29: An Ideal School Life

Nyssa, having just wandered around and said hi to a couple of the heroes, had come back once she noticed Celeste sitting alone on the bleachers. Climbing up with careful steps, she had tried to keep the creaking to a minimum before sitting down. Leaning against Celeste, she let out a long sigh while watching everyone else begin to file back to their seats.

By now, various students had queued up at the sign-up sheet to grab a spot for a one-on-one training spot. Others, however, began forming teams in preparation for the later group battles. Without an urge to show-off, Nyssa just sat back and pretended she didn’t exist. She didn’t quite feel the urge to show off and reveal her powers to the wider school for a spar she could—depending on the person—get in private whenever she wanted.

Closing her eyes, she took a few moments to just bask in the sun. Before long, however, she slumped and fell asleep against Celeste. Enjoying her impromptu nap, Nyssa slept through the entire one-versus-one showmatch section of the morning.

Startled awake when everyone broke for lunch, she followed along with sleepy steps as the crowds of people filed back out towards the various cafeterias. The bustle of conversation filled her ears as she just clung onto Celeste’s hand to not get swept away.

“Good morning...” Nyssa yawned as she leaned in close to Celeste to make her voice heard. “Where are we going for lunch?”

“I’m just following the rest of Class Zero, I think they’re just planning on going to the main cafeteria though, want to go elsewhere?” Celeste murmured back as they slipped through the crowd to make their way forward.

“No, I'm fine with anything, let’s just follow them,” Nyssa answered with a few sleepy nods. “The food is good everywhere after all. We just need to move fast to get a decent seat.”

Following their little exchange though, the two of them decided to put their conversation on hold as they continued forward. Getting squished around as they walked, they tried their best to get to the front of the pack. One tense battle through the crowd later, the two of them caught up to Ryker and Electra.

Joining their two upperclassmen, Nyssa and Celeste waddled along as Ryker and Electra decided where they wanted to sit.

The center.

Nyssa really had to praise the audacity of the upperclassmen. Even if all the Class Zero students—graduates included—sat at the center table, there would still be around half the table left empty.

Sitting across from Ryker and Electra, Nyssa and Celeste made some quiet conversation as everyone left their food untouched. Sure, they were hungry, but because all of Class Zero was all gathering together for once, Ryker proposed for them to all wait and eat together. Nyssa, for one, didn’t mind. Her stomach was still fast asleep and food didn’t seem very appetizing at this point in time. So, as they waited, they caught up with each other. Celeste and Nyssa spent most of their time with the three other non-graduate division students, Albion, Titus, and Conrad. Given the fact that those three were quite the... raucous bunch, there wasn’t much social energy left for Electra and Ryker most of the time.

“You two enjoying yourselves?” Ryker grinned while propping his chin up on his hands. “Living your ideal school life?”

“What’s an... ‘ideal’ school life?” Nyssa questioned as confusion seemed to waft off of her. “I mean, I’m having fun. Coming to the institute everyday is much more interesting than napping five times a day. Albeit a lot more tiring.”

“Of course it's more tiring,” Electra facepalmed as an exasperated sigh left her face. “Ideal as in... feeling joy I guess. I’m not too sure either though.”

“Like in ANIME!” Ryker winked while firing off finger guns. “You know, watching movies, getting involved in drama, creating a secret hideout, or maybe fighting off a secret villain society!”

“I... feel like that escalated quite a bit,” Celeste shook her head with a faint sigh. “No, we have not been doing any of those things though. Honestly we’ve just been staying on campus for the most part. Just... talking? Sitting around and talking, yeah. Sometimes doing sparring sessions with each other.”

“How boring, pweh,” Ryker flapped his lips while wilting over. “You all need to live a little more!”

“I mean, we didn’t do any of that stuff when we were at that age,” Electra countered while patting Ryker on the back.

“Yeah, but look at us now,” Ryker shook his head. “We’re so boring! We should be giving them wisdom as their seniors! Telling them how to not become bums like us!”

“Uh huh, so we’re bums now,” Electra nodded with an unimpressed eyebrow raise. “I don’t think becoming us is all that bad, but that’s my opinion.”

“Ah, you just don’t understand,” Ryker crossed his arms while leaning back. “The sublimity of youth! There’s so much they’re missing out on!”

“Well... are there uh... ‘secret villain societies’ around here?” Nyssa ventured while gesturing upward with her palm. “I’m not aware of any secret villain societies we can fight off in the first place. All the teachers are quite nice and there’s no... cults or anything? What are they going to do? Worship a giant crab or something?”

“... True,” Ryker furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips. “Well, then make one! Yes, yes, I, the expert with many credentials, say this with full confidence. Trust me.”

“Sure...” Nyssa nodded as Celeste copied her actions. “We’ll get on that soon, yeah. Yep, next time you see us we’ll be heads of a multifaceted crime syndicate.”

“Good, good, I look forward to it,” Ryker laughed while waving over Albion, Titus, and Conrad. “Make sure to hook me up with the good stuff, if you know what I mea-”

“Don’t do that. You two aren’t dumb enough to actually consider that, but Ryker, don’t make that joke,” Electra shook her head. “I don’t know, it’s just... a little distasteful. There are better ways to be funny.”

“... Yeah, my apologies,” Ryker shook his head while patting Electra on the back.

Before Ryker could change the topic and before Albion, Conrad, and Titus could make it over though, a group of people walked up and crowded up right behind where Ryker and Electra were sitting.

There were... a lot of them. It wasn’t just all guys either, and they all seemed to be... well, around Ryker and Electra’s age. But, of course, with age, it was a lot harder to tell. Or maybe it wasn’t. Nyssa, herself, found it quite the challenge though.

Forming a half-circle of sorts, they all stood there with crossed arms as one leader—or maybe a sacrificial lamb, Nyssa didn’t know—stepped forward and tapped both Electra and Ryker on the shoulder.

“We, as the top students of Class One, would like to issue you two a challenge.”