"Wait, I didn't mean it like that! Angie, wait!" Johnson called, chasing after her.
Before he could reach her, a firm hand landed on his shoulder.
"Let her be, Johnny," Henry said with a calm grin. "She'll come around. Besides, we've got bigger things to worry about than her. I wouldn't want my rival to fail."
Jerry chuckled softly beside them. "I don't think John's going to fail this test. You good, man?"
"I'm existing, at least…" Johnson replied quietly. "I don't know why I'm so dumb all the time. I laugh at the wrong moments and say the dumbest things." His voice dropped, heavy with self-blame.
"Don't be such a pussy," Jerry said, smirking. "She probably just went ahead because of something else."
Johnson frowned. "What if she hates me now? What if she stops talking to me, stops living with me..or worse, forgets about me entirely?"
"Hey, hey," Henry interrupted, laughing nervously. "You're thinking way too far. She can't be that mad at you. How about you guys come over to my place after the exams? We'll chill with some video games or VR."
"Oh yeah? What kind of games do you play?" Jerry asked, his tone perking up. "Johnson, you should come too. Might help you cool off."
Johnson scratched his neck awkwardly. "I think I'll come… but I don't know how to play games on EPSP."
Jerry blinked. "You're kidding, right? Come on, there's gotta be one game you know."
"Never got the chance," Johnson admitted. "But I do play Subway Escape sometimes on my phone when I'm listening to music… and Candy Crush."
The group stared at him, speechless.
"What the hell, man? Those are games girls play," Henry said, bewildered. "Thought you'd be into Zombie Escape or Assassin Symphony."
"I think he just never wanted to play those kinds of games," Jerry said, laughing as he patted Johnson's shoulder. "It's fine, everyone's got their quirks. Bet you've never even seen a VR headset before."
"Yes, I have," Johnson said quickly, a little defensive. "But I don't know how to use it. Last time I tried, I lost… multiple times." He paused, then looked thoughtful. "Actually, I've been wondering....how are they gonna place limiters on you, Jerry?"
Henry laughed. "You'll learn fast, man, don't worry. Why'd you ask?"
"Well… someone as powerful as you has to be ranked at least S-Plus, elite gold class Beta Human," Johnson said. "So how exactly can you be limited?"
Jerry smiled faintly. "I don't actually know if I can be. But my ability works on belief. If I believe I'm weak, I'll be weak. If I believe I'm unstoppable, I'll be unstoppable. My power follows conviction."
Henry laughed again. "Jerry getting ranked is wild."
"What do you mean?" Johnson asked, confused.
Henry was about to explain when Sasha's voice echoed across the hall.
"Johnson, Angela, Jerry, and Henry—come forward for your screening."
The boys exchanged glances before stepping out of line. Sasha and a group of officials stood waiting beside an array of glowing devices.
"What do you think will happen?" Johnson asked nervously.
"Nothing much," Sasha said, typing on her tablet. "Just an energy test to determine your power type and level, so I'll know how to apply your limiters."
Johnson swallowed hard as she turned to him. "And what if the person can't be limited?"
"Everyone can be limited," Sasha said confidently. "Now, place your hand on this orb."
The hum of the testing chamber filled the air, soft and rhythmic like a heartbeat. The crystal orb in front of him shimmered with faint runes, glowing from within. Johnson hesitated, then pressed his hand against it.
A pulse rippled through the room.
"Hope this doesn't end like last time," Johnson murmured.
The machine whirred..and then crackled violently.
"Scanning… ERROR. Unable to process user's energy signature. Unknown power type. System overload. Initiating emergency shutdown."
Blue lightning erupted from the orb, snaking through the air. Students gasped as the energy swirled out of control.
"Johnson! Remove your hand immediately!" Sasha shouted, her voice trembling slightly as she shielded her face from the sparks.
But before Johnson could react, the light exploded...an overwhelming surge that threatened to tear through the testing chamber.
Then, in a flash, a figure appeared before him.
Rio's blue hair whipped behind him as his eyes gleamed with calm focus. With both hands outstretched, he absorbed the wild energy into a glowing glyph on his wrist, containing it completely.
The room went silent.
Sasha exhaled shakily. "Thank you, Rio. That could've ended badly." She turned back to the others. "Screen Angela next. I need to recalibrate the sensor."
Johnson stood frozen, his palm still faintly crackling with leftover energy. "What just happened? Why couldn't it read me?"
No one answered. But as he looked at his trembling hand, a strange feeling stirred within him...something unknown ,buried, and alive.
"Maybe it's a device issue," Sasha said quickly, her tone forced calm. "Still, I'll apply a limiter to suppress your output." She pressed a glowing seal onto his chest. His hair shimmered faintly blue as his energy stabilized.
"Good luck on the test, Johnson."
He nodded absently, glancing toward the hall. "Yeah… thanks."
As he entered, Jake leaned close. "You're scared about her, huh?"
Johnson sighed. "Yeah… I'm scared of losing her."
He sat at his desk, the glowing test screen before him, his heart heavy with uncertainty and hope.