Normal Life Isn't Enough Any Longer

"Okay..." Matt thought to himself as he left his dorm that morning. As usual, his dark hair was nicely tousled on his head, and his handsome face was clear and radiant. 

He wore a plaid blue shirt, accompanied by trousers with an even darker shade of blue. His watch and shoes matched, as they were both in black. All in all, he considered himself perfect and ready to start the day. 

"Time for lectures!" he said to himself, picking up a swift, yet gentle stride as he walked towards his faculty. He was going to meet up with his friends there, attend classes, hang out, and then spend some time studying. Everything seemed normal, and that was exactly the problem.

"Why haven't they reached out to me yet?!" Matt was freaking out internally. Despite trying his best to act normal and composed for the past few days, he couldn't hold it in any longer. "It's been five days since the exams. I was told that they would contact me, but..."

  Matt was completely lost at this point. Not only had no one come to talk to him, but he had also received no message from his System. He talked to Violet quite a bit, but he didn't feel comfortable bringing up his concerns when he was with her.

  "It'll make me look desperate or needy," he thought, not wanting to appear vulnerable.

"Do they no longer need me? Have they forgotten about me? Did I do something wrong?" Matt wondered, feeling anxious and unsure of what to do next.

"Okay, maybe he was a little desperate, but who could blame him? After being dragged into the world of craziness and magic, how could he go back to a bland, normal life? Besides, the balance of the world was at risk, and he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. 

Every day, he did his best to patrol the campus area, even when he was with his friends. So far, he had seen nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was strangely...normal. At some point, Matt even wondered if he was crazy. It felt as though everything had been a dream."

"Fortunately, Adrien and I are getting along well," Matt thought to himself as he approached his lecture hall, lost in thought. He found it easier to forget about the supernatural by focusing on the natural, in this case, his feminine male roommate. "I'm used to his girly features now. I thought it would be more difficult," he mused, still wondering what others would think if they spotted them together. As a result, he made it a routine for him to leave the room before Adrien or vice versa, never allowing both of them to leave the room at the same time. So far, things had worked out quite well.

"I've also been hanging out well with my friends," he thought to himself. He had worried that his Chuunibyou life would interfere with his friendship with everyone, but it seemed he didn't need to worry. After all, they hadn't even contacted him. Matt remembered how he had blown off Erica and everyone on the group call, and how he had felt guilty afterward. He was glad that they forgave him after he apologized and bought them food.

"The 'food bribe' always worked for his friends. 'Well... I guess I'll see them in class. We're supposed to hang out today,' he said, smiling as he entered the hall. It was a typical day, and like every other day, he planned to be the best version of a normal student. 'Let the normie challenge begin!' he thought to himself.

*

*

*

"Haaa... it's finally over," Matt's voice echoed emptily. His weary face and slumped shoulders made it clear how exhausted he was. He had just come from a campus party, which he had barely escape from. 

"The normie challenge is really tough. Haa..." His facial muscles hurt from all the smiling and laughing he had had to endure.

Although he was dejected and not in the mood for such mundane activities, he had to play his part as a normie. "It took everything out of me to escape!" Matt sighed. His friends were still there, but he could no longer take it anymore, so he left.

"Haa... what's wrong with me?" Ever since his exposure to the Chuunibyou Challenge, the normal things he used to do for fun and entertainment quickly became stale. 

The parties no longer felt exhilarating, and the attention he received due to his popularity no longer had the same stimulating vibe. Even when hanging out with his friends, things no longer felt the same as they did in the past. It was almost as though he was not interested in anything else—at least not to the degree he used to be. His mind was somewhere else entirely.

"Let's just get back to the room," he muttered, smacking his lips.

He could feel the aftertaste of alcohol on his lips and had to admit that he was slightly tipsy. He wasn't drunk enough to lose control of his senses, but it made him more honest with himself as he walked. When he arrived in his room, he wasn't surprised to find that his roommate was out. "Well, he hardly stays in the room," he thought to himself. This was one of the reasons they got along so well.

Matt flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes, letting out yet another sigh. His chest felt hot, and his heart was racing uncontrollably. Even though he was tired just a few seconds ago, he now felt exceedingly restless.

"I... I..." He knew what he wanted to do. It was something he would have done a long time ago, but avoided doing because of his pride. But now, he thought, "Screw pride! I am desperate!" 

He felt like he was going crazy about this whole thing. He wanted something. "I'm going to do it!" He brought out his phone and unlocked it. "I'm going to ask Violet!"

Almost as soon as he opened her chat and began typing his message, a buzz suddenly sounded in his head. "What the...?!" And then...

[SYSTEM ALERT]

<Message From The Chuunibyou Society>

Will You Read The Message?

Matt couldn't help but smile. His blue eyes gleamed brightly as he parted his lips in obvious excitement and nervousness. Whatever message the society had sent him, he wanted to see it so badly. "Yes. Yes, I will!"