Haruto. "Hey, Reina... you like lore books, right?"
Reina slowly lifted her head from the desk and faced Naoki, her eyes slightly wide. "Lore books?"
"I know a place," Naoki whispered theatrically, "where an old man is selling those kinds of books."
"And for a really cheap price!" Haruto chimed in.
Reina's ears seemed to perk up. The dullness in her eyes receded slightly. "Where?"
Naoki leaned back, crossing his arms with a smug grin. "Nope. Not telling you just like that."
Reina shifted her gaze to Haruto. "Haruto, do you know?"
Haruto threw up his hands, shaking his head. "N-No, no! I don't know anything. He just told me right now."
Reina groaned and dropped her head back onto the desk. Then, she slid one eye open and glared at them. Naoki and Haruto were already bent over, quietly shaking with laughter.
Lunchtime arrived. Naoki and Haruto wandered throughout the academy, their heads bent in close conversation.
Behind them, Reina followed at a distance, her eyes narrowed on their backs, her steps silent.
When they sat on a desk to eat lunch, Reina sat some distance away, glaring at the back of Naoki's head.
Academy ended, and students flooded out of the gates.
Haruto and Naoki loitered outside, seemingly aimless. Meanwhile, Reina darted through the streets, peeking from behind trees and walls. She even stood behind a food stall, wearing a vendor's apron and serving them food while they chatted.
Eventually, Haruto and Naoki began the walk toward their home.
"Man, that was great!" Naoki patted his stomach. "You were right, those chicken skewers were delicious."
"The weather is so nice today, too," Haruto said, looking up at the sky. "It's afternoon, but it feels like evening. Today feels good."
"Should we go fishing after this?" Naoki asked. "It'll be fun."
Haruto spun around on his heel, walking backward with his arms spread wide. "Why not! Let's go this evening."
Behind them, a figure in a bear costume was following closely. The bear bobbed and weaved, dancing around them.
They continued their chat, not sparing the mascot a glance.
The bear hopped right up to their faces, waving its paws. Haruto and Naoki laughed and walked right past it.
A large, throbbing red vein popped onto the forehead of the bear head.
"Hey!!"
Haruto and Naoki stopped mid-step.
The bear stomped its foot, pointing a paw at them. "Stop right there!"
They turned around slowly.
She tucked the bear's head under her left arm. Reina stood there. Her hair was messy, her cheeks flushed red.
She yelled, "I've been following you for ages, and you didn't even notice me! How stupid are you two? If I were an enemy, you'd be dead by now! You guys are..." and continued ranting.
Naoki nudged Haruto's side, whispering nervously. "W-What happened to her?"
"Looks like our plan failed..." Haruto muttered, a sweat drop sliding down his temple.
Reina glared at them. "What are you two whispering about now? I've been talking to you!"
Haruto flapped his hands quickly. "N-No, nothing! Nothing at all! We were just talking, that's all."
Naoki smirked, leaning toward Haruto and whispering loudly. "By the way, Haruto... did you see how many books and curios that old man had? And he was selling them for even cheaper than I thought..."
Haruto's eyes instantly lit up in understanding. He slowly stroked his chin, nodding gravely. "Yeah... he had so much stuff."
Reina froze. Her scowl vanished.
Naoki turned to her, grinning. "Reina, you...—no, forget it. It's getting late, let's just go home."
Reina's brows twitched, and she looked away with a visible pout. She fell into step beside them.
"So, you aren't going to tell me?" she asked, her voice tight.
"You're still not well, so we'll talk about it later," Haruto said, waving his hand dismissively.
Reina crossed her arms sharply, tilting her head away. "I'm not sick! This pain happens often, it's not that big of a deal."
"Don't lie," Naoki drawled, clasping his hands behind his head. "You always forget your pain for stuff like this. It's like you were never hurt."
Reina laughed awkwardly, scratching her cheek. "Ah, well, this pain is temporary! It goes away if I drink water. But I really want those lore books and curios... I just really love them!"
Haruto tilted his head. "Why do you want stuff like that anyway?"
Naoki nodded. "Yeah. The stuff written in those books... no one can understand it. What are you even going to do with them?"
