[YUKA NANAMI’S POV]

I walk away from Kage, watching her stare deeply into my eyes. It’s kind of chilling and scary, but I think it’s fine.

Cognitive-Dynamic Affinity Group Three… I wonder who’ll be in my group.

As I walk towards and enter Cognitive-Dynamic Group Three’s classroom, I see a girl with long, pale orange hair and brown eyes, wearing our school uniform, turn her head towards me.

Upon seeing me, she appears to perk up, as if energised by my presence.

“Hey! Hi there! You must be Yuka Nanami, right? Nice to meetcha!”

The girl greets me with unbridled enthusiasm, extending her hand towards me for a handshake.

I smile at her and accept her offer of a handshake. Her hand feels quite soft, yet her handshake grip is firm.

“Nice to meet you too! What’s your name?”

I ask her, trying to match her energy.

“The name’s Kirei Basara! But you can just call me Kirei; that’s fine too!”

A bit more people are starting to gather around Cognitive-Dynamic Affinity Group Three. I don’t recognise anyone, which is a bit disappointing since I was hoping to find someone I already knew.

“Kirei, huh? That’s a lovely name!”

“Thanks, Yuka! I was hoping to get a cheerful group, and it looks like I got my wish!”

More people join our group, and I can’t help but feel excited. Everyone seems nice, and I hope we all become good friends.

A boy with black hair and sharp teeth introduces himself as Ryuji Kojima. He looks nice, I think.

A few moments later, our group instructor arrives—a friendly woman with long, flowing hair.

She introduces herself as ‘Sora Hoshino.’

“Hey, everyone! Welcome to Cognitive-Dynamic Affinity Group Three!”

Hoshino’s voice is cheerful. The group members look at each other, excited to begin their journey together.

She tells us about evaluations and the importance of working together.

I nod along, eager to be part of this cheerful group.

“Okay, let’s start by introducing ourselves! Say your name and something interesting about you.”

Introductions begin, and I listen attentively, curious to learn more about my fellow group members.

The first person to speak is a girl who looks as tall as me, Mia Igarashi.

She introduces herself with a bright smile, her voice confident yet friendly.

“Hey everyone, I’m Mia Igarashi, sixteen years old. Something about me is that I want to have a bright and peaceful future, and I wish the same for everyone else. My Dynamic Affinity is supposedly named ‘Nihilikinesis’ or something like that. My Cognitive Affinity is called ‘Mental Shutdown.”

“And what do they do?”

The instructor asks, intrigued by Mia’s unique abilities.

“My Dynamic Affinity goes by the name of, as you already know, ‘Nihilikinesis.’ This ability lets me create, shape, and control the concept of nothingness itself. I can manipulate the absence of things, making them disappear and preventing energy from ever coming into existence. It grants me the power to alter, reverse, or negate energy, ultimately having the potential to ‘destroy matter and energy’ by bringing them out of existence. As for ‘Mental Shutdown,’ I can launch a mental attack on a target, causing their upper brain functions to shut down temporarily or even permanently. The effects can range from inducing pain and incapacitation to rendering the target unconscious or, in extreme cases, resulting in outright brain death. I know, they’re pretty destructive, aren’t they?”

Hoshino’s eyes widen in amazement as she realises the extraordinary potential Mia possesses.

“Why did you not receive a higher rating on your assessments? Don’t you think you could destroy the targets as well as that Reiko girl did?

“I preferred not to have people all around me. And to your other question, indeed, that is probably the case. I just didn’t feel comfortable showing off my skills like she did.”

Ryuji spoke up with a hint of suspicion in his voice as he listened to Mia’s words closely.

“But if that was the case, why would you tell us?”

“It’s because I know you would do well not to tell a soul. Right? Ryuji?”

Mia’s voice and expression grow bitterly cold, as if she were drilling into our souls with her words and threatening us not to divulge anything she reveals to us.

Ryuji gulps nervously, viciously nodding in agreement.

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I don’t really understand why Mia has such powerful Affinities. I don’t think I’d want powers like that. It sounds a bit scary.

Ryuji looks scared, and Mia is really intense. I hope everything is okay. Maybe she just likes her privacy. I don’t want to pry.

Hoshino clears her throat, trying to lighten the mood.

“Well, Mia, your powers are indeed unique. Let’s focus on getting to know each other and working together. Now, who’s next for introductions?”

The tension eases a bit, and I feel relieved. I’m not sure why Mia is like this, but I guess everyone has their reasons. I hope she opens up more.

A few more people introduce themselves, and their powers are interesting too. It’s like a whole new world with so many abilities. I hope we can learn from each other.

The next person to introduce themselves is a guy named Tatsuya Kobayashi. He has messy brown hair and glasses, giving off a nerdy vibe.

“Hey, everyone. I’m Tatsuya Kobayashi. So, um, my Cognitive Affinity is, well, ‘Jinx Manipulation.’ I can mess with probabilities, making things go… not so great. It’s not exactly the coolest power, but, you know, it has its uses. I guess.”

