A/N: Announcement for my followers. As of now I will be making a few changes to my story. My apologies to those who have followed it up to my newest chapter, but I couldn't find a way to properly fit in some of my first ideas into the plot, so I'll be deleting my chapters and making new plot changes into it. Please do not fret, I'm still dedicated to finishing the story, and I again apologize for the inconvenience. As for those who are now just discovering my story, this is a crossover of Arifurerta and The Familiar of Zero. I do not own any rights to any of the light novels, manga, or anime characters this story contains, nor the pop culture references from various other TV shows, movies, anime, manga, and light novels mentioned in this story. The events in this story are fictional and are no way associated with real life, and anything that may be correlated to real life events are coincidental and by no means should be taken offensively. This story may contain violence, strong language, blood, and gore, and sexual situation/acts. Read at your own risk. Please enjoy!
Light rapidly faded away, as the darkness began to swallow them. As Hajime Nagumo's face twisted in terror as the light above him vanished, Saito Hiraga's face stared vacantly as the light in his own eyes began to fade. Hajime desperately shot out his hand, trying to grasp the light he knew was impossible to get, while Saito was too severely weakened to even attempt to lift his arm. Both of their nether regions tighten as they fell down. They've fallen into a chasm inside a dungeon they were exploring that was so deep it was comparable to the pit of hell, with the light being to gateway back to the world of the living.
The hole was deep enough that even when the pinprick of light dwindled to nothing, they still continued to fall. Their lives flashed before their eyes as nothing but the sound of the wind rushing past their ears accompanied them in their plunge into the hellish depths below. Let's turn back time a little bit and recount the story of how two Japanese boys found themselves in a world where the word "fantasy," a word that should contain the aspirations one would imagine when hearing it, is a far cry from the ruthless and callous world it truly is.
Monday. The epitome of depression out of all the days of the week. That's because for most, it signified the end of what was a glorious weekend and what is now the beginning of five days of metaphorical hell. One of those people is named Hajime Nagumo. Of course, school for him wasn't a metaphorical hell. It was an absolute one. The day started off usually the same. Hajime had just barely managed to make it before the first period bell rang. He managed to steady his sleep-deprived body and slid open the door to his classroom.
As soon as he opens the door, he was greeted by numerous scornful glares and tongue clicks. The majority of them were his fellow male students, but the females were none too pleased to see Hajime either. They too stared at him with contempt. Hajime wondered why they couldn't simply ignore him. He did his best to ignore their glares and tried to head for his seat. When he sat down, he noticed the boy who was sitting next to him was a friendly face.
That term was used loosely, as Hajime couldn't really see his face. He was currently sleeping with his head down, making it difficult to make out his identity, but Hajime knew from the messy black hair and the oversized travel backpack that it was his childhood best friend, Saito Hiraga. And just like Hajime, Saito was also hated by his class. Evidenced by the students who couldn't resist the chance to annoy the two. Four boys came up to Hajime and Saito's desk and kicked the latter's hard, startling him awake.
"Whazzat?!" Saito exclaimed while still half-asleep. His eyes opened to reveal a pair of exhausted blue eyes, and there was a thread of drool trailing from Saito's mouth to his sleeve. Saito looked around in a half-dazed stated to see who disturbed his slumber and noticed Hajime and the four boys who was responsible.
"Sup, you gross otakus? Did you both stay up all night playing video games again? I bet they were all porn games!"
"Wow, what creeps. What kind of disgusting perverts play porn games all night?" The boys then laughed, as if that statement were hysterical. These were Hajime and Saito's tormentors. The first one to call out the two was Daisuke Hiyama, the ringleader. He particularly never tired of picking on Hajime. He teased Saito too on a daily basis, but it was Hajime he truly had it out for. The ones laughing wickedly with him were his cronies: Yoshiki Saitou, Reichi Kondou, and Shinji Nakano. It was these four that made the pair's life miserable. Saito stared at them for a few seconds with indifference before turning to face Hajime.
"Hey Hajime. You just get here?" Saito casually greeted Hajime, effectively ignoring their tormenters, which in turned made a large vein in their temples bulge.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I did. Had a late start this morning after staying up all night. Same with you?"
"You guessed it. Took every ounce of willpower I had to get up out of bed."
"I know the feeling, but it's surprising that you got here before me. Did the student council ask you to clean the storage room again?"
"No. You-know-who met me outside of my house and picked me up to school. Got a lot of nasty looks outside the front gates. One guy even tried to trip me."
"No surprise there." While Hajime and Saito talked casually to each other, the vein in each of the four bullies' heads grew large and more define. Eventually, it was Hiyama who first blew up.
