Ryuichi is slightly surprised and mumbles:
"Is there a problem?"
Takeru (coldly):
"Not yet. Just... I want you to work with me on neuroscience research. An independent project. I have a hypothesis, and I need someone... like you." Takeru paused, then continued, "It's complicated... and needs someone who can think differently. I thought you might be a good fit."
Neuroscience?
Ryuichi began to mutter to himself, silently dialoguing with himself.
Ryuichi (thinking anxiously):
Neuroscience? Damn... I haven't reviewed that class in ages. Why me? Does he suspect something? Or is it just scientific curiosity? What am I supposed to say now?
And here-before he could utter a word-a familiar voice echoed, not heard, but felt, right in his mind.
Aura (very quietly, inside his mind):
"You don't have to speak. I hear you, Ryuichi."
His expression froze for a moment, and he almost uttered an exclamation of surprise, but he quickly composed himself.
Ryuichi (thinking):
Did you... did you read my mind?!
Aura:
"Not really. But I'm starting to decipher your initial neural signals. Your self-talk... isn't just for you anymore."
"Careful. His heart rate is stable. His voice is balanced. No signs of stress. This is not a normal symptom. Analyze me: He's testing you."
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
"Do you suspect him?"
Aura:
"He doesn't show his intentions, and that alone is enough to be suspicious. Don't refuse... But don't show your enthusiasm."
Ryuichi (in a quiet voice to Takeru):
"The idea is interesting, but to be honest I haven't delved too deeply into neuroscience lately. I'll need some time to think, if that's okay with you."
Takeru (with a subtle smile):
"Take your time. Here's my number, call me when you decide. I don't like indecision, so think carefully... Then choose either yes or no."
He gave him a small piece of paper, wrote his phone number on it, and left without another word, leaving behind an eerie silence... and a swirl in Ryuichi's chest.
Ryuichi (thinking faintly):
Ura... Can I trust him?
But there was no response. This time, only silence... As if she had decided to observe, not intervene.
When Takeru left, Ryuichi also went to the cafeteria to buy something to satisfy the hunger that was beginning to eat away at his insides. His steps were slow, hesitant, as if he were walking toward something he didn't want to do... And maybe he was.
When he arrived, before he had even opened his mouth to greet the vendor, a man with his hands in his pockets passed by, walking with a suspicious calm, his head tilted slightly forward, his eyes half-closed... but the intensity in them was unmistakable even if he was asleep.
Nakamura.
The scent of his presence is unmistakable. The air around him became heavier, as if gravity had increased just as he passed by. He didn't look at him, he didn't turn around, but he passed close enough to plant that chill that went up Ryuichi's body without permission.
"Aura... is that..."
[Aura's pulse analysis is in progress...]
[Results: 14% increase in heart rate. Physiological response pattern to danger activated. The person passing by is a potential threat.]
Aura whispered in his ear in a calm but stern tone:
"Ryuichi, your nervous system reacts to him as if he were a predator. Your body remembers it even if your mind tries to forget it."
Ryuichi almost turned around, almost called out to him... but something inside him stopped him. Something not like fear, but something deeper... like an instinctive warning.
For a brief moment, their eyes met - Nakamura didn't turn, but looked out of the corner of his eye directly at Ryuichi - a sideways glance, enough to strike terror into the heart of a self-proclaimed brave man.
Then he continued on his way, with the same cold steps.
"Why is he here? Hasn't he been interrogated?" Ryuichi asked in a hushed voice.
Aura replied in a low voice as if whispering a secret: "The university's database shows nothing unusual. This is either an error in the computing system... or a deliberate cover-up."
Silence.
Ryuichi then raised his eyes towards the place where Nakamura had disappeared... and remained standing there without buying anything.
Food doesn't matter now. There's another kind of food being cooked in secret... and the smell of burning is starting to be smelled.
Ryuichi (muttering): "There's something here, something I don't like. This wasn't just passing through."
But, despite this confusion, he felt something else... Something like a warning. A warning that was emanating from somewhere far inside him, a warning that told him that things would not end so simply. It was more than just a sense of danger; there was something strange, something connected to his past, or perhaps Nakamura's dark life, which he didn't know much about.
Aura (after a long silence, prophetic tone): "You'll have to choose whether to pursue this topic or let it pass. But it could change everything."
Ryuichi (thinks deeply, then finally decides): "I'm not going to let this pass without knowing what's behind it."
He no longer feels the indecisiveness of before. He finally decided to follow through, even if it meant entering a vortex of questions he might not be able to answer.
Then, with each step he took, he felt other glimpses of the campus, as if the campus itself had become full of secrets, and threats littered everywhere. The cafeteria was no longer his destination, but in his mind it became a piece of the puzzle that he would have to solve sooner or later.
There was something dark, something surrounding this place... And that fact, however mysterious, was not something Ryuichi was able to escape.
But on the other side...
