It was Yuuichi's first morning at Fuuka Academy since he was transferred. The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and school was just about to be in session. He was walking toward the academy beside a fellow classmate named Kazuya Kurauchi, a boy about his age who was quickly becoming his friend. Aside from barely escaping the mysterious explosion that had destroyed the boat that brought him to his new home a few days prior, nothing particularly odd had ever happened in Yuuichi's life.
Until now.
It was the noise he noticed first. He looked over his shoulder to see the column of students that had been trailing behind him were parting like the Red Sea and frantically dodging a most bizarre sight. A mechanical feline that was made out of orange and yellow metal and easily could have matched the size of a small car charged through the crowd. A girl who looked to be about 15 or 16 was dangling from its armored hull, dressed in a uniform typical of Fuuka's female students. Her brown ponytail flailed through the air from the back of her head the same way the entire rest of her body flailed from the back of the colossal beast. The only thing keeping her half-mounted were her arms tightly hugging the creature's thick neck. She clenched her eyes shut and screamed in fright as she flew past Yuuichi and Kazuya.
"Kyaaa! Slow down, Hari!"
The creature roared triumphantly as the panels covering its hind legs opened to reveal twin arrays of jet turbines that began emitting a stream of emerald-colored particles. It dashed up the paved walkway and over the hill toward the academy with a resounding burst of speed, leaving nothing but a trail of dust and loose gravel in its wake. Its rider's panicked shouting could still be heard in the distance even after its engines had faded into silence.
Yuuichi's expression was frozen in disbelief as the dust settled. He questioned his new acquaintance in an awkward stupor as he continued walking beside him.
"Was that a girl riding a giant transforming tiger robot to school?"
Kazuya wouldn't even nod when he answered in a flat tone, seemingly unfazed by what he had just seen.
"Yeah."
Yuuichi's eyes briefly turned to the side as he tried to sort through his baffled thoughts. That was when he noticed the rest of the students had quietly resumed their morning commute and no one seemed to be nearly as surprised as him.
"Does that normally happen?"
Kazuya remained disinterested in the matter, addressing it as if it were simply a matter of fact.
"Yeah."
Racking his brain and squinting, Yuuichi moved to the next question he could think of.
"Do you know her or something?"
Kazuya still hadn't actually made eye contact with any of his inquiries. He just continued on his casual stroll while he answered.
"We date."
After another moment of consideration, Yuuichi shrugged.
"Huh."
He then stared blankly toward the horizon alongside Kazuya.
"Guess it beats riding a panda."
