Haruhiro.
That's my name. Or, at least, only as far as I know...
What does it mean, you ask? I don't know, I don't remember. In fact, you could say I can't remember much at all. That's not because I'm forgetful or anything, mind you, it's just that I've gone through an accident of sorts.
About a year ago, a group of fishermen found a lone small boat floating alongside the coast line. At first they ignored it, thinking it was only an abandoned piece of wood somebody threw away because they didn't have the means nor the intention of repairing the seemingly very damaged vessel. Though haphazardly, the tide made it drift closer and closer to the fishermen and eventually came at hand's reach. One old man from the bunch, out of curiosity, put his fishing rod aside and stood up to inspect the mysterious embarcation.
The deck's wooden planks creaked as he walked towards the nearest point to his objective. He leaned over the edge of the ship and peeked to see whether there was anything interesting inside the hull. Nothing but a pile of cloth was laid there. The elderly angler raised one of his eyebrows, intrigued.
He jumped onboard to uncover the thing and, what a surprise he got.
A kid was sleeping underneath the covers without a care in the world, a thumb in his mouth.
Right, that was me.
Maybe I was just too young to be aware of my surroundings or some trauma forcefully made me forget but I couldn't recall anything about my parents or where I came from.
The old man took me to the local police department in Signal and left me there. He did the least he could do in that situation and I don't resent him for being so indifferent.
The world seemed too big for me back then. Everything around me was filled of things I was unfamiliar with. Tall scary adults surrounded me and I was drown in an overwhelmingly cold environment. I guess you could clearly say I was lost. Yet the people around hadn't lost their attention on me.
I stood out. I was a lone kid without any guardian holding my hand in a place full of unknown adults, but that wasn't the only thing that singled me out.
I was calm. Abnormally calm for someone my age.
My short stature was sure to attract some glances from the passers by. A child in a police station tends more often than not to throw a tantrum and annoy everyone around him. That was not the case for me.
My appearance wasn't anything special to look at. I had the characteristic brown eyes and wavy brown hair that were common in the region. My skin was pale and my face was normal. The only thing I didn't share with most people was my sleepy eyes. If you looked at me you'd tell yourself 'why is he so tired?' and 'he looks sleepy'.
That's maybe the reason why I looked so calm at the time. Sleepy eyes hide away feelings of doubt and anxiety.
I patiently waited. Two men came to me after a few minutes: a senior and his colleague. They had a gentle demeanor that fit well for a discussion between an adult and a toddler.
The officers told me they dealt with cases of missing children, I only gave them my name. That's the only thing I was sure of after all.
"Haruhiro huh ? That sounds vaguely Mistrali don't you think?" The older mister asked his coworker.
"You're right. Though, there aren't many of them living here in Patch. No, I take that back. Actually, the only Mistrali I've seen recently were traveling to Vale and were kind of just in transit here." He replied.
"Let's check what we have about Mistrali civilian transport ships then, the parents must be among the new arrivals."
The other policeman grimaced and looked at me with signs of pity. I was just standing there confused, and gradually absent-minded.
"Um, sir ?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"I was just informed this morning that a civilian transport ship coming from Mistral had been destroyed. Sea Grimm casualty."
A look of understanding flashed in the eyes of the older officer. He put a hand on his forehead, and sighed heavily.
"He was found in a lifeboat too..."
He then put a hand on my shoulder, as if to reassure me.
"It's alright boy, you'll be fine."
He took me to an orphanage afterwards. I didn't realize at the time that my parents had died. But even so, I couldn't remember anything about them so I felt nothing.
A long time passed since I first ended up in Signal. I got used to living in the orphanage.
The building was a four-story manor divided into two segments : one for the boys and one for the girls. Of course, the orphans were divided according to their age. Each floor was designated to keep in mind the amount of attention a child would need. That is to say, the floors closest to the ground floor are the closest to where the adults are. The first floor is mainly comprised of infants up to two years old, they needed the most attention after all. The second floor is for those ranging from two to eight years old. That's were my room is, we can manage a bit on our own but sometimes we do need to see the adults. Right above us are those who are older than nine, but not many are sleeping up there because most of the time we get adopted before reaching that age, or we get transferred to another orphanage in the mainland. By that point, they don't need to come down as often as we do since they don't need as much from the adults.
