After a decent night of sleep, Hamuko woke up early morning and after a quick message to her parents she spent the next few hours preparing for the first day of school. The somewhat abnormal last night was still lingering in the back of her mind but Hamuko dolled herself up the best she could and she was ready when Yukari knocked on the door.
"Are you ready to go?" The pink loving brunette asked and got an eager bob as a reply.
"Totally!" Hamuko exclaimed. She still wanted to ask her about last night, particularly the sudden blasts of cold which seemed to accompany a presence nearby but decided against the question for the time being.
The monorail trip was uneventful but Hamuko did swoon over the view much like her new friend who explained the history of the island and the school, getting nods from the new transfer student until the monorail came to a stop. Hamuko had to coo in awe at the school building, possibly the most grand looking school in the city and no doubt the most prestigious she had been to so far.
After a quick tour, the two females stopped at the shoe lockers and Yukari gave her further instructions.
"The classroom assignments are right over there." She pointed over to the crowd of people pushing each other to check their homerooms. Hamuko gulped at that and her friend continued when she noticed her hesitance, "The faculty office is right there to the left. Any questions?"
"Not at the moment. Thanks!" Hamuko thanked her and the two parted. Deciding that the notices were too crowded, Hamuko headed for the faculty. As soon as she entered, a brunette teacher noticed her and called her over.
"Are you the new student?" The teacher, Toriumi asked and Hamuko nodded cheerfully.
"Yes, mam!" The brunette replied with a smile.
Toriumi flipped through her file, catching nothing extraordinary, "Spent most of your years in Tokyo, I see." another glance at the file left her smiling. "Your positions through your academic career are quite stellar and we are happy to have you with us. Welcome to our school!"
"Thank you, mam!" Hamuko bowed a little. She was used to being welcomed into schools like this, as her parents always provided the best education and home tutors. The family was pretty well off and Hamuko had no other issue to worry about in her early years. She did shudder to think what would have happened to if her parents had died in the accident years ago. "I-I am happy to be here!"
Toriumi smiled at her enthusiasm and then guided her towards the auditorium. Hamuko sat through a few boring speeches, gossips and a couple of boys asking the relationship status of herself and Yukarim just the normal events on the first day of school. Once the speeches were over, Hamuko introduced herself to the class but there was something strange as she stood on the podium and an uncanny sense of deja-vu came over her momentarily as if the routine had been done before.
Ah well. Better than getting blasted by cold air at random.
After a few shorts lectures and a lot of ramblings, school was out. The brunette was packing the books into her backpack when an unfamiliar face stopped next to her desk.
"Sup, dude?" The cap clad male with a slight stubble said with a grin so wide, like he was greeting an old friend.
Hamuko cocked her head in response.
"You look like a deer in headlights!" The boy chuckled and Hamuko did note that the smile was friendly. Slightly, maybe 50 percent creepy but a bit of friendliness too.
"Can I help you?" Hamuko asked politely but not with too much enthusiasm.
"I'm Junpei Iori, nice too meet ya!" Junpei introduced himself and Hamuko was appreciative of the fact that he was the only boy who had properly introduced himself instead of getting into her personal space, "I transferred her when I was in 8th grade and I know it's tough being the new kid so..."
"I appreciate that, Iori-kun." Hamuko smiled a bit wider this time, "My name is Hamuko Yuki, nice to meet you too."
"Awesome!" Junpei knew in his heart that this was a beginning to a beautiful friendship until...
"At it again, huh?" Yukari said from the doorway, with an annoyed sigh and a slump of her shoulders.
"Hey, it's Yuka-tan!" Junpei shouted to the extent that Hamuko had to reel back some. Still, he was not too bad and it was good that he knew Yukari somewhat as well, "I didn't think we'd be in the same class again!"
Yukari approached the two students, giving a quick smile to the new student and a glare to the boy, "At it again huh?" the brunette commented with another wry sigh, obviously a little annoyed with Hamuko's new friend, "I swear you will talk to anyone who will listen. Have you ever thought you would be bothering someone?"
