The sound of pots and pans clanking in the kitchen assaulted Rin's ears more than the creaking steps did. On his way down the stairs, he rubbed the side of his head as if to soften the ringing. "Kaasan," he called, his voice betraying his state of just having woken up. "Must you clamber around so early in the morning?"

He reached the last step and trudged past the living room still bearing the evidence of last night's tournament. Where's Rob anyway? Rin still had to brag about his win against the bigger man over Fortress and Strife. His mother hummed, turning to him from the counter when he ducked under the decorative arch hanging over the kitchen entrance.

"Did I wake you?" Kaasan asked, her eyes telling Rin she knew the answer to that because it's her exact intent. "Sit down and eat. You don't want to be starving on your first day."

Rin grumbled but followed his mother's order. The moment his butt settled on the chair, a steaming plate of tamagoyaki tapped on the glass-laden table. His stomach grumbled at the sight. He did need breakfast after all. "It's not even my first day," he said. "We had an orientation."

Kaasan pouted. "But it's the first day of classes, right?" she pushed a bowl of rice towards Rin and pulling one for her own. Her chopsticks were immediately on her hand. "Itadakimasu. Eat up. It's going to get cold."

With a slow scrape, Rin slid his chopsticks against the hashi-oki and shoved a bite into his mouth. As usual, it lacked the proper amount of salt and far too much pepper, but it's not like he'd tell his mother that. He glanced at the clock hanging above the fridge. In their aunt's old house, it's the only thing he had left of his grandparents. The story was that they had brought it to Whiteridge from overseas and it has been functional until now.

His memory was vague, but he could recall his grandmother sniffing with disdain as she knitted on the couch. Things these days break way too easily. Back then, everything outlasted us and the people who bought them.

And the clock also told him he's going to miss his train if he kept eating at this pace. He stuck another roll into his mouth, relishing the taste of egg exploding against his tongue, and swallowed not long after.

"I have to go, Kaasan," Rin pushed off the table, his chair grating against the tiles. She opened her mouth to scold him about the chair having no wheels, but he didn't give her the time. "The train's not going to wait."

He rounded the table and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. It seemed to startle her into stillness. "I'll see you in the weekend," he said. "Tell Rob I said bye."

His mother nodded and followed him out of the door. "Don't forget your umbrella," she jerked her chin towards his already bulging knapsack as he shouldered it and tried to stick his feet into his shoes at the same time. "When you get sick, as your roommate to get you some ginger tea or honey."

"I know, Kaasan," Rin chuckled, a bit annoyed but touched at the same time. "It's not like I'm going forever—it's just five days! I'll be home in the weekend. You can fuss about me then."

She snorted. "Expect me to call in the evening."

"Kaasan!"

"Kidding," she winked and pushed Rin closer to the wrought iron gate keeping all the stray dogs from ravaging her flowers. Rin glanced at the pots scattered in their yard. The flowers looked phenomenal this particular day, as if they're waving goodbye to him too. "Make new friends, okay? I can't have you shutting yourself in your room, playing some damned games like you did in high school."

Rin gripped one strap of his bag. "I already have one," he said. "Ryon's meeting me in the intersection. I have to make sure I don't make him wait."

A sour look passed across his mother's face. "That kid? He managed?"

"Hey, now. Don't doubt Ryon," Rin waved his hand in the air. "He's leagues ahead of me and he got into Engineering."

His mother started retreating back to the ante. Her eyes darted towards the flowers in need of their morning shower. "Well, I'd hate to hold you back longer than I have," she said. "Go. I'll see you in the weekend."

Then, Rin was out in the streets, undertaking the long journey towards the campus. The train ride was nothing short of stressful, but he was lucky to snag a seat next to the door so he wouldn't have to be squished between two strangers. He ducked out of the station and walked a few blocks until he saw the bright traffic lights lining the intersection. He joined a sea of pedestrians crossing from south to north, and there, he glimpsed of Ryon's familiar mop of red hair. With his friend's height and pale skin, he definitely stood out.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they underwent the last leg of the journey. A comfortable silence filled the spaces between them, even as they stepped out of the bus and made way towards the campus' polished sidewalk. When they made it past the campus wide gates, they each headed to different classes—classical Mechanics for Ryon and Psychological Statistics for Rin.

By the time his morning classes petered off and lunch arrived, his stomach growled. Kaasan was right. He wouldn't last long without eating tamagoyaki. He pursed his lips and gripped the straps of his bag tighter, his eyes searching the hallways for any sign of Ryon's red hair. He's the right building, right? There were a ton of ways to get lost in a place as large as this.

All kinds of chatter bombarded his senses, reminding him of the recent conquest he did on Archeforce. The amount of ammunition he had fired against the dungeon boss could have brought down a warship. He stuck to the bare beige walls, eyeing the crowd. People dressed in every combination of modern clothes milled about. They either zipped past on their own, absorbed into their own thoughts or the requirements they need to pass later down the semester, or they went in groups and gossiped about everything and nothing.