The caretakers looking after us are kind and considerate. They'd teach us how to take care of ourselves, like how to eat properly with a fork and a knife, how to brush our teeth and stuff like that. At night, they'd even tell us bedtimes stories before we wander off to the lands of dreams. In short, I quite like the adults in there and feel grateful to them.
I can't say the same for the other kids.
I was ... Well? Ostracized I guess? Or more like, left out? I didn't really fit in since I came a bit later than everyone and the several groups had already been formed.
Not that it mattered, honestly.
My sleepy eyes though, brought me a lot of trouble this time.
"Hey, hey, Haruhiro? Are you sleepy right now? Even though you woke up later than everyone?"
"Do we look boring to you? Or do you just want to sleep all the time?"
They'd ask questions like this. I'd answer the same thing again and again.
"I was born like this you know? I'm fully awake."
"Old cat!"
Yeah, that's my nickname. I had the eyes of an old cat. Though they didn't start calling me nekohiro or haruneko or something.
You could say I didn't get along with pretty much anyone. Except for this particular person, you see...
Takes a weirdo to understand a weirdo.
"Hello there, old cat!"
?
I was sitting at my usual spot in the garden outside the manor. My back was resting against the trunk of a tree. My eyes were gazing upwards at the leaves that were blocking off the sun. The light was weaving between the greenish shapes and the foliage was rustling gently in the soft breeze.
I was then suddenly compelled to turn around by this fellow loner.
"Ah, if it isn't old snake."
This old snake I'm addressing right here is a girl named Echidna. She was sort of in the same predicament as me. Albeit everything that has happened to her took place over there in the girls' segment and her eyes weren't the problem, she still ended up without any friends. That's part of why we're spending time together.
"My, my, Haruhiro-kun. If you keep calling me that you'll wound my pure maiden heart." She said back to me. "How about you call me Snow White? Or Snow Princess for that matter? I'll be much happier if you do."
"Since when can you use Mistrali honorifics ? I'll stop calling you old snake as soon as you stop calling me old cat."
"Okay. Haruhiro-kun!"
I finally glanced at her face. She was grinning her teeth out, her eyes narrowly opened. I don't know how to react to that.
"And I won't call you snow princess or anything."
"Oh ? Why is that ?"
"Isn't that what the others have been calling you ? I can't do that. You're my precious friend."
That was embarrassing, but I wanted to convey it to her.
Her silky white hair was flowing in the wind. Her pale hand was putting away the small strands getting onto her face. She was like an otherworldly angel, or more accurately a snow princess. But I couldn't say that.
That was why she was alone, the other girls thought it was strange to have white hair at that age, so they kept her away from their groups.
Her beautiful onyx eyes stared straight into mine, trying to uncover my thoughts. Her lips were curved into a little smile and were unlikely to part unless I spoke further.
The eye contact lasted for a few more seconds before I gave in.
I looked down. I was flustered.
"So you too can be smooth sometime. It's cute."
She was teasing me. She does that often. I feel like I'm the only one getting that treatment though... Not that she spoke to many people when you think about it.
I get the impression our conversations are far too advanced for our age as well. We were both a bit more mature than the rest of the kids in the orphanage. Perhaps it's due to the fact that we had a lot of time to think on our own rather than spending it playing games with the others.
I gestured her to sit at the spot next to me.
She did.
"Haruhiro-kun, where did 'old snake' come from?" She inquired curiously.
"I've read it somewhere." I elaborated. "Echidna was the name given to a creature in ancient Valean mythology. She was a monster that had the upper half of her body like a woman's and the lower half like a serpent's. Pretty scary stuff."
She punched me lightly on the shoulder.
"So much for being a precious friend ..." She pouted. "Hmph."
"Sorry." I chuckled at a bit at her reaction. That was a bit unlike her.
