Ch. 3: The Pied Piper

On a ship miles and miles away from Earth's atmosphere and far enough to hide away from its satellites, metal slates rise and collect each other one by one. A view of the third planet is soon shown through a clear giant window as big and wide as a wall. Three pairs of eyes who've eagerly awaited for this view gawk and gasp at the sight, while one couldn't look happier. They've waited a long time and traveled very far to see it.

"This is Earth," a gentle female voice gasps. "It's so beautiful."

A male voice comments, "I can see now what they were talking about. It's a magnificent planet at first sight, even from far away."

"But they also said that up close is what really makes it superb; plus their humans," a second male voice adds – his voice sounding excited, almost like a child going to a field trip.

The first male voice points that out. "Of course you would know. You've been here before."

"Yeah, but I'm hoping nothing has changed too much." 'Hana-chan, at last. I'm finally going to keep my promise.'

Not only is Kanon a high school student like Ruka, but he's also in the same grade as her and in the classroom across from her, too. Arriving on the school grounds, the Aoyama girl had to say goodbye to Airi at the elementary building and then to Shino and Tsubaki at the junior high building. It became a rather silent walk between her and Kanon to the high school building but she didn't mind it. What she did mind later was he walked with her to the office so she could pick up her schedule and a map of the school to find which classroom she'll be in to spend those classes. It was like having an uncalled for chaperon, and she is not a child. Then he took her paper without asking and gave it back to her without a word. Ruka asked why he did that but he didn't speak a word and that became the moment when his attitude is starting to make her irritated. Still, he lead her to her new classroom and then entered his own with a 'bye' and a wave. He left so suddenly, Ruka didn't have the chance to awkwardly thank him for his 'unasked for' help.

'Is he trying to act like one of those jerk-characters who are really kind and helpful underneath?' she wondered watching him go.

As to be expected, the teacher made Ruka stand before the class after he wrote her name on the board behind her so she could introduce herself. Despite her small growing frustration to Shirogane, she didn't fail to notice how the other students in the hallway were staring at her. Seems like everyone knows each other so when a new student comes walking down the hallways, they can instantly tell. At least thanks to Kanon, Ruka could ignore them in the hall until she had to stand before them. All of them are pretty much gaping her and most of the guys were blushing at Ruka's mature prettiness.

Doing the expected, Ruka bowed to her new classmates and greeted, "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm Aoyama Ruka. Please take care of me." Then the teacher told her to take a seat at the vacant one by the window at the second to last row and she does, with every guy still staring at her when she walks past them. She didn't let it bother her and took her seat.

Hours had passed and subjects passed, too. First was English and the teacher thought it would be nice for Ruka to do a little example of her fluent English since she lived in England. She said she didn't mind but from already being irked before, she's keeping her comments to herself about this little forced-volunteer work. She got up, did a passage for the class, and almost every student stared at her like she was a genius; again. Then came Math and the teacher asked Ruka to do a problem on the board – which she solved correctly, making the students admire her more. Then came science and the teacher asked Ruka more questions than he asked the other students, which again she answered correctly. Finally, it was lunch time and before her new classmates hoarded around her to play twenty-questions, Ruka got up from her seat with her lunch in hand and left the room as soon as the bell rang.

'Is it customary for new students to be picked on in front of the entire class to see if he or she can get a question wrong?!' If Ruka wasn't considered annoyed before, she definitely was then. She didn't care where she was going. She just wanted to be out of the classroom and find a seclude area where she could eat her lunch in peace at least.

Unfortunately, she left before Kanon could get her.

"Where is Ruka-san?" Tsubaki asks when she sees the blonde approaching her and the others. The three of them are sitting on a picnic mat with their half-eaten box lunches and Kanon sits on the mat with them.

At their school, both the high school and the junior school have lunch around the same time except the junior high start lunch earlier than high school. The elementary school already had their lunch period but Airi is on her free-period so she's been eating with the friends she grew up with instead with the ones she made in school.

