Noah blinked; utterly dumbfounded at the sight.
He couldn't believe his eyes that his fellow college freshmen had just suddenly left without a single word.
"...Huh?"
They didn't even look back at him—
As if he was invisible to them.
"Uhh... They... must have urgent matters, huh..." he reasoned to himself, staying positive. "...Yeah, that's right! C-can't be helped~!"
With clenched fists, he steeled his resolve!
"F-first time is not always a success! So..."
He then turned toward his next target—
Another group of his peers who were also chatting among themselves.
"...Alright, let's try that again...!"
Taking a deep breath, he then carefully walked up to them with the friendliest smile he could muster...!
"H-hey there! What departments are—"
However, before he could finish... the group instantly dispersed.
"...Huh?"
He blinked again, watching their backs fade into the crowd.
"...O-okay, maybe... they didn't hear me? My voice must've been hoarse from fatigue, haha..."
Once again, he reasoned (read: coped) to himself, still staying optimistic.
"L-let's try again!"
And just like he told himself, he wasn't one to give up just yet!
He would try and try again with another group!
"Hello there—"
They left.
"What's up—"
They avoided him.
"Greetings—"
They skittered away.
Each attempt ended with him being either ignored, avoided, or—worse—they ran away from him...!
At one point, he even caught a few nervous glances thrown his way from afar, followed by whisperings and murmurs as they subtly distanced themselves from him...
"...What's going on here...?" Noah finally questioned his situation, his confused expression twitching into disbelief. "D-did I do something? Was it something I said?"
He couldn't understand why his peers were avoiding him—he was sure there was nothing wrong with his demeanor... nor his appearance.
"Wait... was it my appearance?"
He glanced down at his casual clothes, thinking that maybe his look was too out of place for the urban crowd...
However, he quickly dismissed the idea—many of those people wore the same kind of simple get-up, some even looking like they came from small towns themselves.
"No way... Was it my smell?!"
He suddenly remembered—he hadn't taken a shower, or done any sort of proper cleanup—! Especially because of last night's attack on his apartment!
That chaos had completely wrecked everything in his apartment... including his bathroom, which was now just rubble and broken tiles.
He frantically sniffed at himself, trying to confirm the horrifying possibility—
But he didn't smell that bad... well, maybe just a bit of dust, debris, and sweat mixed together...
"No... No way in hell they would avoid me completely with just this—"
"My~, what's the matter, oh dear Casanova~?"
"E-Eva...!?"
Evangeline had floated closer to him with a teasing smirk etched on her face.
She had been watching her vessel trying to socialize with his mortal peers... and she was clearly amused by his repeated failures.
"I thought you were going to charm the hearts of these mortals," she purred as her smile turned sly, "but instead, you seem to be repelling them, hmm~?"
"S-shut it! You've got no idea what's going on here!" he snapped back, trying to hide his embarrassment! "Something's off here! They've been avoiding me like I'm cursed or something!"
"Aw~, is that so~?"
"Ugh, damnit...! Just look—!"
Noah turned back toward the same group of peers he'd tried to approach earlier, hoping to prove his point—
"Kyaah!?!"
"G-get away!!"
Only for those very same students to suddenly yelp and scatter away in panic the moment their eyes met his...
"...You see what I mean?"
"...Yes, I can see why you're confused."
"I am—! I don't get it—! Why the hell are they running away from me?!?" he yelled, clutching his head in frustration. "It feels like as if they were seeing a... ghost..."
Suddenly, he came to a realization.
"Evangeline... were they... afraid of me because of you?"
"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting now, mortal?" she huffed, clearly offended. "You're blaming me now for your failure to make friends?"
"W-well no! But I mean, think about it!" he argued, trying to find his footing. "Maybe they saw you floating around me and got scared or something—! You're a ghost, after all!"
"Hmph! How dare you imply that I look frightening!" she snapped, crossing her arms in haughty defiance. "I'll have you know, no mere mortal could ever perceive my great existence with their pitiful eyes!"
"...Wait, really?"
"Quite so," she confirmed, smugly lifting her chin. "Those without spiritual awareness—or who have yet to train their vision to perceive beyond the veil—cannot possibly see spirits the likes of mine."
"Huh... I guess that makes sense. Which means these people can't... see you..."
Another realization slowly came to him...
But this one was the worst of all.
"Wait..."
A dawning horror crept onto his face—
"...They can't see you... but I can, which means that all this time, I've been..."
His voice trailed off as the dreadful realization struck him like a lightning bolt.
"...talking... to myself..."
< | X | >
Both Noah and Evangeline finally came out from the campus building...
But Noah was constantly groaning, the realization still haunting him.
"Ughhh... my social life is over..."
"...C-cheer up, already, mortal," Evangeline tried to console him, though awkwardly, "I-it's not like not being able to have companionship is really a bad thing, I... had lived fine without it..."
Noah, however, only groaned louder at her supposed 'comfort,' his shoulders slumping even lower.
"...A-ah! Yes! That's it!" Evangeline suddenly exclaimed, remembering what she'd heard. "You said you also wanted to join a 'club,' right? A community perhaps?"
"...Yeah, I did."
"This means you still have a chance to join a social circle, mortal...!"
She waited expectantly for his response, a faint hope flickering in her crimson eyes.
"...You know what? Yeah, you're right."
And it did!
"I still have a chance...!"
"That's the spirit, mortal!"
And by pure coincidence—!
"Basketball Club's here~! Come and slam with us~!!!"
"Eureka! 'E' equals to 'Everyone's invited to the Science community'!"
"Konnichiwa~! Join our Foreign Language Festival~!"
Outside the orientation building, the vast grass field of Eldridge Academy had been lined with many club booths and colorful banners!
Each and every one of them were all shouting over one another in a battle for attention from the freshmen!
Senior students bustled around with flyers, shouting invitations, and waving signs...
Chaos and excitement were practically in the air!
And with a renewed spark in his eyes... Noah turned to Evangeline with a grin, earning a soft giggle from his ghostly companion.
"Already cheered up, mortal~?"
"I am, Eva... it'stime for round two!!!"