Chapter 4

Advancing Forward.

A/N : Warning : My writing is,at best,sucky,but I hope you get interested enough into the plot to be entertained.

Age 6.

Things have been...better. Though I certainly did not expect how fast my body could grow. Certainly,I was a far cry from my old self- A physically weak person who would huff as though she ran a marathon if she sprinted for 30 seconds and less. Maybe it would be time to work on something more intensive soon,considering how I'm no longer tired even if I ran for minutes on end. I didn't have any stopwatch to count after all.

The brats could no longer corner me to hit me – for they were too slow. I imagined scenarios about why they couldn't. I definately never seen anyone do anything like 'training',anyways. Perhaps so they save the energy they gained from their food?

As long as they can't do anything to me,thats fine. But there were cases of where a bunch of them just groups up to take my food. Sure,they succeeded a number of times,but I won't let them be able to do so soon. I've got really fast,although I'm not as fast as Sena yet,it has became a goal of sorts,a milestone to my survival.

I never forgot what I heard a year ago,my curiosity poked at me Every. Single. Day. People might not think much of it,but it made me realise that the normal person I've been,or every normal person ever had a privilage called the internet. Whenever you're curious,information would just spawn from there. Like 'How long is a whale?','How do I train?'. Even if there wasen't a straight answer,there were many discussions on the hows and whys and whats and whens of many questions,and really,its entirely possible to derive an answer from those.

I wished I could type a question on google right now about things like 'How to make money as a child'. Is making money at this age even legal? How about when I'm 12? So many things I would've just left for the future to think and plan about in my past life,because I knew it to be burdensome.

Did I mention that training in winter was annoying? I had to be careful so as to not get sick and everything so I had to cut my training time short. The shithole was at least warmer,even if it did not have much heaters anyway. The snow would be so freezing,the kind of feeling people would get from ice except much worse. Older me in my past would be saying its crazy to even be out in this weather...

These days where I lived in,days where I always had to keep my focus up. I will pass them. I will live. I can't be lazy right now.

I can't be lazy with my life.

So when I was carted off in a second hand uniform with a bunch of other kids my age,I saw an oppotunity.

I saw an opportunity to use education. The education that so many kids in my past life hated. Why?

I could learn to read,and actually learn to write. The most these kids and I could get was speaking the language-they and I were not...literate.

In the past,it was already emphasized that the job competition was high. You need your certificates,even if they were just pieces of paper. Experience was also considered,and a huge advantage.

People use words for many things,thus,it is a tool to communicate. And what use would a person give to employer if they could not even speak,much less write? Could one even sign a contract of employment if one couldn't read? It reminds me that I haven't spoke in ages. When was the last time I even spoke?

Again,I'm not stupid. There has to be multiple reasons to why I...why these orphans would be sent off to school. I'm sure that one of the important reasons would be to seem 'normal',but if that was true,I believe that it could not be the sole reason. Money seemed to be valuable,from the conversation heard,a year ago,obviously. 'They' were also seemingly pressed for it.

So I told myself again and again to be careful with what I showed to the public,or to everyone around me. Hoped they thought I was just some meek girl who was mute. I decided that perhaps they were trying to see who would be a valuable asset. If so,it would be best to stay on an even lower profile. This 'action' of theirs gave me some hints,even if it could be due to overanalysis.

Which means that I should let those brats catch me a few times in front of those caretakers. And even when they weren't looking. I refuse to let them catch me unless its by my own terms,though.

My muteness was another thing. I wanted them to think I was mute,but the years of not actually speaking might have just rendered me actually mute. Its high time I tried to speak the language...Oh. I got an idea. I could make myself speak while I'm running. I'd have to make sure I won't alert the guards on patrol though...

I let my mind stop overthinking,doing my best to memorise the route from the shithole to a possible school. Which I was glad for because when we reached it,I...and the rest of the kids(brats!) were told we would have to get there and back ourselves from now on. The curfew was before lights out time. I quote... "Get back before your sleeping time. You know what will happen if you don't."

Sounds ominous,no?

We were given a bag with the most meagre amount of books I had ever seen.(Compared to the education I got in my past life,that is...) Which...was concerning but was better than none.

Off to school it is.

The first day of kokuyo elementary school,like all schools,were about introductions and studying.

It was also the epitome of an old school. Old walls,old floors,maybe even some cracked blackboards. The ones where you use chalk on instead of markers for whiteboards.

What was very different about it was that all the kids stare at each other in blatant mistrust,as apparently they were mostly orphans. Seriously,its very obvious that most of the kids were wearing second hand uniforms. Frayed edges at the end of the sleeves,sagging fabric at some places in the uniform. How could that even be brand new? The teachers were also the type of teachers who were vastly bored at childsitting,or hated kids in general-the type who was only there for the money. I really couldn't fault them for that,though. At least they could actually teach?

There was also no homework actually given. I suspect it was because the teachers didn't want to mark anything-a far cry from the teachers I've got in my past life,who would nag at the students who won't complete it on time.

Learning the language was tough,but most of the elementary subjects was easy for me once I knew what it was trying to say. Its not easy to forget how to count,after all. I still think I need some more help with the written words,so I resolved to go find newspaper on the way back to the shithole. I had no idea how it would help,but my old teacher had always said that reading was the best way to learn. If anything,I should at least try. Maybe I could even try to find a library around? Maybe the school had a library,too.

I wondered if any of the orphans would run at this supposed 'opportunity'. You know,the freedom of going back to the shithole alone.

If I had some complaints,it would be about the obviously low quality of the furniture in school. But if 'they' were minimising money spent despite having to spend money,then I guess I can't complain. Now that I think more about it,maybe japan has a law about compulsory schooling age?

I focused on the lesson unfolding before me once more,seated at the very front. Satisfied that,at the very least,a pencil,eraser and blank notebook was in the bag,I did my best to use the minimum amount of lead and rubber when taking notes on the language. I would have to try to keep this book hidden and safe,though,as I'm supposed to keep a low profile. But for now,I would have to do my best to understand a language with teachers that isn't inclined to questions or help,judging from the way they had left the class. I patiently waited for the next class to start.

Hoping that I would keep a low profile by scoring low,but still actually understanding the language. I was no genius,but it would have to do. Was it just me that the name 'kokuyo' sounded familiar,though?

It was later at night,after I dreamt about a certain anime that resembled a school in the anime. Of course,I was baffled at how there would be a school with the same name. Or was it that the pronounciation was same? Its not like I could read,and the only reason I got the name was because the teachers mentioned the name of the school on the 'introduction' part. Either way,I did feel a bit cheered up by the memories of the anime,and that I was attending a school that had the same pronouns to it. At least it brought back some good memories.

A/N : No worries,some content should be coming soon. After all,it couldn't be dull forever,now could it? This story is meant to be slow(Or attempt to be.) If...you don't like it,i'm not sorry. Bur I hope you come back to enjoy someday.