I recall it well. The way his presence alone made me shake and cower, the way my frame shuttered yet my feet were glued in place, and the way I truly believed my life was over. This man, no, this anomaly, had me cemented in fear. This overwhelming power he had over me felt like it lasted an eternity. This feeling isn’t one anyone should be accustomed to, it is a reminder of weakness. I couldn’t focus on anything until he spoke to me.
“Hey, are you feeling alright?”
Shōshin then collapsed under the fatigue of the attack he pulled off coupled with this man’s aura. He struggled to breath as he attempted to inch away. The man then placed his hand on his shoulder, causing a purple hue to fill Shōshin’s frame as he finally regained his senses, which led to Shōshin to take labored breaths .The man retreated briefly, removing his hand from Shōshin’s shoulder allowing him a moment of rest.
I can breathe again! Who is this guy? He’s strong, definitely stronger than that fire guy. I wonder why he’s so…different? The air around him isn’t the same-
The mysterious man extended a free hand to Shōshin to assist him. “C’mon, allow me to help you.”
Shōshin hesitates for a moment. His body instinctually didn’t want to touch this man, but his heart felt intrigued by his genuinity in his voice.
“Thank you.”
“No need. I should be apologizing to you, I’m the one who caused you a great deal of discomfort.” The man stated honestly. He then bowed to Shōshin in an effort to make amends.
What? He’s apologizing? Plus what is that motion? I’ve never seen it before? Would it be rude to copy? He thought as he was confused by his unordinary behavior. Is it rude to ignore?
“Please sir, don't apologize!” Shōshin then mimicked the man’s action, and bowed even further down.
The man chuckled. “You copied my apology? I guess we’re both sorry.”
Shōshin let out a phony laugh. “Yeah, I suppose so.”
The man suddenly began to stare at Shōshin. His glare was intense and unrelenting. The atmosphere changed in sporadic fashion as his tone hardened towards Shōshin. “Why did you just lie to me? Is there something you can’t own up to in your heart? I can sense when someone is being dishonest, and you are drenched in shame, and that’s due to a lie.”
Shōshin was yet again confused by his barrage of comments. “What do you mean…uh…what was your name again?”
“Omoi. Now, what’s with this facade?”
“What? What are you on about!”
This guy is seeing right through me! Does he know I’m not supposed to be here? Plus he called me for lying? This just feels like trouble. I should leave-
Omoi then grabbed his wrist and locked eyes. “Young man, it’s okay. Be truthful. If you can’t accept it, I will. I’ve been in the world longer than you, plus I can assure you I understand more than most. If you want a response, I’ll respond. If you want silence, you’ll be met with silence. If you just want someone to listen, I am that man. So, free yourself of this self inflicted burden. Youth have no reason to feel such negative emotions. Bear to me all that shackles you, I am the man who will do this for you if no one else can.”
Omoi’s tone was overwhelmingly earnest as he spoke to Shōshin. His words pierced through his flesh, ensnaring his heart in a whirlwind of emotion.
Seriously! Who are you? During all this chaos you dare to have a heart to heart with a stranger? There’s no explanation for this besides stupidity. But—I want to. As much as I want to ignore these heroic comments, I can’t. Something deep within me is latching on to his words, It is like they are magic–
“Look, I have an exam to return to. I’m fine, thank you.” Shōshin’s demeanor was very squeamish as he hastily tried to break free.
“Ignore the exam, I know you have something to say. Drown out everything else. Focus on me, focus on my voice, focus on your truth.”
Shōshin’s mind was stuck in utter confusion. He couldn’t fathom as to why this man was so insistent on listening to him.
“Listen Mr. Omoi, this isn’t nec–”
Omoi’s conviction was as plain as day. He stood there, unbothered by Shōshin’s protest.
“Please! You’ve distracted me long enough! I am fine, and I am leaving!”
Omoi chuckled softly as he brought a hand to Shōshin’s face.
“If that’s the case, why are you crying?”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Startled by this, Shōshin patted down his face to feel tears escaping his eyes as they fell down his face. Omoi stood and watched the young man cope with his sudden rush of emotion.
What the hell? Why couldn't I tell I’m crying? I haven’t cried since-
Shōshin put both his hands to his face, in an attempt to shield Omoi’s sight of his tears.
“It’s okay, tears are nothing. Let them run wild and free until you can’t cry any longer!”
“No! I can’t! I’m not allowed to-“
“Who the hell said you couldn’t cry! Show me and I’ll take em down!”
“You’re ridiculous! You can’t solve my problems!”
“My name is Omoi, and my dream in this world is to help as many people until I draw my last breath. That includes you! Now, embrace how you feel! All that weakness, all that fatigue, all your guilt, encompass it into your tears and cry!”
“I—“
Omoi then held Shōshin with the compassion of an angel. Shōshin was defenseless to such abrasive empathy, resulting in him letting his emotions be true as he wept like an infant.
The day Omoi held me in his arms was a day I will never forget. The way he pierced my heart with his words that made all my pain rush forth has never left my mind. Amidst the chaos of the entrance exam, I felt like we were in our own secluded universe. The way he coddled me as if I was his own kin was edged into my flesh. He saved me, from myself. He released the latch of sadness that dwelled in my soul. I can’t recall much after I caved to his words. I faintly remember getting immensely fatigued, until everything slowly disappeared from sight. My last thought was that it was very nice to be held, Omoi’s arms were very warm.
###
I feel like… I'm warm. I can’t explain how but I am warm. It feels so nice, so peaceful. I don’t want it to end…but where am I…?