"I'm not running around calling you 'universal springtime!' 'universal springtime!' either. You're being unfair."
"Universal springtime? What does it mean?"
"Our caretaker lent me her scroll once so I looked up 'Haruhiro' in CCT." She explained. " I figured Haruhiro-kun was too long to say so I searched for another nickname."
"Ooh." I see. "What does it mean though?"
"I won't tell you. It's best you figure it out yourself."
"Ah."
...
...
Too bad. Wouldn't have hurt to understand the only legacy my parents left me. It's fine though. I'm happy as it is.
"Spring is Haru, I think. That's a start." I added.
"Haru?" She tilted her head. "Sounds nice. Haru-kun. Haru. Haru. Haru." She repeated several times.
Spring.
A nostalgic feeling sprung within me. Haru? The nickname sounded really familiar ... maybe someone used to call me that before? It's all hazy and foggy in my memories. The word kept playing in my head like a loop.
Haru, Haru, Haru, Haru, Haru... again and again.
Blurry faces began to surface in my thoughts only to fade away instantly. I couldn't make out the details to have a clear picture. The process left me with an intense migraine and the harder I tried to delve into it, the more painful of a headache I got.
Aaah.
I placed a hand on my forehead and exhaled deeply.
Echidna, who was still beside me, was staring quietly at me. Her expression seemed a little complex.
"You don't have to make such a scene to tell me you don't like it."
"Um... Sorry. What?"
She pressed her hands together.
"Me calling you Haru." She looked away to avoid meeting my eyes.
Oh. I must have acted a little weird for a second. Not as far as saying I lost my mind but more like lost in thoughts ... all alone. I must have given off the wrong impression.
I'll just apologize then.
"Sorry. I don't mind Haru though."
She spun around to face me again.
"Stop apologizing. Idiot."
We left it at that. I raised my head up towards the sky again.
.
.
.
We simply enjoyed the silent atmosphere going on between us.
The warmth of the sun was enveloping me like the feeling of resting near a fireplace in winter. A gentle breeze would also come in to cool the air around me from time to time. My hair was gently brushed up by the wind as if someone was ruffling them. The soft grass under me made me feel like I was laying on a natural bed, with the rough texture of a tree bark pressed against my back to complete it.
I really liked this spot because I always felt at ease here, far away from the noise of the other kids and the bustling environment of the orphanage.
It's also the only time I'd admit having sleepy eyes. I'd always end up taking a nap here if I'm not careful enough. The adults in turn always ground me quite harshly when I do.
Huh?
"zzzZZ"
Echidna rested her head on my shoulder. She was breathing softly with her eyes closed.
She was sleeping.
...
...
...
Maybe a small nap wouldn't hurt after all.
Next Monday will be our first day of school.
The orphanage wasn't built to provide both shelter and education to its denizens. The staff directing it were employed to take care of us, not to teach us any advanced stuff. There was of course a library for those who wanted to learn more things on their own but only a few spent their time there.
Echidna is the one who uses the room the most. She'd stay for hours piling up dozens and dozens of books on the table she'd settle on, completely immersed in whatever she was reading. She'd even ignore the supervisors whenever they called her. Most of the time I'd just stand there staring at her and speak on her behalf when someone needed something from her.
Her expression was always intriguing when she learned new things. Smiling when she finds interesting stuff, frowning when she doesn't understand the content and groaning when she she realizes she began a book she had already read.
And teasing me is a hobby of hers as well.
"Haru, it's best you try reading books instead of trying to read my mind. You won't do any good like that, just looking at me~." She'd then wink at me and come up with : "Am I that pleasant to watch ?"
And I would blush at that remark...
It was weird, the more we talked and became familiar with each other, the more I felt conscious of her.
I digress.
It seems we are to take classes until we are legally of age. The director of the orphanage made sure everyone got registered when we met the minimum age requirement. He formed an agreement with Patch's administration to organize our attendance.
The nearest elementary school is Signal Academy.
To be precise, nearly every institute in the island is affiliated to the Signal huntsman primary combat school. They would put everyone on a common course for three years before splitting up those who wanted to become huntsmen and those who preferred to remain as civilians.
