"Oh no… not again," Noah complained, like he did every single morning when he woke up.
He let his legs fall off the bed and placed his feet on the same cold floor as always.
"Why does waking up have to be miserable?" he muttered, his voice still thick with sleep.
He stood up slowly and got ready for yet another school day.
In the kitchen, he decided to try something different.
Instead of making eggs, he went for pancakes.
With everything ready, he grabbed the ladle, poured the batter into the pan, and waited.
"Okay… this time I've got it…"
The pancake lifted slightly off the pan.
"Come on… come on… come on…"
PUM.
It fell straight onto the floor.
Noah stared at it for a second.
"Oh, not again," he sighed. "Apparently, besides eggs, I can't flip a pancake with magic."
He rubbed his face.
"Completely useless."
He grabbed another scoop of batter.
"Better do it the normal way."
And he did.
---
On the way to school, Noah spotted Íris on the opposite sidewalk.
She was walking fast, her hair clearly a mess—like she'd tried to fix everything in five minutes and failed. Her backpack hung off one shoulder.
Noah slowed down until he was walking beside her.
"Well, well…" he said, scanning her from head to toe. "Need some spare change? Anyone wanna give this poor girl a ride?" he teased shamelessly.
"Oh, shut up," Íris snapped. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today."
The sun was high in the sky, but the heat was pleasant. The day looked like it was going to be perfect.
"Come on, the bell's about to ring," Noah picked up the pace. "You're always late, you know?"
"Look who's talking," Íris rolled her eyes.
They arrived clearly late.
Noah knocked lightly on the classroom door.
"Excuse me…"
The teacher stopped mid-explanation and looked at them over her glasses.
"Come in."
They hurried inside, trying not to draw too much attention.
Still, a few students were already staring.
Noah went straight to his usual seat and dropped into the chair behind Íris.
As soon as he sat down, Íris turned slightly and whispered:
"I brought something for us to read in the cafeteria today."
Before he could ask, she dropped a book onto his desk.
The sound was dry. Thud.
It was thin. Very thin.
Noah looked at the cover.
"Uh… The Three Little Pigs of Acaxiant?" He raised an eyebrow. "A kids' book?"
"I found it at the artifact shop," she replied with a small grin. "Thought it was funny. And we don't really have much to do anyway."
Noah flipped through it quickly, holding back a laugh.
The teacher's voice cut through the whispering.
"Since you're already late, do you plan on disrupting my class too?"
Silence fell over the room.
Some students immediately looked away.
Noah felt heat rush to his face.
Íris straightened up.
"Sorry, ma'am," she murmured, clearly intimidated.
---
In the cafeteria, they sat at their usual table, each with whatever food they'd managed to grab before the line ran out.
Noah ate way too fast, like someone might steal his plate at any moment.
Íris spoke with her mouth full:
"That teacher is unbearable."
"Right?" Noah replied, chewing. "We're only a little late and she already wants to kill us."
He paused dramatically.
"She probably hates us."
Íris rolled her eyes but laughed.
"Noah, we were thirty minutes late."
"Details," he shrugged. "Time is relative."
Íris finished eating, wiped her hands, and pulled her backpack closer.
"Now…" she said with an excited smile, "the most anticipated part of the day."
She grabbed the book, dropped it onto the table with another dry thud, and opened it to the first page.
"Let's see what kind of nonsense I brought today."
Noah leaned in, curious.
"This is clearly a children's book. What could possibly be interesting?"
Íris frowned, looking at the cover again.
"I don't know…" she muttered. "But what even is Acaxiant?"
She turned the pages carefully, moving slowly through the childish illustrations.
Crooked houses.
Exaggerated pigs.
Speech bubbles with overly simple phrases.
She stopped.
"Wow, this is kind of cute," she said. "The pigs are badly drawn, but somehow that makes it adorable."
The book didn't explain anything directly.
It was more like a sequence of images.
Three pigs standing in front of a simple house.
Across from them, the wolf.
He didn't look fierce.
Or monstrous.
Just… focused.
In one illustration, the wolf held a symbol in the air.
The same symbol from the cover.
Below it, a short sentence, written in letters far too big to be taken seriously:
"Fire is born from the gesture."
Noah leaned over her shoulder.
"Yeah… that's definitely a suspicious book."
Íris ignored him.
The next drawing showed the wolf tracing the symbol in the air.
"So what's he doing?" Noah commented. "Is this wolf stupid or what?"
He took a closer look.
"This is way too dumb," he muttered.
Íris flipped the page again.
Another simple sentence appeared:
"Symbols alone do not destroy houses.
But they show where to begin."
"Okay, but what's going to happen?" Íris said. "This suddenly got way too interesting."
In the next image, the wolf finished drawing the symbol.
PUM.
An explosion.
The house vanished.
So did the three pigs.
Íris blinked.
