Chapter Two: A New Student

His dark brown bangs hung over his eyes as Ayumi Narumi snoozed once again in the Newspaper office where he spent the majority of his time. Just recently he had managed to escape from Kanone Hilbert, the oldest of the Blade Children, a group of children known to be cursed through some circles. Up until a few months ago he knew nothing about them despite the message his older brother Kiyotaka Narumi had left him two years ago stating his desire to look into the mystery of the Blade Children. Through many odd circumstances, Ayumi had met some of them. Kosuke Asuzuki, a trickster who used cards and sneaky traps to confuse his victims, Ryo Takeuchi, the smallest of the Blade Children and the deadliest by far because of the elaborate traps and bombs she created, Ryouko Takamachi the star of the track team at the school and the only Blade Child who wanted nothing to do with violence, and finally the leader of the Blade Children, Eyes Rutherford a piano prodigy from Great Britain who had decided to stay in Japan to see if Kiyotaka's theory about his younger brother was true. Could Ayumu be the key to saving the Blade Children? At this point Ayumu still wasn't quite sure after recently evading his latest attack from Kanone Hilbert, a German raised Blade Child who had no belief in his abilities or the fact that he could possibly be the savior.

As these thoughts flowed through his sleeping mind, he heard the door open and lifted his head slowly as Hiyono Yuizaki, one of his fellow students at the school and his partner walked through the door.

"Ayumu" she replied with her hands on her hips her brown eyes shining, "Are you still in here? Class is going to start any minute."

"Well thank you for waking me up" he said sarcastically sitting up straight his own brown eyes flashing, "I was hoping to sleep right through it."

"Get serious. Besides you wouldn't want to do something like that today."

"What are you talking about?" he asked with a dull sound to his voice as he pushed a hand through his spiky dark brown hair.

"Word on the street is that there is a new student today, and he happens to be in your grade."

"So, what do I care about that?"

"Ayumu" she said as she sat down at her computer, "Aren't you just the least bit curious about this guy? I mean new students don't happen every day you know."

"Not really" he shook his head as he stood from the long table that sat in the center of the room, "But if you're gonna nag me I guess I will go."

"That's the spirit" she replied happily, "Oh by the way, his name is Hizumi. Hizumi Muzushiro."

(Next Scene)

Ayumu departed from the Newspaper office and headed for the classroom. When he entered in he saw that several of the students were eyeing the new boy as he sat at his desk, his light brown hair falling over his brown eyes. Ayumu walked over to his desk, which was right next to the new student's and sat down. The new student, Hizumi looked up and smiled directly at him.

"Nice to meet you" he replied in a soft-spoken voice.

"Huh?" Ayumu looked at him directly.

"You're Ayumu Narumi right?"

"Yea" Ayumu nodded shifting around in his chair to face the other boy, "What about it?"

"Nothing, I've just heard a lot about you. They say that you're one of the brightest kids in the school. Not only that, have you noticed anything?"

"Noticed anything?" Ayumu raised an eyebrow.

"I noticed it the moment you walked in, we look very similar don't we?"

"I don't see how you've come to that conclusion."

"Funnily enough a lot of your classmates mistook me for you this morning, but I had to tell them that they were mistaken. By the way my name is Hizumi."

"I know" Ayumu replied crossing his arms, "Hizumi Muzushiro."

"My goodness we are smart" the boy continued to smile as he raised an eyebrow.

"No, I just have a very reliable source."

"Well lucky you" Hizumi grinned, "I think I am going to like you Ayumu. Let's be friends from now on shall we?" he held out his hand.

Ayumu put out his own hand and shook the others. However something in the boy's smile made him uneasy and he couldn't help but feel like everyone was right. He did look like Ayumu. Except for the different hair color, his face was a dead ringer.

(Next Scene)

That afternoon, Ayumu lay on the roof contemplating everything about the new student. He sat up and his eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated. He was concentrating so much so that he didn't hear Hiyono walk up behind him.

"Hey there Ayumu" she replied with a smile.

"Oh. Hey" he managed a slight nod.

"Uh oh, those twinkles of yours are out again" she teased, "You must be thinking about something."

"Not really. What are you doing up here?" he said with a sigh.

"You know what I am doing up here?" she grinned, "Hand it over" she held out her hands.

"Oh that's right" he reached to his side and pulled out a lunch box, "Here."

"Oh thank you Ayumu!" she squealed, "You don't know how happy you've made me."

"It's just a box lunch. It's not that big a deal" he leaned against the fence as she sat down next to him.

"You have no idea" she grinned beginning her tirade, "I've been dreaming about this all day long. The sweet smells and aromas coming from the box that you lovingly made just for me. Oh Ayumu it's like a dream come true."

