Noel slowly opened his eyes and woke up feeling a soft and tingly sensation. A gentle breeze caressed his cheeks, and the gentle sunshine warmed his body.

 The last thing he remembered was that he and his classmates collapsed, and as he got up, a slight headache attacked him.

 He looked around and saw his classmates either getting up or still lying down.

 It felt oddly different, and he couldn’t put it into words.

 His friend, Alum, had yet to wake up as he seemed comfortable.

 Alum was someone Noel started to admire after he got into college. Alum was doing his own things and would always be composed. He got the best grades, and most people admired him too. Although… some people really disliked his aloof and distant personality.

 Noel knew who Alum was due to his father’s work. After all, his father had worked with him in the past. Alum had a tragic story, and Noel admired Alum's strength to serve justice to those who wronged him.

 Although he was framed for a short while for being the murderer of his parent’s killer, he got out of it relatively quickly.

 In other words, Noel was quite fascinated by him. Even more so when he learned they went to the same private college.

 But… when he actually got to meet Alum, he realised that Alum was someone who had given up on life.

 It wasn’t like Noel thought he was suicidal, but it was more like he just didn’t care for anything. He lacked any sort of personality and didn’t seem quite human.

 He whom Noel had admired turned out to be quite an empty shell. He felt rather sad to learn that fact.

 In their first interaction, he was ignored entirely.

 It was as if he didn’t exist.

 But Noel didn’t give up. Since his admiration for him wouldn’t allow that. He didn’t want him to be an emotionless vessel.

 He wanted him to live.

 Live in the sense of seeing the world, enjoying the small things, or building relationships with others.

 What he did wasn’t living; it was drifting through life as time passed. There was no sense of pleasure or dissatisfaction and no care, ambition, or goals.

 Although Noel knew that there were people who didn’t know their purpose or goals, some struggled to find what they truly wanted and strived to find what they felt was missing. At least they were living and trying to find that thing.

 But Alum, on the other hand… it was none of that. It was just empty.

 That’s why Noel persisted and attempted to speak with Alum or get his attention for a whole year.

 He got Alum to react to him in a negative way, but that was a start, in his opinion. Although his words were sharp as knives, it was just an attempt to rid himself of Noel.

 Later, when he got sick. It turned out that he successfully got into Alum’s life.

 Usually, Alum wouldn’t even notice he was there or if he was gone. This was great progress, he thought.

 From then on, he got Alum to open up a lot more.

 And one day, Alum finally asked him.

 “... How come you always bother me? You have friends, right?”

 The unkind words from the person beside him didn’t bother him at all, as he, deep down, knew the other party didn’t actually mean what he said.

 After all, he bothered to ask the question and was concerned that Noel was neglecting his friendships for this.

 And ever since then, Alum seemed more… friendly. His words were still quite sharp, but his expression did soften up.

 Noel’s efforts were quite selfish, but he was happy that Alum finally became more human. He dragged him around and got all sorts of reactions.

  Noel also learned that Alum was quite childlike in many aspects. Alum was quite curious about mundane stuff and was relatively easy to read.

 He was bad at hiding his emotions, and god blessed he still lived with Professor Emely. Because had he lived alone, he’d been either food poisoned or lived an unhealthy life.

 Little by little, Alum was becoming more of a person. He started to sometimes skip class, and when Noel asked him why, Alum just said that he had forgotten as he took a stroll.

 He also developed some likes and dislikes and was easily swayed by Noel if he pleaded or bribed him.

 Now that Noel thought about it… it’s his fault Alum’s grades went down, wasn’t it…?

 Of course, they would… he skipped tests and classes after all.

 Anyhow, now wasn’t the time to be in deep thought.

 Looking around, there was only plain grass and a clear sky. It was relatively flat, with a river not too far away and a forest in view.

While all this seemed normal, it was bizarre at the same time. Why, how, and when did they get here?

 When? That was relatively easy to answer. They were transported here while unconscious.

 How? He didn’t have an answer for that, and the same goes for why.

 Those were the thoughts that circulated in Noel’s mind.

 And although he hasn’t come to a proper conclusion, he did notice something out of place.

 There was a second star visible in broad daylight.

 Cold sweat ran down his neck, and he could feel an increase in blood circulation to his brain as his heart beat faster.

 He didn’t want to believe it, but… the strange feeling in his body was proof to some extent.

 Somehow, he could feel something circulating in his body, which wasn’t blood. It felt more mystical, and he felt oddly confident about it.

 It was a wild guess, but maybe….

 Noel concentrated that feeling in his palm, and… a faint orange glow appeared on his hand. A tiny spark of flames appeared.

 In disbelief, he fell backwards, and the small flame disappeared.

 He was lying down and stared into the sky.

 (No way…) he thought.

 Others who watched him closely reacted similarly, as they couldn’t believe what they saw.

 And they all probably realised it by then.

 This wasn’t their plane of existence. Because there was no way a human could create a flame out of thin air.

 …

  …..