Noah swallowed hard.
"Alright," he said slowly. "That is definitely not a children's story."
Pause.
"This is a kids' book teaching children how to blow up houses."
Another pause.
"…That's messed up."
Íris raised her hand, far too excited to think.
"Íris, don't—"
She began tracing the symbol in the air, copying the wolf.
"Oh my God, she's insane," Noah muttered, already predicting disaster.
The symbol was completed.
For one second, nothing happened.
Then—
BOOM.
A massive explosion shook the cafeteria.
Tables flipped.
Trays flew.
Someone screamed.
Smoke rose in the middle of the room.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO?!" Noah screamed, completely panicked. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!"
Silence lasted half a second.
Then the cafeteria erupted into chaos.
All eyes turned to them.
Íris stood frozen, her hand still raised.
"I thought—"
"DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE," Noah cut in.
Across the table, Ísis' eyes went wide.
"We're screwed."
Footsteps echoed.
Slow. Firm.
The school inspector appeared at the cafeteria entrance like an entity summoned by institutional rage.
Arms crossed.
Killer stare.
He surveyed the scene.
The smoke.
The destroyed table.
The three teenagers frozen at the crime scene.
"Principal's office," he said calmly.
Absolute silence.
"Now."
Noah closed his eyes.
"We're dead."
Íris swallowed.
"Worth it…" she murmured.
A student sitting at the next table, completely covered in soot, looked at them.
"I hate you."
And they were escorted away by the full force of the educational system.
Arms crossed.
A deadly stare.
He surveyed the scene.
The smoke.
The destroyed table.
The three teenagers frozen at the crime scene.
"Principal's office," he said calmly.
Absolute silence.
"Now."
Noah closed his eyes.
"We're going to die."
Íris swallowed hard.
"Worth it…" she muttered.
A student who had been sitting at the table next to them, completely covered in soot, looked at the two.
"I hate you."
And they were escorted away by the full force of the educational system.
---
The principal stood behind her desk, arms crossed, a vein pulsing visibly on her forehead.
"Seven days of suspension," she said without hesitation. "For all three of you."
"All three?!" the student blurted out, eyes wide. "But I didn't—"
"Doesn't matter," the principal cut him off without even looking at him. "You were together."
She shoved three papers across the desk with force, the dry sound echoing through the room.
"You are not allowed back at school until these are signed by your parents."
The student swallowed.
"But I was just eating—"
"Next," she said, already pulling another form, as if the conversation had never existed.
Noah slowly stood up, trying to look serious.
"So… uh…" he scratched the back of his neck. "Seven days without school?"
The principal looked up.
The stare she gave him could've exorcised something.
"Seven days reflecting on your choices."
Íris covered her mouth, holding back laughter.
Ísis stared at the floor, defeated, already accepting her fate.
The student let out a bitter breath.
"I hate you."
---
Outside the school, the three of them stood still for a few seconds, still processing what had just happened.
The student was the first to snap.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU GET ME INTO?!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
Tears started falling before he even realized it.
Íris opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Then a drop hit the ground.
Then another.
Within seconds, it started raining for real.
Noah looked up at the sky, confused.
"Huh…" he muttered. "But the day was so nice."
Ísis pulled her backpack forward, trying to shield herself.
The student wiped his face, crying and laughing at the same time.
"I'm not ready to face my parents like this," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm really not."
He looked at the three of them, completely defeated.
"I'm staying with you until this passes."
Noah blinked.
---
The rain got heavier as they decided to head to Noah's house.
No one questioned it much—it was the easiest option.
When they got inside, the student glanced around without even realizing he was doing it.
"Wow…" he murmured. "This place is huge."
He hesitated before adding:
"You live alone?"
Noah shrugged and nodded.
"My dad doesn't live in the city."
Water dripped from their hair, forming small puddles on the floor.
"You're all going to catch a cold," Noah said, heading down the hallway. "Hang on."
He came back with three towels draped over his arm and tossed one to each of them.
"Here. Please don't flood the house."
The three of them collapsed onto the couch, still half-shocked.
Noah rubbed his hair dry and finally looked at the student properly.
"Alright," he said. "What's your name?"
"Since we almost committed a magical crime together, it feels relevant."
The boy let out a nervous laugh, still scrubbing his face with the towel.
"You got me into this," he replied. "You assholes."
Ísis gasped.
"Wow!" she said, genuinely shocked. "Such a dirty mouth."
"You barely know us and you're already like this?"
He lowered his head slightly, his tone shifting.
"Sorry…" he muttered. "I'm just… still shaken."
He took a deep breath.
"Yuki. My name's Yuki."
Noah broke the silence, still drying his hair.
"I've got pancakes from this morning," he said. "No toppings, though."
"I didn't think that far ahead."
Íris turned immediately.
"Oh, you absolute idiot…" she sighed. "But bring them."
