A black haired boy was walking through the streets with his blonde, scary-looking friend after school.
It was none other than Aran and Elio.
And their conversation wasn't looking good from what most people can see.
Aran was hanging his head low. Looking more gloomy than he usually is.
Concerned, Elio put his hand on Aran's shoulder to ask what was wrong.
"What's got you so down, dude? Wanna talk about it?"
Aran wasn't the type to open up, but since this person is his friend who trusted him with his life during a dangerous incident, Aran decided to talk.
"Well, here's what happened..."
Aran sighed before recounting his spar turned brawl with Pincer during their physical education class.
He talked about how smug he was acting, how he got way too heated, and how everyone looked at him weirdly when he was walking away.
"Ugh... I don't wanna show my face tomorrow... Hiding your face inside a paper bag doesn't exactly break the dress code, right?"
Aran asked Elio who listened closely.
"Hmm..."
Elio thought about Aran's problem for a bit and arrived on one simple answer.
"It's not really your fault, so why are you the one who's ashamed?"
"What?"
Aran tilted his head, confused.
"This guy you call Pincer was the one who went too far. If I were you, I'd wanna punch his face too. Insulting your family wasn't cool."
Aran looked at his friend wide-eyed.
He stayed silent for a few moments, too stunned to say a word.
That was until he let out a small chuckle.
Elio didn't say anything funny. Aran just chuckled because his embarassment suddenly disappeared.
"Pft- haha... Thanks man. I feel a lot better about it."
"No problem! You know I got your back!"
"Yeah yeah..."
Aran put his hands in his pockets as they continued to walk. They didn't have any plans to hang out today, and Elio has an errand to run to.
But this little conversation was enough for both of them. Plus, they could always hang out some other time.
The weekend's coming soon, maybe they can meet up then.
A few minutes quickly passed by before the two boys reached the street where they were headed separate ways.
It was time to say goodbye.
Well, it's not really a goodbye. It was more like a 'see you tomorrow' type of goodbye.
"Welp, I'm going this way."
Elio said as he pointed to the right.
"Alright. See you tomorrow."
"Yep! See ya!"
Aran and Elio waved at each other goodbye.
Aran looked at Elio's back slowly getting farther before calling out to him.
"Hey!"
Hearing his friend call him, Elio curiously looked back to see Aran scratching his head.
"About what I told you a month ago... The one about my perk being future visions... Sorry, I lied."
Aran had been holding on to that guilt for a while now.
And though it wasn't necessary to admit it, it still felt wrong to not tell Elio.
But unexpectedly, Elio didn't answer with surprise, but with gentle acceptance as he answered from a few meters away.
"No worries dude! I don't really get hung up about small stuff like that! Plus... It didn't feel like a lie to me."
He said with a smile.
Seeing this, Aran smiled back and nodded his head.
"Thanks."
They both waved at each other again before walking away.
________________________________________
[ARAN]
1 day later...
Safe to say, the atmosphere inside the classroom was extremely awkward when I entered the classroom.
Everyone was in their usual places. The same scene that has been repeating for over a month now.
The quiet introverts reading comics in the corner, the flashy girls either doing make up or gossiping besides the windows, and of course, Pincer and his two friends Ed and Toto doing whoever knows what.
But this day, instead of treating me like I was made out of air, everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me on purpose.
In this case, you could say I was the metaphorical elephant in the room.
"Eh...?"
Everytime I looked at a certain direction a few or more people start to break into a nervous sweat and shake a little.
Except for the group of flashy girls.
The moment my eyes met theirs, they looked away but seemed to have devious grins of witches.
I don't know what this is about, but I'll just ignore it...
As if there was nothing to see here, I went up to my seat as usual before Mr. Stein arrived with even more books for our lesson material.
He slammed them on his desk, waking our brains up for the next grueling lesson ahead.
"Alright! You guys need to review all of this before the end of the week! You're dead if you fail the next quiz!"
He told us, laughing maniacally at our pained shrieks as if he enjoyed watching us suffer.
________________________________________
"Man, that was rough..."
I quietly sighed inside the library.
The same library where I helped Pheobe bring the books.
After the morning lessons were finished, it was time for lunch. Which is greatly appreciated.
After that intense lesson, I would need all the energy I could get.
For lunch, I bought several sweet snacks like candy, chocolate, and bread with a sweat filling.
No reason, I was just craving them.
I planned on sharing with Elio, but turns out his class was up next for the simulated sparring test.
So I quickly finished my lunch and went straight to the library to spend some time alone until afternoon classes rolled around..
I hope Elio's alright...
