Shun Mizuki

March 31, 2101

Somewhere in Tokyo, the capital of the island country called Japan, there was a school where a certain festival took place.

It was the last day of the school year, and as a culture already established by the school, a festival would be held as a farewell act for both students and teachers.

Many of the students were sharing stories about the best times they had together, laughing, or even crying.

There were several groups, and we could tell that they were all excited, but not as excited as the third-year high school graduates.

There was happiness at being able to move on, but it was undeniable that with the end of high school, they would see each other less often and their friendships would grow colder.

Not to mention the matter of going to different universities, but tomorrow still hadn't come, so they were enjoying their last days together.

...

Among the third-year graduates was a certain young man who didn't seem too interested in the festival or whatever was happening around him.

Shun Mizuki was his name and he seemed in a hurry as he packed his belongings into a floating backpack that would follow him anywhere, one of the school novelties in recent years.

He wore the standard school uniform, being a pure white with some golden hues, it was one of the most beautiful and coveted uniforms in town, which made that school extremely popular.

As for his overall appearance, he featured light skin tone with short dark hair, honey-colored eyes, and a face that pointed to average beauty.

A slob, that would be the perfect term to describe him. Hair shaggy, face looking tired, uniform not ironed and roughly dressed, he didn't seem to care much about his appearance.

Even though he was seated, you could see that Shun was a tall and thin young man, with muscles not so much in sight, but from the way he carried certain items, he didn't seem to be weak.

Shun finally finished packing his belongings, that's when he got up and stretched his bones for a brief moment, then he started walking, heading towards the exit of the school.

"Finally high school came to an end, I couldn't take this hellish place anymore, whose only function was to occupy my precious time.

The time I'd be Leveling up in Phantom World." He paused a little after realizing something, then he said with a slight tone of sadness. "That's if Phantom World still existed. Tsk, goddamn World Link."

He was one of the billions of players who suffered the disillusionment that was the shutdown of Phantom World's servers worldwide. But in his own way, he was trying to get over it.

As for your earlier comment about the school being nothing more than a nuisance, amazingly this was the comment of a student considered exceptional and well behaved by most teachers, they would spit blood if they could hear it right now.

But for those who really knew him, they wouldn't be too surprised by his words, as Shun was the typical well-behaved young man on the surface, but not so nice when the eyes escaped him.

Since he was unwilling to stay to enjoy the wonderful festival that was taking place, then his annoyance with the school was more than genuine.

"I should stop by the game store before I get home. Maybe there's something new and interesting there." His words sounded excited.

When he was in front of the exit, he was carried away by the noise made by the cheerful students, who were swaying from side to side as they sampled the diversions and foods of the festival.

He looked back to enjoy the sight one last time, then ended up being inert for several seconds, and without him realizing it, a beautiful smile crept across his face.

"What? Am I smiling?!" He looked perplexed at the realization, as if he didn't do this often. "But why?" He seriously questioned himself.

But soon, certain memories flashed through his mind, clarifying the reason why he was smiling so openly.

"So you're to blame for that smile." Memories of a certain girl flashed through his mind and his smile grew even wider at that moment.

"Well, I guess high school wasn't that bad." He smiled one last time and then turned towards the exit.

"Until more school life, I don't think I'll miss you too much." He said flatly, almost as if he felt nothing but something deep inside him that said he wasn't being completely sincere.

"From now on I will have more time to focus on the games." He smiled after saying, he liked games and had a lot of fun playing, even if he was just an ordinary player at the bottom of the rankings.

Perhaps there was a bit of insensitivity to his earlier words, but that was a result of the hell some students had put him through over the years. His school life was not filled with complete peace, as he was forced to deal with bullies most of the time.

Not many friends to count, there was only one person who treated him differently and somewhat special, not even he understood why, as that person was very popular and prone to attention, which ended up with him getting more negative attention. . But he didn't push her away or hate her for it, on the contrary, he loved her company and wanted her closer.

To occupy his time, Shun mainly enjoyed playing virtual games in his spare time, where he intended to gamble his future and earn a lot of money, which many professors disliked, as according to them, Shun was wasting his academic talents.

