Just a City Boy

Sunlight shines in on your eyes from a nearby window, pulling you from another restless sleep. You crawl out of bed and get into the shower of your cabin. The window outside shows the landscape passing by. You were shocked to find out that the only train to this city was a luxury train. It made this surreal situation feel much more genuine.

The water is cold, so you finish up quickly and get dressed. Giving yourself a once over in the mirror, making sure you look presentable. You stand roughly 5'8" tall. Your build is a bit wide, but has little in the way of muscle. The slight chub of your belly brings back memories of when you would sneak extra cookies at the orphanage. Moving on from those thoughts before you get sad again, you check if your grey shirt and brown shorts are properly alligned. With everything looking as good as it can be, you continue with your morning routine.

Another peek out the window shows you a town in the distance. 'Huh? I thought such a well known college would be in a large city. This place looks a little underwhelming.'

You plop down on the bed to your cabin and pull out your phone. 'It is still hard to believe this is happening.' Tapping the buttons on the old flip phone to navigate was time consuming, but it wasn't like you could afford anything better. Besides, this old gal has been with you for years now and has served strong that whole time. You bring up the string of messages from that night.

"Hello, Mr Johnson. I hope you are doing well."

"Who is this?"

"I am someone who is interested in helping you out. Are you happy with how things are right now?"

"No I am not. Why do you ask?"

"Let me answer your question by asking you one in return. Would you like a full scholarship to HierArcane University?"

"If I said yes, what would you want in return."

"I request nothing, though I would not object to having some company around the house."

"Sure, I would like to go to college."

"Very good."

Closing your phone, you sigh. You had expected to get a chuckle or two when they asked for your personal information. They never did. When you received the acceptance letter, you checked if it was fake. It was the real deal, even had the intricate enchantment to verify. Then you had noticed the ticket that came with it.

You had trouble actually registering that this was all real. You were almost relieved when there was trouble at the booth when they were checking it. It turned out their old as dirt scanner had finally stopped working at that moment. The replacement confirmed it was real. With that you were convinced there was no way this was a scam or prank anymore.

"This is actually happening. I am actually going to college to achieve my dream." For the first time in longer than you can remember, you look forward to what the day brings you. It is like a weight far bigger than you expected had been lifted from your shoulders.

The train whistle blows at an almost deafening volume. Your stop has arrived. You gather your backpack that holds pretty much everything to your name and prepare yourself. 'This is a new start for me. I will not let it go to waste.' You think with more conviction than you have ever mustered before.

Stepping off the train, there are only a few that join you. The station is small and frankly unimpressive, but not outside of what you expected from a small town. It does not take long for the train to depart and the others in the station to clear out. You frown as the person who you were told will escort you is nowhere to be seen. You adjust your smashball hat and take a seat on a shaded bench. 'Why is it so hot here?'

Hours have passed and it is noon by now. There is still no sign of your escort in sight. You check your phone again to find that there is still no response from that mysterious person. A mixture of paranoia and anxiety fills your mind. 'Was this an elaborate prank? Did the escourt get held up somewhere? Were they hurt? What am I going to do?' You consider getting up and leaving, but you know that is just asking for trouble. You will give them a bit longer before resorting to that. With a sigh, you gulp down the last of your water.

A green car with two black lines down the center screeches to a stop in front of you. "Yo! Are you Alex?" Came a powerful voice from inside the car. The window rolls down to reveal a gorgeous woman with shoulder length, black hair. You can barely make out the white streak on the left of her bangs. She wears a yellow tee shirt with black shoulders and a stripe down the right side. The plunging neckline guides your eyes to her rather massive breasts, each as big as your head.

Struggling to pull your vision from the mammoth mammaries you respond, "U-Uhm, yeah. Are you my ride?" You manage to look her in the eyes and regret it. No it wasn't that she was upset at your staring, she didn't seem to mind that. It was that her gaze made you feel like a gazelle staring at a lion.

She nodded and waved for you to enter. "Sorry for being late, I overslept." While hesitant, you swallow your fear and get in the car. As you sit down and buckle in, the tension you felt seems to subside for now. "I'm Nariko, by the way. Nice to meet you." She offers a large, friendly smile.

You take a second to compose yourself. "It is very nice to meet you as well. I had not expected someone so beautiful to pick me up." Your eyes widen as you realize you said more than you intended to.

She shrugs and starts driving. "Well I wasn't expecting some random guy mom helped out to be so cute. So let's call it even."

The drive was going rather well. None of that awkwardness and anger you had seen frequently with drivers back home. 'I really want to make friends here. I should show some initiative. The hardest step is the first one, they say.' You try to take a subtle deep breath before you dive in. "You know, I have never been outside my home city before. I know pretty much nothing about this place." Another deep breath. "Would you mind showing me around sometime?"

Nariko stops at a corner and seems to ponder for a bit while she waits for the other cars to pass. "Sure. There is this amazing diner in the square that has milkshakes so good they are practically addictive." Her smile is small, but seems genuine enough.

The lack of ridicule, anger, and pretty much anything else you had prepared for caught you off guard. You weren't sure you heard her right, but chose to not question it. "Thank you. I look forward to them." You need to think for a bit before continuing, but before you can say anything she beats you to it.

"So you seem like a nerd, mind telling me what you are into? Like movies, games, and stuff like that."

While nervous to admit things like this, you feel it is best to be honest rather than fail miserably at trying to hide it. "I, uh, I like video games, especially action adventure. I also love reading, even if I have not been able to do it much lately."

Your escort listens carefully. "I'm not much into reading, myself. I mostly spend my days training, but relaxing with video games afterwards is pretty fun."

"Any particular genre?"

A light blush breaks out across her face as she focuses even harder on the road. "Depends on my mood."

It was not much longer until the car stopped in front of a rather modest looking house. Mostly brick with a garden out front. "We're here. Better get in quick if you want lunch."