It was the perfect opportunity for Rin to outline his plans and get a second opinion on them.
So far, all he had done was go over his plans in his mind and write them down. But no matter how much he considered, one person could only account for so much.
He might have missed something, and that was why getting a second opinion was so important.
Rin had not expected an opportunity to come where he would be able to share his plans for the future with anyone. But because it was something he had been hoping for, he already had an answer prepared.
"From what I know of the future, the apocalypse will happen in the next three years and humans will gain powers. If you have read a system-type novel, just think of the future as something like that. We can't improve our powers yet, so I have started gathering supplies and other things. Here—I'll show you… where did I put my phone—"
Rin remembered taking his phone out to check the message during class and then putting it back in his bag.
'Oh! I must have left it somewhere… NO! I need to focus. I am in the middle of something important.'
Rin was usually very focused, but it was hard to concentrate today. The excitement of someone actually believing him had made him a little careless.
Reina listened to each word he said carefully, and her expression remained unchanged. It was impossible to read what she was thinking, but Rin could still tell that her brain was processing everything he said.
"I recall reading about your family gathering a lot of resources. recently—it was all over the news. But would it even be useful in the apocalypse? Aren't human resources usually useless in a fantasy novel?"
"That's because it's a fantasy novel. However, what we'll be facing is real. Even if the system demands our dependence, we won't have enough money or experience to make full use of it. At such times, even small advantages would matter."
Rin made his stance clear with his words. He chose his next words carefully to ensure Reina would not run away or feel burdened by his request.
"If you want to prepare for the future, you can start by attending medical seminars. Aren't you interested in becoming a doctor? Knowledge of first aid and human anatomy will come in handy during the apocalypse. Besides, you are someone I want on my side."
Reina scoffed at his words, and Rin almost took her amused expression as an insult before he felt Reina ruffling his hair.
It felt almost affectionate and that surprised him. It felt personal, and he immediately wanted to see her face.
But Reina pushed his head down and kept hers angled in such a way that all he could see was a hint of red and nothing else.
He was finally free when the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, and Reina regained her composure as well.
"So, you even know about my future dream as well? YYou sound more like a prophet now. Anyway, about your suggestion… I will think about it."
In Reina's language, that was basically confirmation that she would do this.
Rin felt satisfied with his accomplishments for the day, and he felt drowsy. He had been getting way less than his usual eight hours of sleep because of the heavy workload.
"Ugh, I want to close my eyes and go to sleep."
He complained, but ultimately pulled himself up to get back to class, where he decided to put his head down and welcomed sleep
Telling Reina all this and getting her help made him feel drained, but satisfied.
…
"Welcome to our stall. Please try our food. It's cheap and healthy."
"Try out our gaming booth. It's fun and easy."
"Come and check out the haunted house with us."
Students were running around the small public school campus, trying to attract customers for their cheaply made stalls.
Rin had participated in school festivals before, but because he had studied in a private school until now, he had always experienced a professional and controlled atmosphere.
This chaos of people running around and to their makeshift attractions was something new.
New, but not unpleasant.
This was the kind of atmosphere that would disappear once order was restored during the apocalypse. So Rin wanted to enjoy it while he could by helping around and getting the full experience.
But it was now that he ran into a problem—what could he help with?
No one had told him to do anything, and felt like taking on unnecessary responsibility. He did not even have close friends in the class he could share his worries with.
As a result, he was the only person (except Amelia, who was sick) who had nothing to do. So he decided to walk around campus until he thought he spotted a familiar shade of pink in the crowd.
There was only one person who came to mind when he thought of that color—Shelly. But she shouldn't be here.
Rin had not even told her about the festival when he had messaged her recently. Moreover, he was sure he had not even told her which school he was going to.
'There is no way that's Shelly. Maybe it's a different person with pink hair? That's possible, right? People are free to dye their hair any color they want…'
But how likely was it to find pink hair when he had never seen that color on anyone before? Now that he tried to recall more, even the people he saw on TV, like celebrities, had normal, boring hair colors.
All he ever saw was black, brown, and blond, even on TV.
His curiosity was increasing by the second. At this rate, Rin would no longer be able to control himself, so he made a decision.
"If I feel so conflicted about this, then I should just check for myself."
Rin quickly walked in the direction where he had seen the pink hair. But it was clear to him that he had lost sight of them.
What he did come across was the senior class's stall, and the one running it was an unnamed senior.
She recognized Rin even though he didn't recognize her.
"Hey! Are you here for Reina? You'll have to wait. She's talking with someone else… ah, she's out. Reina, you have someone else here to see you."