"But I was just being friendly to the new kid!" Junpei defended himself or at least attempted to for a while until Yukari turned towards Hamuko, ignoring his protests and defense.
"Anyway, some co-incidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?" Yukari regained a little bit of her smile.
"Dorm-mates and class-mates, good start." Hamuko smiled back. She was happy to have someone she knew in the class with her. Not to mention having Yukari in the dorm and the class would help her in study sessions and exam preparation or in the off-chance she would miss a day of school. Unlikely as that was.
"Haha, yeah." Yukari laughed a little and then Junpei forced himself into the conversation, a little slighted that the two girls were ignoring him.
"Hey, are you forgetting that I am in this class too!?" Junpei said with a sad sigh.
"Oh not at all, Iori-kun!" Hamuko assured, feeling a little bad for the lone male, "I am happy to have two friends on my first day!"
"HAH! Hear that, Yuka-tan?" Junpei boasted but Yukari had none of it, just turning back towards Hamuko with a more serious look on her face.
"Hey, you didn't tell anyone about last night, did you?" She whispered but a little louder than Hamuko would have liked it because Junpei was right next to her, looking at the archer like a hawk and hanging to her every word.
"Uh..." Hamuko scratched the back of her head, noticing that Junpei's jaw falling to the floor with every word he processed.
"I was serious!" Yukari exclaimed, practically shouting at Hamuko and everyone else in the room, "Don't tell anyone about last night!"
Hamuko slammed her head onto the desk.
"L-Last night!?" Junpei almost squeaked behind the archer. Realizing the mistake, although way too late, Yukari started yelling at Junpei. Hamuko tried to block out most of her screeching, embarrassed as much as her friend but she was also thankful that the homeroom was empty save for the three.
"You better not start any rumors!"
Was the last bit she heard and then Yukari stormed off, still yelling warnings and threats at Junpei who was not too bothered. When the door slammed shut, Hamuko rose up, rubbing the aching spot on her forehead.
"Is she gone?" Hamuko asked quietly. She liked Yukari and all but that was a stupid choice of words.
"Yup." Junpei confirmed and then laughed, "She is way too paranoid."
"Who cares about rumors anyway?" Hamuko added.
"Right? Ah well..." He straightened his cap and turned back towards the new transfer student, "But still, you have people already talking about you."
"Oh boy." Hamuko almost slammed her head against the table again. Another normality on the first school day.
"But hey, my offer is still open. If you have any problems, you can tell your old pal Junpei about it." Junpei offered his hand with another wide grin. Hamuko giggled and shook his hand, detecting nothing creepy and forceful from him.
"I'll hold you to it, Junpei-kun."
"I can show you around the city if you'd like?" Junpei said.
Hamuko hurled her backpack over her shoulder. "Sorry but I have to be somewhere today." she said apologetically. As much as she missed her hometown, she had to be elsewhere today, "I'd be happy if you guided me towards the school gates though."
"You got it."
After getting another small tour of the school, Hamuko said goodbye to Junpei and ordered a cab because the monorail was way too crowded for her liking, not to mention after the fiasco in the homeroom she wanted to avoid her fellow school-mates. After a little sight seeing, Hamuko withdrew a couple of thousand yen using her father's ATM card and went shopping, purchasing extra school supplies, more clothes and beauty products.
She toured some parts of the city on her own, catching a few apartments that were fairly well built, expensive but worth the cash from the looks of them. Her father had suggested renting or even purchasing her an apartment closer to school but Hamuko decided on staying at the dorm, especially because Mitsuru Kirijo was living there too. Her presence in the dorms was a big factor for Hamuko but maybe, next year she would take up her father's offer.
"Maybe with a boyfriend?" Hamuko giggled to herself, stuffing her shopping bags into another cab and returning back to the dorm close to nine.
After signing her attendance on the counter, Mitsuru greeted her from the sofa while reading a french novel.
"Welcome back." Mitsuru said, looking a little stern when she noticed the time her junior came back at, "You are pretty late."
"I had stuff to take care of." Hamuko laughed nervously, lifting the shopping bags and praying Mitsuru would let her off the hook, "Sorry, senpai..."
