A/N: New re-written chapter. I'm really glad I got this one done. Now, if only I got energy to fix the rest prior restart chapters...
Chapter 13.
Who could have believed that one day she would go to Teitan high school? Not Tsukiko, at least not before the following Monday. But there she was, standing in front of the class 1-B of that school, more or less ready to introduce herself. The teacher of that lesson, Kawaoka, stood next to the blonde girl and had written her name on the black board behind them. Tsukiko was internally grateful that the teacher had written the name and not her. Her kanji writing wasn't anything neat or tidy to look at.
"Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa Okiya Tsukiko desu. Yoroshiku." Tsukiko said and gave a bow to her new classmates. Reviewing some Japanese etiquette on the night before had come handy. While Jodie might not notice discrepancies that easily, now Tsukiko was with other Japanese people. Manga environment might give her some leeway but common courtesy was important. Besides, in this manga, people were highly paranoid and suspicious of each other. Tsukiko certainly didn't need to ring alarm bells for any of them.
The blonde straightened up and noticed a lot of curious stares coming to her direction. Maybe it was normal with any new student but it still felt awkward. When they'd arrived to the school, Jodie had insisted on taking a photo of her in the new school uniform in front of the school and even then Tsukiko had felt like ducking from stares.
"Okiya-san, you can take the seat at the third row. The seat right next to the window." The teacher told her. Tsukiko nodded and made her way to the desk. Window places were her favorite ones even if they screamed 'protagonist'.
The first class went quite well but when the break started, came the moment Tsukiko had been dreading. About everyone (or at least the most curious individuals) gathered around her desk and started pelting her with questions.
"Where are you from?" Kyoto.
"Is that your original hair color?" Yes?
"Do you prefer soccer or baseball?" Neither. Ice skating was the best.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" No.
"What kind of family do you have?" Parents, a brother and a grandmother.
"Why did you choose Teitan?" It was closest and recommended.
Tsukiko tried to answer the questions as soon as they were asked but soon she found herself totally overwhelmed by them.
"Hey, stop it already!" A loud voice yelled, cutting through the chatter that had only increased in volume, and silenced thus the crowd. The source of interruption was a girl with beautiful pitch chestnut colored hair on two braids down her back and a pair of glasses perched on her nose. She was holding a math book in her hand and looked like she was ready to hit indiscriminately anyone and everyone with it. Tsukiko wasn't sure should she call the girl her savior or to duck under her desk.
"Class president, we are so sorry. Did we interrupt your reading?" A boy from the crowd drawled.
"We are so deeply sorry, Miyoshi-sama." Another boy continued with the same unapologetic tone. Judging from their speech, similar hairstyles and overall stance, Tsukiko guessed the two boys were friends and possibly from the same sports club. Maybe Soccer as that was Teitan's strength.
The class president's, 'Miyoshi-sama's', brown eyes flashed dangerously behind her glasses. Her eyes narrowed and then she swung her whole arm and hit both boys on their heads with her book. And it was the book's spine, not one of the covers, which hit them. Both boys went down, holding their heads.
"Ouch… That really hurt…" Tsukiko thought with a wince but wasn't really sorry for them. They were the ones loud and disruptive.
"That wasn't the point this time, Narukami-kun, Morimura-kun." Miyoshi replied to the downed boys. Tsukiko could hear the cold edge that was making everyone present shiver. "You should give Okiya-san more space to breathe and actually chance to answer to your questions. Not to mention staying out of her personal space. And the same goes with you guys!" She pointed at the rest of the class that were still around my desk with her book. Everyone flinched away.
"Tch, you always do as you please, Miyoshi-hime" A third boy said, taking a step forwards. He had tidy and handsome appearance, short-cut black hair swept to the side, and shrewd eyes. He seemed not to respect Miyoshi even though she was the class president. "But if you feel like concentrating on reading, I guess I could take you title and responsibilities then."
"That's not needed. I'm already done with this book, Honda-kôtaishi." Miyoshi gave him a cold smile. The boy, Honda, probably would have replied something scathing back, if the teacher of the next lesson (chemistry) hadn't come in. Everyone hurried back to their seats but continued chatting. It became clear very soon that no one listened during these lessons. And the dynamics just witnessed… Interesting. Tsukiko glanced around with arched eyebrows and was about to lean over her book and start doing the calculations when a new voice addressed her.
