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Kazuki walked without a destination. Just sidewalks and intersections and too many signs he couldn't read.
His mind wouldn't stop.
He kept hearing things. Processing things. Every conversation within ten meters. The flicker rate of LED signs. The rhythm of traffic lights. The pattern of footsteps from the guy two blocks behind him. The melting point of chocolate displayed in a store window. The chemical composition of asphalt.
None of it helped.
He couldn't turn it off.
He rubbed his forehead and let out a loud sigh.
"What am I supposed to do?"
No answer.
Of course not.
Even R.O.B. wasn't talking.
He crossed a small plaza where kids in uniforms were eating ice cream and arguing about anime. Their words floated into his head like subtitles—translated, broken down, tagged with tone and subtext.
Kazuki turned a corner and stopped in front of a convenience store. One of those clean, corporate ones with a soft door chime and posters full of happy sandwiches.
He looked at the shelves through the glass.
Snacks. Drinks. Rice balls.
He sighed again.
Louder this time.
He hadn't eaten since… whatever world he was in before this. And even if his body wasn't demanding food yet, his brain was on fire.
He needed something. Anything.
But he had nothing.
No wallet. No ID. Not even a pocketful of lint.
Just borrowed time.
He stepped aside, away from the automatic doors, and leaned against the wall.
That's when he heard the bags rustling.
A boy walked out of the store with two full bags of groceries. Cheap stuff—eggs, milk, canned food, convenience meals—but it looked like enough for a week. He had wild black hair, a tired posture, and the kind of face that said I've seen some things and I'm trying not to deal with them today.
He noticed Kazuki right away.
Paused.
Looked at him.
Looked at the wall.
Then back at him.
"You good?"
Kazuki blinked. "Huh?"
"You're either lost, broke, or both."
Kazuki laughed softly, mostly at how accurate that was.
"All of the above."
The boy shrugged. "Welcome to Academy City."
He started to walk off.
Kazuki hesitated, then called out:
"Hey, wait. I… I don't know where I'm supposed to go."
The boy stopped again.
Turned.
Looked at Kazuki more closely now.
"Are you a transfer student?"
"No."
"Runaway?"
"Sort of."
"You look like someone who just got thrown away."
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "That obvious?"
The boy grinned. "Nah, just a hunch."
He stepped closer and held out a hand.
"Kamijou Touma. High school student. Certified expert in being broke and unlucky."
Kazuki shook it.
"Kazuki Ranvil. No school. No money. Not certified in anything."
"Perfect," Touma said, "you'll fit right in."
There was a pause.
Then Touma tilted his head, as if doing mental math.
"You really don't have a place to stay?"
"Nope."
"You eat today?"
Kazuki just gave him a look.
"Alright," Touma said with a sigh. "I guess one more mouth to feed won't kill me. I live alone anyway. Got an extra futon."
Kazuki blinked. "You're seriously inviting a total stranger into your place?"
"You're either harmless or about to collapse. Either way, I figure it's my turn to be unlucky again."
Kazuki followed as Touma started walking.
They moved through quieter streets now. The city buzzed around them, but the noise didn't feel as sharp. Kazuki found himself breathing easier.
Maybe it was Touma's pace. Calm, casual. Not trying to impress or intimidate. Just… existing.
It felt weirdly safe.
"Thanks," Kazuki said, after a minute.
"Don't mention it," Touma replied. "Really. Don't. Bad things happen when people thank me."
Kazuki chuckled.
"What's Academy City, anyway?" he asked. "Is it always like this?"
Touma scratched his head.
"Short version? It's a place where science runs the show. Most people here are students. Espers, mostly. Trained to use powers under controlled conditions. Schools, labs, experiments—you name it."
"And the longer version?"
"It gets weird. Real weird. But don't worry. You'll get used to it."
Kazuki looked around.
All these students. All this technology. All this order.
He didn't belong here.
And yet, maybe this was the only place strange enough to match what was happening to him.
Touma stopped in front of a tall, beat-up apartment building.
"Here we are. Don't mind the mess."
Kazuki followed him in.
And for the first time since waking up in this world, he didn't feel like running.
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