Chapter 1
Tokyo Metropolitan Harumi High School.
Today is the first day of high school, a new set of challenges awaiting us in the long run.
I am kinda excited. No, not just kinda excited, but I'm REALLY, REALLY excited. After all, I am the kind of person who is ready to take on any challenge, and I want to use them to grow mature as a person.
I am Aika Nishimura, 16 years old. I am just a commoner that isn't really rich but is able to eat thrice a day in a week. I live a very simple life and I am very content with it. And today, is the beginning of a new life for me, a new chapter in the book of my life. Of course, I'm very excited to start this chapter of my life, as this is when I will start my journey as a high-school student.
Walking down along the path where the cherry blossoms fall, I savored the fresh air that blew through the rustling leaves. I am really excited to start this new chapter of my life. A new year of encounters, huh? I am in! To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be even standing here right now. After many challenges that I have suffered from, I am finally standing in front of this school, ready to take on the next level. Sounds like some protagonist on a book, right? Of course, it is! After all, I'm the protagonist of my own story, as well as the author of it!
Sigh... I want to keep believing in my own future. There's no point in not doing so. Wait, I guess I am too focused on giving too much about myself! Let's just go with my story! I don't know too what's going to happen (ironic, I am the author of my story, yet I don't know what will happen) so let's venture into my own world and see what will happen! Come, and experience this journey with me!
"Good morning class."
It's a normal day in Tokyo Metropolitan High. The sun was very high up in the sky, as if telling everyone that it's summer.
But no, it's just a peculiar, hot afternoon. It's spring after all.
And for Aika, the heat was very much a problem. First, it makes her more nervous as it's her first day as a high-school student. Of course, it's expected that in your first day, you're going to introduce yourself in front of so many classmates. And Aika knows that she's pretty bad in dealing with people.
Sigh, why am I like this? They don't know me, so it won't matter if I make a few mistakes! Aika said to herself, trying to calm her pulsing nerves. But, they say that first impressions last... What am I going to do?
Instead of calming down, the tension that flows through her veins is getting stronger, as each minute passes. The heat is adding to the problem! This is making her so dizzy.
Well, whatever! I am going to introduce myself! So be it! Why am I even nervous? Aika said and clenched her fists to calm her nerves.
"Alright class, I would like to let you all know that you have a new classmate. Please come in."
Oh God, the moment of truth has come! Dear heavens, please help me! Aika said and walked into the classroom with a bit of a slumped back.
When she entered, she could feel the gaze of her classmates on her skin. Literally. For some reason, she swears she could hear some whispers about how nerdy she looks or how plain she is.
Who could blame them? Aika never liked putting too much make-up on her face like the other teenagers of her age. It annoys her for some reason. There was also nothing remarkable on her, except probably for her olive green eyes, which some people who have seen them told her how mesmerizing they are.
Aika appreciates every praise she gets, because she thinks, there's nothing to even be praised about her. But, most of the time, she doesn't care about what others think.
And it's very ironic, for her to worry about what others will have as a first impression about her. She doesn't know herself why she worries about those impressions, when it won't even matter in the end.
"U-um, I am Aika Nishimura. 16 years old. It's nice to meet all of you," Aika said, trying to put up her usual calm face.
"Thank you, Ms. Nishimura. Ms. Tadashi, can you please raise your hand?" the professor said.
"Yes, I am here!" the girl, Rika said.
"Ms. Nishimura, please sit beside Ms. Tadashi," the professor said.
"Yes sir," Aika said with a bow and walked towards the seat.
Yes, I did it! Aika said to herself and mentally pats herself on the back. (From the outside, no one knows what Aika thinks. She usually sports a calm attitude, so she's unreadable most of the time.)
From the corner of her eye, Aika could sense that a certain blue-haired guy was looking at her with an unreadable expression.
It's lunchtime. The sounds of the bell rang across the school, signifying that it's finally lunchtime.
Rowdy students filled the once-silent hallway. The loud noises of the students reached the silent classrooms until everyone is also talking to each other.
But it's not something that Aika cares about. She is always absent-minded, thinking of many things. Probably, it's because she is used to having many things to think about. This time, her thoughts wandered about how successful her day is.
The day was already a success for Aika. After all, she was able to introduce herself successfully, she was able to make a good impression to her classmates (or so she thinks) and she's able to catch up with the lessons. She hopes, this continues for the rest of the day.
Lunchtime, huh. Where do I eat? Aika asked herself, taking her lunchbox from her bag.
"Aika-san?"
As she prepared her lunch, she heard a voice calling her.
"Oh, Tadashi-san. Did I take too long to respond?" Aika asked.
Due to the fact that she would always absentmindedly do things, she would sometimes ask the person she's talking to if she took too long to respond. She doesn't want to come off as a rude person who intentionally ignores other people.
"Not really," Rika, her seatmate, answered.
For Aika, Rika was a very kind person. She is very friendly with her and would talk with her during their breaks, asking Aika some basic questions like her age, previous school, etc.
