Hip 3: Getting into the Loop
"So, lemme get this straight, with the players they're split between two courses, but agents basically run the same course even for those of us who made it into the top ten?"
Mikado got nods from the members of the room who were present, Kiss still nowhere to be found that morning, the red-head pushing up a pair of lensless glasses frames as he stared at the curriculum paper, a pale blue training jersey sitting over his shoulders.
"Yeup! Elite Class players basically get to start training on the water sooner… normal class players have to start off with lots of physical training." Masumi answered, observing themselves in the mirror, mainly the fact the casual track uniform didn't do much to flatter anything on their body, "So typical…"
"It's a uniform, it's supposed to be." Mikado quipped, rolling his eyes. "Beats wearing a high school uniform… some of those things are just uncomfortable… then again I went to a pretty nice place back in Kyoto…"
"Since we don't get role called like the nobodies that make up the standard class, we have to eat and get to class on our own. Like actual adults." Almina's head popped into frame, a look of surprise formed on Mikado's face no matter how much he tried to hide it.
"Well that was kinda harsh don't ya' think?" Mikado muttered, adjusting the now stilted frames on his face back into position, "Then again, considering the job this is for… and the apparent nature of it all… I'm less surprised than I wish I was."
"You do come off as rather unadjusted to all of this." Masumi noted, Mikado rolling his eyes.
"Blame having ignored Keijo for all it was worth up until now. I was focused on other things, so I never bothered, and the thing with my eye… then again I explained all of that to you lot last night. Though, not for lake of trying on Isozaki's part, whacko he is." Mikado sighed and flopped back on the bed, Masumi giving a musing chuckle as Almina sighed.
"Mikado-kun, I understand the best of friends are capable of insulting each other in the worst of ways and knowing one another can take it… but from what you and Kiss-kun said the other night, I admit that to me, it doesn't seem like the two of you get along too well." Masumi stated, a wise tone in their voice of someone with far more people experience.
"That wasn't really my point but… I don't know, it's just been… a long time since we last talked. So some things just don't communicate anymore." Mikado murmured, Masumi glancing at Almina, both sighing.
"Being nice is fine and all… but sometimes, well, you just gotta give a shove y'know?" Masumi stated, Almina nodding in agreement… then the door flew open.
In all her angelic glory, Aoi was compulsively adjusting her signature feather crested pants. "Shino-chan just couldn't stop thrusting could she? I get that she wasn't getting tired but my buns can only take so much..."...only to stop her self reflection as she was surprised to see her roommates still in the their sleeping quarters. "Oh… Hello everyone! Why are you still here?" She wondered as her eyes went comically wide.
"Okay what did I just hear?" Mikado muttered, his glasses slanting on his face again.
Almina impulsively slammed her face into her bed before quickly recomposing herself as she walked to her old friend, her short slender body seemingly towered by her angelically sexual friend. "Hishikawa, I keep telling you that you need to keep your 'feather log' to yourself. Dragon Boy's still clinging to the idea that he's not in the war torned islands yet."
Aoi's eyes reverted to normal, crouching to be level with her long time friend. "Almina-chan! That's too harsh! You know Ryugu-san is willing up all his energy to keep conversing with us. Remember, like what Kiss-kun said. 'He's a Tsukkomi that's working through some problems. An athletic prodigy with a true talent for leadership, the best friend a romantic connisuer of peach like me could have!'" Aoi said in a very decent but off putting impression of Kiss.
"I'm sitting right here." Mikado muttered, and if the glasses had lenses in them, it's likely they'd have gleamed, but the annoyed glare (not to mention drift of red coming from his eyes) fully accentuated his point, "Nice to know he's got such a high opinion of me as well. I'll adjust to all of this craziness given a bit of time. It's just jarring. And who said anything about dream crushing?! I can be a dick but I'm not heartless."
Aoi shrugged as she stood up, causing Almina to walk out of the room with an audible snicker. "Kiss-kun is not the easiest to understand via words… to my understanding…. And why are two still here? I came back from having breakfast… with a friend. I came back here to get my clothing pens, sooooo. Why are you still here?" She tried to convey nicely, only to come off as confused and awkward.
"Because we haven't left yet." Mikado sarcastically replied. "Unless… shit, we're late aren't we?!"
Aoi only gave an awkward nod. Masumi already missing from the room, only a vague outline of themselves on their bed to show they even existed at all.