 …

 Alum was still asleep, and everyone was trying to cope with their new reality; some thought they were dreaming, and others just depressingly hugged their knees.

 Miu was one of those who was still somewhat put together as she gathered and comforted some of her classmates.

 Even if she was as confused and sad as they were, she temporarily put it aside to support those in despair.

 Noel had snapped out of it as he knew that his and Miu’s positions were quite similar, and they had a lot of influence on the class.

 If the two class leaders were to be in a panic, then everyone would, too.

 Professor Emely seemed organised as well.

 She also went around with Miu to comfort students.

 Since Alum hadn’t woken up, she didn’t seem too concerned, but Noel did notice that she would glance over at Alum every so often.

Noel put his own feelings and distress aside to help them out. And they somehow managed to ease everyone.

 Alum’s situation, on the other hand, seemed a little strange. He had been asleep far longer than anyone, and it didn't seem like he’d wake up anytime soon.

 Noel shook his friend, and soon enough, an annoyed Alum stared into his eyes.

 “... Noel, stop shaking me, please,” Alum said softly, although his expression was far from soft.

 “Oh, awake now? Sorry about that, since you took your time to wake up….”

 He then explained to his friend that they were likely in another world. While Noel was in distress, he discovered they had a game-like status card.

 Alum, of course, didn’t buy the idea and seemed disinterested.

 Even after Noel gave him proof, the reaction was pretty weak.

 His conversation with Alum about all the new stuff was overall pretty lighthearted compared to the situation they were currently in.

And for that, Noel was strangely happy about it.

 (Some things don’t change, do they?) he thought.

 To be honest, Noel had expected Alum to be at least a little shocked. Still, he was pretty indifferent about the whole situation.

 In a sense, it was sad to see his friend be so detached from their world. But another way to look at it was that Noel and Professor Emely were Alun’s entire world, and both people were present. So, of course, it made sense that he wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

 If there were a way back, he’d love to go back. But… the chances of that were probably meagre.

 For one, they didn’t even know how they got here. And there was no clue at all. It was as if they were dropped here.

 He sighed and looked around.

Some of his classmates seemed to be less depressed, but, of course, they were all putting up a front. It was the same for him as well.

 He looked at them as they experimented with their newfound powers and seemed to be having a good time. He couldn’t help but chuckle as most of them played video games. So, of course, there would be some excitement among the confusion.

 With all the game elements in mind, Noel did find it strange, for there were no monsters around them. And unlike a video game, he was happy that there weren’t any.

  Noel made a fire, and a classmate named Mattias could manipulate earth; thus, he made them all shelters for the night.

 Miu, Alum, and others were sent to look for something to eat. Surprisingly, they came back with fish, vegetation, and mushrooms.

 Miu reassured them that it was all edible since one of her skills was appraisal, but that wasn’t all they were concerned about. They were in a new world, and parasites and pathogens were a genuine concern for them.

 But they had no choice. Even if it was scary and all, they stood around in silence.

 Alum, who usually didn’t get involved with people, understood that he needed to work with others if they wanted this to work.

 So, no one was expecting him to be the one to prove to them all that it was safe to eat. After a few hours and no symptoms, Alum reassured everyone that it was indeed safe, and he had no reason to lie to them after all.

 And, of course… Professor didn’t know about this since Alum told them to keep quiet as he threw the stuff into his mouth…

Noel knew Alum wasn’t ignorant or dumb… but he was careless and indifferent to most things.

 The vegetation was edible, and the uncooked shrooms were too. How about the fish? Well, it turns out it was very delicious.

 Everyone was gathered around the campfire, and the morale was pretty lively. When they all went to sleep, they took turns keeping watch.

 And honestly, when it was Noel’s turn, it broke his heart.

 He could hear quiet sobs and cries. Although the mood seemed to have improved since they arrived, they all knew they had to put up a front to stay collected and sane.

 Even Noel.

 When keeping watch with Miu, all he could think of was his family that was left behind and his goals and dreams, and they may never come true.

  Noel wanted to be like his father, a brilliant and charismatic detective. That’s why he looked up to Alum. Alum was intelligent and quick-witted and stayed calm despite the circumstances. Although he lacked charisma, it was just human to be flawed.

Deep in his own thoughts, tears ran down his cheeks.

 It was hard, and he didn’t know what to do. But he had to know what to do. What else would become of everyone?

 Miu, who was in deep thoughts of her own, had grabbed Noel’s hand.

 They stared into each other's eyes, and both had tears dripping down their chin.

 Miu, his childhood friend, always was there for him. He felt grateful to have someone like her as his childhood friend.

 “Miu… what…. What should I do?”

 Noel had a hoarse and shaky voice as he spoke while he trembled.

 He looked into her ruby-red eyes. He swore to be there to protect her and be by her side.

 But how? Wasn’t he just being pathetic right now? He just felt so useless….

 Although they were friends and nothing more, that was made that clear.

 Miu has stuck to him ever since they were small.

 She was frail, and her health wasn’t the best. That’s why they never played outside much. They spend their time doing puzzles and playing games or reading mystery novels together.

