The chapter title Aenigma is Latin for Enigma (they seem alike, anyway lol).

Things get even more mysterious in this part. And get ready to welcome more APH characters~!

Chapter Two

Aenigma

The homeroom teacher and the co-homeroom teacher stand in front of me in the faculty room, and I try to act like a good student- for now. They're filling me in on the important stuff I need to know upon entering class. Boring stuff, mostly, like policies and behaving.

"I'm Mr. Ivan Braginski," the homeroom teacher says, smiling. He has ash blond hair and amethyst or purple eyes. There's this creepy aura around him, though, that makes me uneasy. "And this is Ms. Katyusha Braginskaya." She has the same ash blond hair as his, but her eyes are kinder and she seems plain nice, which makes me relieved.

I say curiously, "Is it just me or are your surnames similar?"

"Da," Mr. Braginski replies, nodding, "We're siblings, actually. And Russian."

"Oh! Cool," I answer.

Ms. Braginskaya puts on a serious face. "Now, Alfred, we're going to tell you something very important about class 3 and you have to pay close attention to what we're about to tell you-"

The bell rings. I look outside the faculty door and see students rushing to their classrooms. The two teachers exchange weird glances and I still can't stop thinking how strange everything is. They smile at me and tell me to get to class.

I enter the room and everyone is making noise and talking like there's no tomorrow. It's normal, actually. I admit that I'm still in a summer mood. They don't notice me as I walk inside, and I find myself instantly looking for Arthur Kirkland. He's talking to his seatmate, an Asian guy, and his back is facing me.

The noise continues. "Today's the day, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Roderich says he isn't the one but he isn't a hundred percent sure."

"We have no choice but to find out ourselves, right?"

"Definitely. If it's him, then things should start happening as soon as today."

"Don't say something like that! We should be hoping nothing happens."

Mr. and Ms. B come inside the room. The classroom immediately quiets down and they sit down in their proper seats as the two teachers go in front. I follow them and already feel people noticing me and gazing at me.

I stand confidently in front of the whole class, looking at my new classmates with my best smile. Leaving a good first impression will motivate them to welcome me with open arms like a true hero. I was never the type to be shy in front of new people. I'd rather be the catalyst of good deeds instead!

Mr. Braginski stands next to me with a sweet smile on his face. He gestures to me and tells the class in a gentle voice laced with honey, "Everyone, this is your new classmate Alfred F. Jones. Welcome him to class 3."

He nods to me and I grin, turning to the class. "Hey guys. Like Mr. B said, I'm Alfred. I hope we have a great year together and stuff! Being new ain't easy, but I'm happy to be in Hetalia High. Please treat me kindly!"

Now here's the strange part. They all just look at me with serious looks on their faces, to say the least. And that's the least! Some of them look downright scared or nervous, but I really don't get it. Mr. Braginski isn't that scary. Maybe they're intimidated by the first impression I give them, but I'm obviously the hero, not the villain.

I look to my friend Arthur, seated in the second row beside an Asian dude. He stares at me with his green eyes and freaking smirks, which is the only reaction I receive from any of them. I give him a confused look and he shakes his head, as if there's nothing to explain, and turns to look at the teachers like a good student.

"You can sit down over there, Alfred," says Ms. B, pointing somewhere in the fourth row, far from Arthur.

I walk there and sit down. I look at my seatmate, who is leaning on the window with a bored expression on his face. I smile at him and he nods back.

However, someone else catches my attention. I turn and find that sitting in the last row is Matthew Williams, the kid I met in the elevator the other day. Apparently, we're classmates. If I had known, I would have talked to him longer in the hospital. He doesn't notice me, but he looks the same with his blond hair and strange eyes, staring out the window absentmindedly. I stare at him for a few seconds. He still seems… odd.

Class starts and I try to pay attention, but it's just so boring. I see Arthur diligently taking notes on the other side of the room and roll my eyes. He's definitely going to be one of the honor students this year, just like when we were kids. Pretty girls catch my attention, but not for long. They're busy looking serious and stuff.

The lesson drones on and I realize that the atmosphere is really different. It's too quiet to even be a real classroom and everything's too unnatural. It's like everyone's trying to avoid something…

Arthur and I are outside the classroom and he's giving me some of his notes from last week so I can read them and have an easier time during class. He is about to explain some boring part again when we're interrupted.

"Yo, newcomer."

I turn to find three guys grinning at me. My saviors.

"Uh, hi," I answer gratefully, watching as Arthur turns to them and gives them his best British glare. The scene that follows unfolds so quickly that I don't even have time to process it all in my brain.

