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masterthetackle · 4 years

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A Magical (or not) Academia

A Various Magia Record x Male!Reader Fanfiction

Two: The First Day (II)

Word Count: 4,781

Welcome to Kamihama City University, he said as his opening statement.

We hope that you’re glad to be here. There are over two thousand of you new freshmen; whether you are a fresh high school graduate or an adult that came back to pursue a degree, we are all very excited for you to be here. A few years ago we implemented this system in order for everyone to not get overwhelmed, especially if you are living on campus in the dormitories. There are many activities lined out for you to participate in, including multiple craft opportunities, a outside performance by our concert band, and much more! We encourage you to attend each of these activities, as-

“It’s not like I don’t know this already, so why am I even here?” The unfamiliar woman beside you spoke in a hushed whisper, arms crossed. As much as you wanted to tell her to shush, there was something that told you getting on her bad side would cause nothing but an uproar, so you tried your best to tune her out.

-two-thirty, there will be a-

“I have more important things I could be doing than sitting here listening to a boring speech.” Damn, does she know how to shut up? Your fist clenched involuntarily at her words. Sure, you didn’t necessarily want to be sitting here either (because of the obvious), but you were still here. There wasn’t any use complaining about the situation since you’re clearly not allowed to leave the auditorium.

-forget about the floor meetings at seven o’ clock sharp in the lobby of your dorm. That’s all I have to say for the time being until the official ceremony on Friday. Make sure to wear the shirt that you’ll get as a part of your activities!

Rather pleased by getting to leave, the woman quickly got out of her seat, but had to wait for the rest of her group to get up, which, well… didn’t look like it would be any time soon. Her face scrunched up, eye twitching slightly as her foot tapped on the floor impatiently. Now that the lights had turned back on, you were able to see her long, russet hair that was blocking her face from your view. A bow was adorned in the left side, hair braided a bit above it with a loose strand sticking below that looked like it could probably fall out at a moment's notice.

Felicia, Iroha, and Sana were already making their way out to the aisle on the opposite side, Iroha glancing back every few steps to make sure you were still in her view. Wasting no time, you too flew out of your chair and started making your way down the row, but thinking about it, maybe saving that girl’s friends the trouble of her impatience would at least do them some good. Poking her on the shoulder, she turned her head to look at you with a frown adorning her lips.

“Yes?”

“If you’re in a hurry, the other side of me is free. You could go ahead and leave.” Looking down at her, you waited for a response. Right as she opened her mouth to speak, one of her friends stood up and spoke first.

“That won’t be necessary. She’s just giving us a hard time, that’s all.” Smiling at you, she then turned away. “Isn’t that right, Touka? Wasting your breath when we were going to be leaving anyways. I’m sure everyone in the auditorium heard you complaining.”

“The tone of my voice was so mute that you were probably the only one who heard me. There’s only a minuscule possibility that anyone other than you and this guy behind me caught anything.”

“There’s a difference between a murmur and a loud whisper, but I don’t think you can tell one between the other.”

“That’s what you think, Nemu!”

“Am I wrong?”

The two girls seated down the row from them got up and started walking out, shrugging but looking just as animated as the pair you were standing behind right now. I’m sure they’ll notice they were ditched sooner or later.

“Y/N!” Shouting slightly, Iroha called out for you, prompting you to turn around. “They said that there would be a music performance outside, so we were going to go. We just wanted to know if you were coming along with us?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I was just a bit caught up…” Flicking your head backwards to gesture at the two girls behind you, you started making your way towards the trio waiting for you at the end of the row. Touka and Nemu were still talking back and forth, and you honestly couldn’t tell if they were serious or just bantering with each other. Given that the chairs were packed close together, you had to place your arms in front of yourself in order to get through without bumping into one of them.

“Oh… yeah, I could hear what she was saying during the ceremony. It made it really hard to concentrate, but I still got the gist of it.”

Sana and Felicia nodded in agreement, though neither of them said anything.

“So anyways... the music performance is right now?”

“Well, not exactly... they’re warming up.” The four of you started to walk back up to the entrance, Felicia tagging slightly ahead and leading the way. “One of our friends should be outside waiting. She’s not a freshman, but she wanted to come out and support her friends since the performance is open to the public.”

“Oh, I see. You guys seem to have a lot of friends in higher classes, huh?”

“It’s really not as many as you’d think. The only reason we know them is because we live together, that’s all!” Iroha rubbed the back of her head, nervously meeting your curious gaze. “But… I guess it could be considered a good thing that we have friends in higher classes.”

The door opened at a slight push from Felicia, and all at once the light poured into the auditorium and into your eyes. It was hard to adjust from the artificial lighting of the closed-off space with close to no windows. Closing your eyes, you hoped that maybe they would suddenly get used to it.

They didn’t.

Your eyes felt like they were on fire the moment you opened them back up. The sunlight didn’t let up on its harshness at all, which was a bit of a disappointment. Even Sana was trying her best to shield her eyes since Iroha wasn’t much help in that regard. Once adjusted, there were a few noticeable differences in the main area. There were many chairs set up right below the biggest cherry blossom tree on campus with a group of students dressed in semi-formal clothing occupying them. Some of them were talking amongst their friends in the seats beside them while others were standing up completely, as the show wasn’t supposed to start for another half-hour. Meanwhile, others loitered around waiting for the performance to start.

