There was a boy with black hair and ocean-blue eyes roaming around inside a store with a list full of groceries in his hand and money in his pocket. He was walking in an aisle in search of milk. He looked to be 11 to 12 years old and his looks were decent. He finally found the brand of milk he drank on the top shelf but there seems to be a girl in front of it. He reached a hand over her head to grab the milk.
"Excuse me. Would you please move aside?", said he so he could get the milk.
"Huh?", the girl seemed surprised as she turned around only to see a tall, good-looking boy leaning towards her.
"Oh, y-yes.", stuttered the girl in a small voice as her cheeks became rosy before moving aside.
He grabbed the milk before smiling at her, "Thank you."
He left the aisle, not caring about the dazed expression on her red face.
Why do girls keep stuttering and going red when seeing me? I'm not a monster, I won't scold you.
This boy was naturally Sol Balor who became 9 years old this year. Due to the constant training, he did to increase the amount of mana he could hold in his body, he became taller and stronger than his peers. He had slim, toned muscles. He looked to be two years older than his age. After hitting this sort of growth spurt, the girls in his neighborhood, some of them who were 2 years older than him looked at him with renewed interest much to his confusion.
Today was his day off as his brain got overloaded after constant studying of the Ancient Language and meditating for Animagus. After all, learning a new language was hard especially one like the Ancient Language which was so convoluted, and although the book on Animagus said to meditate to come in contact with your spirit animal, it was harder than it looks. Within Sol's mind palace, he would conjure up a lush forest to become one with nature which would allow your spirit animal to spawn. And when you come into contact with your spirit animal, you would have to chant Amato Animo Animato Animagus which will turn you into an Animagus in the form of your spirit animal.
After some grueling meditation, Sol finally saw his spirit animal. It looked like a small, black cat but a bit muscular. But, the goddamn animal doesn't come close. It always paces around a yard away from him.
"Fuck! How long are you gonna do this for? Come here kitty, pspspspspspspsps. Fuck! Jesus, just come over here, you dick!", raged Sol in his mind palace.
So, once he was done shopping, he again went out to roam the neighborhood and to cool off. He walked and walked till he reached the storefronts. He kept walking but as he walked the goods on display inside a shop caught his eye.
"That shape, those strings, those knobs, this is a guitar! There's a cello next to it too. Flutes on the rack!", inwardly noted Sol as he was shocked at his discovery.
He walked back to see the store's name.
Big Jim's Music Shop circa 1900. We sell both musical instruments and mini-cassettes.
"This is a music shop? They sell instruments here as well. I need to check this out. I can finally play the melodies I've been humming all this time.", thought Sol excitedly as he entered the shop.
"Good morning and welcome to Big Jim's. How may I help you?", asked the clerk who Sol presumed to be Big Jim.
"Uh, I'd like to look at some instruments. Do you have violins and flutes?"
"Why yes, we do! What type of flute would you like?", asked the clerk.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"I'd like a wooden, side-blown one."
"We do have side-blown ones but I'd recommend you to get one made from steel."
"No, the wooden one has a type of feel to it that you wouldn't get from the steel ones but thank you anyway.", Sol politely refused.
"Then right this way please," said the clerk as he began to lead Sol to the flute rack, " We have a variety of selection, you can choose anyone that strikes your fancy. If there are none you like then we do custom orders as well."
Sol began to browse through the many flutes placed on the rack. His eyes finally landed on a wooden flute with an oak finish. He reached out to grab it and found that it had a comfortable feeling to it.
"Can I test it?"
"Ahh no, we have separate flutes for testing." said the clerk as he left for the storeroom, "I'll go bring one."
He waits a while before the clerk comes back with the same flute with noticeable wear and tear.
"Don't worry, it's been thoroughly washed.", reassures the clerk.
He began to play a few notes and was quickly satisfied with the product, "This is good. I'll take this."
The clerk takes the first flute and packs it up for him. He took the flute after paying up. "Do you also have violins?", asked Sol taking the packet into his hands.
"Right this way.", lead the clerk.
They soon come to a section of the store where the violins are displayed. Sol found a violin with a spruce finish. "Do you also have a separate violin for testing?", asked Sol.
"Yes, we do and there it is.", pointed the clerk towards a violin with some damage.
Sol picked the violin and the bow up and began to test a bit. After testing a bit, he tuned it to his liking.
"Yes! Now I can finally play 'King Of A Kingless World'.", thought Sol excitedly.
Sol closed his eyes and started playing.
"🎵"
After playing the full song, he opened his eyes feeling soothed to his very soul.
He looked around for the clerk, only to see that he was in a dazed state.
"Mister. Mister!", Sol called out to the clerk with no response. He still had that dazed expression as if he was high.
"OI, BIG JIM!", shouted Sol. This time the clerk woke up. "Ah y-yes, what? Where? Oh right, would you like to buy it?"
"No, I don't have enough money right now. I'll come again some other time.", as Sol began to walk towards the exit.
As he reached out to grab the doorknob, he suddenly remembered and asked, " It says you sell cassettes, what are those?"
"You don't know what cassettes are?", asked the clerk in surprise as every kid in this decade would know what a cassette is.
"Sorry, I don't know much about technology.", gave Sol an excuse.
"That makes sense! Maybe his mother is one of those technologically inept people.", the clerk concluded inwardly.
"These are cassettes.", said the clerk as held up a small box with two holes with teeth-like edges in them.
"What do they do?", asked Sol with sparkling eyes.
"They can play music and you use this to play the cassette.", the clerk showed another box-like object just slightly bigger than the cassette. It seemed that you could put the mini-cassette inside there.
"This small box can play music?! What do they use to record it?", wondered Sol, "Do they use magic? No, this is a muggle run shop."
"What's that?", he asked pointing at the bigger box.
"This is a music player. This particular one is a Walkman made by Sony.
"I know what I'm getting for my birthday.", said Sol as he already made his wish.
"Ok, thanks for showing me that. I have to go now but I'll come back for the violin.", he thanked as he left the store
"Thank you for your patronage.", the clerk bade goodbye.
"What a peculiar kid. But what the hell was that song? Who was she?", thought the clerk to himself. But he would never get the answer to his question.
After leaving the music shop, Sol began roaming again. After walking for a while again he came across a big building with a sign that said Library.
"Oh ho, is this a muggle library? I want to see the extent of the knowledge of muggles.", thought Sol excitedly.
He entered the library.
...
The sun had set and one can see Sol exiting the library with a bag full of books. He had a half-dazed, half-excited expression.
"The muggles have an interesting perspective on almost every subject especially Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Gravity, Electronic Configuration and Cellular Biology. I brought the books with me and applied for a library card. Only one thing to see, it's if I can incorporate muggle knowledge into this world's magic. Hopefully, the Law Of The World gives me some leeway.", hoped Sol.
"First things first, I have to learn the Ancient Language. Without it, I won't be able to make personalized magic. Secondly, I need to become an Animagi. If I can become that black, somewhat muscular weird cat, I can sneak around without a care. If only the goddamned thing stopped pussyfooting around.", raged Sol as he made a plan.
His days are gonna get a whole lot busier.