"There's an Elementary section?" It was a week after their first training session, and Hajime had to admit, he was getting better at dodging rocks. Seijo, of course, rewarded this by throwing said rocks harder, but still, Hajime was eager to go back to his friend's place after school to keep going. That is, until Seijo said something about another division to Hope's Peak right as class ended, of course.
Said rock thrower nodded. "I went on the website and sure enough, there's a small section called the 'Elementary Division.' Wanna check it out?" Classes for the day had just ended, after all.
Hajime raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are we even allowed? What if it's like the Main Course building, where they won't let us in?"
Seijo shrugged, "I dunno, sneak in? I mean, it might be good practice. Besides, I doubt there's as much security there than it is here."
The brown haired boy closed his eyes and seemed to think for a moment before sighing. "Sure, I guess we can check it out. But I doubt we'll get in."
The headphone wearer nodded and turned towards Sato and Natsumi, who were definitely not listening in on their conversation. "You two wanna come with?"
Both jumped, surprised at being called out, before Sato spoke up. "Nah, I got stuff to do today. You two can go ahead and traumatize the kids for me."
Natsumi nodded, adding, "Sato, Mahiru, and I are planning on going to a nearby nature reserve." Hajime blinked in surprise, and Seijo rose an eyebrow. The yakuza seemed to notice their surprise and she growled out, "What, you got something to say?"
Hajime gulped and shook his head, but of course Seijo decided to poke the bear when he clasped his hands together and cried, "You three are going on a date together?! Oh you're all so adorable!"
*POW!
In an instant, two fists came crashing down on to Seijo's head and the boy crashed into the floor. Without hesitation, Hajime clasped his hands together and kneeled in front of the corpse that once was Seijo Kajiya. "May your soul find peace."
Sato and Natsumi glared down at the downed boy and the blonde muttered, "Say that again, and I'll really kill you."
Wordlessly, the corpse gave a thumbs up. Hajime sighed and asked, "Why a nature reserve?"
Sato shrugged, "Mahiru said something about taking pictures there, so the three of us decided to go together."
Hajime nodded, but inwardly he was relieved. The three of them were still in very rocky waters, but it seemed like they were at least trying to become the friends they once were. After saying goodbye, the two of them walked out, leaving Hajime and Seijo alone in the classroom. "I gotta say Hajime, that was smart thinking."
Said boy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
The fellow Reserve Course student got up. "Why, you helped repair their broken relationship of course! I didn't know there even was bad blood, but somehow you managed to fix those bridges burned so long ago!" The boy nudged Hajime in the ribs and asked, "Think you could play match-maker with me? I've been feeling really lonely at home lately."
He rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, right. I'm sure they'll be holding hands and becoming the best of friends by the end of the day."
"Alright, maybe you're pushing it a bit too hard. Gotta give them time, yeah?"
He huffed in amusement. "Right. Are we going to stand here all day or…?"
"Hajime my friend," Seijo tsked, "Patience is a virtue, and that virtue is something you lack. As an upcoming Ultimate and thief, you must learn that patience will always do more good than bad." When his friend simply raised an eyebrow, Seijo chuckled, "Alright, we're going. Don't get too excited now." With that, they were off.
"This is the Elementary Division?" Hajime asked, surprised.
Beside him, Seijo nodded. "Yep. It's a lot bigger than I thought, to be honest. Fun fact, the website says that this building was made around the same time the Reserve Course was made. Huh, neat."
In front of the two students, about five blocks away from the main campus of Hope's Peak, was a giant building surrounded by grass. Hajime asked, "Does this take up an entire block?"
His friend shook his head. "Nah, says here it's only half the size of the main campus. See?" Seijo showed the boy his findings, a tab on the Hope's Peak website exclaiming what exactly the Elementary Division was, why it was founded, and a bunch of other stuff that Hajime honestly didn't care for.
The building itself wasn't anything to scoff at. Five stories tall, countless window panes covered in childish drawings and pictures, and the building itself was colored white and blue, with the letters H, O, P, and E sporadically placed all over. "Laying the hope part of Hope's Peak a bit heavy here, huh?" Hajime mused.
His friend laughed and waltzed towards the front entrance. "Definitely. It's almost like they're trying to brainwash anyone who walks inside!" Seijo turned back to Hajime-while still walking towards the entrance-and began to throw his arms around like a zombie. "Hope… is… life! Must… keep hope… alive…! Braiiiins!"
