Chapter 2: Chapter One: Friends;Family
The opening of the front door left Akira lost in worry, he glanced at the empty driveway before locking the door behind him. He took another glance at his phone, to the message he had sent to his father last night. It still remained unread. 'Please be okay.' Akira wistfully thought as he wrapped the white uniform coat tightly around his body. He made ready for the walk to the University of Roseate. The jacket he wore was one issued by the school his first year, like mentioned it was white with black seams and a black embroidering of a rose placed over his heart.
It was unusual for a school to require annual entrance exams, but it didn't bother Akira much. It was more of a refresher than anything else. These grades would go towards the end of course exam and determined your final score. With it being the last for him, this determined his readiness into the job list he had submitted his first year. The way the workforce was set up, schooling and scores were everything. The better the score the more likely of being hired into a career you personally picked.
Even with the jacket, the brisk morning air still wrapped around him like a cold press. Akira gazed up the road, the sun just peaking over the horizon. Even as it made its appearance the graying sky threatened snow. He let out a breathy sigh, watching his breath rise above him. Akira shoved his hands into his pocket, clasping his hand tightly around his cell phone. "It's not like you to be gone this long." Akira whispered, maybe I should call again.
Shaking the thought off, he had to regroup himself as he took his right hand from his pocket to stare down at the damascus steel band. It was a congratulations gift his father had given to him for passing his first entrance exam into Rose University. More of a family ring handed to his father by his grandfather. Smiling faintly, Akira twisted it around his finger. It was simple on this side, but engraved under the band was his last name, Myles. Along with the name, a saying his father always said when he had given up, words his father had went to get engraved before handing it down. 'To embrace struggle and learn from them'. Akira took it to heart, it wasn't always a bad thing to struggle in life. Everyone had their own struggle. It was those who were resilient that became successful, those that learned from their mistakes and hardships.
Akira shoved his hand back into his pocket, his thumb subconsciously rubbing the smooth ring. It calmed him slightly, his father wouldn't want him to worry so much. He would want Akira to do his best at his final entrance exam. All prestigious Universities and Colleges gave annual entrance exams to ensure top tier students attend. Plus, when he did come home, 'I would rather it be to good news', Akira nodded absently.
"A-kirr-a!" an audaciously familiar voice yelled from behind Akira. A grin tugged at Akira's lips as he came to a stop and turned towards the call. Akira raised a brow at the other man who looked unkept and distressed.
"Hideki." Akira greeted as his friend came to a breathless halt in front of Akira. Like usual, his jacket wasn't buttoned and underneath his uniform was left untucked and wild. The black tie that was barely hanging on to the collar due to poor tying, swung back and forth with Hideki's heavy gulps of air.
"Not late!" He breathed out; hunched over, before he beamed a smile up at Akira. He finally straightened, "Knowing I caught up to you, I'll have time to fix this." Hideki had a guilty smile plastered on his face as he gestured to his uniform. They laughed together at his situation, a heart warming feeling to laugh in the state of their country.
He began to fix what he could as they continued their walk towards the university. Hideki was too distracted on his appearance than on the walk and they were drawn into refreshing early morning silence. Any other time and Hideki would be talking on about whatever seemed to be on his mind at the moment. Or what he just happens to be drawn to while walking. Like how the sidewalk was cracked, or a mailbox was lopsided. Maybe the clouds look menacing this morning. Just about anything could spark a conversation from him. It was nice, Akira couldn't carry a sentence for his life, but Hideki didn't mind.
"So, did you study any?" Akira asked, risking a glance at Hideki and his poor uniform.
Hideki smiled as his hands slowly stopped working on his clothes, he looked up at Akira from under his dark lashes. A conceited and very common expression on his face. Hideki never usually studied, well not much anyway and usually placed him or his score usually placed him in 10th out of their class. It was starting to seem like he purposely placed 10th each year and it made Akira wonder if Hideki was just gifted with judging how many questions he needed to place there.
"Salutatorian has my name written all over it this year." Hideki said as he finished buttoning his vest. "You make just shy of a perfect score each year, no way I could imagine studying enough to rival that."Hideki smiled as he looked down at the ground, "Plus, I have a feeling you're going all out after what happened last year. You slipped a bit, huh?"
Akira gave Hideki a look before he replied, "Maybe." Akira let Hideki's smile effect him as his own smile touched his face, "You do know classes are scheduled based on your score, might have to hit the books this year if you make salutatorian. You never know, I might slip up again this year. You might have valedictorian." Akira looked ahead of him as the university grounds came into view, 'you know, I might not mind getting salutatorian if Hideki is the one on top', Akira thought.