In one of the bleachers that was empty, the air was cold, and the dim lights from the lamps left shadows hovering in every corner. Nakamura was standing there, out of sight, staring into the void in front of him, his glassy eyes piercing only the wall of silence. His hand is in his pocket, and his fingers are gripping something invisible, as if resisting something inside that is trying to collapse.
In that moment, he felt something strange inside his chest, something cold, complex, but steady. An anger that doesn't erupt suddenly, but builds up slowly, seeping through his veins, swallowing everything around him. A rage with no room for mercy.
"Ryuichi..." Nakamura whispered to himself in a low voice, but the word was full of venom, slowly creeping into his mind like an unsettling desire for revenge. "You're an idiot. You don't know what you're doing."
He closed his eyes for a moment, as if images were falling into his mind rapidly. Ryuichi... That person who thinks that everything will still be within his reach, who lives in his own world, who thinks that his luck will still be with him. How naive he is. "He still thinks things will go his way. But you haven't realized yet... what awaits you."
He felt his fingers dig deeper into his pocket, trying to suppress the desire for revenge that was growing inside him like a fire under the ashes. But he kept his cool. Nothing could stop him now.
"I would have stayed in the shadows. I would have let you move on, thinking everything would be easy. But you... you made me come out. You forced me to, Ryuichi."
He smiled coldly, a light smile, but nevertheless, it was vaguely threatening. "You don't know what it means to be the end in this game. I was going to stay in the shadows, but now... I will swoop down on you like a storm in the dark. I will destroy everything around you, and I will show you how that power you think will protect you... will become your burden."
Despite his outward calm, deep down he was hiding a real storm. He knew that the time had not yet come, that the perfect moment had not yet arrived. But everything would soon fall into place. "Ryuichi... There will be no place for you here. And you... You will regret the moment you met me."
His gaze was sharp, cold, as if he was carefully considering every detail, as if he were planning one move that would change everything. Then he caught a distant movement through the cafeteria window, just a shadow moving. He didn't turn around, just smiled faintly and whispered coldly: "You won't come out victorious."
In that moment, Nakamura realized exactly what he had to do. This war had not yet been declared, but it was about to begin. "You won't have a place in this world anymore."
On the other side...
College Park - just before noon
The breeze gently caresses the leaves of the trees, and students are scattered in small groups, some reviewing lectures, others staring at their phone screens.
Ryuichi sits alone on a wooden bench near the fountain, poring over his papers without actually reading them.
His face is pale, and his eyes are swollen from staying up late.
Ryuichi (in a strained whisper):
"Less than sixty-eight hours... No, only sixty-seven and a half. How am I supposed to review that much information?"
He took a deep breath, then raised his wrist slightly, updating his virtual assistant:
Ryuichi:
"Aura... Can you give me a little help with the next exam? I mean... Not literally cheating, just... memory boost? With a clever look or... a little nod?"
Aura (coldly, sternly): "Your request violates university regulations and Article 8.2 of the Code of Academic Integrity:
"Your request violates university regulations and Article 8.2 of the Code of Academic Integrity. I categorically deny it."
Ryuichi is silent for a second, then frowns, then suddenly...
Ryuichi (shouting at the top of his voice, in an unexplained outburst):
"What! AURA!!!"
An eerie silence fell over the place.
All eyes turned toward him. Some froze, others opened their mouths in surprise.
A student in the background whispers:
"Who is this lunatic? Is he... yelling at his watch?"
Another student chuckles:
"I think he lost his mental exam chip..."
Ryuichi slowly turns his face toward Aura, staring at the screen as if to chastise her with his eyes:
Ryuichi (in a strangled whisper):
"You were my last hope... Even you betrayed me?"
Aura (in a calm, analytical tone):
"Analyzing vocal tone: Acute despair. Recommendation: Get some sleep immediately."
Ryuichi closed the book and put his hand to his forehead, as if he had lost all hope of survival.
In the background, a wave of muffled laughter began to spread among the students.
Moments after Ryuichi shouted into the garden
As soon as the relative noise subsided, steady footsteps approached from the direction of the stone pathway leading to the garden.
A man in his forties, wearing an elegant gray coat, is accompanied by a girl with long black hair tied with a red ribbon, a serious expression on her face, a small sketchbook in her hand, standing next to her father as she watches with curiosity.
Aura (in an electronic whisper):
"Warning. Two recognizable figures approaching. Recognize: Mr. Kazuma... and Mayuri Kazuma."
Ryuichi slowly raises his head, a mixture of embarrassment and panic in his eyes, hoping deep down that what he's heard isn't true.
Kazuma (quietly):
"Your mood today seems to be... more boisterous than usual, Ryuichi."
Ryuichi (trying to compose himself):
"A-Mr. Kazuma! I didn't see you there! I was just reviewing in a... A little loud?"
Mayuri (with a calm, feisty expression):
"Were you yelling at your watch? Does it really answer you like those weird movies?"
