Izuru Kamakura kept his hands in his pockets as he climbed the main building's staircase. The sunlight shining through the windows told him it was shifting into mid-day. He was late, no doubt. Chisa always did seem proud by her class's attendance rate; she would be upset by his lowering of numbers. However, if his classmates had all arrived at class, he surely could slip between the cracks. Izuru's mind wandered, "Directing any questions to Kirigiri would be nice… Though… He would be upset by that… Adding more onto his plate…" He came to a floor landing, looking about the hall, "How empty is this school…?"

The school was still and silent. If not for the sunlight and the polished surroundings, it would almost be eerie. Izuru decided not to keep track of the number of days he attended. (If he did, anxiety and anger would build with each second.) Though, he knew it had been long enough that, logically, he should've seen someone new. Class 77-B and Chisa were the only faces he encountered. It caused Izuru to ponder, "Was the school so exclusive that they've rejected all applicants…? Were the other students so lazy or uninterested that they would never arrive…? Or… Maybe… Maybe the talented are running thin…?" He shook his head, wiping his mind clean, as he began to make his way to the classroom. Though, he paused when he heard the squeak of someone's shoes.

"I'm late! I'm late!" cried a voice.

"Oh… That's…" he thought, turning back to the staircase.

Mikan Tsumiki stepped onto the floor, "I'm—Ah!" Though, her shoes slipped off the floor, throwing her towards the tiled surface. Her fall came to a complete stop when Izuru's hand caught her bicep. Her eyes slowly opened before to see her savior—her very intimidating, red-eyed savior.

"Tsumiki…"

"K-K-Kamakura!" She quickly pushed herself on to her feet, "T-Thank you for helping me." She shook her head, bowing her head, "S-S-Sorry for pestering you with m-my clumsiness…"

Izuru shook his head, "You're not pestering me." His mind commented, "At least not noticeably…"

Mikan stumbled back, "O-Oh! Y-You're r-right! I'm so sorry I said something so… presumptuous!" She looked near to tears, "I'll do anything you say… Just… please don't hate me!"

"I was right… You are going to be a pain to talk to…" He took a deep breath, "I don't hate you. You're… doing fine…"

She shook her head, "Ah! I-I-I keep assuming for you… I'm so sorry!"

"I hate this…", he internally groaned. "Just… hold on, alright?" he asked. "Meek… Anxious to a dangerous degree… Self-esteem is hazardously low… Overall, extremely fragile…" He concluded, "Letting Saionji go on with her predatory cruelty may result in a… 'bad end'…" He reasoned, "The Ultimate Nurse is extremely useful in terms of an asset… Her personality was caused by… trauma…"

Izuru finally spoke, "What's…" He considered for a moment, "Your favorite type of bandage?"

"Bandage…?" She almost giggled, "Um, well, there are a lot of different types these days. It's all very convenient here. There are waterproof types and sticky types, but…" She blushed, "I definitely like non-elastic types the best. They're not too constricting, but they still firmly secure wounds!"

"That they do."

Mikan stumbled, "A-Ah, s-sorry. I went ahead and started talking on my own…"

"No, I asked." He stated, "I wanted you to," as they began to walk towards the classroom.

"R-Really?" She then slowly asked, "Can… Can I ask you a question?"

"I… suppose…" he replied.

"You look rather pale… Initially, I assumed it was blood circulation or perhaps being stuck indoors often. However, I've noticed that you move very well, you're healthy. And, I know you've traveled the world." She pondered, "It isn't natural, but it isn't due to sickness."

"You're curious."

"Y-Yes…"

Izuru nodded, "Hm… You're impressive… I'd expect the diagnosis from an Ultimate Doctor. I shouldn't underestimate nurses it seems."

Mikan deflated, "It's not that big of a deal…" She looked off to the side, "Y-You don't want to talk about it then?"

The ravenet came to a stop, blinking, "You read my face…"

"I-I'm sorry!" she skidded to a stop, turning to bow.

He held up his hand, "Don't apologize. I was insulting your intelligence…"

"Oh-Oh…"

Izuru took a breath, walking past her, "I'm not going to talk about it, but I'll give you one word…" That word being, "Trauma."

"T-Trauma…?"

He took a deep breath, focusing on the classroom door, "We'll leave it at that for today…"

Mikan fidgeted, "U-Um…" His attention shifted, "This was very fun so…" She seemed scared, "Please talk to me again."

Izuru slowly nodded, "I will." She gave a genuine smile. Though, it slightly disturbed Izuru, and he couldn't quite place why. "I hope I don't regret this…"

-XXX-

"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?!"

"I regret this…" Hajime thought as he bit into an apple. He had found that the class had braked for lunch, and the brunet didn't have much to eat while Natsumi had a lot to say. He didn't catch the beginning of the argument, but he could bet it was about whether or not she deserved to be in the Main Course. "I'm the sister of the Ultimate Yakuza. Does that some how confuse your puny brain? How could you even think we were remotely on the same level?" Such a conclusion was surely a stroke of genius on his part.