*THWACK!
"Ow!"
Trying his hardest not to laugh, Hajime walked towards the now kneeling teen that had just crashed head-first into a metal door. "Did that actually hurt?"
The headphone wearing teen shot Hajime a glare, "Yes, as a matter of fact, it did. Why?"
"I thought your thick skull would've absorbed the impact better." Hajime couldn't hold his laugh back anymore and let out a few chuckles, much to Seijo's chagrin.
Said boy scowled as he got up, "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Funny guy gets a screw knocked loose, and the whole world laughs. Hilarious."
Hajime opened his mouth, but someone else said, "I dunno Mister, it was pretty funny!"
Both turned their attention to the now opened door, which contained a group of children. Actually, a whole hoard of children. Well, school did just end, Hajime mused. Grabbing Seijo and dragging him out of the entryway, he gave a small bow. "Sorry for getting in your way."
"Hey Mister, why are you so boring looking?" An innocent looking boy asked.
Now, it was Seijo's turn to hold in the laughter as he watched Hajime try to not glare at a bunch of five-year-olds. "Yeah Hajime, why you look so generic?!" Seijo yelled, laughing out loud.
"Hey Mister, why are you wearing headphones? Is it because your ears are ugly?"
That shut him up quick. However, before the two teens could get psychologically tortured any further, a new-and much more mature-voice spoke. "Children, school is over! Please vacate the premise!" Ignoring the chorus of 'Yes Mrs. Saikawa,' the Reserve Course students turned their attention to a relatively older looking woman, with her brown hair in a bun and cerulean eyes covered by red glasses. "And who are you two? Why are you both here?"
Hajime turned to Seijo, expecting an answer, but instead, he found the boy looking right back at him. "Yeah Hajime, why are we here again?" The headphone wearing teen rose an eyebrow at Hajime and smirked.
He knew what his friend was saying. 'Bail us out, Hajime! This is training!' He cleared his throat in a way to buy another second to think. "Oh, uh, sorry for not introducing ourselves, Mrs. Saikawa, we are..." Hajime trailed off, trying not to be obvious in looking around. Subtly glancing inside the school, past the teacher, Hajime saw 'Student Aid' over a door, and an idea struck him. "We're aides! Student assistants. Seijo and I got into some trouble the other day, so we were sent here as punishment. Is there anything you need us to do?"
The brown haired teacher narrowed her eyes at the two teens in front of her before sighing. "So your teacher decided to pawn you off to me huh? Alright, I'll give you two a chance," and Mrs. Saikawa led the two students inside. Hajime was secretly hoping to see something special, but… nope. The Elementary Division looked like any other elementary school. Bummer. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he refocused on the teacher that was walking ahead of him and his friend, further into the school. "I have a fitting task for you two troublemakers. Today, five kids got into trouble and were sent to the Trouble Classroom, where all the naughty kids go. Can you watch over them for an hour? I have to grade all these papers, and those bra- I mean, those kids are a bit distracting."
Seijo nodded, "Yeah, alright, we can do that. Anything to look out for?"
The teacher looked back at the boy and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
His friend shrugged. "You know, things to look out for. They're in trouble for a reason, right? Don't wanna make anything worse. I mean, they're still Ultimates, even if they are just children."
Hajime's eyes widened. That's right, this is essentially the Main Course for kids! Why didn't he realize it sooner?! All those kids leaving school were probably Ultimates and he didn't even notice!
Not noticing the mental flash-bang Hajime just received, Mrs. Saikawa continued, "Fair. There's a total of five of them today. The green one, she's the leader. She's the illegitimate daughter of some hot shot in...Towa? I think, so don't bring that up. The brown one just talks nonsense all the time, so my best advice is to ignore him. Don't say the word 'gentle' if the pink one can hear, or she'll go crazy. The redhead is just loud and likes to run around, so don't let him rope you into whatever games he wants. Finally, Nagisa Shingetsu. He's smart and kind, but he doesn't have the best home life. Because of it, he's a little alienated from the rest of his classmates, both in terms of maturity and experience."
Hajime knew that Seijo also noticed the blatant favoritism, but neither said anything about it. Instead, Hajime spoke up and asked, "So, where is the classroom?"
"Oh, right here." The teacher had stopped right in front of the door labeled 'Trouble Classroom.' She then bowed lightly to the two of them. "I wish you two the best of luck, and I will see you both in about an hour." She walked away, not looking back.
