A young man stepped out of the showers, long brown hair still damp and glistening. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle—enough to make even seasoned beauties glance twice.
He stared at his reflection.
"Okay, Roy. First day. Stay calm… stay cool… No—this isn't helping at all!"
He began pacing in circles, muttering to himself.
"Hi, I'm Roy. I lived on the streets until a kind man brought me here, and I have imaginary fr—no! I can't say that! What is wrong with me?!"
He grabbed his hair in frustration.
"I know this should be easy… but it's not for me!"
Knock. Knock.
"Yo, kid. Why are you spinning around like a washing machine?" Gene called from the doorway.
Roy froze. "Uh… I'm nervous. There's so much pressure and I don't know what to do!"
"It's fine. Today's only basic theory classes," Gene said calmly. "After that, stay in your room until I return. Then we'll get you fully awakened as a Whisperer."
Roy hesitated. "I… don't have a last name. What do I say? Just 'Roy'?"
"Use Wishers. Sounds nice, right?"
Roy blinked, then smiled shyly. "Wishers… It really does. Thank you."
They walked toward the massive marble building. Sunlight hit its surface, making it glow like something out of a dream.
"Wow! It's beautiful!" Roy shouted, running ahead.
Gene chuckled. "He'll lose that excitement after five days of theory."
Inside, they reached the reception desk.
"Welcome back, Gene!" the receptionist greeted brightly. She looked at Roy and smiled. "Aww, so this is the handsome boy you mentioned!"
Roy's face flushed red. Gene's expression went deadpan.
"Yes. Anyway—his documents?"
"They're being arranged," she sighed. "But since you're my friend, I'll be honest… it'll take an hour."
Gene's eyebrow twitched. "Roy, you can look around while we—" But Roy had already vanished.
---
Roy wandered through the long halls, peeking into classrooms like a nervous tourist. Eventually, he reached a quiet courtyard with a fountain at the center. He sat on a bench, rehearsing what to say during introductions.
"Yo! You the new guy?"
Roy looked up.
A boy his age stood there—bright red hair that almost glowed, and green eyes full of mischief. He dropped onto the bench beside Roy without hesitation.
"So, what're you doing here?" the boy asked casually.
"Just… waiting," Roy said, trying to sound calm, though inside his mind screamed: Oh no, he's talking to me! Say something normal! Did I sound rude?!
The boy grinned. "Starting today, right? Good luck. You're gonna need it. You're the most talked-about person in the whole academy."
"…Me? Why?"
"Gene." The boy raised an eyebrow. "He's stupidly famous—handsome, popular, basically the academy poster boy. And he called you cute and beautiful yesterday. So yeah… say goodbye to your peaceful life."
He nodded gravely, as if delivering tragic news.
"Oh! I'm Ethen, by the way. Nice to meet you."
"My… name is Roy."
Silence stretched between them.
Roy cleared his throat. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Nah. The teacher hates me. Always picks on me. So I skip."
"Oh… sorry for—"
"What? Why are you apologizing? He's the problem, not you!"
"O-Oh… okay."
Roy silently cheered: You're doing great, Roy. So far, you haven't embarrassed yourself… that much.
"Ethen… can you tell me about the classes?"
"Sure! First is Basic Spirit Theory—boring, except the teacher is insanely gorgeous."
"Oh… um… anything else?"
"Yeah, it's where you learn to connect with your spirits. Easy pass—nobody cares."
"And the others?"
"The second class is the one I never attend. The teacher hates my existence, so I walk out."
"…Right."
"And then there's Gene's class. Magic instructor. Great guy, but all the girls swarm him like sheep. Makes my skin crawl. Like—come on, he's here to teach!"
Before Roy could respond, a cold voice came from behind them.
"Oh? Really?"
Ethen froze, color draining from his face.
Gene stood there, arms crossed.
Ethen bolted like lightning, gone in two seconds.
"You WILL show up for my class, you brat!" Gene shouted. Then he sat beside Roy.
"And don't become friends with Ethen. He'd sell you for pocket change and you wouldn't even notice."
"But… he seemed nice."
Gene shook his head. "I warned you. Don't complain later. Now come on. Your first class is starting."
---
They walked to a classroom at the end of the hallway.
Gene spoke briefly with the teacher and motioned Roy inside.
"Alright class, we have a new student today. Please welcome him!" the teacher announced.
Roy stepped forward awkwardly. "H-Hello everyone. My name is Roy Wishers. I hope we can all… be good friends."
Silence.
"…Okay then. Roy, sit in the back for now. I'll adjust the seating later."
"Sir… isn't that Ethen's place?"
"That brat never attends my class!"
Roy sat down, face solemn. 'Did… I do something wrong? Why did everyone ignore me?'
The lesson continued, but Roy understood almost nothing. When the bell rang, every student turned toward him.
"Whoa, dude, they weren't kidding—you really ARE beautiful!"
"How do you know Gene? Are you close?"
"We didn't talk earlier—the teacher's strict. Sorry if we ignored you!"
They flocked around him like excited puppies. Roy's cheeks burned, words stumbling out.
"U-Um… It's fine. No need to apologize…"
This continued all day. During the next period, Ethen sat beside him, quietly explaining the theory.
"So you see, a spirit grows stronger the better the bond with its user. Or… something like that."
Roy blinked. "Why?"
Ethen shrugged. "Dunno."
By the end of the day, Roy was utterly exhausted. His social battery was drained. He flopped onto his bed.
"They're all really nice… wish I'd met them earlier. Maybe tomorrow I can talk to them more…"
The spirits whispered back.
"Yes. Ethen is a nice guy."
"Overall everyone is super nice and very kind...."
"Uh… it was a nice day. I had fun..."
Roy's eyes began to feel heavy so he dozed off for a while before he woke up to the knocking on his door.
Knock. Knock.
"You in there? Roy?"