The first guy is pale-skinned and has silver-white hair and crimson eyes, which surprisingly don't make him look scary but rather more awesome. He steps forward and says coolly with a German accent, "Hey Alfred. I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt. Come over for a sec? We're gonna show you around school."

They seem friendly enough, so I nod. "Okay, sure!"

Arthur blocks my way furiously. "He is not going anywhere with you lot. You're just bad influences!"

The second guy stops me and grabs my shoulder. He has wavy blond hair that reaches his shoulders and blue eyes that gaze at me flirtatiously. I feel somewhat disturbed. "Je m'appelle Francis Bonnefoy. Arthur hasn't shown you around the campus, hmm? He claims he's a gentleman yet he can't do that one thing. Doesn't he know you're a new student here?" I can tell he's obviously French.

My childhood friend blushes. "Well, frog, I was helping him catch up with the lessons that he missed last week. I'm sure doing that is even more important than showing him around. Besides, he can find his way on his own."

The third guy laughs cheerfully. "It's good to know that he's independent and all, but he might actually get lost if he doesn't know where he's going all the time. I'm Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, by the way." His accent gives him away as Spanish, and he's tan-skinned with jade green eyes and dark brown hair.

"I haven't forgiven you for what you've done back when we were middle school, you bloody-"

"Don't worry about Arthur," I interrupt loudly, smiling, "I don't mind making friends."

"You're not serious! These guys aren't worth it!"

Arthur reluctantly lets me go with the three, after a few seconds of trying to escape Francis' hugs. I laugh as Gilbert sends a bad finger behind us as we walk away and Antonio mutters something about tomatoes.

They show me around, taking their time, and I go along with their silly antics and funny jokes, realizing that they're probably the cool guys in the class. I try to familiarize myself with the campus and the different locations of the rooms. The creepy feeling I got in the classroom didn't go away no matter how much I tried to ignore it.

Somehow, I find them too fast-paced even for me, with the prideful and self-proclaimed awesome Gilbert, the coquettish and perverted Francis, and the oblivious and happy-go-lucky Antonio. Maybe the three were made for each other or perhaps their group doesn't have room for an avenging hero who promotes justice.

We're in front of the field, which has students walking leisurely around and trees making the place look pretty.

"You guys seem pretty close," I comment, amused as they goof off, "How about Arthur, though?"

Francis laughs, running a hand through his hair in a carelessly handsome way. "Well, Arthur and I go way back. We were close friends even in middle school. He can be adorable at times but we're mostly at odds."

"Yeah, I guess I can relate," I say softly, "He tends to get angry easily and stuff."

"I dunno, Francis. Maybe he hates you even more because you're always trying to grope him every time his back is turned?" Gilbert suggests deviously, pulling lightly at Francis' hair, "That's what you do to everyone, anyway. You flirt left and right as long as they're good-looking. Don't say otherwise, Frenchie!"

"I wasn't going to!" He gently pushed the albino away from him. "And don't touch the hair, Gil!"

Antonio shakes his head. "The relationship between Francis and Arthur is like the relationship between you and Roderich, you know. You're not really one to talk, mi amigo," He earns himself a playful smack on the face.

"The guy's a real pansy! I don't understand why Elizaveta likes him. He just plays the piano, that's all."

"Oui, that's right. But what do you do that can possibly make her like you?"

Gilbert scowls. "I'm awesome, that's what!"

"That's not enough if you want her to love you. L'amour is more complicated than that."

"Si, I've had experience too," Antonio butts in offhandedly.

"How's your new boyfriend then, by the way? His name was Feliciano, wasn't it?"

"Actually, I found out Feliciano had a twin brother named Lovino when I visited his house. Lovino's a lot cuter and he plays really hard to get, so I find myself attracted to him more. Feliciano takes it all lightly, though."

"Mein Gott, Antonio! What does this Lovino dude have that his twin doesn't, anyway?"

I stare at them incredulously. "Wait, what? Slow down, guys! I'm new here! Francis tries to grope Arthur and flirts with everyone else, Gilbert likes Elizaveta, who unfortunately likes Roderich, and Antonio liked someone named Feliciano but got attracted to his twin brother Lovino instead? Are you guys for real?"

Francis nods calmly. "That's all correct. You see, Alfred, we're known as the Bad Touch Trio."

"Wow. You guys have bad touch or something? If I join, will everyone hate me too or…?"

Antonio looks at his two friends, confused. "People hate us?"

"Nein, of course not! Alfred's just exaggerating," the red-eyed teen answered nonchalantly, giving me an accusing look, "Fine, Arthur finds us annoying and Roderich clearly doesn't like us for bugging Elizaveta all the time, but it's not like the whole class actually hates us. We're too awesome for that! They should even be grateful."