Once the coast was clear, Hajime heard Seijo whistle. "Geez, at least try to be subtle!" He turned towards his friend and asked, "I mean, did you hear her?"
Hajime nodded, "Yeah, but I'm a little confused. Five kids can't be that bad, right? I mean, she was talking about them like… animals, more than kids."
He saw his friend nod. "Well, might as well find out then. I got a plan!" Without waiting for an answer, Seijo swung the door open.
Monaca knew she wasn't loved. Her father and brother had proved it, over and over again. Every single time she had managed to scrounge up even an iota of happiness in her life, her family would take it away. Whether through trying to bond with her sibling, trying to prove to her father why she was worthy, or even just doing things on her own, they would shut her down. She didn't understand. Was she really that disgusting, really that foul, that she didn't deserve a single shred of happiness in her life?
Was she allowed to be alive at all?
Soon enough, Monaca had decided to take drastic measures. When her father got angry at her again and vented his frustrations, she decided to make it seem like her legs wouldn't work anymore.
Surprisingly enough, her family had changed. Her brother no longer looked at her like an alien, and even talked to her every now and then. Her father wouldn't glare at her anymore, and he would take his anger out on something (or someone) else, rather than her. Almost overnight, they had started acting completely different around her. They treated her like… like family!
That meant she was happy, right?
That dark feeling inside of her, the feeling that grew whenever she lied, whenever she saw the pitiful looks around her, the feeling that grew the more she manipulated people… that was her happiness… right?
For months, this question would eat at the girl, slowly driving her more and more depraved. The feeling she believed was happiness grew and grew and ate her up from the inside out, always demanding more. How far would people fall for her? How far could she make people fall for her? How far would they sink if she played her cards right?
On the outside, she was Monaca Towa, daughter of the man who founded Towa and it's city, and a genius in the field of technology. But on the inside? She was slowly withering away, losing more and more of herself every breathing moment, trying to please the ever growing darkness inside of her.
Then, she was sent to the Hope's Peak Elementary Division. She read up on it, and apparently the place was filled with kids just like her, brimming with talent.
She wondered how she could break them.
Then, she pushed her luck just a bit too far, and ended up branded as a troublemaker because she kept insulting the teachers. She didn't mind though, she found new people to manipulate, the four other troublemakers that she met during her detention.
They had problem lives too, just like her. Unlike the rest of the kids in the Elementary Division, the four she met that afternoon were hurt, hurt so much that they despised adults to their very core. They listened to the adults, they were smart enough to do that, but one way or another they always got into trouble with the teachers.
She felt a sense of camaraderie with the four poor souls, so she reached out. In an instant, the four of them flocked to her like moths to a flame. She had taken charge, and they listened. She was the leader.
They were her puppets.
"Is something wrong Monaca?" The green haired girl turned her gaze to Nagisa, who sported a worried gaze. "You looked like you were lost in thought for a bit."
Oh Nagisa. The poor boy who had developed a crush on Monaca, even if he himself didn't realize it. Honestly, she could read him like an open book! His blue eyes always shifted when she looked into them, his pale face gained a rosy hue when she hugged him, and somehow the two blue cowlicks of blue hair on his head always twitched when she complimented him! Despite wearing a white checkered jacket with a fancy orange scarf, his matching pair of shorts revealed just how childish he really was, no matter how mature he tried to act.
In an instant, she forced a smile. "Everything's fine Nagisa, I'm just wondering where our teacher is. They're running a few minutes late." Which was true. Whoever was in charge of detention (because that's what it was, no matter what they label it) was a few minutes late. Normally the teacher in charge would arrive immediately after school, but it had been around ten minutes and no one arrived.
She saw Nagisa nod, "That's true. I didn't hear about anything happening lately, so maybe something just occurred? Or maybe the teacher in charge simply forgot?"
She agreed with him, but inside she suspected that wasn't the case. They were still Ultimates after all, and simply forgetting about five of them would spell a lot of trouble.
"Hey hey, maybe the teacher in charge drank too much glue, and now they're stuck to the ground starving to death or something?" Green and blue turned to face brown, Jataro. "Or, or maybe they're busy pulling their fingernails out?"