Then he started walking again, to finally get out of the school environment, but he barely took his first step.

"MIZUKI-KUN!!"

A voice called out to him in the distance, sounding very loud.

It was just hearing the voice that Shun revealed a certain expression, as if he already knew who it was.

When he turned around a second time, he could see a beautiful girl running towards him.

"Oh, Yori-chan" was what he said in response, referring to the young girl who came up to him, and again, a beautiful smile crossed her face.

The young girl had long violet hair that matched the color of her beautiful eyes, and she was a beauty to say the least. She wore her school uniform, only in a very elegant and conservative way, she gave the impression of being a family girl.

Hiyori Suzuki was her name, and she was the one real reason why Shun was smiling as he looked back at the school.

She got to him and was breathing heavily from the run.

"Mizuki-kun, where are you going? The festival has barely begun."

She said looking him in the eyes, looking worried and a little disappointed, as she knew that individual and already had an idea of ​​why he was leaving school so early.

Shun on the other hand, felt cornered by that question, he ended up realizing he was about to leave without saying goodbye to his only friend during middle school. He was afraid to bother her while she was having fun with her friends at the festival, friends who didn't see him with good eyes, but he didn't let himself be bothered by it.

So, looking for excuses, Shun kept smiling and didn't take long to respond.

"About that, the festival isn't that much fun for me and I'm kind of in a hurry to get home you know?" He told the truth, but his tone of voice and harsh expression gave him away completely, Shun was a terrible liar.

"Stop making excuses Shun, that doesn't answer my question." She then took angry steps closer and closer to him, until she was close enough, unaware that she was calling him by his first name.

"I asked: Where! Are you! Going?!"

She said each word loud and clear, hoping Shun would answer her properly. It wasn't the first time she'd asked a question and gotten a rip-off for an answer, only this time she wouldn't let it go so easily.

Shun felt trapped having her so close, to the point that he could feel her breathing and heartbeat. He felt embarrassed and intended to go back a few steps, but Hiyori didn't allow it when she grabbed him by the tie and pulled him closer.

"Answer me Shun, did you by any chance intend to leave without saying goodbye to me!!?" She said with a rather angry look.

'Oh no!!! She's doing that look again, she's absolutely pissed!.' Shun thought in terror, it looked like he wouldn't make it home safe and sound that day.

"Yori-chan, it's not like that, I mean, you're right, but.." Shun didn't process his words well, he was so scared and ended up mixing up his excuses.

"I already told you, enough excuses!!" Now his voice had also gained a threatening tone, Shun closed his eyes fearing what was to come, but to his surprise, she just released him and walked away from him. "You never change Mizuki-kun" She said as she looked down, looking tired and disappointed.

Shun didn't expect that development, he had known that girl for some time and knew that just as she was beautiful and often cute, she could be equally scary when she wanted to, and things never ended well for him.

After hearing his last words, Shun remained silent in a perplexed state for some time, but there was something he couldn't let go of.

"Are you going to call me by my family name again? You looked so sassy a few seconds ago, just call me Shun."

Forgetting what she was about to say, Hiyori let shame wash over her face and her apparent sadness passed in a second.

"Shut up, you who keep calling me Yori-chan, I don't remember giving permission for that, you cheeky idiot!" She crossed her arms and pouted, trying to ease her embarrassment.

"It doesn't seem to me that you hate me calling you that, at least you never complained." Shun gave a teasing smile as he said.

It seemed to have worked as she went mute and her face was taken by a pink blush, she couldn't deny those words but absolutely refused to accept it..

"Hahahaha... What's up Yori-chan, did I tell a lie?" Shun was amused by the scenery and continued laughing.

Feeling more and more ashamed, Hiyori continued muttering inaudible things, and in an act that even she didn't understand why, she grabbed Shun by the arm and dragged him to some isolated place.

"Hey, where are you taking me?" Shun asked as he tried to understand Hiyori's actions. But she followed in silence, until she stopped. After looking around and confirming that they were alone, she leaned Shun against a nearby wall, trapping him with her two arms, with no room for escape.