Hideki nodded, "You know, all I wanted was to catch up to you?" Hideki asked as they finally walked through the campus gates. At this point he almost looked presentable, almost. His tie could use work, Akira stopped them before walking any further.
"Hide." Akira called causing his friend to come to a stop as well. Hideki looked at him expectantly before he laughed out as Akira reached out to straighten the tie.
"Thanks." Hideki whispered, a lop sided grin spread across his face. He spun back around to stare into the campus, "ready?" He asked and Akira nodded.
The first building nearest the entrance of the University gates was the place they were headed. It made up the welcome center and was readily available for the annual entrance exams. A well kept building with a grand lobby just through the glass entry way. Once inside you were met by an awards hall for the University's yearly achievements dating back to when the school had first opened its doors to the public. Both of them made their way to the front desk, unfazed by the showcase, and early enough to avoid the wait to sign in.
Hideki had a smirk on his face as he found his name and signed next to it. Akira followed suit as Hideki waited, "You slipping up though," Hideki continued with their previous conversation. He still couldn't grasp the idea, even if it had already happened the year before. "I don't believe it for a second. You got flustered after finding you missed one question last year, I'm sure you're going to put extra effort into this one." Hideki laughed as he began to smooth his cinnamon blond hair. Completing his now agreeable uniform.
Akira just snorted a laugh, "You're right, but there is still a possibility." Akira said as he turned to face Hideki. They both started to walk in the direction of their assigned test room, following the posted signs taped to the walls. "What else do you want me to say," Akira shrugged in defense as Hideki watched him, "I have high standards."
Hideki rolled his eyes as they came to sit next to each other in the testing room, it was still early and the room was still fairly vacant. Hideki leaned back in his seat, "I didn't know your vocabulary excepted 'slip' and 'up' in the same sentence either. Yeah maybe, 'yeah I slipped right through the test!'," Hideki mocked, "or maybe 'did you see how I upped my score!'," He blurted, "but never together as 'I slipped up' like that." Hideki mumbled, as he gazed at Akira from over the built in testing barriers that were at each seat. Even if he seemed to be serious, Hideki still smiled over at Akira as if to jest as he rested on his hands behind his head. He leaned calmly back in his seat, not worried about the exam in the slightest.
'The first time I had met Hideki, he was petrified of testing of any kind'.
Akira took a freshly sharpened pencil from his satchel and placed it on his desk. He looked around the partially empty room, avoiding Hideki's daunting look towards him. He realized in that moment how taut his nerves were. He would never show it, but the feeling was unsettling. Maybe it was uneasiness he felt for his father, or maybe it was because this would be the last entrance exam. Whatever it was, it felt foreign, never had he felt so nervous before a test.
Hideki cleared his throat far too loudly, drawing attention to himself. Akira's eyes as well. Akira was greeted by Hideki's cheeky smile as he nodded towards the pencil, ignoring the other eyes on him, "Is that it, the number two pencil to win them all."
Akira looked at his pencil in thought as he picked it up, he then leaned towards Hideki, raising the pencil, "This isn't just number two, this is the number one pencil." Akira said, basking in the terrible joke. He felt his pent laugh twitch at his lips until they both laughed out at his comment about his special pencil.
Hideki snorted as he pushed Akira away from him, "Only you would make a dumb joke for a pencil," he laughed as he rubbed at his own pockets in search for something, he looked pale for a moment as his eyes went to the front of the room.
"High standards." Akira commented absently, glancing knowingly at Hideki.
Hideki groaned, "I forgot a pencil. Again." Akira shook his head, but he already knew his friend would forget, so he dug for the spare in his bag. Handing the pencil to Hideki, reframing from laughing as Hideki took the pencil as if it were a gift from a god. Akira watched as Hideki held the pencil to his face in admiration, "Salutatorian is definitely mine now."
"Its a pencil." Akira commented as Hideki set the pencil on his desk. He watched as his friends demeanor changed quickly. From carefree to serious in an instant, the transition was almost impressive, but it was Hideki. Akira would have diagnosed the guy as bipolar or having split personalities.
"Did you hear," Hideki asked as he rested back in his seat again, his eyes on his desk. Akira reframed from sighing, he already had an idea of what he might say. Hideki had always been interested in Akira's fathers work. The soldiers in Turkonian in general aways caught Hideki's eye. "Sector two is next," Hideki mentioned, "they're evacuating Rose." Hideki would have busied his hands if there had been anything, instead he grabbed the pencil yet again and twisted it his hands, "Is Mr. Myles busy with that?"