Yuki stayed quiet on the couch, the towel still around his shoulders. Clearly anxious, unsure what to do with his hands—or with the situation.
Noah went to the kitchen and came back shortly after with a plate of warm pancakes, still steaming.
"Microwaves save lives," he commented, placing the plate on the table.
They each took one.
They ate slowly. Not really hungry.
More like mentally preparing.
Preparing for the worst.
Yuki spoke first, his voice low.
"But… how the hell did you do that?"
Íris answered without lifting her eyes from her plate.
"The Three Little Pigs of Acaxiant."
Yuki blinked.
"…What?"
Noah added, completely casual:
"A messed-up kids' book."
"Teaches children how to blow stuff up."
Silence spread through the room again.
Yuki chewed slowly, staring at the pancake like it might explain everything.
"…I should've skipped school today," he muttered.
Íris let out a nervous laugh.
"Everyone should've."
"But like…" Noah suddenly said. "That was real magic."
"Do you think I could do it too?"
Íris looked up instantly.
"Noah, don't—"
Too late.
Noah had already grabbed the book, tracing the symbol in the air without thinking—almost instinctively.
PUM.
A dry explosion.
The lights died instantly.
Everything went black.
Absolute silence for half a second.
Then—
"YOU SON OF A—"
"ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Íris and Yuki lunged out of the darkness like two vengeful entities.
Noah stumbled backward, hands raised defensively.
"WAIT! WAIT!" he said fast. "It wasn't that strong!"
"NOT THAT STRONG?!" Íris yelled. "THE WHOLE ROOM IS BLACK!"
"I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK!" Yuki added. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!"
Noah swallowed, looking around blindly.
"Okay… maybe I overdid it a little."
He cleared his throat, very obviously trying to change the subject.
"But hey…" he said nervously. "That's one messed-up kids' book, right?"
"You said it came from the artifact shop?"
Íris took a deep breath, trying not to resort to physical violence.
"Noah," she said calmly—dangerously calm.
"If you blow up this house, I swear I'll let you die alone."
Yuki nodded in the dark.
"Agreed."
Noah gave an awkward smile.
"…Lesson learned."
For now.
---
While they tried to reorient themselves in the dark living room, the book lying open on the table felt far too heavy for something so thin.
Yuki was the first to break the silence.
"The teacher said…" he began thoughtfully.
"That this kind of magic disappeared about two hundred years ago."
He looked at the book, then at Íris and Noah.
"So why is it with you?"
The question hung in the air.
Yuki took a deep breath and continued, his tone shifting—more focused now, almost automatic, like someone finally talking about something they actually knew.
"It didn't exactly disappear," he explained.
"It was blamed."
Íris tilted her head, listening.
"Back then, that magic was used to its limit," Yuki continued. "Greed. Too much concentrated power. It became fuel for conflict."
He paused.
"Most of the books were burned," he finished.
"People were afraid of starting another great war."
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Noah blinked.
"…Holy shit."
Then he pointed at Yuki, impressed.
"This Yuki knows way too much."
Íris nodded immediately, still staring at the book.
Noah sat back on the couch, staring at his dark phone.
"…I need to call Nozomi," he muttered.
Íris turned slowly.
"Call?"
Noah sighed.
"He probably knows something. Anything."
"But…" he grimaced. "I didn't get his number."
Silence.
Íris blinked once.
Then again.
"…Oh, great," she rubbed her face. "Amazing."
"So here we go."
She grabbed her backpack from the floor and slung it over her shoulder.
"One hour and forty minutes on the bus."
Noah groaned.
"I hate public transportation."
Yuki, sitting quietly on the other end of the couch and fiddling with the still-damp towel, looked up.
"Huh," he said simply. "I don't have anything else to do."
They both looked at him.
"I'll come with you."
Íris raised an eyebrow.
"You sure?"
Yuki shrugged.
"I got suspended for seven days by association," he said flatly. "Not much left to lose today."
Noah let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Welcome to the worst day of your life."
Yuki thought for a moment.
"…Can't disagree."
Íris walked to the door and opened it, looking out at the rain still falling steadily.
"So that's it," she said.
"Bus rides, magical artifacts, an explosive children's book, and a guy who might know something."
She glanced over her shoulder.
"Just a normal day."
Noah stood up, carefully picking up the book from the table this time.
"Way too normal."
Yuki followed.
---
By the time they reached the bus stop, the sun was shining brightly again.
Less than an hour had passed.
"What the hell was that rain?" Noah muttered. "Did it seriously exist just to soak us?"
"Right?" Íris shook her head, defeated. "Fate really hates us."
Yuki glanced around, thoughtful.
"Strange city."
---
A moment later, Yuki stood up.
By the time they reached the bus stop, the sun was already shining again.
Not even an hour had passed since the rain.
Noah looked up at the sky, offended.