Jataro was weird. Actually, scratch that, he was gross. His brown patchwork mask hid almost everything from the world except his dull gray eyes, and his dirty brown clothes, which looked like they belonged on a blacksmith with his apron and long sleeves more than anything, were disgusting and covered with stains of one thing or another. Another thing was that almost everything he spouted was filled with nonsensical yet disturbing motions, and Monaca didn't approve of it. 'Yawns,' he called them. God, if only he shut up sometimes! "Maybe, Jataro. Or maybe they're just running late?" She suggested with a tilt of her head.
Nagisa looked away, blushing, while Jataro simply shrugged. A third voice decided to pop in at that, "No way Monaca! I bet they just don't care, like all the other crappy adults!" The Towa turned her head to see Masaru walking up to her with a scowl on his face. "Or even worse, I bet they went home already! They haven't cared before, why care now?!" And then there was the so called 'leader' of the group. God, he was just a sports nut. His short spiky red hair always poked her in the face when he crashed into her when he's playing, and Monaca swears the boy doesn't have a single thought that isn't related to sports behind his blue eyes. Plus, just like Jataro, he's always dirty! He's covered in scrapes and bruises all the time, and his white tank top nearly blends into his black and red striped undershirt with how much dirt and blood he gets on it!
"I don't think so Masaru, we're still Ultimates after all!" Monaca stated with a false smile.
Finally, none other than the brattiest of the four Kotoko, walked up. "Monaca's right, idiots! She's always right! Plus, she's like, totes adorbs too! You shouldn't even thing about doubting her!" Ankle-length pink hair tied into ponytails with eyes to match, two words always enters Monaca's mind when she sees her fellow female: disgustingly pink. Pink corset, pink ribbons, pink stockings, and to top it all off? Pink horns atop her head. Thankfully the girl wears a black Hope's Peak jacket, but seriously, she wears too much pink and it's gross!
"Ha, thank you Kotoko, but I think everyone here has presented equally good ideas. You all are incredible! Yay for us!" And in an instant, everyone was smiles and they all listened to Monaca. These kids were just too easy.
However, something caught her attention. Quickly turning around, she saw… "A high schooler?" Yes, there was a teenager with brown hair standing near the exit, who looked like a deer caught in a headlight.
"Yikes Hajime, spotted by a five year old! That's a new low, even for you!" Turning around, she spotted another teenager by the entrance, on the other side of the classroom. This one had a pair of headphones on and had black hair. "You need to train a bit more my friend!"
The now named Hajime grumbled, "It's not my fault, I just started..."
Before anyone could say anything else, Masaru opened his mouth and yelled, "KIDNAPPERS?!" In an instant, he rushed towards the Hajime one. However, just as fast as he started his charge, it was ended even faster by the other teen, by picking up Masaru by the armpits.
"Woah Hajime, lookout! This one is feisty!"
Masaru scowled and began flailing about, "You won't take me! I can beat both of you to a pulp!"
The headphoned teen simply laughed and began to spin Masaru around, "Aren't you precious!"
Before he could do anymore though, he was stopped by the Hajime guy, who simply grabbed him by the shoulder. "Seijo, he looks like he's about to puke. Set him down."
The now named Seijo looked ta Masaru, and sure enough the boy started looking a little green. "Woops! Sorry about that kiddo, I just couldn't help myself!" He set the redhead down, and said redhead collapsed to the floor.
"The… the room is… spinning!"
Seijo chuckled, "Of course it is! I pride myself on being able to pick up and spin people!"
Hajime raised an eyebrow. "You do?"
"Nah, not really." Both teens then turned their attention Monaca and the other three. "Hey kids! I'm Seijo and this is my buddy Hajime. We're here to eat your souls-!"
"We're student aides, here to watch over you guys for an hour."
Seijo tsked, "C'mon Hajime, you don't wanna scare them? Not even a little bit?"
All he got was a raised eyebrow.
Nagisa, finally snapping out of his surprise, stepped forward and gave a small bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, Hajime and Seijo. I am Nagisa Shingetsu, Li'l Ultimate Social Studies."
Seijo stepped forward and gave a bow in return. "The pleasure is mine." He then raised an eyebrow and asked, "But, Ultimate Social Studies? What does that mean?"
Pleasantly surprised at the question, Nagisa grinned. "Why, simply put it means that I am smart and know a lot of things."
A glint appeared in Seijo's eye, one that Hajime visibly cringed at, and the teen asked, "Who was the first president of the United States?"