Mikado could feel the strained silence as it was now only him and Aoi in the Asstrology room.
"OH THOSE MOTHER-"
BANG!
The classroom door flew right open as Mikado skid to a halt at the entrance, panting as he peered in, raising a brow to see that despite the desks having students in them, there wasn't a teacher in sight at all.
"Beat the teacher… well, that means we're safe." The red-head gave a light breath as he hefted his tote bag over his shoulder, heading for the empty seat he first spotted… rather conveniently, the back corner seat closest to the classroom windows. "How typical… heh, not that I mind. Even in a seat like this not like I'll have any privacy during class. This isn't a manga."
Almina had taken a seat in the center front of the room, Mikado having the general impression she wanted the majority of the other agent students behind her.
Masumi was sitting in the desk in front of Mikado, posturing over it in ways that could only be described as… Masumi. Using the intoxicating amount of charm surrounding them to get the glances of the other students, where most were trying to hide the fact they were staring at Masumi's enchanting ass.
An aura of positivity rushed across the room as Kiss strutted in, a large smile plastered upon his face as he moved across the room towards Mikado's desk, his scarf seeming to just flutter in the nonexistent wind as he strided.
"Morning, Ryugu-kun." Kiss greeted as he took his seat, taking off his computer bag and laying his head on his open palm as he looked at his best friend with a cheerful smile.
"Morning." Mikado curtly replied, glancing at Kiss as he adjusted the faux-glasses on his face..
"So how are you adjusting to the campus, how many ladies wanted to do stuff with you, already? And did you seriously have to wear those, Mikado-kun? I'm curious to know when you picked that up, just impressed by how I pulled mine off?" Kiss asked with honest curiosity towards his best friend.
"I like the look, that's why. And I have not been getting random requests, thank you very much. Not like I'd answer yes because I'm not in the game of just… rolling things around for fun."
"If that's how you're doing things right now, alright Mikado-kun. So, I'm moreso curious of to why you have them to begin with? I don't remember you ever wearing them before.. It's just not something I thought you would get into doing." Kiss explained with his usual gentlemanly positivity.
MIkado simply shrugged in response, "I just picked them up one day… Chi said I looked good in glasses, and I didn't care enough to object so, hey… then I found I liked the look, so I wear them every now and then."
"Alright, time to cut the chatter newbies, teach is here!" The door nearest the front desk of the room slammed opened, the first thing the students of the course seeing being the teacher's foot as they strode in, revealing the teacher to be a tall, limber man dressed in as casual a suit one could get without veering straight into street clothes, some of the females in the classroom giving small "ahh!"s at his handsome looks, the scruffy hair not detracting from it, but probably most notably, at least as far as Mikado was concerned, were the rings on his hands. On the man's right, what looked like a typical gold wedding band, and on the left, a platinum colored band of similar make.
"What's up with the second ring?" Mikado murmured quietly, glancing at Kiss while he stuck his faux glasses back into his pocket.
Kiss gave a sly smirk. "It's a Heart Binding, but I'll save you the details. You don't need to think about a very optional top level occurrence this early on." he explained, looking away wistfully as he finished.
"Prob'ly… knowin' how I've taken things so far." Mikado responded, his speech pattern slipping back to his typical manner of speaking.
"Alright alright, I know the lot of you are excited and all, so quit the chatter and save it for after classes. Granted, it's the first day so not that I blame you." The teacher set the books in his hands down, his tone surprisingly casual as he started writing his name on the board, "The name's Barret. Barret Shimatsu, and I'm gonna be teaching the bunch of you the ropes on being a Keijo Agent. Nice to meet the lot of you."
Mikado tilted his head as the man turned back to the class, a curious look in his eyes, "Isozaki, is it just me, or does that guy look familiar?"
Kiss gave a confused look in response. "Familiar in what way? Like guy you saw on the news familiar, or guy you think you saw in an anime or something familiar?"
"The latter… he's ticking boxes of a certain space cowboy…" Mikado hummed, Barret clicking his tongue.
"Oi, two in the back, I appreciate the attempt at being quiet, but I can hear you." The teacher stated, Mikado and Kiss bowing their heads quickly, "Now, with that out of the way, first and foremost fact about the Agent course, I don't take role. If you're not here, that's gonna be on you, got it? The youngest of you lot oughta be college freshmen in terms of age, so I'm gonna treat you like adults. Making it to class on time is up to you. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" A unanimous answer, Barret giving a nod.