He’s talking about his ‘Jinx Manipulation’ thing, saying it’s not as cool as others, but who knows, maybe it’ll be useful someday. I just nod and smile, not really understanding what he means.

“My Dynamic Affinity is ‘Coincidence Nullification.’ It’s, um, kind of like cancelling out planned happenings. You know, when things seem too set up or when luck swings too far, I can sort of, well, put a stop to it. It’s not all that exciting, but it’s, I guess, a way to keep things from going too… you know, dramatic or weird. Just trying to keep it all normal, I guess.”

Mia’s eyeing him like she’s figuring something out.

Hoshino, our group instructor, is encouraging us to embrace our powers and work together. I think that sounds cool, even if I’m not exactly sure what “embracing powers” really means.

More people introduce themselves with their strange powers. Sakura Fujimoto can mess with memories with this thing called ‘Memory Control’, which sounds creepy. She’s even able to turn her internal struggles into fragments that do damage. It’s apparently called ‘Painforge.’

Hikari Ishikawa can control spectral things with something called ‘Spectral Manipulation,’ whatever that means. She apparently also has voices in her head.

And then there’s Akira Hayashi, who can mess with cause and effect. He calls it ‘Casualty Distortion.’ For some reason, he keeps his Dynamic Affinity a secret.

I just smile a lot, trying to fit in with the group. Everyone’s powers are so different and interesting

Hoshino wraps up the introductions and suggests we spend some time getting to know each other.

“You never know when your fellow group members might save the day!”

The idea of us saving the day makes me feel like we’re in a comic book. It’s so exciting!

The group starts mingling, and Kirei Basara turns to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yuka, what’s your Dynamic and Cognitive Affinity?”

Kirei’s question catches me off guard, and I blink at her with genuine confusion.

“Huh? My what?”

She giggles, seemingly amused by my unawareness.

“Your Dynamic and Cognitive Affinity, silly! You know, your powers!”

“Oh, right! Yeah, that makes sense! Uhm…”

I stare at Kirei, my mind struggling to remember the names of my powers. Why can’t they just have simpler names? It’s all so confusing.

“Oh, yeah! Vibrokinesis! That’s it. And, um, my Cognitive Affinity is…”

I pause, realising I genuinely can’t recall. Kirei giggles, finding my forgetfulness amusing.

“It’s okay, Yuka! You’ll figure it out eventually.”

I nod, appreciating her positivity. I hope I don’t sound too silly. Mia and Ryuji seem to be talking in hushed tones, and I’m curious about what they’re saying, but it’s probably none of my business.

The instructor, Hoshino, interrupts our little discussion.

“Alright, everyone! Let’s engage in some team-building activities. Get to know each other, work together, and let those bonds strengthen!”

Ryuji interjects with a confused tone.

“Isn’t this school’s purpose to make us stro—”

“Ryuji Kojima, please do us a favour and be quiet.”

Hoshino smiles creepily at him, instantly shutting him up. I don’t get why he’s questioning things; we’re here to make friends and learn, right? Hoshino’s smile, though, gives me the shivers. I wonder if she’s always like that.

The group disperses, and Kirei grabs my arm, pulling me towards a small cluster of people engaging in a conversation. She’s so full of energy, it’s infectious.

The group shares more about their Affinities, and it’s like they’re speaking another language. Hikari Ishikawa talks about her ‘Spectral Manipulation,’ controlling things I can’t see. I wonder if she can control my cat, Mochi, in my dorm.

I should probably tell Kage about them, like she asked. Actions and reactions, she said. But I’m not good at remembering things. I’ll try my best, though.

The instructor, Hoshino, claps her hands to get our attention.

“Alright, everyone! Let’s start with a simple icebreaker. Share something interesting or unusual about yourself that others might not know.”

I ponder for a moment, trying to think of something interesting about myself.

“I once tried to teach my cat, Mochi, to do tricks. But he just stared at me and then fell asleep. It was pretty cute!”

The group laughs, and Kirei nudges me playfully. It’s nice to see everyone smiling.

Mia raises her hand, and Hoshino nods at her.

“Alright, Mia, what’s your interesting fact?”

Mia smirks, her eyes narrowing a bit.

“I once infiltrated a high-security facility just to see if I could do it. It was a piece of cake.”

The group falls silent for a moment, and then everyone starts laughing nervously. Mia’s fact is definitely more interesting than mine, but I’m not sure if it’s something you’re supposed to admit to.

Ryuji goes next, scratching his head.

“Um, I guess one time I accidentally set my kitchen on fire while trying to make instant noodles. Yeah, that was embarrassing.”

The group laughs again, and I can’t help but giggle. Ryuji seems nice, even if he has a bit of a tough exterior.

A loud sound suddenly plays; it sounds like a bell. I think group time is over. But it felt so quick.

We all exchange glances, realising that our time together has come to an end. We gather our belongings and prepare to leave the room.

The bond we had formed in such a short period was unexpectedly strong, and I find myself yearning for more moments like these. Reluctantly, I stand up and join the others as we file out of the room, the laughter and companionship still lingering in the air.