Chapter 13: Irregular at Magic High - Shizuku Kitayama #1

Shizuku Kitayama is described as a girl whose face and voice are rather deadpanned. Her way of speaking lacks the normal voice inflection, so even if she personally doesn't intend to, she still comes across as being solemn.

"So you are a kuudere."

Hikigaya-san had told her when they were first introduced. She had not understood the term nor had she known about her senpai's otaku nature. She had thought he was a dumb individual with weak eye sight and so she hand introduced herself one more time.

"No, I'm Shizuku Kitayama."

He had thought she was joking at first, but then as he further interacted with her it became clear that this was her entire personality. He expressed the same symptoms most individuals displayed when they first met her, a mix between confusion and light annoyance. She didn't seem to mind.

His overall personality, if she were to be rather frank about it was rather strange. He didn't go out of his way to interact with others, but sometimes it looked like he couldn't help himself.

Like the time when they first met.

It was her first day at Neo Tokyo University. She had misplaced the instructions to the nearest station. Maybe a look of worry had flashed across her face. She wouldn't know. Everyone told her that she was an expressionless beauty. How could it be, she didn't quite understand. But at the next moment he was there before her, looking like a mix between a mugger and saviour.

She had almost activated her magic and would have seriously hurt him. That would lead to further problems like being expelled from the university on her first day. Also he would be dead. But neither of those things happened and she was glad.

"You are from the university right?" Hikigaya-senpai had asked. "Is something wrong? You have been standing here for quite a while."

"No, nothing," she had replied. "I just don't know the way to the nearest station."

"You don't know the way." He had looked at her and then looked at the crossing they were standing. "Don't you live on campus like most of the first year students?"

She knew the eccentric rules of the university. Most first years were encouraged to live on campus. It was supposed to boost a spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie. Her doting father thought it was a sick way to make horny young adults form indecent relationship. As a result -

"No, my father has made special arrangements."

"Your father? What are you twelve?"

"No I am nineteen. I can't drink yet."

"Huh?" He had looked worried. "Why would you tell me that?"

"Because you mistook me for a twelve year old."

"Not that." He had said with a bit of frustration. "That part at the end about drinking."

"Oh that." She had thought back to the reason and answered truthfully. "It's because a lot of guys have been trying to ask me out for drinks. I keep politely declining because I have not crossed the legal age mark where drinking should be considered a fun social activity."

"Drinking is not a fun social activity." He had said in a complaining voice. "It is something which should be avoided at all cost by university students because it blows through your whole monthly budget."

"I will not have that problem."

"Why not? Are you rich?"

"No, my father is." She replied. "He is a millionaire and it is his life's goal to spoil me rotten."

"Well," He made a face, which she didn't quite understand. "You are an ojou-sama type then."

"Yes." She gave a polite bow. "My name is Shizuku Kitayama. I am a first year university student at Neo Tokyo University. Nice to meet you."

He had looked awkward and then bowed. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Hachiman Hikigaya, second year university student."

"Oh, so you are my senpai then."

"Yes, you could say that." He had replied.

"That is good to know. I will be looking forward to your help in the future."

"How about now? Didn't you say you were facing trouble with directions?"

"Yes, I don't know how to reach the nearest railway station. It's a good thing you noticed me senpai."

"Notice me senpai?" He had looked at her with a half smile. "Really?"

"What?" She didn't understand him.

Judging from her lack of expression and her lack of understanding of what she assumed was a cultural reference, he decided to dub her as such. "You are a kuudere as well as an ojou-sama. Wonderful."

"Yes, I'm wonderful. But what is a kuudere?" she had asked innocently.

"Nothing you have to worry about." Then he had looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "You would have to take the bus to the nearest station. Will you be able to do that?"

Shizuku Kitayama thought her senpai was a bit of a worry wart. What was there to worry about, it was such a simple task. "I can't remember the last time I took a bus or travelled through public transport. But I know how this works. I have seen this many times in movies."

He looked horrified. "You can't be serious."

"I'm not." She had replied, face devoid of expression. "It was a joke."

He had given out a world weary sigh. "It wasn't funny."

"Humour is subjective. I thought it was hilarious." Her tone of voice hadn't varied.

He had got a full body shiver. Then he had looked at her while pleading. "Kitayama-san, please don't say the word hilarious in your voice. You will give me nightmares."

"Why not?" This was new information to her. "Am I that scary?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm just being weird." He had faked a cough and then looked at her with determination. "Anyway let's deal with the matter at hand. Will you be able to take the bus and reach the nearest railway station safely?"

"No."

"Haha." He gave a fake laugh. "You are clearly joking."

"No I'm not." She had said. "I'm not familiar with the bus route and I might get lost. I am usually with my friend when I go back home, but today she was held back for some reason."

"So your only problem is with the bus route. Why?"

"Because I can see the driver."

He had looked at her like she was delusional. "How is that even remotely important?"

"In case of an accident or a head on collision, I would be able to see and observe the driver as he makes the fatal mistake. Yet I might not be able to do something to prevent the accident from taking place in the first place. Activating my magic takes time. I might not have time. So, I will be watching my own death, approaching helplessly. Then if I survived, I might be horribly scarred for life. I will not be able to marry. My father might stop loving me as well, something I can never imagine happening, but it might happen. That's why I have a problem in taking the bus when I am alone."

He had listened to her fears and then replied in a voice as deadpan as hers. "You are a magic user."

