Tokyo-2, Inner District 5
September 25, 2041
Class wasn't anything unusual compared to what he was used to. Luckily the teacher, although acknowledging his presence once informed about it by Hikari at the beginning of class, didn't seem to feel the need to draw attention to him. Which to Kaworu was just fine. The subject matter wasn't far ahead of where he left off at his old school either, but he still made a mental note to do some reading to make sure he wasn't lagging behind. He didn't consider himself a bookworm or anything; his... financial background didn't exactly allow him to be one to begin with.
Pretty much the only books he had beside his school textbooks were small-current electronics manuals he scavenged from a junkyard near his old home. Some people might look down on such things but for him who had no family to financially rely on and only enough of a monthly stipend from the government to keep himself fed, it was the only way. Even the clothes he wore, minus the undergarments, were second-hand at best. Thus, he learned to not be picky with what he had.
It was still going to take him some time to get used to the school-issued tablet, though. Poverty didn't exactly make someone a computer whiz, after all.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of chair legs scraping against the floor as class was dismissed for recess. Before he could go anywhere, though, the boy he'd seen sitting behind him – Suzuhara, he recalled – walked around him and leaned against the edge of his desk. – "So, new guy." – he remarked. – "Fancy seeing you here three weeks late for school. Warp lag?"
"Uh, no. I've never been offworld before."
Just fifty years ago, the mere idea of such a casual conversation between teens would've been laughed at by all but the most fervent believers of science faction. But Second Impact changed everything and not all of it for the worse. To Kaworu Nagisa's generation, the notion of people just like them being able to behold the light and warmth of stars other than the Sun they were born under, of living their lives on alien planets so far away they took weeks to reach even at faster-than-light speeds, was no fiction but hard fact.
So was the fact that Second Impact gave a decisive answer to the centuries-old question of 'are we alone in the universe?'. An answer that ended up killing off a good half of humanity and brought about an almost complete collapse of modern civilization, but also gave the survivors an impetus to take action so that such a thing never happened again.
"Most of us are like that. Me too. Not all, though." – Suzuhara thumbed towards a group of boys at the rear of the classroom. – "That asshole who asked about your hair, Yamada? His family moved to Earth this summer."
"Don't forget the part that you used to know him." – another voice added, this time from a bespectacled boy sitting at the desk behind Suzuhara's who was currently buried in his tablet.
"Ah, that. Yeah, him and I went to the same kindergarten but he moved to the Nereid system before school. His old man's a pilot."
"Military?" – Kaworu asked.
Suzuhara shook his head. – "Nah, civilian. Awful job, if you ask me. I mean, you only get to go home once every few months and are holed up in a cramped tin can the whole time? That sucks. Anyway, how 'bout you? Where'd you come from?"
"Vienna."
A brief silence passed before Suzuhara sheepishly asked – "Uh... where is that?"
A sigh came from Glasses. – "It's in Europe, Tōji. What are you going to geography class for?"
"Are you calling me stupid?!"
"When you say things like that, it kinda goes without saying."
As the larger boy proceeded to give a piece of his mind to Glasses, Kaworu cracked a small smile. It could've been worse, he supposed. All his life, he lived in the same building and went to the same school with the same classmates. He was well and truly a fish out of water now, no idea what to expect. Fortunately however, this place was head and shoulders better than his old neighborhood: both cleaner and friendlier.
Well, except for the trio of upperclassmen gathered around a short geeky-looking boy, evidently a fellow freshman, under the tree in front of the classroom's window. Kaworu noted that the geek really didn't seem to be happy with their company - and when he made a grabbing motion towards one of the others, only to be denied by the other boy holding what looked suspiciously like a school-issue tablet out of reach which caused the other two to break out in racuous laughter, Kaworu quietly stood up and walked off towards the door. – "'Excuse me."
"Bathroom?" – Suzuhara called after him. – "You know where it is?"
"No, but I'll be back in a minute."
Outside, the geek made another unsuccessful attempt at reclaiming the tablet. – "Come on, guys! Give it back!"
"What did you think was going to happen?" – one of the other boys asked in an almost gleeful tone. – "You were practically asking for this, you idiot!"