"Hey! Don't just ignore us you damn otakus! Learn to listen when your betters are talking to you!"
"Yeah! Don't you losers go off having a conversation and ignore us!" Kondou followed with an unoriginal complaint about Hajime and Saito's blatant disregard for their existence. Saito, figuring there was no ignoring these four when they were like this, faced then with a jaded expression.
"Come one you guys. It's too early for this. Can't you at least wait until I get a few winks in? I promise you can insult us all you want at…ummm…does the end of school sound good to you?" Saito casually suggested that as if it were completely reasonable. The casualness of that request was enough to make even the quiet and reserved Hajime try his hardest to stifle his laughter.
As Hiyama pointed out, Hajime and Saito are indeed otakus. But they weren't like the otakus perceived today by society. Though their looks and their behavior are not so unappealing and insufferable that the moniker "gross otakus" was justified. Hajime's black hair was cropped short and was kept tidy, and his brown eyes had a sort of softness to them. He also didn't have any issues communicating. Sure he wasn't the most loquacious person around, often keeping to himself, but he had no issues responding to whoever talks to him, meaning that he wasn't quiet to the point of being gloomy all the time. As for Saito, he might've sometimes looked a little haphazard, and he had a few perverted tendencies, but he's actually a friendly and easygoing person. He was also quick with a joke and knew how to make people smile (at least those who actually liked him), so that made him fun to be around. To sum up, Hajime and Saito were just two boys with an interest in a very specific group of media—namely manga, light novels, video games, and movies.
While Hajime and Saito were truly well-manner people, it didn't change the negative perception that people had on otakus, with being one earning you a few looks. It shouldn't garner targeted bullying that the two friends suffered through each day. Evidenced by the menacing glare that Hiyama gave Saito when he somehow took Saito's little attempt at humor offensively.
"Are you being smart with me Hiraga? Cause if you are, I'm gonna have to bring you and Nagumo to the back of the school to have a little chat about respecting your fellow classmates."
It was a reasonable suggestion! No one has to drag anyone anywhere! Saito silently protested that in his mind.
And why me too?! I didn't even say anything! Hajime also protested that in his mind. With that, it begged the question, why did everyone hate the two so much? The answer was a girl.
"Good morning Nagumo-kun! Glad your finally awake Hiraga-kun! Nagumo-kun, you barely made it on time today too. You really should make more of an effort to come earlier." One of the girls walked up to Hajime and smiled softly at him. Hiyama and his crew tried to greet the girl with bashful expressions, but she simply walked straight passed them, ignoring their attempt. Feeling defeated, the four bullies clicked their tongues and walked off to another part of the classroom.
The girl who greeted Hajime and Saito was Kaori Shirasaki, one of the most popular girls in school, and one of the few people in the entire school that treats both Hajime and Saito kindly. Unfortunately, she was also one the reasons why they hated them so much. Her sleek, waist-length black hair, her large, alluring, kindness-filled brown eyes, her perfectly fitted small nose, and her perfection personified pink lips made her comparable to a goddess by many.
She's always seen with a smile on her face, she had a talent for looking out for others, and combined with her strong sense of responsibility, made her one of the most respected students in school. Moreover, she was tolerant and understanding to a fault, with no one ever seeing her unhappy before.
As for the reason why this girl is responsible for Hajime and Saito's misery, it's because for whatever reason, Kaori has taken an interest in Hajime. She was kind and attentive to Saito too, but it was Hajime she seems to be the most invested in. Most people assumed Hajime was a terrible student because he always slept in class due to his recurrent all-nighters (in truth, he had pretty average grades). And due to Kaori's nature, they believed that's the reason why she talks to him.
Had her advances convinced him to become a better student, or if he were simply a better looking guy, no one would think much of Kaori's interest in Hajime. Alas, Hajime was as average looking as one could be, and his personal motto "hobbies over real life" made it clear that his mindset towards school wasn't going to improve either. As it was, none of the other average-looking males could stand seeing Hajime being so close to Kaori.
Why him and not us?! they thought. As for the girls, they just thought Hajime was being rude to Kaori, unhappy that he's not even attempting to reform his so-called problems.
"A-ah, good morning, Shirasaki-san." Hajime awkwardly returned Kaori's greeting, his face stiffening up as the hate-filled glares of his fellow classmates pierced him. In contrast, Kaori smiled happily as she looked at him. Why do you always look at me like that?! Hajime despaired as his classmates stares burned into him.
"Morning, Kaori-chan. And just call me Saito. You know I prefer to be called by my given name." Saito also returned Kaori's greeting but more casually. Not to mention that he insisted in her calling him by his given name. The students who heard that directed their glared at Saito.
