Chapter 10

I didn't know what to make of the scene I saw. A man was wandering around in this practical exam waiting room.

Although there were many people in this waiting room, they were indifferent when they saw him confused or looking difficult. I don't know if I should call the expression on his face a description of his condition. Just like me leaning against the wall and playing with my phone, no one cared. They just watched and ignored. There was no reason for them to care about someone.

The people here were engrossed in their own business, playing their cell phones, chatting with friends they knew, and keeping quiet.

"Why is he pacing back and forth? What is he looking for? An acquaintance?"

I spoke to myself, staring at him strange behavior.

"Ting!"

A message notification sound appeared on my phone.

"What is this again?"

Opening the message, the message text appeared.

Blitz_Red

"You noticed, right?"

"Yes, so what?"

As I sent the message, I remembered something I wanted to ask and sent another message.

You

"What is that main character doing? Did he sign up with an acquaintance and is looking for him?"

Blitz_Red

"No. He just registered himself."

"If he's on him own, why is him gesture a bit ....."

Blitz_Red

"He found a black cat lying down and wanted to pet it. However, when approached the cat ran away. And he's currently looking for that cat."

Reading the message, I could only remain silent.

"You must be playing a trick on me. I won't be fooled."

Just as I wanted to ask for an explanation of the main character's actions. An additional message came.

Blitz_Red

"Try talking to him! Make a good first impression! So that you can get along normally when you meet him."

What was in the text had some truth to it. I had to at least build a relationship with the main character at the beginning in order to talk to him.

As I was thinking that, I saw that the main character was still pacing there.

I then called out to him.

"Hey!"

I raised one of my hands and called out to her, but no one turned around. However, as if the main character heard me, he stopped moving and turned his head this way.

"Hey, you!"

I once again called out to him.

Thinking I was calling someone from him direction, he turned him head back and looked for someone.

"What is he doing?"

I frowned, seeing him completely innocent demeanor.

Seeing no one behind her, he looked at me and pointed at herself.

"Did you call me?"

He asked me.

"Yes, who else would I call besides you?"

"Ah! I'm sorry I didn't know you were calling me."

"Never mind. Come over here! There's something I want to talk to you about."

After that she walked towards me and stopped in front of me. Staring at his face, I could see his face properly.

A dark haired man with a handsome face. If I had to rate him, he really exudes the aura of a Harem genre main character. Although the ending was

"HM!! So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I saw you pacing here earlier with your strange behavior. Why are you acting like a suspicious person?"

Hearing my question, he scratched him cheek with him finger.

"Hmm! That... I found a cute cat and I wanted to hold it. But, it ran away, so I was looking for it."

"By pacing this place, like a suspicious person?"

I could only be dumbfounded by his explanation. My eyes were probably round at this point. And looking at the main character's facial expression, he was unable to look me in the eye and him face was flushed with embarrassment.

"That's.... I'm really sorry. It seems that this action made you and others uncomfortable."

Saying him apologies, he bowed towards me.

"Ah, never mind! You'd better not repeat it again!"

Straightening him back, he apologized again.

"I'm really sorry."

I remained silent as he apologized again. The atmosphere then became awkward. Feeling uncomfortable and having nothing more to do, he broke the silence and wanted to leave.

"Emm! Since there's no more business, can I go?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Ee! I don't know! I don't know either."

He spoke with a stupid face.

"Hah! Follow me!"

I told him to follow me, without saying anything he walked behind me.

The two of us stopped at the automatic drink machine, I put a coin in and pressed the button.

"Do you like coffee?"

"Not really, but I don't hate it either."

"Good."

Two cans of coffee came out of the automatic drink machine. I tossed one of them to him.

"Take it!"

"Thank you."

I sat on the bench next to the automatic drink machine, opened the coffee can and took a sip.

Seeing me taking a sip, he sat down next to me and drank him coffee.

There was no conversation between us.

Feeling uncomfortable with the silence between the two of us, the main character started a conversation.

"Is our opponent in this waiting room too?"

I responded to him question.

"No, they're not. They are across this room."

"Why would they do that?"

"So that we cannot analyze our opponents. But, the main reason is so that no one provokes each other and fights before the practical exam starts."

"I see."

When our conversation stopped, I continued.

"What's your name?"

He then turned to me and laughed awkwardly.

"AHA! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Takeru Shinoda. You can call me Takeru."

"I'll just call you Shinoda-san. I've only met you briefly, there's no way I'm going to call you by your first name like a close friend."

"That seems to be the case. What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Kaito Harukaze. You can call me Harukaze."

"Nice to meet you, Harukaze."

"Nice to meet you too, Shinoda."

"Looks like the practical exam lasted quite a while. Oh! Can I ask you a question?"

"What do you want to ask?"

"Who was your opponent in the practical exam?"

"That's the Miyazaki family's daughter. 5th place in the theory exam."

"Wow! That woman."

"Then what about you?"

Shinoda just scratched his head and laughed.

"Haha! It was the first place in the theory exam."

"That Princess Elena from Spain?"

"That's right."

"You really faced a tough opponent."

"I know. I'm not sure I can win against her."

"What you say is true, but you have to fight. You don't need to win against her, you just need to overwhelm her against you. A strong opponent is bad luck for you, but this is also your chance to prove that you are one to be reckoned with. Mobilize all your strength."

"Even so..."

"What makes you hesitate or are you afraid?"

"..."

"We are here to enter Seiko Gakuen. Everyone here has dreams and goals including you and me. We are here to have big dreams. Are your dreams smaller than your fears? You've been preparing all this time, haven't you? And now you have reached this point. When you are on the battlefield there is no longer a rank between yourself and your opponent, there is only the ability that exists in yourself and your opponent. So put in all you've got."

Shinoda just looked down and tightened his grip on the coffee can. I couldn't see his expression.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Although I don't know what makes you thankful."

"You're a good person Harukaze."

"Is that so? I don't know."

Shinoda just nodded and turned to me with a smile.

"Let's put all our strength into this exam."

"That's exactly what I'll do."

We both took another sip of coffee.