"So you noticed it, huh?" A girl's voice spoke up from Tsukiko's right. The bespectacled blonde turned my head to the direction and saw a girl with dark slightly wavy polka hair and light grey eyes sitting next to her. The girl smiled at Tsukiko.
"Yoroshiku, Okiya-chan." She said. "My name is Hanajima Megumi."
"Yoroshiku mo…" Tsukiko replied a bit warily when she noted the way of address. '-chan', not '-san'. "What did you mean by noticing?"
"The main two figures in this class: the first is the class president, Miyoshi Mai-san, who reads on every break, is antisocial and calculative and makes people fear her right-swing. Narukami-kun and Morimura-kun, whom she saved you from, are our class's soccer stars and always teasing Miyoshi-san and not taking her seriously because she is a girl. I bet they have crushes with her though." Hanajima explained with an air of someone used to recite information and gossip.
"I see. Is the second figure the third boy? Honda-kun, was it?"
"Hai. Honda Hiro… He is always competing with Miyoshi-san. Both in academics and for the place of class president. The reason is pretty simple. They used to hang out in junior high (not dating but still more or less together) but because the both are very competitive personalities and quite intelligent too, they broke up after Miyoshi-san won the vote for president. It was only by one vote and afterwards Honda-kun got mad and accused foul play. He said that if he ever manages to beat up Miyoshi-san in any exam, he'd get the place of president."
"I guess that Miyoshi-san accepted the challenge?" Tsukiko smirked in amusement. It was quite obvious from the short exchange of barbs.
"Yes, and hasn't lost yet." Megumi muttered in slight dismay before brightening again. "You are lucky, by the way."
"How so?" There was something about this girl that screamed 'wrong' to Tsukiko. Maybe it was the falseness of her cheer or the duality of her opinion about Miyoshi.
"It seems you caught Miyoshi-san's interest. That's probably the only reason she interrupted her own reading and protected you from that 'question tidal wave'. You can be sure she will continue protecting you. The same thing happened to me."
"…" Tsukiko remained quiet, frowning thoughtfully. She wasn't sure what to say. The class was really weird but also interesting and entertaining. And maybe she could try to make friends with Miyoshi. Definitely not with Hanajima though.
"Is that your original hair color?" Hanajima asked then, interrupting Tsukiko's train of thought.
"H-Hai… I know it's quite blond but…" The dimension traveler stuttered, bringing her hand to her hair and tucking some strands behind her ear. All the while very self conscious of the fact that it as one thing that set her apart from others. No matter if her manners or speech or clothing were perfect and blending in. Her hair would always bring attention to her. Very unlike in back home where blonde hair was perfectly natural and just one color among others.
"This class notices soon all abnormalities in person's appearance or behavior. My eyes drew attention at first since they were so light grey."
"Yes… I noticed." Tsukiko nodded slowly. "Well, I don't know about others but certainly at least you seem to notice everything."
"But now I'm left alone for the most part. Soon you'll be fine too. The first day here is the worst one."
The lesson went on and Tsukiko continued talking with Hanajima. Finally she had to ask the question in her mind.
"Ano… Why no one is listening on that teacher?"
"Because he knows nothing. Or then he knows but is just incapable of teaching anything. I bet even Nakata-kun, the idiot of our class and with the lowest scores, could do better than that teacher."
Tsukiko nodded slowly. Not because she agreed but to show that she was listening. While biased and with veiled insults, Hanajima did provide her a good picture of the situation with her new class.
"Thank you, Hanajima-san. You have helped me a lot."
"You are welcome." The gossiper smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing! Stay away from Toudou-chan's clique. They are real snobs. Always looking down everyone else and thinking they are this class queens. Just looking at them makes me feel sick and-…"
"You have been part of that clique, right? And despite what you say, you haven't really quit either." Tsukiko interrupted her.