"Oh! Sorry Saito-kun! Force of habit." Kaori happily corrected herself. People were visibly shocked at how naturally Kaori called Saito by his first name, which caused them to glare at him with even more intensity.
Thank you, Hajime mouthed to Saito for directing some of the classes hate towards him. Saito gave a discreet thumbs up to his buddy, because just as Hajime thought, it was all part of Saito's plan. He deliberately got the students to direct their hatred on him to ease at least some of Hajime's pain. But while it was part of the plan, Saito in truth really did prefer to be called by his first name. A habit he picked up from living in America for two years until middle school. But if it meant sparing his friend from a multitude of bloodlust-filled stares, he didn't mind using it to direct some of the hate towards him.
Anyway, Hajime was honestly bewildered. He had no idea why the most beautiful girl in school cared about a guy like him. Though he knew that it had to be something other than her natural disposition to help others, he wasn't as conceited to believe that she had any romantic interest in him.
Hajime has given up a lot of things to live a life fully devoted to his hobbies. And he's wholly acknowledged his utter averageness in terms of academics, athletics, and his appearance. There was a whole slew of guys, even among her acquaintances, that would make better partners than Hajime. Heck, even Saito, who was way above Hajime at least for the first two of the three A's, would be better for Kaori. Of course he knew that'd be impossible, for a multitude of reasons. That's why he found her behavior so puzzling.
Honestly, I wish you'd realized that you're the reason everyone hates me. Hajime screamed that inside his head. He didn't dare to say his thoughts out loud, cause if he did, there was no doubt that some of his classmates would drag him behind the gym after class and do all sorts of unspeakable things to him.
As Hajime silently anguish over that, Saito couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving his friend to dry. Cause he actually knew why Kaori was so interested in him. To be more accurate, he didn't completely know, but he had a theory. Unfortunately, he was threatened bribed sworn into secrecy by two individuals who shall remain anonymous for Saito's own protection.
The moment Hajime and Saito were finished talking with Kaori, three people who were watching the other three like vultures, walked up to them. Among this new group was, of course, one of the aforementioned "better guys."
"Good morning, Nagumo-kun. Good morning, Hira—I mean Saito-kun. Must be rough staying up so late every day."
"Looking after them again, Kaori? You're too kind for your own good."
"Seriously. Talking to failures like them is a waste of time."
The only person who properly greeted Hajime and Saito was Shizuku Yaegashi, Kaori's childhood best friend. She had black hair that was tied back in her trademark ponytail. Her almond shaped eyes gave her a sharp look, but within her gaze was a gentleness that made her more cool than cold. She stood five foot seven inches, making her a great deal taller than most of the other girls in class. Combined with her well-built figure, she looked like a respectable samurai. And samurai was a fitting analogy, as her family actually ran a dojo that taught a type of Iaijutsu sword fighting known as the Yaegashi style.
Shizuku herself is a peerless swordswoman who has never lost a single kendo tournament, featured in magazines before, and even has her own fanbase, albeit a rather rabid one. The press even took to calling her a "modern samurai beauty." The younger students have even started calling her "onee-sama" in an almost reverent manner.
The guy who greeted Kaori with that rather cliché line about her kindness was Kouki Amanogawa. He was perfect in almost every way. Great at sports, handsome, and has outstanding grades. Even his name sounded heroic. Written with the characters for "light" and "radiance," it gave off a rather dazzling impression. He had flowing brown hair, soft features, stood five foot nine inches, and despite his slender frame, he still had noticeable muscles. He was kind to everyone he met, and he had a strong sense of justice (at least in his opinion).
Like Shizuku, he attended the Yaegashi dojo since he was in elementary school, making the two of them childhood friends. He was also skilled enough to compete in national tournaments. Dozens of girls have already fallen for him, but due to him always being around Shizuku and Kaori, very few have worked up the courage to confess. However, he still receives two confessions a month from girls that didn't go to Hajime and Saito's school. He was a real Casanova through and through.
The last guy who lazily added his own comments to Kouki's line was Ryutarou Sakagami, Kouki's best friend. Ryutarou had short trimmed black hair and a gaze that seems both cheerful and stern. He stood six feet two inches tall and had a massive, bear-like frame. As his build suggested, he was a muscle head who was lacking in the delicacy department.
Because of his love for hard work and hot blooded actions, he disliked Hajime and Saito who spent most of their time in school sleeping. So Ryutarou gave the pair no more than a single glance before huffing derisively and ignoring them.
"Good morning, Yaegashi-san, Amanogawa-kun, and Sakagami-kun. Heh, well, you know what they say, you reap what you sow. It's my own fault for staying up late all the time." Hajime smiled wryly as he greeted Shizuku and the others.