"Good. Now, first off, any of you know what Agents do when it comes to Keijo? I'll explain throughout the classes to refresh your memory, especially for those more… fresh of mind to this business, but at least a basic summation is welcome from those of you here on a rec'." Barret's question got multiple hands raised, the man scanning over the crowd before picking one out… Kiss. "You, next to the bored looking red-head, gimme your name after you answer as well."
"Didn't we go over this during entrance exams? Then again… a refresher never hurt." Mikado gave a light sigh, glancing at Kiss as the latter stood up.
Kiss placed one of his arms behind his back, clearing his throat before speaking. "Agents are the spine to Keijo Players. Besides the normal tasks of management, arrangement, and great piles of paperwork. They're the informants Players rely on to be prepared for races and not be overwhelmed by the Meta-Ability another player could have, as surprise is one of the deadliest weapons in a 're important in making sure a Player hones their talents, and even making sure they actually make progress within the sport. As something Vulture, the head of the Regalia Agency once said. 'A directionless wanderer is comparable to nothing but rotting meat under the heat of the sport.' We're the guides to them, so it's best to give it our all towards achieving greatness!" Kiss took a slight bow as he finished. "My name is Isozaki Fyodor, but I greatly prefer to be called Kiss, as most people call me such already."
"Nice statement Isozaki, and correct." Barret mused, Kiss sitting back down, "As Isozaki said, Agents in Keijo are basically as they are in any other sport, except they have a bit more responsibility. Not to mention, not every Player has an Agent they work with, due to the independent nature of the sport itself." Barret then reached under the desk and pulled out an entire stack of folders, "Speaking of, as this is the first day, before any other lessons, I consider this the most important: Learning what it's like having a contract. As you may remember from your exams, Agents can work with two Players at any given time, rather than just one. This is because the number of Players is greater than that of Agents since Keijo has only been legal for about a decade."
"Something I did not pay attention to." Mikado thought, staring at the folders now on the desk.
"But it doesn't mean the fact that all of the top five players had an agent during their rise to the top doesn't mean Agents aren't a factor into that." Barret added, patting the folders, "So, in prep for all of that, at Setouchi, we like to give hands on experience with your classmates, now, to get to my point. Each and every one of you are going to be assigned to two of the Players in this year's courses as Training Clients. I'll get these passed around first off… say your name as I go around, and I'll hand you the folder."
Mikado watched as Barret sifted through the files and proceeded along the room, glancing over at how Kiss was moreso casual about it, surely because who his test clients were was already set in stone, judging by things when they had arrived.
"I'm sure I, on the other hand, am gonna have a hell of a time with whoever I get assigned… just my rotten luck I suppose." Mikado thought, giving a sigh and glancing out of the class window, spotting some of the Player students below, the ones he was sure were in the Elite Class… and immediately started regretting it as his left eye began getting that feeling of drying out again, "DAMMIT!"
"Now… Isozaki… hmm… Regalia rec eh? You bunch and coming in with a plan… not that it's bad." Barret hummed, Kiss not really hiding the chuckle complementing his smirk, the folder being set down near him, the teacher then stopping at Mikado, in which is was the last folder, "Ryugu Mikado then. Well… all I can say is, good luck."
Mikado raised a brow as he finished putting eyedrops into his left eye, picking up the folder with his photo attached to it, looking back up as Barret tapped on his desk to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, now before you open those up, let's get on with the rest of today's lesson, let's see…" Barret looked at the clipboard on his desk for a moment, then shrugged, tossing the clipboard behind his back, to the astonishment of many in the classroom, "Well, turns out there's nothing planned past letting you learn who you're working with! Alright then, I'm out!"
"HOW IS THIS GUY A TEACHER?!" Mikado was sure he wasn't the only one thinking such a thing, his hand meeting his forehead as Barret sauntered out of the room, everyone else either following suit or opening up the folders in front of them. "Well, that's an… interesting way to go about a first day…"
"Mikado-kun, you going to open yours?" Kiss asked, his friendly bravado not fading. "If it's difficult for you. I'll show what's inside." Kiss unlatched the elastic string locking the tops of the envelopes, two paper clipped portfolios of Miyata Sayaka and Kaminashi Nozomi slid out, only to go back in as Kiss reangled the files. A dark grey toned folded memo and a blue note slid out of Miyata's and Kaminashi's respectively.
