Application

As I pulled the tray of bread out of the oven, the sweet aroma filled the air, enveloping the entire shop in the delightful scent of freshly baked goods. I immediately placed the bread onto a wire rack, allowing air to circulate around it to prevent the bottom from becoming too soggy and to help it cool evenly. I let the bread cool for exactly 30 minutes before I began slicing it.

Just as I was about to package it in a brown paper bag, the buzzer rang. I made my way to the front of the shop, where a customer was waiting. As I opened the door and stood behind the counter, the customer greeted me.

"How are you doing today, Sin?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Are you here for your regular, Mrs. Hubert?"

"Yes... I would also like some fruit tarts with my usual order, too."

Mrs. Hubert was a regular at our shop, coming in every Wednesday around 12 PM to order focaccia. Focaccia is a type of bread known for its flat, oven-baked shape and rich, flavorful profile.

I quickly packaged her order and rang up her total on the cash register. After she paid for her goods and wished me goodbye, I turned to return to my previous task. Just then, a hand grabbed me from behind and squeezed me tightly.

"How's my sweet baby boy doing?"

"Don't call me that," I said, trying to pry her hand off me.

"Why do you always have to be so mean to me? You know how much I love you, right? Fine then, I won't let go until you apologize and greet me properly."

"Haaa," I let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I'm sorry. Can you let go of me now, Nina?"

"Nope, I don't like your attitude towards me," she said, tightening her grip. Why is this woman always trying to squeeze me to death?

"Fine, what do you want?" I relented.

"You know what I want."

"I'm not calling you 'mother.'"

"Wha!! Just once, I'm begging you. It would be tragic if I died and never got to hear those words from you."

"You're not dying; stop being dramatic."

"But what if I did? I wouldn't want you to live with the regret of not addressing your mother properly."

"I think I would be fine," I said as I finally freed myself from her hold and returned to finish packaging the bread.

It had been 16 years since Nina found me in the rain, and I had been with her ever since. That's right—I'm now 16 years old. Nina owned a bakery, and I had been helping her since the beginning. She taught me everything I know about this world. I learned that a millennium had passed since the battle between the devil Lucifer and Archangel Michael, and somehow, I had been reincarnated as a human. I still retained some of my abilities from my past life.

In this world, possessing superhuman abilities was a rare trait, and those who held such abilities were highly regarded. You could say that a nation's strength was determined by the quantity and quality of superhumans it possessed. That's why schools were created to train those with superhuman abilities, to harness their powers for the good of the nation.

Nina followed me back to the kitchen, where I was finishing up the packaging of the bread I had just baked.

"Aren't you going to ask me where I went?"

"Not interested," I replied flatly.

"Why do you have to be so mean, Sinny Boo?"

 I stopped to stare at her.

"Don't call me that!"

"Well, I don't like your name, and you refused to let me change it. Ever since you were a baby, you insisted on me calling you 'Sin.' It was ridiculous because babies don't get to choose their own names—"

"Where did you go?" I decided to ask, knowing that if I let her continue, the conversation would drag on forever.

Nina's face lit up at my question, as if she had just remembered the true reason she was pestering me. "Sin, how do you feel about going to a supernatural academy?"

"Not interested."

"Oh, come on! You're special, Sin. How many people can put their hand inside an oven without getting burned? With that power, you could be anything you want. I don't like the idea of you spending your life here in this shop. At your age, you should be making friends. And with your good looks, you could easily find a girlfriend. I mean, you're really popular with the middle-aged women who come to the shop." Nina leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, "Don't let her know I told you this, but I think Mrs. Hubert has a crush on you. That's why she only comes here on Wednesdays when you're on shift."

A supernatural academy, huh? I hadn't really given it much thought. I didn't see what I could gain from it; I mean, what was the point of having friends?

Nina then took hold of my hand and stared into my eyes. "I just want the best for you, Sin. I think it was fate that brought us together, and honestly, the thought of you leaving makes my heart ache. You're all I have, Sin. After my husband died, I thought I would be alone forever, and I was ready to accept that. But then you came into my life and changed everything. I want to return the gift of happiness you gave me."

I pulled her in closer and hugged her tightly, this time being the one to squeeze her. Over the past 16 years, Nina had become an essential part of my life. After everything that happened with Lucifer, I thought I wouldn't be able to trust anyone again. But this woman in front of me changed everything. The truth is, if it made her happy, I would do anything.

Nina pulled away and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a piece of paper.

"I went to collect an application from the Advance Supernatural Training High School."

The Advance Supernatural Training High School, or ASTHS for short, is a prestigious institution for those possessing supernatural abilities. Although it is the closest supernatural academy to where we live, it is still quite far away.

I took the admission paper from her hand, grabbed a pen, and began filling out the application. I started by writing my full name: Sin Tenshi. Nina had given me her last name so that we could be a family. To be honest, I hated the last name Tenshi ever since I found out it meant "Angel." It was kind of funny when you think about: a hellhound with the first name Sin and a Last name that meant angel.

"They will need to verify that you possess supernatural abilities before you are accepted by the school. So we'll have to go their on admissions day."

A supernatural high school huh, it might be fun.