Please note: I know Furihata-kun's name is Kouki, but I've changed it here for a reason, which you'll discover later...

In case you may be wondering, my name is Furihata Koji, but my friends call me Kouki – well they would if I had any. Oh, no, don't feel bad for me! It's by choice I assure you. I'm currently in my third year at Seirin Shōnen no Gakuen, a prestigious school that the name fails to express the sheer insanity of.

You may not be interested in my back story, so I'll just skip all the boring drama and tell you that I'm an anomaly of sorts. I have this…funny ability to assess a person's Danger Level within a few seconds of meeting them and looking into their eyes. No, it's not called common sense, although I wish it were at times. This? This is some 'superpower' nonsense, although I wish it were rather invisibility or super strength – I haven't really heard of any of those yet, I'll have to consult Kagetora-san for more information on that topic.

Either way, when I meet someone, it's like an internal radar goes off, informing me of the threat a person poses.

Me? I'm on Danger Level 2. And the only reason I fall above level 1 is because of this power-thing. I'm generally harmless, I'm scared of spiders and really adore puppies. My heart can't stand the sight of blood and I just about faint whenever I watch a Natural Geographic channel on how animals in the wild get their food. I'm weak, almost on the verge of pathetic, really. So the fact that I'm a 2 should be a huge shock.

Yet this…ability makes me a mild threat – merely because I can sense worse threats. Like that time when a man was intending to rob a store and his Danger Lever was a 6. He had a gun. Of course he had a gun. Generally anything above Level 5 meant a weapon was always at hand. I'm just glad I managed to get out fast enough. The others…well, most people don't believe a teenager ranting on about 'suspicious looking characters'. Sorry, I'm slipping into backstory aren't I?

I'd like to tell you that my ability has changed lives and I'm happy for it. Only I can't, there have been so many incidents I could have stopped, if I were just a little braver, a little stronger. I can see the danger, so why can't I stop it?

The highest danger I've come across would be a 7. Thank goodness not personally, I'd probably be dead, but I'd seen him. And I've been petrified ever since. An ex-marine with an assault rifle snarling down the streets looking for a victim isn't something sweet dreams are made of, I assure you. (Sigh) More pointless backstory, I'll try to contain it.

There was a time I believed that maybe if I couldn't meet their eyes then I wouldn't have this gift. So I tried wearing spectacles, they weren't successful, so I tried sunglasses – unsuccessful once again. I almost succeeded when I tried to gouge- ah! Backstory! I'm trying!

I must say I much prefer the company of my class mates, if I allowed myself I might even be able to call a few of them friends. Friendship was much too complicated though; you can't protect them as you do yourself. Yet I can fantasise about joining them at the movies or for a bout of karaoke on weekends. I'll let myself think about it, but doing it was a no-no.

My ability has made me into a recluse and I loathe admitting I despise it for this.

When Monday comes yet again, I allow myself to wonder what strange thing could possibly happen this week. There's always something, whether an incident over mixing chemicals in Junpei-sensei's lab or someone forgetting to pack in their shorts for gym class. There was a time when Garcia-san tried to kiss Kagami-kun and the whole class all but erupted at the fury on Kuroko-kun's usually apathetic face.

Ahh, yes, good memories.

There's a bounce in my step as I roam the halls, eyes befalling groups of friends quiet or not-so-quiet, in the case of Kise-kun and his dark skinned friend. Either way, life is restored after a lonely weekend and it's simply good to be back to the land of the living. Is it horrid to say I enjoy Mondays? That it is my favourite day of the week? That I look forward to going to school at the end of a weekend? I know a few people who'd ring my neck for even thinking it.

"Good morning, Kiyoshi-sensei," I beam as I pass the teacher who is in the process of unlocking his classroom door.

The Japanese History teacher returns my smile with a beam of his own and I can't help but feel that we're the only two people happy to see the world today. "Good morning, Furihata-kun, did you have a good weekend?"

I shrug, fingers curling around the straps of my backpack on my shoulders, "It was okay, I managed to finish the essay you assigned us on the Nara Period."

Kiyoshi's eyes crinkle at the corner and he shakes his head, "This is why you're my favourite student, you know it's only due on Friday right?"

