I wanted to make this longer but again, this is 12 pages. well, at least I have the character introductions out of the way.

The nearest place is the storage room, so I decide to head there first. As I approach the wooden door, I notice voices from inside. I can't help my curiously. Carefully and slowly, I open the door to peek inside. A boy with maroon hair and a girl with an orange mohawk seem to be arguing.

"You are the biggest idiot I've ever met if you seriously think that's going to work. And that's saying something."

"Oh shush, what do you know about this? You spend 90% of your life on a dumb computer."

"First of all: I know all hell of a lot more things than you think. Second, that- WAIT WHO IS THERE!?"

The boy and the girl who were arguing jump up in shock when the door creaks just too much. The girl stumbles back, accidentally pushing a box full of pulleys off the rack. The box comes crashing down, the pulleys falling out and making the loudest of sounds.

"What the hell! Why are you spying on us!?" The boy shouts angrily at me when he realizes I'm not in fact a guard. I don't have time to answer, because a guard rushes towards us.

"What is…oh, the pulleys. Now, what are you doing in here?" The guard crosses his arms when he sees the box lying on the ground. "I hope you three have a good explanation."

Wha- Why is he accusing me too!?

"I didn't do anything!" I protest. "I just walked by when that box fell down!"

Seemingly believing me, he turns to the other two. The boy opens his mouth to speak, but the girl is earlier.

"We were just curious what was in here, you know. I need more decorations in my room. But then he screamed, and I tipped over the box. It's not my fault he spooked me."

As the guards looks over to the boy, I can see he is struggling. "I tried to get her out of here, since I know we aren't supposed to be in here. But she was too stubborn. I thought that girl was a guard and that gave me a bit of a shock."

The guard narrows his eyes, but then he shrugs it off. "You better get out of here and watch your steps. The next guard may not be so relent as I am."

The boy looks guilty and immediately dashes out of the room. The girl shrugs, but exits the storage room too. The guard pulls the door close and walks away, continuing his patrol.

"Jeez, you were no help." The girl sneers at me.

"What the fuck was I supposed to say then. 'Hello mister guard, I heard these two were talking pretty suspicious.' Be glad I didn't mention you might have been talking about es-"

"Don't mention that word here." The boy interrupts me. "You might get us in trouble. I'm already sour about the fact I almost had to lie, I don't want to get in trouble after all of that."

The girl rolls her eyes. "Just be glad we got off the hook. In any case, haven't seen you around. New?"

I nod. "I'm supposed to be the last student. I'm fairly sure Toshiya told everyone I would be coming. Come to think of it, how did he even know I was going to arrive?"

The boy pushes up his thin-framed glasses. "Easily. He wouldn't need to be the Ultimate Puzzler to get that since the class is supposed to be consisting out of sixteen students, eight boys and eight girls, and fifteen students had already arrived and introduced each other, there was only one girl left who had to be coming."

Well, that is a reasonable conclusion.

I nod in understanding and the boy grins.

"Well, allow me to introduce myself then. My name is Shinri Fujita. But that's not the best thing. My talent is the Ultimate Critic. Surely you have heard of RedReviews?"

Shinri Fujita / Ultimate Critic

"Huh? That's you?" I ask him surprise. I've heard of him, but I didn't expect him to be so…scrawny. He is so thin, I fear he might collapse any moment. He is very pale too and it doesn't look like he gets much sunlight. He is dressed rather neatly though, with green blocked pants and a button up.

"Surprised? Avatars are often far different from reality. Then again, I'm probably going to update it after I get out of here…"

He starts mumbling to himself and I quickly lose interest. I look at the girl and she rolls her eyes, though she is smiling too.

"Eh, you get used to his geeky rambling."

Shinri immediately stops talking and blushes. "Hey, it's not geeky rambling. Well, actually, it is. Ugh, great job Shinri, you made a fool of yourself again." He grumbles to himself.

The girl chuckles. "Calm down. I'm just teasing you. Besides, you wouldn't have gotten internet famous if it weren't for that geeky rambling, right? Because that's what critics do, right?"