Our age group is the next in line to be enrolled in the academy. Truth be told, we weren't many. If you split the orphanage by age, it would be scattered in small groups of less than half a dozen.
Only six of us are 4 years old. It consisted of Echidna, me, two other girls and two other boys.
Unluckily, these pairs are of those who hold contempt against either me or Echidna. We couldn't get on good terms anyhow. They would just ignore us or push us away every time we crossed each other.
We still could make new friends at school. I hope.
"Haru! Are you listening?" Echidna pestered.
"Yes. I'm Haruhiro." I deadpanned. The old snake easily broke me out of my thoughts and put herself at the center of my mind.
"I need a favor." She stated nonchalantly while she kept on reading. "You know we start school next week right?"
"Yeah. It's the big day."
"Do you want to ..." Taking the time to finish her sentence, Echidna's eyes looked up to match my gaze. Her lips were hidden by the book she held with both of her hands. It was difficult to tell her intentions like this.
"Hmm? What's up?"
She tilted her head slightly before taking turns between checking my face and the scriptures before her.
"Come closer for a second." Echidna beckoned me with her hand.
"Uh. Sure."
I wonder what she wants. Echidna asking me for help is a little strange.
"Let's see now..." She abruptly dropped the book on the table and stood up to match my height. Her eyes focused on my own as she placed her hands on my shoulders.
Ah, I'm getting tense. This is weird.
Echidna began to lean towards me and close the distance between the two of us. She still had the same emotionless expression on her face but she couldn't suppress a small hint of curiosity as she narrowed her eyes to inspect mine better.
She stopped moving when our noses were about to touch.
T-t-too close! What is she thinking?
I stepped back quickly and almost tripped on a pile of books.
"That's too bad." She sounded disappointed.
My fellow loner turned around and sat back on her chair to pick up where she left off reading.
"What do you mean? What was that for?" I was a bit annoyed at her antics. Especially when I'm this confused.
"Your eyes are brown. I was hoping they'd be silver by any chance since I've never checked thoroughly."
Silver eyes?
"What are you reading?"
I reached out and deftly lifted the cover to catch the title.
"The Legend Of The Silver-Eyed Warriors. What is it about?"
I don't think anyone I've met in Signal so far had silver eyes. Maybe they're just rare?
"Silver-eyed warriors are said to be very proficient fighter. The stories say grimm are afraid of them because of the incredible power that comes with their eyes." Echidna explained the gist of it. "They are capable of slaying grimm with a glare alone."
Ooh. So that's what it was about.
"My eyes obviously aren't silver."
"I just thought you'd be more interesting if you had those."
Interesting? I can be dull sometimes. But it's not like I do it on purpose.
"Okay." I changed the topic. "Also, what did you want to ask me before that?"
She blinked twice.
"Oh, that." She laughed lightly. "Never mind!"
I don't really get it but I won't pry too much.
"Okay."
"You'll help me look for silver eyed people at school, right?"
Are silver-eyed people that fascinating? I wonder... When Echidna wants something she never gives up until she gets it. I'm interested too now because the things she looks for are always out of the ordinary. She would ask for books about dust, aura, Grimm and a scroll with CCT connection instead of toys or candies.
I'm probably the same.
"Yeah, let's do that. I want to see one."
"Great. I'm counting on you."
Echidna cut the conversation short to signal me she doesn't need anything else from me. She went back to a reclusive reading pose that basically closed off her world from the outside.
She really enjoys reading. She makes it known when she doesn't want me to bother her. At times like this I would either pick a book for myself or simply leave the library.
"Well then..."
I stood up and properly pushed my chair back under the table. She did not even spare a glance at me. I silently turned around and went for the exit.
"Ah, Haruhiro, Echidna. There you are. Can you come with me? It's about school."
An adult came into the room as I was about to leave. It was Miss Olive, the caretaker for our age group. Usually there would be one person in charge of the boys and another in charge of the girls but this year it's somewhat different. The mister supposed to look after the boys retired last year and left all the responsibility to Miss Olive.
