It was lunchtime. Me and Shin both were sitting inside a cafeteria at our regular table. Near the far corner on the right side of the wall. Opposite windows. Each of us had plates of food in front of us. I had a plate of chicken salad and Shin had potato chips with a side burger.

  “How’s your presentation coming up?” I asked Shin.

  He was working even on his break. His computer was out. Food was next to him and attention was on the screen. His blue eyes shifted.

  “I am not happy.” He said. Then he took a bite from his burger.

  I hung my head, appearing bored.

  “Why? What’s up?” I asked.

  Shin chewed on and then let out a sigh. Pushing the computer aside. “There’s this annoying code. Every detail is all right but still I keep getting the same glitch.” He said frustrated looking to be rolling his eyes.

  “Mhh, what’s the glitch?” I raised a brow.

  “Whenever I open a page. There’s supposed to be a gap but for some reason. The system thinks I am requesting the opposite. Everything is blurred together!” Shin said. His eyes shifted on his laptop. Then at me.

  “That’s annoying.” I replied. My hand reached closer towards his laptop. “Show me!” I told him. Perhaps, I might be able to take him out of his misery.

  Shin put his burger down. Wiped his fingers in a tissue and turned the computer so I could see it.

  I stared at the screen.

  Half of it was code. The other half the view of the page he was trying to code. He was building an app. My eyes carefully scanned each letter. Thirty seconds passed.

  “There!” I pointed out a typo.

  “Let’s see!” Shin moved to fix it. Once he did it. He ran the page again. This time it froze. His eyebrows knitted watching it fail once again.

  “Wait!” I extended my palms. Taking over the keyboard. A full minute of typing. Then I gave the rains back to Shin.

  He looked at it and I watched his eyes soften.

  “What did you do?” Shin asked. His eyes on the screen. He reached out and clicked on it a couple times. “Do you have some magical powers?” Shin was smiling now.

  “Ahaha… No! I just wrote an alternative code for that part of the page.” I answered by shrugging my shoulders and then taking my cup and sipping my cranberry juice.

  “Oh? That’s amazing! Thank you!” He looked up at me amazed. “How smart are you?”

  I only laughed it off.

  “That’s as far as I go. It’s nothing much.” I said. Smiling back at him lightly.

  Shin returned my smile. Then he turned the computer his way and started typing on it. He probably wanted to finish as much as he could on his lunch break.

  I continued to eat my food as he mixed up eating and typing. From time to time drinking his juice.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “Ohh! Now I remember! This material was taught to us only about a month ago.” He looked up at me remembering it. “How did you know about this trick?” Shin had big surprised smile.

  “My mentor was doing things like these all the time. I must have picked it up from him.” I shrugged my shoulders like it was nothing.

  Shinichi was a year older than me. A third year. Me knowing things that he only got to learn about was a bit unusual in a sense but also not really. People take all kinds of bits of information and pick them up randomly. It just happened that I picked up the trick he happened to be in need to.

  “By the way, how did your midterms go?” I asked him a question.

  “We are having ours next week.” He answered me.

  I nodded.

  “Did your teachers say anything about it?” I asked another question.

  Shin pondered for a second.

  “Are you asking about the change that everyone is talking about?” He asked me a question.

  I nodded.

  “It’s true about Nobu Ichigo taking over the family business and is now appointed head of the city but it’s unrelated to what is happening here.” Shin said to me. Convinced that this was school deciding things. “His family can’t possibly interfere with the school.” He told me.

  “Oh? They can’t?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Yeah, this place is independently run by the norms that have been set by the Academic Community. They base the rules on through investigation of ways to best teach the students.” He answered me.

  “Oh? What is that?” I was interested as I never really looked at how they ran this place.

  “The Academic Community collects data on how students are doing. Test results and day to day things. Teacher recommendations. Equipment and staff available.” Shin explained to me in more detail. “All of the people who are in that community have studied here at some point so they have first hand experience. To get on it they have to pass multiple licenses but once they are in. Their work basically is research collecting data and running this place according to their findings.” Shin told me.

  “Did they choose the time on purpose then?” I pondered.

  “Probably…” Shin said. “The last time they made one was a while ago. Licencing the change is the hardest part of it because of the investment. The way this was originally built has always worked pretty well because the person who built it is a professor who was talented in research of the mind and potential. After he left he built the community advising that none of the families from The Big Three should intervene because of our self interest.” Shin gave me more information than I asked.

  I nodded. “They made it a rule?” I half asked.

  Shin nodded in response. “That’s why even our money or influence can’t touch this university. On one hand it is quite alright because it takes the load off our plates.” He shrugged, losing interest and looking back at his screen.

  “There is a but isn't it?” I pondered.

  “Yeah…” Shin nodded reluctantly. “Even though it's independent. The community sometimes has been an obstacle to our decisions. I do suspect that the timing is on purpose to make a fuss about Nobu Ichigo by trying to unsettle people.” Shin did admit his doubts about them using the timing as an opportunity for something.

  “You have no idea how people use our situation.” He shook his head.

  “I can only imagine!” I answered.

  I’ve seen how people are around Shin. Trying to get in his favor, gifting gifts, and some even makeup ridiculous situations! Even teachers tend to favor him because of his status. Giving him passes for things usually we are not allowed to do. For example, last week his physics teacher devised a test for everyone and told Shin to sit back and do nothing. He only did this to tell the school that Shin had requested not to take that test. He barely escaped trouble! It’s a little ridiculous what situations he finds himself in sometimes.

  I looked at the time.

  “I have about seven minutes till my next class. What about you?” I asked once my eyes were off the clock. Shin looked at his clock, then back at me.

  “Same here. What’s your next class?” He asked.

  “Psychics.” I answered.

  “Mr. Noami. Good luck with him.” Shin couldn’t help but roll his eyes. This is the same teacher who did this to Shin last week. He was old, strict and very perceptive. He might be one of the oldest professors in the university.

  “I had a class with him in the morning and somehow it was more unbearable than on other days,” Shin warned me.

  “That’s great to know! Thanks!” I let out a sight. Then I started packing my lunch. Ready to leave for my next class. Shin did the same. We binned our trash and left in different directions for our next classes.