Chapter 1: Chapter 0 – Prologue

Akiren University is a public university considered the top university in the country, with only a 1% admission rate amongst hundreds of thousands of applying students. A university highly praised for producing the finest graduates known worldwide. And now, I stand at its gates as one of its students. Despite entering such a prestigious university, it was never my primary intention to simply study. My main purpose is to fulfill a promise from 4 years ago.

Some said that holding on to a young stupid promise was a waste of time and that the other person may have long forgotten about it. They argue that it's nothing but a playful pact made by hopeful young teenagers. But I refused to let go of my promise, and I trudged on through the difficulties I had chosen for myself.

Years have passed since then, and now, here I am, standing at the gates of Akiren University. I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Had I listened to their doubts, I would have never reached this height. And now, I was one step closer to keeping my promise, to finally see you, Alice...

Suddenly, a sharp slap on my back jolted me back to reality. I quickly looked back to see that it was Yuuna.

"Kazuki, stop daydreaming and move it! We're already late for the entrance ceremony!"

In my goose chase, I didn't come alone. My two friends, Yuuna and Hiroki, back home came with me. I met Yuuna when we were children, we were neighbors, and we would often play together. We went to the same middle school and high school. I met Hiroki in my first year of middle school, as we were both classmates and were in the same club.

Even though I was the one who suggested we apply to Akiren University, I was also the most at risk of not getting in. But luck was on our side and all three of us managed to slip through. But What I'm most grateful for is that these two stuck with me up until this point, despite the odds being against us. They were my support system and my motivation to push through all the challenges that came our way. I'll even go for as to say that they're the reason I even got here.

"Aw! That one really hurt."

"Well, if you weren't just standing there. I probably wouldn't have hit you."

On second thought, it might've been better if they didn't come along.

"Now, get moving!"

After finding our way into the auditorium. We barged in while still gasping for air from all the sprinting. Suddenly, we heard a choir of applause from all angles in the building. Wondering what was as happening, the other students stood up and proceeded to exit the building. It appears that the ceremony had already concluded, and the students were heading to their respective rooms.

Still feeling tired and disoriented, we asked several students for directions to where our rooms are located. Thankfully, many of them were helpful, and some even offered to show us the way.

We eventually arrived at our designated rooms just in time for the orientation. However, since we had chosen different courses, we were assigned to separate areas of the campus. Yuuna was studying political science, Hiroki was in computer science, and I was in pharmaceutical science, the same course as Alice.

A man in a suit entered the room and immediately went to plug a laptop he was carrying into the projector cable on the front pedestal.

"Okay, good morning everyone, I will be the one orienting you today..."

◇◇◇

The orientation took longer than I expected and as I made my way to the main cafeteria to meet up with Yuuna and Hiroki, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation between two guys talking about a blonde girl they saw in their class. My heart raced as thoughts of Alice flooded my mind, her blonde hair etched in my memory. Could it be her? The possibility filled me with a mix of hope and uncertainty.

"Hey did you see that girl seated in the second row a while ago?"

"You mean the one with the blonde hair?"

"I heard that she's a transfer student from abroad. She must be quite special to have been accepted here."

"Then she must be quite intelligent"

"Perhaps."

"She's also in our next class later."

"If I'm not mistaken it's Yamamoto-sensei, right? Over at the opposite building."

Wait, blonde hair? Could it possibly be her? There were plenty of other foreign students at the university, so there's a chance that it wasn't her. I wasn't sure whether to wait for fate to bring us together or to actively search for her.

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I continued to walk, but I was still busy contemplating what I should do. As I was lost in thought, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey Kazuki, on your way to the cafeteria?"

"..."

"Seems like there's something in your mind."

"Huh, uh, yeah."

"I bet you're thinking about Alice again."

"Hiroki"

I started, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"I passed these two people earlier and they were talking about a blonde girl in their class. Do you think, maybe, it's her? Alice, I mean."

My heart raced as I waited for his response, my mind filled with a mix of hope and fear. Would I finally be able to see her again, or was this just another false lead?

Hiroki looked at me, his eyes thoughtful.

"I don't see why not? I haven't seen anyone with blonde hair in the university yet. So, there's probably a good chance that it's her."

I proceed to ask Hiroki about the thought that I had been asking myself these past couple of minutes, my heart pounding with anticipation. Deep inside I felt a burning desire to see her, but I think I only asked Hiroki for validation that I was making the right decision.

In a frail voice, I asked.

"Do you think I should see her?"

I can feel my palms starting to sweat, and my heart pounding in my chest. The thought of potentially seeing Alice again after all these years is both exhilarating and terrifying. I can't help but feel a sense of nervous anticipation as I wait for Hiroki's response. Will this finally be the moment I've been waiting for, or will it just be another disappointment? I can't shake the feeling that my entire future hangs in the balance at this moment, as I wait for Hiroki's answer.

"If it's important to you, then you should definitely go see her. You've sacrificed so much, you've worked tirelessly to make it this far, just for the chance to see her again. Don't let that opportunity slip away. Follow your heart and go find her, Kazuki. It's why you're here after all."

Hiroki's words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like a spark that ignited my hope and fueled my determination. I couldn't wait any longer, I had to know if it was really her. Excitement and nervousness coursed through my veins as I thanked Hiroki and quickly made my way to Yamamoto-sensei's class where the blonde-haired girl was supposed to be.

My heart was pounding as I walked through the crowded halls, my eyes scanning the sea of faces for any sign of her. I asked several other students about the whereabouts of this professor. Then I finally arrived at their room. The closer I got, the more my nerves began to get the best of me. What if it wasn't her? What if I had built up this moment in my mind for nothing?

But as I finally reached the doorstep and peered through the window of the door. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a blonde girl seated by the window fiddling with her papers. It had to be her, it just had to be. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door to get a better look, trying to steady my nerves.

As I opened the door wider, my heart raced even faster. It was definitely her, it was Alice. With those sapphire eyes and golden hair, I was certain it was her. I couldn't believe it, after all these years, I had finally found her.

But before I make contact with her, the professor entered the room and started the class. I was disappointed that I didn't get a chance to talk to her, but I knew that I would find an opportunity to talk to her eventually.

I slowly walked away from their room, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Knowing that she really is here, relieves me from the worries I had been harnessing these past few years. For now, this is fine, at the least, I know she's really here. I know that I could finally be...

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