Nagisa immediately fired back, "George Washington."
"How long did the Edo Period last in Japan?"
"264 years."
"What's twelve times twelve?"
"144."
"What was the reason why World War 1 started?"
"Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated."
"What's the best color?"
"Blue."
Seijo ruffled Nagisa's head, "I like you already kid."
Said kid pushed the hand off his head, but a small smile was on his face. "Really?"
He nodded and Hajime asked, "Seijo, you know all of that off the top of your head?"
The headphone wearing teen shook his head. "Nah, only what's twelve times twelve. But I think all those answers are right. It's the thought that counts, right?"
"Oh my gosh, that was so adorbs!" Everyone turned their attention to Kotoko, who was smiling and glancing between Seijo and Nagisa. "You two are just like, so precious together!"
Seijo opened his mouth but the second teen put his hand over it and stated, "Don't compliment him too much, his head is already too big." He then looked at the girl up and down and asked, "What, are you, Li'l Ultimate Fashionista or something?"
Seijo twitched but didn't say anything, and Kotoko did her introduction. "I am Kotoko Utsugi, the Li'l Ultimate Drama! Meaning I am the best actor you'll ever meet!"
The headphone wearing teen pulled Hajime's hand off his mouth and asked, "Oh, so you've been in movies and stuff? Which ones?"
The little actor puffed her chest in pride, "Why, I'm a background character in every single Man-Spider movie, animated or not! I'm also the voice actor for the main girl in The Tiny Mermaid! Oh, but I also do plays! I've been in a bunch of them!"
The black haired teen nodded. "Impressive, young one." He then turned towards Jataro, who was surprisingly silent so far. "And what about you, Frankenstein? Who are you?"
Jataro blinked and asked, "If I glued my eyes open, would that mean I would be able to see forever? And that I wouldn't need sleep?"
Surprisingly unfazed, Seijo answered, "Nah, your eyes would dry out and it'd be very painful. Also, closing your eyes doesn't turn them off, it's just hiding them in the dark. So no, you would still fall asleep eventually."
Jataro nodded. "Ah, that makes sense. I guess someone as stupid and ugly as me wouldn't know that, huh?"
Monaca saw Seijo frown, but before he could say anything, Hajime spoke up, "You shouldn't degrade yourself so much. You're an Ultimate after all! The fact that you're here at all means that you're really impressive."
Seijo nudged Hajime and whispered something into his fellow teen's ear, and the taller of the two stared at his friend. However, Seijo didn't waver, so Hajime sighed and gave a nod. What was that about? Monaca already knew that spelled trouble, but before she could say something, Seijo spoke up once more. "So what's under the mask Frankenstein? Also, you still haven't given a name."
Jataro immediately grabbed the mask and pulled it further over his head and yelled, "No! You don't want to see! I'm so ugly, if anyone sees what my face looks like, they'll turn to stone and die!" Monaca noticed that Hajime shifted a little closer to Jataro as he ranted. "Actually, it'd be even worse! Your eyeballs would explode right out of your sockets, and it'd be an agonizing pain that no one would be able to endure, and they would kill themselves!" Hajime took another step, a small one, closer to Jataro. Monaca narrowed her eyes. Was he doing something? "And then you'll all hate me! You'll never forgive me and there'll be blood everywhere and it'll fill everyone nearby with such hate, and it'll all be directed at me!"
Hajime was now standing right next to Jataro, concern on his face. The teen leaned down, hand rising, and Monaca knew what he was doing. Her eyes widened and she yelled, "Hey! Don't take off Jataro's-"
*Pop!
There Seijo was, mask in hand, looking down at the very pretty Jataro. "Well, my eyes haven't exploded yet."
When did he get there?! Was Monaca so focused on Hajime that she didn't see Seijo move?! How?! The only one more shocked than her was Jataro himself, standing there like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
Seijo peered directly into Jataro's eyes and asked, "Why would my eyes explode viewing your face? You aren't even ugly?"
"Oh! Em! Gee! Jataro, why didn't you tell me you were this adorbs?!" Kotoko immediately ran forwards and was analyzing every single detail of the boy's face. "Pale skin, round face, chubby cheeks, light brown hair, wonderful eyes?! Jataro, you're almost as adorbs as me!" She grabbed his hand and started jumping, "We could totally do some modeling or something together! Maybe not any acting because your yawns are super gross, but if you stay quiet we could totally do a photo shoot or something together!" The girl squealed, "Kyaaa! I'm so excited!"