"Asking for what?"
All turned at the calm question to find Kaworu casually resting his back against the wall between them and the corner of the school building, arms folded over his chest.
"You know him?" – the boy at the forefront of the trio asked.
"No."
"Then get lost."
"Why?"
"Because I said so!"
"You didn't answer my question either." – Kaworu pointed out with a small smirk. – "Why should I?"
The boy shook his head in annoyance before pointing a thumb in the geek's direction. – "Get this: this dumbass here put porn on his tablet and brought it to school."
"It's not porn!" – the geek denied with a red face. – "It's just anime!"
"Uh huh. I saw it." – came the skeptical reply.
"I swear it's not porn!"
"And you three decided to go out of your way to publicly humiliate him over it." – Kaworu guessed.
"Nah, just making him squirm a little." – the bully replied with a shake of his head.
"In front of the whole school?"
"What's it to you, anyway?" – the bully asked, tilting his head to the side. – "You looking for trouble?"
"Not really."
"Then what do you want?"
"For you to stop."
"C'mon, we're just having a little fun!"
"Then have it at the expense of someone who can actually defend themselves." – Kaworu shot back with an edge in his tone. – "Give it back to him and leave him alone."
A moment went by before the trio all guffawed, sharing looks of amused incredulity with each other. – "Unbelievable, this guy..." – the leader muttered to the others before turning back to Kaworu. – "Never seen you around. You some kind of white knight wannabe?"
"No."
"Then what the fuck are you butting into someone else's business for?!"
"I've seen this kind of thing before." – Kaworu replied calmly, unfolding his arms to push himself away from the wall. – "Didn't end well for anyone involved. Leave him alone. For your own sake."
"Or what, Snow White?" – the leader pressed in a clearly unimpressed tone. – "You looking to start something?"
"I'd rather not. There are witnesses." - Kaworu replied casually, pointing upwards with his thumb.
The trio looked up, only to see Hikari leaning out the window to glare at the group, looking anything but pleased.
"Nagisa-kun, are you actively trying to get expelled for fighting in every school you go to?!" – the girl seethed, which promptly turned the bullies a shade paler.
"Actually, I was trying to talk them down." – Kaworu replied, merely raising his voice without looking at her. – "If there was going to be something, I wasn't going to be the one who started it. That being said..." – He turned his attention back to the trio. – "Do we really have to come to blows over this? I didn't have a class rep in my previous school, but I gather she can get us all in trouble if we do."
"You can bet on it!" – came the reply from above.
The trio once again shared looks between each other, suddenly looking much less certain of themselves. – "What do you want?" – the leader finally asked.
Kaworu nodded towards the geek. – "Give his tablet back to him and leave him alone. That's all."
A few seconds went by before the leader tossed the tablet back to the geek and walked away without a word, the other two following him. – "Thank you." – Kaworu called after them. The second they were out of sight, he walked up to their former victim and extended his hand in a silent offer. – "You alright?"
"Y-yeah..." – the smaller boy stuttered. – "T-thanks..."
Kaworu flashed a friendly smile. – "Glad to help. If they bother you again, let me know."
Hikari was already waiting for him at the classroom's doorway by the time he got there. – "I know this is only your first day and I don't have anything against you but if you pick a fight, I will be the first one to call a teacher. So behave!"
"I know and thanks for the timing, by the way." – Kaworu replied with a smile. – "I didn't want to start a fight in the first place, just wanted them to leave that kid alone without incident."
"You should've asked me in that case." – she pointed out.
"Are you some kind of student police or something? We didn't have class reps in my previous school."
"I'm an intermediary between the student body and the faculty." – Hikari replied. – "If the faculty has official business with the class as a whole, I'm the one who conveys it."
"Ah. So if people are causing trouble, you're the one who can do something about it?"
"Not quite, but I can point you towards people who can."
"Okay. Thanks." – With that, Kaworu walked to his desk, uncomfortably aware that half of the class was staring at his back, the other half whispering between themselves while sending occasional glances at him.
