Megumi walked across the third hallway towards her classroom. She was wondering if Akko was in that time of the month again, observing that Akko's mood swings were even more evoked this week. Akko was easy to anger but not that quick, because her getting ready to slug someone who just taunted her of blackmailing was just too quick of a shift. And besides, if she knew anything about the girl, it was that she would return some witty retorts before slugging someone.
And what she said today… Megumi shook her head. Akko was right, Megumi had nothing to worry about. Despite her standing in this school, Megumi shouldn't underestimate her being lonesome. But maybe she should've been prepared, seeing she could've brought some pickled plum and chocolate to calm Akko down. Ah, she'll buy them later. Right now, she has to go back to her classroom and take the remaining time to study for the quiz that Yatagi-sensei told them he was going to hold.
But as she was about three classrooms away from her own, she looked down over the windows to her right and saw, under the shade of a tree of the garden that connected the senior and junior high buildings, she found Akko nose-deep in her book, a notebook and pen in her hand and as far as Megumi could squint, she saw the pages of the notebook being filled with notes and paragraphs, causing her to crack a smile and stopping her walk.
Akko was really that determined to enter Luna Nova. The last time she saw Akko that serious was when she was a freshman, when she was almost got expelled from Chitose U for a severe fight that ended her up with a broken arm and gash on her shoulder and face. The only way for her to keep herself from getting kicked out was acing all of her final exams and she fortunately did just that.
It was a refreshing sight to see, Megumi mused. Now, if only there was one or two people with her under there…
"Hey, look. It's that Kagari girl."
Megumi froze.
"Huh? Oh, you mean the delinquent?"
"Yeah, her. Wow, she's gotten pretty tame for the last few months, huh? Wonder why."
"Whoa, sitting under a tree, all alone. Heheh, that's pretty sad."
A few feet behind Megumi, two boys began to look over to where Akko was sitting, marveling at the sight of some young, supposedly-normal girl doing something normal. They're becoming surprised that Akko hasn't done anything to choke up her school record? Megumi found herself staring at them for a few seconds before she quickly turned away, a thought telling her that chastising them would not be worth of her daylight.
"… wonder what she's reading about…" one of the boys asked.
"… probably something pretty weeb-like?" the other answered, chortling suddenly.
Megumi muted them out and basically marched all the way to her classroom, hands clenched to tight, white-knuckled balls.
No, Akko was wrong. If there were people who still mocks her from afar in her own home city then how could it be any better in Britain? Magumi is starting to doubt Akko's endurance.
-.-.-.-.-.-
This was the day. The day when she was going to take the Luna Nova entrance exam.
And Akko could not help but bounce on the balls of her feet with what she couldn't point as nervousness, excitement or downright anxiousness.
Megumi, who was tasked to accompany her during her examination, glanced away from her book and to the moving girl beside her, who somehow could not stay still on her seat. "You alright, Akko-chan?"
Akko didn't respond, only continuing to bounce on her heel with her hand running through her skirt, wiping them every now and then while murmuring words that Megumi could not decipher. Ah, she thought. She's nervous.
Knowing that she could not budge the brunette with words, she simply took out her hand and pinched Akko's left cheek, causing her to yelp in surprise. Akko touched the spot where Megumi had attacked her and asked, "Whu-what—I mean, what are you doing, Megu—Megu-nee!?" she asked, accidently coming off in English in the first part.
She was stammering. Odd. Akko never stammered unless if she was feeling real, heavy feelings. Which meant… "Akko-chan, are you scared?" she asked cautiously.
The short brunette stopped moving, her eyes saucers-wide before her mouth twitched in an odd angle. "What… Well, what do you expect me to do, Megu-nee!?" she suddenly shot back, balling her fists tight. "I barely got any sleep last night! And what if I fail this exam!? What if I'm never going to get accept—"
Megumi quickly clapped her hands on both of Akko's cheeks, silencing the girl as dark eyes stared into Akko's red ones. The older girl took note of how cold her skin was. "Look. Just calm down. And I know that statement is useless but try to listen to my voice." Slowly, her hands undid themselves from Akko's face, gently as possibly, like she was trying to settle an animal down.
Akko contemplates for a moment, studying Megumi's face for a bit before settling to close her eyes, wanting her gut to stop flipping and start acting normal for once. Her right hand fell onto her bag's sling, where she had kept all of her remaining notes about magic kept while the other fell onto her lap and started massaging the tunic. Damn it, she was so nervous.
"Take a breath." Megumi started and Akko heard a gentle suck of a breath which prone her to do the same. "Just focus on my voice," she added and they went on like that for a moment, synchronizing Akko's breathing before Megumi told her to open her eyes and name five things she could see.