At this point, we have already learned how things worked in the orphanage. We wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, do some chores, eat lunch and then we have free time until dinner unless an adult says otherwise.
This also meant we were expected to go to school as soon as we could to start developing our way of thinking and our maturity. The orphanage's teaching philosophy is to groom us to be independent so we can leave when our caretakers deem us ready.
Miss Olive wholeheartedly believes in this pedagogy and is convinced it's what's best for us. She was a small woman that wasn't taller than any of the other of the adults working in here and was about my size If I were standing on a chair. She was still in her early twenties, among the youngest of the staff. Her skin held a light tone and her figure could be classified as skinny. The color that fitted her the most would be black as she had coal eyes along with hair of the same color. Her skin made her darker features stand out more. She always came in a nun habit because it's the dress code for female caretakers employed in the orphanage. She didn't wear a veil though. Her hair was arranged into a formal bob cut that kept the more troublesome of us from playing with her bangs.
Miss Olive is very kind and gentle. She tries to be as attentive as possible whenever she speaks with us. Though as you may have heard: give a man a fish and you'll feed him for one day, teach a man how to fish and you'll feed him for lifetime. She never spoiled us in any of our requests but rather pushed us to fulfill our ends on our own. You could say she's a good counselor.
"Haruhiro, could you get Echidna? We're going out." She asked me because she was convinced Echidna only listened to me.
"Okay." I nodded.
I went back to bring back the eccentric bookworm.
When I interrupted her session, she snapped and sent me a cold glare.
I knew she was going to be annoyed.
"What do you want, Haru?" She pulled her hair back while closing her book.
I raised both of my hands to show I didn't mean to bother her.
"Miss Olive wants to take us out. She said it's something about school." I explained, carefully.
It still didn't please her but she toned down her moody attitude towards me.
"Hmph. It can't be helped then." She put her read back into the shelves and made to follow me.
Miss Olive smiled when we returned.
"We have to buy your school supplies for next week. Gold, Red, Leaf and Crystal are already waiting outside. Let's go."
We left without replying.
The shopping district happened to be in its peak hours when we arrived. Lively vendors were enticing passers by to take a look at their products. Some shouted:"Tasty Ice cream for you on this sunny day! Come along don't be shy." Or "Gadgets of all kinds in here. Don't hesitate. You'll find what you need !" Others were busy negotiating with buyers to reach a reasonable price. It would often lead to friendly chats and harmless laughs.
Shop signs of all colors decorated the sides the streets to attract any potential customers. There were all kinds of stores from simple food stalls to the biggest technology departments of the city. People were crossing the stone pavements from left to right and right to left as they hurriedly switched from one boutique to another. You'd see a woman with shopping bags directly enter a pizzeria, or a businessman leave a cafe to head for the nearest bank. The diversity never ceased to impress us even when it wasn't the first time we came here.
Our caretaker lead us through the maze before visiting the clothes shop. We needed to get our school uniforms.
"Alright, Haruhiro and Echidna, wait outside while I finish with the others. Be good."
""Yes Miss Olive."" We said simultaneously.
Echidna and me were the first to try out our outfits to get the proper measurements. We had to wait for the rest to do the same. We were told to stay in front of the changing room.
Miss Olive went back inside to deal with the other four. We were the most docile when it was about doing dull but necessary stuff like this. 'Easiest tasks first, arduous ones later' is what she must have thought.
"This is boring." Echidna murmured next to me. She didn't really look much enthusiastic about getting new clothes.
I agreed with her. I wasn't complaining though.
We had nothing to do but watch customers as they rowdily flocked in and out of the store. The sliding glass doors would open up for a while then close on its own after a set of individuals passed through. Every time, we would silently stare at the newcomers to see wether there was anything interesting about them. Of course, we also knew some of them could be our classmates next week.
"Mom look! She has white hair! And he looks sleepy, it's funny!" One boy pointed a finger towards us.
"Shh honey. It's not nice to point fingers at strangers."
They stared back at us too sometimes.