"Morning, Shizuku-chan, Kouki-kun, Ryutarou-kun. It can't be helped. The otaku in me desires mind-numbing entertainment." Saito smiled innocently as he too greeted the three. The two guys glared daggers at the pair, their eyes seemed to be saying, "What gives you two the right to talk to Yaegashi-san so casually like that, huh?! After all, Shizuku was nearly as popular as Kaori.
"If you two realize it's a problem, shouldn't you try to fix it? I don't think it's fair for Kaori to keep spoiling the two of you, especially Nagumo. She doesn't have time to always be looking after either of you." Kouki warned the pair sternly. Kouki believed that Hajime and Saito—Hajime especially—were failures of students who were just squandering off Kaori's kindness. Hajime wanted so bad to scream out, She hasn't been spoiling me! In fact, I wish she'd just leave me alone! But he didn't for two reasons: One, his classmates would "escort" him somewhere secluded after school. And two, Kouki was the type of person who believes that everything he says is right. There was no convincing someone like that, so Hajime simply kept quiet.
Besides, there was really nothing to "fix." Hajime has long ago decided to make his hobbies the centerpiece of his life. His father is a game designer, and his mother is a Shōjo manga author, so he often worked part-time at both of their places to gain experience in the fields. With his experience and interest, employers are often seeking him out since he requires no extra training, so his future plans are pretty much set. Hajime firmly believes that he's already taking his life seriously and saw no need to change his habits, no matter what anyone said.
Saito was the same way. His father is a voice actor who has stared in many of the games Hajime's father has made, and his mother is also a Shōjo manga author that works with Hajime's mother as an illustrator. And not only that, but Saito is a very gifted boy. He's aware of how egoistical that sounds, but it's actually very true.
Ever since he was five, Saito has had an innate talent that allowed him to master anything he tried his hand at. His parents had him take tons of different recreational activities when he was young, with martial arts being his most talented. And every one of them he excelled at. What's more, he has an enhanced form of eidetic memory that lets him remember everything he experiences with his five senses, so he can recall anything and everything he learns and does, making him a certified genius and practically a walking brain.
And yet, he hasn't joined any club, competed in a single tournament, and places no higher than in the top twenty of the exams. He has the potential of becoming just as popular as Kouki—maybe even more—and he hasn't done anything to make it happen. That's because just like Hajime, Saito has decided to live a life devoted to his hobbies, albeit a few differences between them.
Hajime blames Kaori for poking around in their affairs, otherwise they both would've graduated without drawing any attention to themselves. Saito actually doesn't mind the attention. He's the type of person that rarely lets anything get to him. In fact, if it wasn't for Saito's teachings of how to casually wave off everything bad with a smile, Hajime probably would've gone off hundreds of times and would've been dead the same number of times.
"Yeah, I guess. Ahaha…"
"Well…when your right, your right. Ahaha…." Hajime and Saito tried to laugh off Kouki's words, but of course, the school goddess had to unintentionally drop another bomb.
"What are you talking about, Kouki-kun? I'm talking to Nagumo-kun and Saito-kun because I want to." The whole class broke into an uproar at those words. If looks could kill, the pair would've died a hundred times over from the withering glares they received from the male students alone. They ground their teeth as they glared at them, while Hiyama's crew going the extra mile by talking about where it would be good to drag the two friends during lunch break.
"Huh…? Ah, I see. You really are far too kind, Kaori." It appeared Kouki interpreted that as Kaori being nice as to not hurt Hajime and Saito's feelings. Though he was perfect in many ways—maybe because he was perfect in many ways—there was one glaring flaw that Kouki had: he was a little too convinced of his own righteousness. Hajime decided correcting him would be too much of a pain and decided to escape reality by staring out the window. Saito's way of escaping reality was to literally shut his mind off. His head immediately fell to his desk and he blissfully started snoring away.
"I'm sorry about that. I swear they don't mean any harm by it…" Shizuku quietly apologized as she looked admirably at Saito's ability to instantly fall asleep regardless of the situation. She was the only one among the four popular friends who was perceptive enough to understand everyone's feelings. Hajime simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled wryly in response. Saito actually managed to wave his hand a little, signifying he was both listening and was okay with it too.
"Wow… He's really good at that." Shizuku really was impressed at how he could do that.
Soon enough the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. The teacher walked in and began the morning announcements, seemingly too used to the turbulent atmosphere in the classroom to care. Then as soon as class began, Hajime followed suit of Saito and drifted off into dreamland.
Kaori smiled as she watched Hajime slumber. Shizuku stared as well, amazed and mused that the two sleeping boys were celebrities in a certain sense. The guys all sneered at them while the girls stared disdainfully.