As Kiss grabbed the notes, hiding the words under his scarf as he read… his expression twisting into one of utter dread and fear… the dark grey note crumbling under the force of his trauma grip before he unceremoniously crashed his face into the desk, Mumbling to himself, his words unrecognizable to those outside a point blank range...
"Uh…. Isozaki?" Mikado murmured, poking the muttering Kiss on the shoulder, "You alive in there?"
"Ujibe-san, Please don't send the kill squad on me… I said I'd be good… I'll service all of them if you want…. Just please don't tell them who my sweetheart is! She deserves better… so keep her out this...please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please… Ow!" Kiss pushed himself back up as he recoiled from the blow to his kidney, starring towards his best friend in weirdly relaxed rage. "What in the buttloving Axiom are you doing!?"
"Good, you're not going insane." Mikado hummed, pulling his hand back and undoing the fist, Kiss giving a huff, "So uh… the heck was that about?" he added, undoing the rubber band on his own folder, pulling out the envelopes in it and looking them over, then noticing the blue note on the ground, sliding his chair and picking it up, "What's this? Hmm… Fyodor, since you're at Setouchi tell my old pal Barret to actually act like an adult for once, and also, don't start anything funny with Slane over that petty grudge of yours… I asked Ujibe to keep an eye out for that… the hell?"
Kiss recomposed, laying his head on the back of his hands. "I didn't mention how Vulture is connected to everyone that matters in the Keijo world? He knows the Goketsu… we don't talk about that really. He knows all of the teachers, actually helped set up the school system to my understanding…" He started to rub the back of his head awkwardly. "Actually now that I think about it, Shimatsu-san used to be the Regalia Boss before Boss… but left after something involving marriage… and not caring about being responsible or some petty shit like that… he was weird like that..."
"That's surprising coming from you… but, considering what we just saw, I got that one off the bat." Mikado replied, setting the note down and looking at the envelopes again, turning them over for the names and opening them up to pull out the files, "Let's see… Kawaguchi Makina… and Kazane Aoba… one's in the Elite Class judgin' by the stamp… and I'll assume the other is in the normal course. Wait a second… Kawaguchi… this is just a coincidence, right?"
Kiss couldn't help but have a knowing smile. Pulling out his clients' information, he pointed at the crown symbols in the upper corners of the front pages. "This is a recommendation symbol. It puts players on the priority queue for the elite course. But due to my clients not doing well in the sports knowledge department, and technically 'not winning' all of their mock races. They're on the upper curve of the normal course."
Kiss continued by pointing at the symbols and markings on the score sections of the portfolios. "As you can see here, Kazane was one of the lowest contenders in all of the physical courses… but she's a Keijo Mega Fan. so all of the information based tests were very much the highest tier… she's now in the Empty Room for her failing physical ability…"
"Empty Room? The heck is that? Because I'm trying not to take that one literally." Mikado murmured, rifling through the other papers.
"The Empty Room is the place where the first to go are put… they all have a reason to be in it…." Anger seemed to build in the Pygophiliac. "Of course my clients are in there… for some fucking reason!" He leaned back in his chair, very much pissed off.
Kiss quickly reordered himself, refusing to let himself show weakness in front of the green haired pixie. "Okay, well you'll have to go meet your clients in a hour at the soonest. But before that let's get you informed on Kawaguchi. I don't know how you don't know her. She's the oldest daughter of the latest generation of the Kawaguchi conglomerate. Well it's more known as the Ryugu conglomerate now I guess, thanks to your sister, but as I was saying, the oldest daughter of the family disappeared with any trace and now showed in the Keijo exams, working aggressively to become her own thing. I know I'm sounding romantic about it, but it takes that kind of individualistic drive to be good in Keijo… she's a keeper." Kiss beamed with a thumbs up and a smile.
"That's who you were talking about?! Wait… the heck do you mean by keeper?" Mikado muttered, a brow raised at the last point, bringing up the other file, finding the picture pertaining to it's owner, "So, this is her? Now that I look at the photo, I do recognize her… I kinda skimmed the news that day though…"
"What I mean by Keeper is that her ass will likely be glued to your face and sometimes pelvis for the next year…. Hold back the surprise. Well anyway, as far as I know. She doesn't directly know any of the members of your family past your sister… as the statements she let out to the press was she wished 'the only remaining member of center Ryugu branch family' luck in taking up the generation… and was very fiery and cocky about it too. It was honestly entertaining, she could make it big in the entertainment industry… makes me wonder how her buns would… Ow! Stop doing that!" Kiss groaned as a stack of papers was forced into his modeleske face.