She wishes she could be like that. But her ability to deal with other people is just too bad that no word can describe it.
"I see. Is there a problem?" Aika asked again.
"No, not really. I just want to ask if you want to eat lunch with me. Maybe, we can get to know each other?" Rika said.
"I-I see..." Aika said.
Aika thought to herself. Should she accept Rika's offer or go somewhere and eat lunch by herself only? It would be good to if she could get to know her seatmate, but something is stopping her from accepting.
"Aika-san? Are you fine?" Rika said and waved her hand in front of Aika's eyes.
"Oh? O-oh, sorry, my mind wandered somewhere again. Sorry Tadashi-san, let's just eat lunch together tomorrow. I remembered I have a friend to meet later," Aika said with a bit of smile.
Wait, why did you reject her offer?! Aika mentally slapped herself.
"Too bad. But, I understand. I will see you again next class," Rika said with a smile and walked to the door of the classroom.
Ugh, even if the day seems successful, there's always an instance where something fails. Aika said and resisted the urge to facepalm herself right now.
What can she do now? She blew the opportunity to make her very first friend.
Sigh, Aika, way to ruin your almost-successful day. Aika mentally slapped herself. She really needs help in dealing with other people.
With a sigh, she took her lunch box from her desk and walked out of her room. Maybe, fate has something in in store for her, that's why she slipped on those words?
With a newfound hope, she went out of the room.
A quiet place... This is the best place for lunch!
The place she saw was heaven on Earth, if she would describe it. There were cherry blossoms around the area, and some benches where there are no people sitting. This was literally a place where Aika would spend her time on.
Ugh, I didn't bring a book or something. This would be an interesting place to read your books on. She said to herself and settled for a bench.
She opened her lunchbox and started to eat silently.
As she ate, she let her thoughts randomly fly again, like what she usually does whenever she's alone. Her "flying" in the midst of her thought is so normal for her that people sometimes give up talking to her whenever she's immersed in her thoughts.
I remember him. The one who showed me the kindness of this world, and the one who gave me the best gift I ever received in this world. Aika thought to herself, reminiscing a distant memory.
"Bluish Flame Liberator, Prominence Glare attacks your vanguard!"
"I won't let you! Guard with 3 Grade 0s and intercept! 1 trigger to break through!"
"Drive check! YES! Critical trigger!"
"Eh, what?!"
Because of my constant watching, I managed to learn Vanguard even though I haven't put it to action yet.
I only kept everything in my imagination on how fun Vanguard can be. Until...
"Chibi, where are you staring at?"
A boy sat beside me. He followed the line of my stare.
"Oh, you're looking at them. Wanna try playing Vanguard?" he said with a goofy smile.
At first, I thought how kind of this boy to ask me this question. But, I am too embarrassed to say yes...
"But... I have no deck..." I said silently.
"Oh? That's not a problem! I have many decks here! You can have this deck," he said and handed me a deck so fast I wasn't able to decline.
I took the deck and looked at the top card of the deck.
Honorary Professor, Chatnoir.
I was too dazed that I was able to touch a deck for the first time. I wasn't able to retort about how kind of him to give a deck to a stranger as excitement bubbled inside me.
"Do you know how to play the game?" he asked which snapped me out of my daze.
"Y-yes, I do, bu-" I said but he cut me.
"Alright! Let's start a game," he said and prepared the Vanguard mat.
"What? Already?" I said shocked.
"It will be fine, trust me! You will have lots of fun," he said and gave me a large smile.
Haha, that's quite a funny story, but that's how I met Vanguard, the day when I finally found a way to appreciate my life. Aika thought to herself.
To Aika, Vanguard became the way for her to appreciate life more, especially her family, which she thinks is the main reason she's still living. She doesn't know why, but it just became like that.
Fate really likes unexpected twists, she concludes. A mere card game that interested her as a kid became the reason for her to live.
I want to keep on appreciating the life that was given to me, even though I'm not lucky enough to be as rich as most people. Why? Because experience matters to me more than riches. I want to learn everything I can. That's how I want to live my life. Aika thought to herself and smiled a bit.
But, I don't remember him, the guy who gave me a purpose to live. All I remember is the day he gave me my deck, and the day he opened the door of my future. I don't even know if it's a mirage or an illusion propped up by my mind, but I don't care. All that matters is the memory he left, even if he's from a distant dream.
And if somehow, he's true, and we met each other in the way, I would like to thank him for everything. For giving me a will to live.
After a few minutes, Aika finished eating and was preparing to leave, when she saw a guy sitting on the farther edge from her.
Wait, how long was he sitting there? Aika asked herself. I really need work on my senses. I don't notice people whenever I'm immersed in my thoughts.
The guy has a peculiar hair, she notes. It was styled in a way that is quite impossible.
His hair defies gravity. What an amazing stylist! Aika thought in awe (although not really evident ouside) as she stared at the guy's hair.
