"Want to go jogging?" Nova's mother asked when she saw her son tying his sports shoes.
"Yes, as usual," Nova answered while making sure his shoe knots were tight. "By the way, where did the two of them go?"
"They're playing at Ena's house, as usual," his mother said while smiling. "They really do look like siblings, right? Oh yeah, you already took your medicine, right?"
"Don't worry, I always take it right after eating earlier." Nova stood up and walked toward the door. "Well then, I'm leaving first."
"Be careful on the road!"
◇◇◇
At Butterfly Park,
The entrance gate to Butterfly Park was made of tosca green wrought iron that had become slightly rusty in several places. On the left side of the gate was mounted a 2x1 meter wooden sign with raised black letters: "BUTTERFLY PARK - OPEN UNTIL 7 PM - FREE". This park was located outside of Nova's residential area.
Nova stepped in while admiring the view that never bored him. This five-hectare park was truly a paradise for butterflies. Hundreds of butterflies from various species flew among the colorful flowers planted in every corner of the park—from red zinnia flowers, purple asters, to yellow lantana.
The park was divided into several zones. The first zone was a children's play area with wooden swings whose ropes were made of galvanized iron chains, colorful plastic slides about two meters high, and red-yellow painted iron seesaws that had faded. The second zone was a picnic area with teak wood tables and long benches that could accommodate families of up to eight people, where they could eat together.
There was also a large river flowing right in the middle of the area. Its water was clear and deep, the riverbed consisting of small gray and brown stones clearly visible from the surface. Its width reached fifteen meters with varying depths—some parts were only fifty centimeters deep, but others reached three meters.
This river divided the park into two parts connected by a teak wood bridge three meters wide and twenty meters long. This bridge was equipped with a 1.2-meter-high barrier fence with simple carved motifs so visitors would be safe when crossing. From the top of the bridge—
At various strategic points were scattered eight hexagonal wooden gazebos with red tile roofs. Each gazebo was equipped with six wooden chairs and one round table with a one-meter diameter in the middle. These gazebos functioned as rest areas, shelter during rain, or just sitting around.
Just as Nova was about to start his run, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Haha, I totally didn't expect to meet here!" A young man with black hair walked closer while smiling broadly. "What a coincidence, yeah, Nova!"
Nova turned. "You? Are you also jogging in this park?"
"Not always," Kazui answered while stretching his arm muscles. "But judging from your face, it seems you always jog here when you're not in school, yeah? This park is really beautiful, right?"
"If it weren't beautiful, no one would want to come," Nova said in a flat tone.
"You're right too." Kazui nodded. "Since we're both already here, how about we jog together?"
"Whatever. I don't mind."
"Great!" Kazui clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Then let's circle this park five times!"
"Five times?" Nova stared at him expressionlessly.
"Why? Is there something wrong with that?" Kazui grinned slightly arrogantly. "Don't tell me you're afraid you can't do it?"
"It's not like that," Nova answered calmly. "I usually circle this park ten times or more—sometimes eleven, sometimes twelve times. Depends on the condition."
"Huh?!" Kazui's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you crazy? You run around a park this big that many times? Aren't you tired? How can you do something like that?"
"Why can't I?" Nova tilted his head slightly. "I think many people can do it. Even from here the physical difference between us is already clearly visible. Why? Can't you do something like that?"
Now it was Nova's turn to sound slightly mocking.
"Huh!" Kazui sighed in annoyance. "Why does your way of talking make it sound like you're stronger than me? And until now you still haven't told me what your power actually is. Don't tell me your power is making you not feel tired!"
"I already answered that back then," Nova said flatly. "I haven't awakened my power until now. What I said is fact. You're the one who doesn't believe it."
"How could I believe it?" Kazui stared at him sharply. "You made Reno who has fire power helpless with just one punch, and you can also run like you said earlier. Can things like that really be done by ordinary humans?"
"I... I'm an ordinary human." "I can do it, right? If I can, that means other people can too. Obviously they can, right?!"
"I absolutely can't comprehend what's in your head." Kazui shook his head in resignation. "Your way of thinking is really strange."
"If you're talking about making sense in this world," Nova looked at the sky for a moment, "you'd better just keep that concept of 'making sense' somewhere else. Almost nothing really makes sense in the world we live in now."
"And now you seem like you can read my mind." Kazui laughed softly. "You're really strange."
"So, do you want to jog now or not?"
"Alright, let's do it!" Kazui took a starting position. "If someone who doesn't have powers can do it, I clearly can!"