The trio of companions you had were already moving towards the majority, picking out a specific woman out of the rest that wasn’t dressed for the occasion; she must be the friend that they were talking about. Her silver hair made her blend in with some of the crowd, but her hairstyle would otherwise give it away if you knew her personally. Chatting up two of the members, she didn’t notice the lot of you approaching until Felicia placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey!”

This caused her to jump slightly, and she turned around. Her eyes darted back and forth, but finally settled on the lot of you.

“Oh, it’s just you guys. Honestly, I was getting a bit worried since you were running a bit over.” Teal orbs with a hint of curiosity met your gaze after a few moments, and her smile made the situation less awkward. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“No, we haven’t. My name is Y/N.” Just as you’ve done countless times before, you outstretched your hand towards her for a handshake. This seemed to be your first instinct in situations like this, but nobody seemed to mind.

“Mifuyu Azusa. I’m a junior at the university.” With a quick motion, she took hold of your hand and shook it gently as she spoke. A junior, huh? Your mind seemed to wander back to Yachiyo, the elusive woman you had met earlier by sheer accident. Mifuyu looked to be around the same age, so maybe... “Is everything alright, Y/N?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, everything’s fine.”

“You look like something is troubling you.” One of the girls from behind Mifuyu snuck a look at you. Judging by her gaze, she seemed to be forming her own opinion without really knowing who you are. Either your eyes were deceiving you, or there was another one of her standing close by. Upon closer inspection, there was a small difference only noticeable by the hairstyle, as the one who spoke had her hair tied back into one singular ponytail.

“Your eyes give it away, y’know.” In contrast to the calmer twin, the other one had an exciting aura surrounding her as she spoke, her hair splitting off into two separate, large pieces. Her irises were brighter, filled with more curiosity and arguably more freedom. If it wasn’t for that, there was almost no way to tell them apart.

"Really, it’s not anything important. I was just reminded of someone I met earlier whenever Mifuyu brought up being a junior.”

“Ah… well in all honesty I’m only good friends with one other junior. She went earlier with everyone else just to walk them here but was called in unexpectedly for a photoshoot, so she was unable to stay.” Mifuyu sighed, shaking her head. “It wasn’t her initial plan to leave, but she said she might be here later in the evening.”

“I… actually ran into someone earlier today who said the exact same thing about a photoshoot. Her name was… Yachiyo, I believe.”

“Oh, you ran into Yacchan? That’s quite the coincidence.”

Your mind had to register what she had just said before realizing that Yachiyo must be the very friend of most of the girls surrounding you. What she said was true; it really was a coincidence, meeting all of her friends by chance. Nobody seemed to notice the twins talking until one of them cleared their throat in order to get everyone’s attention.

“Pardon the interruption, but the concert is going to start soon. Tsukasa and I wanted to warm up before our performance.”

“Oh, that’s right! We’re sorry for holding you up Tsukuyo, Tsukasa.” Mifuyu bowed politely before backing away. “I’m sure your performance will be spectacular.”

“I would hope so, especially since we had to come back a few times over the break just to memorize it!” Tsukasa abruptly sat down in her chair and folded her arms, groaning in annoyance. “I mean yeah, we have to do it… I remember when I was a freshman last year and I watched them perform the same exact thing!”

“Playing it by ear in the dorm room and memorizing then practicing the sheet music are two different things, sister.”

“Ah… well, we’ll be watching you in the audience. Would you like me for me to see you afterwards?” Mifuyu’s head tilted slightly to the right as she spoke. Felicia, Iroha, and Sana had already started to make their way towards an open area in the grass while the three of them talked, leaving you as the odd one out. It was odd… they didn’t seem to pressure going with them, so perhaps they were trying to help you get acquainted with others in their own way.

“That won’t be necessary. We have another rehearsal to attend afterwards, although if you would like to come by the music hall later in the evening we should be done.” Tsukuyo nodded her head, closing her eyes and then opening them back up when she realized you were still present. “I’ll extend the invitation to you as well, Y/N. You do look lost in thought, even now. I’m sure a change of pace as well as scenery should do you good.”

“You say that as if we’re going somewhere, sis! We aren’t, are we?”

“Oh… I forgot to tell you Tsukasa, but I have decided to accompany the rest of Mifuyu’s friends to dinner tonight at around nine. You don’t have to attend, though.”

“Wha- why at the last minute?! I guess I’m lucky that I don’t have any plans tonight…but still!”

You felt something tugging at the sleeve of your shirt only to find Mifuyu’s thumb and index finger looped on the ends of the fabric. There was no need for her to speak when you already knew what she was trying to do by pulling you away from the twins. The moment they started to have their own conversation and got distracted, she let go of your sleeve and the two of you started walking over to the others.

“It’s best to leave them alone when they bicker, but I’m glad Tsukuyo invited you to tag along with our little group for dinner if you’d like.”

“I’ll think about it. I still have a few things to unpack, after all.”

“Oh that’s right, you must live in the dorms. Well, just know that the offer still stands, even if it’s a last minute decision. I’m sure everyone would enjoy your company.” Smiling, Mifuyu sat down in the grass and leaned against one of the numerous cherry blossom trees. Your eyes watched as one of the petals fell and landed straight on her head, but she didn’t seem to mind as she was too engrossed in watching the band warm up. Mustering enough courage, you sat down beside her with your legs crossed, just as mesmerized as she was.