The start of the school year was nearing and a lot of parents along with their kids came to buy their uniforms. The clientele usually consisted of a single child or two accompanied by their guardians. The store was expectedly busy today and the shopkeepers were struggling to keep up a pace that would satisfy everyone.
I simply gazed at the people walking in without second thoughts. Echidna was, on the other hand, inspecting every single one of them thoroughly.
At some point, a specific quartet barged in and stood out from the crowd. The group was comprised of three children and one adult.
"I go first! My blouse already grew too small. And I want new trousers too. Oh, this scarf looks nice. Can we buy it?" A blonde haired girl excitedly pestered her father.
"Calm down Firecracker. We're not in a hurry. Ruby, Rose, you heard her. Look around."
The pair nodded before the blonde took her dad's hand over to another area of the clothes store.
"Yang really likes shopping. That's so something I'd expect from her."
One the kids was a small boy with short cherry blossom colored hair. He shot a knowing look at the fiery older girl while curving his lips to a sarcastic smile.
"Yup. That's my sister."
He was speaking to a girl that had neck length dark crimson hair. Her voice had a higher pitch but she seemed to be talking more reservedly. She was softly grasping the low end of her pink-haired counterpart's shirt so as not to get lost. They shared the same height and probably were the same age. They didn't look much like twins but possessed a single common trait.
They each had a pair of beautiful gleaming silver eyes.
That reminded me of-
Before I could notice, Echidna swiftly left my side to speak with them.
"Hello! Are you guys here to get uniforms too?"
She immediately started a conversation with them.
The pair were caught off guard by her greeting. The redhead clung behind her fellow alleged Silver Eyed Warrior in an outburst of shyness and the boy just absentmindedly stared at Echidna.
"Um. I'm sorry. May I ask who you are?" The boy formally inquired.
I decided to intrude.
"Hi. I'm Haruhiro. This is Echidna. We're here to get Signal uniforms so we were wondering if you were too."
"Y-yeah. W-we are." The girl mumbled hesitantly. It looked like she had trouble speaking with strangers. "School starts next week."
The pink haired boy removed his hands from his pockets.
"I'm Rose." He pointed himself, then the girl hiding on his back. "And this is Ruby. Nice to meet you Haruhiro, Echidna."
"Names aside. You two have silver eyes, right?" Echidna insisted. "Do you know any huntsman stories?" The conversation suddenly veered to an uncommon topic. My white-haired companion didn't care much about being social.
"My sister Yang and Rose read me some before bedtime. I like them." Ruby peeked above her cover's shoulder.
"Do you want to be huntsmen?" Old snake questioned out of nowhere.
Ruby let go of Rose and stepped closer to us.
"I'm going to become the strongest huntsman! Like my mom!" She announced proudly. Her eyes were sparkling.
"Oh. That's nice." My orphan partner grinned mischievously. Her interest in them only doubled after what she said.
She was closer to analyzing and studying them rather than simply interacting. Her actions clearly hid a mysterious purpose. It didn't seem to bother the duo though.
"What is it about our silver eyes?" Rose curiously asked. He hadn't missed that detail.
"Ever read The Legend of The Silver Eyed Warriors ?" I referred to the book we saw earlier today. "Apparently people with your eyes end up being super good fighters."
Ruby tilted her head a little. Dubious.
"Is that true?"
Echidna chuckled softly at her words.
"Maybe. It's only a legend after all." She soundly retorted.
"Aww." Her excitement faded a little. "That's too bad."
"And you have white hair." Rose blurted out.
"And what of it?" She frowned. Like me, she didn't like it when our special physique gets pointed out.
"Nothing much. It's pretty cool. I have pink hair myself. That's abnormal too. Teehee."
He lightly punched the side of his head in a clumsy fashion while winking.
Oh, he's different. I whispered in my mind.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Rose, don't do that. It's kind of cringe." Ruby bashed her companion.
"What? Ah. That's not fair." He got flustered, his ear reddening ever so slightly. "I'll cry."
Rose sat down on the floor and brought his knees to his chest. He curled himself into a ball and burrowed his head into his arms.
