Assignment 1,

Part 2

Chihiro began to walk back to his room. As he entered the building, he felt a hand grab his neck and drag him close and begin to ruffle his hair. "Heya, kid," Mondo said, his hand still dragging through his hair.

"Hey, Chihiro!" Kiyotaka yelled in his usual loud voice, his wide grin seeming to stretch past what was humanly possible.

"HI THERE! THE NAME'S NEKOMARU NIDAI!" A gargantuan voice belonging to an equally colossal man rang throughout the hall.

"O-oh my. Ummm, hello. My name's Chihiro Fujisaki. That's quite an introduction."

"Yeah. I like to make impressions, y'know?" Nekomaru said, arms folded and eyes closed.

"My bro and Nekomaru hit it off the moment they met. You can tell why."

The two were certainly enthusiastic, Chihiro thought. Nekomaru was the Ultimate Team Manager, and clearly reflected Kiyotaka's love to take point and lead a group. No wonder the two were close, they were almost carbon copies of one another.

"So, where's your partner, Mondo?" Chihiro asked.

"Ugh, I got put with Fuyuhiko. That fuckin' brat could use a beatdown, giving me lip like that."

"I'm sure he's not that bad, Mondo."

"You're way too soft, kid."

"C'mon bro, why can't you just get along with people!"

"YEAH! Co-ordination is the key to success in any team!"

"I swear if I stay here any longer my fucking eardrums will burst." Mondo began to turn tail and walk away.

"Bro! Wait!" Kiyotaka bellowed and began to run after him.

"Aren't you going after them, Nekomaru?"

Nekomaru glared down at him, his massive stature would almost be intimidating if it weren't for the grin on his face, ever-present and always friendly.

"Sometimes the best way to keep a team moving forward is to let 'em sort it out themselves. Anyway, how's Kazuichi?"

"He's nice. He's kind to me, and also kinda emotional. It's quite sweet, actually."

"Huh, I didn't think he'd be like that to someone he just met."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Chihiro began to feel slightly hot under the collar.

"I think something happened to him a while ago. He just doesn't get along with strangers, but I suppose he's friendlier to a cuter fac- HEY! Kiyotaka was running away from Mondo, who was chasing after him with a wrench while screaming, "Get back here bro! I'm gonna fucking beat you up!" "Sorry, bro! I don't like the idea of that!"

"C-could you two please get back here! I need my wrench, dammit!" A familiar voice rang out down the hallway... "Agh! Forget it..." and slowly fades away.

"YOU TWO SHITS HAD BETTER NOT BE TRYING TO KILL ONE ANOTHER!" Yelled Nekomaru thundered back down the hallway as Chihiro began to giggle. "Ehehehe..." He was happy to see his friends all together. He also hoped Fuyuhiko and Mondo would patch things up, considering he was a friend of Kazuichi. He continued walking down the halls, his footsteps echoing as he went.

Kazuichi slammed shut his door. What was that just now? He was down a wrench, thanks to Chihiro's friends. Ugh, what a mess. He tolerated Chihiro because he felt awful about his tears, mainly because it reminded him of him. He sighed and took in his surroundings. Hope's Peak accommodation was as lavish as one would expect. A double bed sat in the center of a large room, directly next to a sizable bedside cabinet which would've sported a mechanical alarm clock had Kazuichi not had deconstructed it and not bothered to put it back before the calendar year ended. A bathroom was located behind a folding-screen door and had all the faculties expected, but seemingly more pristine. Large glass panes stretched around the room, even going over the corners. Kazuichi had also managed to sneak in enough components to rebuild a TV over a few months and had dragged the sofas and table, normally positioned at a small square-shaped alcove near the folding-screen bathroom door, as well as the chairs that were positioned in the corner of the room and moved them in front of the TV. He remembered the Halloween party he held, just watching awful Halloween movies with the rest of Class 77. All to impress Miss Sonia of course. God, he owed a lot to them and their helping him get over his "issues," though this whole thing with Class 78 was starting to make him reconsider that decision. The whole wrench issue still pissed him off. He sighed and laid down on his bed, and rubbed his eyes, knowing he had a long night ahead of him.

Chihiro sat down at the desk at the back of the room, which had his laptop on it. He sat and checked the time. 4:25pm. Another hour and thirty-five minutes before he had to meet with Kazuichi. He sat down and thought about the whole assignment thing. He knew from the start picking Kazuichi was a risk, after all, an assignment designed to cause as little problems and hassle as possible meant that an opposite gender pairing was a wrench in the works – well as far as the academy and all but Mondo were concerned it was "opposite gender."