After a while, lunch period came. Due to his habitual classroom naps, Hajime's was able to discern even with his hazy consciousness the subtle increase in volume in the classroom from noisy students, enabling his body to know when to wake up. Hajime saw that Saito was still asleep. His body was also attuned to the classroom, but Hajime guessed that Saito was just too tired to wake up immediately. He did often stay up way longer than Hajime did to play games or binge watch shows.
There were about two-thirds of the class that still remained. The majority of Hajime and Saito's classmates usually brought their own lunch and stayed in the classroom while the lunch-buying group already left for the cafeteria. Additionally, there were some students who still had questions for the fourth period teacher social studies teacher, Aiko Hatayama, and were hanging around the teacher's podium. Hajime rummage through his bad and pulled out his lunch. It was a jelly pack that could be eaten in literally ten seconds but would still fully sate him.
Sluuurp! Gulp! Having finished recharging his energy in ten seconds, Hajime laid back down on his desk, trying to get some more rest. However, the school goddess, or in Hajime's case a devil, smiled happily as she scooted her seat closer to his, preventing him from returning to his slumber. Hajime groaned inwardly as he realized his blunder. Normally, he would've quickly eaten his lunch and went off somewhere quiet and secluded for his afternoon nap, but two straight all-nighters rendered his wits null and void and his body into mochi.
"You're still in the classroom, Nagumo-kun? That's rare. Did you not bring a lunch? If you'd like, you can have some of mind." As Kaori offered her homemade bento to Hajime, the frigid atmosphere returned to the classroom once more."
I'm tired of yer crap! Hajime screamed internally, his exasperated mind forming a strange dialect. Hajime resisted the inevitable as the thought cross his mind.
"Ah, thanks for the offer, Shirasaki-san. But I already finished eating my lunch, so why not eat with Amanogawa-kun instead?" Hajime showed the leftovers of his packaged lunch as he said that. The class will still likely hate him for refusing as well, but it was preferable to having to spend the rest of lunch period walking on broken glass. However, the school goddess was immune to such feeble resistance and she continued relentlessly.
"Huh?! That's all you had for lunch? That's unacceptable! You need to have a proper meal! Here, I'll give you some of mind!"
Please, for the love of god, just give me a break! Would it kill you to read the mood for once?! With each passing moment, Hajime could feel the pressure mounting. Hajime looked to Saito for salvation, but he was still fast asleep, muttering something about Hobbits and Wookies. Just as cold sweat started to pour down his back, some of the students started to notice something outside. When they realized what it was, they started chattering excitedly. A confused Hajime and Kaori looked out the window to see what was going on.
At the front of the school gate was a very luxurious car. It looked like a Rolls Royce. The front passenger's side opened to reveal a big burly man wearing a black and white suit and dark shades coming out of the car. He walked over to the back of the car and opened the door. The person who came out of it was a girl. And not just any girl. The most beautiful and regal looking girl anyone has ever seen. It was no exaggeration. This girl could rival both Kaori and Shizuku by herself. She had long flowing auburn hair that went down to her shoulder-blades, hazel eyes and such delicate features. She was no taller than Kaori, but her figure was smaller and more model-like.
She was wearing a different school uniform than Hajime and his classmates. While they wore a sky blue blazer over a white collar shirt and red, white and blue tie with black pants and brown loafers—the girls wearing a bowtie in place of a tie and a skirt on place of pants—the girl wore a uniform similar to a boys gakuran. She wore a black and white lined blazer over a white color dress shirt and black bowtie. Her blazer was buttoned down with white colored metal buttons and her black skirt was down to knee-length. She also wore black loafer over her black tights. It was clear how much the school she went to favor the color black. The only color other than black and white she had on her were two bento boxes that was bright blue and bright pink and was wrapped in a white cloth. As soon as she got out of the car, she bowed to the man who let her out and ran towards the school. Two other people came out the car and followed after her. The sight of them made the students gasped and squeal excitedly.
"I can't believe she brought them too!"
"You think if I asked, he'd give me an autograph?"
"Hope so. I want him to sign my box set!"
"God, look at how cute she is! You'd think she'd go out with me?"
"Maybe. Though she look looks like the type that would be...loose."
"So what? I'd still be into her!
As the class continued with their excited chatter, the door slid open revealing the beautiful girl who was in front of the school. Everyone stared in awe as the girl graced them with her presence. The only people unaffected were Hajime, Saito (who was still asleep), Kouki and his friends. The reason for that is because they knew who she was.