"Grateful? For what? Being playboys?"

Finally, they all stare at me with solemn looks on their faces. I'm taken aback. The past few minutes showing me around the campus were spent really quickly with laughs and jokes and whatnot. Suddenly, the atmosphere turns cold and I don't know what to make of their change of attitudes.

The wind picks up and a few girls on the field run back inside. Francis gazes at them and explains quietly, as if he doesn't want anyone else to hear, "We do things for our class that they don't know about, Alfred. We're telling you because you seem like a person who'd want to help. You see, every single one of our classmates is in danger."

I smirk. "This is a trick, right? I know I'm a heroic guy and all, but I don't see how everyone can be in danger."

Gilbert frowns. "No one's told you yet! Do you believe in ghosts and spirits, Alfred?"

The question surprises me and I don't know what to say. My voice won't let me speak and I can't do anything else but stare at the three, waiting for an answer. Their gazes transfer to me and I can't help but think that I prefer being with them when they're goofing off. "Wh-what?"

I hit myself mentally, because a hero does not stutter.

"Supernatural sightings and the like, you know. Not only ghosts and spirits, but also psychic powers," Antonio continues softly, looking out at the field. "Things that can't be explained through scientific methods. Things that might not exist. Things that people don't usually believe in."

The first thing that I think of is that maybe they're kidding me around and simply acting serious, but it seems so real. I answer uncertainly, "I dunno why you guys are asking me this stuff… Arthur's believed in them since we were kids, though. You should ask him instead."

Francis tilts his head and stares at me carefully. "Not Arthur. We're asking about you, Alfred."

"Well, I don't believe in them. They creep me out and that's it," I say, weirded out, "Are U.F.O.s counted?"

Before they could answer, I see a figure from the corner of my eye and recognize it instantly. I turn and run towards it, yelling over my shoulder, "Wait a minute, guys! I'll just see you later and stuff!"

Matthew Williams had sat down under a tree at the farthest end of the field.

"Uhh, Matthew?" I say, unsure, as I run towards his direction. "That's your name, right? Hey!"

He looks up at me and I can't help but notice his weird blue-violet eyes, glinting behind the glasses. "Why… Why are you…?"

"I'm Alfred Jones, the new student in class. I saw you sitting at the back earlier," I answer cheerfully, giving him a friendly smile. His gaze intensifies and the slight breeze ruffles his blond hair as he stands up. "Matthew?"

He shakes his head at me and starts walking off. "You shouldn't be talking to me."

I grab his arm, surprised at his reaction. "What? Why? Hey-"

Matthew frowns, giving me a strange look. "You should be more careful, Alfred. Be very careful."

Careful? About what? All I did was talk to him! Jeez, maybe he's antisocial or something? My thoughts are interrupted when the bell rings, signalling the end of lunch time. I casually put my hands in my pockets as I walk back to the direction where I left Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis. They're leaning on the wall and waiting for me, whispering about something when I make my presence heard.

They all glance at me seriously. Francis speaks, crossing his arms. "The bell has rung, Alfred."

I nod, confused at their glances. "Uh, yeah. I heard it too."

Antonio laughs, breaking the icy silence and putting an arm around my shoulder. "Let's go! It's not a good start if you're late on the first day, you know. By the way, where'd you get that jacket? It's similar to the one that Lovino wears all the time. Probably the brand or…"

Gilbert mumbles something to Francis behind me, and I can swear they're talking about me.

What did I do wrong? Why is everyone acting so weird?

It's P.E. and everyone's running laps around the field. The teacher's pretty strict, yelling at them to go faster. I can tell Arthur's having a hard time trying to catch up and the Bad Touch Trio's not really taking it seriously, laughing whenever someone trips. Elizaveta's actually doing pretty well- the best among all the girls, in fact- right then and there passing by the Asian guy who was leading.

Well, I'm just sitting here at the bench, watching them go at it, because my stupid lung condition is preventing me from doing any strenuous activity. If I could join them, I bet I'd be at the front lines too.

I hear someone walking towards me and turn to see Roderich sitting down beside me. He has bandages wrapped around his left foot and winces as it brushes the ground softly. I nod to him.

"Hey, is that an injury? What happened?" I ask curiously.

He sighs. "A while ago, I was talking to Elizaveta about something when Gilbert suddenly ran up to us and pushed me for some stupid reason. I fell down and obviously, my foot got hurt. I can't join P.E. for now. You're here because of your lungs, I presume?"

"Yeah," I reply, grinning, "Did you fall down somewhere near the back door, by the way? Arthur told me that you'll flunk your tests if you did. It's some sort of superstition or something."