He sighed, once against feeling that pit in his stomach as he thought about someone discovering his secret. Kazuichi didn't really understand why Chihiro kept himself in his room – and Chihiro would rather it stayed that way. Did his love of programming play a part? Of course, it did. Chihiro loved programming and thought it was actually super cool that he had someone that could take his programming ability and amplify it in their own way – especially someone who had a shared passion for technology. But he limited interaction with others mostly out of fear, only feeling natural around Mondo, because he was the only one that knew. The fewer people saw of him, the less chance someone had to find out. And if that person happened to be Kazuichi… he was worried he'd have to work with someone who would either give him the cold shoulder or just ridicule him. He could feel the tears and self-loathing take hold again and noticed once again he was clutching the rag Kazuichi had given him. He hadn't let go of it since he had left the workshop. He looked at it and thought that someone like Kazuchi, a boy more versed in machines than human nature, someone who perhaps had become more used to the touch of metal and rubber than flesh, had given him something used to clean machines that needed attention – perhaps they were damaged or needed attention, perhaps they were even prized and needed some care and began to feel warm inside. Intentional or not, he was happy to receive such a token of friendship from someone he had just met. Drying his eyes, he began to psyche himself up for the night ahead.

The clocks in Hope's Peak struck six, except the jumbled mess of wires and plastic in a mechanic's room. The sun dipped ever slower and the air grew colder. And then a voice called out.

"Wow, you actually showed up!" Kazuichi teased, with a grin.

"O-of course. We're supposed to work together, aren't we?"
"Heh, it's nothing. Normally don't have a high success of getting girls to meet with me. One in particular, heh heh heh..." Kazuichi's mind flashed back to the graceful form of Miss Sonia, but it didn't seem as clear as usual. 'That's weird,' Kazuichi thought. He kept an image of the princess in his mind at all times, but it had begun to grow cloudy.

"K-kazuichi?" Chihiro was tugging his sleeve. Kazuichi instinctively yanked his hand away.

"C-can you NOT do that?!"

"I'm so-"

"If you apologize for little things you don't need to apologize for this assignment, I'm calling the whole thing off," Kazuichi said, slightly annoyed at the endearing nature of Chihiro, always seeming to think she had done something wrong.

"Okay..."

Kazuichi unlocked the door to the workshop. "Well… let's get this party started!" He flipped the light switch and hung his beanie on the coat hooks above the blueprint paper cabinet.

Chihiro wandered over the desk that wasn't too high off the ground and plopped himself on the chair. As he produced his laptop from the satchel he was carrying, he saw Kazuichi's eyes light up. "Wow! This is yours?!" He snatched the laptop from Chihiro's hands and ogled over every corner, every nook and every cranny. He was about to whip out his screwdriver and begin taking it apart when the shock on Chihiro's face finally hit him. "Oh, God. What am I doing? Sorry about that. I just… can't help it sometimes. That thing is a masterpiece, and my brain just… y'know."

"It's fine. It's nice to see someone so passionate about their talent… I thought I was really the only one so at home with technology, eheheh…"

Chihiro let out a small giggle, which made Kazuichi suddenly feel slightly skittish. He found himself eager to get on with the project, and also slightly embarrassed. It was cute, sure, but it wasn't Miss Sonia, he reminded himself. He turned to his work desk to see his toolbox missing and a note there.

"Apologies Mr. Souda, we've had to borrow your toolkit for a while. If you want it, just come to the cafeteria. - Hifumi Yamada & Teruteru Hanamura"

"What the hell?! How'd they get into a locked room?!"

"What's wrong, Kazuichi?" Chihiro looked as if she had already begun to program her work. She must've planned it out in advance, Kazuichi thought.

"Oh, one of your friends from your class and one of mine managed to break into this room when it was LOCKED!" Kazuichi screeched.

"Oh, Hifumi has a way of getting into locked rooms."

"Why do you say that so casually?! Ugh, gimme a few minutes."

Kazuichi stepped out into the cold, winter evening, and began to make his way back to the main building. On the way there, he heard an odd yell from the small area of woods near the main building, that sounded like a mixture of a small child being slaughtered and Germanic yodeling. His blood froze colder than the frigid air around him. A large amount of mic feedback suddenly rung through his ears and he pulled his beanie down over them, tears of pain in his eyes. Was that… singing? He began to walk towards the cacophony of unholy sounds, only to find Ibuki and a ginger-haired student he recognized from Class 78 together.

