No-beta reading because I got lazy this time… I tried something new.


Into the Department

The persona that Gakushu adopted whether he was in school was never the true face of the strawberry blonde. Ask anyone in the Department and they will have a completely different view on the boy.

A Spaniard gave out his opinion. "Shuuie? I love the kid, everyone here does, he is so adorable that it rots my teeth. I am still trying to find that song he made about pudding when he was around 10… The only thing I would complain on is that he needs to make more friends at school. Sorry I need a tissue, my nose is bleeding again."

That same question was asked to an Australian reaper, she had jet black hair tied in a pony-tail. "He has that effect on almost everyone. Rilliane isn't as effected as she is his 'mother'. Gakushu is a sweet heart, I didn't know about his 'cold' act until last year. I though he was being rebellious."

"You were crying for the whole day An! You thought that giving him a bag of lollies would get the other Shuuie back!"

"Shut it Johnny!"

"Geez, when will you two fuck already?"

"Shut up Mark!" An and Johnny yelled together at their fellow Australian friend.

Ask the question to a girl with short blonde hair who came from the English Branch. "My Strawberry? Gakushu was always a 'cinnamon roll' at heart and he is a shy boy. I think it is humorous and cute that he tries to act as the cold and emotionless leader at school. Although it should had been clear as day that he was cuter than he was cool."

'It wasn't really to his classmates Gretel…'

"I like it when he test out my cakes, it gives me an edge against Peter. He has the biggest sweet tooth, so much so that he sparkles whenever he is around sweets." A question was asked to a man working in the kitchens of the Department. An agreed with him as well. "He's a nice boy. And he does have that temper of his. It has been said that part of his cold demeanour in school because he couldn't eat his sweets so he was grumpy most of the time."

"Gakushu has bit of a temper as much as he likes to deny it." A blonde woman from the German Branch whispered. "The first time I witness it was after Grell accidently smashing cake into his face, it is a miracle that the school is still standing. I would probably explode when I have to deal with his father every-day. Although I think also that his friend, Ren helped out a lot. He has the nickname of 'the Strawberry's anchor."

"From what I heard from Lucia, Gakushu managed to break Grell's nose, both of his arms and legs, fractured his spine and other internal injuries. And that was Lucia could think from the top of her head." A Russian reaper explained. "Although, what I don't like is how passive he was with his father. Have you not seen his textbooks, sure he is a Grim Reaper but his father didn't know that!?"

"One time, good old Ivan wanted to help Shu in his math homework that was assigned by his father." Ikeda recounted that pleasant memory. "Sure, good old Shu insisted that he was doing fine. Ivan insisted that he wanted to help. He ended up throwing the book down to the ground, saying that they were university level questions than for ones for high-school, better yet junior high."

"Ivan spent the next couple of hours swearing the crap in Russian." A man with a Bulgurian accent joined along in the conversation as he wrapped his arm over Ikeda's shoulders. "Any worse and Ivan would had personally went for that man. We had to call Lucia's husband go calm him down."

"I had to be called in, we get very heated in anything related to Gakuhou Asano, especially if it relates back to Gakushu." The German man with pastel green hair that covered the left side of his face. "I worry for him sometimes, I know he has his friends here in the Department but I think it would be nice if he could make friends his age. Although Gretel has the appearance of a teenager, she is still around 200 years old, it is the same for Noct as well."

"He is very nice, and we have a lot of things in common." A boy with a halo of fluffy black hair talked about his side of the story. "We like sweets, music and are unfortunate guinea pigs for Gretel's clothes. I guess you could say that we are like best friends, sadly I'm not around too much as I have a lot of work around Europe with Iggy. We talk or text a lot through our phones-"

"Oh Noct~ I have a new dress I need to test out~" A certain girl with short blonde hair sang.

"Why don't you look at the time!? I'll be late for my shift in Brussels, Iggy! Save me!"

"This way Noct!"

"And the ship has set sail." Gretel smiled to herself as she watched Iggy and Noct ran into the distance. "You should go ask Rilliane, she is the Strawberry's main senior. She was the only who took under her wing."

"Milady, what are you going to do with that dress?" A voice called out, a tall young man with neatly trimmed golden blonde hair came up to the girl.

Then Gretel puff her cheeks and pouted. "Arthur, I thought I told you that you will call me Gretel!" Gretel called out as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Sorry Mi- Gretel, it was out of habit." Arthur said.

"Gakushu-chan has changed a lot from that boy who first came to the Department." A female with long hazel brown hair said. "I would say that mask he puts up with is him, at least what could had been him if he was never untaught of his father's teachings."

"Although it would be nice if he was more comfortable in showing his emotions with us. Don't get me wrong, he does in his smiles and happier moments." Rilliane sighed. "But I know that he hides his tears away from me, he hates to appear weak in front of others. It breaks my heart seeing him to so, but we have a lot of time to un-teach that. It isn't healthy to shield yourself like that."

"Even if Gakushu-kun does cry, he often did so alone due to his father's lingering teachings. He could never allow himself to appear weak in front of others."Arthur explained solemnly.

