Chapter 6 - Cliche Bully

"WHAT were you thinking!?" Mother shouted as she pulled on my ear.

"Agh! I'm sorry, mother!"

I pleaded, but the rage of a mother doesn't calm down so easily.

"We were worried sick for you! You left on your own and didn't tell us!?"

"I'm sorry, mother!" I yelped in pain.

Eventually, she let go of my ear. I caressed it in pain. It felt like my ear was going to be ripped off

"Well, I can't be mad at you forever. You even got top scorer on the entrance exam! We're so proud of you!"

My father nodded in agreement.

"Son, we wish you good luck."

I smile.

"Thanks, father."

And with that, they left. It was a short reunion but a memorable one. Oh yeah! I wonder if this place also has a magic library! I roamed the halls of the academy as I searched for a magic library. After a bit of wandering, my persistence paid off, and I finally stumbled upon the entrance to the magic library.

"Let's see what this academy has in store for me!"

I opened the door, my eyes lay upon the hundreds of books sitting on shelves. It was a dream come true! I walked inside, grabbing a book from one of the shelves. It was a book on illusion magic.

"Looks like I'll finally be able to learn this! What do ya know, maybe I will enjoy my time here." I grin.

I walk out of the library, taking the book with me. As I walked back towards my room, there was a commotion, blocking the stairs in front of me. By the looks of it, someone was bullying the other. How cliche. I walk up front with annoyance. A blue-haired boy was kicking someone on the ground.

"Why are you guys blocking the stairs?"

The blue-haired boy turned towards me, looking at me annoyance.

"What's it to yo-"

Mid-sentence, his words trailed off, and a flicker of recognition crossed his face. It was evident that he had recognized me from the entrance exam. A brief pause hung in the air, filled with unspoken acknowledgment, before he resumed speaking.

"Ah. Right, sorry." He quickly corrected his behavior.

"Also, you shouldn't pick on weaker people. It shows that you're weaker than you think."

[Barrier (small)]

I smirked as I flicked a barrier at his forehead. The impact of the barrier caused him to stumble back and fall to the ground. Panic and urgency clouded his expression as he hastily scrambled to his feet, desperately retreating from the scene.

The person on the ground slowly stood up, dusting off his clothes. He had white hair and white eyes.

"Thanks..."

"What's up with that guy anyways?" I asked.

"He was bullying me because I was a commoner and have no magic talent..." He explained, his voice lowering.

With such looks, you'd think he would be from a noble family instead.

"Hm...well, keep on working hard. I'm sure you'll get somewhere!"

His face brightened up.

"Thanks. I'm Ronan Ash!"

He extended his hand, and I shook it.

"Nice to meet you! Anyways, I have something important to do, so I will leave first."

I walk up the stairs, leaving Ronan. Eventually, I made it back to my room, placing the book on the desk. Then, I noticed something.

"What the..."

I picked up the clay doll I made. Somehow, it had fallen over. I'm not a man of coincidences, especially in a world of magic where you can do anything. I'll guess I'll just have to keep an eye on the doll for now. I sat down, opening the book.

I spent some time reading the book, fully engrossed in its contents. It was tedious to read all the intricacies and principles of this magic, absorbing the knowledge and techniques as I turned each page. In two hours, I was finally able to comprehend illusion magic.

"Finally done! Now, let's test it out!" I stretched my arms.

Now that I think about it, there had to be one thing I missed the most from Earth. It would definitely have to be food. My favorite food back on Earth was Tonkatsu¹, so let's try this.

Closing my eyes, I immersed myself trying to create a vivid image of the beloved Tonkatsu that I once loved back home. Memories flooded my mind, filling the air with the aroma of crispy breading, tender pork cutlets, and the delectable harmony of savory and sweet sauces.

[Illusion Magic]

I opened my eyes, my beloved Tonkatsu appearing in front of me. I could feel the heat radiating off of it, reflecting onto me. The smell was the same, too. I took a bite of the crunchy, tender, golden brown pork cutlet. A tear fell down my cheek.

Ah. This reminds me of my mom's cooking. I miss her.

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1. Tonkatsu is made by coating pork chops in crisp panko breadcrumbs and deep-frying them until they are golden brown in colour. They are normally served drizzled in fruit-and-vegetable based tonkatsu sauce with shredded cabbage and other crisp salad greens on the side. Tonkatsu are also often enjoyed as part of a bento boxed lunch, in a Japanese curry (known as 'katsu curry'), or as a sandwich filling.