“Well look who finally showed up! We were starting to wonder if you were going to talk the entire time, Mifuyu!” Felicia sported a toothy grin, leaning forward with her hands out in front of her.

“Well, we were in the middle of a conversation about tonight, and then Tsukuyo invited Y/N to come along with us.”

“Aw, really? Banbanzai's gonna be real crowded with-”

“Felicia, I think you should stop talking for your own sake.” There was malice lacing Mifuyu’s words, and Felicia took notice and backed off quickly. Why was Felicia so reluctant, though? “Please don’t pay her any mind. She didn’t really mean what she said, so don’t take it to heart. The only reason she’s complaining is because she works part-time at the restaurant in question and agreed to help out tonight.”

“Ugh…”

“Oh, I see.” You cracked a smile of your own, looking at Felicia. “I completely understand. If you wanted me to come so badly, you could have just said so yourself.”

“I didn’t- I didn’t say that!”

“Shh, the performance is about to start.” Iroha put her hand on the blonde’s shoulder, making her settle down and sit up straight. “You can continue this conversation afterwards.”

Turning your head back, you focused all of your attention on the band, Tsukuyo and Tsukasa in particular. Their selection started off with recognizable tunes from the university’s repertoire such as the Alma mater, each section harmonizing to create an alluring and soothing sound. The woodwinds played the melody, brass and percussion backing them up. The twins effortlessly switched their fingering, clearly rehearsed so many times that it was just second nature to them. Eyes closed, there wasn’t a need for them to look at their music as diligent as they were about playing their instruments. Even the original pieces they performed were of little difficulty for them, the tips of their fingers gliding beautifully as the sound resonated quietly, though as a collective section they sounded pure.

The performance lasted around a half hour with an afterword from the director of bands, though your mind was focused on other things. Even though it was completely unrelated, it made you realize that maybe it would be a good idea to join a club or two, maybe even a casual sports team to get out of your room and make more friends. It wouldn’t hurt to be in an organization like a concert band… though I’m not very good at a particular instrument. It would have to be something else…

“Y/N?” Your head turned sharply to the source of the noise, which turned out to just be Iroha. “We’re all getting ready to leave campus for a bit. We just have a few things to do. I just wanted to let you know so that you won’t think that we ditched you without saying anything. Um… I think Mifuyu is going to come back to campus when she’s done in order to meet up with her friends though, so if you’re planning on having dinner with us I can tell her to meet you outside of the dormitory…”

“Yeah, that would be great! But… are you sure that you want me to go with you guys? I mean, we just met and everything-”

“We’re friends, right? After all, we’ve all been hanging out the past few hours, and it’s not like you don’t know everyone that’s going to be there already!”

Friends. The exact thing that you thought you didn’t have. It felt odd hearing it from somebody you’d just met a few hours ago, but… it made you feel like Iroha and the others wanted you there with them because they thought you were a nice person and not just because you were a loner. There was no hesitation in her voice, and her eyes bore into your very soul. Her intentions were clear through the smile on her face. Sana, who was still clinging onto her for dear life, had the same bright smile, although it was much less pronounced.

Were they really your friends? Of course they were; after all, they wanted to make sure you knew they were leaving to do some important things and not just to ditch you. They knew you weren’t a local in Kamihama, and wanted to make sure that you weren’t completely lost in the city.

“Of course we’re friends. I just… didn’t expect for you to say it so outright like that.” The corners of your lips turned upwards into a smile, affirming your subconscious decision.

“I-I’m glad… that you think of us as friends, too.” Sana let her arm fall to her side, stepping away from Iroha and bowing. “G-Goodbye!”

“You don’t have to bow, Sana…” Iroha let out a stifled giggle, shaking her head. “But we really should be going. We’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“Yeah, see you later!”

How many times does this make today? Instead of watching the group walk away while standing awkwardly, you made your way back towards the dormitory and inside, fishing for the key to your room out of your pocket. There wasn’t much to unpack from your bag, but you didn’t want to take things out of it on one of the busier days of the week. That reminds me… I saw Kaede and Rena in the auditorium, but I wonder where they could be now? The hallway was completely void of other people, save for one straggler at the end of the hallway who was rushing to get into their room. There were no voices traveling, no footsteps tapping along the wooden floors… it felt like a barren wasteland, and you were right in the middle of it. You could only assume the two girls across the hallway were still out and about, as there wasn’t a peep of arguing coming from their room.

Your door unlocked without a problem, the knob turning easily and making for a smooth opening. The bag you had haphazardly thrown on the bed was left untampered, although you noticed the latch came undone, more than likely from the force of the landing. There wasn’t much in your bag in the first place, but it contained all of the things you’d brought from home such as your laptop, some personal care items, and a few other things that weren’t significant enough to mention. Sliding the laptop and its charging cord out of your bag, you went over to the desk and plugged it into the receptacle beside it. You took a few steps away to observe your main place to study, and you couldn’t help but crack a grin. If anything, the laptop made the room a more habitable place than before.

It felt like home.