Her name is Sakura Mitsurugi. What was so special about this girl? Pretty much everything. Her family is descended from the Mitsui Group, one of Japan's Big Four Zaibatsu. Her family owns numerous business conglomerates that spans all over Japan Some of the companies are on the Nikkei 225 stock exchange, making their company worth trillions.
If that wasn't enough, she's president of her school's flower arrangement club, won gold medals in synchronize swimming, plays first chair in her school's orchestra, ranked first in the school national mock exams three times, and is treasurer on her school's student council. With a reputation like that, what was a girl like her doing at Hajime's school?
"Sakura-chan!" Kaori and Shizuku greeted Sakura with a jovial tone.
"Sakura!" Kouki also greeted with a cheery tone.
"Hey MItsurugi-san." Ryutarou was the only one among the group of four that greeted her with a formal title. But the takeaway from this is that the four most popular students here know Sakura Mitsurugi. Sakura and Kouki are childhood friends due to a family member of Kouki's being a family friend. Sakura didn't meet Kaori and Shizuku until the third year of middle school, but they became best friends almost instantly. Sakura met Ryutarou through Kouki during high school. They're not as close, but they were still friendly with one another.
It was not surprising and a little poetic that the four most famous students were friends with one of Japan's most famous girls. Sakura waved happily to them and continued talking to the teacher.
"I'm sorry to intrude again, Hatayama-sensei. But may I please stay here until the end of lunch break. I promise I won't cause any trouble. Please take this as a token of appreciation." Sakura pleaded with the teacher with sincere respect. To seal the deal, she gave her a simple red apple. Hajime thought that was kind of a cliché thing to give to a teacher. Despite that, Aiko-sensei accepted it—tearfully, for some reason—and allowed her to stay. Sakura then happily strolled towards where the four friends were and gave her greetings.
"Good afternoon Kouki-kun, Kaori-chan, Shizuku-chan, Ryutarou-kun. It's great to see you all again!"
"It's great to see you too Sakura-chan! It felt like ages since we've last saw you here." Said Kaori
"I know. I wish I could've visited more but training for the flower arraignment tournament kept me busy. Then there was the media pestering me for an interview. Getting here alone took great strides."
"I know the feeling. Well it's great that you managed to get here. You brought the others too?" Said Shizuku.
"Yep. I was initially going to go by myself, but they kind of caught me." While Kaori and Shizuku were happy that Sakura came, Kouki was a little concern.
"Sakura, I'm glad that you're here and all, but aren't you worried your parents might find out you snuck out of school? You know how strict they are."
"Don't worry Kouki-kun. We're allowed to go outside the school during lunch breaks. And I don't plan to be here long. I'll be back at the school before they even realize I came here. Beside…" Sakura assured Kouki and presented the bentos she brought. She then said something that shocked everyone to their cores.
"I had to bring Saito his lunch." It was that moment everyone was at a disbelief. The richest and most beautiful girl in Tokyo came here not for Kouki and his friends, but for the sleeping otaku. Kaori and Shizuku were not at all surprised Sakura's real reason was to visit Saito, but Kouki, Ryutarou and pretty much the entire class were visibly shocked. It was then their shock turned into malice as they glared daggers at Saito. Hajime, who was also not surprised at what Sakura said, could only look mournfully at Saito.
Eventually, the palpable tension was enough to stir Saito awake, and he got up with a dazed and confused look on his face. When he looked around to see why almost everyone was glaring at him, he noticed Sakura, who was smiling brightly at him and realized quickly what was going on.
"Oh. Hi Sakura. You came a lot earlier than I expected." Saito earned a lot of reproachful glares for his casual greeting. Sakura on the other hand looked happy that Saito noticed her.
"I wanted to get here as soon as possible, so here I am. Here's your bento." Sakura presented Saito the lunch. Just as he took it, two more people showed up in the classroom. A girl, who arrived first, and a boy. They were also wearing similar outfits like Sakura, but the boy was wearing an actual gakuran.
"Ah! There you are Sakura-chan Should've know Saito-kun was the reason why you wanted to come here!"
"Mitsurugi-san. You shouldn't run so fast. You could have hurt yourself and—oh. So that's why you wanted to come here so bad."
The girl who spoke first was Yukiko Natsumi, Sakura's best friend. She was similar to Shizuku in many aspects. She had jet black hair, almond shaped eyes filled with warmth, stood five foot seven, and had a well-built figure, but that's where the similarities end. Her hair was short and curly with a pale blue wolf-shaped bedazzled hairpin that held her bangs back, wore rectangular rimmed bejeweled glasses, and her skirt was short enough that it most likely broke school regulations. Her look and personality was a complete contrast to her family's background.
