Chapter 3: Class Black
Ruko goes to the desk on the second row behind Haru's desk. She puts her bag down next to her desk, hangs her coat on the back of the chair, and took her seat. By the time class was about to begin, Ruko realized that she, Tokaku, Haru, and the teacher are not the only ones in the classroom. To Ruko's far left, there was a girl with long white hair, tied to a ponytail. She also wore a different school uniform, which is dissimilar to the other students, and wears a different sock on each leg, a short white one on the left and a long black stocking on her right. In front of the white-haired girl is a tall girl with long pink hair with ringlets and gold eyes. Instead of wearing a school uniform, on the other hand, she wore a long sleeve black jacket that barely shows some of her skin, a small pink scarf, and a pink plaid skirt with heeled boots. And Nio also appeared to be in the class as she sat between Haru and the pink-haired girl.
"Hello there, students of Year 10, Class Black," says the teacher, "I am your homeroom teacher, Ataru Mizorogi. I've been a teacher for three years and the subject I teach is biology. This is my first time as a homeroom teacher. Nice to meet you!" Mizorogi winked and puts his thumb up. Ruko remembers everything the bus driver said about Class Black and she looks around the room from her desk. "The teacher looks normal, "Ruko thoughts to herself," But I'm still worried about what the other students are like." Tokaku sat to her desk motionlessly while Haru claps her hands. Tokaku then thought, "Anyway you look at it, he's just an average guy. So, how did I not notice him back then?" She then turns her head to Ruko, "Also, who is this girl, and what was I sensing from that card she was holding onto?"
Mizorogi smiled and continued, "Starting today, you're all fellow classmates of Class Black. I want you to think of me as a big brother that you can count on." "A teacher as an older brother figure?" Ruko curiously asked herself, "I wonder how old he is. Perhaps, around 20?" The girl with long pink hair laughed a little as everyone in the classroom, except for the white-haired girl, caught her attention. "Mizorogi-sensei, You're pretty amusing." she said, "Unfortunately, Isuke dislikes your type." Mizorogi nervously said, "I'm sorry. And you are…?" The pink-haired girl stands up from her chair. "Very well, then. I'll introduce myself." She then puts one hand on her hip and other on the right side of her face. She then starts to introduce herself, "Student No. 2, Isuke Inukai. That is three i's." Isuke turned to the teacher and stated, "You're too young. I think with men, they've got to be over forty to have it where it counts." Ruko slowly backs away from Isuke from her seat while she thinks in distraught. "She likes older guys? That's creepy!"
Nio raised her head from her hand and replied, "You're kidding, right? Wouldn't men around forty be practically described as old?" Isuke turned to Nio and threatened her, "Forty does not mean that they are old men. If you dare try to call them that, I should kill you." Ruko shakes a little after hearing what Isuke said. "No question about her," she thought to herself, "She's scary." Nio, however, seemed unfazed by Isuke's threat. "Oh, please! Don't be mad!" She then makes a small salute and introduces herself as well, "I'm Student No. 10, Nio Hashiri. Nice to meetcha." Ruko turned to the blond-haired girl and manages to stop shaking when she heard her name. "So this is my roommate?" she quietly asked herself, "I hope I'm safe with her..." Mizorogi laughed and said, "Don't fight over me now."
He then turned to Tokaku, "Okay! Next, Student No. 1!" Tokaku then stood up and almost everyone turned to her attention. "Student No. 1, Tokaku Azuma." Isuke and Nio felt a little surprised after hearing the blue-haired girl's name. "Azuma? As in the…" Isuke said doubtfully. "For real?" Nio asked. "My first name, 'Tokaku,' means 'an impossible thing,'" Tokaku explained, "I get asked about it a lot, so I'll just say it now." She then sat back down to her seat. Ruko barely tilted her head forward as glances at Tokaku while she was sitting down. "Tokaku…Azuma," Ruko curiously said in her thoughts, "I wonder what kind of person is she." Tokaku turns her head to Ruko. "Is there something wrong?" Tokaku asked Ruko. The middle school girl blushed and timidly replied, "N…no! It's…it's nothing." And she turned her head back to the teacher. In Ruko's pocket, Iona thinks as she listens during their introductions. "Azuma…" Iona says quietly, "I think I've heard that name from before."