The rest of the things were put away without much effort, though you made extra sure that everything was put up in their proper places. You’d be using your bag to carry around your textbooks, so having it cleaned out for when you went to the bookstore later this week to buy them was thinking a step ahead in your book. There was a slim part of you that wished you weren’t in solitude at the current moment, but even if you wanted to go outside, you’d just be back to square one. Staring off into space was the only way you knew how to cope with your problem, though it wasn’t the most efficient way to deal with it. Others just thought you were weird, and you’d even been called a pervert on a few occasions because a girl just happened to be in front of you.

If Kaede and Rena were in their room, you’d probably have the balls to go over and ask if they wanted to do something.

If Iroha and the others lived on campus, you’d probably be with them instead of your room.

Instead, you just stared out the window as you sat on the bed. It was still cracked open from earlier, the all too familiar breeze gracing you with its presence. The silence was comforting in its own way, letting one reflect on past events, and that’s exactly what you were doing as your eyes were fixed on a singular cherry blossom tree that was planted right in front of the window. You hadn’t noticed it before now, but it really was a beautiful sight. It reminded you of earlier, when Mifuyu was leaning against one and was so lost in thought that one of the petals landed on her head and she didn’t notice. She was oblivious to how graceful she truly looked in that moment, although you were the only one that seemed to catch sight of it.

Maybe being aloof every once in a while wasn’t such a bad thing, especially since it let you catch something you would have otherwise never turned your head at.

An hour had passed, then two. You’d snapped out of your trance around a half hour in, occupying yourself with the television provided to you, as well as your smartphone. Soon it was nearing the seven o’ clock floor meetings.

“I think… I think I should dress up a little. If I’m going to be surrounded by a bunch of women, I should at least look like I care about my appearance.” Nodding, you walked over to the dresser and pulled the top drawer open. Button-up shirts and some of your nicer pants were folded neatly inside, and you took one of each out to change into. There was a faint knock at your door, but amidst your humming and shuffling around you didn’t hear until a much louder knock resounded.

“Hey! If you don’t want to be late, I suggest you hurry up!” Rena. Clasping the button on your pants and zipping them up, you opened the door and looked down on the two girls before you.

“You didn’t have to come get me, you know… also, I’m sure that everyone heard you pounding on the door.”

“I told her not to be so loud, but she didn’t listen to me!” Kaede stuck her head inside the room for a few seconds, looking around out of curiosity before backing up in order to let you through. Having put the key to your room in your pocket beforehand along with your wallet, you swiftly closed the door and locked it.

“You were knocking like a baby, and then you wondered why he didn’t come to answer the door after a few seconds.” Rena rolled her eyes, shoving her hands in her pockets and walking down the hallway towards the lounge area in the middle. The two of you followed suit, sitting down on a sofa that was against the wall when you arrived, though being sandwiched in between Kaede and Rena was quite an awkward situation.

It took all of your brainpower just to focus on the lecture being given by the Resident Advisor, who was the same guy who handed you the key to your room earlier in the day. His voice was unappealing, and it seemed everyone else agreed. The only time you paid attention to him was when he explained the form you had to fill out, which was yet another inconvenience, but it was required. It asked a few simple questions, like what kind of activities you’d like to see on the floor, about the state of your room when you arrived, and trivial questions about yourself personally.

By the time you finished, everyone minus Kaede and Rena had left the room and turned in their forms, the girls waiting patiently (well, Kaede was) for you.

“Thanks for filling it out! The turnout this year was surprisingly good compared to last year.” Taking the forms, the RA tapped the stack against the table and made them into a neat pile. “Many of the residents didn’t turn up to the floor meeting and had to be personally reprimanded. The university takes all of the activities they do during the introductory week very seriously, so they ended up getting a mark on their permanent record.”

“A-Ah, well, I’m glad I showed up. I’m a rule follower, not a rule breaker.” You rubbed the back of your neck and stood up, chuckling nervously. “What other things can get a mark on your record?”

“Bringing alcohol in the dorms, coming back intoxicated, drug paraphernalia… there’s a whole list on the university website. Oh, and getting caught with someone who isn’t from the dormitory in your room without signing them in at the front desk first. We’re more lenient on that one since it’s not like you’re doing anything illegal, but as your RA, I recommend you do.”

“So someone from a different room in the same dormitory can just… go to someone else’s room with no problem?” Rena stood up from her seat followed by Kaede, though the latter stayed silent.

“Yep!”

What an odd rule, especially since this is a co-ed dormitory.

“Well, I do have to get going. Just make sure to follow the rules and regulations and you should have a fantastic two semesters in the dormitories! Good night to you three!” Bowing quickly, the man swiped the forms and went storming towards his room on the other side of the building. There was a foreboding silence shared between the three of you, and you took the moment to check your wristwatch. Fifteen to nine.

“I have something that I agreed to do tonight. I’ll… see you two tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow! It might be later in the day since Rena and I are going to go visit some friends in the afternoon, but um… we can definitely get dinner or something together!”

“D-Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Kaede!” There was a faint blush on Rena’s face as she sharply turned her head away from view. “Fine, if you want to go to dinner with us or something, you should be grateful that I’m agreeing…”

“That’s just Rena’s way of saying she’s excited.” Kaede moved closer to whisper in your ear, giggling at the end and pulling away. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N.”

Waving to the two girls, you plopped back onto the sofa behind you, slumping back and crossing your arms. Today was probably one of the most eventful days you’ve ever had in your life. Even high school couldn’t compare to everything that happened. More people than ever before wanted to talk to you, wanted to get to know you… and you even spoke up to someone else instead of freezing up. That in itself was considered an accomplishment in your book.