 Miu was popular, and so was Noel. At one point, the people around them thought they were a couple. So they enter a relationship.

 It wasn’t that they liked each other romantically.

 It just so happened to play in their favour since they both wouldn’t have to deal with rejecting people.

 They later confessed that they wished it would've worked out. And that they would slowly fall for each other if their status quo changed.

 But that didn’t happen. They were happy just being friends.

 Miu was the strongest person he knew, and even in this situation, she was the first to act. But also… deep down, he knew that it was a facade.

 He embraced her and led his chest to her.

 As she cried, he gently stroked her hair, like he used to in the past. He had told her that he loved her hair and eyes.

 Being fully aware that she was insecure about it.

 Her hair was as beautiful as a snowy white landscape. It was also silky to the touch. Of course… he’d never actually say it to her since… it was pretty embarrassing.

 “... Noel, I…”

 Miu struggled to utter a single word. But… Noel kept patting her. Usually, she’d never allowed him to do this, except for situations like these.

 “You don’t need to say anything if it’s too hard,” he gently whispered.

 Miu tightened her embrace.

 “Okay….” she said.

 Then she took this opportunity to talk about Alum.

 “Your friend… he is quite… special.”

 “Pff, ahaha… you don’t say,” Noel replied.

 “You’re quite strange, too.”

 “... How come?”

 “Embracing a girl and patting her head despite not being her boyfriend, I mean.”

 “Huh? Oh right….”

 Noel didn’t exactly see her as a girl, and Miu knew that… but it was still frustrating. So, she pinched his arm.

 “You’re saying I’m not girly enough!?”

 “Ouch! My bad! You’re the cutest in the world!”

 “Ew… gross.”

 “That… hurts… Do you know?

 “In what way?”

 “Well, both mentally and physically….”

 She realised that she was still pinching his arm and let go.

 “Sorry….”

 She apologised but. Noel didn’t reply.

 “Noel?”

 And as she called his name, she could hear another familiar soft voice.

 “You seem to be close as ever,” Alum commented.

 Miu let go of Noel and distanced herself. It was, after all, embarrassing to be seen like that.

 But… she did feel refreshed. She looked at Noel, and he had a soft smile on his face.

 (It seems like he is also doing a lot better…) she thought.

 “Oh, is it time to swap?” Noel asked Alum.

 “Not yet… sorry, did I interrupt? Alum asked while tilting his head.

 Noel and Miu denied it instantly.

 ““It’s not like that”” they both said.

 “It’s a joke, and I already knew,” Alum said with a faint smile.

 “I like your friendship. Envy it even.” He later said.

 Both Noel and Miu were left at a loss for words.

 That’s right… he doesn’t have a childhood friend, nor a proper childhood, for that matter.

 “Anyways, I’m not the only one awake.”

 When he said this, Noel could feel that some cursed Alum for being unable to read the mood.

 Well… to that, Noel had to deny. He knew fully well Alum was aware. He just decided to ignore it, that's all.

 And honestly, both he and Miu were rather grateful for that. Had they continued their private conversation longer while people happened to hear… well, they would have been too embarrassed to face everyone properly.

 “”.....””

 …

  …..

 …

 The next day, Noel witnessed Alum's panic for the first time when he saw the dragons. Of course… unlike the other people who were panicking, he seemed oddly calm…. His friend might actually just be a psychopath…. Of course, that was poking fun at Alum’s lack of overall reactions.

 On the other hand, Noel couldn’t believe it when he saw Chely.

 She was beautiful.

 Well-defined face, long ash-brown hair, and lush green eyes.

 While he was captivated, he didn’t let his guard down.

 And it was at this moment. Noel had a feeling their path would cross later down the road.

 …

  …..

 After finishing the meal, Noel spaced out. He remembered the time when he first arrived in this world.

 While Chely still seemed down, her mood had improved.

 “Thanks for the meal….” she said with a faint blush.

 Hearing this, he smiled.

 Although he may never return to his world.

 Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t all that bad right now.

 “Chely, let’s go on a date tomorrow.” Noel calmly said.

 His heart was beating fast, and he was sweating profusely, but… he wanted to cheer her up. But why a date? He didn’t know. Actually, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision….

 (Did I just say that…?)

 Chely’s eyes widened. And her whole face was flushed, and her ears were bright red.

 She looked at him with a sheepish expression and let out a soft.

 “Okay.”

 (No way… NO WAY! I got a date with her?! For real?!)

 Noel was in a daze and just stared at her as if he wasn’t expecting her to say yes.

 The embarrassment was getting too much for Chely to handle as she got up and restlessly fidgeted around.

 “T-then, s-see y-you tomorrow!” she said while stuttering like crazy.

 Chely herself wasn’t expecting him to ask her, so of course, it caught her off guard.

 She rushed out of Noel’s room as fast as she could while covering her face, and all Noel could watch was her leave.

 “Al… do you feel these feelings too? Isn’t she just too damned cute!?” Noel cried out loud.