"Slow down horndog, you're moving away from the main point." Mikado adjusted the papers in his hands, setting them down and leaning on his left hand, "So, the cocky type eh? Hugh… well, I used to be the captain of a sports team, so not like I haven't dealt with types like that, both on my team and against it."
Kiss wrapped his arm around Mikado's shoulders. A growing grin on his face. "I like to make sure my ember headed dragon friend has the context to everything at hand. You can always rely on me Mikado-kun! Well I'm going to enjoy seeing you manage a hot-blooded woman like her… Actually I have a great idea!... but I'll wait. You have any remaining questions?"
"Not really. I'll figure the rest out as I go when I meet them. Managing others in a sport, I can do, even if it's for something as crazy as Keijo." said Mikado as he slid the papers back into the folder.
Kiss stood up, his hands slamming against the desk. "Okay! Time to initiate operation Booty Call... Actually that's a bad name… uh.. Hmm. Mikado-kun. Give me a good name for this…" The assloving agent whispered to his friend, a male model looking young man in the front row just outright snickering to himself as he seemed to hear the prodigy's passion only for Kiss to give him an outright murderous glare once he caught sight of the individual.
"Yeah uhm… I've got nothing there." Mikado sighed, putting a hand over his eyes. Granted, by this point, Mikado was used to his friend's eccentrics often making a show.
Not that he liked it mind one.
Kiss kept his focus on 'that smug long tongued bastard in the front row.' Only shrugging at his friend's unwillingness to go along with his passion.
"Masumi-chan! Who'd you get assigned to?" Refocusing his attention he leaned over the desk, his proximity to Masumi's rear incrementally lessening, his face angled to be in direct line with Masumi's own, yet his eyes directly glued to their rear, which moved in slight motions as they appeared to be actively playing along.
"Kusakai Mio and Rokudo Rin. Both in the Elite Class." Masumi answered, waving their folder with a hint of pride as they didn't turn their body around, only their head to converse with Kiss. "I get to be the Agent of the hottest and the fastest contenders this year. It's hard for a lover of the human form such as me to not be excited."
"Aoi-chan! Pixie Girl! Tell us who you got assigned to!" Masumi waved to the female tenants of the Asstrology room, in the small distance Aoi very visually convincing Almina to even consider getting out of her seat and walk to the others with her.
"Hishikawa, I telling you this is a dumb idea! Well whatever. Isozaki, don't go drooling on it." Almina complained as she held her opened files and slammed them onto Kiss and Mikado's desk, both boys looking at the papers. Kiss pulled out the files and emotionlessly handed them back, his face a blank mosaic. "Yeah, I got a buff temple girl and a bunny girl. Not bad when I think about it but those two just have composition abilities, one's literally a predisposition type."
"I have nothing to say about that." Mikado responded, not getting any of the lingo being thrown around past "temple girl" and "bunny girl."
Almina just started to snicker to herself, Kiss holding back a chuckle. "Mikado-kun, All will be explained in due time, just let the professionals converse between each other."
Despite Mikado's nonverbal but intense annoyance at the statement, for that one moment, Kiss and Almina were on a similar wavelength, achieving some level of understanding. Meanwhile, focusing on her own person and letting her new and old friends banter between each other, Aoi opened her envelopes and then started to consciously awkward laugh at her own discovery.
"Everyone… I got Kogatana Saya… the Iaido champion… She seemingly only uses breast techniques… that must hurt alot….." Everyone looked at the angelic supermodel that was now drowning in her own self horror, though the sudden seriousness (with added brief art style change) as they stared at Aoi faded away after the false alarm, only to suddenly reignite as Aoi continued. "I...uh… also got...Kawai Hanabi…"
Even Mikado started to join the moment of silence and intensity as that the mere thought of someone managing Kawai Hanabi sunk in…
"That name feels familiar for some reason…" Mikado thought, the only one who looked relatively normal at the moment… and purely because he had no idea what the others were so freaked out about.