Even though the day is over… the night was only beginning.

#magia record #magia record x reader #various x reader #madoka magica #madoka magica x reader #pmmm #pmmm x reader #a magical academia #fanfiction

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masterthetackle · 4 years

Text

A Magical (or not) Academia

A Various Magia Record x Male!Reader Fanfiction

One: The First Day

Word Count: 4,732

A two hour train ride to your new home for the next four months. Honestly, you just wanted fresh air at this point.

Kamihama City University was your first choice when it came to universities across the country, although there were ones much closer to home. A change of pace is exactly what you needed though, and you couldn’t be more excited to step on campus. Luckily, the university had graciously provided you with most of the essentials in order to stay in the dorms, so all you really had to bring was a few things from home. Instead of having a problem with necessities, you had a different problem on your hands.

Being that you were a two hour train ride away, none of your friends from back at home went with you. All of the other campuses around your home city would be filled with your friends, but you were the sole attendee from your graduating class. Unfortunately for you it meant that you had no friends, at least not yet. Hopefully over the week you’ll get acquainted with a few other freshmen from your class. That’s why the campus had implemented a week-long event for the freshman to come on campus early and experience what life is like before classes officially begin for the semester.

And boy, would that be a blessing.

As much as you wanted to have a roommate, you decided against it. There were plenty of single rooms left in your dormitory, plus your parents were gracious enough to pay for your housing when your scholarships wouldn’t; you’d have a room all to yourself, but you didn’t mind. It just meant more private space for you to do whatever you wanted with. The only downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is the dormitory being co-ed, meaning there’d be quite a few girls living on your floor across the hallway.

The only thing you were really worried about was making no friends and having to be alone most of the semester.

Oh, Kamihama is the next stop, you thought. The beautiful scenery from before was gradually changing from fields to a cityscape, like a panorama. Skyscrapers, a radio tower, restaurants galore… there were so many things to like about the place. You’d only been there a handful of times with your family, and once alone whenever you initially visited the campus, so you’d hadn’t explored certain parts of the city. What better time to get well-acquainted than the extra week you’ll get?

The train came to a halt as passengers started getting off, and you did the same, small suitcase in hand as you maneuvered through the crowd. The station was quite busy, a few workers getting ready to board while others were getting off to go to work. The way to get out of the station was simple enough, and soon you found yourself breathing in nature once more.

“Ah, it feels so good to be out of that cramped train!” Smiling with arms stretched wide, you cracked a wide smile. However, it soon faded once you realized your predicament. “But really… I still have to trudge to the campus. Well, I guess having my smartphone handy was a good idea.”

There was a lot to see along the way. Children were still on their breaks and were running around with each other, enjoying themselves to the fullest with the biggest smiles on their faces while their mothers were trying to round them in for lunch. Stray animals crept along the sidewalk and played Frogger trying not get hit by the incoming traffic, mostly cats. They all had one thing in common, though; they weren’t alone.

And then there was you.

The Satomi Medical Center was your first indication that you were walking the right way. Being a ten minute walk from the school campus, it was definitely the first place to go if you had a life-threatening injury, although there was a smaller branch located on the campus in case of immediate assistance. Rumor has it that the director’s daughter was going to be attending Kamihama City University as well, but it hadn’t been confirmed as of late. Maybe you’d see her around.

Ten more minutes until I step on campus for the second time. Your mind was in a jumble, wondering what sorts of people you might meet on your first day of orientation. Surely you wouldn’t be the outcast trying to find his way among the others? There had to be somebody, anybody who’d be your friend in this new, strange environment. Looking around, there weren't many others your age out and about at this time, which was a bit out of the ordinary to you. More than likely they were out working their jobs or even setting up their dorm rooms.

You were so lost in the head that you didn’t pay attention in front of you and ended up bumping into somebody. Falling down on her butt, the girl looked up at you and blinked. Speak of the devil, a girl that’s actually my age!

“I’m so sorry about that, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and accidentally bumped into you.” Smiling, you offered her your hand, which she graciously took and stood. Dusting off her skirt, she took a moment to compose herself before speaking.

“It’s fine. You don’t look to be from Kamihama, what with your smartphone out while walking absentmindedly.” Getting a good look at her, the woman in question had blue locks that fell just a few inches past her shoulders and piercing blue eyes to match. “If I had to guess, you’re on your way to the university?”

“Oh, yes. I just got off the train about fifteen minutes ago and I was on my way to drop off my stuff at the dormitory…”

“That’s quite the coincidence. I’d just left some of my housemates at the university for orientation myself.” She moved a strand of hair away from her face as she spoke, surveying you up and down. “Anyways, that’s not the point. What is your name?”

This was the perfect opportunity to make a potential acquaintance. I can’t mess this up.

“It’s Y/N L/N. No formalities though, just call me Y/N.” You outstretched your hand for her to shake, hoping that she would at least do you that much.

“Yachiyo. Yachiyo Nanami.” Yachiyo’s soft hand clasped over yours and she shook it firmly, looking you straight in the eyes as she did so. “Anyways, I apologize for having to leave so soon, but I have to get going. I have a photoshoot that I need to get to.”