They both started running around the park following the route Nova had determined. Starting from the entrance gate, they ran to the left following a smooth paved path eight hundred meters long flanked by lavender flower bushes.
After that they turned right, running along the river's edge for six hundred meters. Occasionally they had to jump slightly to avoid tree roots that protruded from the ground and jutted out in the middle of the path.
The last route was crossing the wooden bridge, then running around the children's play zone for four hundred meters before returning to the starting point. Total distance traveled was about 1.8 kilometers per lap.
They kept running, passing children playing on swings while laughing cheerfully, families relaxing in gazebos while bringing lunch boxes, and several adults fishing on the bridge.
Two hours later.
"Hah... hah..." Kazui bent over while holding his knees. "Alright, let's stop. I'm really exhausted now."
They both stopped in front of one of the wooden gazebos.
"Seriously? Just a few laps and you're already tired?" Nova asked, his breathing still regular.
"Are you crazy?!" Kazui protested while staring at Nova in disbelief. "I'm still human who can feel tired! Do you want to kill me now?"
"Just from jogging you already feel like dying?"
"I don't know what makes us different," Kazui lay on the gazebo floor with panting breath, "but my body is now numb. I absolutely can't run anymore."
"Haa..." Nova let out a small sigh. "It seems you really do have a weak body."
"My body isn't weak, you're just too crazy about running!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you want to say."
Nova walked toward the vending machine near the gazebo. He inserted his money into the slot, chose mineral water, then pressed the button. The water bottle fell.
"Here, take it!" Nova threw the water bottle toward Kazui who was still lying down.
Kazui caught it deftly. "What water is this?"
"You can see it yourself, right? Clearly mineral water." Nova opened his bottle and drank. "Do you think I'd give you sweet water after running?"
"I was just asking..." Kazui smiled slightly while opening his bottle cap. "Hm... you're pretty nice too, yeah?"
"Do you think I've been a villain all this time?"
"Not really." Kazui sat up and gulped down his water. "I think this is fun—having a friend who understands each other."
"Fun, yeah?" Nova stared at the sky that was starting to change color. "Maybe you're right."
"Right?" Kazui finished half his bottle in one gulp. "By the way, where are you going after this?"
"To the library. A place to read books."
"So you're going to that place?" Kazui stared at him in surprise. "Are you just going to spend time reading books there? Doesn't that sound boring?"
"Then what do you think is good to do?" Nova asked back. "Play games like you do at home?"
"Hey, don't talk as if I'm just a kid who likes to play!" Kazui protested. "Just so you know, I'm also a smart kid. If I wanted to, I could immediately be in first place academically!"
"Alright, I absolutely don't care about that." Nova stared at him flatly. "And... I also could never be surpassed in terms of intelligence or other academics."
"Ah, now you're the one who sounds arrogant?"
"You started it first, right?"
"Haha, you're right too." Kazui laughed and stood up while stretching his body. "Alright, then I'll just come along to your book reading place. Whatever it is, my body can move again, let's continue until it's done!"
◇◇◇
At the Library,
The two of them now stood in front of a modern building with a large glass facade. Automatic doors opened as they approached.
"Ah, you came as usual, Nova!" greeted a man. He was sitting behind the receptionist desk while reading a newspaper.
"Do you know this kid, Sir?" Kazui asked.
"Haha, of course I know him!" The man smiled warmly. "He's a kid who's always come here since he was eleven or twelve years old. It seems you have a friend now, yeah, Nova?"
"I want the usual, Sir." Nova took out his wallet and prepared to pay.
"No need to pay." The man raised his hand. "You're already like a regular customer here. Consider this like your own home, and read any book you want."
"I feel bad if I don't pay," Nova said hesitantly.
"Don't think about it. Later the bad feeling will disappear by itself when you're reading." The man winked. "Besides, you've come often enough to get free access."
"Alright then. Thank you, Sir."
"Then what about me, am I also free?"
"You think just because you're his friend you can read books here for free? Obviously not!"
"Alright, I'll pay," Kazui answered.
After that, Nova and Kazui stepped inside. The library room was very spacious with tall, neatly arranged bookshelves. At various corners were long wooden tables with soft chairs, comfortable sofas in reading corners, there was even a flat-screen TV and group discussion area.
"Woah..." Kazui looked around in amazement. "This looks very beautiful to just be called a library. This is already like a luxurious big house! This is even bigger than the library at our school!"