He immediately pushes up his glasses and coughs briefly. "Actually, it's more complex than that. It's also about analyzing the movie or game. Read between the lines, focus on every second. Research things to see if it makes sense. Rewrite the scripts over and over. And then conclude if the movie or game is good or not. Come up with arguments for why or why not the story, characters, setting and more are interesting. And then I still need to film and edit."

The girl laughs. "Now that's what I call a ramble."

Shinri huffs. "You know what, never mind. It's like I'm talking to a brick wall."

"Now a glass wall, that would be more accurate. Whelp, guess I should explain and introduce myself as well. The name's Homura Takenake. I'm the Ultimate Glassblower. Sup?"

Homura Takenake / Ultimate Glassblower

She certainly looks like his complete opposite. Where Shinri was dressed a tiny bit formal, Homura's looks could not be any more informal and then I'm not just talking about her hair. She has piercings in her ears and one in her nose, not to mention she has leather wristbands and quite the number of rings. Her white crop top is ripped on the bottom and decorated with flames, while one strap hangs loosely on her shoulder, showing a red bra strap. Her skirt is a bit short and she is wearing fishnet tights. I doubt she would be able to get more punk than this, despite the lack of black in her outfit.

Damn, she looks awesome.

She notices me looking and strikes a pose. "You like the style? Thought I should go all out before we get stuffed in crummy uniforms. First impression's the most important, amirite?"

"Then you have established yourself as the delinquent of the group." Shinri notes, wearing a small smirk. She mock-crosses her arms.

"Seriously? We have some fucked up people in here and I am the delinquent?"

"Swearing isn't going to help prove your point."

"Dick."

I probably should defuse the situation. Even if they're just teasing. "I didn't expect you'd be a glassblower."

Homura seems briefly caught off-guard, but then she puts her hands on her hips. "Heard that a million times already sweetie. I know this isn't what people think of the girl who makes glass animals, but I don't wanna compromise my style. If people don't like it, they can go suck a dick."

Jeez, what an attitude. I'm a bit jealous of her confidence though, it really helps her look like a badass.

"So, what's your talent then? Ultimate couch potato?" Homura asks, swaying her hips from side to side.

D-do I look like that much of a slacker!?

"No, it's Ultimate 3D Designer!"

"Chill, I'm just joking around. Hey Shinri, you should start flirting with her. You're both nerds!"

"Very funny." He deadpans. "I do respect your talent though, eh…"

"Yurika Heiya. And, eh, thanks?"

He smiles at me. "3D modellers are very important in the entertainment business and I know that it's a tougher job than it looks. So, I very much respect your talent."

I can't help but smile back. "Reviewers do help us criticise our work. Without them, we wouldn't know what we're doing wrong."

Homura chuckles. "See, totally ship it!"

My stupid cheeks immediately heat up from embarrassment. "No!" We both say at the same time, awkwardly glancing at each other when we realize that. Homura sticks her tongue out.

"Forget it, I'm out of here." I grumble as I turn around to leave. I barely pay attention to Shinri's desperate attempts to convince Homura that it's not what it looks like while the girl in question can't stop giggling like a school girl. With a sigh, I turn the corner…

…And run straight into someone else. Oh, come on! This is the third time this day! Universe, give me a rest!

"Need a hand?" A smooth voice asks me. I nod, and grab hold of the hand that's offered to me. It takes me a moment to realize there is a spiked wristband on his wrist. When I look up to the owner of the hand, I see it's not the only thing that's spiked.

Is he…emo?

Spiked collar, ripped grey jeans, spiked belt, black combat boots, ripped black shirt with a pink heart and to top it off, his black hair falls over one of his eyes and has a pink streak in it. Just when I thought no one could dress more alternative than Homura…

The boy laughs. "Sorry for running into you. I just heard someone talking about shipping and-"

"You can stop right there." I cut him off. No, I'm not dealing with this bullshit. "It was all just a stupid joke. No need to worry about that."

His eyes gain a weird glint. One that makes me want to run away. Fast. "Oh really? Then what was that joke about?"

I can feel my stupid cheeks betraying me as they heat up immediately. "W-why do you need to know that? Don't you have anything better to do? Like, practicing your talent or something?"

He chuckles. "My dear, shipping is my talent."