Photoshoot? What is she, a model? “Oh… well, it was nice to meet you regardless of the ill timing. I’m sure I’ll see you more in the future.”

“Probably so. Well, I suppose I’ll see you later, Y/N.”

“Yeah.”

Letting go of your hand, Yachiyo started walking the opposite direction that you were supposed to be going and leaving you to yourself yet again. Dammit. Moping about it wasn’t going to do you any good, so yet again you were walking towards the campus. The amount of people around started to pick up drastically when you were in the vicinity of the university in question. Young adults were scattered about and talking with their friends, others were carrying boxes to move in.

To think that you were one of them now. What a curious thing indeed.

There was around an hour until you had your first official event for orientation, and you still had to grab your dormitory key and place your bag there. An hour should be enough time to get my stuff sorted out. Students were loitering about and busied themselves with one another as you walked into your particular dormitory. One of the Resident Advisors was handing out keys to the first floor, which thankfully you happened to be living on. Smiling, he looked to be enjoying his duties. Either that, or he was just dreading it so much that he didn’t want to come off as rude or boring.

“Hey there! You must live on this floor, right? What’s the surname?” On the table in front of him were the keys placed in a flourish, probably for show. His fingers tapped on the wood harshly, waiting for a response from you.

“Oh, sorry. It’s L/N.” Monotonously and with no feeling, you bore a stare at him, awaiting your key. It’s not like you couldn’t see it in plain sight, but a few forms were slid in your direction along with a pen.

“Okay, so you’re just going to have to sign this paper saying you got the right key to your room, and then this other form says that you got the right key to your mailbox. I’m surprised they’re letting you live in the room by yourself, though. Usually you’d have a roommate, but they must have made some sort of exception for you.”

“Nah. I mean, since I guess the other guy who was supposed to be rooming with me bailed at the last second, my parents decided to pay for the rest of my room so I could have it to myself…”

“Ohhh. That’s quite lucky, I suppose!”

Smiling with a hint of malice, you snorted. All you really wanted to do was finish signing the forms, but he made it really hard for you to concentrate on writing your name because of how much small talk he was trying to make. Not responding to his previous sentence, he didn’t try to speak up until you were nearly done. One last stroke-

“Don’t forget about the floor meeting tonight. It’s mandatory, since there’s gonna be another form to sign and all.” This time you did look up, glaring daggers straight into his soul. “S-Sorry, I should have let you finish before speaking up.”

“No… it’s fine. It’s not like I messed my name up or anything.” You hissed your words through grit teeth and accepted the exchange of forms for your keys, picking up your bag from the ground and trudging to your room without another word. The hallway was quite narrow in retrospect to the building, the only ‘decorations’ on the walls being the emergency exit routes and flyers talking about the different resources the university has to offer.

But none of that matters right now. All you wanted was to get to your room and throw your bag down so you could go attend the events outside.

Making it to your room labeled one hundred nineteen, you made sure you had the right key in your hands before slipping it into the door, opening it. The first thing you noticed was the light breeze that was brought into the room by the open window on the opposite wall. A dresser was leaning against the adjacent wall next to the door to the small personal bathroom, a complimentary television sitting right on top of it with the remote placed beside it. Your bed was simple, linen sheets laid atop it for you to put on yourself along with two standard pillows. It was in direct sight of the television, making easy viewing access. Canvases with inspirational quotes such as ‘not all who wander are lost’ and others of the sort were hanging up above your desk to make the room feel more homey, akin to your room back at home. Not to mention the plug-in internet that you thankfully brought an Ethernet cable for was placed conveniently close. The finishing touch was a small succulent in the corner of the windowsill, sitting there with as much sunlight as it could possibly get.

So, this is going to be my home for the next four months… You almost had the nerve to say those words out loud, but what good would it do? There wasn’t anyone in earshot who could hear you, save for the neighbors and one girl who was struggling to get her stuff down the hallway. It was no wonder, given that she couldn’t even see in front of her.

Maybe I should help her. It could be my good deed for the day to make up for running into Yachiyo earlier.

Quickly doing what you intended to do earlier and placing your bag on your bed, you shut and locked your door at an alarming speed before bolting down the hallway towards the girl.

“Hey, you look like you could use some help. Let me get one of the boxes for you.”

“O-Oh, um, I mean, if you really want to help me, I would appreciate it! My roommate would, but uh, she says she doesn’t have time because she has her own stuff to unpack before orientation starts.” She grunted, clearly struggling to keep hold of the cardboard. You took no time slipping the top box off and into your grasp, and you were finally able to get a good look at her. A petite girl with a small blush on her face, probably out of embarrassment, was looking back at you with golden, almost honey brown eyes.

“That’s a shame that your roommate didn’t want to help you. Not to offend you, but you look smaller than other girls I’ve seen.”

“I’m not offended in the slightest. I mean… you didn’t seem to mean anything rude by it… I think?”

“So, where’s your room at?”

“One hundred seventeen should be the number on the door…”

Making a mental note of the number, you started walking back down the hallway towards your own room. To your own surprise, one hundred seventeen happened to be the room right across from your own. Lucky coincidence, or possibly fate? You didn’t know.

The door was already ajar from a box keeping it in place. Instead of barging in without consent, you waited a few seconds for your companion to catch up to you so she could enter first. When she did, you were surprised to see how much more thought and decoration was put into their shared room. Just as she had said earlier, her roommate was unpacking everything that she could out of totes and boxes, stacking most of the contents on her bed. Her light blue hair contrasted with the other girl’s reddish brown locks, but you were more interested in the glare she had when you stepped in the room.