Looking him in the face, Hiyori looked embarrassed and determined for some reason, but no more than Shun, whose heart was pounding right now.

'Hey, hey, hey! What is happening?! What kind of situation is this? More importantly, how should I react to that?!!' Not only his heart, but his brain was also racing to keep him calm. But if he was correct about Hiyori's actions, he didn't have any kind of experience with that sort of thing, so he was panicking.

"Yori-chan, what are you-" Shun was cut off mid-sentence, Hiyori didn't allow him to speak as she silenced him using her fingers, using that charming word that would silence anyone. "Shhh!" She said.

"Listen up Shun!" She said as she pressed him further into the wall.

"We've known each other for about three years. At first we didn't get along so well, but look at us now."

Memories of when they first collided flashed through Hiyori's mind, an ugly fight had ensued for somewhat childish reasons. Maybe they were looking for excuses to talk to each other, because even if they didn't accept, they were already attracted to each other at first glance.

"But for a while, I've realized that I was always looking for you, I don't know when it started, but there's something I've always wanted to tell you these past few years." Hiyori said looking determined, her face was getting more and more red.

Shun followed in silence and bewildered, but he swallowed hard when Hiyori pressed him to the wall and stared at him in that way he could only imagine.

'Am I dreaming, or is she trying to declare herself to me? No, no, no, that's impossible! But God forbid I'm wrong.'

Shun could only let himself be carried away by his daydreams, the world seemed to have stopped for him, all that was happening in his eyes was him and her.

"Shun, I don't know if you feel the same way, but this whole time, I've always…" She looked down and was a little hesitant to blurt out her words.

"You always??!!" Shun asked impatiently, all he wanted at that moment was to hear what Hiyori had to say.

Mustering all her courage and determination, she looked Shun in the eye and said everything she wanted in one breath.

"Isn't it obvious? I've always liked-"

Shun listened intently to her words, but unfortunately for her, her words were interrupted when another voice overlaid hers.

"Now now! My eyes are deceiving me, or one of the school beauties really intends to kiss the useless Shun Mizuki Hahahaha.."

This was one of the third-year graduates, he was accompanied by two others who laughed at his mocking words. He looked happy and amused while voicing insults at Shun.

....

As soon as he heard the voice, Shun's expression turned sour, it was just seeing the face of the person in charge that his face and posture changed from what it was a few seconds ago, to a disgusted cold, so much so that he forgot all the previous mood and pushed Hiyori away to side, facing the one who had insulted him head on.

"Haizaki, just for today, please don't bother me." Shun's tone sounded quite menacing as he said, adding to the expression on his face, he didn't seem to like that individual at all.

Nishio Haizaki was his name, a boy with spiky blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and a handsome face, but everything about him, from the way he dressed to his facial expression, screamed that he was a delinquent.

Hearing Shun's reply made Haizaki annoyed, his expression turning from mocking to threatening.

"Huh? You think because it's the last day you can act all arrogant like that? Who do you think you are, you worthless trash?!" Said Haizaki as he clenched his fist tightly and got closer and closer to Shun.

In the midst of the two young people, there was the girl who was interrupted in the middle of her speech, she was angry because she felt like she spent half her life getting up the courage to say that, but all just to be interrupted?!

As if that wasn't enough, the same bastard that interopeu was there talking a lot of nonsense, she wasn't going to put up with it, that's when she decided to speak up.

"Haizaki-san, that wasn't very polit-" She was about to lecture Haizaki, but found herself interrupted again, when Shun grabbed her shoulder and passed her back. Shun was now in the center, facing Haizaki head on.

"There you go with the same old shit, trash this, trash that, you're running out of creativity Haizaki." The mocking smile had now passed to Shun's side, he was facing Haizaki fearlessly and looked very confident, it was as if he couldn't wait for something to happen.

"Oh yours!!" Haizaki came forward wanting to punch Shun, but he stopped abruptly when the young girl came forward wanting to protect him.

"Huh? What are you doing Hiyori? Get out of the way!! This garbage needs to learn its lesson.!"