"What the hell… that rain was literally just to ruin our day?"
Íris shook her head again.
"Yep. Destiny hates us."
Yuki studied the street.
"Definitely a strange city."
The bus finally arrived, screeching loudly like it always did.
The three of them got on and headed straight for the back, where there was still space to sit together.
Noah collapsed onto the seat.
"I hate sitting back here," he grumbled. "But since there's three of us…"
"Why—"
Yuki didn't get to finish.
The bus hit an absolutely brutal pothole.
If he hadn't grabbed onto something, he would've learned how to fly.
"THAT'S WHY," Noah and Íris said at the same time.
Yuki blinked, gripping the seat tightly.
"…Got it."
Another pothole.
"And people say the government website is bad," Noah commented, way too seriously.
Íris laughed.
"This is an intensive flight-training program."
Another pothole.
The three of them started laughing.
With every jolt, someone lost balance, someone cursed, someone laughed harder.
Eventually, they arrived.
---
As soon as they stepped off the bus, the atmosphere changed.
That part of the city felt almost like a small town in broad daylight—quieter streets, fewer buildings, drier air. The sunlight hit differently there, like it was slightly warmer than the rest of the world.
Yuki looked around, curious.
"Wow…" he said. "You came all this way just to find that shop?"
Íris didn't hesitate.
"Noah always drags me into this stuff."
She slowly turned toward him, crossing her arms.
"But now he's paying for snacks."
Her tone was far too calm.
Far too calculated.
Noah sensed danger before even looking at her.
If this were an anime, thunder would've cracked behind Íris at that exact moment.
"Alright, alright…" he raised his hands in surrender. "Since I'm paying…"
He took a deep breath, clearly afraid of a hungry Íris.
"…I choose."
He pointed ahead.
"For all three of us."
Íris smiled.
Yuki felt a strange chill.
---
They stopped at the same food stall as always.
The faded tarp still cast shade in the same crooked way, tied up with improvised ropes no one ever seemed to fix. The smell of hot oil and frying dough filled the air, reaching them before they even arrived.
Nothing had changed.
Plastic chairs were scattered around the light tables, slightly crooked, wobbling at the slightest touch. The uneven ground still carried old stains—ignored so many times they'd become part of the place.
Íris looked around, recognizing everything.
"We really came back here."
Noah pulled out a chair, way too relaxed.
"Told you it was good."
Yuki watched quietly, noticing how that part of the city seemed to exist outside of time.
The place still felt distant from everything.
Small shops around them sold the same simple things—fried pastries, watery coffee, food with no fancy names. Nothing stood out. Nothing looked new. Nothing felt rushed.
There was barely any movement.
Few people passing by.
Streets too wide for how empty they were.
"It even feels hotter here," Yuki commented.
"Feels like the countryside," Íris added. "Even though it's still the city."
They sat down.
The food cart crackled with hot oil, like it had been there for decades—maybe it had.
By the time they finished eating, it was almost noon.
The sun was too high to be pleasant anymore, and the walk to the shop felt longer than they remembered—even taking the shortcut.
They passed through the narrow stretch between buildings, crossed the almost empty street, and finally arrived.
The artifact shop's façade looked exactly the same: too discreet to catch attention, too old to feel inviting.
They walked straight in.
Yuki was the first to wrinkle his nose.
"Wow…" he muttered. "This stuff is ancient."
Íris glanced around and crossed her arms.
"Noah is obsessed with this kind of thing," she said, offended. "It's insane. I don't even know why I come with him."
"Because you love me," Noah replied automatically, already walking ahead.
"In your dreams."
From the inside, the place was even bigger than it looked from the outside.
Tall shelves piled up almost to the ceiling, crammed with boxes, old books, metal parts, objects that clearly didn't belong together—and yet had been coexisting there for years.
The air was heavy.
There was barely any ventilation, and the heat got trapped between the shelves. Within seconds, sweat began to slowly slide down their backs, clothes sticking to skin.
Every step kicked up a bit of dust from the floor.
It wasn't a bad smell.
It was the smell of old things.
Of stagnant time.
Of forgotten objects.
Yuki was walking more slowly now, observing everything carefully.
"It feels like…" he started, then stopped, searching for the right word.
"Like this place wasn't made to sell anything," Íris finished.
"Exactly."
Noah was already leaning on the counter, elbows resting casually, like he owned the place.
"NOZOMIIIIII!" he shouted—way too loud, like he was calling someone from the next room.
Only the echo of his own voice answered.
Íris covered her face.
"Noah, this is not your house."
Yuki glanced around, slightly tense.
"Does he always yell like that?"
"Always," Íris replied. "It's part of the ritual."
Noah tapped the counter impatiently.
"He's gotta be around," he said. "Or sleeping. Or reading. Or pretending there are no customers."
From the back of the shop, a woman appeared, completely disoriented by the yelling.