Kazui immediately dropped himself onto a soft dark brown sofa. Meanwhile, Nova walked toward the bookshelf in the fiction section, his eyes scanning the row of titles arranged alphabetically.
When Nova was about to take a book with a dark blue cover, his hand almost touched another person's hand who was also reaching for the same book.
"Ah, sorry. Do you want to take it?" asked a female voice that sounded familiar.
Nova turned and found a girl with long black hair and a calm face. "Ah, you..."
"What a coincidence, right?" the girl said flatly.
"Oh, that's you, Ayana!" Kazui walked over to them casually. "You're not working today?"
"Today is my day off work. There's still someone replacing me," Ayana answered in a flat tone.
"Your face is still as flat as usual," Kazui commented while smiling. "By the way, I didn't expect to meet you here. Do you also like reading books?"
"You could say that." Ayana nodded slowly. "Is there something wrong with that?"
Kazui observed Nova and Ayana alternately.
"One hundred percent!" "You two are really perfect to be a couple! Why don't you get to know each other better and just become a couple?"
"What are you talking about, stupid!" Nova responded without expression. "You'd better be her partner instead. Besides, we don't even know each other."
Ayana herself looked unconcerned with what Kazui said earlier.
"Hm, because of that..." Kazui clapped his hands. "Get to know each other! You know what, people like you with flat faces like this will have difficulty getting partners!"
"Where did you get that data?" Nova stared at him with a flat gaze.
"From myself." "Is there something wrong with that?"
"I'm absolutely not sure you're a smart kid," Nova said while letting out a long sigh.
"Do you want to read this book?" Ayana redirected the conversation while lifting the book they had wanted to take earlier. "If you want to read it, you can take it first."
"It's okay. You can read it if you want," Nova said. "I can take another book."
"I see... alright if you say so." Ayana pulled the book from the shelf.
*They even like the same genre of novels—fantasy mystery.* *Aren't they too similar? Somehow I feel, they're... like a couple with one of them having amnesia? But... clearly that's impossible, right?*
"By the way," Ayana looked at Nova, "aren't you in school today?"
"School?" Nova took another book from the shelf. "There was a problem, so we were given a holiday for a few days."
"I see... a problem, yeah?" Ayana seemed to be thinking about something. "Is it a serious problem?"
"Yeah, you could say that." Nova opened the first page of the book he just took. "By the way, are you still in school? Or are you older than me?"
"That's right. Maybe right now, I'm older than you."
"Right now, yeah?" Nova furrowed his brow slightly. "Why use the words 'right now'? Do those words need to be used?"
"I always talk like that." Ayana smiled thinly—so thinly it was almost invisible. "You can remove the words 'right now' if you want. By the way, you can call me by my name, Ayana."
"Alright." Nova nodded. "I'm Nova. Although we've met many times, it feels strange if we don't know each other's names, right?"
"I think you're right."
"What are you smiling at?" Nova suddenly asked while staring at Kazui who was standing not far from them.
"Nothing." Kazui shook his head. "I don't even know why I suddenly smiled."
"It seems there really is something wrong with you." Nova stared at him sharply. "You'd better go to the hospital to—"
"How rude!" Kazui cut in quickly. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
"If you feel like that," Nova walked toward the long table while carrying his book, "maybe what you said is true."
"Can I sit there too?" Ayana asked as they walked toward the long table with a long wooden bench.
"If you want, go ahead," Nova answered in a neutral tone, as if Ayana's presence didn't affect him too much.
"Hey, I also came here to read books!" Kazui followed them. "But I don't know what book is suitable for me to read."
"Just choose what you want to read. Isn't that easy?" Nova said while opening the first page of his book.
"Hm, you're already used to reading books though." Kazui scratched his head. "I rarely read physical books like this. Especially the books here all look thick. I prefer to directly read digital novels on screen."
"Are you stupid or what?" Nova stared at him with a flat gaze. "What you said is the same. Novels and books are no different. So read it like when you read digital novels."
"Maybe according to you it's the same," Kazui argued, "but not for me. I feel they're different—from thickness, weight, to the way of turning pages."
"I think you really don't deserve to be called a smart kid." Nova let out a long sigh. "Just choose a fantasy book then. There must be thin ones."
"Yeah, yeah, alright." Kazui walked to the shelf and took one book with a cover full of illustrations. "I'll choose this one. This book looks interesting from the title."
After that, the three of them sat at the same table—Nova and Ayana immersed in their respective readings with relaxed expressions, while Kazui read while occasionally yawning and glancing at the two people beside him who seemed very focused on reading.