The said ginger whines, "I wanted Ruka onee-chan to eat with us, na no da."

"Yeah well, you can go chasing after her the next time she darts out of the classroom to avoid her classmates," he responds. Opening his lunch so he can start eating, the other three stare at him from the news.

"She's a new student. It's inevitable the other students want to befriend her," Shino reports. " 'Fresh meat' is the term in their minds."

"Poor Ruka-san. I wonder what her class must have gone to have darted to her," wonders Tsubaki before taking a bite of her sweet egg roll.

"An overachiever," Kanon responds. "Her classmates were gossiping about her when I came by. Apparently, the teacher asked her at least five questions in every subject so far and she hasn't gotten one wrong yet. A real brainy-act. She's the type to annoy me the most."

"You should look in the mirror, Kanon-kun. You're not exactly any less brilliant than she is. You've skipped two grades when Shino-kun only skipped one."

"At least I have people skills. This girl doesn't seem to know when to say 'no'. She just does what she's expected to do, no questions ask."

Shino raise a brow to that. "You can't exactly say 'no, I don't want to answer this' to a teacher."

"No, but she's like that with everyone. It's like she doesn't have a personality of her own, or she doesn't care enough to have one."

Tsubaki excuses, "Maybe she's still trying to settle into her new life back in Japan. My mother always said that English culture is different compared to Japanese. Maybe she just doesn't know how to act yet."

"She's older than us, Tsubaki. She's not a toddler like Airi, here."

With a mouth full of food, Airi protests, "Imuh nah a koddler, ra ro ha!(I'm not a toddler, na no da!)

"Only a toddler would talk to me without chewing her food first." Airi huffs and turns to the side, insulted, then finishes chewing her food.

Tsubaki eyes Kanon for a moment before saying, "I think you're being prejudice."

He raises a brow at her. "Excuse me?"

"Your mom is upset with her mom and now you're judging her because of what happened last week." Shino and Airi look at her surprise when she made that remark and then they turn to Kanon when he countered that comment.

"And you've only known her for two days. Why are you so defendant about her?"

They look between them back and forth.

"Because I think she needs some friends and you're not making it easy for her."

"What was Airi doing all morning? She's been making it easy for this girl to be friends and I don't see her jumping for joy or eagerly wanting to have lunch with us."

"She's a shy girl, I can tell."

"Right, and you have such excellent people-insight on first sight."

"Better than you, who only thinks he's the incredible Kanon Shirogane that no one can touch."

As they continue to bicker like a bunch of old ladies, Airi looks a little bored when she turns to Shino after putting her finished bento lunch down. "I think we better go back to class, na no da."

He nods in agreement, with a face as red as a tomato.

Unknown to those down below, Ruka is up on the roof of her school building and she can see the four of them conversing. She didn't hear what they were saying, of course, but she can see how they respond to each other as she eats her lunch. Chewing her last piece of chicken, she says to herself, "So that's Tsubaki-san's flaw." Looking away and up at the blue sky instead, she lets out a sigh. "I have no interest in becoming a third-wheel."

Turning her cell phone off, Ruka lets out a sigh and then leans back against the park bench she's currently resting on. School is over and the last thing she needs right now is someone asking why she left school without a certain group of people.

'I just want to be alone and breathe!' she exclaims in her head. First day of school was just stressful.

After lunch, things went right back to how they were earlier. The next subject was history and surprise, surprise, the teacher picked on Ruka again to answer his questions – which she got correct again. At least in Physical Education that came next, the coach wasn't picking on her as much. Just had her play volleyball with the girls while the boys played basketball. However in that class, Ruka could feel the stares on her bare legs. She knew the uniform was inappropriate the moment she saw it and she wondered how it wasn't against the dress code. Finally came her free-period. When choosing her classes, she had a choice of a music class(instrument or choir), an art class, or a study period. That choice was a no brainer and Ruka spent that time studying in the library. Homework at the school isn't anything intense so she was able to finish it all. Now it's all finally over, which she rushed off as soon as it was, and Ruka just wants to relax. What better place to do it than in the park?