The guy's hair is very messy, and reminds her of... a bread.
Is this guy a delinquent? I only saw those kinds of flashy hairstyles in delinquents. But, even for a delinquent, that's a very stylish way of styling your hair. Aika thought to herself as she tried to analyze the guy before her.
But, she thinks, the hair suits him.
The guy was staring at his phone with an absentminded gaze. He has an unreadable expression on his face that Aika can't analyze for some reason.
Hmm... He's spaced out. Just like me. Wait, I'm always spaced out, so he can't be worse than I am. Aika said to herself.
For some reason she can't say, Aika stood up from her seat and sat beside the guy. Something in him caught AIka's interest, and she wants to know more of this guy.
"Hello?" Aika asked.
Wait, what are you doing Aika?! If she's only by herself, she swears she could have slapped herself very hard right now. You need to stop acting on instinct.
"Hey," the guy said in a nonchalant voice.
"Are you fine? You seem to... be thinking about something," Aika asked.
You're the one to talk, Aika.
"Eh? Was I staring at the phone for too long?" the guy asked.
"I don't know too. I saw you sitting there already, staring at the phone," Aika said.
Am I acting too close to someone I barely know? Aika asked herself.
"I see. I'm fine. It's just... Well, I was just looking at a message my friend sent me," he said.
"I see. Sorry for being a bit nosy. It's just... you seem a bit problematic there. You know, you can tell me if you want," Aika offered.
What, Aika. Acting too close already?
"Thank you for the offer. I am fine, really. What's your name?" the guy asked.
"Oh, right, I haven't even introduced myself and I am already acting too close to you. I'm sorry," Aika said and bowed her head.
"Eh? No, you're not at fault or anything here. I think, it's very thoughtful of you to ask me if I'm feeling fine. You don't have to be sorry," the guy said and waved his hands defensively.
"I-I see, glad to hear then. I am Aika Nishimura. Sorry if I am acting too close to you," Aika said.
"No, like I said, it's fine. By the way, I am Chrono Shindou. It's nice to meet you," he said.
"It's nice to meet you too," Aika said with a bit of smile.
Both of them sat together in silence. As a matter of habit, Aika is deep again in thought, casually staring at a far distance.
This is interesting. Can I ask him if he can be my friend? But he might think I'm too clingy for a stranger. Well, I'm clingy with my friends, I'm sure, but I don't want to have my first impression as clingy. Should I go back now or stay with him? I want to know him...
"Nishimura? Nishimura?" the guy, Chrono, called Aika, but Aika is too immersed in her thoughts that she doesn't notice him.
Sigh... Why am I being too hesitant? I should just ask him and-
"Nishimura!"
Aika woke up from her daze and looked at Chrono with a shocked face.
"Oh, I was out for too long?" the shock in AIka's face was replaced with her usual calm demeanor.
"Eh, kind of? I'm sorry I shouted at you," Chrono said and rubbed the back of his head.
"It's fine. It's just normal for me to be too immersed in my thoughts that I forget my surroundings. I'm sorry," Aika said and bowed again,
"Man, you should stop apologizing for everything you do. You didn't do anything wrong," Chrono said.
"T-thank you," Aika answered.
My God, AIka. Work on your social skills, please.
"I will be going now. Shindou-kun, you want to exchange numbers?" Aika asked and took her phone from her pocket.
"Sure," Chrono said.
They took each other's numbers.
"Thank you Shindou-kun. Don't hesitate to tell me if you have any problems," Aika said.
"Same Nishimura," Chrono said with a bit of smile on his face as Aika walked away.
Yeah Aika, you really are the one to talk. At least, asking for someone's number is a step-up, right? Aika said. She didn't notice how hard her grip on her phone was.
On the other hand, Chrono's smile vanished, his eyes losing the glimmer he showed earlier. He looked up at the sky.
The bell rung again, signifying the end of the classes.
Everyone was chatting cheerily to each other. Aika, on the other hand, was staring at her phone.
Sigh, maybe a text to him won't hurt, right? Aika asked herself and started to type on her phone.
"Hey, Aika-san!"
When she heard someone call her, she looked up from her phone and saw Rika.
"Hey," Aika said.
"You wanna go home together?" Rika asked.
"Sure," Aika said with a bit of smile.
"Alright. Do you want to get a few drinks before we go home though? I know a cafe near here that I'm pretty sure you will like. You up for it?" Rika asked.
"Eh? I-is it fine to ask me to go there? I mean we barely know each other," Aika asked.
"What are you saying? We are friends now, right? Come on, I will pay for you. What flavor do you like?" Rika asked.
"U-uh, I can pay for i-" Aika said but she was cut off by Rika.
"No, I insist! I'm going to pay! Just tell me what type of drink you want there. You can also add some treats if you want. Don't be shy with me, okay?" Rika said with a smile.
"Th-thank you so much," Aika said.
Somehow, this day has been marked in Aika's mind as one of the best days ever. She's looking forward to what happens next.