Um, what? "Uhhh…"

"I see you don't understand. Allow me to explain. I have many names. The love guru. The living karma sutra. The lord of shippers. But, I, Ainosuke Nakamura, am known officially as one thing. The Ultimate Matchmaker."

Ainosuke Nakamura / Ultimate Matchmaker

"Ultimate…Matchmaker?" I repeat confused. The boy clicks disappointed with his tongue.

"My, my…and here I thought you would know my name on the internet. How disappointing. All my fame seems to have gone over your head."

Oh god, please don't be as conceited as Mizuki.

"Listen, I don't really care. I may have heard of a blog that was called The Love Guru, but aside from that, I have never heard of you. And quite frankly, if you continue acting like that, I'm sure I don't even want to know of you."

To my surprise, he laughs again. "My, what a fiery tongue you have. Forgive me, I thought an Ultimate 3D Designer would spend enough time on the internet to come across my blog. Oh well, I guess you're not that much of a shipper, are you?"

I shrug, unable to deny. "I guess. I have better things to do with my time. Most things I ship are fictional characters. By the way, doesn't Ultimate Matchmaker imply that you pair up real people together?"

He grins, and a chill goes up my spine. "Why yes, I do. I have been bringing people of all ages, backgrounds and genders together since I was a little boy. I think it's beautiful to see people finding their other half and living their life together in love and harmony. Love is a universal thing that can be found in every corner of history. There isn't anything more intimate and beautiful than two people with compactible personalities entwining their paths in life together and…hey, where did she go?"

Ok, it might have been rude of me to just go up and leave like that, but to be honest, I'm so creeped out I don't want to spend another second listening to his ramblings. Not to mention, he somehow knew I what talent I have despite the fact I never even told him.

As I'm running down the hallways, I decide to stop by the classroom. Hopefully, he decides not to pursue after me. After a few moments of waiting, I conclude he isn't following me and I let out a sigh of relief. Since I'm in the classroom anyway, I might as well inspect it.

The classroom seems rather normal. There are sixteen desks like in any other high school class with a green board that seems wiped clean. Some student probably decided to have fun and then erased their drawing. Moving on, the windows seem normal, if it weren't for the fact that they seem to open from the top. As I come closer, I notice one of the windows is broken. It's held in place with a rope on each side. I look up and reach with my fingers to it.

"BOO!"

I yelp and stumble away, tripping and falling in the process. I rub my sore hand, gritting my teeth in irritation when laughter erupts from above me. A guy with orange spikey hair that couldn't be more anime-looking is laughing is ass off.

"Haha! You should have seen your face! Oh, it was priceless!"

"Very funny." I scoff. "Do you want a sticker now?"

"…Do you really have one? Wait, no, I mean, you need one that says donkey!"

I roll my eyes as I get up. The guy who spooked me is trying to figure out what he wants to say, nervously laughing. When he meets my gaze, he is quiet for a moment before a smile creeps up his face.

"Hel-lo nurse! Are you the Ultimate Cutie?" He asks as he moves closer and cups my chin with one smooth move. "Because you're certainly talented in that aspect."

"Eep!" I shriek as I slap his hand away. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Just going up and doing something like that!? Are you the Ultimate Pervert or something!?"

The guy takes a step back and holds a hand over his chest. "Rejected…again. Ow, and I thought the Ultimate Hottie would score a date here."

"Well, he must not be here then, because I only see the Ultimate Idiot."

To my surprise, he laughs. "Good one! In any case, for reals this time, name's Yuyami Shiai. You probably know me as the Ultimate Hockey Player though."

Yuyami Shiai / Ultimate Hockey Player

I guess I have heard of him. But I'm not going to give him the satisfaction. "Never heard of you."

He immediately crosses his arms. "Liar. Everyone knows me, so you should know me too."

What is he, five? "Sorry to hurt your feelings, Highness."

To my surprise, he grins in return. "I like that name. How about I call you Princess?"

"Wha, no! My name is Yurika!"