Jataro looked like he forgot how breathe. He was stock still with eyes wide and mouth open, clearly in shock. Seijo placed the mask back over the boy's head and said, "See? None of us have died." He then turned a concerned gaze at Hajime. "You didn't die, right?"
Hajime gave himself a quick examination before shaking his head. "Nope. Still breathing."
Seijo nodded and turned his attention back to Jataro. "See? You're fine!" He raised and eyebrow at the kid and said, "Still haven't gotten your name though, Pretty Frankenstein."
Jataro grabbed his masked and pulled it further down, avoiding eye contact with everyone. "I'm… uh… Jataro. Jataro Kemuri."
The headphone-wearing teen gave a small smile and softly said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jataro." He then patted his head, which caused Jataro to look at the ground and squirm a little. He then turned to Monaca and asked, "So, you're the ringleader of this group? I gotta say, you must have it easy."
Immediately Monaca was on guard. He had managed to get three of the five (four, if the smile on Masaru's face was any indication) on his side already. It was impressive, really impressive. Kids as broken as the four she knew were very reluctant on trusting anybody over the age of ten, let alone a high schooler. It was like he knew exactly what to do with each of them! Focusing back onto the teen in front of her, she gave a wide smile. "Of course! Monaca knows everyone here is good, and they're so much fun to be around! Monaca loves all of them!"
Seijo gasped and grabbed Hajime. "Did you hear that Hajime?! Monaca loves us already!" He turned back to the four other children and yelled, "Monaca has given her seal of approval! Let's be friends everyone!"
Masaru, Kotoko, and Jataro immediately pounced on Seijo in excitement while Nagisa smiled as he looked on, but Monaca was a little shocked and annoyed. How dare this idiot twist her words for his own benefit? Only she can do that! She puffed her cheeks out and cried, "No no no! Monaca won't approve!"
However, before she could try to reign in the situation, Seijo was already standing over her with a wide smile on his face. "Won't approve, huh? Well, maybe I can change your mind..." He raised his hands, each one moving in a weird way, and suddenly Monaca felt nervous. "Hajime, hold her down." WHAT?!
Hajime, who was behind her (how did he do that?!) raised and eyebrow. "You know, if you keep talking like that you're gonna get arrested."
Seijo in turned struck his bottom lip out and let his eyes widen. "Oh Hajime, you have no faith in me? You truly are a heinous person!" Ignoring the eye-roll that Hajime had given him, Seijo turned back to Monaca's puppets. "Hey you four, have you ever heard what Monaca sounds like when she laughs?"
Immediately, all four shot up. Nagisa spoke up first with a complicated look in his eye, "W-Well, no, we haven't. You're not gonna do anything to her, are you?"
Seijo gave the smuggest grin ever, one that screamed 'Gotcha!' He raised his hands again and asked, "Has anyone found out how ticklish Monaca is?" The four of them were suddenly surrounding Monaca.
Oh no. "W-Wait! Monaca doesn't like this! This is torture! Monaca is being tortured!"
"Kids, hold her down." In an instant, her arms and legs were grabbed by her fellow kids.
Monaca turned her attention to Hajime, who was simply watching it all go down with a raised eyebrow. A chance! "H-Hajime, please let Monaca go! She'll like you forever and ever if you help Monaca free!"
He scratched his cheek in guilt. "Well, I can't, cause Seijo is helping me with something..."
Monaca mentally cursed! Of course Hajime was already in Seijo's pocket, they showed up here together! "S-Seijo, you wouldn't want to do this, please! If you let me go now, I'll approve of you! I'll like you! No, even better, I'll love you!"
Something gleamed in his eyes and she knew she said the wrong thing. "Poor poor Monaca-chan." He cracked his knuckles. "It's too late."
Without mercy, Seijo took action and began to tickle her, and as much as she liked to believe she held on strong, it took less than five seconds before she started laughing in earnest. "HEEHEEHEEHAHAHA! SEIJO NII-SAN, PLEASE LET ME GO! HAHAHA!"
"NEVER!"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Would it be a pun to say that bringing the five kids on his side was child's play? Probably, but whatever, it was child's play. Nagisa was almost too easy, ask him some questions, show a little affection because he proved he was smart, and boom, you earned his favor. Jataro was similar, just answer his yawns and give him some love. Although, Seijo did admit he might've jumped the gun with the mask. The kid was juts so pretty, it was an insult to Average Joes like him to have such a good face hidden! Masaru was easy too, a nice smile and physical affection and next thing you know he likes you.