"Alright, Student No. 12. Please introduce yourself," Mizorogi said cheerfully. The white-haired girl looks down to her desk and stays quiet. "Um…No. 12?" Mizorogi asked. The white-haired girl was shy, she could barely answer, "I'll do it…once the sun sets…" The white-haired girl's reply left the entire class clueless. "I'll do everything once the sun sets," she said, "Don't make me repeat myself." Ruko looks closely at the white-haired girl as if she starts to recognize her. She then starts to hallucinate the girl as someone who was close to her and muttered, "…Tama?" Everyone in the classroom turned to Ruko for what she said all of a sudden, especially the white-haired girl. The white-haired girl slowly turned her head to Ruko. By the time Ruko sees her face, she instantly realized that the girl was not Tama. The white-haired girl has gray eyes and a scar on her left eye. "Who's…Tama?" The girl asked fearfully. "I'm sorry! I must have mistaken you for somebody else," said a flustered Ruko, "I mean, I didn't know you have a scar on you —" Before Ruko continued to apologize, she quickly realized what she just said by accident and covered her mouth. The white-haired girl's face turned bright pink, she covered her face and turned away as if she was starting to cry.
"My, my. Aren't you a nosy little girl," Isuke said shrewdly. "Don't you think it's a bit unusual, staring at a person's face like that?" asked Nio. "I didn't mean anything like that," Ruko exclaimed as she was moving here arms up and down rapidly. "Okay, girls. Settle down," said Mizorogi. He looks at the attendance list and turns his head to Ruko. He smiles and said, "Now that we have two students left, would you like to go first?" "Y…yes, sir," Ruko replied, and she stood up from her chair. After a short pause, she took a deep breath and began her introduction, "I'm Student No. 14…and a middle school student from Ikebukuro…Ruko Kominato."
Tokaku widened her eyes after hearing her name. Everyone else, except for Nio, raised their eyebrows by surprise. "Really? You're from Ikebukuro?" Haru asked ecstatically. "That's a big city! I wished I lived there," said Mizorogi. "Now wait just a minute," said Isuke as she turned her body to Ruko while sitting, "You said you're a middle school student, right? If so, then what's someone like you doing here?" "Oh, come on. Be easy on her," says Nio, "Remember that Myojo Academy allows students from grade school to college? It doesn't really matter which grade you're in at Class Black. So, she's alright." The blond-haired student turned to Ruko and smiles at her, "Don't worry about what Isuke just asked you. You'll do fine in this class, I'm sure of it." "Th…thank you," said Ruko. Tokaku lowers her head as she remembers her conversation with Kaiba before transferring. "Someone who is not an assassin or a target attending to this class…" Tokaku says in her mind, "Now I understand. She must be the bystander. But what makes her special and why does the chairwoman want her to attend to this school?"
"So, anyway…" said Mizorogi, "Why not you tell us about yourself? I'm sure you have a lot of friends here." Ruko lowers her head a little and replied, "Actually, I didn't have any friends, or cared about having any before…" Ruko said honestly. Ruko's answer left everyone in the classroom baffled. "Why not?" asked Nio. "Actually I have two right now, so I'm not really that lonely anymore." said Ruko. Both Haru and Mizorogi sighed in relief. "Anything else?" asked Mizorogi. "Well…" Ruko began to think about what else to say. After a few seconds, she then knows what to discuss about and continued, "My parents often fight when I was little. My mom later left me because she thinks I scare her. I don't know what I was thinking either, but having my mom abandon me scares me too. So, my grandma and my brother took care of me, and…" Haru, Mizorogi, and Nio were left dumbstruck while listening to Ruko's story. The white-haired girl's body trembled as she listens. Tokaku's expression was between being surprised or stoic as Ruko continues. In her mind, a monochromatic scene of a windy day appears. The flashback changes into an image of a small child standing while shockingly staring at a bloodstained blade. Tokaku then return to her senses as she turns her attention to Ruko. "This girl…"Tokaku thoughts to herself, "Is she…?"
"Hang on a second," Isuke interrupted as she raised her eyebrows, "You...live with your grandma?!" Ruko nodded her head and replies, "Yes." After some brief silence, Isuke began to burst out laughing. As she laughs harder, she repeatedly slams her palm on her desk while having her other hand press her chest. "This is hilarious," cried Isuke as she continues to laugh, "A middle school girl living with her grandma! How can your life get messed up so easily like that?!" Ruko lowers her head in embarrassment as Isuke continues to laugh. Haru pets her head, while Nio stood up from her desk and pats her in the back. Tokaku angrily glares at Isuke as the latter wouldn't control her laughter. "This is not a laughing matter, Inukai! Enough!" Isuke slowly stopped laughing and taunted Tokaku sarcastically, "Oh, my. Well, aren't you a bit of a sourpuss? Don't be such a wet blanket."