"Oh brother" he shook his head as he closed his eyes, "Just eat it would ya."

"Mhm" she nodded and began eating his delicious Japanese style lunch, "I knew this would be good" she practically cried, "So" she said through bites, "Did you meet the new student yet?"

"I met him this morning" Ayumu nodded.

"What did you think of him?"

"He's, interesting."

"Interesting? How interesting?"

"There is something very off about him."

"Do you think he could be one of the Blade Children?"

"I don't think so" Ayumu shook his head as he leaned on his right knee with his right arm his hand dangling over the side.

"How do you know?"

"If you haven't noticed there is another distinguishing characteristic about the Blade Children. When they're excited the pupils of their eyes become like slits, like you would see on cats. I've seen it on Asuzuki. On Ryo. Even Rutherford. There's no way he's one of them."

"How could you tell?" she asked as she took another bite.

"He seemed awful excited to see me, but as he talked he was very calm, almost peaceful like. Another thing he knew who I was before we even met and I don't think he learned it from someone at school."

"Hmm, that is mysterious. Well" she added with a smile as she closed the lid of the lunch box, "Maybe I can figure out why that is."

"Huh?" Ayumu looked at her quizzically.

"I have an interview with him this afternoon for the paper" she replied standing up.

"Why?" he asked as he stood up a slight look of concern on his face.

"Because he's a new student and we don't often get one at this school. Besides I want to know why he came here and all about him. I'll see you later Ayumu."

"Hiyono" he said making her turn her head, "Be careful."

"What do you think he's going to do? We don't know anything about him yet?"

"Just the same, be careful. We didn't know anything about the Blade Children before either, remember?"

"Uh" she paused her eyes becoming wide, "Don't worry" she waved it off, "I'm sure he's real nice" she turned and walked down the stairs as Ayumu could only stare in deep worry.

"Perhaps I should be there when she has her so called interview with Mr. Muzushiro" he told himself with a nod as he departed from the roof.

(Next Scene)

After school Ayumu wandered around downstairs till he saw Hiyono sitting in a classroom with Hizumi finishing up the interview.

"Okay one more question" Hiyono replied looking down at her notebook.

"Please go ahead," Hizumi said with a twisted smile that made Ayumu frown at the sight of it.

"Why did you decide to come to this particular school at this particular time?" she asked.

"Well the reputation of this school precedes it. It's educational program is said to be one of the best in the area, plus I heard it has many good looking girls on the campus" he raised his eyes and stared directly at her, "And I can see that was no exaggeration."

"Oh" Hiyono's face became pink as Ayumu frowned even more, "Well thank you very much Mr. Muzushiro. It was very nice to meet you."

"It was a pleasure meeting you as well Miss Yuizaki" he bowed his head as he stood from his chair, "Perhaps we'll see each other again on campus sometime."

"Perhaps" she nodded gathering her stuff as he exited the door.

Ayumu stood in the hallway as he departed. He bowed his head politely and then left the frowning boy as Hiyono appeared from the classroom.

"Ayumu what are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

"I" he began, "I came to wait for you."

"Oh you didn't have to wait for me" she smiled.

"I know that. I wanted to."

"Huh?" she looked at his expression as he frowned at Hizumi's retreating figure, "Ayumu, this isn't about him is it?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not worried about him still are you? Because I got to tell you I don't think he's like that at all."

"What do you mean?" Ayumu asked as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Well despite having the uncanny resemblance to your face, which I did find a little creepy at first, he seems like a perfectly normal guy. He's really nice."

"I don't know."

"I'm telling you, you should just get to know him better."

"Whatever. I got to get home. If dinner isn't ready by the time her Highness gets there" he said as they began to walk down the hallway, "She'll let me have it for sure" he added making Hiyono chuckle amused.

(Next Scene)

That night, after Ayumu had made a delicious dinner of homemade Curry much to Madoka's chagrin, the young teen sat at his desk still contemplating the mysterious Mr. Muzushiro.

"Why on earth was he so friendly with me if he hardly even knew me? It doesn't make any sense. It's almost as if, he does know me in a way, but I don't know him, but that doesn't make any sense at all. I wonder" the cell phone on his desk rang interrupting his thoughts.

Ayumu picked it up and frowned as he recognized the number of the person who was calling him. He clicked the phone and put it to his ear.

"What do you want?"

"Little Narumi" Eyes Rutherford's voice came over the phone loud and clear, "I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow afternoon?"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"No. But I have called a meeting with the other Blade Children and I would like for you to attend. You can bring your little friend along if you like."

"What's this all about Rutherford?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow. One o'clock. Will you be there?"

"I'll be there."

With that Ayumu heard the click of Eyes hanging up so he slowly did the same.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Ayumu thought.

(To be continued…)