"Geez, can you turn it down?!" He yelled. However, it was pointless. Ibuki was completely engrossed in her music, even if it did violate multiple clauses in the Geneva convention and several rights he felt he was endowed, namely his aural virginity. He stumbled away from the hellish soundscape of the woods and slammed the doors of the main building behind him, gasping for breath. He shook his head and made his way to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was mostly abandoned. Polished tables, leather seats, and rustic and relaxing scenery made it quite a nice place to just hang around. Through the large, multi-paned glass window that covered most of the northern wall, waves of moonlight splashed through in the room, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace into the room. But tonight, no-one was there, apart from the two working in the kitchen at the back. "Hey! You two! Gimme my damn toolbox back!"

"Ah, Mr. Souda." A rather rotund boy adjusted his glasses and turned to speak to him.

"'Sup, Kazuichi?" Teruteru gave him a jovial wave. "Here for this?" He held out the toolbox in question to Kazuichi, and Kazuichi immediately wrenched it from his grasp. Rifling through his toolbox, he felt a comforting familiarity and proceeded to ask "So, what'd you need it for, anyway?" He pulled out his pliers and noticed something on the head. It was gristly and viscous, but also slippery. "Is this… bacon grease?! How'd the hell that get on my pliers?!"

"Well… one must break the conventions of the art of cookery from time to time..." Teruteru replied, running through his hair with a comb.

"That doesn't mean you can use my tools without permission!" Kazuichi pointed at the both of them accusingly.

"W-well..."

"Never mind, I don't wanna hear it!" Kazuichi turned on his heel and went to leave the kitchen when Hifumi interrupted.

"Mr. Souda?' Kazuichi gritted his teeth. He didn't want to talk to this guy.

"Yeah..?"

"I can't help but notice you've been matched with Miss Fujisaki," Hifumi said, adjusting his glasses and giving off immense amounts of sexual energy, so much so that Kazuichi was nauseated.

"Uh… yeah."

"I see, I see. Quite the fine specimen, wouldn't you agree?" Another wave of sexual energy reverberated around the room.

"They're… not a fast bike or expensive car, Hifumi. They're a person."

"Yes, yes, of course. But what I'm trying to say is this could be your golden opportunity, or it could be mine."

"Please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying. I have Miss Sonia, I don't need anyone else!"

"But does 'Miss Sonia' have those petite features? Those tiny yet beautiful hands? Those sweet innocent eyes? Those slender legs? That smile that could melt even the coldest heart? Tho-" But Kazuichi had already slammed the kitchen door behind him, not wanting to hear another word of that damn spiel.

Kazuichi once again stepped into the cold night air and breathed in. The fresh air filled his lungs and he felt revitalized after the awkward conversation he had with Hifumi. His night was about to get better, for as he walked back to the workshop, he spotted a familiar face. "Miss Sonia! Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi cried out, suddenly feeling as if the entire night up to this point was completely worth it. And then another familiar face appeared and that happiness was shattered. "Kazuichi! What's wrong? Your face looks as if you have seen a foul beast straight from the embers of hell!" Gundham has a special way of ruining his mood whenever he was around Miss Sonia. Why did he and his fancy tongue have to go around with his girl? "Hey, Miss Sonia! Hi, Gundham..."

"Oh hello, Kazuichi! Gundham was just telling me how going on a nighttime stroll could increase your affinity with the Sixth Lord of Ice, so I decided in order to become the Queen of the Frozen Hellscape I should come with him."

"Miss Sonia, why do you listen to him?"
"Quiet, insolent swine! You dare doubt the next Queen of the Frozen Wastes?" Sonia suddenly snapped at him. Kazuichi began to salivate and his heart began to pound. His eyes gleamed in the silver moonlight.

"Could you please repeat that, Miss Sonia? I didn't hear you the first time..." Kazuichi's eyes began to glaze over.

"I said, quiet insolent swine!" Kazuichi bit his tongue to stop himself from letting out a moan of ecstasy.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your project, Kazuichi?" Gundham once again broke found a way to ruin Kazuichi's moments of pleasure.

"C-can't I just stay with you guys..?" Kazuichi whinged. He would come along with Gundham if it meant more time with Miss Sonia.

"Don't you have a project you need to be getting on with?"

