39. The … World (1)
39. The … World (1)
(Ten month has passed since that Exam…)
(actually I only can vaguely remember what happened after I killed that Bear, it's like a dream, but I know it's real, I myself did not know how can I move my body on that state, but from what Max and others told me I was walking dragging my battered body with a stick until I met them)
(and I can vaguely remember it too, it's like I'm in the state of asleep while awake, and awake while asleep, I remembered that I went to pick something from the place where the Bear met its end)
(and I still have it till now… it was a fist-sized crystal like thing I don't know what to do with that crystal, but I'll keep it safe for the time being)
****
On these past Ten months Lex learned so many things from this Crimson Eagle Training camp, other than hand to hand combat and survival skill, Lex learned driving skill on any vehicle, learn how to shoot with a handgun, how to shoot with a sniper rifle, how to shoot a bazooka, how to throw a grenade, many others, the topic changed every months
And of course Lex and the trainees only taught the basic on every subject, it's impossible for them to become an expert with only one month of time to learn every subjects
And today, after one year learning all the basic that can be learned, Crimson Eagle carry out the last Exam, and unlike the others which mostly practical Exam, to apply what they learned on the past month, this time it was a paper based Exam.
Venti said "this is the last Exam, after this the one who passed the Exam can pick which subject you liked the most, and trying to become an expert on that subject"
So it's like choosing a major when they entered the Collage, it's the same kind of mode.
Lex who has finished his Exam first is waiting for Max to finish his Exam on the cafeteria
(it was easy, it's strange though…)) Lex thought as he observed the empty cafeteria Lex literally the first to finish his Exam from other trainees
(it's been a year huh… the promised time with Liselotte… but I can't come back now, and she's didn't know what happened to me too… will we meet again?)
(I hope we can, what about Kate? can they accept each other existence? it's too cruel for both of them… and there's no way I can accept if they have some others)
"Lex!" when someone suddenly called for him, Lex snapped out of trance state
(it's no use to think about it now, I'll settle it later in the future, face what's in the present for now)
Lex turned his head and find Max waving his hand while making his way to where Lex sit,
Lex wave his hand back "done?"
"yea" Max replied as he took his seat beside Lex "it was easy. but…" Max said but his face wasn't like a person who's happy with an easy Exam, he has his own suspicion
"strange…, no?" Lex pointed out what Max trying to say
"Ah! You felt it too!?" Max replied in excitement because he find a comrade, that's how human psychology are… they become relieved when they saw someone who's similar to them, or they become relieved when they saw someone below them
The Exam was easy maybe it was better to say it too easy if it were compared to the past Exam, if the usual difficulty is Difficult, then this paper based Exam difficulty is Easy
The Exam more alike The Final Exam for Elementary School to graduate, but Lex and the other Trainees has learned much more than that, in term of knowledge and study, they all already on the level of eight grade, that's why it was strange something feels off about it
"especially the last question, right?" Lex said
Max quickly nodded his head "that's right! That's last question too strange!"
The last question Lex talking about, was a question written on the different color than any other question, the others was black but that last question alone have a greenish blue color
"the greenish color, and they even asked simple math that a first grader can do"
"un, un" Max nodded more "it asked {1+2+3} it even harder to get it wrong rather to get it correct"
(hmm?) Lex quickly feels his suspicion increase when he heard the discrepancy from what Max know and he know
"Wait Max! your answer is 6?"
"hey! You're underestimated too much! What else! Of course is 6!" Max feels a bit offended
"No! wait! I'm sorry it's my fault choosing the wrong words, but hear me first" Lex quickly giving his excuse to calm Max down "you see, my answer is 15!" he stated
"huh?"
"my question is {1+2+3+4+5}" Lex explained "maybe they have different set of problem for everyone?"
"…." Max didn't answer, like Lex he too fall into deep thought, trying to find out what's secret behind this Exam
And just right on time
"Hey!"