Shōshin's thoughts finally escaped to reality as his eyes slowly opened. He studied his surroundings to see he was in an unfamiliar area. By patting what his body laid on, he figured he was in a bed of some sort. With several turns of his head, Shōshin tried to make sense of this mysterious room he found himself in. As he attempted to lift himself forward, a darting pain filled his entire body forcing him to lay motionless.
“Ah! That hurts! What the heck? I can’t move!”
As Shōshin yelped out in pain, a door in the furthest corner of the room slowly opened, revealing Omoi holding a small container.
“Hey kid! Good to see you are finally awake! How’re ya feelin?”
“Omoo..?”
“It's Omoi, and how are your injuries?”
“I’m okay. I’m just a tad bit sore, what happened to me?”
“Well, I found you amongst the crowd of 300 participants, to which you weren’t registered for the exam. I figured you might be someone who didn’t qualify so I was going to remove you myself, but then you shocked me! That sudden burst of pressure…had to be Air Magic correct? Plus the force you had behind it easily rivaled most prospects there. Though you didn’t stand out as the annual prodigy, you definitely caught my attention.”
Shōshin couldn’t help but fail to contain a faint genuine smile at the thought of someone finding him worthy of attention. Noticing this, Omoi's eyes softened and he moved closer as he continued speaking.
“So, I rushed to you immediately. I saw you completely laid out one of the participants of the exam. He did attempt to break a rule, for that he’ll be dealt with.”
“Rule? What rule?”
“Everything needed to pass the exam isn’t said by word of mouth. If it was common knowledge what you needed to display to pass, why test anyone? The criteria do differ every year, this year’s main focal point was to hone in on those who lack a shallow heart.
Shōshin raised an eyebrow. “Shallow…heart?”
“Yeah. For example, a participant named Flint immediately ushered the battle to start with him at the center. A move like this is either hubris or grit, which his skills displayed was not just for show. A few other participants had similar displays of confidence, integrity, courage, and heart. But, none ever dared to focus on one that wasn’t themselves.”
Omoi then pointed to Shōshin.
“That is where you came in. The young man who showed the exam’s core principles without even being qualified to enter! Ain’t it funny how the world works?”
“I guess so.” Shōshin began to fidget in his bed.
“Hey, Don’t stress the fact that you weren’t a participant. You already had your emotional episode a few days ago.”
Shōshin’s face began to get flooded in a hue of red as he avoided eye contact. “Please don’t remind me!”
Omoi broke into laughter. “Nothing to be ashamed of young man! Real men accept all emotions equally!”
Shōshin then relaxed. “Wait, Omoi you said a few days?”
“That’s right...uh…what’s your name?”
“Shōshin”
Omoi smiled. “Shōshin, I won’t forget it. But yes, you’ve been here for roughly a week.”
“A WEEK? I HAVE TO GO HOME!” Shōshin shouted as he rose to his feet.
“Hey hey hey, it is all good. Your home is waiting for ya!”
“What? I have to…” Shōshin clasped his shirt, right above his chest. “I have to go check on my mother!”
Omoi placed a hand on Shōshin’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him. “Does your mother have the same eyes as you with blonde hair?’
“Yes!”
“Perfect! I ran into her as I left the exam grounds in the Neutral Zone. She had seen me taking you here after you fell unconscious. I explained to her that you’d be completely taken care of, free of cost, but that didn’t matter to her.”
Omoi removed his hand and pointed to his face. ”She had tears running down her saying stuff like “Did he pass?” “This exam means so much to him! “Please tell me he did.” What a mother, she put your dreams above all.”
Shōshin’s gaze became glued to the floor as Omoi spoke.
“That is so like my mother…I can’t believe she actually came. She must be disappointed in me for lying. I have to face her now, I have no choice but to…”
“Hold your head high! I’m not such a heartbreaker to where I’d tell your mother about your lie. It was my pleasure to let her know that as soon as you’re healed, you’d be starting at Princeton All Encompassing Magical Academy.”
Shōshin looked up with a sudden burst of life. “WHAT?”
“Yeah, this is your debt for lying. You’ve been given an outlet to follow the dreams you’ve so passionately held. I’ve discovered you, so show me who Shōshin truly is. Soon enough, you’ll shine as brightly as the stars themselves.”
Shōshin couldn’t believe what Omoi had told him. His ears clung to every word he said and held on for dear life, as if letting go would cause them to become false.
Even in failure I can’t own up to my lie, I just got absurdly lucky. I’m sorry mother, please forgive me for living this lie for a bit longer…
“So, am I really going to be living there?”
“Of course! Per my strings pulled as the top professor, You’ll be starting in Class A, as my personally recommended floater!”
‘Floater?” Shōshin had sat down to truly understand his situation.
“Princeton All Encompassing Magical Academy has 4 total classes for their 1st year students. Each class has 15 students in classrooms that hold a maximum capacity of 16 students.”
Shōshin then began to count on his fingers. “If that’s the case, does that mean there is space for 64 total students? Plus that J. Fortune guy said there were only 50 people who could pass?”
“You’d be correct for both points. We do only officially accept 50 people to pass the exam, however, the next 10 applicants that range within passing scores still join our school. It is a well hidden fact so that everyone who attends gives their all during the examination process. Then the professors of all 4 classes come together to pick 1 applicant who didn’t necessarily have to pass to become floaters. Each person chosen is a standout for various other reasons besides a passing grade. Each classroom holds 3 professors, with 12 total. I didn’t discuss it with Loki or the vixen so you have to live up to their expectations.”
“What? How am I supposed to do that?”
“There’s 2 weeks left before the first day of class. Within those 2 weeks I’ll help you improve. So get ready, I’m going to make you the greatest floater the academy has ever seen!”