A cool gentle breeze blows through Ruka's dark red hair and it feels great under the hot sun. It'll be summer soon but spring is still fighting on. Funny. Back in England, Ruka would almost be done with the school year but in Japan, she's already starting the next year. Thanks to her grades, she's able to get away with this 'finishing early and starting early' thing. There's just no three month summer break, but that's fine. It's not like Ruka had any big plans or anything like that.

Point being, Ruka isn't the type of person to care that she doesn't have a summer vacation. Her only issue is she hopes her teacher would stop calling for her on everything, making her stand out more, otherwise she is going to wish for that summer break.

Closing her eyes, Ruka just lets her mind go blank. Take in the smell of the park around her, feel the warm sun and cool breeze on her skin and through her clothes, and listen to the distant sounds of cars driving, birds chirping, children laughing, and the sound of a flute playing.

Wait, a flute? That wasn't playing a minute ago.

Opening her eyes from her brief relaxation, Ruka turns to where she can hear the sound of the music and she sees not too far away a young boy of 16 or 17 being surrounded by laughing/dancing children. He's the one playing the flute and there are some parents there as well, watching how their little ones are having fun with the melody he's playing. Ruka can't really see what he looks like but she can see that he looks almost unhealthingly skinny and he's wearing a dull red pair of shorts, a white collared shirt with a loosely-tied black tie, a darker red hoodie, long hair in a low pony tail, and a black fedora hat with a silk red ribbon tied around. He has no bucket for tips, so maybe he's not a street performer making money. He's just playing his flute for the enjoyment of the children.

'He looks like the Pied Piper,' she comments, looking at him. 'Not the most positive symbols in folklore literature but he's not bad.'

Ruka relaxes back on her bench and just continues to watch the flute-playing boy, waiting to see if he'll use his hat to ask for tips when he's done with the song. Her light blue eyes analyzing him like how a scientist observes her project; calculating everything to form a thousand and one theories about the Pied Piper. She's already mentally calling him that as he sways and moves with the music he's making, bobbing his head up and down and swinging from left to right. From the distance, he looks like he's having fun and the children most definitely are.

Then the Pied Piper does something according to the German fairy tale. He starts marching and the children follow him in a single filed line. They even start singing but the words are almost inaudible because they're mixing laughter with it. Ruka raises a brow to the sight and wonders if he's going to try lead the children away, but no. Instead, he marches around in a circle and the parents are clapping in time with the melody.

'That is just too weird, and now too noisy.' Collecting her back, Ruka stands up from the bench and starts on her way out of the park. All she wanted was some peace and quiet without any one disturbing her from people she's met or who have seen her in school.

Now she has a fairy tale coming to life before her eyes. Time to go.

As she leaves, the Pied Piper finally finishes his song. He turned around to play his last notes to the children and they all watched him with eyes dazzling with their innocent joy. Then when he was done, they cheered and clapped for him as loud as they can while he bows. Their parents clap, of course, and then they started going to their wallets to take out some little tip. The Pied Piper sees them doing.

"No tips, please!" he tells them, much to their surprise. "I don't need money. That's not my intention. I'm just trying to attract a very important girl."

Some of the children and the grownups almost awed at this young man's words. The rest did.

"Excuse me, kid."

Turning around, the Pied Piper is met with two police officers looking at him with stern, unfriendly faces; like angry parents who are about to scold their kids. He just blinks at them before taking a good look at their uniforms.

"Do you have a permit to be performing in the park?" one of the officers asks.

"A permit?" the Pied Piper asks, confused as he puts his flute in his inside jacket pocket.