Akko listed off in her head; the advertisement poster across her. The railways. The tiny pebble sitting on the edge to the railway. The guy standing just about four meters away from them. The analog clock to her right.
"Name four things you can touch."
The leathery handle of her bag. The texture of her skirt. Her scarf that clung to her neck. Her thigh's skin that had gone cold due to the weather.
"Three things you can hear."
A cell phone ringing from somewhere. The murmurs of people in the back. The loud horn of the train.
"Two things you can smell."
Megumi's strong, rosy perfume. The mixture of smog and snow.
"One thing you can taste."
Akko felt around her mouth and yes, the chocolate drink she had drunk earlier before leaving home has still lingering in her tongue. The short brunette leaned back to the bench and sighed. She knew it was silly, still using that technique of all things to calm her nerves but hey, for a hyper girl, she also had hyper thoughts not even she could sort out. She didn't exactly have anxiety, definitely not, but when she is nervous, her mind's a mess wackier than anything American shows can come up. And as distractible as she can be, once she's nervous about something, she wouldn't stop thinking of it until it has been finished.
"You okay now?" Megumi asked, leaning forward to see Akko's face. She smiled a bit when the younger girl nodded, returning a grateful smile.
"Yeah. Thanks, Megu-nee."
"No problem," Megumi looked over to the train coming to their way, the blares ringing in their ears as people started to crowd onto the spots where the doors of the train would open. She nudged Akko slightly as she said, "C'mon, the train is here."
-.-.-.-.-.-
Akko swallowed slightly as she faced the door to the room where she had learned where the Luna Nova examination would be held. She felt her heart race as she felt the cold doorknob against the tips of her fingers. She looked back, half-expecting Megumi to be behind her again only to see that she wasn't, remembering that she had been tasked to wait in the lobby instead of the halls. She held her Examiner's ID that hung in a blue cord. Cursing slightly, she looked back to the door handle. Her hand shook.
Thud, thud, thud. Ughhh… she hates the way her heart is hammering in her ribcage right now. The exam that would either make or break her dream is just going to be beyond this door, and will now happen in seven minutes if her watch is accurate.
Closing her eyes, she repeated Shiny Chariot's catch phrase. Believe in your believing heart. Believe in your believing heart. Believe, believe, believe…
Rejuvenated by her childhood idol's catch phrase, she opened her eyes, her hand beginning to shakily the knob, now anticipa—
"Um, excuse me?"
"GEH!" Akko spun around so quickly, she had a moment of whiplash before she narrowed her eyes again. She stepped away from the door and bent down at a perfect 90 degree angle. "I'm—I'm so sorry!" Wait, what was she apologizing for? She hadn't done any—
"O-Oh, no, that's okay. And I'm sorry for startling you. You can stand up now."
It was a woman's voice, Akko's notices. She opens her eyes, albeit still feeling the heat radiating off her face from her blunder. She sees the floor and then a pair of dark heels. She looks up and saw a woman in her mid-twenties, standing beside the door, her blue hair which was tied to a ponytail that landed on her shoulder giving Akko the instant thought of a cosplayer. Her face was foreign, a Caucasian-descent, her face adorning a pair of glasses while she towered over Akko. She had red eyes, Akko notices, only that it had a much fiercer color in comparison to her own. Not wanting to keep eye-contact, Akko dared her gaze to move a little lowe—HOY BUDDHA! THAT'S CHEST SIZE IS ABSURD! Why do all Western ladies she sees always have irrational breast size!?
The young brunette felt a bit envious for a moment, feeling her face becoming hotter before the woman spoke again. "Oh, are you an examinee for the Luna Nova exam?" she chirps in fluent Japanese and Akko firmly stands up.
"Yes—" Cringing at how squeaky and cracked her voice was, Akko clears her throat a bit and repeated, "Yes, I am." She points at the door. "This—this is the right room, right?" She hopes so. It's tedious to go back to that building map back at the lobby.
"Why, of course." The woman with strange blue hair said. With an excited smile, she opens the door and beckons Akko to go inside. She then notices the book she held under her arm. Magic Astronomy.
Was this woman… a proctor? Well, she doesn't look witchy. Not as witchy as Shiny Chariot, anyway.
Akko stepped into the room and her eyes landed on the wide study hall where only… three people were seated? Just that? Akko knew a lot of people didn't really care about witches but seriously, this is just depleting to her beliefs.
The first girl she saw was seated in the middle of the seat, a girl with curly hair with dark-rimmed glasses. She didn't really look Japanese; more or less she came off from a foreigner or something. The blonde on the left-most hall was definitely a foreigner. And then there was an older, burly looking woman at the front-right, her pen gliding across her fingers effortlessly. They all looked very reluctant being here.
