Hello friends! As promised, here is the first chapter of the newly written Raimon's Samurai! First off, I apologize for the formatting... I forgot how weird it is on this website! Please check out Ao3 later if you prefer that website!
Anyways, please enjoy!
Chapter 1:
Staring out the window, I tried to feel more positive about the car ride and ignore the creeping sense of doom. The early morning air is chilly; yet crisp. The sun was shining, warming my face and the breeze was lazily blowing by. I was so attuned to the moment I could even hear the birds chirping in the distance despite the hum of the traffic around me.
Honestly, it was pretty lovely… and it would be more enjoyable if I wasn't stuck in a car with my father and mother. Instead of being in this metal death trap with Japan's slowest driver, I'd rather walk or ride a bike to school. It would be a lot safer...and, perhaps, a bit more relaxing. Nervously, I picked at the bandages wrapped around my hands to calm myself.
"Ren-chan?" Hearing my name, I stopped messing with the bandages and glanced at my mother, Hatake Ayame, "Are you excited to start school?" she asked me in a solemn voice. My father, Masamune Date, glanced at me from the rearview mirror when she asked me her question.
I put on my best smile to put her at ease. "Of course," I assured her, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I'm just a little nervous that I'm going to be behind the other students." I fiddled with the strap of my sword case. Perhaps I'm just a bit more nervous than I thought. Last time I attended a public school was for kindergarten… By age seven, I was homeschooled.
Mother was quick to reassure me that everything would be fine and that since I'm a fast learner I would catch up quickly. It was nice to hear this point after spending the last couple of years being homeschooled by my grandfather. He did his best, but that man has martial arts on the brain 24/7!
"I wouldn't worry too much," Father chimed in, turning down the road towards the school. "Raimon Jr. High is a good school and we can vouch for that… being alumni ourselves." I just nodded in response, and turned my attention to the window staring mindlessly at the scenery sliding by. Everything should be fine, right? A few moments later, Father pulled next to the curb and I hop out; pulling my bags over my shoulders.
From the front gate, I waved goodbye to my parents. Mother had wanted to walk me in, but I declined, stating that I would be fine on my own. It was sweet that she wanted to walk with me… but the thought of her coming with me was a little embarrassing.
Breathing in deeply, I slipped my school bag over one shoulder and my sword case over the other. Slowly, I made my way past the front gates. Some students glanced at me as they walked by, but no one tried to talk to me. That was fine by me. It would be easier to get a general sense of the school's layout if I wasn't distracted. So far, it seemed the grounds were standard for a junior high… at least from what I had seen in dramas. Although, thinking about it, I don't think it's common to have a sports field smack-dab in front of the school. But what do I know?
Asking an older looking student for some directions, I made it to one of the staff rooms to meet up with my homeroom teacher, Suzuki-sensei. When I got to the closed door, I tentatively tapped on it quietly. The door opened and I got my first glimpse of my teacher. A young woman with short brown hair and pretty amber eyes.
After a brief introduction, she introduced me to the other two teachers in the room; Fuyukai-sensei and Sugata-sensei before she led me down the hall to where I would learn later, the second-year classrooms were situated. Making small talk on the way, I'm sure to put me at ease, she talked about the various clubs the school offered the students and specifically mentioned the kendo club. I smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. However, there was NO way I would be joining a martial arts club, much less Kendo!
"Alright, here is our class 2-A," Suzuki-sensei said, stopping next to the classroom door. "Are you ready Masamune-kun?" I nodded and she opened the door. She stood back and let me walk in first. Following behind me, she closed the door and walked over to the podium. I nervously slowed and stopped to stand next to her. Most of the class didn't seem to notice us and continued their conservations. A few girls, who did see us come in, kept glancing at me and giggling. Was there something on my face? "Class," Suzuki-sensei began speaking in a quiet but firm voice. "We have a new student today."
A deathly silence fell upon the room and all eyes shot toward me. Sensei handed me some chalk to use and directed me toward the chalkboard and told me to introduce myself.
"My name is Masamune Ren," I said, carefully keeping my back to the room and writing the kanji on the board. After I finished my name, I turned back around to bow to my new classmates, "It's very nice to meet you." I said, making sure I gave my most charming smile. My mother had told me earlier to make a good first impression and to not look like my stern-faced father–who had agreed with her.
Immediately, my peers started whispering to each other as though I wasn't even in the room and I had no choice but to listen in. A few classmates were talking about my appearance, the point of the bandages on my hands or about how cute I was while others were whispering about my sword case… which they thought was for kendo. I heard one guy, a brunette wearing an orange headband, ask his neighbor if I played soccer. The neighbor, a boy with platinum-blond hair, only shrugged.
"Are there any questions for Masamune-kun?" Suzuki-sensei asked and... damn, nearly every hand shot up. Sensei pointed to a girl with short brown hair. She asked about the case on my back. Do I really want to tell them? I thought to myself. I mean, as a member of the Masamune family, I have the right to carry my sword anywhere. Also the headmaster of the school gave me written and verbal permission to have it at school. Ah, screw it… I'm used to people being afraid of me.
"It's a katana," I said, "And I do have permission to carry it." I said in a somewhat belligerent tone. My classmates showed mixed reactions, but most of the reactions seem positive. No one showed any signs of being scared, so I thought that that was a good sign.
Next, Sensei pointed to the guy with the orange headband. A giant grin enveloped his face as he asked me if I played soccer. His seat neighbor and another boy, who–I noticed distractedly–had really pretty aquamarine hair, sighed at the same time. They must be friends… how nice.
I haven't been able to play in the last couple of years since I was training with Grandfather, but I used to play quite often with my old friends. "It's been a couple of years, but I do play." I told him. My answer made him grin broadly. He turned to his friends to whisper excitedly.
"Alright, one more question and then we have to move on." Sensei said and she pointed to another girl in the front row. The girl asked, in a timid voice, where I used to live. I didn't know how to answer her. The Masamune family compound doesn't really fall in any town limits and is pretty much a town all of its own. I didn't want them to know that though because people tend to treat me differently when they find out that I'm from that Masamune family. So I just responded that I'm from Chiba. Thankfully they all seemed to accept that answer.
Sensei finally directed me to my seat. I was to sit next to a guy named Kazemaru. While I was looking for my seat, I saw a hand go up. It belonged to the boy with aquamarine hair. He's seated in the back row with the window seat open to his left. When I took my seat, he smiled at me. Sunshine streamed in from the window behind me, illuminating Kazemaru's brown eyes, giving them a goldish hue and his hair blew gently in the breeze from the open window.
Crap… he's really pretty. It should be a crime to be that pretty. And, I've stared too long. All these thoughts flashed through my head. I smiled back at him and turned towards the front of the room. I hope he didn't notice me staring at him like a creep!
Thank you for reading!