"Between you and me, Shu is only comfortable around me." Ikeda said. "It begin the first year he came to the Department during Christmas. Ever since then, I'm the only one who could see his tears and have him talk about the. You know, I can't wait for the day when Gakuhou Asano dies. When that day comes, Shu would have no reason to abide to that man's teaching."

"Although, I don't know about that Ren kid though. Once that day comes, Shu would lost his last connection in that world."

Rilliane gave out a chuckle, "I remember that night when Gakushu-chan was talking about him during our nightly soul collecting shifts. I thought to myself that it sounded like a friend and I teased him that Ren was his 'first friend'."

"His face was red as a tomato when he admitted that Ren was his first friend… It would me three months to found that out. Because someone here likes to hide secrets from me." Rilliane gave dirty looked over to Gretel who battered her eyelids to here. That night, the hazel haired woman spent the rest of the night cursing at the blonde English reaper for keeping her out of the circle.

Greel had a smug look and Rilliane felt to a calm face. Everyone around the two swore that they saw sparks radiating as they eyed at each other.

"Yeah, they had been like this since Rilliane took the motherly role for Gakushu." An explained. "I think Ren is a nice kid, it is good to see that Gakushu has at least one friend in that horrid school."


"Ikeda! Give me back sweets!" Gakushu yelled from the top of his lungs, now he and Ikeda were running in the halls of the Department. Ikeda only responded back with fits of laughter.

"Hahahhahahahhahahahhahahaha!"

The Department, it was the organisation of the Grim Reapers, it has branches for every single country in the world from Australia to Sudan, from China to over in France. And there were many Divisions each reaper was designated it, Gakushu worked in the Retrieval Division, the main duty was to collect souls and transfer them to the Judging Division. Whether if they pass, reincarnate or whatever.

There was the Identification Division that works closely with the Retrieval Division. Forsenic, Medical and Technology Divisions on the scientific sides of the Divisions and they sound just like they were.

There were other names for the organisation, the Grim Reaper Department or GRD for short. But everyone called it as 'the Department'. Because of the nature of a Grim Reaper was to be vague, mainly it is fun to mess around with the humans who knew almost nothing about the Department and its' inner workings.

Although those in top positions in government knew the existent of the Department, they would never imagine a 14 year old strawberry blonde boy chasing a grown adult for his sweets. To the Department, it was just as any regular day.

"Run Forrest! Run!" Ikeda laughed as he ran.

"They are at it again…" Johnny sighed to himself as he watched the two in their chase. "He comes back from an assignment and he goes off to steal his sweeys."

"Damn it Ikeda!" Gakushu yelled angrily.

"They are like siblings." James voiced, watching the pair as they chase around in circles.

Then the strawberry blonde remembered something. 'Wait! I still have that drink!' The soft drink that was offered and remained unopened was in his coat pockets. When Ikeda turned his head around to give a smirk, and something collided to his face, it was cold and hard. And it really hurt. Gakushu aimed and threw a can of soda right into Ikeda's face.

Many of the reapers hissed in pain as they watched, "Oooooooooooooooooo."

In that moment of distraction, Gakushu leaped and tackled him to the ground and they started to wrestle. As they slammed down to the floors of the Department, onto of their logo, Gakushu shakily extended his arm out for his candy. "G-give it back!"

"Come on Shu! Little brother here needs to learn how to share." Ikeda grunted, as he tried to push the strawberry blonde off. His hand was on Gakushu's face, it was quite funny.

"Screw you! I'm not your little brother!" Gakushu screamed into the man's ear and hand. He clawed his way to the male. Before he lunged after the other, for some reason he felt that his feet wasn't topping the ground.

"This again, Gakushu? Iked?" A deep voice in a montone asked. He was dressed in all black suite, with a matching tie and polished shoes which were the typical uniform and colours associated with the Department. It was William T. Spears.

'Crap! It's William!' Gakushu internally panicked. He realised that both he and Ikeda was lifted up by the man. Gakushu felt a grip on his back, he saw that Ikeda was carried by his infamous Death Scythe, the pruner.

"Sup Zeus!" Ikeda used his nickname for William. He remained unaffected by the glare sent his way. "How's it going, did Grell messed up with the paperwork again?"

"It trust that the two of your have calmed down now." William said as he slowly the two back down, the pruner extended back to its regular size with a click. "Now give him back the bag."

"Righto." And Ikeda casually threw the bag back to Gakushu.

"Why didn't you do that in the first place!?"

"What? The chase is fun."

Both neither of the three could say a word, Ikeda rushed off elsewhere and leaped for a certain girl with black hair tied in a pony-tail.

"An! Pat me! Pat me!' Ikeda cheered like a five year old as he ran to the black haired woman. "Praise me!"

"Hello Ikeda." She greeted her junior with a gracefully and gentle smile as she patted him like an overgrown puppy. Ikeda whines slightly as he nuzzled in closer in her hand, her fingers cards through his light-hair locks.

William and Gakushu blankly stared at the scene, before the strawberry blonde reaper sighed. "I'm going to hand in my booklet to front desk," Gakushu tiredly said as he walked away.

All it was left was William, him and all of the stares of surrounding reapers. Many had popcorn as it was being passed around as the masses watched.

"Get back to work!" William yelled and the reapers scurried off.

It was another day at the Department.