What the heck… Where was determination!? Are they really the examinees that wanted to take the LN exam? Because to Akko, they just looked like a bunch of girls seated in a room because they were strictly told to.
Somebody just cleared their throat. Akko looked to her right and saw an old, tall foreign lady standing behind the desk. She had odd, bright green hair which cut into a bob cut, thus framing her face. Akko could have assumed she used to be a very pretty woman back when she was younger but the scowl she had plastered on her face managed to dismiss the thought.
Akko decides to acknowledge her outfit, a very professional black blazer over a green button-up blouse. "You must be an examinee, correct?" The woman asks. Akko nods and showed her purple ID to the woman and she barely cocked a brow before motioning her to take a seat. Akko did just that.
Wow, she already didn't like the woman and they hadn't even exchanged words yet. The young brunette solely chose the spot at the back center, where she could see the backs of the other three girls and she fidgeted in her seat. It felt really empty here, kind of, and it sort threw Akko off. But she didn't really care. She should mind her own business for now. After all, she has a goal and she needs to dish it out before anything else. She took out her notebook and did one last scrutinized reviewing of notes before she heard the voice of the blue-haired woman from earlier and she pulled up her head.
"Alright, is, um, is this everyone who's going to take the examination?" She asks, a clipboard on her hand, looking quite awkward with the number of students. Akko frowns a bit and looks over at the door, expecting it to burst open and see students filling in the room but after a few more seconds, the woman looks over to the older one and said, "Okay, I believe this is all of them, Professor Badcock."
She turned back to them again. "So, um," she cleared her throat and bowed her head down. "Good morning to each and every one of you all. I believe all of you have known that today is the entrance examination of the prestigious Luna Nova Magical Academy back in Britain." Akko nods affirmatively. "We have held this examination in Japan for the sole purpose of further diversifying magic and students altogether from across the globe.
The Headmistress of Luna Nova Academy had the idea that if we were to expand our selection of witches, we should go farther east. However, since Japan is unable to resolve magic into their land and with the absence of any Philosopher's Stone in the vicinity, we were tasked to do the traditional examination instead."
Akko has read from her research and the internet that most witches nowadays have to be in close locality of a Philosopher's Stone in order for their magic to work. Without the stone, they would have to regard the saved energy inside them and in their wands, which is often enough to fire off several spells before going off (but that often depends on the magical prowess of a witch).
"And so, the Luna Nova Examination. I and Professor Samantha Badcock here will be the ones to oversee you girls. My name is Professor Ursulla Callistis, though you may call me Professor Ursula instead." All of the sudden, another shot of impulse coursed through Akko and she threw her hand up. Professor Ursula's eyes went to her. "Yes, Miss… err…"
Akko stood up from her spot as the other three girls turned to her and said, "A-Atsuko Kagari, Professor. I know this is a sudden question but, uhh, if you two really are witches from Luna Nova then, er, why aren't dressed as so?"
Professor Ursula widened her eyes and something fell in Akko's stomach. Was that too much? Stupid question, stupid question, stupid question, stupid question… Why did she ask that in the first place!? It's not her business to know why they're dressed like some normal teachers, why hadn't she just shut up and let herself study, oh god, she looks stupid, isn't she, with those three girls looking at her like the stupid, awkward girl that she was—
"Yeah, was wondering the same thing," suddenly, the girl in front added, her pen yet again spinning in circles. "I mean, no offense, but I was, uh, expecting some kind of navy robes, really. Sorry, Professor."
Professor Ursula smiled an uneasy smile. "Oh, no, it's okay. But if you really want to know, the facilitators had advised to dress in more, let's say, modern fashion so that we won't cause much of a scene."
Professor Badcock was scowling, murmuring something about 'cosplay' and 'revolting' before sighing in a condescending way. Akko just stood there, and realizing she has already received her answer, she squeaked out, "Ah… O-Okay then." and sat back down to her seat.
After a second, Professor Ursula beamed a soft smile at her, her eyes hidden away by her light of her glasses before saying, "But if you really want proof of our professionalism in magic, Miss Kagari, then I suppose it won't hurt to demonstrate a bit of magic."
Huh? Akko looked up, stumped by her reply and saw Professor Ursula glancing at Professor Badcock, as though she was asking permission before the green-haired witch just rolled a shoulder. Professor Ursula's smile grew wider and her right hand went behind her before she produced a mold of wood clamped by iron on each end. One end had a polyhedron shape of sorts and the other a u-shaped disk with a circle inside it. Akko leaned forward in her seat, eyes glazed with awe and curiosity as Professor Ursula handed the tool.