"Yes. I'm enrolled in Course 1 which you might know as Blooms."

She couldn't help but wonder whether he was prejudiced. There was a social barrier between people who displayed magical abilities and those who closed their eyes and remained aloof and ignorant of what was happening in the ever changing world. The curriculum at Neo Tokyo University tried to bridge the gap and they tried to foster an environment where students from both backgrounds can interact and develop, grow and change and learn to be better, but as always there was much left to be desired.

The Blooms didn't get well with the Weeds. She herself didn't display or nurture such idiotic notions. Her own brother couldn't do magic. He was still loved and cherished by her as well as by the rest of her family. But this wasn't about him or her. This was about the person standing before her who had gone rather quiet when she disclosed that fact that she could do magic.

"Hikigaya-senpai are you…" she trailed off.

What could she say, angry, scared, annoyed, hateful, a plethora of words came to mind but none came to describe him. For a second he had become as expressionless as her and it was impossible to read him.

"Kitayama-san, can I do a simple magic trick?"

Shizuku Kitayama hadn't expected him to ask something quite like that. Was he a magic user like her, no he wasn't in any of her class. Then he could be in Course 2, those called Weeds. But he didn't seem like them either. Then – oh right he had said trick.

But she was curious.

"Very well, senpai. Show me." She had said.

"Okay." He had begun. "Think of a number between 2 and 9. Don't tell me what it is. Just keep it in your mind, alright."

"Okay." She thought of the number 7.

"Now multiply that number by 9." He further asked.

"Alright." Mentally she did the calculation. 7 multiply 9 equals 63.

"Now add the two digits of the answer."

"As you wish." She did. 6 plus 3 equals 9.

"Now subtract 5 from that number."

This was a rather long process. But she did. 9 minus 5 equals 4. "Very well."

"Now assign an english alphabet letter to the number. Like A =1, B = 2 and so forth."

"Okay." This was a rather lengthy process. Her number was 4, so it will be D.

"Now think of a country that begins with that letter."

Denmark, easy, she thought.

"Now, this is the last part. Take the second letter of that country's name and think of an animal that begins with that letter."

Shizuku thought a bit more. By that time she just wanted to be done. Okay, so second letter of the country's name, that would be E. Animal whose name starts with E. Elephant, of course. Done. "Okay, now what?"

"Now you let me think."

Shizuku Kitayama stood there at the crossing, emotionlessly and waited. This weird senpai with the strange looking eyes were left to his thought. On the third second, he struck a small pose and proudly replied.

"I don't think Denmark has elephants, except in zoos."

Shizuku Kitayama remained expressionless. Had he read her mind, no it was impossible. He hadn't used magic. Then he was one of those people, con artists or mentalists, people her father warned her about and told her to stay away from. But he didn't give off those vibes, well not now.

"I don't know what you mean."

He looked downtrodden. "You mean it didn't work."

"No it worked. But I thought you were gonna make a guess at my number."

He looked rather askance. "That's too simple."

"Yeah." Shizuka Kitayama looked at him. "Do that again."

He shook his head. "No, a magician never reveals his secret."

"So, you are saying the trick would be revealed if you did it again." She asked.

"I didn't say anything like that." But then he gave an awkward smile. "Maybe, you should try it sometime and figure out the secret for yourself."

Afterwards, Hachiman Hikigaya took her to the bus stop and saw her off to the railway station even going so far as to see whether she got on the right train. He told her on the way, that this trick was something he had learned and always wanted to try out on a person who displayed magical ability.

"Why's that?" she had asked.

"Because, I think magicians or wizard or magus take the supernatural elements in the world for granted and sometimes we too take it for granted that even though their lives might be a bit different because they possess magic, it is not out of the ordinary for them to face similar problems like we do. For example fear of accidents."

Shizuka had looked at him with something close to understanding. "Were you -"

"Yeah, on the first day of university." He had answered her unasked question. Then smiled. "So, don't think you are being weird or anything because of this. You might have led a sheltered life and your father might want to protect you and keep doting on you for the rest of your life, but it's okay to try out new things once in a while."

She didn't know how he realized this. Yes, it was her idea to do the commute back home alone. She thought she was an adult who could do such things. She knew magic, but in the end it wasn't of help much. She needed assistance of a kind hearted senpai. Maybe for a bit, she felt annoyed with herself.

"I never thought I was weird." She replied instead.

"Of course not."

"I also figured out your magic trick." She replied. "It was simple."

"I know it was simple. That's why I showed it to you." Then when she looked on, he further explained. "I just thought it would clear your doubts about me. I don't know any magic, but I have no problem with magic. But I will say this, I wish magic could be used or taught for other things except for battle. I mean, I don't know. I miss the old fashioned magic which were just tricks meant to spread joy, wonder and smile."

Shizuku Kitayama thought his thoughts and views were rather interesting.

"I miss that too."

A/N: Shizuku Kitayama won the votes because, "Omni-celestial" has been voting her name since the very first chapter. If you count all those votes and the latest votes, she's a clear winner.

What do you think? Hope I was able to do justice to her character. Also, the magic trick, did you figure it out? Let me know in the reviews.

As always here are the options for the next chapter:

Option 1: Kuroko Tomoko – WataMote.

Option 2: Akeno Himejima – High School DxD

Option 3: Makise Kurisu – Steins; Gate

Option 4: Ami Kawashima – Toradora.

Please pick any of the above options or suggest a female character in the reviews.

Hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter.

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Won't betray your dreams.