"Man, first day and you already got her mad." – Suzuhara murmured as Kaworu sat back down at his desk. – "Gotta be record time. How did you pull that off?"
"Me doing something that ended badly last time." – Kaworu replied, releasing a strained sigh as he stretched. – "Minus broken bones and one hospitalized case of severe blunt force trauma this time around. I don't suppose you've seen anyone else harassing someone?"
Suzuhara raised his hands defensively. – "Hey, I don't even know most people in the school! I only moved here in sixth grade." – He steepled his fingers behind his head and leaned backwards until the backrest of his chair bumped against the edge of Glasses' desk. – "It wasn't exactly yesterday but you could say I know what it feels like to be the new guy."
"Is that why you approached me?"
"Kinda, plus you seemed like an okay guy." – Suzuhara thumbed towards outside. – "What was that about, anyway? You know that kid?"
"Never met him before."
"Then why did you help him out?"
"Did you see anyone else rushing to help him?" – Kaworu asked back.
"Nah."
Kaworu lazily made a 'there you go' gesture. – "That's exactly why."
"...I don't get it."
"Do you have anyone you care about? Sibling, anything?"
"I have a sister."
"If she would've been in that guy's place, what would you do?"
"What kinda stupid question is that? I'd bust their faces in, class rep or no class rep." – Suzuhara made a horizontal slashing motion with his palm. – "Nobody fucks with my sister."
"So if someone picked on her just because she's weaker, you'd help her out?"
"Damn straight."
Kaworu pointed outside, at the spot where his verbal confrontation with the bullies took place earlier. – "And what about those who've got nobody to turn to?"
Suzuhara hummed in understanding before asking - "So you're some kind of good sa... sar..." – He paused to mutter something under his breath.
"Samaritan?" – Glasses offered.
"Yeah, that one."
"No, not really." – Kaworu replied, leaning against his chair's backrest. – "Just a guy who thinks common human decency should be the norm."
Later that day
"...so that's how I met the class rep. And I tell you, she's been riding my ass ever since."
"She's got a problem with you?"
Suzuhara shrugged. – "I honestly have no idea. I think she just enjoys picking on me."
"Or maybe she just wants your attention?" – Kaworu pointed out. – "Maybe she likes you."
"No way. She's just plain evil." – Suzuhara gave him a long look. – "What about you? Don't tell me you got eyes on her or something."
"No, no." – Kaworu waved him off. – "I don't really care about that sort of thing."
"...you gay or something?"
"No. It's just... I'm just not interested. Never really was, to be honest. Why?"
"Eh, was just wondering." - Suzuhara waved dismissively. - "Some of them old folks don't like that kinda thing. Me, I figure it's not my business. I hear some upperclassmen roll that way, though."
Kaworu nodded. - "I know. Same where I came from."
Before moving to Japan, Kaworu usually went home by his lonesome. While he knew pretty much everyone in his old neighborhood, none of them were the 'go home together' kind of acquaintance. Everyone had their little circles As he was about to leave school at the end of the day, however, Suzuhara asked where he lived and upon hearing the answer, offered for the two of them to head out together, explaining that the two of them lived in a similar direction. Hence why the two of them were chatting about inane things while walking home together, as Glasses – whom Kaworu found out was named Kensuke Aida – excused himself to head home on his own, having lived in a different district.
Of course, being engaged in conversation meant Kaworu wasn't quite paying as much attention to everything else. Thus his ears didn't register multiple sets of footsteps coming from behind until a moment before he was rudely turned around and slugged in the face with enough force to knock him straight down to the pavement.
It wasn't anywhere near debilitating, but he still got dazed for a second there, distantly hearing Suzuhara snarl something in Japanese. – "貴様ら放課後にー?!"
Kaworu just shook his head and got back up, recognizing the trio from earlier just as their leader said something to Suzuhara that only seemed to make the latter angrier. He looked between the two as they argued for a short while before interrupting. - "For the benefit of the guy who doesn't speak Japanese, what's your problem?"
"You and your hot shit attitude." – the bully replied. At Kaworu merely raising an eyebrow in response, the boy narrowed his eyes. – "What's the matter? Is your mouth only big when you've got witnesses?"