Almina attempted to pat Aoi on the back, only for it to reach her lower back due to her small stature. "I-It's not that big a deal, you're not a guy so it's not like she'll end up crippling you trying to get herself laid… like the last guy… poor bastard… to be honest, and honesty is one of the most important things to enforce, I respect and fear that girl…"
"Uhm… I don't mean to be the odd one out in this situation, again, but, why do all of ya'll look like you're about ready to pray for safety from the Devil or somethin'?" Mikado inquired, tilting his head with a matching perplexed expression, "Hey, I skimped on watchin' the Player exams, so I'm in the dark here."
Kiss looked to the others. "All of you okay with me explaining it?" Almina shrugged, Aoi gave a thumbs up, and Masumi just continued to smile and sway with their hips, intently reading through their client information instead, Kiss clasped his hands together in a gesture of politeness. "Well my sadly clueless friend. Kawai Hanabi is a prodigy of the highest physical degree. She has the speed and impact strength of firing a military grade shotgun. With the amount of inflicted injuries and casualties that would come with hitting people with that at point blank range. Her precision goes without match and that just makes her even more deadly…. And she's the first person i've met where when some started to bleed and also moan in pain, she got turned on…. And all of that shows how impressive my Boss is, as he's her official agent. She's a Regalia Princess. A murder princess that's trying to master the Assassin's Hip. Not really the best kind of princess, but one nonetheless. That explain it for you, Mikado?" Kiss explained in a fully serious tone, his face displaying a confident grin.
"That's… starting to put some perspective into things." Mikado responded, "For some reason that description is reminding me of someone I knew in high school… can't peg it right now though."
"On a more… positive note. This generation is beyond impressive. You could almost call it a generation of miracles. Ryugu-kun, remember when you were called apart of something like that?" Kiss cheered, trying to give at least a fragment of his positivity to his old friend.
"Ehehe, that was back in high school, and besides, it's not like I was trying to stand out. I was just good at the sport along with my friends is all." Mikado held both his hands up a bit, a modest, somewhat shy smile at the mention of his previous area of expertise, "I mean… without those guys I wouldn't have tried so hard anyway.I know I was good, but not like I was trying to overshadow anyone."
"This is the old Mikado… but why he's talking about it like that's all past him?.. He was part of a championship team. The Captain even! " Kiss thought to himself. "Well that's Mikado-Kun for ya'. Modest when it comes to being involved!" He exclaimed with his usual gentlemanly cheerfulness, hiding his nervous contemplation.
"Seriously, it was nothing. We were just a bunch of old friends who liked the sport and worked really hard to be good at it. Just being honest is all. Kinda wonder how they're doing right now…" A hint of wistfulness, and almost even regret could be noted in Mikado's tone as he looked to the side, hiding the sudden droop in his expression.
Almina squinted for a brief moment before smiling. "Oh, Ryugu. You used to be a high curve basketball player? What was that like?" She asked, getting a growing understanding for the dynamic between the two friends, her perception of Isozaki and his upbringing growing in her mind after touching his hand when he handed back her envelopes.
"Oh… well, I mean, it was only high school, not like it was some grand thing." Mikado stated, again adjusting his own files, "It was just a group of friends really passionate about the sport, so we put our all into it. And, well, we got good, really good."
Masumi turned around. "Ryugu-kun, isn't that what we are now? A team? Or at least we're all friends to some degree? Is that enough to make another goal for all of us to become really really good as you said it?"
"Well, I guess when you look at it that way, I suppose we kinda count as a team, yeah." Mikado folded his arms and gave a quizzical hum.
Masumi sat on Kiss' side of the desk, Almina crossing her legs as she took Masumi's seat, Aoi gave a smile, holding her clasping hands down in endearment. Kiss joyfully hugging his closest friend. "That sounds like the greatest of plans! Don'tcha think Mikado! Everyone's here to be by your side, we'll all achieve greatness together!"
"Well… not that it sounds like a bad idea… it's more of if I can adjust quickly enough to all of this…" Mikado thought, giving a shrug, a small grin showing nonetheless, "Not a bad thought really… granted some of us have a long way to go y'know?"
It wasn't a thought that came to any of their minds, but it was the start of those that determined the curves of the stars.
The now "sanctioned" group split up after class ended, now trying to achieve the logical next step of their course, getting acquainted with their clients.
"Let's see… says here there's gonna be an overlap period for the courses. Guess that's when we'll get to meet our classmates." Mikado flicked the paper for his class schedule out of it's fold, looking it over for the classes in it, "This is a very minimalistic schedule now that I look at it…"
"The schedule is mostly dependent on your clients' courses. Ryugu-kun." Masumi added, reading Mikado's body language to the point of almost outright mind reading.
