the legendary exam and the legendary distraction

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**Chapter: The Legendary Exam and the Legendary Distractions**

The time had finally arrived—the legendary exam. Ars could hardly contain his excitement, but at the same time, his nerves were doing somersaults in his stomach. He had spent weeks preparing, buried under mountains of textbooks, notes, and, most importantly, *his own doubts*. His mind wandered in the silence, imagining himself walking into the exam hall with the poise of a genius, the perfect scores rolling in as if the universe itself had decided to bestow upon him the mantle of academic royalty.

In his daydream, he was already crowned the *King of Exams*, his subjects chanting his name in awe. "Ars, the Great!" they cheered.

But then—*knock knock knock.*

Ars snapped out of his daydream like a cat that's just realized it's about to be put in the bath. His thoughts scattered. Who the heck was knocking on his door? Had he accidentally joined the royal examination ceremony of the world's most prestigious school in his mind? No, that wasn't it. *William!*

William was here. *How on earth did he know where I live?* Ars thought as he rushed to the door. He opened it, only to see his best friend standing there, arms folded and looking way too relaxed for someone who was supposed to be on a mission.

"William? How do you know where I live?" Ars blurted out, his voice still shaky from the mental chaos.

William, who always seemed to glide through life with a sense of calmness that bordered on ridiculousness, grinned. "Your classmates told me."

Ars raised an eyebrow. "It was Lissa, wasn't it?"

William nodded with a shrug. "Yeah, she was very eager to make sure I found you before the exam." He paused. "Apparently, she thought you'd be so caught up in your studies that you'd forget the time and miss the flight."

Ars' eyes widened. "How does she know me so well?"

"Because she's your friend," William replied, deadpan. "But we don't have much time, Ars. We have to face the *real* challenge."

Ars blinked, trying to shift gears from the chaos of his daydreams to the impending reality. "What challenge? You mean the exam?"

William gave him a serious look. "Yes, but more importantly—are you actually studying, Ars? Tell me the truth. Have you been hitting the books, or have you been... *distracted*?"

Ars puffed out his chest and proudly declared, "I've been studying all the time! I haven't watched a single episode of anime in—"

*BZZZT!*

A notification popped up on his phone screen. Ars groaned. It was the author of the novel himself, sliding into the chat.

"Don't lie, Ars. I saw you watching the new season of *Attack on Titan* last night. And you were crying. AGAIN."

Ars froze, horrified. "I was not crying!" he protested.

"Sure, and I'm sure you didn't tear up when Mikasa was in that scene with—"

"Enough!" Ars shouted, as if that would make the author stop invading his personal space. He turned to William, who was trying to hide his laughter behind a hand. "This is ridiculous. I've been focused! I'm a model student!"

"Right," William said with a smirk. "And I'm the King of Atlantis."

Ars rolled his eyes, deciding to just ignore the digital voice of his creator. "Let's go. I'm ready. Let's get this exam over with."

The two of them departed for the airport. But as fate would have it, there was a *small* delay with their flight. The exam that they had been preparing for—practically for a century—wouldn't happen for another few hours. So, what did the two of them do? They walked. They talked. They ate junk food. And they *completely forgot* that they were supposed to be preparing for a life-changing exam.

They ended up at an anime theater. Yes, an *anime theater*. Not just a normal cinema, but a place where you could watch old-school, original anime classics on a big screen while sitting in giant bean bags. William, who had a deep love for *One Piece*, dragged Ars into a screening of an old episode, and before long, they were both completely engrossed in the show.

"I swear, One Piece is the best thing ever," William said with an almost religious fervor.

Ars, who had only seen a few episodes here and there, was still trying to figure out what the heck was going on with the whole "pirates and treasure" thing. "It's... good?" he offered hesitantly.

William shot him a look. "You are not allowed to say that. *One Piece* is a lifestyle. It's not just a show. It's a commitment, Ars."

Ars, who was now feeling slightly left out, leaned back in his chair and tried to look interested. But then, his stomach grumbled loudly, breaking the silence like a distant thunderclap. William, always the prepared one, instantly stood up and waved for the nearest waiter.

"Let's eat," William said, as if he had all the time in the world.