As for Shun, he didn't expect this development, but his consideration for Hiyori skyrocketed to several levels in that instant, he couldn't hide the smile on his face, but his masculine side made him feel embarrassed, he could consider himself a man if he left a girl protect him from a bunch of bullies? Absolutely not!!!

Haizaki and his group of two friends, were a bunch that kept pestering him throughout his high school phase, Shun never reacted and let them do what they wanted, but he never let them cross the line.

If he didn't react, it wasn't out of fear or lack of ability. There was a special condition that prevented him from retaliating, a promise, or oath to be exact.

But in a single flash, the memories of this group getting in the way of his daily life passed, even though he was letting go of the provocations he had suffered day after day, it was undeniable that it was irritating and little by little the anger was accumulating.

Being the last day of school didn't necessarily mean they wouldn't see each other again. But something in Shun told him that he wouldn't make it home in peace if he didn't discount all the annoyances Haizaki and his group had put him through over the years.

'I'm sorry master, but I can't stand it anymore, I'll break that oath.' Shun thought as he decided to act.

"No Haizaki-san, you're always resorting to violence, that's no way to live, and apologize now for interrupting my moment." Hiyori said, very angry she was.

"Who do you think you're giving orders to, huh?!!... Don't let your beauty go to your head Hiyori, the time I had a crush on you is over, that's what you get for always being glued to this one trash.!!"

"I don't care, I just won't let you hurt Shun any more." It was remarkable how fearless she was when she said it, and even though it was imperceptible to those present, Hiyori had left her body in a ready posture and had tensed her muscles, as if to fight back.

"I already told you, get out of the way-" Haizaki appealed to the side of the force and tried to push Hiyori aside. But just as his arm was about to touch her, Shun quickly appeared and held him, preventing him from touching Hiyori.

"Thanks for the kindness Yori-chan, but I can handle this brute, I mean I can't wait for it actually" Shun said, looking like a bloodthirsty wild beast.

"Leave me you shit!" Haizaki tried to punch Shun, but he didn't even have time to realize what happened when he was quickly immobilized and his face suddenly found himself kissing the ground.

"What?" Confusion hit Haizaki when he realized it, it was so quick that the reaction came late.

"Fuck you asshole! That's not even enough to pay what you owe me." Shun didn't give Haizaki time to recover and pressed his face to the ground using his foot, burying him even more. But that didn't last long, as Haizaki's two henchmen came running to his rescue.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing with the boss??" Said one of them.

"You will pay with your life, you Useless trash!" Said the other.

Both went in different directions and intended to join Shun in the center with a flying one, but unfortunately for them, just as they were going to hit him, Shun simply swerved and they both collided in the center... not just any collision, it was one of those that would leave in doubts whether they would be able to reproduce children in the future.

After colliding, they landed right on top of Haizaki, who was already getting up. This act left the three knocked out. What a terrible performance they had put on.

"Bunch of Assholes." That's what Shun said for the demonstration, contempt plastered on his face. For anyone looking to return years of abuse, this outcome was a bit of a letdown.

Seeing that there was nothing left for him there, he simply remembered that he was on his way home, but before that, he looked at Hiyori who was still there.

"Yori-chan, as I recall, you wanted to tell me something before this bunch of idiots showed up, you have my attention." He gave an innocent smile and was acting as if nothing had happened.

But Hiyori was stunned at that very moment. In her mind were things like:

'Since when is Shun so strong?'

'Seriously, what just happened?'

'But if he knows something about fighting, why did he put up with so much abuse day after day?'

"This makes no sense!!'

She was looking for a thousand and one explanations for what had just happened. But as she came out of that state, her brain processed Shun's words, and that's when she froze, not knowing how to respond.

"What did I want to say?" She said a little blushing.

"Yes, it seemed important to me, don't be too suspenseful and just tell me once." he said in an impatient and expectant tone.

Just like the first time, she mustered up all her courage and determination, and released them in the form of the following words.