"Too bad Princess, you're stuck with that name now. Well, see ya later Princess!" He giggles as he walks out of the classroom. I cross my arms and pout. "Idiot…"

My patience is starting to wear out and so is my energy. Luckily, only three students are left. Now I only need to find them. I open the map on my E-Book and take another look. The laundry room, the cafeteria and the rooftop are left. Since the laundry room is the closest by, I head for it next.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"

There is a guy with long dark green hair in the laundry room with his hair stuck in one of the machines. He angrily kicks it, but naturally, that doesn't help him one bit.

"Let fucking go!" He yells, but his hair refuses. Against my better judgement, I approach him. "You look like you need help."

He glances at me, yellow eyes filled with rage. "You look like you need to fuck off!"

Ok, question to myself: do I really want to talk to another asshole again? I turn around to leave while the guy keeps cursing like a sailor. I'm almost out of the room when I stop. Curse you, conscience!

I spin around with a deep sigh and walk straight at him. I kneel next to him and try to unwrap his hair out of the two pieces of metal he somehow got it stuck in. He realizes what I'm doing after a few seconds. "Just…fuck off. I can do this myself."

With one last sharp tug, I free him. He stumbles back a bit and falls down, hissing over the pain of having his hair ripped out. "Aw…you didn't even fucking listen. I could have freed myself. I don't need…"

I've heard enough. This time, I'm really done with him. With one last glare, I turn around.

"Woah, wait! Hey, don't fucking…hey, stop!" He yells at me. Surprised, I look over my shoulder. He looks at the ground, as if he isn't sure what to say. "…Thanks, I guess."

His words turn into mumbles, but I get he is trying to apologize. I think he is. At least he isn't as bad as Isamu.

"What's your name?" He changes the subject. He is still red from embarrassment. "Yurika Heiya. Ultimate 3D Designer." I answer.

"…Name's fucking Tomoe Yamamoto. Talent's the Ultimate Geologist. Laugh and I'll kill you." He says as he stands up, straightens his back and crosses his arms.

Tomoe Yamamoto / Ultimate Geologist

Now that he has stood up, I can see just how tall and muscular he is. He could have easily passed for a bodybuilder or a wrester, so I'm left wondering why his talent isn't related to sport. Although, his tank top and cargo pants look dirty and worn, like he has walked through forests and mountains with them.

My mouth is faster than my brain. "Damn, you're muscular."

He turns his head away. "Whadda thought? That I'd be a scrawny nerd like Shinri? Fuck that. Geology's fucking hard without strength, stamina and equipment. Especially when your specialty's mines and mountains."

"I didn't know there were specialties within geology." I quip, casually interested.

"It's not exactly specialties, but since geology's as broad as the fucking earth, you do get stuck on certain subjects. Many non-geologists take geology because it's helpful to their field, like urban planning and environmental studies." He explains. I nod along.

"I'm the only 3D Designer I know, so I really don't know what kind of specialties are in my field, but I think that's pretty cool."

Even though he isn't facing me, I can see his cheeks heating up. He quickly changes subject. "You mean you are self-taught?"

I'm not sure if he notices the glint in my eyes, but honestly, I don't care. "Yup, totally! Came across a demo of a 3D program and I got hooked. I used my own experiences and YouBlue as a teacher."

He briefly looks at me, smiles a little and then walks away. "Then you must know enough about being on your own. Take care."

I stare as he disappears from the doorway. I'm starting to feel very, very tired. This day needs to be over. ASAP.

Despite that, I walk out and try to see if I can spot the last two students. When I approach the cafeteria, I see Yuyami standing just outside of it. The moment he spots me, he winks at me. No, no, no, no! I am not dealing with more of his bullshit!

I storm away before he can even think of following me. I spot the door to the staircase and quickly dash into it. There I wait.

Nothing.

Relief washes over me like water. I look at the staircase. Might as well, perhaps when I'm down that asshole has left the cafeteria. Plus, I might spot the last two students.

And so, against my better judgement, I start climbing.

…

…

…

…

This was a bad idea.

My legs are on fire, my lungs are on fire. Scratch that, my entire body hurts, and the stairs are still going! Seriously, just how huge is this place? There are doors on every level, but all of them are locked. I can't give up until I have explored every part of the facility though.

I stop to rest my burning legs and take a few minutes to breathe. My heart is overclocking, and I need to calm it down. I finally manage to steady my breath by listen to the soft tunes of a violin.