Sato was observing just as much as he was. Hers and Natsumi's initial argument had seemingly been quelled via the Main Course visit. Though, one can still feel the disdain the pair had for one another in the air. Also, their gazes seem to hold a particular confidence whenever they met. They were planning something individually that would undoubtedly be in conflict with one another. Hajime could make a few guesses as to their nature and structure.

He took another bite as Natsumi turned away from her opponent, waving them off as a pest.

"Hey!" The 'pest' grabbed her shoulder, "I'm not done with you!" She spat, "God, you're such a little bitch!" She sneered, "A real chip on your shoulder because of the type of family ya got."

"And what're you going to do about it?", asked Natsumi.

Her hands balled into fists, "Teach you-"

Hajime stepped forward, tossing the apple, and catching it, "That's enough, yeah?"

The bitterness shifted, "Of course, you'd defend her." She spat, "You're just as bad. Skipping class; getting yanked out by the Main Course whenever you want…" Her teeth gritted, "What gives you the right, huh? Just because ya got a talented brother…" She groaned, "God, you two must love licking their boots."

"Hey, Amamiya, Hinata's not a bad guy…", Kira Hotaru defended.

Ito Amamiya contested, "He acts like he's better than us!"

Arata Soma put his hand on her shoulder, "Ito, come on…"

"She's not any better!" Ito aimed her finger at Natsumi. "She insulted all of us on her first day!"

"And I totally didn't mean it," Natsumi mocked. Hajime simply sighed while Ito growled. She took a full step towards Natsumi, reading her hand back and swinging. The brunet's hand caught the attacker's wrist as he stepped in between the two.

"Now, now, there isn't a need for that," ed Hajime.

"Tch…" Ito ripped her hand free, "Assholes!" She turned and stormed out of the room. Arata and Kira soon followed after her.

Hajime sighed before turning to Natsumi, who said, "I didn't ask for your help." She chuckled, "Heck, you shoulda let her hit me. I could've done some real damage after that."

"Why do you think I stopped her?" The brunet sighed once more, "What was this even about?" He blinked for a moment, "No, I know what it was about. Why?"

Natsumi scoffed, "She just picked a fight with me." She offered, "People will find all kinds of reasons to pick a fight with someone like me." Her gaze shifted before she pointed at Sato, "Heh, case and point."

"You probably shouldn't have opened with that 'trash' line," he suggested.

She only shrugged, "Eh, truth's the truth…"

Hajime shook his head, putting a hand on his hip, "Just because you see it as the truth doesn't mean you should share it."

Natsumi's eyes rolled, "Meh, I'll say whatever I like." She waved him off, moving towards her seat.

He internally groaned, "What a pain…" He retook his own seat, "She's a fan of 'Yin and Yang'… It's probably why she didn't just blow me off… Reserve Course was always boring, but this is way too much… I can at least be happy Sato's distracted by something… Or else I'd have to play sides with them…"

"Natsumi's picking fights and is coming up with some scheme to get into a Main Course… Sato is coming up with something probably to fight off Natsumi…" He reasoned, "Natsumi might listen to me… Sato… She seemed slightly irrational when it came Natsumi's threats…" He concluded, "I'm going to have to be worried about this…"

-XXX-

Izuru Kamakura walked after Nekomaru Nidai with Akane Owari, exiting the main building. The school day had effectively ended, leaving the trio the twilight. Nekomaru and Akane were obviously excited by their new party while Izuru clearly had some reservations. The Ultimate Team Manager led them through the courtyard, laughing, "I'm glad you came to me, Izuru." He waggled his finger to himself, "Many athletes begin with anger issues, utilizing sports as a release." He came to a stop, turning to the ravenet, "We'll begin with a short sparring session. So I can learn your strength and agility." They stood upon a grassy field meant for soccer.

Akane whined, "Eeh?"

"Your time will come Owari," responded Nekomaru. He lowered his body, raising his fists, "Now, come, Izuru!"

Izuru frowned, "Uh… I'm not quite sure about this…"

"Don't worry! I can take anything you can throw at me!" he laughed.

Izuru took a deep breath before pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed, "Alright…" He unbuttoned his blazer, quickly folding it and laying it upon the grass. "No holding back, yes?"

"Yes!"

"Here we go…" Izuru's legs bent for a single instance before he shot forward like a bullet. Dirt flew as his fist launched at Nekomaru. Knuckles met palm; the Ultimate Team Manager grinned as his stance skidded back. His giant hand enclosed around Izuru's fist. The smaller was yanked into the air. However, before Izuru could be thrown like a potato sack, he straddled the Manager's wrist and threw his foot into the Manager's neck. Nekomaru responded by grabbing Izuru's leg with his free hand, locking Izuru's limbs. The Manager lifted him into the air and threw him into the ground. Izuru bounced off the grass, twisting his body in the air and landing on a single hand. The ravenet glared at the man before flipping onto his feet.

Nekomaru held a bright grin, "Ha-ha! You're very strong, Izuru!"

"Your size is quite encompassing…" commented Izuru.

"Your speed is impressive as well." He straightened his stance and balled his hands into fists, "Now… Let's me see how you act on the defensive."