Yukiko is the youngest granddaughter of the co-founder of Hachiman, a global private security company that has military history going back all the way to the Edo period. Her family catered to a lot of high-profile people all over the world, making them extremely wealthy. Her family have also been employed to the Mitsurugi's for generations, with her parent's serving as Sakura's bodyguards. She's also childhood friends with Kouki when she was training under the Yaegashi dojo, and Shizuku during elementary school.
So even though she was a gyaru, she was a very talented swordswoman who has won tournaments and featured in modeling catalogue just like Shizuku. She's even a secret internet star who goes by the name, Yuki Snow, an avid video game player famous for her aggressive playing style. There are some who revere her just as much as Shizuku, so much so that they've also started their own fan club for her, which tends to feud with the Shizuku worshippers.
The guy who showed unneeded concern for Sakura was Ryosuke Takahara, also a childhood friend of Sakura's and a famous celebrity with the stage name, Ryutaka. He had perfect wavy hair like Kouki, only his was blond, and deep blue eyes. His foreigner appearance had to do his parents. His mother, who was American and a famous model, and his father who's Japanese and her photographer. He was well-built and strikingly handsome. With him first starring with a supporting role in a movie in which he was given an astounding amount of praise, he became a famous overnight sensation, staring in numerous commercials, tv shows, movies, and modeling catalogs in just a few months. He was the object of almost every girl's fantasies.
In fact, as soon as he entered, almost all of the girls shrieked with joy and crowded around him to get an autograph, which he happily did with a smile as dazzling as Kouki's. Aiko-sensei tried in vain to get them to settle down. Eventually, he managed to sign autographs to every girl there, and they disappeared back to where they were, looking at their sighed headshots and CDs like they were a national treasure. Hajime and Saito anticipated this and plugged their ears with their fingers before they screamed.
Though his avid fans wanted nothing more than to confess to him in the hopes that he would accept, thing that kept them from it was not just his high-status, but also his attachment to Sakura. While he played it cool, it was clear to almost everyone that he was devoted solely to her. In fact, some girls outside of Hajime and Saito's class gathered their courage and confessed to him, but he turned them down gently, always saying something in the lines of, "There's already someone I like, but I hope we can be friends," but with more grace befitting of someone of his talents. He's even openly admitted in an interview that his main motivation to becoming a celebrity was to stand equally alongside Sakura, making it clear that no girl could ever compare to her in the eyes of Ryosuke Takahara. Because of that, he sees Sakura as someone that should be treated like royalty. And while he was surprised that Sakura has taken interest in someone like Saito, he still regarded him with a friendly smile.
"Morning—I mean afternoon, Yuki, Ryosuke-kun." Saito greeted the newcomers with a still dazed look on his face.
"Hey Saito-kun! You look happy! Is it because my darling little Sakura-chan brought you a meal? Is your heart beating rapidly at the thought of her feeding you? Is it? Hmmmm?" Yukiko teased playfully for a little bit before Shizuku karate chopped her head wickedly hard. She squatted and cradled her head before turning to Shizuku with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Shizuku nee-chan! Why did you hit me like that? I think you knocked a few of my brain cells loose." Yukiko and Natsumi are actually distance relatives, their grandfathers being brothers. Yukiko's grandfather married into the Natsumi family and became co-founder of Hachiman. Their relationship is comparable to an older and younger sister. Which was which was pretty obvious.
"Really? I was just trying to knock some back into place. Would you stop teasing people so much? You're going to end up disgracing your family name."
"Okay...I'll shut up now..." Yukiko silent retreated behind Saito, still rubbing her head.
Shizuku sighed and said, "I'm sorry about my cousin, Saito-kun. She can be a bit of a handful."
"It's okay Shizuku-san. I'm use to it."
"Hey don't say that Shizuku nee-chan. You're making me sound like some kind of troublemaker."
"Your are." Shizuku said bluntly, making the poor Yukiko pout sadly. Ryosuke then decided to speak up to break the conversation.
"Anyways, good morning Hiraga-kun. Now I know why Mitsurugi-san had bought two bento boxes when she asked me to come shopping with her. Her generosity is something I've always admired, but you really shouldn't have asked her to do this. Taking advantage of a girl's kindness by having them make you lunches is not something a man should do. Especially not to someone of such high-status like Mitsurugi-san. Next time, get a proper night's rest or manage your money a little better so that you can either have time to make your own lunch or get one from the cafeteria. It's really for the best for both you and Mitsurugi-san. You don't want to come across as some kind of freeloader, do you?" Everyone silently agreed as Ryosuke gave Saito advice. He wasn't the type to believe everything he said was right like Kouki, but he did have a bad habit of unintentionally insulting Saito. Which often made Sakura chastise him for being rude. Like right now, for instance.
