BINGED: Reincarnated as an OP-Chapter 22: The Welcoming

Moss did not know how to be quiet. Ren realized this barely five minutes after the vehicle pulled away from the curb where Susan had gotten down.

He went on talking about a lot while Ren sat in the back, listening... that is if staring out of the window counted as listening.

"So," Moss said, tapping the steering wheel with two fingers, "first day in Zenith City. What was it like?"

Ren’s attention was bought by the mix of tall and small buildings that layered over each other like they were fighting for space, and people walking with purpose on the sidewalks, some in uniforms and some dressed casually.

"Hey," Moss stared at him from the visor mirror.

Ren jerked and focused on him.

"What?"

"You love buildings huh."

"No. It’s just some of the buildings are really nice. But then why the mix?"

"Oh, this area has always been like that. It’s like the dump site of the city. Those big buildings are there thanks to the boys who left the hood and went out to become A-Ranked citizens."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. See that one?" Moss pointed ahead of them, to the left. There stood a house designed with the aesthetics of a dragon with majestic wings to complete it all.

"My mate, Ro, owns that. My man went out to the center of the city and never came back the same."

"You ever visited?"

Moss let out a wry, hysterical laugh. He sniffed when he caught Ren’s smirk.

"Yeah..." he tried to smile, but when he spotted Ren still smirking, he lost it.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Nothing. What does the inside look like?"

Moss cussed silently. "How am I supposed to know? Stupid fool never even called me. I try to go see him and he’s like," he threw his left hand dramatically, "Oh, Moss, not today, Moss. I got visitors. How’s Sheena?" he said, making a childish mimic of his friend. "Had the guts to steal my girl with his stupid ranks and money," he cussed and spat out in the direction of the building as they drove past.

Ren chuckled.

"What? You think that’s funny?"

Ren smiled and shook his head.

"Then stop laughing."

Ren burst out laughing. Moss grunted, hitting the horns.

Moss went silent for the rest of ride, occasionally cussing and sniffing till they finally slowed down in front of a modest clothing store tucked between two larger buildings.

Ren looked down at himself. His almost dry cloak was torn at the hem and his boots stank.

"Come on. One of my mates own this place. He wouldn’t mind."

He leaned back in his seat. "Go on. Pick something simple. A nice shirt with trousers. Maybe pick some shoes if you want. Take nothing flashy. Students wear boring things on purpose."

Ren hesitated. "You’re not coming?"

"I’m not allowed inside," Moss said cheerfully. "Last time I went into a shop like that, I argued with a mannequin."

Ren shot him a look.

"Long story. Don’t judge me now."

Ren shook his head and stepped out of the car. Few moments later, he stepped out with a clean, new dark blue plain shirt and trousers that fit better than he expected. When he came back out, Moss whistled and gave an approving nod.

"See," Moss said. "You now look like someone who belongs somewhere."

Ren slid into the seat. "That makes one of us."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Ren shrugged.

They drove the rest of the way in steady motion. Moss talked about traffic patterns, about which districts were polite, full of thugs and which ones were serene. He bragged about how many guys he knew in those districts and how he could become a good mayor if he was ever given a chance. He talked about students who came through Purist University every year and how most of them were trained to become Awakened and how he had asked out most of them. All the while Ren was forced to listen to his rantings.

Purist University rose ahead of them.

It was not a single building but a spread of white stone structures connected by open walkways and courtyards. Banners hung from tall pillars. Students moved in clusters, some laughing, some arguing, some quiet and focused. Ren felt his chest tighten as soon as he stepped out of the car.

There were too many people. It’s been a while he actually mingled amongst people. It reminded him of home in a way he did not expect. He remembered how people of the old temple in his clan gathered shoulder to shoulder every day before the sun went up to pray, to watch, to wait for answers from the Divine. They would sit there for hours or days till the oracle finally voiced a word. He was only part of the ritual because his father was the oracle.

"You’ll be fine," Moss said, poking his head out of the window, "Just walk like you know where you’re going."

Ren nodded and stepped back as Moss drove away.

The registration hall of Purist University was wide and bright. Lines formed in front of long counters where officials worked behind glowing screens. Ren followed one small line of students until he reached the desk. The registrar barely looked at him as she processed his details.

"Name?" she asked.

"Ace Renora," Ren said, forcing the words out like he hated his name.