Her hair was tied up carelessly, her glasses crooked, and her expression was a mix of irritation and chronic exhaustion.
"What is it, kid?!" she snapped. "Do you think this is a free-for-all where you can just yell like that?"
Before Noah could answer, another voice came from behind a shelf.
"What's going on here?" the shop owner asked, emerging slowly.
The woman pointed at the three of them without hesitation.
"Three little troublemakers making a mess."
Noah leaned slightly toward Íris and whispered:
"Who even says 'troublemakers' anymore?"
"She must be old."
The three of them held back laughter for half a second… and failed miserably.
"Hey!" the woman narrowed her eyes. "I heard that."
Noah cleared his throat, trying to sound polite.
"So… we're looking for the guy who works here."
The woman crossed her arms.
"Oh." She nodded. "Yeah, he's a bit late."
She glanced at an old clock hanging crookedly on the wall. "His shift starts at noon. It's already…" she squinted. "12:04."
Íris raised an eyebrow.
"Classic late."
That's when the shop door suddenly flew open.
"Sorry! Sorry!" a rushed voice echoed.
Nozomi rushed in—backpack crooked, hair a mess, clearly out of rhythm.
The moment he lifted his head and saw two familiar faces, he froze.
"…Oh."
His foot slipped.
The stack of books in his arms began falling in slow motion.
"Careful—" Yuki tried to warn him, too late.
CRASH.
Books scattered across the floor.
Nozomi stood still for a second, staring at the disaster.
Then, very quietly, like none of it had happened:
"I'm here."
Silence lasted exactly two seconds.
Íris covered her mouth.
Noah broke into a huge grin.
"Right on time, as always."
The woman sighed, defeated.
"I asked for five minutes of silence today."
"Just five."
The shop owner shook his head.
Yuki watched everything in silence, trying to understand what kind of place he'd ended up in.
Noah didn't waste a second.
The moment Nozomi finished saying "I'm here," Noah was already grabbing his arm—hard enough to look like a badly planned kidnapping.
"Let's go."
"What—?" Nozomi tried to speak, already being dragged along.
"NOAH!" Íris called, following. "At least warn him!"
Yuki just followed too. At that point, he'd accepted that nothing made sense anymore.
Inside the shop, the owner and the woman stood there watching.
"…What did he just get himself into?" the owner blinked slowly.
The woman crossed her arms.
"Whatever it is, it won't be peaceful."
The door slammed shut.
---
Outside, Noah only stopped once they were several steps away from the shop.
Nozomi yanked his arm free, completely disoriented.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" he fired off. "Have you all lost your minds?! Do you want me to get fired?!"
He ran a hand through his hair, breathing hard, clearly spiraling for a second.
"I was late, dropped books, and now this—" he pointed at Noah. "—you literally dragged me out of my workplace!"
Íris raised her hands.
"Calm down. Breathe."
Yuki nodded.
"No one here wants you fired. I think."
Noah looked at Nozomi with a seriousness that didn't suit him at all.
"We blew up the school cafeteria."
Silence.
Nozomi blinked.
"…You did what?"
"By accident," Íris added quickly. "Kind of."
"With a children's book," Yuki added, as if that helped.
Nozomi opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Took a deep breath.
"I…" he rubbed his face. "You're messing with me."
Noah pulled the book from his backpack and showed the cover.
The Three Little Pigs of Acaxiant.
Nozomi stared at the title for a few seconds.
Then closed his eyes.
"I can't believe this…" he muttered.
"Let me show you," Noah said, already lifting his hand. "You just do the symbol like—"
Íris and Yuki tackled him at the same time.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Íris yelled.
"I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'RE ACTUALLY AN IDIOT!" Yuki added.
"YOU LEARNED NOTHING?!" Íris shouted, grabbing his arm.
"WE JUST GOT SUSPENDED!" Yuki said, practically hugging Noah to restrain him.
Noah froze between them.
"CALM DOWN!" he tried to argue. "I was just going to show him, not blow anything up!"
Íris and Yuki spoke in unison:
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID LAST TIME."
Silence.
Nozomi slowly opened his eyes.
Looked at the three of them.
Then at the book.
Then at Noah being restrained like a public hazard.
"…Okay," he said, exhaling. "Apparently I showed up on the worst possible day."
He crossed his arms.
"You're going to explain everything."
"Slowly."
"And far away from any symbols."
Noah sighed.
"Fair."
Íris loosened her grip just a little.
"Very fair."
Yuki nodded.
"For collective survival."
---
They explained everything.
From the beginning.
The cafeteria.
The explosion.
The suspension.
The wrong student in the wrong place.
Nozomi listened without interrupting, just following every absurd detail.
When they finished, he stayed quiet for a few seconds.
"So…" he finally said. "You want me to believe that a children's book taught you a symbol that causes explosions?"