"Just be careful." Mitsuru advised. "We do have a curfew and the streets are not safe at night."
"I will, thank you." Hamuko bowed her head at the hieress and after bidding her a good night sleep, she trotted up the steps with her bags. She barely made her way back to her room and collapsed onto her bed with a tired sigh.
That was close.
After half an hour of just listening to music and playing with her cellphone, Hamuko unpacked the stuff she had brought and...
"Wow..."
During the process of setting up her new room, she found a camera in the corner.
"Cheeky..."
Hamuko grabbed an empty bottle to smash the device at first but after musing over the consequences she grabbed a chair and wrapped several layers of clothing around the lenses, effectively blinding whoever was watching.
"God, I changed my clothes here..." Shuddering at the thought, the brunette resumed her work and stayed awake long into the night.
But...
During the abnormal hour, the cold seeped into her room and Hamuko shivered and not just because of the chill. She could have sworn there was another presence in the room beside her and the cold was just a side effect of the invisible entity being close by.
"H-Hello?" Hamuko muttered but received nothing in return. A thought came to her mind about waking up Mitsuru and asking her about the dead spirit that was haunting the dorm but as soon as she thought of the rather ill fated idea, the presence disappeared and some warmth returned to the room. Hamuko was left speechless and scared but soon after, the Dark Hour came to an end and Hamuko distracted herself by listening to music and chatting with her old friends.
Maybe she was going to buy that apartment a lot sooner than she had planned.
Soon enough, the brunette fell into a troubled sleep.
"Master Hamuko Yuki!"
The voice rang from far, far away.
A blinding flash of light yanked her awake from sleep and Hamuko came to her senses inside...
"What the?"
A large elevator decorated in velvet, with two, not quite human looking people opposite to her chair. A short man with bloodshot eyes and a long nose and standing next to her was a tall, silvered hair female with a flight attendant uniform and a blue cap.
Hamuko herself was seated on a chair opposite to the old man who was smiling at her.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," The man with an abnormally large nose said, "My name is Igor and I am delighted to make your..."
Igor stopped in the middle of his greeting and gave a more welcoming smile, having noticing something that truly brought happiness to his heart. Beside her, the girl gave a nostalgic smile, caressing the book that she was holding in her grip.
It took a few seconds for Igor to compose himself and then he started talking again. "This is Elizabeth. She is a resident here, like myself..." He gestured over to Elizabeth. The female bowed at the newest guest and Hamuko could only nod back as a reflex.
"Uh... Why am I here?" Hamuko asked the basic question, freaked out and confused with her surroundings and the creatures residing in the abnormal space.
"This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and matter." Igor explained and Hamuko lost more of her brain cells. She decided not to ask more and just waited for the dream to boil over. Igor somehow sensed her unwillingness and clicked his finger. Soon as he did that, Hamuko sunk back into the seat, noticing the red contract that she had signed a few ago spawning on the table.
"Henceforth you will be welcome here in the Velvet Room!" Igor carried said. "You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return...that you abide by the Contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."
"What is even going on here!?" Hamuko demanded.
Elizabeth chuckled and Igor clicked his fingers once more. Hamuko felt something metallic between her grip and spared a glance, noticing a small velvet key resting in her palm.
"Hold onto this..." Igor suggested and bowed briefly, so did the female next to him. "Until we meet again, my dear guest."
Hamuko felt a pull on her body and the room disappeared into darkness. She did catch Elizabeth waving at her all the way until the end, with a smile so cheerful like she had known her for far longer. The brunette returned to the real world and turned on her side, sleeping with the velvet key in her grip.
"Something..."
This all felt like some sort of a grand plan.
"Is about to..."
Like destiny.
"Something is about to begin..."
More importantly...
"My memories..."
Author Note: Chapter 2 done. Mostly a contrasting chapter but stuff will pick up next time! Also, Elizabeth is the attendant here, to answer guest' question.
Again, I implore you to review. I am not working on this alone (cookies and hugs to my wonderful co-writer) and I don't want to bother my co-writer with a story no one enjoys or readers.
Give me your predictions!
And I'll see you soon! Bye!