Izuru blinked for a moment before his gaze narrowed. Nekomaru lunged forward; his speed was remarkably slower than Izuru's. The Manager's giant fist flew at the ravenet. Izuru caught it with a single hand before Nekomaru's other fist shot forward. It was like a thunder crack when knuckles met palm. Nekomaru reared his head back, gritting his teeth. Izuru's hands shifted and gripped the Manager's fingers. He then threw his entire body upward as Nekomaru's head flew forward. Izuru's feet slammed in Nekomaru's forehead. They came to a stop, frozen like statues, if not for their limbs apparent struggle against each other.

Izuru's legs bent before he leapt off Nekomaru's face, landing easily on the grass.

Akane grinned, "Woah, he's faster than you, Coach!"

"Heh-heh, you can match my strength!" Nekomaru beamed, "Impressive!" He straightened, dusting off his hands, "You'll make a great sparring partner for Owari."

"Awesome!" said Akane, popping her knuckles.

Nekomaru nodded, "I'll make to teach you both what I can." He looked between the two, "Owari's goal is to get stronger and to fulfil her thrills. Izuru, your sparring matches are to teach you temperament." He explained, "You must maintain your mind no matter what Owari throws at you." He chuckled, "Of course, we'll be doing more than sparring matches, but that'll be the plan for that."

"But, first!" he added. "Let's do some stretches and go for a run!"

Akane deflated, "Aw, but I thought we were gonna spar!"

"Later! This was just an assessment of skills." "Now, we'll begin with some jumping-jacks."

"Is this necessary?" questioned Izuru.

Nekomaru stated, "Of course it is. You must stretch or else you'll put your entire bodily rhythm out of whack!"

Izuru took a deep breath before sighing, "I supposed I asked for this…" He removed his necktie and used it to tie his hair into a ponytail, "Jumping-jacks, yes?"

"Yes!" laughed Nekomaru.

"Fine…" said Akane.

-XXX-

The bell had rung, and the Reserve Course were filing out of the building. Hajime blinked when he spotted a familiar face standing by the gate. Peko Pekoyama was off to the side of the entrance. She was keeping to herself, maintaining a stiff stance. Her eyes scanned the building's doors, shooting over anyone who left. Anyone who noticed this quickly dropped their heads or moved off to the side. There were murmurs and whispers; shoddily made ones. Some questioned who she was, others what she was doing, and all were met with a silencing. No one wanted to bother her; were afraid to.

Hajime greeted, "Hey, Pekoyama." Well, 'no one' might be exaggerating.

"Hinata," she replied.

"Waiting for someone?"

"Hm…" Peko nodded, "I am waiting for someone…"

He tilted his head, "Oh, who?"

"Kuzuryu, Natsumi."

Hajime blinked before nodding, "Oh, yeah, she's getting chewed out by a teacher." He then explained, "She was in a… loud argument with someone. Apparently, a teacher caught it but instead getting involved, they ran off to get someone else. Then, they decided to wait till after school, I guess."

"I see."

He chuckled, "You two must've really hit off if you're waiting for her here."

"Hm?"

He seemed confused, "I mean you two only just met yesterday, right?"

"Yes… We did."

"That's great. You know when she first I was a bit worried."

"Worried?"

Hajime nodded, "Yeah, she called everyone in the room trash; basically picked a fight." He held a finger over his mouth, "Don't tell her I said this, but she seems pretty lonely so I'm happy she has a friend."

Peko slowly nodded, "I see. Well, it's good that I've negated your worries."

He nodded, "You're going to wait here then?"

"Yes," she answered.

Hajime smiled, patting her shoulder, "Alright, well, hope I helped past the time." He waved, seemingly unfazed by Peko's eyes barrowing into him, as he took his leave, "See ya around, Pekoyama."

Peko followed his departing form, "Bye…" Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment or two. Questions filled her mind before another voice caught her attention.

Natsumi waved as she jogged over, "Peko!" She grinned, "Thank god, you're here." She leaned forward, whispering, "Think you can take care of a teacher for me?"

"No, I cannot."

"Sheesh, you're no fun."

Peko started, "Hinata…" She turned, "Are you good friends with him?"

"Hm?" Natsumi fiddled with her hair, "I kinda hope so."

"I see," she murmured. "Let me escort you home then."

"Let's walk home together." Natsumi explained, speaking quietly, "That's how normal people say it." She slung her bag over her shoulder, "You gotta talk normal if ya want to fulfil Big-Bro's orders."

"Of course."

XXX

AN: Alright, I think this chapter works. Correct me if I'm wrong. No quote because there isn't really a main through line overall with this chapter. So, Izuru attends the Main Course and Hajime attends the Reserve Course with no crossing streams. Mikan's assist in treating Hajime, her ability to read his micro-expressions, and a point of commonality gains her enough respect to answer a question. Izuru also fulfils a promise and starts exercising with Nekomaru and in turn, Akane. We some Reserve Course students and the trio. Then we have Hajime having a nice normal chat with Peko...

Anyway! Criticize away and thank you for reading.