“Who’s he?” was the only thing she could muster to say as she haphazardly kicked an empty box across the room and towards the recycling bin.

“It’s not nice to be rude, Rena… and he helped me carry the last of the boxes down the hallway that you wouldn’t!” Huffing, the girl whose name was still unknown to you gestured to an empty spot beside her. “You can place it here, um…”

“Y/N. Just call me Y/N. And by the way, I live right across the hallway from you, so if you happen to need help again… don’t hesitate to knock on my door. I’ll answer if I’m there.” Smiling, you set the box down exactly where she told you to put it, and you were met with an equally broad smile.

“I’m Kaede Akino, and my roommate over there is Rena-”

“I don’t need you to introduce myself to him.” Placing one last thing on her bed, Rena turned to you with a flat expression. “Rena Minami. I guess I should at least try to get along with you if you’re going to be across the hall. Heh, maybe if one of our neighbors makes a lot of noise, we can just file a report on you since we actually know your name.”

“Rena, that’s not nice! Y/N wouldn’t do anything like that… right?”

“Right. There’s nothing to worry about.” Giving Kaede and Rena a thumbs-up, you took out your phone to check the time once more. Thirty minutes until orientation… “It was really nice to meet you two, but I was planning on trying to… socialize a bit more before orientation actually started.”

“You could have said you were going to go take a nap and I still would have bought it. Whatever.” Rena rolled her eyes, which seemed to be something common for her as Kaede looked to be used to it by now. They were probably one of those freshmen who went to high school together and decided to be roommates so they didn’t have to get to know a stranger.

“Oh, um…” Kaede looked like she wanted to say more, but shook her head at the last second before giving a polite wave. “I’m sure if we don’t see each other during the day that we’ll see each other at the floor meeting. It was nice meeting you too!”

Taking one more brief glance at their room, you stepped out and, putting your hands in your pocket, started making your way out of the dormitory and back onto the main part of the campus.

You never really got a good look at it before, but the lavish greenery spread around really did liven up the place. Some took advantage of them, sitting under the trees as the branches shielded them from the sun, while others were just gathered around to take pictures in front of the massive beauties. There was a part of you that really wanted to do it, too. Stand under the tree with friends and take a picture together for the hell of it.

But… in reality, you still had nobody to call your friend. They were all acquaintances, nothing more. You were still, in a sense, utterly alone. You hated this, so much in fact that you kicked a loose pebble on the ground and hit someone else’s shoe. He didn’t seem to notice though, which you were thankful for. But, really… you were one out of thousands standing around on campus, but you were the only one in sight who was by their lonesome. There wasn’t an empty table for you to sit at and mope, nor a bench.

Guess I have to do this the hard way.

Walking forward a few more steps past the front doors of the dormitory was a challenge in and of itself. You weren’t normally a sociable person when it came to strangers, and the only reason you happened to talk to others today was by accident and by courtesy, nothing more. If someone asked you, ‘Hey, can you go ask this person a favor for me?’, you’d probably freeze up and not be able to say anything, thus making you look like a complete idiot. Why couldn’t you just be a normal guy like everyone else and just… well, talk to others? Anxiety, you think it is. But isn’t it natural to clam up in social situations?

You didn’t seem to notice the hand sitting on your shoulder until now, and the surprise mixed with your thoughts from earlier came crashing down and caused you to jump and move forward. Turning around, there didn’t seem to be anyone there, or anyone who looked guilty of pulling a prank you should say.

There it was again. This time you kept your hand on the other persons’ and turned around, keeping a vice grip on it until you saw exactly who it was. An unfamiliar face nonetheless, but a woman. You let go out of embarrassment from the situation, and all she could do was let out an excited giggle. Her brown hair was tied up to the side in a ponytail, with bangs framing her face and orange eyes that seemed to mimic flames… whatever that was supposed to mean.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you the first time, but when I got that reaction out of you… I just couldn’t help myself to do it the second time!” Pointing her thumb behind her, she stopped her giggles and smiled. “My friends thought you looked a little bit lonely just standing there, but I was actually getting ready to leave the campus myself and thought that you could keep them company in my stead!”

Does she really have to be so loud? You could feel your eardrums wanting to burst just from this woman’s apparent volume control, or should you say lack thereof. Grimacing, you nodded your head without even thinking of the real reason she said that. Looking behind her, you saw a group of three girls: a blonde, a pink-haired, and a mint-haired girl. Wait a minute, her friends were just a bunch of girls!

“Thanks a lot! Truth be told, I just decided to stick around because somebody didn’t want to… well, actually she had something to do, but that doesn’t matter! I’m not even supposed to be here since I’m not a freshman!” As if you thought it couldn’t get worse, her giggle from earlier turned into a hearty laugh. “Anyways, have fun!”

She turned around without a second thought, nearly running into someone before turning back around. This woman is full of energy.

“Oh wait, before I forget,” she started, thrusting her hand forward for a handshake. With the force of it, she probably could have knocked you over if she tried hard enough. “Tsuruno Yui, the Mightiest College Student! Pleased to meet ya!”

