She looked back, what met her eyes was a broad chest. Looking up she saw his face.
He had a large, pronounced nose, his eyes were half-closed, and his bangs were swept to the middle of his head in the shape of a triangle.
Both of them stared at each other as awkwardness grew.
"Yo," the big guy said before walking past her.
Tomoe let out a long, shaky breath, her fingers slowly uncurling away from her pocket where her taser rested. Thankfully, he didn't ask anything. He didn't look at her with an intense, competitive and jealous glare.
Safe.
She took out her phone and checked the distance to the dorm. It was 3 km from where she was currently standing.
I hope it will be a good stroll.
She started walking. Beside the road were trees stretching as far as her eyes could see, accompanied by the occasional murmur of cars. She was having a great time.
Soon, she arrived at the dorm.
For real? This is the dorm?
What lay in front of her was an abandoned, European-style house. The iron gate and fence were rusted but functional. Creepers had colonized the whole house, and moss was growing in the mortar between the stones and along the roof tiles.
The air tasted metallic and dry, dust coating the back of her throat. The whole area was silent.
She kicked open the gate and made her way to the door.
Is it really okay to live here? She lacked confidence. If it weren't for the sky-high apartment prices. She sighed, shaking her head.
She pushed open the door, anxious about what might greet her.
With the door fully open, her eyes fixed on the fireplace, it was burning with logs. The chandelier above cast a yellow hue that mixed with the burning glow of the fire, turning the room into a cozy space.
The sofas there, even though old, had their own story and were still functional.
She went inside. It was a completely different world from the outside. There were no dust-covered sofas, nor any spiderwebs.
It was as if it had been cleaned just recently.
She put her bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen. Wow, a welcome surprise, the kitchen had a cooking station just like the one at the entrance exam. It also had a pretty modern chimney, and all around there were counters and storage units.
One thing that stood out was the fridge. Because she was hungry, she opened it.
The empty shelves greeted her. She let out a short breath through her nose and shut it.
I have to go to the market, ugh.
She massaged her temples, annoyed. Taking out her phone, she booked a ride to the Totsuki entrance. She didn't want to bother walking that distance again.
She waited outside, and soon her ride arrived.
The boy looked at her, scared. "M-ma'am, thanks for booking me."
She nodded before putting on the helmet and sitting on the back of the motorcycle.
Tomoe rested her hands on the rider's shoulders. He let out a squeak. As he started driving, his eyes would occasionally wander back, nervously.
How do I tell him not to be scared of me? The sole thought of talking to someone sent jolts through her body.
After mustering up some courage, she tried to speak. Because her chest was tight with social anxiety, her vocal cords locked up, turning what was meant to be a reassuring statement into a flat, raspy tone. "Hey, calm down. I'm a very gentle lady."
It sounded less like a lady and more like an executioner delivering a calm, polite threat.
He immediately stopped the motorcycle, got up from the seat, and, facing her, he bowed. "I am so-sorry, ma'am! Please don't kill me! I will be very c-calm." He was sweating.
Tomoe facepalmed, her plans had derailed. She looked at the rider, whose head was down.
Let's just get it over with. Say it calmly and gracefully.
"Alright, n..." She forgot what she was about to say. What should have been a graceful end turned into annoyed acceptance.
He immediately sat back down. Without looking back, he drove the motorcycle straight to the entrance.
Tomoe looked back at the rider one last time, the events playing in her head.
She took a taxi to the local supermarket. The market was cheap, and the quality was good.
Well, that was what the reviews said about it. It was her first time.
She sifted through the items and bought what was needed before waiting at the stop for a taxi.
She heard a commotion. As she glanced at the source, she saw a biker who seemed out of place, having difficulty controlling the handlebars.
His hands were shaking.
Tomoe immediately backed up and bumped into something. As the person fell, Tomoe thought it was a child.
She looked back and bowed her head.
"Sorry," she said, looking at the person.
The girl had short purple hair with fringed, hime-styled bangs, and part of her hair was tied up to resemble cat ears.
Her green eyes were tearing up.
"Are you alright?" Tomoe stretched her hand out toward her.
"Hmph!" The purple-haired girl averted her gaze. Without accepting help, she got up and muttered, "You are not cute at all... not cute at all..." She ran away.
What a weirdo
Tomoe let out a long breath before her attention diverted to the taxi driver who had just arrived.
Tomoe looked around again. What happened to the biker? Did he go away? Nevertheless, she was happy that there were no casualties.
Arrived at her home, she cooked herself dinner.
It was time for her to sleep, an adventurous tomorrow awaited her.
....
An unfamiliar, damp cold seeped into Tomoe's senses before her eyes even opened. Instinctively, her hand reached out to pull up her cozy dorm blanket, but her fingers didn't hit soft fabric. Instead, they sank directly into wet, rough soil and sharp blades of grass.
Her eyes snapped open. A blinding, unfiltered sun beat down from directly above, forcing her to immediately look away.
The pleasant scent of her room was gone, replaced by the heavy scent of rich earth and a raw, grassy flavor resting on her tongue.
She scrambled to her feet, her hands frantically slapping against her clothes. No phone. No taser. Nothing. Her entire protective sanctuary had vanished, leaving her completely exposed in a massive wilderness.
Where am I? She was nervous. She got up and tried to look far ahead, what met her eyes were only trees, different from any she had seen in her life.
"Pidgeot!"
She looked up as a monstrous shadow towered over her. It was a bird, but of a size that defied logic, sporting a sharp, predatory beak, a brilliant crest of long yellow and red feathers, and massive talons that sliced through the air.
Before her brain could even categorize the bird, the ground beneath her feet began to vibrate.
A thundering roar echoed through the plains as a thundering wall of slate-gray, armored beasts, bristling with jagged stone horns, came running towards her.
Her feet tore through the dirt as she sprinted toward the treeline, her heart hammering frantically against her ribs.