"No girls to hold your hand, asshole?" - the boy on the leader's left jeered.
Kaworu just sighed and shook his head in annoyance. In hindsight, he should've expected this. He was hoping he left this kind of thing behind, but it seemed like certain kinds of people were simply everywhere in the world.
In this case, the kind whose reaction to having their perceived power and authority challenged was a childish impulse to get back at whoever wronged them, no matter what it took.
"Come on..." – he grumbled, looking the bullies straight in the eye. – "Can't we talk about this?"
"What, scared of getting your ass whooped?" – the third bully jeered.
"No, just trying to keep you from doing something that will end badly."
"Should've thought of that before you decided to run your mouth!" – the leader declared before hitting him.
Kaworu's head was forced to the side by the impact, but he didn't stumble back this time. Nothing moved for a few seconds before Kaworu ever so slowly turned his head back to the front, glaring at the bully who was shaking his aching right hand in discomfort. – "I didn't mean it would end badly for me. Trust me, you don't want to do this."
The bully just scoffed and threw another punch.
It never connected.
Kaworu's right hand snapped up and grabbed the incoming fist head-on just a few centimeters away from his nose. Before anyone could process what just happened, his other hand grabbed the underside of the bully's upper arm just short of the armpit and with an almost casual gesture, Kaworu effortlessly hefted the other boy up into the air and tossed him over his shoulder like a pillow.
The other two bullies reflexively took a step back, suddenly looking a lot less confident as their leader hit the pavement behind Kaworu with a panicked yelp.
Suzuhara was on the verge of rushing to Kaworu's aid when the latter stopped him with a firm raise of a hand. – "I got this." – Kaworu assured him before directing his attention back at the bullies, taking no action other than hanging his arms at his side in a neutral posture.
The two looked uncertainly at their leader who was still trying to get up from the ground after hitting it headfirst, then glanced uncertainly at each other.
Then they charged in at the same time.
Kaworu simply shoved the first one aside using the latter's momentum before the boy could get a firm grip on his shirt, then slapped aside the second's punch forearm-to-forearm before driving his other fist straight into the other boy's stomach. It was only a momentary reprieve before arms encircled him from behind in a bearhug, the leader of the trio having evidently decided to rejoin their company while the second bully grabbed a handful of Kaworu's hair and hit him in the side of his head.
Not that it really mattered; as soon as the third bully tried to come at him from the front once more, Kaworu swiftly kicked him between the legs, sending the boy stumbling back with a shrill scream while Kaworu forcefully drove his elbow into his captor's ribs to free himself. Bully number two only managed to hit him a second time before Kaworu hooked his left leg around the bully's and yanked the latter's right out from under him, causing the boy to let go and tumble to the ground.
By the time the leader once again tried coming at him, Kaworu well and truly had enough. Backhanding away the bully's attempt to grab him, he grabbed the scruff of the bully's head and forcefully bent him over, brutally kneeing in the stomach once, twice, three times. – "You... stubborn... idiot!" – he seethed, lifting the green-faced bully by his clothes before whirling around and bodily throwing him into the third member of the trio who was still stumbling around cradling his crotch, knocking the latter straight off his feet and sending both teens tumbling on the pavement for several meters from the force of the impact.
Straightening up, Kaworu smoothed his shirt out and walked straight up to the leader who was messily and violently throwing up onto the curb, some of it splashing onto the companion he was trying to untie himself from.
"You see now?" – he said, hauling the bully up by the front of his shirt to look him in the eye. – "This is what I was trying to spare you from. I'm not the kind of person who picks on someone weaker than him, but I don't tolerate it from other people either. And I come from a much rougher neighborhood than this, so me not wanting to get into a fight doesn't mean I can't defend myself."
He let go of the bully and stood up.
"Don't try this again. And don't go after that kid in school either. Just go home and leave it be."
With that, Kaworu walked away, Suzuhara trailing him in silence.
It was only a few minutes later before Suzuhara spoke up. – "Why did you tell me to stay out of it?"
"Didn't want you getting hurt on my behalf." – Kaworu replied tersely.