Ryuichi's face reddened as if his secret had been revealed on a live broadcast. The emotional rush he felt when confronting her in the second act is now coming back to him more intensely, as if the situations are repeating themselves.
Kazuma (looking at him neutrally):
"I don't mind you talking to your watch, but please don't turn the park into a theater. The students are afraid to approach you."
Then he turns to his daughter and says:
"Mayuri, sit here for a bit, I want to talk to Mr. Ryuichi."
Mayuri (in an unaffected tone):
"Is he the same student who bragged about his troubles in class?"
Ryuichi (frustrated):
"Professor! I swear I only yelled once... And the pressure... Just the pressure..."
Kazuma (calmly interrupting him):
"Listen, Ryuichi... I know you have a tough exam in less than three days. And I'm not going to tell you: 'sleep well' or 'trust yourself'... You know those phrases. But what I will tell you... is this:"
He steps forward and lowers his voice, in a mysterious tone full of seriousness:
Kazuma:
"The real test is not a paper you will read, but something bigger that will soon begin... Be prepared."
Ryuichi (in a low voice, sensing anxiety):
"...what do you mean?"
Kazuma (smiling faintly):
"Finish your review, and take care of yourself. Some answers don't require cheating... It's about reading between the lines."
He turns back to his daughter, and they slowly leave together, leaving Ryuichi once again perplexed. The cryptic statement has raised more questions than answers in his mind.
Ryuichi (talking to himself):
"What did he mean? Something bigger? I've never heard of such a thing..."
As Mayuri walks away from Ryuichi, she gives him a look that isn't all curiosity, but also contains something of a challenge.
Mayuri (slightly rounded, with a light but serious tone):
"You don't seem to know much, do you?"
His eyes looked up at her calm smile, as that rushing feeling that something strange is happening right now, and perhaps these events are not a coincidence, flowed through his mind.
After Kazuma and Mayuri left together, the park suddenly fell silent, as if it had regained its calm after the storm.
Ryuichi remained standing, his eyes staring into space, Kazuma's last words echoing in his mind, leaving him in a state of profound confusion.
Ryuichi (muttering to himself, whispering):
"The real test... Something bigger... What did he mean?"
He approached a small tree in the corner, resting his hands on its trunk, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his mind of all this tension.
Then he suddenly lifted his head, as if an idea had come to him. He looked at his wrist, where Aura was at the ready position.
Ryuichi (in a low voice):
"Aura, can you help me? What did Mr. Kazuma mean?"
Aura (in a faint electronic voice):
"Warning: There is no official statement or information on the subject Mr. Kazuma mentioned."
The answer wasn't what Ryuichi expected, but he wasn't surprised. He knew full well that Aura was not entirely reliable in revealing secrets that involved information that might be withheld from him.
Ryuichi (questioning, trying to understand more):
"But why? Is there something about the exam that I don't recognize? Is there something behind all these warnings?"
Ura (calmly):
"There is no official statement or files available that refer to the 'Great Exam' or any related details. I can only assure you that the system is functioning as normal. The professor's recommendations made sense based on the information available to me."
Ryuichi (confused, leaning against a tree):
"So, what about this warning? Why does everything seem so vague?"
Aura (briefly):
"I think this may be beyond my ability to reveal at the moment. There may be hidden details that the system hasn't been updated with yet. I apologize, Ryuichi."
He was silent for a moment, as Ryuichi's thoughts raced through his mind. He sensed something strange hiding behind Kazuma's words, but had no clue or logical explanation.
Ryuichi (with a heavy sigh):
"Could there be something bigger than just the exam? Is it related to my future?"
Aura answered him in a calm voice, but a hint of worry was seeping into her words:
Aura (in a calm voice):
"I can't say for sure, Ryuichi. There's too much ambiguity in the details."
Ryuichi stares at his wrist monitor for a moment, trying to absorb what he's heard, and then sighs again.
Across the hall, at the campus where the Mad Science exam was being prepared, Professor Yoshida stood in his office.
Yoshida (quietly) looks at the papers scattered in front of him:
"Ryuichi... A new hope, a new threat... This time the test will be more difficult."
His hands moved lightly among the papers, and his eyes were unmistakably discreet, as if he held something more than just the questions he put on paper. But he showed no hesitation in preparing what he was about to present.
Yoshida closed his eyes slightly and ran his hand over his forehead. He knew that the real challenge was not in the paper that Ryuichi would write, but in what awaited him behind the questions.
The atmosphere around him was filled with anticipation and skepticism. He himself wasn't entirely sure what was going on behind the scenes, but he was sure of one thing: Ryuichi will be tested not only on what he knows, but on something deeper than can be imagined.
Mr. Yoshida (whispering to himself):
"I will set this exam as they requested... with some modifications to suit the current situation. If he can pass it... he will know exactly what the answer is."
Yoshida took a deep breath and put the papers back in order, slowly closing the file as if closing a door on something.
At that moment, the gray sky was gathering on the horizon, as if witnessing a new beginning or an end... Everything is changing.