"Can't imagine how weird it'll be with a client in the Elite and normal course…" Mikado grumbled, folding the paper and sliding it back into his pocket.
"We'll be sharing the academic course with the Elite Class. And wasn't your normal class client one of the highest in the academic side? I'm not familiar with the course fully but it's reasonable to assume you'll be watching over your Elite Class client for the first block of the year, and then shift around when they do Races and such…. But I'm only guessing from what I know about how the yearly course usually goes."
"I'll see how it goes after meeting the two." Mikado replied, putting his arms behind his head. "Now the question is where is that meeting even at in the first place?"
"I'm going to assume the Conference Hall. It's the room where most of the lectures would happen.. If we had lectures." Masumi shrugged, walking off in the direction of where the as for mentioned room was.
"A lecture hall not used for lectures. Heh, funny." Mikado mused, following Masumi with his usual gait.
"I'm sure if we convince Shimatsu-sensei… which I can feel isn't hard, we can likely have our class in that room if you really want to." Masumi asserted in their usual playful manner.
"I don't care either way really. Whatever works out."
Masumi went off in the direction of the other venturing student agents, leading them to a vastly well-lit room full of chatter as many small groups were bantering, laughing, and being generally awkward at the reasonably large desks that made up the rows of the hall. Three people (and sometimes a lonely or content two) at each desk as the people filed in.
"Well… guess I better find who I'm gonna be dealing with. See ya'." Mikado gave a small wave to Masumi as he veered off and found one of the empty tables, pulling out the file folder again and browsing through it, occasionally scanning through the crowd and new arrivals. Glancing at the two pictures with the given files as he did.
After a few minutes, The majority of the Elite Class had grouped up into the right side of the room. The other Asstrologers already at work.
Aoi sitting in the center of a desk, Kawai Hanabi and a black haired girl wearing a long headband sitting either side of her. Almina sitting in between a large buff young woman with short hair and a girl similar to her own stature in a lang rabbit eared hoodie that covers her face.
Masumi was sitting between Kusakai Mio and a slender girl with an amused look on her face as she watched Masumi and Mio just continuously flirt with each other.
Out of curiosity of where the hell Kiss would be, Mikado looked to the left side of the room. At the closest desk to the center of the room in the back row was Kiss between Miyata and Kaminashi, talking to another girl wearing a scarf long enough to rival his own.
Kiss pointed to a desk at the direct right end of the room, a tall athletically slender young woman with bulk in the right places and long sunset orange hair was tapping on the desk impatiently as they sat in waiting.
Despite the one demonstration of impatience she appeared to be completely calm, even giving a cocky grin to the scarf wearing girl who seemed to quickly ask a question to the Elite class girl, awkwardly taking a seat on the other end of the desk after getting a quick nod.
"Well, guess those are my problem children." Mikado hummed, picking up his things and moving to the directed table, rolling his eyes as Kiss gave him an as always, over enthusiastic smile and thumbs up as he passed by, taking a seat in front of the two girls, "Kazane Aoba, and Kawaguchi Makina, right?" he asked, pointing to the two in turn, rather glad he had pictures for reference to know which was which.
"Well, you looked good in the picture, but seeing you for real, heh… glad my agent here is so pretty." the sunset haired girl mused, giving a flirty grin as she leaned forward, Mikado just sighing, "But, I'm Kawaguchi, if it helps."
"I guessed that from the picture." Mikado stated, flashing the profile images, looking over to Aoba, "Which makes you Kazane."
A simple nod in return.
"I don't think she's much of a talker." Makina added, flippantly moving a hand about, Mikado shrugging, "So, whaddya wanna ask first huh? I'll answer about anything~."
"I'd like to keep this businesslike." Mikado stated, flipping through the provided files again, placing his faux glasses on his face out of subconscious habit for the formal look they provided in such a situation… even if the lack of lenses was obvious to the two girls in front of him.
Makina ran her hand through her long hair in mock annoyance. "Business has always given me a migraine. We're going to be seeing each other for the entire year, so why not be a little.. personal?" She teased in a mix of flirtation and honesty, her grin only growing.
