Under the warm sunlight of early spring, a beautiful young man wearing a school uniform stood among the crowd, completely ignoring the stares of jealousy and admiration from the people around him as he busied himself, reading a book in his hand. He, along with surrounding people, waited patiently for the bus's arrival.
The young man had black hair that glistened like a midnight waterfall under the sunlight. His skin, pure as freshly fallen snow, bore only vitality and resilience. In the eyes of the people, it was as if he were the very living embodiment of masculine beauty itself.
"..." The black-haired youth sighed, looking utterly unbothered. He had grown accustomed to the stares and murmurs of the people around him.
A few moments later, the long-awaited bus arrived as he had just finished reading a chapter in the novel. Putting the palm-sized book in his bag, he readied himself to leave and walked to enter the bus.
He left behind people in a stupor, unaware that the person they were staring at had already left and the bus that they were waiting for had already arrived. Some of them had flushed cheeks, their minds elsewhere, and lips slightly parted, as they stared in the direction where the young man once was.
Clomp! Clomp! Clomp!
Just as the young man was a few steps away from the bus, he heard echoes of hurried footsteps. Turning his head, His eyes landed on a fellow with tousled brown hair, about the same age as him.
He didn't pay him much attention. He continued his walk towards the entrance of the bus.
°°°°
Amidst the calm street, a brown-haired young man was anything but calm. The air barely filled his lungs before being rapidly exhaled in hurried puffs. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he tried to avoid accidentally running into passersby and street fixtures in his way. In his hand, clutched a cup, its contents threatening to escape its confines as it swayed precariously from his jerky movements.
"Huff... I-I'm almost there..." He muttered under his breath, his chest heaved heavily as he kept walking hastily towards the bus and soon enough, he finally reached the entrance, only a few steps away.
As he walked, he noticed a handsome student with black hair standing nearby as he waited for his turn to enter the vehicle. Although curious, he didn't pay him much attention as he went ahead of the boy.
"Please excuse me—" his voice was soft, laced with embarrassment as he offered a small, apologetic smile.
As he reached the final step, the brown-haired young man focused his attention solely on the bus, unaware of the uneven and cracked pavement beneath his feet. He took a step forward, and so...
"Oof!... Huh?!..." He groaned. His foot was caught in the jagged edge of the broken, sending him stumbling forward and the cup in his hand flying; its lid and its contents spilling. He closed his eyes, knowing what would await him, but even after a few seconds... Nothing came.
No pain...
No impact...
"Huh?" He opened his eyes slowly in slight confusion and heaved a sigh of relief. As he became aware of his situation, he looked over his shoulder as he felt someone was holding him by his collar.
"Are you alright?" Asked the man behind him. His voice was gentle, yet it carried no emotion behind it.
"Ah, yes, I'm fine... hehe." Realizing his awkward position, the brown-haired young man straightened himself and turned around to face his savior. Turning around, he locked eyes with the ethereal-looking young man with black hair and deep purple eyes that shimmered like a starry night. At that sight, he froze.
He was a straight person, yet even he couldn't help but feel drawn to the man before him. His eyes locked to the person in front of him.
"Good, be careful next time" The black-haired young man responded with a weak yet seemingly practiced smile as he walked past the brown-haired young man and entered the bus.
"E-eh?"
Meanwhile, the brown-haired young man stood frozen in stupor. That handsome yet mysterious-looking boy had already left before he could regain his composure. He looked down to check on himself and then—
"...!" His eyes widened, his lips parted. The cup, still in his hand, not even a single drop missing. He was certain he had spilled its contents during the accident yet even the lid, which should have popped off, held itself firmly at the top of the cup. He turned around frantically but the black-haired young man had already left.
"What just happened?"
In the end, he gave up thinking; it was probably just his imagination. Whatever and however it happened, he felt relief and gratitude to that stranger. Remembering his goal, he turned to the bus and rushed to get inside. In his mind, he resolved to express his gratitude to the mysterious young man later.
°°°°
Inside the bus, a black-haired young man, Cron, sat silently in his seat. The sunlight filtering through the windows cast a soft glow upon the figure. Golden rays accentuated the contours of his face, highlighting its elegant features. His deep purple eyes remained on the book, seeking refuge in the world within—an escape from the reality around him.