The initial shock of the situation before you left you speechless. You just stood there and looked at her outstretched hand as she waited, an unwavering smile plastered on and refusing to turn into a frown. It had been at least ten seconds now and she still waited for you to shake her hand without skipping a beat. Prolonging the situation would only make you look like an ass, so you gave her hand a firm shake before pulling it away.

“Y/N.”

“Y/N? I’ll be sure to remember that! Okay, this time I’m gonna leave for real, but my friends can definitely keep you company!” Once again turning on her heel, she made quick strides in order to step off the campus, waving at her friends quickly as she ran past. You followed her only up to said friends, who were watching the entire ordeal go down with mixed reactions.

“I’m… really sorry about Tsuruno,” the pink haired girl said. “I didn’t think she was actually going to go up to you so easily like that. We just thought you looked a bit lost. Are you from Kamihama?”

“No, not really. If I was, I probably wouldn’t have ran into that woman earlier and caused her to fall as I was looking at my phone for directions to get here…” Sighing in defeat, your shoulders decided to slump down on their own. “I don’t have any real friends here. All of them went to universities closer to home.”

“That must be hard…” She glanced over at the blonde, who started pestering some of the nearby wildlife on campus while she wasn’t paying attention. “Felicia, don’t pick on the wild animals like that! They didn’t do anything to you!”

“Whatever, Iroha! Don’t look at me like they won’t come at you at a moment's notice if you have your eyes closed!” Felicia pouted, crossing her arms and walking back over.

Noticing that the only other girl left hadn’t spoken up, you turned to face her. It didn’t seem like she wanted to talk, at least not yet, as she had clung onto Iroha without a moment to spare. Even though she was your age, you had to wonder if she had somewhat of a sheltered lifestyle, or maybe even some emotional trauma that made her this way.

Iroha and Felicia continued to have their own debate about the wild animals as you and the girl had a staring contest of sorts. Her green irises stared you down, but her lips remained tightly sealed as she examined your figure. Deciding to break the silence yourself, your lips moved on their own.

“Are your friends always this way?” A small question was the best way to break the silence, and it seemed she agreed, as her lips finally opened to formulate a response.

“Sometimes… but usually it’s Felicia and Tsuruno and not Iroha... “ Quiet, yet refined. She was a nice breath of fresh air compared to Tsuruno, who wasted no time both scaring you and making your ears bleed in less than two minutes. “Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t argue or have debates, but they usually don’t listen to me. It’s… almost as if I’m invisible to them when they do that.”

“I understand that feeling. Trust me.”

A gentle smile for a gentle girl. It made you crack a smile of your own, though it was short lived as Felicia broke the small silence.

“We have ten minutes to get to that huge auditorium and take a seat! We need to hurry before we have to sit all the way in the back!” This seemed to have startled your potential friend, who jumped in response to the sudden change in tone. Felicia noticed this and waved her hand. “Sorry, Sana!”

“Felicia’s right. You should come with us, Y/N.” Iroha clasped her hands together in a warm gesture. Tsuruno was loud enough for the entire world to hear, so it was no wonder Iroha knew my name without having to ask. I’ll have to wait for a formal introduction, though. Right, because the three girls were already making a small move ahead of you and towards the auditorium in question, leaving you in the dust. Probably Felicia’s idea, if you’d have to guess.

It only took a minute to arrive in the auditorium, and you took a moment to glance around and observe your surroundings. Thousands of seats in a stadium-like fashion lined the space, as well as a top balcony with extra seating above in case they ran out. On the main stage, a podium stood in front of rows of foldable chairs, seated with staff who wore official clothing prepared for the ceremony. A banner with the mark symbolizing Kamihama City University hung from said podium, which made the small welcome speech they were going to give for orientation seem all more official and real.

Even though seats were filling up quickly, the four of you were able to snag seats in the middle section about fifteen rows back from the main stage, making it easier for you to see. With only three minutes to spare, too. Felicia and Iroha sandwiched Sana in between them, while you sat on the edge of your group beside Iroha. There was another girl next to you, but you weren’t able to hear what she was saying to her friend beside her in the midst of all the talking. Iroha and the others were having a conversation of their own at the moment and you didn’t want to be rude and interrupt them, so yet again you were contemplating your thoughts.

It was nice to feel like others worried. Even if Tsuruno did it in a way that you couldn’t explain, she still thought you could use a friend or two just to get by. As you glanced around you spotted Kaede and Rena, who were chatting up a storm. You could have gotten away with going with them and even helped Kaede unpack her boxes. I wonder if she even got to unpack any? Although… amongst the handful of familiar faces, there were still thousands around you that you didn’t know. Most of them you didn’t have to know, but yet they were still in your class, so you had to at least acknowledge that much, right?

No, you thought. It would be a struggle to keep up with so many people. Only a handful. That’s all.

The eerie sound of someone testing the microphone placed upon the podium shook you out of your trance, and you looked up to see that the president himself was getting ready to speak. Sitting up straight, you were ready to hear the first words come out of his mouth, expecting them to be stale and tasteless. The words he used to open the ceremony with reminded you of where you were, and why you were here. They were simple words, really, but through his diction you could understand the emotion behind them.

“Welcome to Kamihama City University.”

#magia record #magia record x reader #various x reader #madoka magica #madoka magica x reader #pmmm #pmmm x reader #a magical academia #fanfiction

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