I wanna kiss a KITTYYY, K-KITTYYY
And tell her she's so PRETTYYY,P-PREETTYYY
I bet she's silky smooth, and she got attitude
I wanna, wanna kiss a, kiss a, kiss a kitty
"LADIIES, welcome your new friend," Mikey says.
"Just girls? Am I dreaming?" Ari says to himself.
"Since we finally reached four, starting from tomorrow you guys will start training and working together, so you better get along," Mikey adds.
"Hey, my name is Ari. How are you doing?"
"We're fineee. My name is Leilla, this is Rose, and this is Malak."
"Heeey," Malak and Rose say at the same time.
"Let's go eat lunch together!"
They seemed nice, and he didn't feel defensive when he saw them. It felt like things would go well and that he would get along with them quickly. They also seemed welcoming, not like he was some kind of intruder.
While walking to pick up their lunch, Ari told them about what had happened.
"She DID WHAAAT…"
"Yeah, can't believe it as well."
Leilla hugs Ari and tells him, "It's okay, buddy. At least you're not someone who lives alone while both parents are alive and well."
Malak: "Someone really? I have a name, you know…"
"Hahahaha," Ari laughs. Then he instantly stops and looks around, seeing the girls staring at him. "My bad… sorry."
"HAHAHAHAHA," all the girls laugh with him, like they finally found the missing piece that would make this whole friend group more interesting.
Rose: "I also lost all my friends recently. Well, kinda, because they went on a trip and didn't invite me. Thankfully they didn't, because the bus fell from a cliff and they all died, so… I was destroyed and confused. Should I be sad because they died, or happy because they didn't invite me?"
No one knew what to say.
They picked up their lunch from the counter.
"Oh, it's House Plate day," Leilla said, already smiling.
Roasted chicken legs, soft potatoes, peas, all drowned in thick sauce, still warm when they sat down.
They ate together without rushing, talking about random stuff — music, shows, dumb stories from before they ended up here.
It felt right. And most importantly, they didn't feel alone.
Mikey: "Here is the schedule.
7 a.m. breakfast,
8 a.m. gym session,
10 a.m. lecture,
12 p.m. lunch.
At 14:00, you start your simulation training.
At 18:00 you guys are free, and dinner starts at 19:00. Understood?"
Leilla: "Eeem... where is the gym, and where are the lectures and simulation training taking place?"
Mikey: "Any other questions so I can go through all of them and leave?"
Ari: "Simulation training?"
Mikey: "The answer to where everything is: at 6:30 a.m., a squire — a little kid — will come to your room and stick with you through everything. And simulation training is basically entering a room where we manipulate reality. In that new reality, you guys will be put through scenarios where you have to work together to do quests similar to the ones you'll face once you graduate and become F-tiers."
"And bye-bye. Hope to see you again one day. Somehow I like you guys... but this is it for me with you."
Everyone: "Big Bro Mikeeeyyyyyy!!!"
...
Ari: "Damn... didn't know I'd be sad hearing Mikey say that this is it with me. Kinda got familiar with seeing him daily."
Rose: "Yeaah... he's kinda hot as well."
"EYOOOO!!!"
Leilla: "Let's just stick with each other and be there for each other from now on. I promise you guys that big sis Leilla will always be there for you!"
Ari: "I promise as well that I'll be there for you guys."
Rose: "Me too!"
Malak: "Pinky promise!!"
That night, back in their shared room, they decided to make dinner together, getting to know each other more and more.
Dinner was officially called Red Howl Noodles. Among students, it was known as "The Devil's Comfort."
Spicy noodles — way spicier than any of them expected.
A full bowl with noodles drowned in red broth, chicken pieces, vegetables floating on top, steam filling the room.
One bite in and...
Coughing, laughing, tearing up, faces red from the heat.
"WHY is it THIS hot?!"
"I told you to add less spice!"
"I can't feel my tongue —"
They were crying from laughter, passing water around, still going back for more like idiots anyway.
It was perfect.
There was a lot in common between them. They all shared the same interests and hobbies — four nerds with the same music taste, show preferences, everything closely similar, which explained how fast they got along.
Today was their last normal day, and they enjoyed it.
Tomorrow would be the start of their journey.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ Author's Note
Hey everyone, sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. It was a tough week with finals and life in general.
Writing this chapter was honestly harder than I expected. I've been struggling with the new direction I want to take the story and how to connect it with the older parts I already wrote. I couldn't really find the right link at first, and this chapter ended up being something I mostly thought through and wrote recently while trying to figure out new events, characters, and even how to properly start it.
That whole process made me procrastinate more than I'd like to admit, but here it is now. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for sticking around.