The room now, filled with heavy atmosphere.
Every student whispered, trying to find reprensentative.
No one volunteered.
"Seven minutes left for the exam! If you can't decide, nobody leaves."
The proctor word, a pressure intensified their panic.
No other choice, everyone scramble for a solution.
"I choose him!" A female student stammered, pointing at a chubby boy at back seat.
The dozens of gaze fixed on him, made his face pale.
"And do you accept being their reprensentative?" The proctor asked.
"I.. I probably won't, sir.." That chubby boy replied with a trembling voice.
"If he doesn't accept, then he's not your representative, " said the proctor
The viewers watching the exam on TV, they gasped.
As if they were the one who taking the exam.
In the exam room, Garret glanced at his friends.
Leon—reciting an ancient goblin incantation, hoping for some miracle.
Asami—staring blankly at her paper, with her lifeless face.
And other students—trying hard to decipher the nonsensical text, willing to get through this ordeal.
This shouldn't be happen, if not me, then who? Even if I pass, things will still be tough.
The thought flashed through Garret's mind before rasing his hand.
"Professor, ill be their representative."
Finishing his word, all the students froze and turned to stare at Garret.
"Good, but you'll be regret it." the proctor said.
"Sir. I'm not afraid. My life so far hasn't been a bed of roses,"
Garret's words earned him a thumbs-up from Leon.
"But thr punishment, is much harder than you think." The proctor warned.
"Haha, look like I care."
Garret said with a calm tone.
"Then go leave the room, now!
"Yes, ill go right away."
Suddenly, a voice cut in, when Garret had started to get up from his chair.
"Wait a minute, Professor! If you will punish Garret, just take me too!"
"Leon..." Garret said, turning to look at his friend.
"If you're going to do anything to my friend, then you have to punish me as well!"
Leon declared.
"Alright, just these two, then?' The proctor said before Asami raised her hand.
"You! What's it?"
"Professor please let me go with them too."
She said, looking at the two mate who were about to leave the room.
"Asami, you're slay queen!" Leon murmured.
"Then, you three can go and get punished together!" The proctor barked.
Hearing his word, the three of them walked out of the exam room before the door closed.
I don't think this is over yet.
Leon thought to himself, peeking through the crack in the door.
And gesturing for Garret and Asami to come and look.
"All of you sitting in here... you've failed!"
As the proctor's voice boomed, everyone in the room flinched.
"Wha... why did we fail?" a boy stammered, his voice trembling.
"You want to know why?" the proctor asked coldly.
"Yes! I do!" the boy replied quickly.
The proctor clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and forced out a low growl, "You're all weak! Cowardly! Selfish! Stupid! And dense!"
Hearing the proctor's harsh insults, the students in the room froze, stiff with shock.
"Whoa... scary!!!" Leon muttered from behind the door.
"Why are we like that?" the boy who had asked the question persisted.
"Isn't it obvious? You're just people who don't have what it takes to be Cosmic Rangers! You'd probably die before even completing a simple mission!" the proctor scoffed.
"Hey! But you're cheating! You gave us a question that wasn't in any textbook!"
the chubby boy who refused to be the representative protested.
"And you think the universe only exists in textbooks?! Yes, knowledge is important, but none of you have the slightest qualification to be a Cosmic Ranger!"
the proctor slammed his hand on the desk.
"That's enough!" a girl student exclaimed. "The reason we didn't do what you said is because we were afraid of being punished!"
"And you think you're here to enjoy yourselves?! Cosmic Ranger is an organization that carries the fate of the universe, not a playground!" the proctor roared.
After that, all the remaining students dejectedly went home.
The people, watching in the field were divided into several groups.
One side smirking with satisfaction, While the other hung their heads in sympathy for the children.
Soon after, the proctor walked up to the three students on the corridor.
"Congrats, you three passed the exam."
Hearing that, Garret smirked, and so did Asami.
Only Leon made a heart shape with his hands.
"Do you want to know why you passed?"
"Don't want to know it, Professor." Leon teased.
"Even if the yellow-haired one doesn't want to know, I'll tell you anyway.
In one short sentence, you guys showed that you're ready to be Cosmic Rangers."
"Why are we ready, Professor?" Garret asked.
"Because you took this seriously and have the basic qualifications."
The proctor placed a hand on Garret's shoulder before looking at the other two.
"And you two didn't abandon your friend, willing to go through hardship together. Friends like this are rare, Garret. Especially in a society where people are self-serving."
Garret nodded, before the
proctor handed them three cards.
"Here are yours."
The cards, used for scaning with a mobile phone for information about Authority casting.
Garret, Leon, and Asami bowed before accepting the cards.
"Good luck with the next exam, lieutenant." the proctor waved goodbye.
After that, the three of them walked down the long corridor, preparing for the next round of testing.
"Hey, Garret, what do you think we'll face next?" Leon asked, slapping Garret on the back.
"I don't know either, Leon. We'll just have to see what's ahead," Garret replied.
"And you, are you ready, Asami?" Leon turned to her with a grin.
"Yeah... okay," Asami replied curtly, but a certain thought flickered in her eyes.
Maybe the three of us are more than what meets the eye,
that thought echoed in the mind of Asami, the cool girl.
"Oh, Asami, please keep an eye on Leon for me. Make sure he pays me back," Garret requested.
"Okay, Garret, I'll keep this monkey in check," Asami agreed readily.
"Whoa, Asami, you answer Garret so quickly! But what's about me." Leon exclaimed as they walked down the corridor.
His words made Garret chuckle softly.