"How did you find out?" Megumi seemed shocked. She had been pretending to be impartial with the strife between Honda Hiro and Miyoshi Mai but her hidden expressions and veiled comments said otherwise. Hanajima Megumi did not like Miyoshi Mai. And when she mentioned the clique, she got new fuel to her speech even if her words disagreed with her thoughts. And her role as an observer and gossiper fit perfectly among the stereotypical roles of a 'mean girl' gang. Hanajima Megumi was the blackmailer and the deceiver.
"A good guess." Tsukiko smiled placidly and looked out of the window on her left. It had been so obvious to figure it out from the style Hanajima spoke about them. Seemingly scathing at them but still proud there was a 'club' like that.
"Pretty good guess indeed." Hanajima smiled nervously. Apparently she didn't like her cover being blown up so soon. Had she been deceiving other new students like this too then? Tsukiko glanced around the classroom and her eyes caught a pair of identical heads with identical braids down their backs. The only difference between them was that one of them was quietly chatting with a busty copper-head girl and the other was hunched onto herself.
"… But you should be fine if Miyoshi-san continues protecting you." Hanajima continued but trailed off when she noticed that Tsukiko wasn't listening to her anymore.
"Good." Tsukiko said even though she was sure she could fare just fine, this was just school after all. But she did definitely need to stay on her guard around Hanajima. Any piece of information on her hands could possibly be a weapon to be used against others. Be it a metaphorical or not.
On the floor above, in the class 2-B, were two girls chatting. Their names were Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko.
"But did you hear already? Class 1-B got a new student today." Sonoko told to her best friend.
"Sonoko, how did you find it out? The student didn't come to our class after all." Ran laughed.
"The whole school is talking about it! Poor girl, she went to the problem class…" Ah, so it was because of the class, not because of the student herself.
"I wouldn't call it a problem class." The karate champion frowned.
"Ran, you are too kind-hearted. That class has a big problem. It has about all stereotypes depicted in high school mangas." Sonoko waved the protest aside. Ran sighed.
"You can't be serious."
"First is the class president, Miyoshi Mai-chan, who rules the class with her beauty and intelligence. Then is her rival, Honda Hiro-kun, who is as smart as she is and always throwing a comment to her direction. There is also a snob club ruled by Toudou Yuuko-chan, who looks down everyone else who doesn't belong to that clique. And there are both girls and boys among that group."
"Wow, you know quite a lot about them…"
"After some idiot had the audacity to compare me to them, I had to find out more. And I didn't stop yet."
"There is more?"
"Yeah, in that class there is also two soccer players who are not very smart or good but still considered as stars among the boys. Was it Narukami and Morimura…? And there is also the weird one who is not one of the outcasts flocking behind Miyoshi-chan."
"And what do you mean by the weird one?" Ran frowned.
"The person who knows everything that happens in the class, gives advice to new people and spreads rumors that are actually true if exaggerated and thus actually hurt people. I'm talking about Hanajima Megumi-chan."
"Oh, I think I know her. That girl with dark blue hair and light grey eyes? She seems to be trailing after the… clique you said?"
"Yes, that's her! But I thought her hair was dark green… Maybe it depends on the lightning… Anyways, she is the ears of this school. She is never who she claims to be. I wouldn't trust in her."
"…" With everything just revealed, Ran didn't know should she have been happy or worried about her friend's knowledge.
"Then there's also a pair of identical twins, a person who sleeps during all lessons and someone who reads yaoi manga all the time and draws doujinshes about her class mates: a real fujoshi I'd say." Sonoko continued explaining but stated then. "But of course the majority of that class's students are absolutely normal ones even if there is the strife and two fronts in the class. One behind Honda-kun and one behind Miyoshi-chan."
"…Now I'm also starting to feel sorry for that new girl." Ran gave an apologizing smile towards the floor under their feet.
"Well, as long as that girl stays away from the snob club and sticks to class president, she should be fine. And still stays in alert of course." Sonoko shrugged.
"Is that so…" Ran sweatdropped.
"Yeah… Why do our kouhais need to be so weird?"
A/N: While here, I ask you to visit both the forum I made of this fic and to read Leap to Relatively Unknown. It's my fic that's spin-off to this one. Unfortunately I've run into a tinmeline condurum there and wish you'd help me in solving it by offering your opinion about the matter.