Ch. 51 Noodles Make a Fine Olive Branch

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            "And this concludes day two of my special pre-exam review. I hope this has been informative for you," said Azami. "Merely follow the correct procedures as we've outlined them, and there will be nothing to fear from these exams. You can take them with peace of mind, watching as those foolish enough to resist fail miserably, one by one."

"Yes, sir!" echoed the students.

The lecture hall was packed with Azami supporters, but Torrey felt alone. Everyone else seemed to be brainwashed. It's like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone...he thought glumly. He owed it to his friends to be here, though.

"You're all dismissed. Except for Tormund Waldenpond and Akira Hayama; I would speak with you about your roles in Hokkaido."

Torrey weaved his way through the departing crowd to reach Azami, who was waiting patiently at the podium in front of the room. Hayama was already there.

Something about him made Torrey uneasy; it wasn't just his sharp eyes. He exuded an aura of confidence that bordered on smug, a trait he shared with Azami. Soma talks about him a lot, and seems to think of him as a rival. I still don't know much about him, though, thought Torrey.

"Ah, my first-year Council members! The pride of Central. It's not often that students of your age have to juggle Council duties along with exam preparations. I have no doubt that you'll both perform splendidly."

Hayama nodded, as if this went without saying.

"As for the first two stages of the exams, you'll be participating alongside your peers. Once you reach Stage 3, however, things will get interesting. All of my supporters will have a standard assignment, one that they will pass with ease. The Resisters, however...will be facing off against a Council member."

Torrey didn't bat an eyelash; he'd anticipated something along these lines. Azami wants to crush the Resistance, and he has 9 powerful weapons at his disposal. It only seems fitting to get the Council involved, sans Erina of course.

"I'll inform you of your opponents when the time is right. With any luck, the Resisters will be wiped out before we even make it to Stage 3! That being said, I trust that you'll keep this information secret. Wouldn't want any of them getting word of this beforehand, would we?" said Azami, looking directly at Torrey. It was almost enough to make him flinch.

Crap, he knows somethings up...it's not like I've been hiding my closeness with the Polaris crew.

"Understood," said Torrey. Hayama nodded sagely.

"Excellent! Enjoy the rest of your day, gentleman."

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Knowing that everyone at the dorm would be nose-deep in textbooks and lecture notes, Torrey decided to stop by his apartment to fix himself a quick dinner, rather than trying to weasel a free meal out of someone.

This is a new me- selfless!

Just as he'd gotten out the proper utensils, Torrey heard knocking at the door. It was light, and irregular, as if the visitor was hesitating.

When he opened the door, the surprise must have been evident on his face, for Nene Kinokuni took a step backward.

"...is this a bad time?" said Nene.

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