Huh? Where is that music coming from?

Powered by my curiosity, I start to climb again. My perseverance is rewarded as I soon enough reach the roof. The music has increased in volume. I open to the door and immediately see the source of it. A beautiful girl is playing, as the wind plays with her light green hair and elegant cloths. I can't help but stare in amazement as the melody she plays enraptures me. I don't even notice how cold it is up there.

Eventually though, she stops playing and it's like a spell has been broken. I shiver from the cold wind that cuts through my jacket like it's nothing. The girl spots me and comes running at me.

"Oh, are you cold? You can have my coat if you want to."

I wave her off. "Nah, I'll be fine. I'm going downstairs soon enough anyways. I just wanted to check the roof."

The girl tilts her head. "Why would you do that?"

"Then I know where it is in case I miss the group going to the roof."

"Oh, that's makes sense. I hadn't come up with that myself. I thought everyone already knew where the rooftop is. Some of did went in groups together to explore."

"Yeah, but I came dead last so I'm doing the exploring by myself. I'm Yurika Heiya by the way, what is your name?"

The girl raises an eyebrow in confusion before her eyes goes wide with shock. "Oh, that's right, I haven't met you yet! I am Ekorin Fuuto, the Ultimate Violinist."

Ekorin Fuuto / Ultimate Violinist

Figures…

Silence falls between the two of us. Looks like neither of us know how to advance the conversation. Eventually, Ekorin speaks up. "Do you like music?"

I'm a bit caught off-guard, so I take a moment to think about the question. "Of course, I like music. It helps me concentrate whenever I'm working. Personally, I like lyric-free music best because it doesn't distract me."

Ekorin's orange eyes sparkle when I finish talking. "Oh my gosh, and I thought that everyone here was barbaric!"

Wait, what?

She doesn't seem to notice my look as she continues to ramble on. "Everyone here has such disgusting tastes. Rap, hiphop, disco, pop, jazz…none of them are anything compared to true music! Classical music is the only kind of music we need and everything else is trash. Honestly, what is going through their minds? Ugh, I seriously hope they are not as barbaric as their music tastes. Yuyami is such an example. He actually thinks rap is nice to listen to? I'd rather listen to an out of tune piano. And don't get me even started on Homura. Apparently, metal is 'cool'. Hmfp. At least I'm glad someone has taste." She says with a disgusted look on her face.

"Uh, yeah, whatever." I probably shouldn't tell I meant battle themes in games…

"Tsk, I'll just show them. I'm sure they will change their minds after I give a beautiful concert. I just need to get the guards on my side…"

At that point, she just goes on and on and her voice starts to sound like white noise. Meanwhile, I'm still very cold and I fear if I stay here any longer, I'll die of hypothermia.

"Look." I interrupt. "I'd love to hear more about your concert, but I'm freezing here so I'm going downstairs."

Ekorin blinks for a moment, before she smiles as brightly and innocently as before. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have rambled so much. I'm going to stay here and practice a bit more, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure."

I quickly head back to the staircase and go downstairs. Luckily, going down is easier than going up, but despite that, I honestly want nothing more than to dive in bed and sleep. Maybe get something from the cafeteria…

Speaking of it, looks like Yuyami left. Good. Now let's grab a bite, find the last student and-

Before I can even finish my sentence, Yuyami slams the door in my face. I yelp in pain and fall backwards. Yuyami's annoying laugh is agitating. And right there, something inside me snaps.

"Yuyami, you fucker!" I yell as I charge at him.

Huge mistake. I am anything but athletic. Yuyami has a talent in a sport. And so, he swiftly dodges my fist…and the rest of my body. The momentum is still there though, but with nothing to fall forward to, the first place I end up is the floor.

"Wow, and here I thought I had to try." Yuyami mocks me from above. I feel nothing more but seething rage, empowering me to get up and retry.

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't be attacking someone who already dodged my attack the first time in the exact same manner.

Again, he dodges, but this time my foot gets stuck behind a tripping wire and I fall face first onto the wet floor. Wait, wet floor? And why does it smell like soap?

A gym shoe presses on my butt, but I don't have time to shriek as he uses his foot to slide me over the slippery floor.