Reina lifted her face toward the sky, a soft look entering her eyes. "I just... want them. I told you, I like them. Reading those books, collecting antiques, decorating my home with them... it's my hobby."
"Weirdo," Naoki muttered.
They arrived at their small apartment building.
"Reina," Naoki said. "We're going to go freshen up. When you come back down, bring a black cloth with you."
Reina already runs toward the stairs. "Okay! Hurry up, don't take too long!" She sprints up the steps.
Haruto and Naoki headed up to their own apartments.
Minutes later, the three stood outside. Reina had shed her bag and the bear costume, clutching a strip of black cloth. Haruto and Naoki still wore their backpacks, though they hung light on their shoulders.
Reina frowned, pointing an accusing finger. "Why didn't you guys drop your bags?"
Haruto shrugged, looking away. "Just felt like it. We need to buy something on the way back."
Reina thrust the cloth toward Naoki. "And why did you want this?"
Naoki took it from her. "I don't want to show you where the old man's shop is. So..." He moved behind her and wrapped the cloth over her eyes. "I'm blindfolding you."
Reina let out a long, suffering sigh. "Fine, just hurry up. Let's go."
Naoki placed his hands on her shoulders from behind to guide her. Haruto walked beside them, leaning in to whisper in Naoki's ear. "Hey, Naoki, hurry up. We might be late."
"Relax, we won't be late. We'll make it," Naoki whispered back.
They guided Reina down the street and hailed an empty carriage.
The ride was smooth as the carriage clattered over the rough stone cobbles of the main district. Outside the window, the city was alive—people strolled through the market, and the atmosphere felt peaceful, buzzing with a gentle energy. Slowly, the scenery shifted. The bustling crowds thinned out, replaced by taller structures and the distinct, rhythmic hum of the industrial zone.
The carriage rolled to a stop. The three stepped out, walking into a maze of narrow alleys between workshops. The air here was different—filled with the heavy clang of hammers striking iron anvils, the deep whoosh of bellows feeding fires, and the distant shouts of workers.
"Where have we come?" Reina asked, her voice laced with suspicion. "Is the old man here?"
"Yeah, just a little further," Naoki replied calmly.
After navigating a few more winding turns, the noise faded away. They entered a quiet, spacious lane. Ahead of them, a warehouse stood a short distance down the left side of the lane.
Reina stumbled slightly. "Hold me properly, don't let me fall."
Haruto darted ahead, a bounce in his step. He stopped in front of the warehouse's double gates, beaming as he pointed at them. "Hey, Naoki! This is the place, right?"
"Yeah, that's it."
Still guiding Reina by her shoulders, Naoki stopped right in front of the double gates. "Haruto, knock on the gate."
"What kind of place is this?" Reina muttered, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. " If you guys left me with a demon, I swear I will beat you and the demon to a pulp."
Haruto chuckled and knocked.
Crrreak.
The heavy doors groaned open. Inside, a vast open area lay in pitch darkness. The afternoon light from outside only reached the threshold; beyond that, nothing was visible.
The three stepped inside.
"Okay," Naoki said, his voice echoing slightly. "You can take off your blindfold now."
Reina reached up, fumbling with the knot behind her head. "How did you tie this? You don't even know how to tie a knot properly! It's not opening!" She growled and yanked the cloth over her head.
She blinked rapidly. Her vision swam in a colorless haze. She rubbed her eyes vigorously.
Fzzzt!
Dozens of sharp sparks cut through the silence.
In a split second, the sparks raced along the walls. Hundreds of candles ignited, bathing the warehouse in a warm, golden glow.
Colorful balloons bobbed against the ceiling, ribbons draped across the beams, and vibrant banners hung from the walls.
In the center, a small round table held a cake with the number '13' perched on top.
Around the room, students... stood with party poppers and horns, wearing colorful party hats. Directly behind the cake stood Einzuro. The powerful Z-Rank hunter was grinning, wearing a ridiculous, pointy party hat that clashed perfectly with his grand cape.
Reina lowered her hands. Her vision cleared.
Reina brought her gaze. Her eyes widened, her mouth parting, stunned. She stood frozen.
Haruto stepped into her view, beaming with a smile that reached his eyes.
"Reina... a very, very Happy Birthday! You're finally thirteen!"