A Sharp Beep cut through the Silence…
Reiji Slowly reached for his Phone, his Vision still Blurry from Sleep. The screen glowed in the dim morning light…
Congratulations! You are Hired..
For a moment, his heart skipped a beat.
But before he could process it, his screen Flickered and the notification was gone.
He squinted, scrolling through his messages, emails… anything.. Nothing..
"Huh… Weird.."
Brushing off the eerie feeling, Reiji sat up, only for frustration to hit him like a truck.
"Ughhh!" He clutched his head. "I applied for 9 Jobs and not a single one accepted me?!
What kind of luck is that?!"
Dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled toward the dining area..
Still sulking.. until his eyes landed on the table.
A warm meal. Freshly cooked. Steam still rising,
Beside it, a small folded note.
Reiji picked it up and read:
"You seem tired. Cheer up bud. Some things won't go your way, just don't give up!"
His lips curled into a smile.
"Geez, old man.." He sighed, grabbing his chopsticks.
As he lifted the note to put it aside, he noticed Something scrawled on the back.
"You're late, Dummy!"
Reiji froze.
The thoughts slowly travel through his mind..
A second passed. Then another.
Then..
His blood ran cold.
"...I'M COOKED!!"
He sprang to his feet, chair nearly toppling over. In a frenzy, he speed ran through his morning routine, bolted out the door and sprinted toward school like his life depended on it.
In Class…
Reiji carefully peeked through the slightly open classroom door. The teacher had their back turned, writing on the board.
"Perfect.."
Step..
He slipped inside, holding his breath
A flash of movement to his side.
Shouma Frostgale
Sitting casually, smirking at him.
Reiji's stomach dropped as he saw what his Traitorous Best Friend was holding.
A paper sign with a boldly written score:
10/10 ~ Good Job!
Reiji glared. He was so dead
Slowly but surely, Reiji made his way to his chair.
"Huu… Made it.." he muttered, releasing a sigh of relief
"Tch!"
Shouma aggressively slid into the seat beside him, leaning in so close that Reiji could feel his breath on his cheek.
"Should I snitch?" Shouma whispered, grinning mischievously
Reiji shot him a glare. "Try it, you bastard!"
Shouma inhaled sharply, puffing up his chest like he was about to make an announcement
"Mrrrrr~!"
Before he could finish, Reiji lunged, slamming a hand over Shouma's mouth.
And then~
DING!
The school bell rang.
"Alright, class dismissed," the teacher called.
Silence.
Shouma yanks Reiji's hand from his mouth.
"Woaa, look at that, saved by the bell.." Shouma said.
Reiji turned to Shouma, veins popping.
"You little~"
Shouma was already on his feet, laughing, dodging every swing like a pro boxer as Reiji tried to land a punch.
"You're too slow~!" Shouma taunted, weaving effortlessly.
"Oh Yea?.. Then stop weaving like a worm.. you coward.." Reiji barked, throwing another fist.
Their chaotic scuffle continued down the hallway, a normal day in their ridiculous friendship..
At least, it seemed normal.
Because somewhere in the back of Reiji's mind, that notification still lingered.
Congratulations! You are Hired.
But hired for what?
And why did it disappear?
in the Cafeteria…
The sound of trays clinking and soft murmurs filled the room.
Reiji absentmindedly ate, his attention caught by Shouma, who was cramming an impressive heap of rice into his mouth.
"It's our last year in junior high," Shouma mumbled through the food, barely understandable.
"Got any plans yet?"
Reiji let out a sigh, swirling his spoon in his coffee.
"I don't. Haven't talked about it with my old man yet."
Shouma swallowed (finally).
"Well, you need to decide ASAP, man."
Reiji raised a brow. "What about you?"
Shouma leaned back dramatically.
"Hm.. I don't know bruh. I'll just save the world instead.
For a second, they stared at each other.. Then both burst into laughter.
Across the cafeteria, a teacher clapped their hands.
"Alright, we need volunteers for cleaning duty"
Reiji didn't even look up.
"Nopeee, I already signed up for lifelong suffering."
Shouma smirked. "Oh? When?"
Reiji sighed "The moment I was born."
They chuckled again, the kind of laugh that made the pain of existence just a little bit more bearable.
Reiji took a big gulp on his drink, then suddenly choked.