"Shun, maybe it didn't mean much to you, but I loved the time we spent together. I wish we had more time to do even more things, but life has unfortunately reached that stage that forces us to separate." Hiyori looked down sadly as she said, out of nowhere tears started to form on her face.

Knowing that she wasn't done yet, Shun followed in silence hoping to hear everything she had to say, but from Hiyori's recent expression and the tears present in her eyes, he was worried.

"So Shun, no matter how much time passes, please never forget me and keep being my friend." At this point, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore, she said what she had to say, even though she had censored the last part, as she lacked determination and courage to express what she really felt.

Shun on the other hand, felt like a thousand needles pierced his heart at once upon hearing the word "friend". He thought things were evolving to another level, but it looks like he was just letting his imagination run wild, shock and disillusionment on him face. But Hiyori didn't notice as tears obscured his vision.

Shun's shock was momentary, as he couldn't bear to see Hiyori crying with such a sad and helpless expression. Whereupon he stepped forward and gave her a warm hug, saying softly to her.

"Don't be an idiot Hiyori, I never intended to take you away from me, you know you can always count on me." Being carried away by the weather, Shun appealed to the young girl's name in a less intimate way, but somehow it gave the impression that they were closer than ever.

"You liar, you were leaving with no intention of saying goodbye to me." Her tears grew more intense and her tone accompanied by her crying grew even louder.

Shun couldn't argue with that, he realized once again how disrespectful and insensitive he was towards her, this with the excuse that he didn't want to bother her.

"I was just being an antisocial idiot, forgive me for that." Shun looked down as he said, he looked genuinely sorry. But then he straightened up and looked her in the eye. "But I didn't lie about not intending to push you away from me, in fact, I'd like to have you closer!" He hugged her tighter, trying to calm her down.

"Do you swear to me?"

The sobs and tears were slowly stabilizing, it felt like the hug was working.

Shun wondered where it all came from so suddenly, but he knew there was only one answer.

"I swear."

Shun slowly ran his hand through her hair, as if trying to comfort a child lost in a sea of ​​sadness.

What was turning out, because Hiyori had already calmed down, but it's like something else is missing.

"Yori-chan, you know this isn't goodbye. While you're studying in Kyoto, we can talk via video calls, among other means."

"You're lying again Shun, I know you. You'll always be busy playing some stupid game and you'll just forget about me, Hpmh." She said while pouting at the end, now her annoyance was nothing more than mere acting.

"Do you by any chance want me to swear a second time?... And that would easily be resolved if you decided to buy a VR helmet and accompany me on a few adventures every now and then."

"Do you want to hear for the umpteenth time that my family forbids me to go near these things? You and everyone else only know how to talk about games, that's frustrating for someone who can't experience it, you know?!"

"Do you and your family happen to live in a cave? Seriously, I'll never understand them. Sometimes it's important to get some rest from real life you know?"

"Yes, more important than spending time with me I see." Hiyori appealed to the emotional side without a second thought.

"Hiyori, let's not go back to this please... I'll repeat it as many times as it takes for that stubborn little head of yours to realize..."

Shun took his time explaining a thousand more whys about how she shouldn't worry about anything, and that she could always count on him, stuff like that.

Only after she finally stopped and was cracking a smile, that was when they both realized that they were still hugging, that made them react quickly and soon they let go, feeling a little embarrassed.

It was at this moment that several female voices emerged calling for Hiyori, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Knowing that there was a place that needed her, Hiyori said the following.

"I know you're looking forward to getting out of high school and being free. I won't arrest you anymore, you can go Shun, until our next meeting." She gave a beaming smile as she said, whatever Shun had said to reassure her, it had worked very well.

"So, that's my cue. Until next time Yori-chan, I know we'll see you soon."

He said Smiling at her, without exchanging more words. Then Shun, followed by his floating backpack, started walking, heading towards her destination.

To the gates that ended this phase of his life.

But as they say, when one cycle closes, a new one opens.

After finishing high school and school life, what fate had in store for Shun? What challenges would he have to face in this new phase of his life?

Well, that only time could answer.

But there he was, walking along and smiling happily, not knowing what great trials awaited him very soon.