- Ouch! Could you be a little gentler!?
As Shin writhed in pain, a man in his fifties with a tired look and a jaded air examined his arm.
- Shut up, you brat! Do you realize you're the only high school student in my entire career who ends up here every week!?
- Thanks for the compliment! I'm very dedicated, you know.
Sighing at the young man's antics, the nurse took a cigarette from his coat and lit it.
- Can't you hurry up? School's almost out and I want to enjoy my vacation.
- SHUT UP!
With a disappointed look, the nurse took a deep drag on his cigarette and blew smoke onto my arm, which, in a most astonishing process, began to regenerate.
- No matter how many times I see it, being an awakened one is incredible.
Shin marveled at the spectacle before his eyes while the nurse laughed silently.
- Your arm is really messed up. The principal's martial arts skills are really impressive.
- Yeah, but even if Jack had used the perpetual cycle, I would have lost. That guy is too strong.
- Aren't you jealous? Remember, if it weren't for our high school, you would be the one with those martial arts skills.
- Of course I'm jealous, he beats me in every way...
A somewhat disappointed expression appeared on the young man's face. The nurse was about to console him, but to his surprise, the high school student started laughing.
- You'll see, in the end, I'll be the one who wins, and it wouldn't be fun if he was weaker than me.
The nurse smiled nostalgically and began to laugh heartily.
"Good luck, kid, but you're off to a bad start. Anyway, I'm done with your arm."
As if by magic, Shin's arm was patched up and good as new.
The awakened weren't famous and respected for nothing; after all, they were people with supernatural powers that defied logic.
They represented 30% of the world's population. I was currently a level 0 awakened: a normal human with the potential to become a true awakened.
"I still have a long way to go."
- Are you talking about the fact that you're still level 0? Don't worry about it, most young people your age don't reach level 1 until the end of their college years.
- I don't care about that, I want to join Mythopoiós.
- I know, I know, you tell everyone that.
As a brief silence fell, the nurse got up and lit another cigarette while Shin stretched to check the condition of his arm.
- It's still the best university in the world, so it's true that you'll need at least that to get in.
- I know.
With a mocking laugh, the nurse turned to the young man and handed him an envelope.
"What's this?"
"A recommendation from me for the national internship."
Shin was speechless for a moment. The national internship... It was the most important event in a high school student's life. During their final year of high school, students did a one-year internship with the government and, depending on their contributions, could apply to university. However, in order to achieve his goal of getting into Mythopoiós, Shin had to make at least a level 4 contribution, i.e., achieve something that would benefit the country in the short term.
- I thought only the principal and vice principal could make a recommendation.
- Normally, yes, but in a very special case, a recommendation can be made by the teaching staff if they all agree to recommend a student.
- You mean you all...
- We've all seen your efforts, kid, so we wanted to give you a helping hand.
As Shin took the envelope, tears flowed silently.
- Thank you...
- Go on, I hope you succeed with this.
And so Shin left after wiping away his tears. After all, his efforts over the past two years had not been in vain.
Even if a recommendation doesn't guarantee an internship, it greatly increases your chances, and depending on the recommendation, you can get a better position.
For Shin, who is aiming for the position of senior technician in the government forces, this is a big plus because, despite his grades, he needed a little something extra to be sure of being accepted.
As Shin was on his way home, he began to laugh diabolically.
"Haha, I finally got the recommendation! Take that, Jack! You and your girlfriend may have snatched the recommendation from the principal and vice principal, but I ended up getting mine."
Shin was dancing happily when a hoarse voice called out to him.
"What are you doing dancing in the middle of the courtyard?"
Shin recognized the voice immediately. It was his lifelong friend Emmanuel, known as Manu to his close friends.
- Manu! You finally got out of the library!
Standing in front of Shin was a young man about 4 inches shorter than him, looking even more unkempt than he did, with a mustache, a monk's haircut, and a tired expression. They called him Little Buddha.
"Yeah, I finished my research. I made some progress and got a message from my mom saying I got my answer for my national internship."
"Really? And what did you get?"
"I was accepted into the local police science team."
"But that's so old news!"
"I know, I know, keep applauding."
- You'll never guess what I have in this envelope.
- Wait, don't tell me you managed to get photos of Cynthia in a swimsuit?
- I've got something even better!
The two friends began sharing their days with each other amid laughter and rare joy. Of course, Shin left out the part where he cried; it was too embarrassing to talk about.
- You got your recommendation in the end! See, I was right.
- Weren't you the one who told me to give up because I was too useless?
- I said that? No...
As Manu avoided his friend's gaze, the two began to laugh.
"Congratulations, it's one step closer to your dream, right?"
"Yeah, I plan to change this world and show them who's boss."
"I can't wait to see that."
After walking together for a while, they parted ways, and that's when Shin received a message that made his cell phone vibrate.
"Congratulations, your internship application has been accepted and, following the recommendation of your professors, you have been offered a position as an assistant engineer with Special Forces Unit 15."
Shin was breathless as he read and reread what was written on his smartphone. He had achieved his first goal.