The two biggest problems were Kotoko and Monaca without a doubt. Pinky was an incredible actor, so even if everything she did and said seemed genuine, Seijo wouldn't know if any of it really was coming from her heart. For all he knew, she despised both him and Hajime.
Then, there was the biggest threat of them all, Monaca Towa. Sure, she was a kid, and kids always have limitations, but he would be a fool to underestimate her. She was the head of the robotics of Towa Incorporation (or whatever it was called) for a reason. Still, Seijo had a feeling that all he really had to do was give the kid some genuine care, and she would be on his side.
Of course, that affection had to be genuine and it was hard to differentiate five toddlers from what they would become, but Seijo thought he did pretty good. All in all, it was a good day. The five munchkins would play a bigger roll in the future, but all he had to do was visit them like, once a week, maybe twice, and give them some love they were all so desperately needing. They were just kids after all.
Seijo turned to Hajime, "So? What'd you think?" The two of them had messed with the kids for about an hour. Ran around the room with Masaru, talked philosophy with Nagisa, answered all of Jataro's yawns, talked about acting and fashion with Kotoko, and teased Monaca with tickles whenever she got too feisty. Really, an hour went by in a blink, and the two were kicked out of the school and decided to walk home, which brought Seijo to the present.
"Well," Hajime began, "they're still kids more than anything, I think. They were fun to be around though. I was definitely surprised both at how child-like they seemed, and how incredible their talents were."
The headphone wearing boy nodded, "I know, right?! I was surprised!" A smirk grew onto Seijo's face as he asked, "You know what else surprised me? The fact that you got spotted by a child!" His smirk grew into a full blown look of superiority. "Come one Hajime, you really gotta work on your talent!"
His friend clicked his teeth together in frustration. "You know I just started! Of course I was going to get seen!"
Seijo wagged his finger in Hajime's face. "Ah ah ah! That's quitter talk! You've been working on your talent for a whole week! You should be better than this!" The brown haired boy grumbled, but didn't raise an objection. Seijo took this as a good enough reason to ask, "So, wanna come to my place and continue your training? I'll be throwing the rocks extra hard today as punishment!"
Hajime cringed, but didn't say no.
Seijo knew his friend was going to hate him the next day.
"I hate you so much right now."
It was the next day, and the two Reserve Course buddies had just sat down at their respective chairs. "Oh come on, you know you need this."
Hajime scoffed, "Of course I do. Doesn't mean I enjoy it though."
"Fair enough my friend," Seijo sagely nodded, "Fair enough."
"Hey Bozo One and Two."
Both turned to see Sato and Natsumi walking up to them. Seijo gave a nod, "Hey you two. Did you have a good time?"
Sato gave a small smile and Natsumi looked away, but the two males saw their contentment. Natsumi shrugged, "Yeah, well, it was alright. Nothing too serious or anything, just...yeah." The two boys looked at each other and smiled, which the blonde haired girl caught. "Hey, what's with those looks?!"
Hajime shrugged, "Oh, it's nothing, really. It's just..." A deceptively innocent smile appeared on his face. "I'm just glad you three are friends again." Sato and Natsumi both gained a healthy blush on their faces, as well as a general look of shock. He continued, "You three didn't have the best relationship, so it makes me really happy that you three are enjoying yourselves again."
Seijo snorted, but it was unnoticed by the two girls in front of him, who were blushing and stuttering over themselves.
"W-Well, it wasn't like-!"
"I-I-I didn't mean-"
"It w-was just a-!"
"Ugh!"
Without another word, Natsumi stormed off and Sato slowly sank into her seat (which was right ahead of Hajime's. How come he never noticed that?) pointedly avoiding both of their looks. Hajime and Seijo shared a smile and bumped fists, victorious in their teasing.
*Ring!
Right on time too, as class had started.
*Ring!
The lunch had just rang, and Hajime, Seijo, Sato, and Natsumi got up from their seats and began to head out when Seijo's phone went off.
*Ding!
The boy pulled his phone out, read whatever the message said, and his face lit up. Without saying a word, he rushed out of the classroom, leaving the other three confused. Hajime was the first to ask, "Did Seijo mention anything to you?" Getting negative responses from the other two confirmed Hajime's suspicions. "So Seijo's meeting a girl..."