...Who am I kidding? I should be praying for his opponent!
I thought to myself.
Oh well... Let's see where I'm at...
I decided to read a fairytale that told a story about knights saving princesses from danger.
I don't know why I picked it. I guess stories like these really draw me in. I'm a fan of tales about heroism, but this particular book seems a little childish.
Like it was written for children.
Still, I was enjoying it.
It was your typical knight's tale.
A princess acts as a damsel in distress in the story. Being trapped inside a dark looming tower surrounded by lava and flames.
Flying above the tower, was a giant fire-breathing dragon.
And of course, the main character, a knight in shining armor swooped in with his noble steed to challenge the beast that flies above.
All for the purpose of saving the princess.
"Free her, or face the might of my blade!"
The knight called out as he unsheathed his glowing sword, enchanted by magical runes.
The dragon lands in front of him, blocking the sight of the tower.
"The princess is my most valuable treasure... No one shall steal from the Dragon's stash..."
The creature hissed at him with a deep and terrifying voice.
However, the Knight was unfazed as he walked one step closer.
"Then... You shall fall here!"
With those words, both of them charged at each other and fought to the death.
And from there, it follows the exact formula you'd expect from these types of fairytales.
The Knight cuts the Dragon down and the Maiden falls in love with her savior before the last page gives out text that goes along the lines of "Happily Ever After"
Heh, knew it...
This type of ending has been reused so many times it has become a classic trope. Of course it'd be this way.
Still, I couldn't help but shake off one specific feeling.
"I wish I could find a princess of my own, too... Luke Seleneh's the closest thing we've got to the knight of this story."
I quietly muttered while resting my head on my hand.
I've been in highschool for over a month now and I still haven't talked to a girl my age even once in my life.
I recalled my conversation with Mr. Brok that happened a while ago.
(HAH! That's why you'll never be popular with the girls, Aran!)
(You've been living under the same roof as me for years, but I've never once seen you bring a girl home!)
It's also been a month since he said those things to me. I should've forgotten about it, but...
Honestly, I'm still kind of annoyed.
Tch... Just you wait, I'm going to find a girl so pretty, you will be the one asking for dating advice. Look out world, Aran's grand debut is coming soon!
...Or so I say, but that's a high hurdle if I've ever seen one.
I sighed once more before the ring of the school bell interrupts the peace and quiet of my little fantasy space.
"Huh? It's already been this long? I gotta go!"
Stretching my back, I rushed to put the book back on the shelf, before running towards my classroom.
________________________________________
Elio easily defeated his opponent for the sparring match.
Just like every other fight he's been in, it was over in just a second.
He expected that it would mean his classmates would start to admire him for his strength.
As he walked down from the platform, he imagined that he would be showered with praise and applause, but in reality, each and every one of them became even more afraid of him.
He hadn't realized that despite holding back with his strike, his opponent was already being led to the Nurse's office on a stretcher.
"Urgh....."
His opponent groaned.
"Ah..."
Elio's eyes were wide from surprise as he watched on from a distance.
"Sorry!"
He called out before sighing and looking at his fist in dissapointment.
Shaking his head, he thought to himself that afternoon classes should be over by this point, so he thought of wanting to go to Aran and talk about his day.
Thinking about his friend, he rubbed his nose before gleefully walking towards the exit which was behind a crowd of students.
"Oh! Um... Excuse me!"
He politely told them.
Taking one step forward, everyone immediately parted to make a path for Elio.
As he reached the door, he bowed slightly to show his respect.
"Thank you very much."
He told them before closing the door, making everyone breath a sigh of relief.
________________________________________
Elio hummed while walking with a light feet.
Before he met Aran, his usual schedule after school would be immediately heading home, but now that he found his first ever friend, every day has been filled with excitement.
Wondering what they'll do today or what conversations they'll have. Those little things are what Elio looks forward to.
As he turned the corner of the hall, Elio unexpectedly found Aran near the exit of the school instead of his classroom.
Just before the exit were rows of shoe lockers that students used.
Seeing Aran, Elio immediately called out to him but was ignored.
"Huh?"
Curious, Elio walked closer to Aran only to see him shocked beyond belief as he held up a piece of paper to his face, mouth wide open.
"Hm? What's this?"
Elio asked him.
Hearing Elio's voice, Aran's pupils twitched as his hands shakily handed Elio the piece of paper that he was holding.
It didn't take long for Elio to understand the situation and was equally shocked.
"Wha?! This is...!!!"
It was a love letter that was given to Aran!
[Hey Aran,
I've got a little secret—and maybe a bit of a crush.
