Exam

Running on Empty

Hikaru trudged onto campus, half-asleep and barely functioning.

His hair was messy, his bag was hanging off one shoulder, and he looked like he had just fought an army of nightmares in his sleep—and lost.

Mei and Hikari were waiting for him near the entrance.

Mei raised an eyebrow. "You look terrible."

Hikari smirked. "Did you even sleep last night?"

Hikaru groaned. "Barely."

Mei patted his shoulder. "Well, try not to die before the exam, okay?"

Hikaru sighed dramatically. "No promises."

The three of them headed toward the exam hall, where Hikaru was mentally preparing himself for what was probably going to be the worst experience of his life.

Little did he know—it was about to get much worse.

A Shocking Sight

The exam hall was filled with students, all getting settled into their seats.

Teshii, as the professor, stood at the front, grinning mischievously as he announced the rules.

"Alright, listen up, nerds," Teshii said, leaning on the podium. "No cheating, no talking, and if I catch any of you sneaking peeks at your neighbor's paper, I will personally make sure you fail this class forever."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. Of course, he's making this dramatic.

Then—he saw who was standing next to Teshii.

His jaw dropped.

Because right beside Teshii, looking completely out of place, were Haruto and Moriya.

Haruto stood with his arms crossed, wearing a staff badge, looking bored but oddly serious.

Moriya, on the other hand, stood there stone-faced, still looking completely lost as he eyed the technology in the room like it was a foreign artifact.

Hikaru blinked rapidly.

"What. The. Hell."

He wasn't the only one shocked.

Mei and Hikari had the same reaction, their jaws hanging open.

Mei whispered, "Why are they here?"

Hikari shook her head. "I have no idea."

Hikaru rubbed his temples.

How did this even happen?!

An Unfair Distraction

As the exam began, Hikaru sat at his desk, trying to focus.

He really was.

But every few minutes—he glanced up at Haruto and Moriya.

Haruto, standing near the front, actually looked like he was taking his job seriously.

But Moriya?

Moriya looked like he had been forced into a situation he didn't understand and was just rolling with it.

At one point, Moriya actually picked up a stapler, inspecting it like it was an ancient relic.

Hikaru nearly choked on air.

What is he even doing?!

At the same time, Teshii noticed Hikaru staring and smirked.

He walked over, leaned against Hikaru's desk, and whispered just loud enough for him to hear—

"Eyes on your paper, Sunshine."

Hikaru gritted his teeth. This guy is the worst.

Meanwhile…

Far away from the campus, the city streets blurred into streaks of light.

A figure darted through the streets at impossible speeds, weaving through traffic, leaving only a faint trail of wind in their wake.

They moved faster than the eye could track, their body an indistinct blur.

They weren't just running.

They were searching.

And then—

They vanished around a corner, disappearing into the city.

Their name was Velocity.

And things were about to get a whole lot faster.