"Away you go!"

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

BANG! Looking on the bright side, slamming against the wall did make me stop. Careful not to slip, I place my hands on the wall and slowly try to get up.

If I only knew the worst had yet to come.

Everything suddenly gets cold. Water rains down on me. It pours. A quick, ice-cold and unwelcomed splash envelops me, and I feel nothing more than a poor baby animal who just learned to stand. I can't find the strength in my legs to keep standing and I sink rather pathetically back to the ground.

"Just admit it, this is much better than what you came up with." A female voice rings out above me. I slowly turn around to see the cockiest woman on the entire planet. Her chair is standing on a table, so she can look down on me with her cold, light pink eyes. Though her smile may look sweet, her arrogant posture and tone paint a very different picture.

"Yeah, that was hilarious. Seriously, her face when you dumped the bucket on her! Priceless!" Yuyami laughs in the distance. The girl makes a small mock bow and throws the bucket in his direction. "I know. My plans are foolproof."

She crosses her legs and leans slightly more back in her chair, as if it is a throne, and as if she owns the place. "Now, come on, introduce yourself, number sixteen, before I get bored and decide to figure it out on my own."

"I wouldn't mind a bit more respect, missy." I growl at her. My patience is wearing very, very thin.

The girl mocks a gasp, placing both gloved hands on her cheeks. "Oh my gosh! Someone who talks back! Someone who demands respect from the genius girl!" She exclaims, mockery coating her otherwise sweet voice.

"Says the one…who talks like she's a queen…"

The girl leans in a little closer. "Well, out of all the people here, that might not be too far off."

I can't help but raise an eyebrow at her statement. "Really now?"

She crosses her arms and legs and pouts. "Tsk, and I thought a computer nerd like you would know all about me. Allow me to enlighten you. I am the Ultimate Strategist. And my name…is Rea Yunako.

Rea Yunako / Ultimate Strategist

"Wait, what? You are a Yunako!?" I shout in surprise. Well, my voice isn't very loud due to the fact I'm tired as fuck, but my message doesn't fall on deaf ears. I cannot believe she is part of one of the most successfull and richest families in Japan.

"Yup, pureblood Yunako. The black sheep of the family." She proudly says, flicking one of her light brown loose braids.

She definitely could have fooled me if it weren't for the expensive looking black poncho and the golden earrings…

Aside from those items, she looks very generic. She is wearing a grey sailor school uniform and pink leggings. I notice she has a crown clip in her hair.

"…You have to be lying."

She shrugs. "You'll realize I'm not soon enough. Shame though, I thought computer nerds would know all about me."

I want to shoot back an insult when I realize something. "Wait, how did you know my talent involves a computer?"

Rea grins. "I didn't. But you're wearing comfy cloths that seem much more suited for indoors, so I'll take you prefer to stay inside. From there, the chance of you being a computer nerd is fairly high. So, thank you for confirming!"

Her laugh is annoying and snobbish, and it makes me want to punch her. But the moment I try to get up, I fall back on my knees. Dammit! I'm too weak to stand up, let alone do anything!

"Well, well, well, looks like at least someone knows how to give the right amount of respect. No need to call me miss or madam or anything like that, but I do appreciate the bowing." She continues. In the background, I can hear Yuyami sniggering.

"You…damn…bitch…" I mutter, but no matter how much I try to get up, I'm just too tired.

"That's enough!" A voice rings out. I turn around and see to my surprise Hanako in the doorway. Yuyami eyes goes wide. He takes a step forward, but…

Bang! "Aw…it is slippery…"

Hanako ignores him and skates over to me. She skillfully and quickly puts her shoulder under my arm and pulls me up.

"Jerk, do you have nothing better to do?" She scowls at Rea, how innocently laughs. "Me? A jerk? But it was just a harmless prank. Jeez, how are you going to survive in the real world if you can't take a little joke?"

"By being a decent human being, unlike you!" Hanako retorts.

"By being a little goody-two-shoes, you mean? My, what a bad idea. Don't you know, good intentions can be bad you know? I mean, look at little geek here. All on her own, probably feeling bad being stuck here and with little confidence. So, I try to lift her spirits with a little prank and give her a chance to stand up for herself. And now you ruined it. How will people ever learn stand up for themselves when other people do it for them?" Rea says, toying with her braid.