Mizorogi cleared his throat as the students mellowed out. "Well…that was…sort of surprising, Kominato. You can sit down now. And…I'm sorry about asking you about it," the teacher said nervously as Ruko sits back in her chair quietly. Mizorogi took one more glance at the attendance list. "Last up is…" But before he could finish, Haru happily stood up from her chair and said, "Yes! Student No. 13, Haru Ichinose." She politely bows her head down. "Please let us get along," Haru said cheerfully. Tokaku's cold eyes stared at the red-haired girl without anyone noticing her. "Haru Ichinose…" she thought to herself, "Could she be the target?"
Haru lifts up her bag from her desk and reaches her hand into it. "Um, as a token of our new acquaintance, Haru made cellphone straps for everyone." She took out the straps from her bag and holds them in her palms. "Please take one," said Haru. "Th-thanks, man," said Nio. "Don't want it. They're lame," Isuke remarked. Haru gave one to Ruko since their desks are close to each other. Ruko examined the strap carefully and pressed on each bead with her thumb and index finger. "Whatcha doin'?" Nio asked Ruko. "I…uh…just thought that this strap might blow up on me," Ruko said uneasily. Mizorogi and Haru's jaw dropped after they heard what Ruko said and Isuke started laughing again, "Oh, Kominato! You really cracked me up! No, seriously!" Haru's face turned red, she quickly left two more straps on Tokaku's and the white-haired girl's desks and ran out of the classroom. "Ichinose, wait up," cried Mizorogi as he starts to run after her. Before he exits the room, he turned to the students and said, "I'm gonna be right back. So, just stay where you are right now." He then turned his head towards Ruko. "And, Kominato, I know you didn't really mean to say it. So, just try not to worry about it too much." He smiles at Ruko and then leaves the room to look for Haru.
"Why would you suspect that these straps would explode on us?" asked Isuke. Ruko looks around the room as the students glanced at the curious girl. "I just thought that…no one around here is normal," Ruko said fretfully. "Oh, you silly girl," an almost irritated Isuke remarked as she flicks her finger on Ruko's forehead. Nio looks away momentarily and crossly whispers to herself, "That damn bus driver. I thought I told her not to talk about it." "What was that?" Ruko asked Nio as she covers her forehead. Nio quickly turned to her and replied, "Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, you shouldn't hurt someone's feelings like that. People will start suspecting you if you tried to suspect any of us." Ruko buries her face on her desk as she starts to think that she's being the suspicious one in the classroom. "Hey, you feelin' okay?" asked Nio.
A few minutes later, Mizorogi returned to the classroom with Haru. Ruko apologized for what she said earlier and the two students made up with each other. After a few hours, Mizorogi makes a brief announcement, "About the dormitory you'll all be living in starting today, Azuma, who is Student No. 1, will be acting as the temporary dormitory rep for now." Tokaku stares at the strap Haru puts on her desk. "I don't want this thing," Tokaku quietly says to herself, "Guess I'll get rid of it later."
It was already afternoon and the teacher already left for today. Haru was standing next to the white-haired girl's desk as the latter quietly looks at the strap. The white-haired girl lowers he head and said, "Thank you. This makes me really happy." "Really?" asked a pleased Haru, "That makes Haru happy too!" The white-haired girl then raises her head. "It will serve as a relic." A confused Haru tilted her head, "Relic?" The white-haired girl picks up the strap and clasps it to her chest. "It refers to the belonging of someone exalted to die," she softly explained. Everything the white-haired girl said leaves Haru clueless and she walks out of the classroom to look for Tokaku.