"Consider it a call of preference. Save personal chats for later… then again I guess I do need to ask questions." Mikado hummed, "Well, okay, basic one… why are you here to be a Keijo player in the first place? I'll also preemptively answer the question of why I'm here as an agent: Simply put, my sister made me do it."
"Well aren't you to the point." Makina hummed, Aoba glancing between the two.
"I consider the reasoning for being in this place is important. I don't care how simple it is, not like there's a wrong answer. One of my pal's clients over there is only in it for the money… for now." Mikado jabbed a thumb over towards Kiss, Miyata, and Nozomi as he gave the statement, Makina sighing, while one could catch Aoba's ponytail twitching.
Makina laid back in her seat. "Promise to keep this between us?" She leaned over the desk, in direct close proximity with Mikado. "I'd rather not be harassed about my reasons."
"Confidentiality between agent and client… last I checked that was a thing in any professional partnership for any sport." Mikado calmly replied, adjusting his glasses a bit.
"Good." Makina nodded, her grin smoothing into a calm smile. "The answer to your question is that I wanted to get away from the weight put upon my shoulders for years. All I did was corporate work, business courses and physical training to get time to myself. So after I just couldn't do it anymore, I choose to go into the sport my old friend 'Chi' loves shoveling money into." She leaned back into her seat, a cocky smile climbing up her face. "And I think it shows I'm doing amazingly so far. Being the fifth best player in the whole pool of two hundred."
"I definitely know who she's talking about right now… the same person who made me go into this." If one saw Mikado's expression, they'd note the suspicious way his eyes closed and how the air about him became flatter, like whatever he was thinking about made him want to say something he was intentionally holding back, "So, got into the sport to get away from the old life huh? Not a bad decision to make, but, well, I'll just hold my tongue."
"Probably the smart decision there." Makina hummed, leaning forward again, "Though I wouldn't be opposed to learning what you can do with it."
"Polite pass." Mikado replied, Makina sitting back and sighing, the young man rolling his eyes, then looking to Aoba, "Okay then, Kazane? What about you? Why did you decide to train to become a player?"
"Uh… well…" Aoba murmured, Mikado mentally sighing, but keeping a friendly expression on.
"The shy type then… ohhh boy I have my work cut out for me don't I?" Mikado thought, adjusting his glasses again, "You can say anything, don't worry… I mean not like there's a wrong answer to this."
"I know but…" Aoba murmured, pulling her scarf up a bit further.
"Hmm… I think she's having a hard time saying something since she's in front of an attractive guy." Makina hummed, Aoba's eyes widening and her ponytail twitching as she tried to hide a rising blush, Mikado giving a light sigh.
"Uhm, Kazane-san, you don't need to feel embarrassed with me." Mikado stated, taking off the faux glasses and pocketing them in his jacket, Makina narrowing her eyes and tilting her head in a curious manner, "If you don't want to answer you don't have too, I was just trying to break the ice a bit."
"W-Well…" Aoba murmured, giving a sigh, tugging down her scarf, "I… I'm a really big fan of the sport and, my sister was a player so I thought, why not do so myself y'know? I didn't really have any plans for the future… so this seemed like a good idea."
"Nothing wrong with that." Mikado replied, giving a soft chuckle, "As I said, I'm here because of a sibling too… though it's more like I was forced too rather than following their footsteps or anything. Well, I'll at least introduce myself. I'm Ryugu Mikado, nice to meet you two. Hope we can get along over this next year."
Makina then showed a subtle smile at hearing Mikado's name, giving a chuckle. "Well then, nice to meet you. This year will definitely be… interesting. I'd go so far as to say amazing even."
A/N
Seiker: Agh man, chapters that are this long always take a while to do. But, WORTH IT!
Axor: It's nice to see you being excited about it… but I guess you are when it counts… maybe.
Seiker: Hey, I count when it does all the time! Wait… that was worded badly.
Axor: So… yeah… well on a sorta related note….I got some insight on how we should reference that my fic The Regalia Agency's first five chapters (though at this moment i'm halfway through making the fourth one) is technically a prequel to this story…. Sorry about shilling, but I got told a lot of context is lost…
Seiker: Well hey, what works works I'd say. So yeah, if some more context on things that got ignored cause Mikado up and skimped on the player exams, check out Axormin's fic for that… but if you don't want to, not gonna force ya. See ya' next chapter!
Axor: Wait! We never talked about Makina!...
Seiker: SEE YA NEXT TIME!