"Yeah, thats what I figured. He hasn't actually been home since he left for work yesterday." Akira managed, he didn't bother saying that his father hasn't contacted him yet. That part would only leave Hideki worrying as well. Akira just looked around the class to busy his mind, not looking at anything in specific. He watched as other students filed into the room. Each student in this testing room were all taking the same exam to be in the same class, this would be the last entrance exam they'd all take if they passed.
"Since your dad has a job in the GTA, he will have to fight, won't he?" Hideki asked as he sought to catch Akira's eyes. He was good at reading the expressions on others faces, almost perfectly to the point he could tell what they truly felt. So Akira avoided the gaze and nodded, Hideki was already worried as it was, no need to worry him more. Hideki was exceptional at reading Akira, so he just stayed impassive and avoided looking towards his friend.
"He'll be fine," Akira tried, he smiled knowing his father wouldn't do anything to put himself in unnecessary danger. He had always promised Akira he'd always come home, even if he did bleed out on the family room carpet. He would just laugh as he attempted to scrub the carpet of his mess. "He won't have to get involved in the Hanran until they reach Sector One anyway." They should have evacuated Roseate by that point, and he would have already fallen back beyond the wall. He directs forces and he hardly ever gets involved in the actual battles.
Hideki looked down, watching his pencil as it rolled down the slight sloping of his desk. Thinking of Akira's words, "How can you be so sure?"
"I'm not. I'd just like to continue thinking he will be." Akira smiled weakly, fixing his eyes on one point in the room, "But it's my father, I don't think I'm ready to worry about his safety just yet..." Even if the ghouls are a sector away. If they get through sector two before the evacuation, they will be defenseless for a time being. Sector One and Two have higher security now that their closer to the wall separating Rose and Turkonian. "If I'm positive, the Hanran should be handled in Sector two."
Hideki nodded, "Okay, yeah. I understand. I know he'll be fine."
Hideki opened his mouth, but shut It quickly as the instructor spectating their exam today walked into the room. He raked the room with a sneer. He should have retired years ago if he held such contempt for the student. 'He's a prick', Akira thought as he watched the man outwardly express his annoyance of being here.
"Okay students, a few rules before I pass out your exam. There will be no talking, no gum chewing and absolutely no cell phones. So if you have one on you, I expect you to place it into the tray as I walk around. Suspected cheating will be graded a zero." He said smugly as his eyes danced around the room to those with a history of cheating. A handful of students snickered, immediately met with silence as the instructor looked in their direction. A scowl was deeply set on his face, Akira began to wonder if that was just how he naturally looked.
'What a sad old man', he thought, 'wishing to have so much authority over such minor things. Just to feel important.'
His face made Akira think of a rat, he had an abnormally large nose and teeth that barely fit in his mouth. His eyes never stayed on one fixed point for too long. A wide eyed look at all times as if his skin was too tight for his own face.
The instructor had the clip board that they had all signed, a list of all the students who signed up to take the entrance exam. As he called the names on the clip board he would place their exam in front of them. The process was long and dull, Akira had always hated to stare at the closed packet as he waited for others to receive theirs. Akira glanced at Hideki and his lips twitched as his friend tried to balance his pencil on the eraser. His last name was Abbott, so he'd received his paper before Akira, one of the first to be handed an exam in general. Now he was looking for ways to pass time while the Instructor made his way through the last names at a mind numbing pace.
The instructor made his way to the front of the room, a few packets still left in his hand from students who had not made it to the exam this morning. Akira half expected that with what was happening so close to home. Maybe the missing students were those in Sectors that had fallen. It was upsetting to think about.
Just before the instructor began their time, Akira jumped at the sudden sound of Hideki's pencil as it fell to his desk, then rolled to the floor. The sound bounced through the still air in the classroom, causing many to look in his direction. Hideki sheepishly smiled up at the instructor as he glared at Hideki with hard eyes.
Then with one more glance around the room, the instructor looked for students attempting an early start. It was considered cheating and would always result in having the test stripped from them with a zero. This particular instructor always looked for it too.
The rat man sat down and very subtly said, "You may begin." Pencils hit paper quickly; Akira shook his head as Hideki scrambled for his pencil after it had fallen to the floor. The teacher brought out a book and began to read. He'd stay there, like that, for the next two hours.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone