Part 2: An Unknown Past
Groaning, Kyoko shoved her lunch into her mouth as she sat by herself in the magnificent cafeteria. So far, life was not pleasant. Her classmates, in her view, were all complete dolts, with the exception of perhaps two or three. She remembered the one boy who stared at her the whole three periods, even while the professors exchanged classrooms. Sure, he was good looking, but did he have to stare like that??? Heaving another groan, she drank down her cup of tea. As soon as she was done, she would run off to the library, away from everyone. And, especially, away from Keisuke Itoh.
Leafing through old newspapers from the mid-eighties, Kyoko could not find a thing about Utena Tenjou. She was almost ready to give up until a yellowed sheet shoved beneath a large box caught her eye. Shoving aside the box, she saw a newspaper with the title "Girl Found in Coffin: Suicide Attempt?" The picture under the title clearly was a picture of Kyoko when she was eight years old. However, she certainly didn't live during this period. As Kyoko squinted closely at the fine print, she noticed the caption of the photo. Utena Tenjou. Kyoko gasped. Scanning through the article, she eventually found something shocking. One of the people that were interviewed was her mother.
"Sakura Kaoru? That's Mother..." Kyoko trailed off as she sensed a shadow approaching. What kind of annoying idiot was it now? In her old school, she sure attracted a lot of people, but none of them was bold enough to really declare their love for her. Sighing audibly, she turned around.
"Hello, Kyoko!" Keisuke Itoh beamed with an "I-caught-you-now" look on his face. Kyoko greeted him less kindly. She couldn't ever have a moment of peace, could she?
"Keisuke, please, I would rather that you didn't bother me right now."
"You know, you should be pleased that I'm paying attention to you. You don't know how many girls are crowding around the library windows."
"Well, why don't you go greet them, instead? And leave me alone?" Kyoko felt a bit guilty being so rude, but what could she do? She wanted him gone.
"You underestimate the weight my words carry around here."
"You know what? I don't give a damn. If you have to bother me, do it tomorrow."
"You could be the queen of the campus if you were with me. Even if you appeared by my side, it would still boost your popularity."
"I know what you're saying, okay? I know how unpopular I am. I like it that way, UNDERSTAND?" Kyoko felt her patience wearing away. If this unpleasant little vermin didn't leave soon, she would give him a taste of her fist.
"Kyoko, you hate change, don't you?" Keisuke had an incredulous look on his face.
"What's your freaking problem? How annoying can one little stupid rodent get?" If Keisuke didn't leave soon, Kyoko was going to kick him, as well as punch him. She waved her fist menacingly.
"All right, all right, I'm going!" Keisuke backed off warily, eyeing Kyoko's fist. "But
I'll be back..." Kyoko gave the boy a furious glare, and then turned back to her newspaper article. Why was it hidden like that? Then, she remembered the look on Akio's face when he and Anthy were discussing Utena (or so it seemed). He was tense, as if she was a danger to him. This school is so baffling, Kyoko thought. How many mysteries were she supposed to solve? And where in the world was the Dueling Arena?
Huffing and puffing, Kyoko ran, trying to find the Dueling Arena, and at the same time, trying to escape the mob of girls chasing after her with clubs in their hands.
"How dare you treat Keisuke-sama like that!"
"Don't you know how mean you're being?"
"You witch! You bitch!"
"You're-you're frigid!!!!"
Glancing backwards worriedly, Kyoko ran faster. Throwing back a quick glance, she retorted, "Just shut up, all of you! That boy's brainwashed all of you. Jeez, you are all so stupid!" The mob became angrier and waved their clubs higher. One maniac screamed a war cry. Gulping, Kyoko pushed her legs to the limit as she jumped over a high fence and ended up landing all mangled on a bush. The furious Keisuke-fan club yelled their triumph and after much gloating, stalked away. Uttering a string of dirty words, Kyoko pushed herself back up.
"Where the heck am I?" She asked herself as she laid her eyes on a large mass of dark trees. "I didn't know that there was a forest in this school. Oh well, might as well go in. For all I know, those obsessed idiots could run out of people to mob and decide to come back for me." She slowly walked into the heart of the forest.
However, as she got deeper and deeper into the forest, she suddenly encountered a circular stone platform with a small bridge-like path connecting it to the trail she was walking upon. The strange thing was, it was floating upon water. At the head of the platform was an eerie gate. It was opened, and at the top of it was a rose; the rose that was the school signet.
Groaning, Kyoko shoved her lunch into her mouth as she sat by herself in the magnificent cafeteria. So far, life was not pleasant. Her classmates, in her view, were all complete dolts, with the exception of perhaps two or three. She remembered the one boy who stared at her the whole three periods, even while the professors exchanged classrooms. Sure, he was good looking, but did he have to stare like that??? Heaving another groan, she drank down her cup of tea. As soon as she was done, she would run off to the library, away from everyone. And, especially, away from Keisuke Itoh.
Leafing through old newspapers from the mid-eighties, Kyoko could not find a thing about Utena Tenjou. She was almost ready to give up until a yellowed sheet shoved beneath a large box caught her eye. Shoving aside the box, she saw a newspaper with the title "Girl Found in Coffin: Suicide Attempt?" The picture under the title clearly was a picture of Kyoko when she was eight years old. However, she certainly didn't live during this period. As Kyoko squinted closely at the fine print, she noticed the caption of the photo. Utena Tenjou. Kyoko gasped. Scanning through the article, she eventually found something shocking. One of the people that were interviewed was her mother.
"Sakura Kaoru? That's Mother..." Kyoko trailed off as she sensed a shadow approaching. What kind of annoying idiot was it now? In her old school, she sure attracted a lot of people, but none of them was bold enough to really declare their love for her. Sighing audibly, she turned around.
"Hello, Kyoko!" Keisuke Itoh beamed with an "I-caught-you-now" look on his face. Kyoko greeted him less kindly. She couldn't ever have a moment of peace, could she?
"Keisuke, please, I would rather that you didn't bother me right now."
"You know, you should be pleased that I'm paying attention to you. You don't know how many girls are crowding around the library windows."
"Well, why don't you go greet them, instead? And leave me alone?" Kyoko felt a bit guilty being so rude, but what could she do? She wanted him gone.
"You underestimate the weight my words carry around here."
"You know what? I don't give a damn. If you have to bother me, do it tomorrow."
"You could be the queen of the campus if you were with me. Even if you appeared by my side, it would still boost your popularity."
"I know what you're saying, okay? I know how unpopular I am. I like it that way, UNDERSTAND?" Kyoko felt her patience wearing away. If this unpleasant little vermin didn't leave soon, she would give him a taste of her fist.
"Kyoko, you hate change, don't you?" Keisuke had an incredulous look on his face.
"What's your freaking problem? How annoying can one little stupid rodent get?" If Keisuke didn't leave soon, Kyoko was going to kick him, as well as punch him. She waved her fist menacingly.
"All right, all right, I'm going!" Keisuke backed off warily, eyeing Kyoko's fist. "But
I'll be back..." Kyoko gave the boy a furious glare, and then turned back to her newspaper article. Why was it hidden like that? Then, she remembered the look on Akio's face when he and Anthy were discussing Utena (or so it seemed). He was tense, as if she was a danger to him. This school is so baffling, Kyoko thought. How many mysteries were she supposed to solve? And where in the world was the Dueling Arena?
Huffing and puffing, Kyoko ran, trying to find the Dueling Arena, and at the same time, trying to escape the mob of girls chasing after her with clubs in their hands.
"How dare you treat Keisuke-sama like that!"
"Don't you know how mean you're being?"
"You witch! You bitch!"
"You're-you're frigid!!!!"
Glancing backwards worriedly, Kyoko ran faster. Throwing back a quick glance, she retorted, "Just shut up, all of you! That boy's brainwashed all of you. Jeez, you are all so stupid!" The mob became angrier and waved their clubs higher. One maniac screamed a war cry. Gulping, Kyoko pushed her legs to the limit as she jumped over a high fence and ended up landing all mangled on a bush. The furious Keisuke-fan club yelled their triumph and after much gloating, stalked away. Uttering a string of dirty words, Kyoko pushed herself back up.
"Where the heck am I?" She asked herself as she laid her eyes on a large mass of dark trees. "I didn't know that there was a forest in this school. Oh well, might as well go in. For all I know, those obsessed idiots could run out of people to mob and decide to come back for me." She slowly walked into the heart of the forest.
However, as she got deeper and deeper into the forest, she suddenly encountered a circular stone platform with a small bridge-like path connecting it to the trail she was walking upon. The strange thing was, it was floating upon water. At the head of the platform was an eerie gate. It was opened, and at the top of it was a rose; the rose that was the school signet.