"Oh- oh yeah." Kazuichi felt a bit guilty. Of course, he wanted to hang out with Miss Sonia, but he also felt incredibly guilty about leaving Chihiro alone in the workshop. Especially if Hifumi could pick locks… Bad thought, bad thought! "Well, goodbye, Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi yelled as he walked away from the pair.

Kazuichi slid open the door. Chihiro sat hunched over at the desk, typing away in a frenzy. Kazuichi silently crept over to her and leaned in. She was typing incredibly quick, and although the words appearing on the screen made no sense to Kazuichi he was incredibly impressed. Every keystroke seemed deliberate, every new line of code appearing on the screen placed with seemingly meticulous care. Her hands were dancing across the keyboard, moving from key to key as a pianist would play the piano. Her eyes reflected the screen and the words quickly appearing upon it, her lips in a pout as each new command was entered, her lithe fingers touching her thin lips when she paused for a brief thought before beginning to type once again. Kazuichi was amazed. Her passion and confidence when she was in this state were unlike anything he'd seen from her. He felt a grin spread across his face when he once again thought about someone who had a love for technology like his, glad to find someone of like-mind. When he tapped her shoulder, even though his touch was deliberately as light as a feather, the confidence he had seen from her shattered as she let out a meek and frightened scream.

"WAH! H-hey! Why'd you scream?! It's only me!"

"Oh, um, sorry. I-I didn't know it was you, Kazuichi… How long were you standing there?"

"A few minutes. Long enough to realize… you're impressive." As he said this, Kazuichi flashed a thumbs up.

"I-Impressive? I… uh…" Chihiro's face flushed red and her hands clasped around one another. "Th-thanks."

"Don't mention it. Anyway, I'll start working. Oh, actually..."

Kazuichi made his way to the cabinet where the blueprint paper was, hung his beanie up and rummaged through the bottom drawer, producing two of the many, many cans of off-brand cola he kept in there. He made his way back over to Chihiro, who had resumed typing away, and put a can down on the desk next to him. "Drink up if you feel tired, okay?"

"Mmm-hmm," Chihiro said, not looking away from the screen of her laptop. Kazuichi sighed, and walked over to his workstation, looked at the blueprint and began to get to work.

After a few hours, Chihiro pulled his eyes away from the screen. The clock in the corner of the screen read 12:18 pm. He yawned, feeling slightly sleepy. He remembered the soda Souda had put down next him. He felt the aluminum can dripping with condensation and looked over at Souda, still working away. A small, rectangular robot head – looking like a stereotypical clockwork toy's – sat on the table next to him, with wires dangling from the bottom of the neck, meant to attach to the body which Kazuichi was constructing currently. And when Chihiro looked at the boy constructing the body, he gasped. Kazuichi had unzipped the top half of his jumpsuit, leaving the sleeves wrapped around his waist in a neat knot, one sleeve drooping slightly lower than the other. He may have looked slightly odd and very eccentric with his jumpsuit, but with it off he looked rather serious and masculine. His arms – which looked lanky and almost out of place normally – now moved with poise and intent, picking up tools and adjusting nuts and bolts, acting as if machines within their own right. A fire was lit in his eyes, seemingly trapped within the neon pink contact lenses he wore. It almost shone in his unkempt, tousled hair. A massive grin that gave off both happiness and confidence seemed to spread wider across his face that seemed to grow with every swing or tap of the hammer, every twist of the screwdriver. And Chihiro felt something he hadn't felt since he'd seen Mondo for the first time. He saw Kazuichi as masculine and confident. His usually exuberant personality and aura were instead replaced by a calm coolness and reserved confidence. He knew he was good at what he was doing – and was happy to do it. Chihiro had long wished to embody this in his work, but he never truly felt he could. His shyness and good nature mistook his confidence for ego, and so he tried to put the passion he had for his work into productivity, making sure he never looked too excited or proud doing it. He didn't know he already reflected this confidence and pride in the good-natured way he intended, mainly because no-one was ever really around to witness him working. But Kazuichi had witnessed this display of pride firsthand and saw within Chihiro almost a different side. An alter ego, as it were. And so, Chihiro sat there, wishing himself to be more like Mondo or Kazuichi, truly a man others could accept as so. And as he sat there, admiring Kazuichi's manliness and loathing himself, his eyelids began to droop, and his grip loosened on the can of cola in his hands until finally his head drooped low and his hands slackened, hitting the desk with a muted thump, and sleep took hold.