She tapped on her screen.

"Hmm," she hummed and glanced up, then nodded. "Sit in the lobby. We’ll call you when your studentship is finalized."

Ren moved to the waiting area. The lobby buzzed with loud conversations and murmurs. Students compared abilities, complained about entrance exams, joked about professors they have only known through rumours. Ren sat stiffly, hands resting on his knees, watching everything without really seeing it.

No one really paid him much attention, except the girl sitting on a bench opposite him. Her eyes had not left him since he sat down. She looked away when Ren caught her staring.

’Weird.’

He looked around again, his eyes moving from one gossip cluster to another and then back at the counters.

’Everyone is weird in this city. And my crappy luck just keeps bringing them to me.’

He exhaled and relaxed on the backrest.

He stared at the ceiling, studying the purple crystals that were fitted into it.

The doors burst open and a teenager stumbled inside. His abrupt entrance drew all eyes to him... But that wasn’t the only reason they kept their eyes on him. His face was half burned, and his arm was wrapped tight with crude bandages, while the other hung stiffly at his side. His trousers were scorched and torn. He looked around wildly, eyes darting until they landed on the registration counters.

Ren sat up immediately when the entire hall went silent. He sighed when he saw the boy.

’Of course, I’m not even surprised. I have the best luck.’

"Is that not Golden Boy?" One teenager seated beside him whispered to another close to him.

"Yes, it’s him. He looks like a mess."

He limped his way through the hall towards the counter with a line of five students, whispers following him like a welcome song.

The registrar frowned when he cut to the front line.

"Sir, you cannot disrupt the process like this."

"I was attacked," the boy said with laboured breaths, "ZeCO was chasing someone. A criminal. He burned me, with my documents. He even killed two officers."

The students gasped and murmured.

"I already wrote the exams. You can check. Please, just check."

The registrar sighed. "We hear stories like this every session. If you do not have your documents, you must try again next year."

"What?!" The boy banged his only good arm on the counter and leaned closer.

The registrar didn’t react to his sudden burst.

"I had them. I passed. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t."

"Is that the real Golden Boy from the Junior Awakened program?" Someone asked behind Ren.

"He’s the one," another replied in a hushed voice.

"He has the highest gradings in the final tests."

Other parts of the lobby came alive with whispers and mentions of the name, Golden Boy.

"You know who I am," the boy said quickly. "You’ve heard of me. I’m not lying."

"Look, boy," the registrar exhaled slowly, "There are procedures to these things. I can’t just sign and approve you without your documents just because you’re Golden Boy."

"I can’t wait for the next year," he barked back at the man.

"I bled for this place. I didn’t survive everything just to be told to come back next year."

"I need to attend to th—"

"I can’t wait another year. Argh!"

He swerved around, a golden whip shot out of his hand as he did and swept the five students off the line.

They flew off and fell down on the floor.

"You must attend to me."

The registrar closed his eyes and sighed.

Security approached from the sides.

"Remove him," the registrar said flatly.

The guards took his arms. The boy struggled, his eyes turned golden but nothing happened.

The guards dragged him out while he struggled. His eyes scanned the room one last time and then they locked onto Ren.

"That’s him," the boy shouted. "That’s the criminal," he wriggled, trying to free his only good arm just to point at Ren.

The room went quiet. Ren felt the blood drain from his face.

’Shit.’

Ren scanned everywhere, searching for any extra exits aside from the main one. The only exits were the door to the toilet and the one that led into the inner grounds of the university.

The boy twisted in the guards’ grip, pointing wildly. "He’s the one ZeCO was chasing. He burned my things. He attacked me when I tried to stop him."

All eyes turned toward Ren. Ren frowned like he didn’t understand anything the boy said.

"He killed people. Grab him," the boy shook himself trying to escape from the guards’ grip.

Ren kept his innocent, confused look while the security guards scrutinized him. The guards looked between them.

"Enough," the registrar said, cutting their thoughts. "Take him out."

As the boy was dragged away, his gaze never left Ren.

"This isn’t over, I swear," he shouted. "I’ll prove it. I’ll make them see what you really are."

The doors slammed shut behind him.

The lobby buzz returned, louder now.

Ren sank back into his seat, heart racing. More eyes occasionally turned to his direction after the scene the boy created. The girl opposite Ren was still watching Ren.