"So, can I come over to your place?" Lisa asked. "We can get some R&R, then play a few games before we get to studying?"
Liam sighed as they climbed the stairs to his dorm room.
"Should a young girl really be spending her free time with a boy?"
Lisa blinked in surprise.
Then a mischievous grin spread across her face.
"Oh? What's this?" she snickered whilst poking Liam in the back. "Are you embarrassed at the idea of a girl coming over? Or..."
She paused to gasp for effect.
"Could it be that you're hiding something?!"
"What? No!" Liam exclaimed.
Lisa barrelled past him, shouting:
"Investigation time!"
Liam watched her run up the stairs, through the emergency stairwell door, and into the corridor that led to his room.
"He-heh. Idiot."
Liam smirked as he put his hands in his pockets and continued walking at a leisurely pace.
When he reached the corridor, he paused to look at the sight beyond the parapet.
Bright lights and colours.
Several beautiful feats of construction.
Hundreds of people walking around the campus...
It's... amazing.
Liam smiled as he rested his arms on the parapet.
Then he turned his head to the right and smirked at Lisa, who was standing with her arms crossed at his room's door.
Did she seriously forget that only specific students and specific staff members can access their dorm rooms?
Liam covered his smirk with a hand and laughed quietly as Lisa took great strides towards him.
The closer she got, the clearer her indignation became.
"You jerk!" Lisa yelled.
Liam burst into laughter.
He was quickly silenced by a punch to his lower ribs and fell to his knees coughing, clutching his side in agony.
"Ugh~..." Liam groaned as Lisa glared down at him.
"You should be grateful that's all you're getting for laughing at me."
Lisa turned to look over the parapet.
Liam eventually got back onto his feet, and both stood in silence at the parapet, admiring the view.
Liam glanced at Lisa for a brief moment, remembering what had happened earlier in the day when she had announced her Venma.
Why did she do that?
She could've refused, or stalled for time. Maybe she could've diverted attention from herself... or worst-case scenario, used her power on Sir Zantos.
Why was she so honest?
And not only that, it's obvious how others react to people like us.
People still treated the Denied differently.
There wasn't open discrimination—not anymore—but the difference was there.
It was quiet.
And that kind of quiet was impossible to ignore.
"Hey, Liam."
Liam pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned to Lisa.
"Yeah?"
She chuckled, even though her eyes remained fixed on something in the distance.
"You answered on the second call this time. You must not have been thinking that hard."
Liam scratched the back of his head with a soft chuckle, then turned away and stared off into the distance as well.
"Sorry about that."
"No worries. You're a fast learner, after all. You'll get the hang of pulling yourself out of your thoughts eventually."
"Yeah... thanks."
They fell silent again.
Soon the wind picked up, ruffling their hair.
Unfortunately for Liam, it sent Lisa's long hair straight into his face.
As he spat and yelled, Lisa laughed and apologised.
They both fell silent for a brief moment—
Then burst out laughing again.
They went back to standing at the parapet, and when their laughter quieted down, Lisa sighed.
"Hey, Liam. You remember the second stage of the entrance exam, right?"
Liam glanced at her from the corner of his eye for a second before looking forward.
"How could I forget?"
****
"Alright, everyone."
Mark addressed the twenty-four candidates.
"Well done for passing the first stage. You've had your fifteen-minute break, so it's time to move on to the next phase of the exam..."
Mark paused, observing their expressions.
The looks of resolve outnumbered those of despair.
Satisfied, he continued.
"The second stage is Venma Evaluation."
His statement was met with quiet exclamations and a few whispers, but the overall feeling emanating from the applicants was acceptance.
They had basically signed up to become Hunters, after all.
If there was no evaluation of their powers, it would be best to start questioning the school's professionalism.
Liam, despite knowing this, was still nervous.
After all, he was one of the Denied.
A wielder of a power that could become a thorn in humanity's side.
Several Denied had been turned away from certain institutions due to the safety risks, and even though Dawn Academy was famous for its fairness, he wasn't sure his Venma would be accepted for a myriad of reasons.
Medical issues at the very top.
He thought it with slight dejection.
"Follow me," Mark ordered, turning around and heading towards the gateway opposite the entrance.
They were led down a short flight of stairs, then through a long, bright corridor.
Liam soon immersed himself in his thoughts as they walked.