"Um. Uh. Rose. I-I." Ruby panicked and relentlessly wailed her hands over his head."Rose?"
"I'm crying."
"Stand up."
"Not happening."
"Mouuu. You are so annoying. Stop!" She slapped his nape with all her might. Hard enough to make the pinky flinch.
It was sort of brutal.
"Ouch! Sorry! Sorry! Don't kill me, I'm too young to die." He spewed random things, bracing for another hit from the now not-so-shy redhead.
The person beside me snickered.
"Pffft. Hahahaha. You guys are so interesting, it's incredible." Echidna burst out laughing at the way they acted. "And you already have aura too."
Aura? The area around where Rose was hit glowed with a very faint pink radiance. One wouldn't have noticed it unless they really focused on it.
Rose stood upright and grinned.
"Yes. We do have that. How? That's a secret." He pressed his index against his mouth to emphasize on the word 'secret'.
"Actually. My dad or my uncle Qrow unlocked it for us." Ruby bluntly revealed.
"..."
"..."
They easily render me speechless.
So much for a secret.
"You!" Rose tried to catch Ruby but she sidestepped him in a flurry of petals. It was as if she teleported a short distance to dodge.
"A semblance?" I asked, surprised.
"Aha! That's my superpower! Give up Rose! You'll never catch me! " She stuck her tongue out at him mockingly.
I was really shocked. I thought people didn't unlock their aura or semblance until they were close to being adults.
"That's cheating!" He complained helplessly.
They kept bickering like that until Echidna interrupted.
"Say, let's be friends? We'll see each other at school next week."
She pronounced something very strange to me. I didn't think words like friendship mattered to her. Usually she didn't care about that, hence her becoming a loner before we met.
Before they could answer, the fiery blonde came back holding a very special T-shirt on her hands. It was completely pink with heart shapes covering the chest and the back of the clothing. Written in bold characters right in the middle was 'Rose of love'.
"Rose, I've found the perfect thing for you!" She called him, visibly trying to make him put the colorful shirt on. "Here!"
His expression transformed into one of terror and dread.
"No! Get away from me! Haruhiro! Help me!"
He sent me a look of distress but I shrugged it off. It was awkward.
"Oh. Who are you?" The blonde noticed us.
"We'll be going to the same school next week." Echidna kept smiling. "Just checking that."
"Cool. Imma be your guide. Tell you about stuff since I'm older. But first, Rose, come here." She dragged pink-haired close to her and placed the shirt on his chest to see whether it fit. "Rubes help me pin him down."
"Okay."
Rose tried to struggle and escape but Ruby held him by his waist.
"This is villainy. Madness!" He pleaded for help but none came to his rescue.
"Yang, Ruby. Take him to the changing room if you want him to try something."
Their father had just caught up to the group. Instead of saving his kin, he opted to back up his daughters.
I felt bad for Rose. It must be a nightmare.
"Yes! Let's go. Come on!" Yang squealed excitedly while dragging Rose away with her.
"Yang! Wait for me!" Ruby chased after the blonde but not without turning back to see us off. "See you!"
Miss Olive came looking for us shortly after. She got mad at us for wandering around the shop instead of staying put.
"Be sure to do as you're told next time! Let's go." She repeated as we left the store off to the sidewalk. We had to carry all the shoppings bags as punishment for disobeying her.
The four others made fun of us while we were getting told off. At the end I heard Gold whisper to me: "Not so lazy after all, old cat? Only waking up to make trouble."
I got a little angry but I didn't show it. I only clenched my fist slightly.
Echidna scoffed at them and grabbed my arm.
"Don't listen to them." She tried to calm me down.
I let out a deep breath.
"Yeah."
She eyed me quietly before changing the subject.
"What do you think of the two silver eyed?"
I paused to answer properly. They were a lively bunch. A bit noisy but really friendly. Rose didn't seem to care about appearances and Ruby was just very shy.
"They're weird but somewhat nice."
Echidna stretched out one edge of her mouth into a small grin.
"I see. Same here."
We were already looking forward to seeing them again.