After having a brief chat with Frank and Cedric, I headed back home.
I changed into my uniform and headed downstairs to the living room to show it off to my parents and Toko.
“How does it look? Does it suit me?”
“Yes, it suits you.”
“Unhuh.”
Both Mother and Father were smiling.
Mother was even wiping tears from her eyes with her finger.
“It suits you, doesn’t it?”
“You’re so loud, sister.”
Read the room!
I’m about to start going to school again after being an unsuccessful NEET!
“Anyway, that’s fine. With this, I’m graduating from NEET life tomorrow. Mom, I don’t think I’ll be able to wake up on my own so please wake me up.”
“I understand. I don’t think you’ll be able to wake up at 4 a.m. either.”
Huh?
“4 a.m.? Classes start at 8 so 7 should be fine, right?”
“There’s a time difference, you know.”
What?
Time difference?
“Did you even read the guide I handed you?”
“I think I got something but there was no way I was going to read it. Words give me a headache.”
“I didn’t read it but what’s this time difference about?”
“Ugh… There’s a 3-hour time difference between Astral and Japan. It’s 3 hours earlier there. You left here at 1 p.m. but it’s 4 p.m. over there.”
Seriously?!
“Why is it so early… It would’ve been better if it were later.”
Then I could’ve slept until 10.
“There’s the fact the time in Astral can be freely adjusted by the organization that runs it. It’s mostly controlled by European influence, hence why it’s like this.”
Oh, I see…
“Hm? Isn’t the time difference between Europe and Japan supposed to be about 8 hours? That seems off. Wouldn’t that make Astral’s 8 a.m. 9 p.m. over there?”
I’ve visited La Folle’s house plenty of times; I know about the time differences at least.
“Didn’t I say the majority work regular jobs? The schedule has been tailored for them. They work during the day and study magic at night.”
What kind of life is that…
“Wow, good for them.”
“That’s the life of a wizard. Devoting one’s life is the norm.”
And my spirit is already feeling crushed before I’ve even started…
“What about kids our age?”
Isn’t that schedule tough for students?
“That’s what the dormitories are for.”
Ah, now I get it.
So Frank and Cedric were saying they were going for fun but there was a deeper reason…
“I might move into the dorms…”
“7 more hours of sleep sounds good…”
“No, that’s not allowed. You will commute from here.”
You overprotective parents.
“Seriously…?”
“But big brother, on the bright side, your classes will end earlier.”
That’s true…
Considering the 3-hour difference.
Tomorrow, I only have morning classes so classes are only scheduled until 12 but practically it’ll end at 9.
That’s amazing.
“I get it. Alright then.”
“Get some sleep, okay?”
Mom gave me a sidelong glance.
“I hear you.”
“How was the academy, Tsukasa?”
Dad asked.
“It was alright. I made some acquaintances, even friends.”
“Huh? Isn’t that fast?”
Toko was surprised.
“No, I talked to some of the dorm mates. They were good guys. They said they’d introduce me to the class tomorrow.”
“Big brother, you make friends fast.”
“Is that so? Well, boys tend to, don’t they?”
I don’t really know…
“Who are they? Are they classmates?”
“Uh, I forgot their last name but there’s a fat guy named Frank and some girly guy named Cedric.”
“Frank Hegelich and Cedric Seager… both prestigious families… Hmm?”
Huh?
“What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Is big brother in D class?”
“Yeah…”
“Ugh. Same here. Worst.”
Really?
Wouldn’t twins usually try to avoid the same class?
“Oh no… So you’re in it too?”
No way…
“Absolutely, don’t tell anyone we’re siblings. Even more so, we’re twins. I’ve had enough of people laughing when they say ‘You have the same face!’.”
I strongly agree.
Then the inevitable ‘We don’t look alike!’ chorus leading to more laughs is the standard response.
“That was Granny’s doing. She said it would help Tsukasa adjust to the class quicker… Seems like it backfired.”
That was unnecessary.
“What is Granny scheming this time? Just because she has no friends doesn’t mean you need to stick us together. If it were guys, friendship is as simple as a few punches, a good laugh, or a dirty joke.”
Being in the same class as my sister is the worst, especially since we’re twins.
“Dirty… Anyway, as long as you can fit in, it should be fine. Neither Hegelich nor Seager are particularly close to the La Folle family, but there’s no enmity either so it should be fine.”
The worry is about the classes, though.
I can’t use magic.
And I don’t want to lose an arm trying.
“Are there families we need to avoid?”
I don’t know anything.
I really don’t know anything…
“Well, not that it concerns you, but yes, there are.”
“Which ones? I should at least know in case I need to dodge them.”
“The house that Astral considers the biggest rival is Iver. They’re both prestigious families from France but have long-standing rivalry and a very poor relationship.”
Iver?
That sounds familiar…
“Is the Iver in the academy?”
“Yes, there is. There’s Charlène Iver, who used family power to become student council president in a year.”
“Really?”
“That girl is super stuck-up and her pride takes a solid form. Big brother, be careful. You never know what she might say.”
Hmm…
But I traded contact info with her, didn’t I?
We even agreed to study curses together on Friday. She was kind and seemed like a great person?
While wondering what’s happening to me, I alternate glances between my mother and sister from the La Folle family.
Hmm…
“I’ll be careful, alright.”
…Compared to my beloved mother and sister, Charlène is prettier and kinder.
Besides, I’m Nagase so I have nothing to do with the La Folle family.
Yeah, that sounds right.
“Well, we’re in different classes so I don’t think we’ll have much interaction.”
“That might be true. Uh, dad, do you know Akaba? Remembered it at home.”
Let’s change the subject.
“Akaba? Oh yeah, I know. I think there’s a kid from Akaba in your class.”
“Isn’t it Yuika?”
Toko seems to know her too.
Are they friends?
“I don’t know her name but probably. Frank and Cedric mentioned there’s a Japanese kid in our class. Is she okay?”
“The Akabas are no problem. Actually, Nagase isn’t particularly well-known, and we don’t have much conflict with any families anyway.”
That’s kind of lonely…
“What? Big brother, are you after Yuika?”
Toko says something absurd.
“Why would I go after someone whose face and name I don’t even know? Frank just told me to value the connection of being from the same hometown. And he said you two would get along.”
“Why would we?”
“Because you’re both dumb.”
What rude people…
“…Anyway, Yuika’s pretty laid-back. By the way, big brother, haven’t you already been exposed as dumb?”
“Do you even know where England is?”
“Ah… Isn’t that Cedric’s… The UK.”
What?
I asked because I don’t know the location.
I thank you for reading.
If you found this piece to be ‘funny!’ or ‘I’m curious for more!’, your bookmark and rating of the stars ‘★★★★★’ would greatly encourage the writer.
Thank you kindly!