Shouma leaned in casually. "Hey, if you die, can I have your math notes?"
Reiji, wheezing, shot him a look. "At least pretend to call for help first!"
Shouma shrugged. "Fine… Help! He's dying. Okay, so, math notes?"
"You absolute trash." Reiji said.
Recovering from his near-death experience, Reiji stood up.
"Alright, let's bounce before they actually make us clean."
Shouma followed, and as they passed another table , they saw a student staring in silent despair at a sandwich that had just plummeted to the ground.
Reiji crossed his arms solemnly. "A moment of silence for our fallen soldier."
Shoma scoffed. "Nah, five second rule. Eat it, coward."
And with that, they headed off to PE, their laughter echoing down the hall.
A normal day.
At least..
As they got closer to the gym, the vibe changed.
They could hear a loud squeal of sneakers hitting the hardwood.
Reiji exchanged glances with Shouma.
A wordless communication passed between them.
Time to switch gears.
"Fweeeeep!" The whistle echoed across the gym.
"Okaay! huddle up.. I need four teams—we're playing basketball today," the PE teacher said, already bouncing the ball in one hand.
With quick instructions, their PE teacher divided them into four teams.
"Shouma Frostgale—Team two," the teacher said.
"Reiji Ravenveil—Team four..both team on to the court let's go— keep it moving!".
Reiji and Shouma locked eyes— both smirked, neither planning to lose.
"Team two, huh? Looks like I'm carrying this game.." Shouma said as he threw a playful pose.
Reiji raises a brow. "Carrying? Bro, you can barely carry your grades."
"Fweeeeep!" The game began with a loud whistle.
Shouma's team relied on him to do the damage, with his good physics while
Reiji's team works by relying on his Intelligence, game is on the line and the pressure was building.
This was the moment they'd been waiting for.
The score was tied
This was it—the match point.
Team four was attacking.
Reiji adjusted his stance at the top of the key, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the shifting defense of team two.
His mind was already five steps ahead.
Shouma's team? They were in full defensive formation, every player watching Reiji like a hawk.
Tension practically crackled in the air.
But Reiji wasn't worried.
The ball felt light in his hands, He looked across the court, locking eyes with his center.
"Hmm.. I see… that could work" a plan forming on Reiji's head.
Reiji glanced toward the corner, just long enough to draw attention. One of Shouma's teammates noticed and shifted over, ready to cut the pass off.
But to his surprise , there's no ball coming his way. He faked the pass.
Reiji smirked.
"Wait.. it was a feint?"
Shouma's teammate was shocked.
In an instant, Reiji launched an attack toward the basket. The defense collapsed on him, but Shouma was already there, like a wall blocking his lane, his height was an obstacle.
Will it be enough to stop Reiji?
"Hey Reiji… you look like you just saw a ghost.. Or your day," Shouma said, grinning like a madman.
"... You asshole," Reiji muttered, his lip twitching—somewhere between amusement and a threat.
Reiji positioned himself for a clean shot.
"Not on my watch Bud!" Shouma shouted, leaping with force, trying to block the shot.
Reiji smirked.
He spun. evading Shouma's outstretched arms, and continued his drive.
"Are you High Fiving my old man right now, Pff what a good friend you are." Reiji said with a smile, but his stare was hollow.
Reiji flick his wrist, the ball was heading toward the basket—
But the defense was closing in, Shouma's center teammate was positioning himself to block him.
Reiji was about to lay it up when suddenly—
BOOM.
Shouma's center teammate jumped to block the layup, just as Shouma came from the other side, cutting off the passing lane completely.
Reiji's grin widened. With a swift motion, he spun the ball behind his back, making the pass to his center. The ball flew and landed perfectly in his teammate's hands.
The center leapt high, rising towards the rim and dunked the ball with force that the entire hoop shook.
The crowd goes wild.
Reiji's team won.
Shouma was stunned, watching the chaos unfold as his team scrambled.
Reiji walked past him. His grin never fading.
"What's the matter, Frostbitch?" he taunted
"Pff, Showoff," Shouma grinned, clearly not done with the rivalry.
Reiji shrugged casually, still smirking.
But his mind was elsewhere. In the back of his mind,
The notification that vanished still lingered.
Congratulations! You are hired.
Hired for what?
Why had it vanished so quickly?
________________________________________
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