She's partially right. And I hate it. And from the looks of it, Hanako thinks the same thing. She looks confused for a moment, but then she shakes her head and glares at her. "You're just trying to trick me, you evil-!"

"What's going on here?"

Noriko looks at us, crossing her arms, swinging her hips back and forth and looking very displeased. When she sees me in my weakened state, she gasps a little, before her stare hardens. "Alright, who made the cafeteria into a slippery slope?"

I don't know how she did it, but suddenly, Rea looks like the most innocent person on the planet. "Yuyami, miss. I've been stuck here for a while on this table."

"And poor Yurika's fallen down." Noriko finishes. Before any of us can do a thing, Noriko gracefully leaps over a puddle onto a safe spot near the hockey player (which is impressive as fuck) and grabs him by the ear. He whines in pain while Noriko drags him out.

"Looks like you will be on cleaning duty today." Noriko hisses. Yuyami tries to protest, but he keeps slipping and whining in pain. It so pathetic I can't even bring myself to laugh. Once they're out of hearing range, Rea salutes. "Press F to pay respects."

Hanako shoots a dirty look at her. "That's so low, letting your friend take the fall for you!"

Rea shrugs. "I never said he was my friend. Besides, he is the one who wanted to associate with a Yunako. He better pays the damn prize."

"You're a heartless monster." She shoots back. The trickster leans in. "Tell me something new."

Hanako opens her mouth to fire another insult back at her, but she stops when she feels me tugging on her sweatband. "Oh, oops. Sorry, I'll bring you to the dormitory, okay?"

I nod, and she starts heaving me away from the cafeteria. "Sleep tight! Don't let the bed bugs bite! Or anything else for that matter!" Rea taunts after us. I hear Hanako growling, and I don't blame her.

Luckily, we don't meet anyone on our way to the dormitory, save for guards who are clearly too disinterested to help us. Both Shinri and Isamu are reading a book at the table inside the dormitory building, but they seem too engrossed in their books to notice us.

When we reach the stairs to the second floor, I see that Hanako is clearly worn out. "You can take a break. I'm sure I can get up these stairs myself."

She hesitates for a moment, but then shakes her head. "Nah, you're far too tired for that. Don't worry about me, I'm just not used to lifting. My strength lies in my legs, not my arms."

Using the railing, we carefully ascend, until we reach the top. Finally, a guard standing upstairs runs over to me and takes over the hard work. "Well, at least you're not ripping each other's throats out, like the glassblower and the geologist from before."

I decide I don't want to know what happened between them. "I think I can reach my room now." I say to Hanako, who nods in response. "I gotcha fam. I'll be running around a bit more. Well, if I don't see you later tonight, I'll see you tomorrow!"

She starts going down the stairs, her hair flopping a bit with every step she takes. The guard coughs a bit and stares at me. It takes me a moment to realize what she means, but when I do, my cheeks have heated up.

"Oi! Hanako!" I call after her. She stops and looks worried at me. With one deep sigh, I swallow my pride. "Thanks for the help. That was nice of you."

The girl seems to be taken aback a bit, but then she flashes a peace sign. "No worries. Couldn't let you alone with Rea. See ya!"

She runs down and before I know it, she is gone. I feel humiliated for being scowled for such a thing, but at the very least, the guard seems happy now. I trudge into my bedroom and instantly crash onto my bed.

What a day…

Seeing the barred window again forcefully reminds me where I am. And it also reminds me that from tomorrow forward, I will be attending class with these idiots.

Well, it's a good thing some of them seem nice.

On the other hand, it feels hard to believe that half the people I've met today have committed a crime, much less so bad that this was their best option. I take out the handbook and I see it has updated the profiles on each of the students. Name, talent, height, weight and even blood type are filled in, though curiously enough, Isamu's talent is missing. I decide not to ponder on it anymore and throw the handbook on my desk.

This is going to be a long year…

Two chapters for sixteen characters. I feel proud of myself.

Next chapter: This time, the real mystery is introduced, the plot starts to stir...and everyone who knows about the series knows what's coming.