The Reve - Part 1

Chapter 12: Rookie

Hyori was turning around in her bed. She had received the results of the Ultra Academy College-preparatory school. She wasn't sure of what she had expected. Besides being the number one hero school, the academy was renowned for its "groundbreaking teaching methods".

She couldn't mourn forever, though. She had to get ready to host 'Professor'. She could tell him she had been admitted into the Ultra Academy General Course. She had scored a nearly perfect mark on written tests and had been welcomed in the first General Educational class.

He didn't need to know she tried the hero examination test. She could review her rookie mistakes on her own. The biggest might have been not knowing what she was aiming for. She didn't know the requirements of the heroic course and hadn't even properly taken it.

She had avoided the test, fearing an injury from the robots left loose in the mock city. At least, she had secured enough points on the written part. Then again, how could have she guessed the hopeful were tested with robots?

Also, wasn't the point of a school to teach things? Did the board expect students to be already versed in combat skills? She might have underestimated the preparation needed to enter the hero course... Of the number one hero school.

Overall, she hadn't been proactive enough and had no idea where she stood in terms of requirements. It's not like she had mock hero tests at her middle school. Then again, the next-starters hero pupils didn't. At least, she didn't panic during the session.

The universe put her in the same session with Kiku, probably because they were schooled in the same prefecture. He remained paralysed and only woke up when a robot frontally charged him at the very.

On her way out, she stopped by Megumi's door in the hall and wished her good night.

"Sleep tight." She said in a sing-song voice.

The trick never failed to tether the girls' minds. Even if it was for a few seconds, they enjoyed their special connection. Megumi felt Hyori's dejection and sent back support.

"You are still my hero."

Hyori replied with a smile and headed out of the apartment. She wanted to be there for the little teen even if she didn't know what it meant. That was the girl's favourite hero trademark sentence. "I'm here".

Hyori was aware Megumi's presence had induced her newly-found interest in heroics. That kid gave her purpose beyond herself. At some point, she wondered who was the hero in their duo. Probably the little one. Hyori hadn't proven herself yet.

She couldn't think of being Megumi's hero as long as the girl was still under the pension's care. She had exposed the issue to Mister Yagi. The man had told her she could circumvent the pension by asking the kid's Grandmother to request the end of the guardianship.

Simply taking the girl with her would be kidnapping since Megumi was legally under the pension's care. Nullifying the tutelage would require something terrible to happen and she would rather save the girl beforehand.

She resigned since she wasn't yet in a hurry. Nothing would happen to the girl as long as she was hosting. She had three months to establish a plan to get her 'little sister' out of the pension. She wouldn't decide by herself, anyway. She would expose her ideas to Megumi and include the girl in the decision-making.

Inside room 302, 'Professor' was already waiting in bed. In two years, the man healed enough and his mind was in a better state. He still needed respiratory assistance, though. She had to be mindful of his vitals when he requested her to caress him.

As she was undressing to join him, he asked as expected.

"How did you pass your College-preparatory entrance examinations?" He didn't expect her to fail.