OLYMPIA

Campus

The first day of school started immediately after the day they arrived, giving the students no moment of rest despite the long and tiring night that they subjected everyone into. But it really isn’t too much problem even for the freshmen of Olympia. After all, they did not make it here by befriending the sandman. So the day marched on through as the newly arrived students forwarded through the usual antics of the first day of school until, as the clock struck noon, the bell rung.

    Through this day marched Louis. Tired as he is, he marched along side everyone to keep his place in Olympia. It took him everything he had to get in, and he won’t be going out because he stayed up chatting with a friend the night prior. Though it did force him to skip breakfast when he overslept a little this morning.

    Now at lunch, he really regrets not filling himself before going home last night. Charles has been kind enough to have a small feast last night and he didn’t make full use of it. Luckily enough, food in Olympia is actually free - well, in a way it is free. When a student enters Olympia, they are given 50,000 credits usable within the island. Over the course of the term, students will gain credits by performing well in class or through various other tasks. They can also transfer credits among themselves.

    Louis has yet to touch his credits, so he still has his 50,000 to spend in lunch. The only question that remains is where should he go for lunch?

    Despite being nothing but a campus and thus occupied by students and the school’s staff, Olympia is a huge, sprawling city with multiple businesses opened and operated by contractors, staffs, and even students who have too much free time on their hand. Indeed, the number of choices one would have when it comes to anything is almost limitless. 

    And so he walked as he pondered, glancing at every restaurant and food stall he passed by, at  times his mind wandering back into the image of the person he sought to once again find, and paying little attention to what goes around him.

    Which is probably why he bumped into another student at that very moment.

    “I- I’m sorry!” he said as he lifted his head to check on the other person. An boy no taller than him sat opposite his ground, looking rather pissed. In his hand he clutched a cellular phone - an old model from the year 2039, which is positively primitive in this day and age where people are more likely to carry an HLP phone.

    “You ruined it!” the boy shouted. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to get something like this in this day and age?”

    Louis closed his eyes in fear of retribution, slowly backing away. “I’m really sorry! I’ll make it up to you!”

    “You better! This thing can’t be bought anywhere anymore! It was a limited time throwback by VV five years ago! I spent 50,000 on it!”

    That is when Louis realized just how screwed he is - though he never heard of this company called VV. So he took a gulp before he spoke again. “I only have credits…”

    “I will accept credits…” the boy said hastily. 

    For a second, Louis thought that he saw a smile on his face, though that might just be “Okay…” 

    And so they fixed up the transfer of 50,000 credits from Louis to this boy he bumped into. It would have drained him off his funds and left him on the red, if not for the one thing that saved his skin that day.

    “HOLD IT!”

    Just before he pressed transfer, the voice rang and caused every bystander to look at where it’s from.

    Louis also looked back to see the source, which is currently running towards them at a speed that could probably match a lion’s, stopping just before she bumped into them, though Louis still managed to fall somehow. 

    A dark haired beauty stood in front of them, breathing heavily from all that running she did earlier. 

    “YOU!” she said, pointing at a scared and confused Louis. “Don’t give a cent of your money to this scum over there! That’s not even a real model in his hand!”

    The boy protested against her accusations. “What are you saying? This phone is as authentic as it gets!”

    “Oh no it’s not and you know it! Otherwise, how would it be possible for you to break it for the fourth time in the last couple hours now?”

    “What?” 

    “You’ve been going around the campus scamming students gullible enough to fall for your lies, preying on the panicked state of their vulnerable minds!”

    Each word caused Louis to shrink more and more.

    “How did you…?” 

    “So you admit it?”

    “Aagggh! Why do you have to ruin my fun like that, you bitch?” the boy said before running off.

    Louis looked up to see his savior, who held her hand out to help him stand up. “Thank you…” he said.

    She scowled at him. “That was such an obvious scam! How could anyone possibly fall for it!?”

    Louis hanged his head in shame. “I’m really sorry… But I just had to… On the off chance that it was true…”

    The girl sighed. “What’s done is done. I already flagged him to the Student Council, so everything he pilfered should find it’s way back.” She then extended her hand and, with a smile, said “I’m Julia August.”

    The sun’s rays gleamed on her sweaty skin as she spoke, and though the wind stood still, her hair fluttered wildly with it. 

    Louis took her hand, blushing slightly. “Louis Monet.” 

    “Ah, that made me hungry!” Julia exclaimed. “Say, would you happen to know any good restaurants around here?” 

    “…No?” 

    “Shame.” She turned around and started walking. “Let us be off, then.”

    “Us?”

    “Of course! I still have something I want to ask you, and I want to do it over lunch because I’m famished!” The way she spoke gave Louis an odd sense of comfort. It’s like he knew this girl for a long time now, yet they met only a moment ago.