One such group was a trio of girls coming out of the classroom opposite the one Rin had his previous class. His gaze lingered on the girl with the straightest hair he had ever seen, striding beside another girl with huge bangle earrings dangling from her ears. The blond hair of the last girl looked out of place with their dark hair.

"Come on, Anette," the girl in the middle said, her earrings catching the incandescent light of the hallway in silver glints. She appeared to be the group's leader, if Rin understood something out of his recent lectures. "The boba would run out soon. I don't want to walk to the opposite region for it."

They passed Rin and he did his best to appear occupied with studying the bulletin boards on the opposite wall. The colorful posters were his least consolation from the meaningless words the letters spelled. It was only when their group had rounded the corner on their way out of the building had his shoulders relaxed. Why was he so tensed up, even?

To pass the time, and to make it seem like he came to this wing with a purpose, he strode towards the bulletin board and craned his neck up. Their section adviser told them to explore the clubs as freshmen in college, so might as well.

"Astronomy? Man, I dig it," Ryon, his friend straight from high school, said from his shoulder. He whirled to find his friend standing beside him. When did he even get here? "What about you, Naggy?"

Rin winced at the nickname. It's one of the things he hadn't been able to shed when he graduated. He almost skipped orientation knowing Ryon would be attending the same university and be in the same division as him all the while knowing what kids in the neighborhood called him. There's also this sneaking suspicion at the back of Rin's head that nobody in his alma mater even knew what his surname really was.

He shrugged off the meaty hands sitting atop his shoulder. Ryon's a big man, after all. Rin couldn't take on all that muscle. "Nothing really stands out," he admitted with a sigh. "I'll just sit recruitments out. It's more fun staying at home."

"You said that back in the bin," Ryon reasoned, stalking after Rin when the latter peeled off the boards and continued towards the cafeteria. Hands in his pockets, Rin prepared to tune out the next argument out of his friend's lips. "I thought you aim to turn a new leaf now that you're a freshman? Come on, live a little."

Rin rolled his eyes. "I'd rather farm at home than sit around in the campus baking cookies," he said.

Ryon clicked his tongue. "You and your games," he said. "My mom would hate having a son like you."

"You should go and join me," Rin nudged his friend's shoulder with a grin. "Be a rebel. Come on, live a little."

Ryon frowned when it settled in his thick skull how what he said would have affected Rin. Petty? Maybe. But it sure taught his friend a lesson. Rin blew a breath and pushed his hair off his forehead. This thing just wouldn't sit still. Should he try gelling it? "Look, I'll join one if anything interests me," he said. "Something about games. Or flowers."

"Gardening?" Ryon blinked.

Rin crossed his arms. "No. Flowers," he said. "Studying them, identifying them, arranging them. Stuff like that."

His friend scratched the back of his head. "So..." his expression was far-away to show he was struggling. "Gardening."

Rin's shoulders deflated. Somehow he had lost his friend at some point in the conversation. "Forget it," he waved a hand in the air. With his height, his fingers only reached his friend's chin. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

They were almost to the cafeteria when Ryon perked up. "How about the programming club?" he said.

Rin looked at his friend like he had just grown antlers. "Do you see me around codes and data? It's going to be a disaster," he said. "I mean, I can handle games and stuff, but I don't think making them is a good fit."

Ryon shook his head. "From what I gathered from the upperclassmen, that's just a front. The council doesn't let leisure-themed clubs inside the university, you know?" he leaned in as they found an empty table. Was it such a deadly secret to do this? "So, they let it stand as a programming club but it's actually a gaming club. I heard they host yearly gaming competitions and other gaming events I couldn't name at the top of my head."

He jerked his chin at Rin. "You're the gamer," he said. "You'd have more luck in understanding half the stuff they say."

"Really?" Rin's eyebrows arched. "Snagged yourself some upper already?"

Ryon had the audacity to look scandalized. "Is that how you think of me?" he placed a hand on his chest in mock-shock. "I got three."

Rin snorted, earning quick glances from the people on the neighboring tables. Ryon stuck his spoon into the pudding he ordered. That's all he has been eating for lunch since orientation day to skimp his allowance. He has been aiming to buy the latest branded shoes from his favorite sports star since forever.

"I might even join you," Ryon sniffed and shoved the spoon into his mouth. "There's reportedly a hottie there. Older and prettier? Totally my vibe."

Rin didn't feel the need to comment on his friend's preferences, so he just munched on his bowl of pasta. The menu wasn't really big on rice meals, so he had to make do with the closest thing. "Even if it's a programming club?" he asked.

Ryon bobbed his head. "Why not?" he rolled his shoulders. "I need to widen my reach."

Rin sometimes wondered how in the world did his friend even got into engineering with a brain full of nothing but that. Then again, with his chucked with games and finding the right grocery in town, it's a wonder how he got into the university too. Still, he nodded. "When's the orientation?" he asked. Ryon mumbled a date, jerking his chin towards the bulletin board in the cafeteria. It's on the weekend. Would Kaasan be able to handle Rin staying at least a day longer?

"Fine," Rin sighed and watched Ryon perk up and grin. "Don't leave me hanging."

His friend crossed a finger on a spot on his chest, over an emblazoned company logo. "I won't."