Professor Ursula held the mold carefully and flicked it to the side, which then the u-shaped end extended at least a foot and Akko gasped. It was a wand! She then held the wand just above her head and with a twirl, green light began to escape from it, even some sparkles. Professor Ursula twirled the wand several more times before the green light began to shine and glimmer.
With grace, she flicked the wand into Akko's general direction and green burst of energy was released. A bird of light was shot out from the wand and wandered across the ceilings, leaving a trail of sparkles behind its tail.
Akko gaped as the magical creature swooped down to her spot in the room and flew around her, she having the hardest time keeping up her eyes with it. The bird did it more spins before it suddenly stopped right in front of her eyes and then, with a final tab of its wings, it burst into stardust.
Wow… She hasn't seen something like that since Shiny Chariot's show and that was… seven or six years? But still, that was amazing. She held out her hand below the trail of stardust and a sense of nostalgia draped over her like a soft blanket. When the glimmer landed on her palms, on reflex, she closed her hands together and held it near her.
"Now, how was that?" Akko snapped out of her stupor and her eyes landed back to Professor Ursula who was beaming softly, a thrilling glint in her eyes as she placed her wand back to her pocket.
"It was amazing, Professor!" Akko quickly said, her heart still racing fast after the small show. "I haven't seen anything like that since Shiny Chariot's performance here in Japan!" She heard a few snickers of mockery but ignored it.
Professor Ursula's eyes widened in surprise, but if Akko hadn't been so indulged by the demo of magic, she would've noticed how the clipboard she held was twitching in her hold. She slightly fidgeted, her hand reaching up to her face to scratch her cheek. "Is, is that so, Miss Kagari? Thank—Thank you," she said.
Was that being sheepish? Akko didn't know but she just nodded her head and looked back at her palms. The sprinkle of magic which landed there had finally disappeared. A disappointed feeling welled inside the brunette as she let her hands stay atop of the desk, already missing the childhood feeling of being wondered and in awe within the face of magic. She looked up front again and looked over to the two witch professors who continued to talk and there Akko noticed that each on their belts was their respective wands.
Akko imagined herself holding such a tool. How easily she could feel, do the wonders that Shiny Chariot had done many years ago. With just a flick of a wrist, she could hundreds of creatures, spread joy across the globe, and witness the smiles of many, many people…
"This exam will start by 10 AM and will end in 11 thirty," Professor Badcock said, holding four stapled papers in her hands. "Ergo, it will last an hour and a half. There will be no extension of time nor will there be any retakes after you have taken the exam."
The young brunette clenched her hands. She wants this. She wants this so bad it's starting to make her scowl.
"The results will be sent to you via letter," she continued. "You will receive them approximately two months after this exam, so please be wary of any letters sent to your address. If you are not accepted, you can comeback a year later to retake this test and try again. Now, please take out your pencils and place all of your bags at the back."
Akko took out her trusted red stencil and placed her bag in the right corner far away from her and returned to her seat, the others following her actions as they begin to hold their pens in their hands. She grips hers uneasily as her heart hammered in her ribcage. She sees Professor Ursula distributing the test papers to each girl, starting from the burly girl in the front to the glassed girl several seats below her.
"As you all have known, there will be strictly no cheating," Professor Badcock added. "Anybody who will be caught shall be immediately kicked out of the examination room and be revoked of her examiner's ID."
'This is it…' Akko thinks as Professor Ursula hands her the test paper last along with navy violet-themed answering sheet.
Akko inspected her exam. Four papers. Front page had the Luna Nova symbol; a ring-shaped emblem with three arrows pointing from the top and bottom. Her answering sheet had eighty numbers of a multiple-choicer test and from the bottom, a box with six lines designated for an essay test worth of twenty points. A hundred of points all in all.
She placed it in front of her neatly and glanced at her watch. Forty seconds before the test. She closed her eyes and prayed to Buddha, Jennifer, God, and whatever deity there was to wish to her good luck to the exam.
"The exam begins…" Akko sucked in a breath. She gripped her pen tighter. "Now."
Her hands graced along the edges of the test paper and she flipped it open.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Whooo!
I finally updated this after a long time! Though I'm still not too keen on my grammar. I think I typed too fast but then again, can you really blame me? I have four documents open on word, six tabs on Google and one for Encarta dictionaries. (Technically there are only four softwares open but having horrible attention span is as fascinating as a giraffe riding a gun).
Anyway, hope ya bois like this chapter! Though it's really OOC for Akko but I just wrote this on a whimsical thought. And I didn't really know where that 5 touch, 4 touch thing came, it just popped up lol
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