"I would've helped."
"And they would've come after you in return."
"I'm not exactly fragile myself, you know. But... I see your point." – Suzuhara conceded. – "I don't think I'd have been able to take all three of them on at once. How did you do that, anyway?"
Kaworu just made a dismissive gesture. – "Rough neighborhood. Scuffles with other kids who tried to pick on me because of what I look like. That one time when I kicked a wannabe burglar out of my place. Wasn't easy this time, though."
"Because there were three?"
"No. I was holding back."
Suzuhara gave Kaworu a flat look. – "...that was 'holding back'?"
"Lost my temper a bit at the end, didn't mean to hit him that hard. Last time I did that is why I'm here in the first place."
"What do you mean?"
Kaworu pointed a thumb behind them. – "Those three? The son of my previous school's principal and his gorillas were just like that. They were taking protection money from younger kids."
"Seriously?!" – Suzuhara's tone was one of someone who was clearly having a hard time fathoming what he just heard.
Kaworu nodded. – "Didn't even need the money, but did it all the same. Even threw around his dad's position to scare others into doing what he wanted. I told him exactly what I thought of it and just like these three, he took exception to being told what he shouldn't do."
"And?"
"Let's just say that their injuries were a little more extensive. Enough to get them hospitalized, the police involved and me expelled."
Suzuhara winced in sympathy. – "Ouch."
"I didn't want to hurt them, I just wanted them to stop."
"Can't imagine your parents being pleased about it."
"I don't need to worry about that, I don't have parents."
The other teen gave Kaworu an awkward look. – "Did... they... die, or... something?"
"Don't know." – Kaworu replied with a shrug. – "I don't even remember them. Always lived alone. All the money I ever had came from the municipal office and it wasn't much."
"Man, that's rough."
"Think of it this way." – Kaworu supplied. – "If you grow up lacking something, it's easier for you to feel for those in the same situation than if you had anything you could want. Well, for some people at least. Others just take it as an excuse to want others to be in the same situation as them. Nobody deserves this kind of thing, so I don't think it's too much to ask for people to have some common decency towards each other."
"That's why you helped that kid?" – Suzuhara asked.
"Uh huh. I don't want anything from him, I just don't want to see him trampled just because he's less fortunate." – Kaworu looked back for a moment, unsure of why he felt like someone was watching him, before continuing. – "The strong shouldn't hurt the weak. They should help the weak become strong so that they can help others in turn. Otherwise what's the point of being strong in the first place?"
Suzuhara chuckled. – "Are you going to be a charity worker, or politician, or something?"
"I'm not the leader type. I just do what I think is right, you know?"
"Charity worker, then?"
Kaworu shrugged. – "Maybe. I don't know."
They walked together for a few more minutes before Suzuhara paused at an intersection. – "Well... guess this is where I'm splitting off. Unless you'd feel safer if I stayed?"
"No, I'll be fine. But thanks for the offer anyway."
"See ya tomorrow."
"You too, Suzuhara."
"Just call me Tōji." – Suzuhara called back over his shoulder as he was walking off to the right of the direction they arrived from. – "You're an alright guy."
As Kaworu continued on his journey home, he missed the lone figure perched atop the concrete fencepost he just passed. The blue-haired girl's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she silently observed him from her vantage point, just before a truck passed by her.
By the time the vehicle moved past the fencepost, she wasn't there anymore.
Chapter re-re-rewrite complete on 15/03/08, hopefully for the last goddamn time. Minor changes on 20/03/18 for consistency purposes.
There were many personalities I went through while planning Kaworu's character; inspirations ranged across a quite wide range. Then I realized: I don't actually need to alter his personality all that much, as he already has what I wanted. He's mostly the same Kaworu the readers know, with minor alterations. First, he spent his entire life among humans, so his mannerisms and thought patterns are completely human; no cryptic references are to be expected. Second, he grew up on his own and learned to look out for himself, so he's got a healthy dose of streetwise thinking.
Essentially, he's an ordinary teen version of Kaworu. As ordinary as he can get, that is. But he IS still humble and friendly Kaworu, not a completely different character with the same name.
