Chapter Two
Beep-Beep-Beep
Ren stirred from his slumber, his mind shrouded in a haze as he gradually regained consciousness. Pushing through the remnants of sleep, he reluctantly rose from his bed, the ache from yesterday's punch still lingering heavily on his cheek. He dragged himself through his morning routine, mechanically brushing his teeth and splashing cold water on his face to jolt himself awake. The heavy clouds looming outside, he shrugged off the peculiar sensation of being watched, dismissing it as a trick of his groggy mind.
***
"Listen up, everyone!" Mr. Araki's voice pierced through the classroom, pulling Ren's attention to the front. Dread pooled in his stomach as the impending announcement filled the room. "Next week, we will be having a test on den-sai. Let me make this clear: if you fail to score above a 70 on this test, you will be expelled from this academy."
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Ren's breath caught in his throat, the threat of expulsion sending a chill down his spine. He felt the weight of the consequences bearing down on him, suffocating him with its severity.
"However," Mr. Araki's voice softened slightly, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the despair, "most of you should be well-prepared, so it shouldn’t be a problem."
The day dragged on, each passing hour a torment as Ren's mind fixated on the looming test. Lunch came and went, but Kenji's absence provided little comfort amidst Ren's turmoil.
As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Ren found himself in a daze, his thoughts consumed by the specter of expulsion. Ignoring the strange sensation of being followed, he trudged to the grocery store, mindlessly gathering supplies for dinner.
Back home, Ren wrestled with his thoughts, unable to find solace in the mundane tasks of cooking and bathing. His mind raced with strategies to avoid expulsion, but each plan crumbled under the weight of his uncertainty.
Exhausted and defeated, Ren succumbed to sleep, only to be plagued by a nightmare of suffocating darkness and a vengeful angel.
Ren jolted awake, drenched in sweat, the echo of his scream lingering in the darkness. Unable to shake the terror of his dream, he sought solace in a midnight snack and a steaming cup of coffee.
As he sat alone at the table, the comforting aroma of coffee mingling with the salty tang of instant noodles, Ren pondered his uncertain future. With the first light of dawn creeping through the window, he retreated to bed, the weight of his fears still heavy on his weary shoulders.