Third Eye

"How can this be?"

Kirin supported his aching forehead with one hand.

The Mock Test. He had prepared himself since five days ago, studying day and night only to wish for a passing score so… how could he not understand any of them?

The fingers wrapping around the pencil tightened, shaking and nearly breaking the poor thing into two.

Such intense frustration and helplessness… he could sense them from a seat situated not far from him as well.

However, unlike him, Shion sat there with a calm and collected front, a hand on his graphite pencil while the other earnestly caressed a tiny dice with a thumb, silently muttering silent prayers before the dice was thrown.

The dice danced against the surface, spinning around silently before halting to reveal the destined number.

Four.

Shion expressionlessly retrieved the dice and wrote his answer, closing his eyes and repeating the prayer once more before he threw the dice. Again and again, he filled out his answer sheet without any trouble.

"..."

Kirin studied the man's earnest side profile with slight jealousy and sighed.

Rendered helpless, he pulled out the dice he got from Shion and prayed for his luck to not be so bad. The dice fell and skipped back and forth, before finally stopping at three dots.

'Three. It's a C.'

Kirin had just moved his pencil to write his answer, when a pale hand with thin willowy fingers stretched over and overturned the dice, twisting it into a four.

"Trust me. The answer is D."

A cold breath blew against his ears, strands of soft black caressing the side of his cheek as chills rolled down his spine. Kirin's hand paused, his lids slightly lowering before his pencil persistently moved to shade the answer 'C'.

The girl floating beside him frowned, her disappointment evident as she puffed up her pale cheeks that were devoid of any trace of blood.

At the moment, within the silent classroom where the students dared not shift the slightest bit away from their position and nothing except the monotonous ticking of the clock could be heard, the two of opposite gender were staying dangerously close to each other, with the female student's entire body leaning over the expressionless male's table and the tip of her nose tip nearly touching his ears.

A scandalous sight at normal times however, the teacher watching over from the front podium didn't breath out a word, the sharp light in his eyes indicating that he was definitely not slacking with his job.

The same went for the others. Not one head turned to cast a judgemental look at the pair, except for that one new transfer named Shion.

When their eyes met in the air, Kirin knew that his instincts were right.

Another person who had opened his third eye, allowing him to possess a perception greater than normal people and most importantly – the ability to see ghosts and the likes of them.

Such was the kind of entity Ishida Shion he figured as.

Not all entities with a third eye were necessarily exorcists, but all exorcists without any exception possessed one.

And once the matter of exorcists was brought into the table, Kirin knew that once he let himself be associated with them, he wouldn't be far from being pulled back into the muddy waters.

Now what should he do about him–

"5 Minutes Left!"

A heavily strained voice pulled him out of his thoughts, leaving his heart beating wild.

With widened eyes, Kirin gazed back at his papers. He had been distracted and hesitating for too long, and now that time was almost up, he was left with not much choice.

The girl was gone, disappearing into thin air, and he figured that the dice technique would take too much time. Thus, Kirin was forced to bite the bullet and choose one letter to shade them all. As for what the letter would be…

His fervent eyes fell on the dice.

'I'll be counting on you then. Please do well.'

Kirin took the dice and chanted his utmost sincere prayer.

But perhaps, he was being too earnest with his prayers and the Gods were too passionate with their help that when the dice was unleashed to the air, it hit the surface of the table with a crisp "Tak," twisting and turning like it was performing an expertized tango before it stepped onto empty air and took a free fall.

The dice fell and skipped thrice. Fortunately, its landing wasn't far and within his scope of reach.

Kirin stretched out his leg and stepped on the dice, dragging it closer and closer one foot at a time when a dark brooding shadow was casted from above him.

"Student Kirin."

Kirin's back unknowingly straightened. Gazing up, he saw the livid face of the English representative teacher, Mr Yamamoto.

"Sensei, I…"

"Don't bother." Mr Yamamoto cut him short, his gaze sharp and piercing like that of a predator.

"And here I thought that you've turned for the better." He phased around, snatching the papers away from under Kirin's arms and confiscating his dice for evidence. "Meet me in the teacher's room after school. I'll be putting you in detention, Student Kirin."

"Yes. I'm sorry, Sensei."

Kirin lowered his head, his stance sincere and apologetic.

In front of the two and away from the eyes of the public, Shion emotionlessly hid his dice inside his sleeves, not expecting to be caught in the act the second later.

"Student Shion."

Mr Yamamoto turned around to glare at the frozen new transfer with a ridiculing grin. "I've been watching over you since the very beginning so please save your efforts, will you?"

Shion didn't say a word and merely handed over his dice without much resistance.