"hello"
Two girl called out to them, it was Mashiro and Elena
"Oh? Welcome! Come and sit" Lex replied welcoming them warmly
"ha~" Elena sighed "I can't get used to it no matter how many times it is"
"haha" Mashiro let out a giggle before sat in front of Max, and Elena beside her which mean Elena sat right in front of Lex
(hmm~ hmmm~) while Lex mood's quickly become better with the entrance of both girls (at last, she woke up you are no longer a heretic) Lex said it in his heart once again as he saw Elena hair which no longer like boy hairstyle, but like Mashiro hair on the last year.
Max too he shook his head and let out a bitter smile "what am I going to do with this friend of mine"
"I didn't think he's change this much just because of hair, last year I even felt like Lex's staring at his mortal enemy every time he saw me but now…, haa~~"
"now, now, isn't it better like this" Mashiro said trying to follow up for Lex
"but the change is hard to adapt" Elena said while twirling with her hair "should I cut it again?"
*BAMM
Lex slapped the table all of a sudden, he glared hard at Elena
"just now… what is it that you want to cut…" Lex said as he stood up and slowly and menacingly bringing his face toward Elena
"eeeekkk!! N-no sir! Nothing to cut!!"
"mm?" one of Lex eyebrow lifted up
"eek!! I said nothing!! Ah! No I said long hair the best! I won't cut it ever for the rest of my life Sir!!"
With Elena declaration Lex back to his seat smiling warmly like before "so how's your Exam?" he asked
"pheww~~" Elena slumped down relieved on her seat
Max once again shook his head exasperatedly
****
"where's Neo?" Max asked after the situation calmed down
"looks like he needs more time" the now recovered Elena replied him
"is that so…"
"Max" Mashiro called "do you think something a bit off on this Exam?"
"oh, actually Lex and me too felt it like that" Max said "and do you saw the last question? What's your answer?"
"last question…" Mashiro pondering trying to call back her memory "the last question… it's about English grammar right, I think I answer {on}"
""eh?"" Lex and Max dumbfounded the both of them did not expect this respond from her
Seeing the confused two "eh? Did I answer it incorrectly?"
"ah, no… you're right on that question" Max replied "but what I mean actually the question after that"
"???" this time Mashiro who became confused "but that was the last question, there's no more after that, right" Mashiro said then she's ask for Elena for agreement
"un" Elena nodded "just right Mashiro said that's the last question"
"but we both sure there's next question after that" Max pointed he and Lex sure about the next question
"Ah!" Elena cried as she looks like remembered something else "did you mean the number {1} after that?"
"Oh? You mean that number?" Mashiro followed up as she understood perfectly which one Elena talking about
By this time both Max and Lex become more and more confused, and Max explained it to Mashiro and Elena too
***
"so that's why you two look so shaken with what we said" Mashiro said
"Heyyyyy!!" the last one from their group Neo, finished his test and met with the others
After the survival exam, the five of them become close friend even if they don't talk to each other every day but they still meet at each other at least once a week since then,
"you all so fast" Neo said as he took a sit in the middle of Elena and Lex
Then Max quickly made it too the main point "Neo, what's your last question?" he asked
"Hmm?" Neo felt it strange suddenly asked by this question, but he realizes there's something looking at the other three too so interested in his answer, so he honestly answered
"it's about the English grammar right?" he tried to make sure he did not remember it wrong
"so you're the same as them" Max said
"?? What do you mean?" Neo replied
"actually…"
"so that's what happened" Max said understood the situation now "maybe I can ask other-"
*gugururu
Neo words was cut down by stomach sound, they all immediately find out the source of that sound from Mashiro who's dropping her head down in shame
"ahaha, how about we discuss it later, Venti said that she will announced something tomorrow too" Max suggested while patting Mashiro's head
"yea, you're right, it's already time for lunch too" Neo agreed, the other two Lex and Elena agreed too.
Max then bring his head whispering something too Mashiro "how cute" he said, Mashiro quickly redden up to her ears
((('JUST GO DATE EACH OTHER ALREADY!!!'))) regrettably Max's whisper was heard by the others, but it was oblivious to the both of them who's already made their own world
Lex, Elena, and Neo knew exactly their relationship, they are not lovers, but more than friend, they haven't declared their love, no one trying to confess to each other, but they flirted at any given chance! only the onlooker unintentionally caught on their stray pink arrow that can't hold it anymore