He flipped another page of the book with effortless grace, his fingers moving slowly and elegantly. It was a simple, unremarkable action, yet it captured the attention of those around him, making them hold their breath.
The bus was cramped with people. Children chatted with their parents enthusiastically. Female students wearing the female version of Cron's uniform were staring at him, practically gawking with their cheeks tinged with pink while males grunted in jealousy and annoyance, though even they couldn't help but stare at the this young man.
Cron immersed himself with the book, his eyes fixed on its pages.
A few minutes later, the black-haired young man caught someone in the corner of his eyes approaching him—it was an average-looking brown-haired student. The noise of the moving bus and the chattering of the people masked the noise of his footsteps.
"Umm... Hey, bro, is this seat taken?" The brown- haired student said nervously with a weak smile.
Cron, turning his head to acknowledge the person, nodded softly before returning his attention to his book. He could see the person beside him from the corner of his eyes—scratching his head nervously while glancing in his direction; perhaps curious in whatever he's reading.
"...Ahem, uh... about earlier— thanks. That could've gone really bad" The brown-haired student cleared his throat and said, his tone wavering.
"..." Cron, unused to social interactions, thought for a moment before replying. He looked up to the student, tried to put on his practiced though awkward-looking smile, and before finally replying, "Uh huh... no problem".
In truth, he had only vaguely remembered the accident... no, he had totally forgotten about it. He didn't even remember the face of the man he saved. He only replied as a formality, not wanting to extend the exchange with the person beside him—so that he could finally return to reading his book.
A silence occurred between the two boys; one was immersed in the fictional world of his book, while the other looked nervous and fidgeting, unsure of what to say. As if finally regaining his courage, the brown-haired young man tried to talk to him again.
"So, uh... are you from around here, mate?" He began, his tone nervous and careful.
'Ugh... what now?' Cron sighed inwardly and frowned—feeling slightly annoyed. Despite this, he maintained a straight face as he reluctantly turned to the young man once again.
"No, I'm not from around here..." He replied, hiding his mild annoyance with his signature smile reserved only when addressing strangers.
"...A-ah, I see" The brown-haired young man smiled awkwardly, seeing that the person he was talking to ended the conversation. He wanted to befriend this person but it seems he couldn't, at least not now.
Awkward silence soon followed between them as both sides didn't know how to continue the conversation—or rather, embarrassment on the brown-haired young man's side. After all, the other person didn't care. It wasn't that Cron hated other people but he just didn't know how to deal with them.
The distance to school only took around 25 minutes from the bus station riding a bus. The black-haired young man exited, along with the other student passengers; the brown-haired fella following him behind.
Perched on a hilltop overlooking the capital city, the school—Seraphis Institute of Magical Studies—stood as a symbol of prestige and enduring grandeur with towering ornate spires and sprawling facilities dominating the entire landscape. Surrounding the campus buildings were meticulously maintained flowerbeds and enchanted gardens teeming with both mundane and magical flora. Beyond these gardens, an ancient wall, adorned with ivy, encircled the entire campus, protecting not just the staff and students but also the flora and fauna that had come to call the grounds their home.
Beyond providing education, the school was a renowned research institute dedicated to the study of the arcane, housing various scholarly works and magical inventions that have made pivotal contributions to the world of magic. Even Cron knew as much.
"Heh... it looks even better in person."
Cron whispered, his voice barely audible as he admired the school's intricate stonework that whispered ancient legacy. With careful stride, he crossed the grand gate of the academy for the first time, the other students following behind him.
For a brief moment, the shadow loomed over him as he walked beneath the ivy-clad wall, casting him a cold shade. His eyes instinctively squinted against the sharp contrast of the sunlight. His senses quickly adjusted to the brightness as he stepped into the sprawling grounds of the academy, revealing the stunning view of the landscape.
Cron sighed preparing himself from what lay ahead. From this moment onwards, his days as a high school student began.
°°°°
At the highest floor of the academy, within the magically lit chambers of her spacious office, the headmistress—clad in a robe of simplicity and elegance—stood before the arched window. Her eyes glued upon the black-haired young man with an interesting yet scrutinizing look.
As the young man walked among the crowds of students, his ethereal look seemed to further enhance the beauty of his surroundings.
Her eyes faintly glowed with peculiar energy—curious, calculating.
"Another god..."
Her lips curled into a faint, amused smile.
"That makes five this year..."