Tokkau stood in the middle of the hallway as she continues to put multiple answers in the question Kaiba gave her on her phone and sent them to him. Unfortunately, Kaiba gave Tokaku a reply and said, "All wrong. You really are an idiot." She closes her phone and sighs in frustration. Tokaku then notices Ruko as she was walking towards her. "What do you want?" Tokaku asked. Ruko bows to her and said, "I wanted to thank you for helping me back there." The blue-haired girl turns her body towards her. "Tell me something," said Tokaku, "Was everything you said about your past true?" Ruko raised her body and anxiously answered, "Yes. Why?" Tokaku closes her eyes and lowers her head as she remembers about her own past. She then opened her eyes and raised her head towards Ruko. "Because…I…"
"Getting along already while enjoying the view, are you?" Nio interrupted as she was looking through the window, "There were a lot of interesting stories going on too. Like how workers had accident after accident while a school building here is under construction. Or like how there was an old underground cemetery, but they just buried it." Ruko almost jumped from the ground. "Whoa! When did you get here, Nio-san?" asked Ruko. Nio turned to them and said, "Oh, I just got there." Nio replied, "And by the way, Ruko, you can call me Nio. We're roommates after all." "How would you know about what you mentioned about earlier?" Tokaku coldly asked Nio. "I'm from this school, so I'm in the know," said Nio. There was a sudden click in Ruko's head as she starts to remember her conversation with the bus driver earlier. "Are you…the messenger of the chairwoman?" asked Ruko. Nio opened her eyes instantly and exclaimed, "SPOILER ALERT!" Ruko almost jumped back at Nio's sudden outburst, while Tokaku was unfazed. "I'm just messin' with ya. Yes, I'm the messenger," said Nio as she calms down.
The blond-haired girl turned to Tokaku and her cheerful demeanor slowly changes to a rather sinister one. "Well then, will you team up with me? I'll be your subordinate," Nio craftily said to Tokaku. "Were you able to confirm the target?" asked Tokaku. "It ain't you, sister. That's for sure," Nio answered, "You've got one nasty stench about you, you know that?" "That's true," Tokaku answered back, "There is no doubt that Haru Ichinose is the target. She smells different from us."
Ruko looks at Tokaku and Nio as she was confused about what was going on. Nio takes out the phone strap Haru gave her and stated, "But there's no point about lowering your guard when you're around her." She then turned to Ruko and said, "Originally, I thought it would be a GPS unit or a listening device, but you proved that it wasn't after your little 'examination' on it back there." Ruko puffed her cheeks up while pouting after she heard what her roommate just said. Nio changed back to her playful personality and said, "I'm just messin' with ya again. No need to be angry." Nio takes Ruko's hand and places the strap into it. "You're giving it to me?" Ruko asked. Nio smiles at Ruko and replies, "Since you said you have friends back at Ikebukuro, why not?" Ruko remembers how she gave Hitoe a green scrunchie before learning the truth about the battle of Selectors. She smiles back at Nio and puts the strap in her schoolbag.
Suddenly, Nio sensed something being thrown towards them, like a dart being thrown at a target. "Look out!" Nio exclaimed. She grabs Ruko by the shoulders and they both took cover before the object hits them. It was another of Haru's hand-made straps. Tokaku quickly catches the flying strap without flinching. Both Nio and Ruko stood up and turned around to notice the thrower, who was none other than Isuke. "I don't want that thing, either." Isuke said snootily. Tokaku coldly glares at the pink-haired girl with her cold blue eyes. "You sure look scary, sister," says Nio. "I could say the same thing to you," Tokaku says to Isuke. "Isuke has no intention of hiding it," Isuke replies, "I'll pull it off faster than anyone else. It's got to be No. 13, anyway," Nio smiles and said, "Who knows?"
"Now, if you will excuse Isuke, I'll be heading to my dorm room," says Isuke haughtily. She turns around and walks away. But after five steps, she stopped momentarily. "By the way," says Isuke as she turns her head towards Ruko and slyly smiles at her, "You're quite amusing…for a grandma's girl."
Ruko's face turned bright pink and Isuke continues to walk through the hallway. Tokaku then leaves by walking to the other side of the hallway, without saying a word. Ruko lowers her head and starts to think how messed up her first day in Myojo Academy became. Nio pats her on the back and puts her left hand on Ruko's shoulder. "I know how you feel, Ruko. You're not the only one who could get messed up on your first day," Nio comforts Ruko, "But I think I know what will make you feel better. I'll buy you an ice cream cone on our way to the dorms, sounds good?" Ruko looks down solemnly and replied, "Okay."
Iona, after seeing Ruko's discomfort about her new class, began to feel a little uneasy. "I guess we can agree on one thing," Iona confirmed to herself, "No one in Class Black are considered normal…"
*Note: For those who are reading this, I do not own Selector Infected/Spread Wixoss and Riddle Story of Devil. Both of these shows belong to their respective owners.