All three answered at once, without breathing:
"YES!"
Nozomi blinked.
"…I'll believe it when I see it."
Noah's arm went up automatically.
"So you just do it like—"
Íris and Yuki jumped on him for the second time that day.
"NO!" Íris screamed.
"YOU'RE NOT DOING THAT HERE!" Yuki added, gripping his wrist.
"Do you want to kill me now?!" Nozomi snapped, stepping back.
Íris pointed straight at Noah's face.
"We just blew up the school, genius."
Yuki pulled the book from Noah's hands.
"The obvious solution is throwing this in the trash."
"We can," Íris agreed instantly.
Noah's eyes widened.
"HEY! No!"
Nozomi watched the argument, thoughtful.
"…Okay," he said slowly. "Throwing it away might be premature."
They all stopped.
Íris sighed.
"But we definitely can't test this in the middle of the street."
She crossed her arms.
"So we need a better place."
She looked straight at Nozomi.
"You know one?"
Nozomi thought for a moment.
Looked back at the shop.
Then the street.
Then smiled awkwardly, slightly uncomfortable.
"…Maybe."
Yuki narrowed his eyes.
"A 'maybe' that doesn't blow anyone up?"
"A maybe," Nozomi replied, "where nobody usually goes."
Noah's smile turned dangerous.
"Perfect."
Íris sighed.
"This is definitely going to go wrong."
Yuki shrugged.
"Probably."
And yet, they were already walking.
---
The place was a neighborhood soccer field.
Nothing special. Patchy grass. Dirt showing through in spots. Two rusty goalposts with worn nets, clearly used by some nearby school for practice.
The neighborhood was Barroso.
No one was there. Just a light breeze and the distant sound of the city.
Nozomi looked around, assessing.
"Is this okay?"
All three nodded almost at the same time.
"Better than the cafeteria," Íris said.
"Much better," Yuki agreed.
Noah took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The others instinctively backed away.
"If it explodes, run," Íris warned.
"I always run," Noah replied.
He raised his arm.
He drew the symbol in the air, focused, remembering the wolf's gesture from the book. Nothing dramatic. Nothing theatrical.
Just the movement.
For one second, nothing happened.
Then—
PUM.
A dry explosion echoed across the field.
The impact was small—but enough.
One of the goal nets caught fire immediately, flames climbing quickly up the old nylon.
Noah's eyes went wide.
"…Holy shit."
Íris jumped back.
"YOU SET THE FIELD ON FIRE!"
"THE NET!" he corrected, panicked. "Just the net!"
Yuki was already looking for something to put it out.
"THAT DOESN'T HELP!"
Nozomi stood still.
Completely frozen.
His eyes locked on the burning goal.
"…That's really in the book?"
Noah pointed at his backpack.
"It is."
Without another word, Nozomi snatched the book from his hands.
He flipped through it fast. Pages turning rapidly. Stopped at the wolf illustration. The symbol. The sentence.
He read silently.
Then slammed the book shut.
"That's messed up…" he muttered. "A children's book teaching an explosion spell."
Noah let out a nervous laugh.
"I said the exact same thing."
The fire kept burning, crackling softly.
Íris looked at the book, then at the field.
"Okay…" she said slowly. "Now the important question."
Yuki crossed his arms.
"Who's explaining this if someone shows up?"
Silence.
Noah swallowed.
"…We run?"
Nozomi sighed.
"We run."
And they ran.
They didn't plan it.
They didn't coordinate.
They just ran.
They turned a corner, then another, laughing breathlessly, almost tripping together—until, when they finally stopped to catch their breath, they realized where they were.
They ended up back in the alley beside the shop.
Nozomi bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for air.
"…That was messed up," he said between breaths. "What were they teaching kids back then? Seriously."
Íris started laughing first.
Then Noah.
Yuki tried to hold it in—failed miserably.
Within seconds, the four of them were laughing like they hadn't just set a soccer goal on fire.
"Let's go inside before someone calls the cops," Noah said, wiping his eyes.
They went back into the shop, still slightly crooked from laughter.
The owner immediately looked up from the counter.
"What kind of escape was that?" he asked, amused. "I'm docking that from your paycheck."
He laughed right after, clearly not angry at all.
Nozomi made a dramatic face.
"My shift barely started…"
The woman appeared from the back of the shop, arms crossed, her expression pure eternal judgment.
"These little troublemakers are corrupting my employee."
Noah whispered:
"Told you she likes that word."
Íris laughed quietly.
Yuki just shook his head, resigned.
The owner went back to rummaging through boxes.
"If you're going to blow up anything else," he said casually, "do it outside the shop."
Nozomi sighed.
"This has officially become the worst workday of my life."
"Best day," Noah corrected.
The woman snorted.
"You four are going to give me a headache."
"Okay," Íris took a deep breath. "We need to look for more books."