"Yes, but I wanted to do it. The Nara Period is very interesting."

"Which emperor did you base your research on?" Is it possible for the man to grin even wider? Well he did.

Kiyoshi, Teppei…Danger Level: 2

"Ah, I did it on Empress Genshō," I mumble, cheeks tinging pink.

Kiyoshi-sensei smirks, but before he can answer a phone rings and his brows drop. He fishes the gadget from his pocket and sighs, glancing at me to give an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I have to take this. I'll talk to you later, Furihata-kun,"

I try my best at a reassuring smile; I have to get to my first class soon as well. "That's okay; I'll see you in fifth period, sensei,"

First period is in fact Chemistry and I feel joy at seeing the maroon walls returned to their natural state opposed to the green of the week before. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with green, I just somewhat prefer colours of the reddish variety. Inside, I'm greeted by a grumbling Kagami-kun and an emotionless Kuroko-kun – I believe maybe he may enjoy Mondays too, if only for Kagami's lack of pestering during class on these days. Izuki-kun and Mitobe-kun wave lazily, while Shingi-kun moans and furrows further into his arms. Across the room Tsuchida-kun, Fukuda-kun and Kawahara-kun only pause in their whisperings to nod at me. I grin at each and every single one of them with every ounce of enthusiasm in my body.

I'm honestly happy to see Izuki is not, in fact, red as a lobster; I wasn't too keen on some of his puns.

I settle into my seat in the front, placing my sack down at my feet before fishing out my notepad and a pen. Exams are only two months away and if I want to obtain a scholarship for next year then every moment in class is priority. My goal is Tokyō University and they're not going to take me on sub-par marks and any lack of class participation. And a scholarship demands work, hard work and hours spent in study. I'm not sure how Midorima from class 3 manages being the top student, juggles basketball and still entertains his incessant internship with Momoi-san in the infirmary while having time to spend with that energetic Takao-kun. I'm having enough trouble with studies and benching in basketball.

The bell sounds and the class falls silent, everyone waiting in anticipation for Junpei-sensei's arrival. The seconds tick by and slowly whispers start up, Shinji even manages to lift his face from the desk in order to eye the door warily. Junpei-sensei is never late and I'm not exaggerating. He is as strict as Aida-sensei on matters of punctuality and behaviour, I can't express how many times Kagami-kun has been forced to scrub the floors after class simply because he was a minute late.

The noise level rises and as a collective group we turn to face Kuroko-kun, as placid and unaffected as always. He takes our gazes as nothing out of the ordinary and cocks his head to the side. "I'm sure he was in a meeting of some sort," the baby-blue eyed boy says and as one we let out our breaths and relax.

Somehow the small boy had become the 'voice' in class, if Kuroko-kun said so then it must be so. Or at least things should be generally all right.

The whispers die down into soft mumblings as everyone finishes fishing their stationary from their respective bags, some reaching across their friends to bargain a pencil with lunch money as compensation.

Finally we hear the familiar sigh as Junpei-sensei enters class, a hand reaching up to press his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Morning, brats," he greets hollowly.

I grin; he is so very different from Kiyoshi-sensei. "Good morning, sensei," the class choruses.

"Ah, yeah, first order of business for today. There's a new student among you, I expect everyone to behave themselves and be kind, etcetera," His head turns and everyone follows his gaze to the brilliant crimson-haired boy at the door. There's a drone of curious questions from the class, "Introduce yourself, kid,"

The boy struts forward, I kid you not, literally struts. For a moment I'm stumped, is the male a model or something? But he didn't have that sultry shine in his eye or the familiar swing to his hips – so I watched a lot of TV, sue me. It was more like…very sophisticated, with his chin raised and his shoulders back, the firm set to his lips that spoke of obedience, of being obeyed.

Something inside me blares out a warning, but I'm still too curious to heed it just yet.

The boy stops beside Junpei-sensei and faces the class. He's not necessarily short, but not tall either, probably only an inch higher than me. "I'm Akashi Seijūrō, it's a pleasure to meet you all. Please, may we get along well," His voice resonates through my head and my eyes nearly pop from their sockets when crimson orbs meet my terrified gaze.

Akashi, Seijūrō…Danger Level: 10