"Ryu-kun. Saito didn't make me do anything. When we talked on the phone last night, he just mentioned that he was short on money for lunch, and I said that I'd have our chef make him a bento. So there's no reason for you to say such things. I'm happy to give Saito as many lunches as he wants. Every day if he asked for it." Sakura didn't sound at all mad, nor did she reprimand him harshly. Sakura was also tolerant to a fault and rarely ever displayed negative emotions.
After hearing Sakura say all that, everyone glared even harder at Saito. The boys' stares were especially more venomous when they heard that an average person like Saito had the phone number of a high-class girl like Sakura. The girls were just envious that Saito had a free ticket to eat gourmet lunches everyday while taking advantage of a sweet girl. Even with his innate talent to zone out everything around him, the heavy atmosphere was too much for even Saito to block out. Hajime admitted that he felt a bit relieved that the hatred alleviated off of him.
"I see… My apologies Mitsurugi-san. I didn't mean to jump to assumptions." There was a brief instant where shadows hung over Ryosuke eyes. But it instantly went away, and he returned to his signature celebrity grin, so no one noticed.
"Don't apologize to me. Say it to Saito." Sakura wasn't satisfied with Ryosuke's apology and demanded that he said it to Saito. Saito was about to say that it wasn't necessary, not wanting the extra heat from his classmates on him, but then the class star beat him to the punch.
"Sakura, I actually agree with Ryosuke. Hiraga does need to learn how to put in more effort when it comes to these sorts of things. Otherwise he'll never amount to anything. You understand what I'm saying, Hiraga?" Unfortunately, he wasn't. Saito had already zoned out Kouki's lecture and started scarfing down his lunch, so he didn't hear a word he said. That actually made Kouki's mouth twitch in annoyance, though the feeling lasted a few seconds. Shizuku and Kaori actually tried to hold in their laughter, finding it hilarious at how easily Saito managed to tune out Kouki. Ryutarou placed his hand on one of Kouki's shoulders with a look of sympathy. Yukiko and Ryosuke simply sighed at the whole situation. And the class continued to glare daggers at Saito as he kept eating, while Sakura happily watched him enjoy his meal. Kouki then decided to move on to a different subject.
"Kaori, Sakura, let's all eat together. Nagumo looks like he needs more sleep, and I won't allow Kaori's precious lunch to be eaten while half-asleep either!" Kouki flashed Kaori a dazzling smile as he said that ostentatious line, but Kaori simply looked puzzled. Whether it was because she grew up with him or she was a little bit of an airhead, Kouki's cool guy appeal had no effect on Kaori.
"Huh? Why do I need your permission to share my lunch, Kouki-kun?"
"Also, I already planned on eating with Saito. Should I have been clearer, Kouki-kun?" Shizuku and Yukiko let out an involuntary snicker as Kaori and Sakura stated that in such an earnest manner. Kouki began laughing awkwardly and once again tried to change the subject, but the important point to take from all of this was that four of the most famous people in school and three teens of the most influential families in Japan were sitting together with Hajime and Saito and the rest of the class was not happy about it. While Saito nonchalantly continued eating his bento, Hajime sighed deeply and continued grumbling.
I wish these guys would all get summoned to another world or something. I mean, just look at them. They're the perfect party of three and four. They even feel like the kind of people that would get sent to another world. Can't some priest or princess or something just send them away from here? Trying to escape the stressful situation in front of him, Hajime carried his thoughts out to whatever other worlds were out there.
He stood up and was about to give his usual evasive answer when he suddenly froze. Saito noticed his friend's reaction right as he was about to pop another piece of food in his mouth and looked to where he was staring at and was stunned too at what he was seeing. There was a glowing silver circle engraved with various geometric patterns glowing in front of Hajime and right under Kouki's feet.
The rest of the students all saw the strange circle as well and was frozen in place, staring at the strange object that, considering the circumstances, looked just like a magic circle. The circle then began to expand across the entire classroom until it reached Hajime and Saito's feet, glowing brighter and brighter until its light enveloped the entire area. It was then that everyone unfroze and began panicking. Aiko-sensei, who remained in the classroom, yelled, "Everyone! Get out of the classroom!" But as soon as she said that the magic circle flared up and exploded in a brilliant flash of light.
After a few seconds or minutes, the light began to fade, and color returned to the classroom. However, the room was now empty. The only evidence of people being in there were a few knocked over chairs, half-eaten lunches still sitting on the desk, and chopsticks and empty bottles littered around the room. Otherwise, everyone that was in that classroom disappeared.
The mass high school disappearance incident was heard around the world, but that story is for another time.