Programmer in Another World

EPISODE 9 - First Friend

"Uh, I got it back when I was a child," Phize hesitantly answered.

"Should I tell her? I don't think I should," he questions his train of thought.

She grabs his right arm and begins observing it.

"These look like a bite..." she says without any sense of personal space.

"Um, who are you?"

"Oh, me? My name is Pallitra Strata, what's your name?"

"My name is Phize Gratham Drestil."

"Woah! That's such a lengthy name," she says exasperating him instead.

"I know..." he thought.

"Nice to meet you then! I look forward to spending this year with you!"

"What a happy-go-lucky girl. Hold up, MY CHANCE!" he thought, snapping him back to his senses.

"U-U-Um, c-can you be my first friend?"

"Hm? What do you mean? We were always friends, weren't we?"

"Huh? Isn't she too angelic? LIKE WAY TOO ANGELIC?" he thought.

"Um..."

"Oh, I gotta finish my lunch first!"

"You haven't finished your lunch?"

He gives her a face of disappointment.

"What's with that face? I like enjoying my food. Hmph!" she says while pouting.

"She sure is a kid alright," he thought.

"Isn't 40 minutes a wee bit too much?"

"My mom just makes the best lunches! I just can't devour them instantly... so I just looked and smelled my food for 10 minutes straight!"

"Isn't that too long?" he thought.

Phize: And the remaining minutes?

"Eating!" she happily declares as she smiles.

"THE SHEER INNOCENCE OF A CHILD! IT MELTS MY HEART! URGH!" he thought.

He makes out a weird face in response to her angelic smile.

"What's with that face? Do you have a fever?"

"No, no, not really. HEY, CLASS STARTS IN A FEW MINUTES! EAT YOUR LUNCH!"

"Oh, you're right! Off I go!"

12:23 PM

Phize raises his hand.

"THE SUN IS A STAR!" he answers.

"Correct!" Hasha replies.

He sits down.

"For a school, I had totally convinced myself that this was a high school, but subjects other than magic seem so basic, I guess I really am in a kindergarten after all. Just a few different terms though," he thought.

"Psst!" Pallitra calls out.

He looks at her.

"Look! Look!" she excitedly shows her drawing with deformed figures representing two children, one boy and one girl holding hands.

"THOSE DRAWINGS LOOK SCARY! Alright, now be calm and ask her as a proper gentleman would," he proudly thought to himself.

"WHAT ARE THOSE DRAWINGS?!"

"Oops, I let my 5-year-old self get the best of me again," he thought.

"What do you mean? This is a symbol of our friendship! That's you and me! Hm hm," she smirks, "I have a knack for art don't you think?"

"Better rethink your dreams, girl," he abruptly cuts her.

"Oops, I let my reality-struck 20-year-old self get the best of me," he thought.

"Hey! That's mean!"

"Also, shouldn't you be listening to class?"

"Ehh? But I don't wanna!"

"You have to, or you won't be able to learn."

"But I already know this!" she affirms.

He grows irritated by her response, "THEN RECITE!!!"

"I'm bored..."

She slams her face on the desk.

"HEY! How about we play a ga-"

"No."

"What if I tell you it's educational?"

"No, thank you."

"I'm already well-versed in almost every subject there is," he reassured himself in thought.

"How about magi-"

"Tell me more."

"That was fast."

"TELL THE DETAILS QUICKLY BEFORE A TEACHER SEES US!" he hurriedly commands.

"Woah, woah, just chill out. All right, here's the plan! We each chant magic spells we know!"

"This'll be a short game," he positively replies.

"Quite overconfident, eh? Let's see about that. I'll take the liberty of being first then, hm, hmm!"

She clears her throat and prepares to chant a spell.

"Small Quake!"

The classroom vibrates very slowly.

"Water!"

A small amount of water is produced from his spell.

"Heal!"

Green magic particles come out from her hand.

"Blizzard!"

The classroom experiences a short breeze of cold wind.

"Fire!"

"FIRE?!" he gets alarmed in his mind.

"WAIT STO-"

No magic circle is formed on her right hand.

"I WIN!" he bravely broadcasts.

"I just didn't cast the magic cause I figured it might burn nearby appliances. Now, your turn."

"Wait, how can I know that you aren't faking it?" he asks in extreme doubt.

"Just take my word on this! Come on, come on, your turn!"

This play goes on for just a few minutes.

"Create Barrier!"

A small bump forms on her desk.

"Your turn!" she points.

"OH GOODNESS! I DIDN'T EXPECT HER TO KNOW THIS MANY MAGIC SPELLS! SHE... IS NOT AN ANGEL!" he thought.

He looks at her with suspicious eyes. But she smiles back in response.

"SHE'S A DEMON! IMPOSSIBLE!" he panics in thought.

He gulps.

"Oh no... I don't have any more spells. What should I do?" he distresses in his mind.

"What's wrong?" she smirks and gives out a smug, "Out of spells?"

"I REFUSE TO BE BEATEN BY A CHILD!" he thought in a prideful matter.

"Impossible! U-Uh..."

"If you don't say anything... I'll start counting."

"THINK! THINK! THINK! I GOT IT!" he thought while coming up with an idea.

"U-Um, I think I ran out of mana... so..."

"That's the same as admitting defeat, then."

"WHA? That's not fair."

"Well, remember what I did earlier? Just don't flow your mana then. You COULD do that right?" she says as she provided an extra emphasis on the word.

"Is it me or did her personality just go a complete 180?" he thought.

"I give in... You win..."

"I WIN!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he shouts in his own mind at trifling defeat.

1:00 PM

Hasha discusses, "Today is supposed to be our Combat Practice, but as such, it is only the first day of class, so for now, we will be dismissing early. Once all of you have learned enough concepts in magic, I will start teaching Combat Practice as soon as next week. And so with that, CLASS DISMISSED!"

"First day of class is over already, eh?"

He looks at Pallitra.

"Hey Pallit-" he instantaneously stopped himself while speaking.

She is snoring at her desk.

"Hmmmm. Better leave the sleeping, don't wanna ruin her beauty sleep," he thought.

Phize writes a note and puts it on her desk.

"'Did you enjoy your beauty sleep?' the perfect message..." he thought.

"Time to leave."

He goes outside the classroom door and goes down the stairs.

At the entrance, he sees Vhint waiting just outside.

"PHIZE!!!"

"DADDD!"

"Let's go home, for now, buddy. Did you manage to make friends already?"

"Hmm... Not friends, just one friend, but for now, that's more than enough for me."

Pallitra wakes up from her desk and Hasha approaches her to relay something.

"Huh? What subject is it?"

"Miss Strata, I'm afraid it's dismissal time already."

"Huh?"

END OF EPISODE 9