"Hey!" the woman yelled from the back. "If you take anything, you're paying for it!"
"Noted!" Noah replied, already walking away. "We'll grab everything and sort that part out later!"
"THAT IS NOT WHAT I—"
Too late.
The search began.
And it was hell.
The shelves seemed endless. Books stacked with no logic, open boxes, covers without titles, titles without covers. Some books were chained. Others lay abandoned, like no one dared touch them.
Yuki climbed an improvised ladder.
"Why is everything up so high?" he complained.
"Collective trauma," Íris replied. "Dangerous stuff always gets put out of reach."
Noah pulled random books and read the titles out loud.
"How to Speak to Chickens Using Mana"…
"The Art of Failing Magical Circles"…
"Recipes for a Domestic Apocalypse"… oh.
"NO," Íris snatched it from his hand. "Children's books. Focus on the children's books."
Nozomi found the first one.
He pulled out a thin book, the cover far too red to be ignored.
"Found one," he said, lifting it.
Íris read the title.
"Little Red Riding Hood of Acaxiant."
Noah grinned.
"This already feels wrong."
They opened it right there.
The illustrations were simple. Too cute. Almost deceptive.
Little Red walked through the forest. The wolf appeared. She smiled.
"Wait," Yuki frowned. "Where's the hunter?"
They turned the page.
Little Red was holding a red scythe. It didn't look heavy. It didn't look special.
Below the image, a sentence:
> "Power does not come from the weapon.
It comes from what you put into it."
Noah tilted his head.
"That feels… illegal."
In the next image, Red Riding Hood touched the blade. Simple lines showed something flowing.
"She's…" Íris murmured. "Infusing mana into the weapon."
The wolf lunged.
Next page.
The strike wasn't flashy.
It wasn't pretty.
It was clean.
The wolf fell.
"…She killed the wolf," Nozomi said, stunned.
Yuki swallowed.
"That's not a spell.
That's infusion."
Noah blinked.
"Infusion?"
"Forcing mana into an object," Yuki explained. "You don't create anything new. You just push it past its limit."
They turned another page.
The final illustration showed Red Riding Hood kneeling, breathing heavily, leaning on the scythe.
The last line read:
> "Strength without balance breaks the body."
Silence lingered for half a second.
"Okay," Noah exhaled. "Children's book teaching kids to buff themselves until they almost die."
"Classic," Íris replied.
The second book literally fell onto Noah's head.
"Ow!"
Nozomi looked up.
"Sorry."
The book had a plain beige cover.
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears of Acaxiant," Íris read.
"This one sounds less violent," Noah said.
It wasn't.
The story showed the bears' house. The soup too hot. The girl complaining.
"So far, normal," Yuki commented.
Then it got strange.
Goldilocks raised her hand. Wind appeared.
Not strong. Not obvious.
Just enough.
The soup cooled.
"Natural magic," Íris murmured.
The next pages showed her repeating the gesture. Always small. Always controlled.
Until she messed up.
A gust too strong knocked the table over.
The bears appeared, surrounding her.
"She's dead," Noah said.
But she wasn't.
She closed her eyes. Breathed. Changed the gesture.
Wind became pressure.
Pressure became restraint.
The bears were trapped.
Final sentence:
> "Nature responds better to those who listen."
Yuki closed the book slowly.
"It looks like magic… but it's natural."
"Children's book teaching elemental control," Íris concluded. "Dangerous in a polite way."
"I hate this," Noah said. "It feels like someone planned this really well."
The last book was the strangest.
Too thin. No big illustrations. Just marks, counts, repeated small symbols.
"Ten Little Indians of Acaxiant," Nozomi read, confused. "This… this shouldn't exist."
They opened it.
Each page showed a simple situation. A stone. A stick. A ring. A blade.
Below them, scratched numbers.
1.
2.
3.
"This doesn't teach any spells," Noah complained.
Yuki leaned closer.
"It does."
He turned the page.
A normal object.
The same object with a symbol.
Then another symbol layered on top.
"They're… categories," Íris realized.
Nozomi pointed.
"Tools that organize mana.
Books that amplify it.
Weapons that ignore limits."
On the last page, a simple sentence:
> "Not everything was made to be used.
Some things exist only to remind."
Silence returned.
The shop woman appeared behind them out of nowhere.
"Aww, how cute," she said. "The little troublemakers reading children's books."
All four turned at once.
And laughed.
Íris closed the last book carefully.
"So… are we learning magic?" she asked. "And what exactly are we going to do with it?"
Nozomi swallowed.
"…I don't know. But knowledge is never too much."
Yuki nodded.
"Agreed."
Noah held the three books like criminal evidence.
"So basically…" he said. "We just found the kindergarten of forbidden magic."
Íris smiled, eyes shining.
"And we haven't even reached the hard part yet."
The woman crossed her arms.
"If you're taking all that… it won't be cheap."