If you're curious (and I think you are), meet me at the fountain near Velora street this weekend. Just you, me, and maybe a few butterflies.
Don't keep me waiting.
–Someone who really likes your smile ]
The two boys stared off into space, clueless as to what to do.
But without any other person to talk to about this, Aran broke the silence by asking Elio.
"Hey uh... Got any advice?"
"No, I've never had this happen to me before!"
"Right..."
Aran expected it, but was a little dissapointed.
Thinking about the details of the letter, Aran got lost in his thoughts as he chewed on his thumb.
This must be... An invitation to a date, right?
But hold on, I've never even properly interacted with a girl before, so what's this actually about?
No, but they clearly said "maybe a little crush"
Urgghhh what should I do?!?
"Maybe it's a trap?"
Elio told Aran, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Aran asked Elio.
"Think about it, we probably made some enemies after what we did a month ago. This could be them trying to lead us somewhere dangerous."
Elio explained, making Aran nod in agreement.
"Hm... Yeah, that's a good point... But how did it end up here? Potentia Academy's security is top class. Prioritizing the student's safety from outside threats during school hours..."
Aran chewed on his thumb again to think.
As he thought about it, Aran landed on one conclusion.
"...It's probably a prank..."
He said out loud, smiling, despite the fact that there was a small tear forming in his right eye.
"...Oh, that's rough. Y'know, my mom sent me a quote she found online. Something about chocolates...?"
Elio said as he patted his friend's back.
"Don't try to tell me a quote if you don't know the entirety of it...!"
Aran told him, trying not to sob.
Elio scratched his back from the awkwardness as he nervously chuckled.
"Ehehe... My bad... So, are you still gonna go?"
He asked Aran.
In response, Aran wiped his eyes and snotty nose before scoffing with confidence as he pocketed the letter.
His mood instantly changing like the weather.
"Pfft! A-as if! C'mon, let's go!"
He told Elio as he grumpily walked out the school.
"Sure."
Elio said in response.
The two boys headed home as if there was nothing that ever happened.
________________________________________
The next day...
I lied...
Aran thought to himself as he was standing in front of a fountain near Velora street.
He had his hair tied up to a ponytail and wore a white t-shirt paired up with a red checkered polo and beige pants that he borrowed from Brok.
Well, it was more like hand me downs. These clothes won't even fit Brok now even if he tried squeezing in them as hard as he could.
No amount of sucking in his stomach would help.
As a way to bring his things around, he also wore a sling bag.
Aran spent all of his time last night searching up what to wear and what he should do on dates.
Creating a strategy for any situation.
"Hoo... Calm down. You've planned for this. If it's a prank, then tell them to stop messing with you and then walk away all cool-like"
He muttered to himself as someone watched him from afar.
Without Aran's knowledge, Elio went to the same meeting spot to watch things unfold and provide back up in case it was a trap. Or at the least, comfort Aran if the love letter was actually a prank.
Don't worry bro, I've got your back...
He was hiding in plain sight, sitting on a bench while reading a magazine upside down.
________________________________________
Aran fidgeted with the zippers of his bag, standing nervously like a paralyzed goat.
That was until he felt a mischievous tap on his shoulder, accompanied by the sound of giggling.
As he turned to his side, his cheek was suddenly squished by an index finger.
"Hehe! Surprised?"
A girl's voice teased him.
Aran's eyes widened from surprise as he saw the face of that girl.
Brown hair with highlights as white as snow. Fair skin. A black beret, tilted just slightly—like it had landed there by accident but belonged all the same.
And her outfit—an off-white blouse with long, flowing sleeves—paired perfectly with a grey plaid skirt that sat snug at her waist. Black platform shoes finished the look, elegant but bold. People on the street couldn't help but glance at her, probably wondering which fashion magazine she'd stepped out of.
But Aran knew better. She was none other than his classmate, Kristina Glacia!
"Huh? W-what are you doing here?"
Aran asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth as he stuttered, shyness creeping up his spine.
"Hehe, dummy! For our date!"
She beamed at him, her smile as bright as ever.
Aran just stood there, frozen, staring at her in shock.
The two of them were suddenly wrapped in an awkward silence.
"....."
"....."
D.A.T.E.
One word. Four letters.
And in that moment, it all clicked.
A single thought screamed through his head, drowning everything else out.
He remembered the day when Mr. Brok laughed at him for being too awkward to talk to girls.
But today… today was different.
Aran inhaled deeply, joy bubbling up inside him like a shaken soda bottle.
...MR. BROK...
IIIINNNN YOUUUUURRRR FAAAAAAACCCCEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
YAAHOOO!!!