I wonder what they're looking for.
From everything I've seen so far, it's obvious these guys don't care about simple "strength". That Caesar guy is a good example.
Liam recalled everyone's shock when the round, quiet dumpling of a boy had turned into a thin, very sweaty, quiet boy. Quite literally—his clothes were now almost two sizes too big for him.
That loud blue-haired guy who'd announced himself as Nanami had bombarded him with questions until he was dragged away by his friends.
They might turn him away for lacking physical power, but he has some pretty strong willpower.
He's persistent, and even though he came last in the race, he never gave up. That definitely has to count for something.
Liam swallowed.
And if it does, that means I have a chance.
A chance for me to be accepted.
After a few more minutes, Mark spoke up.
"We're here."
They walked into a large grey room filled with comfortable-looking chairs.
Exactly twenty-four of them.
They were arranged in three rows and eight columns.
A single door stood in front of the chairs, and Mark stopped beside it before beckoning with his hand.
"Sit."
The candidates immediately obeyed.
Liam took a seat at the edge of the second row.
Right beside him was Caesar.
In front of him was the tall blond.
"Alright, listen up. Here are the procedures for this test."
Mark raised one finger.
"First of all, you will be called according to our own roster, meaning there will be no definite order as to who gets called."
A second finger.
"Secondly, you will have a maximum of seven minutes to display your capabilities to the examiners behind this door."
Mark gestured towards it.
"No more."
A third finger.
"Finally, these chairs have been built with comfort as their core function."
Mark's voice seemed to lower slightly.
"Keep that in mind."
Liam furrowed his brow.
Is it just me, or did his voice get lower when he said that last line?
"I will be joining the examiners on the inside, so prepare yourselves."
Mark turned towards the door.
"After all, it's best to catch the room empty."
The moment he finished, Mark entered.
There was a short silence.
Then—
"Does anyone know what that last thing he said meant?"
Liam sighed inwardly as Nanami's voice punctured the silence.
Of course he'd ask that. It's a pretty simple message.
It means: "Be early."
Dad loved saying weird, cryptic stuff like that...
Liam paused for a second.
His lower lip trembled slightly.
Then he shook his head and leaned back into the chair, feeling some of his earlier exhaustion trickling away.
In other words, they're taking our arrival time into account.
But how does that matter? We're definitely going to be early. The moment they call our names, we'll respond...
Liam stifled a yawn.
Then he flinched at the sound of another yawn being abruptly cut short.
He turned to his left.
Caesar's face was red, and he was covering his mouth with one hand.
Liam blinked in confusion before turning around to observe his fellow applicants.
Most were fine.
Some kicked their legs out of boredom, sat upright, stretched their bodies to loosen up, or made conversation.
A few, however, were covering yawns.
Some were snuggling into their seats.
Others occasionally nodded off.
What...?
Liam frowned before turning his attention elsewhere.
The room was kept at a comfortably low temperature, completely unlike the candidates' heated bodies.
The seats themselves were incredibly comfortable.
Liam found himself sinking slightly into his own.
They absorbed whatever sweat remained on the candidates' clothes and, upon closer examination, emitted minuscule vibrations to soothe whoever was sitting in them.
Liam froze.
"...these chairs have been built with comfort as their core function. Keep that in mind..."
"...prepare yourselves..."
"...be early."
Liam's mind began whizzing.
Every lingering thought of relaxation disappeared as he sat upright.
Hunters are always prepared.
Meaning there may never be a moment of rest for them...
Now that I think about it, Dad never sat back in chairs or couches unless Mom said something.
And he always woke up super early.
Mom once complained that he rarely slept...
Liam's eyes widened slightly.
How much time has passed?
"Hey... Caesar?"
Liam turned to the thin boy, who seemed to be trying desperately not to nod off.
"Hm, wha~?"
Then Caesar's eyes shot wide open.
He visibly recoiled from Liam.
"W-w-w-why?!"
Liam blinked in surprise.
Is this how I act when speaking to people?
He shook his head slightly to clear it.
"Do you know how much time has passed?"
Caesar shook his head repeatedly.
"N-n-no... m-m-maybe two minutes?"
Liam nodded.
"Thanks."
He turned away from Caesar, his expression serious.
I can't believe it.
Liam put his head in his hands.
These chairs are a trap?!