"We'll pay," Noah said quickly.
She laughed—short, tired.
It was already past five when Noah checked his phone.
"…I'm hungry," he announced, like a scientific discovery. "Let's eat something?"
Nozomi sighed, glancing at the counter.
"My shift isn't over yet."
Íris shrugged.
"Then buy something and we stay here," she said. "You're not blowing anything up without us, right?"
"Hey," Noah protested. "I blow things up with you too."
Still, he grabbed his backpack and left.
The shop door closed.
Silence lasted exactly three seconds.
Íris spoke first.
"He's completely unhinged, right?"
Yuki nodded immediately.
"Agreed. He almost killed us multiple times today."
"And there was the soccer net," Íris added. "That image is burned into my brain."
Nozomi crossed his arms, thoughtful.
"You noticed that every time something goes wrong… it's him?"
"Yes," Íris answered without hesitation. "Magic plus Noah is basically a death wish."
She sighed.
"We should probably limit what we tell him. Like… a lot."
Yuki agreed.
"For life expectancy reasons."
Nozomi laughed quietly.
"Basic survival strategy."
They kept talking—about books, school, complaining, laughing at their own disasters—until Noah returned with bags of food.
"I'm back!" he announced. "And no one died!"
"Miracle," Íris replied.
They ate right there, leaning against the counter, talking about nothing and everything.
Afterward, Nozomi closed the shop like last time.
Lights went out one by one, and they walked together to the bus stop.
Noah checked the time.
"6:20 PM," he said. "We'll be home around seven. Your mom won't yell this time."
"Thank God," Íris sighed.
Yuki, walking a bit behind, spoke up:
"…And the suspension?"
Silence fell.
Noah and Íris exchanged a look.
"You got suspended after blowing up the school?" Nozomi laughed. "You should've been expelled."
"They blew it up," Yuki defended himself quickly. "I had nothing to do with it until this morning."
Nozomi laughed even harder.
The bus arrived, screeching loudly.
The three got on. Nozomi stayed behind.
"Don't blow anything up today!" he shouted.
"No promises!" Noah replied.
They waved as the bus pulled away.
Yuki collapsed into the seat.
"We're screwed."
The bus hit a massive pothole.
They nearly flew.
And started laughing.
Laughing until their stomachs hurt.
When they finally reached the neighborhood, Íris stood up first.
"You two are coming with me."
Noah blinked.
"What?"
"I'm not facing my mom alone."
Yuki's eyes widened.
"Me?!"
"Noah walks you home later," Íris said, already stepping off the bus. "And helps with yours too."
"Why does everything fall on me?" Noah muttered, following.
Íris's mom's house had the lights on. The smell of food came from the kitchen.
The door opened before they knocked.
"Where were you?" her mom asked. "Dinner's ready."
She looked at Yuki, confused.
"…And who is this?"
She smiled right after.
"Good thing I cooked a lot."
They sat down.
They ate.
In respectful silence.
After finishing, Íris took a deep breath.
"Mom…" she began. "We got a suspension."
Her mom froze.
"…What?"
The lecture started.
And lasted an entire hour.
Noah stared into nothing.
Yuki reconsidered every life choice.
Íris simply accepted her fate.
When it finally ended, it was dark.
The day was over.
After everything, Íris walked Noah and Yuki to the door.
She opened it. Night air rushed in.
"Bye," she said, waving. "Good luck."
"We'll need it," Noah murmured.
She smiled once more and closed the door.
Outside, Yuki exhaled sharply.
"I hope you apologize for all your sins to my mom," he said, looking at Noah. "You dragged me into this mess."
Noah, completely drained after an hour-long lecture, just nodded.
They walked to Yuki's house in silence.
Ten minutes that felt longer than the entire day.
They stopped at the gate.
Yuki knocked.
The door opened almost immediately.
His mom appeared, neutral expression—curious, but not angry.
"Oh?" she said, looking at Noah. "And who is this?"
Yuki didn't hesitate.
"He's an idiot who got me suspended."
Noah's eyes widened.
She blinked once.
Then sighed.
"…Come in."
Yuki shot Noah a quick look—good luck—and went inside.
Noah stood there for half a second.
"…Another hour-long lecture," he muttered.
And it came.
Long. Detailed. Educational.
Yuki stayed quiet most of the time. His mom trusted him without question—he was a good kid. Always had been.
Noah absorbed everything in full penitence mode.
When it finally ended, Yuki walked Noah to the door.
"Thanks for today," he said quietly. "Even with… all this."
Noah smiled, exhausted.
"We survived."
Yuki gave a small nod and closed the door.
Noah stood there for a moment.
Then turned and walked home.
The big house welcomed him in silence.
No yelling.
No noise.
No one.
He went inside, dropped his backpack, and went straight to his room.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
The house didn't feel so big anymore.
Just… empty.