They ended up at a fancy restaurant. William, naturally, had been to this restaurant before and knew exactly how to behave. But Ars? Ars had *never* been in a place like this. He was handed a fancy set of silverware that looked more like medieval torture devices than utensils for eating. His hands twitched nervously.

William watched in quiet amusement as Ars awkwardly tried to slice his steak with a fork and knife, but his technique resembled a person trying to chop down a tree with a rubber band.

"Uh, Ars?" William said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "You know you're supposed to cut the meat, right? Not just *poke* it repeatedly."

Ars glanced down at the plate. "I'm trying! These things are practically *alive*! They're not cooperating!"

After a few more failed attempts, Ars eventually surrendered. He picked up his steak with his hands, much to the horror of the nearby waitstaff, who probably feared for the safety of their polished floors. William, facepalming, slid a napkin over his face as if it could shield him from the social disaster that was unfolding.

"Fine," William said, "I'll do it. Watch and learn."

He deftly cut his steak with a flick of his wrist, his movements so smooth it could have been choreographed by a gourmet ninja.

Ars, still struggling with his dinner, looked up at him and sighed, "Why do I feel like I'm the one who's failing the exam right now?"

William chuckled. "Because, Ars, you are. *The exam* is life itself."

Ars blinked. "Is this some sort of philosophical nonsense?"

"No," William replied. "But if you ever want to eat like a gentleman, you need to step it up. Now eat your food before it gets cold."

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As the two of them finally finished their meal and headed toward the airport again**Chapter: The Legendary Exam and the Legendary Distractions (Continued)**

As they walked back from the fancy restaurant chatting,a sudden commotion interrupted their carefree stroll. A gang of thugs appeared from an alley, their eyes locking onto William and Ars with a menacing glint. The two of them froze for a moment, sensing the tension in the air.

"Look at these two. Think they're tough?" one thug sneered.

William didn't even blink. "Really? You want to find out?"

Before Ars could even process what was happening, William's hands were in motion. He sidestepped a punch from one of the thugs and, in one fluid motion, took down three of them with precise, controlled strikes. Each hit was swift, a testament to years of unspoken expertise. William was a skilled fighter, and it was clear the thugs were outmatched.

Ars, who was still processing the surprise, shook his head. "You're kidding me," he muttered.

As if to prove his point, Ars grinned. "Well, guess it's my turn."

Without missing a beat, he lunged into the fray. His body moved with practiced ease, and within moments, five more thugs were on the ground. The fight barely lasted five minutes, but it was enough to leave the remaining gang members scrambling.

"Nice work," William said casually as they both straightened their clothes.

Ars shrugged, unfazed. "It's nothing. You know, just another day before the exam."

William smirked. "Yeah, but I think we both learned something today."

Ars raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

William grinned, eyes twinkling. "That the real exam? It's not in the classroom. It's surviving this insanity with you."

Ars laughed, already moving toward the airport again. The distractions of the day were endless, but at least one thing was clear:,

Ars couldn't help but feel a little lighter. It wasn't just about the exam anymore. It was about enjoying the little things—like dodging *fancy steak etiquette* and having weirdly deep conversations with your best friend in an anime theater.

They arrived at the airport, and William turned to Ars with a serious look in his eyes.

"Ars, before we go, I have something for you."

Ars blinked. "What? A last-minute cram session on how to use a fork properly?"

William smirked and handed him a brand-new smartphone. "No. It's so you can call and message me anytime. I know you're going to get lost in your thoughts, and I need to be there to save you from yourself."

Ars took the phone, his mind already running wild with the possibilities. "You know, I'm probably going to text you every five minutes, right?"

"Probably," William agreed. "Just try not to send me any memes in the middle of the exam. I'd like to survive this, thank you very much."

As they boarded the plane, Ars couldn't help but grin. No matter what happened with the legendary exam, this would be a trip he'd never forget.

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**Next Chapter: The Exam… or Whatever**

Would Ars pass the exam? Would he finally learn how to use silverware like a civilized human? Stay tuned to find out. *Spoiler alert*: There might be more memes, more distractions, and possibly more steak-eating disasters.

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