Full Metal Panic!
A New Comrade
Disclaimer: I don't own FMP or any characters aside from Runako...blah blah blah
A/N: Re-uploaded. Thanks for the help Armydude, It's appreciated.
Chapter 1
Friend or Foe?
Monday
08:00hours/8:00AM
Tokyo Standard Time
The ringing of a cell phone sounded through the murmur and babble of the students in classroom 2-4 and for once it wasn't the catastrophe prone young soldier named Sagara Sousuke.
"Hello?" Eri Kagurazaka answered her cell phone. "A new transfer student?" She began to pace "My class is nearly full principal...What...He's already here? Send him in," She sighed.
The sliding door of the classroom opened. A young man entered and stood next to Eri. He appeared to be around 16 and was about 5'6. He had an average physique, not lean as Sousuke, but not pudgy either. The student had long, black hair that accentuated his face, bangs on the sides, drawing attention to his cheekbones. His skin was a dark shade of mahogany. None of the students noticed his arrival. They were all talking about what happened on last night's reality shows and other miscellaneous gossip.
"Excuse me," Ms. Kagurazaka said mildly, to no avail. "Excuse me students," She said more stern than before. The students still roared above her voice. "Hey, Listen up," Eri shouted. The class quieted and everyone sat in their seats. "Thank you. We have a new transfer to Jindai High," Eri exchanged whispers with the student beside her. "Please introduce yourself."
"I would rather not." The transfer student said, shifting his black retinas to his new teacher.
"No need to be shy, go ahead," Ms. Kagurazaka told him.
"My name is Runako Afriston," He turned to his classmates. "You can call me Rune."
A few of the female classmates swooned. Some only rolled their eyes. The men placed their heads on their desks simultaneously, preparing themselves for the lengthy ritual that was about to begin.
"Kana...Hey, Kana" Kyouko Tokiwa whispered, jabbing her friend with a pencil. Trying to get her attention.
"What's up, Kyouko?" The blue-haired class representative, Kaname Chidori whispered.
"The new student is kinda cute, in an 'I just don't wanna leave him alone' kind of way, huh?" Kyouko said. Her expression unreadable behind her glasses. "Not that I wanna go out with him or anything."
"Sure Kyouko, whatever you say," Kaname looked to the front of the class giving Runako's introductory ceremony her complete undivided attention.
"Age, hobbies, likes, dislikes?" Eri continued to interrogate him.
"16, I read a lot," Rune vented his frustrations with a long, exasperated, sigh. "I dislike telling people about myself, and I'd like to sit down. What was it?" He searched the confines of his mind for his new teacher's name. "Ms. Kagurazaka," A few of the male students snickered.
"Very well," She said, irritated by his blatant sarcasm on his first day. Eri scanned the classroom for an empty seat. The only desk available was next to Sousuke. "You may, sit next to Mr. Sagara," She gestured toward Sousuke. Seeing the glint in his eyes Eri quickly followed her last statement. "Please refrain from assaulting your new neighbor Sousuke...Even if I would enjoy it," She mumbled the last part of her comment.
"Yes Ma'am!" Sousuke stood quickly and saluted again. 'I should know not to salute by now.' Sousuke thought. A few students laughed.
Rune sat in his assigned seat, next to the Sagara. Class began. He wasn't sure, but Rune felt like he was being observed. He began to pay more attention to his surroundings, rather than the English lesson that was being preached. Had it not been for his excellent peripheral vision, Rune wouldn't have noticed Sousuke studying him. Rune returned the favor whilst appearing interested in the English class.
'Something about him doesn't sit well with me' Sousuke thought. 'I can't quite put my finger on it though. His knuckles and palms look rough, possibly trained in hand to hand combat.'
"...why don't I allow you to answer translate this paragraph Mr. Afriston?" Ms. Kagurazaka's voice distracted Sousuke, interrupting his assessment of his new classmate. She pointed to the excerpt of a book that she had written on the white board. "Read this paragraph please."
Rune slowly rose. "Of course Edward and Alice weren't really related (in Forks the story was that all the Cullen siblings were adopted by Dr. Carisle Cullen and his wife, Esme, both plainly too young to have teenage children), but their skin was precisely the same pale shade, their eyes had the same strange golden tint,"
Sousuke resumed his evaluation, 'note to self: he's fluent in English.'
Rune continued in the same melancholic voice as before, "with the same deep, bruise-like shadows beneath them."
"Well read Mr. Afriston. Have a seat." Eri said. "Have you taken English before?"
Runako sat in his desk. "English is my first language, Japanese is my second." He answered matter-of-factly.
"I see." Eri then motioned to another student to resume where Rune left off.
'What a show off' Kaname thought. "If he's so good at English, he could be a little more enthusiastic to have the teacher call on him." She said to herself.
Monday
3:00pm/15:00hours
Tokyo Standard Time
The final school bell of the day rang. Kaname was ecstatic. She had dinner plans with Kyouko, Ren, and Sousuke at one of the more trendy restaurants in Tokyo. Kaname grabber her books, messenger bag and cell phone, and rushed out of the door. It was three, their dinner reservations were at seven tonight. That meant she had enough time to get home, finish her homework, freshen up, and meet with her friends at the rendezvous point of central station. As Kaname exited the school, and turned the corner, she saw Sousuke.
"Kaname, we need to talk," Sousuke approached her.
"About what?" Kaname said
"About our dinner arrangements tonight with your friends," Sousuke began. "I've been ordered..."
"Damnit Sousuke, you better not be trying to cancel," Kaname began to tremble, not out of fear, or pain-not her pain at least, rather the pain she was about to inflict upon Sousuke.
Sousuke struggled to finish his sentence, "I've been ordered to return to the Da Danaan for a sortie in the Middle East, I should be back on..."
Before Sousuke had the chance to complete his statement, Kaname's signature halisen struck his forehead nearly knocking him to the ground. He winced in pain, but his lips remained moving. "As for our new student, I would prefer you didn't spend time with him while I was away."
"Look Sousuke," Kaname balanced her hand on her hips. "I can hang out with whomever I choose, and I think I just might invite Runako to dinner to take your spot there. The reservations are for four."
"I don't like the way he acts in class Kaname," Sousuke stood at attention. "I haven't had enough time to acquire information on him. So please, stay away."
Runako was walking in Kaname and Sousuke's direction. He unbuttoned his school jacket, all with the exception of the one button at the top. He wore his coat in a cloak like fashion. His arms moving at his sides, they were free from his jacket sleeves. When he grew near Kaname yelled his name.
"Yes?" Rune walked within average conversation volume range.
"Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Kaname Chidori, your class representative." Kaname changed her tone to be more cheerful than when she was speaking to Sousuke. "Some friends and I were going to dinner and Sousuke here can't make it, I was wondering if you would like to come."
Sousuke glared.
"Sure. Time? Place? Formality?" Rune asked with genuine interest, ignoring Sousuke's stare.
"Tonight at seven we are meeting at central station. You don't have to get too dressed up, it's just casual."
"At seven then." Runako walked the rest of his way home.
Kaname turned to Sousuke, "I can take care of myself. You come back home in one piece." She poked out her tongue and the two walked to their apartments.
"If he tries anything funny let me know," Sousuke said through tightly clenched teeth. "I will kill him."
