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The sun barely peeked over the horizon, yet the citizens of District 13 were already on the move. Some haven't slept at all.
In his quaint yet neatly organized room, TJ's eyes fluttered open.
He didn't move, didn't speak, or make a sound. He stayed still, staring at the ceiling like he was trying to remember everything that happened before he fell asleep.
This took about a minute or so before he let out a final yawn and got up from his bed. He stretched and groaned, made his bed, and hopped into the shower to wash away the remaining drowsiness from his mind and body. After that, he went downstairs to make himself some breakfast.
While the food cooked, TJ habitually checked his e-mails and messages. He ignored the usual e-mails containing some shady subscription deals and so on, focusing on the few but noticeable ones that came from actual people he knew.
Ms. Vina, his class' advisor, sent one final reminder to the group chat, telling everyone not to be late on Monday. Scrolling down, all he saw was his classmates' short but polite responses to that—a stark difference from how they actually talked in a completely separate group chat.
He also received an official reminder from the school's board about the Awakening Ceremony that will take place on Monday. This one has the school's insignia stamped on it, ensuring its legitimacy. There can be no doubts anymore with this; the awakening ceremony will indeed happen on Monday.
"Oops!" TJ exclaimed as he hurriedly returned his attention to what he was cooking.
He released a sigh of relief after managing to save his food and not burning it to a crisp. He arranged his plate and sat down in front of the table to enjoy his breakfast.
Of course, the meal wouldn't be complete if he's not watching something.
TJ launched a streaming app from the home system and randomly chose a video he knew he hadn't watched yet. As soon as the video began playing, TJ started eating as well.
[Well, hello kids! It's Grandpa Max again. Thanks for tuning into my channel as always; I appreciate your support.]
[Today, Grandpa will teach you how to properly maintain your equipment. No, I won't be handing out skill books for 'Repair' or 'Maintenance.' What I'll teach you wouldn't even count as a skill in the system, but it's effective nonetheless. At the very least, I should save you some money in the future once your professional career begins...]
TJ zoned out after that, except, not really.
He still knew what was going on; he could even remember every important detail in the video he just watched. But at the same time, TJ really didn't care too much. The video wasn't anything revolutionary or engaging. It's informative, yes, but not as gripping as other shows. It's a boring tutorial he watched simply for the sake of having something to watch while eating.
Once he was done with his meal and the video, TJ cleaned up after himself. He washed the plates and the utensils he used, returning the kitchen to its usual pristine state.
Then, TJ went out for a walk to digest his food. He wore a light hoodie, shorts, and his shoes. He grabbed his keys, making sure that they were secured properly in his belt but not jingling around, before beginning his relaxed and leisurely walk around his home.
The road he trekked was made from cobblestones; the area where he lived was quiet, barely populated, and relatively peaceful.
Along the way, he encountered his neighbors, who smiled and nodded at him as they crossed paths. Most of them were old men and women, retired and spending their remaining days however they pleased.
The ratio between the young and old...practically doesn't really matter, as he was the only young man living around this area. Everybody else was somebody's grandfather or grandmother.
Well, it couldn't be helped; this area was delegated for senior citizens, after all. It'd be weirder if this place were filled with kids and young couples instead.
What's a young man like him doing in a place like this and living among them? Well, there are few reasons for that.
One, and the most important part for TJ currently, was that the rent was cheap. 850 per month for a house with two floors was a fine deal. Sure, it was sketchy at first because it shouldn't be that cheap, but after checking it out himself, TJ discovered that it was fine.
All that was missing was some furniture and some of the modern necessities. Otherwise, the place was perfect for a single person to live in.
Normally, teenagers like him shouldn't be able to rent a house in these areas. After all, this place was reserved for senior citizens only; even the family members of the homeowners here aren't allowed to stay here for long. They could only visit, not stay.
What made this possible was because the HOA president took him in and allowed him to stay. He took pity on his situation and told him that he reminds him of his grandson; that's how he ended up living here.
The other homeowners were opposed to the decision. They were even more satisfied when they discovered that TJ was a quiet and polite kid. Everybody here basically knew him and treated him very well.
Obviously, their decision to let him live among them was passed on to the government; therefore, his stay here wasn't against the law.
Woof! Woof!
TJ looked towards the origin of the sound and saw that a dog was rushing towards him with its tongue lashing out and tail wagging furiously.
"Hey, buddy," TJ muttered softly, only loud enough for the dog to hear.
He crouched down to pet the dog, eyes crinkling as he wore his best attempt of what a smile should look like, but only ending up looking constipated.
The dog doesn't seem to mind, though, as it happily licked his hand and wagged its tail energetically.
TJ's eyes couldn't help but land on the metallic left hind leg of the dog before him. He made sure to stray his hands away from that area, not out of disgust, but care.
"Finally got your prosthetics, huh? No wonder you're so energetic lately."
Woof! Woof! Woof!
TJ felt as if the dog was replying to him, agreeing to whatever he said. He wouldn't know, obviously because he couldn't understand, but it seems like it anyway.
"Be careful on your zoomies, yeah? Don't wear out your new leg right away, and have some mercy on your owner," TJ muttered as he gave the dog one final pet before standing back up.
"Bruno! Gosh, you naughty dog! Come back here!"
TJ looked up and saw an old lady slowly marching towards them with the support of her cane. Her back was bent, and she was a little out of air. Her skin sagged so much that it doesn't even seem like she could still open her eyes, yet somehow, she walks as fine as someone of her age could without tripping from any obstacles.
"Welp, you're trouble, buddy. Here she comes," TJ whispered to the dog, who whined pitifully at him. "Oh, don't give me that. You were the one who ran away, not me. You deserve it."
The old lady eventually got near them, and the first thing she did was to smack the dog, but very, very gently, using her cane. It wasn't a hit, more like a boop of her cane to get her frustrations across.
"Aih! You're lucky I love you to pieces. If not, I would've returned you to the shelter with how rebellious you are." The old lady harrumphed coldly.
Bruno whined and coiled pitifully at his owner; it's as if he could truly understand what she's trying to say.
"Hmph!" The old lady looked unmoved, but in truth, she's melting inside. In the end, she just loves this dog too much to continue scolding him.
Her facade faded, though, when she turned her attention to TJ.
"Dear, are you eating properly? You look thinner than the last time I saw you. Don't tell me you're skipping your meals?"
"I wouldn't dare, Grandma Nancy. I've just been working out recently. You know how it is." TJ tried to remain casual about it.
"Is that so?" She looked skeptical. "Ah, right. Have you awakened yet? What's your initial archetype?"
"Ah, no, not yet, Grandma. It's scheduled on Monday, though."
"I see. Well, I hope you awaken the archetype you prefer." Nancy smiled gently at him while patting his shoulders.
TJ gave her his best awkward smile, which made the old lady laugh because she found it too ugly, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she whistled to call Bruno to her side.
She then tapped her walking stick three times in quick succession, and all of a sudden, small Bruno grew in size, almost becoming as huge as a bear; even his prosthetic leg did the same. Bruno couched flat to the ground in his bigger size, allowing Nancy to climb on his back.
"We're off then; stay safe and keep yourself warm, Dear."
"Will do, Grandma," TJ replied.
Then, Nancy yipped, and Bruno started running off with her on his back. Although his speed looked too fast for Nancy, she surprisingly remained still, completely unbothered by her pet's movement and the pull.
'Grandma Nancy might have retired from being a [Hound Master] decades ago, but her skills haven't deteriorated at all.'