Immediately, Natsumi scoffed and Sato rose an eyebrow. "Oh really," the green haired girl asked, "And why would you think that of all things?"
He shrugged. "I mean, what other reason would a text message give such a good response? I've seen plenty of people making that exact same face when their crush says 'Yes' to anything."
Natsumi scoffed once more, "Like a guy like him could even think about a girl like that."
Hajime rolled his eyes. "Well, whatever it is, I'm going to find out. Anything Seijo-related is interesting." Besides, it might've been a silent request to test his stealth skills, and Hajime wanted to do just that. "If you're curious, just follow me." Without waiting any further, he chased after his friend. He heard two pairs of shoes following him.
"So, you'll help?"
"Nyahahaha! Of course I will! Not only does it bring me joy that you would wish for it, but Atua is pleased as well!"
The three Reserve Course students had finally found Seijo, and sure enough, he was with a girl. They were at the fountain in the center of campus, and the two were simply talking to each other on a bench. "I really do appreciate this Angie. Is there any way to repay you?"
The girl, now identified as Angie, shook her head. "Nonsense Seijo! There is nothing you need to do!"
He looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Really? Nothing at all?"
She shook her head once more and beamed. "Nope! Atua has not demanded anything, and I am simply helping a friend!"
"Wait," Seijo started, "We're friends? Since when?" He was obviously confused, but the dark skinned girl didn't seem to care.
"Why, since always! Any friend of Rantaro is a friend of mine! Plus, Atua has already blessed me with the knowledge of everything you need, Atua has told me to trust you! So I do!"
Clearly unconvinced, Seijo asked, "Really? What'd he say?"
She smiled. "You are a foreigner, yes? Atua knows."
Hajime was extremely confused when Seijo blanched. "Wha-?! How-?!" He paused, took a deep breath, and calmed down. "...Yeah, you'd be right to say that. I'm not from here."
She nodded sagely, "It is why you wish to become better at drawing, yes?"
Hajime's friend stared down at his own hands and muttered, "...Yeah, that's right. I'm forgetting what they look like." Hajime furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and he could tell the two girls behind him (they were all hiding behind a nearby bush) were just as lost. "I don't remember the details on my Mom's face anymore. I want to draw my family before I forget what they look like completely."
Hajime suddenly got the feeling that he wasn't supposed to follow. He had a feeling that Seijo really did forget everything just to meet up with this Angie girl. Said girl laughed once more, "Nyahaha! Atua says to not worry, and that you will draw a perfect picture!"
Hajime saw his friend give a bittersweet smile. "I sure hope so." He and the Angie girl both stood up, and Seijo pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Angie. I know you said I don't have to, but I will repay you for this someday. I promise."
Angie reciprocated, hugging back with a warm smile. "Atua says that you definitely will."
Silently, Hajime turned around and signaled the two ladies with him to leave. They had seen more than enough. Still, as the trio silently walked back to the Reserve Course Building, Hajime couldn't help but wonder: How come Seijo couldn't simply call them up and see what they look like? Were they in a place with no reception? Did something happen to them that Seijo never mentioned? Was his family taken from him somehow?
These questions and more filled Hajime's mind, but he wouldn't dare ask them aloud, and he would make sure the two girls with him do the same. Everyone had secrets, and Hajime knew Seijo was no exception. When he was ready, Seijo would tell everyone.
Even if he never did, that was fine. Hajime trusted Seijo enough to not need to know, ever.
They were friends, after all.
AN: This was a nice chapter, I think. Not as good as my previous ones, and I feel like the last bit was a bit shoehorned in there, but it was something that needed to be done for the future.
Second, hey guys, I'm still alive. I uploaded a new (and last, for now) story about High School DxD, so if you're interested in that, go check it out! That wasn't the main reason I was gone for so long, it was a mix between a failed project and college. But don't worry, I'm back and better than ever! I'm really gonna focus on writing as much as I can these coming days, so don't expect another super long wait time anytime soon!
Finally, thank you all for reading and don't forget to follow, favorite, and write a review if you wish! These simple things really help me want to keep going! Even if you don't like the chapter/story or have a gripe or problem with said story, don't be afraid to call me out! I appreciate all the help I can get!
Yeah, that was all I had to say. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time!