The other officer tells him, "Any street performer must have a permit so they can be licensed and not charged with disturbing the peace. This was issued ten years ago. How could you not know of it?"

The Pied Piper looks like he gets it before he chuckles nervously while scratching the back of his head. "Would you believe me if I told you I've been out of the country for those ten years? I had no idea."

"Then you're gonna have to come with us, boy, to the station."

"And then you need to pay a fine for this law breaking."

Oh shoots he's in trouble.

"Got it. Can you two just do me a favor first before I go?" The Pied Pipper points to the spot where they're standing. "Stay here for a bit." Then he turns around and bolts out of there.

"Wah! Get back here!" one officer screams.

The other tries to lift his legs but for some reason, they're stuck. "My legs! Why can't I move?"

The children cheer, "Go, onii-san! GO!"

The Pied Piper runs out of the park, the same way Ruka went. He had to try and stop himself before he ran into the streets and then he starts running up the sidewalk. He sees no one and that's a good thing. 'I got to get out of here fast before that wears off.' He goes to his black wrist watch and turns at the corner up ahead. But then…

BAM!

Pied Piper is on the ground on his butt while the person he bumped into falls on the ground, face first. They both groan in pain for a moment and when the Pied Piper hears that he ran into a girl, quickly he gets up to help her.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! Are you alright?" he asks, helping her half way up. He would have helped her stand if Ruka hadn't slapped his hand off.

"Then watch where you're going next time!" she snaps. Then when she sees is face, she blinks in surprise when she recognizes him. Actually, seeing the hat is what tells her who he is, but now she can see that he his mid-back length hair is a dark shade of emerald green and his eyes must be an interesting shade of brown because they look almost red in the light. His skin is also pale, not as fair as hers but pretty close.

The Pied Piper stares at her, too; taking in her features and blinking at her bright eyes.

"After him!"

"Where did that sneaky, skinny brat go?!"

Both of them turn to look and it sounds like those police officers are getting close. Pied Piper starts to panic so without thinking, he scans the surrounding area for a place to hide. He sees a narrow alley way up a head so he picks Ruka up as if she were the lightest thing in the world and runs to it. He does all this so fast, she didn't have time to stop him. Then once they're safely hidden in the shadows, he holds her close to his body; her back against his chest, his arm around her, and his hand over her mouth. Ruka starts struggling and he whispers in her ear, "I swear I'm not going to hurt you! But please be quiet."

'Why should I?!' her eyes scream at him.

"He must have gone this way!" they hear. The two of them stay quiet and watch as soon two police officers come to view and they just run right past them, as if they didn't notice anything at the corner of their eyes like they're supposed to. The teenagers watch them go and Pied Piper waits to hear the sound of their running footsteps fade away.

Ruka feels him relax and release her mouth. "Phew, that was close." But he doesn't release her.

"Sir, you have two seconds to release me or you'll be sorry."

Pied Piper didn't expect her to say that and with slow reactions, two seconds pass. With faster reflexes, Ruka rips his arm off her and while still holding onto his arm, she turns around and then flips him over. A teenage boy…taller than her….and she just flipped him over like a pro. Pied Piper lands painfully on his back and his wrist watch slams on the concrete and cracks. Hearing him groaning again, Ruka releases his arm and crosses her own in front of her chest.

"I warned you," she tells him. Then her eyes blink before they widen in what she sees.

Pied Piper slowly and painfully lifts himself up into a sitting position, and in a way in which he can face her while he's still rubbing his sore back. He can feel the bruises starting to form there. "Ouch, that hurt! I haven't been thrown like that for a long time." His eyes shot wide open when he realizes what just came out of his mouth. "Hold on." He looks back up and his vertical red eyes stare at Ruka in great shock while Ruka is staring at his ears – his big, elf like ears. "Ruka…Aoyama?"

Ruka doesn't answer to her name. She's still staring at those ears and when she points at them, she asks one thing. "What the hell are you?"