"Oh, that. Luckily not. Well, I honestly don't believe in superstitions. I'm not surprised about Arthur, though. He's quite eccentric in that field of interest. I don't understand what fascinates him so much about it," he answers, adjusting his glasses.

I chuckle. "I know, right? He's always been like that, ever since we were kids."

We quiet down as we decide to watch our classmates run laps. Most of them are taking it seriously but a handful are merely having fun with their friends while the teacher's not looking (specifically a certain trio). I gaze at Arthur, who's visibly out of breath as he slows down alongside an Asian guy, and at Elizaveta, who's really giving it her all as she competes with Gilbert.

That's when I notice Matthew isn't anywhere to be seen.

I'm about to ask Roderich about it when he speaks first. "I saw you hanging around with Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis earlier during lunch time. Did they tell you anything strange?"

"Strange?" I reply, puzzled. I remember that when I went over to Matthew to talk to him, the three were trying to tell me something. They looked really serious about it, too. Could it have been important? "No, they just showed me around the campus."

Roderich scowls. "Is that all? Are you sure, Alfred?"

Why is everyone so serious when talking to me? "Yeah, I'm pretty sure, man. That's all that happened."

He nods, looking away uneasily. "I see."

There's a short silence as I ponder on everything that happened today. Arthur's trying to hide something from me, the three weirdoes in my class were actually about to tell me something important during lunchtime, I tried to talk to Matthew but he simply warned me to be careful, and Roderich's being suspicious while interrogating me. Could things get any weirder?

I casually ask, "Anyway, where's Matthew?"

Roderich tenses beside me. "Wh-what?"

"Matthew. The blond guy who wears glasses and sits at the back in the classroom," I clarify, narrowing my eyes as I watch him bite his lip and look at me worriedly. "He's not here. I'm pretty sure he was present earlier."

He's quiet for a few seconds as he struggles to say something. "U-um… Who- ugh, excuse me?"

I'm taken aback by his answer. When I talked to Arthur about Matthew, he gave a reaction similar to this as well. What's so wrong about that guy? Is it taboo to talk about him or something? He's just a normal classmate as far as I know.

The wind rustles a few trees to our right and I gaze up at the sky as leaves fly off from the branches. Then, something attracts my attention. I see a figure of a person standing on the rooftop of the building next to the field, watching us.

It looks like… Matthew?

I don't know why, but I'm suddenly determined to go up to talk to him. I want to find out the truth as to why he's always disappearing everywhere and why everyone refuses to talk to or about him. I leave Roderich behind me and mutter a quick excuse to the P.E. teacher as I run towards the building.

My chest tightens- probably because of my stupid lungs- and I try to slow down a little. I briskly go up the stairs until the rooftop and open the door. The wind brushes my cheeks softly and I look around for Matthew.

He's leaning on the railing, still motionlessly watching our classmates on the field. I approach him as he turns and looks at me, obviously quite shocked. He tilts his head. "Why are you here?"

I ignore his question. "Why aren't you in P.E. class? I'm positive you're not hurt anywhere. Are you sick?"

Matthew clenches his fists. "No… Why did you come here?"

I ignore his question again. "What were you doing in the hospital last week? That's where we met, remember? You went down to the basement- to the morgue- and you said you had to give your teddy bear to someone. Who was that?"

He stares at me disdainfully. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I like the way you're asking me."

"Agh, naw, I was just curious," I reply, smiling sheepishly, "I really don't mean to force you to answer or anything."

"Alfred," he says quietly, looking down at his shoes, "Did you know that our class, the 3rd class of the 3rd year, is cursed? People link our class closest to death and extremely cursed, compared to the other classes. Not just closest to death, but closest to tragic and unimaginable death. The whole school knows it."

I look at him, very confused. "Wait, hold on! What do you mean by closest to death? Is this another superstition?"

Matthew stares up at me, alarmed. "You- you don't know anything. You really don't know anything!"

"Okay, now I'm insulted," I answer playfully, "I may not be the smartest of the bunch, but I still know science and history stuff. Fine, I'm a bit weak when it comes to math, but I can handle it! I know stuff and-"

He interrupts me softly, "No, that's not it. You don't know about it. No one's told you yet. Since that's the case, I'm going to warn you, Alfred, and I already warned you before. You have to be very careful. It may have started already."

I frown. "Careful? Now you lost me. What started?"

"They'll tell you soon. They're wrong for not telling you yet, but they'll tell you soon," Matthew says, giving me a small smile, "Just remember that it has started. And it's best if you don't get too close to me."

"What? Why? Wait, Matthew!"

"Bye."

He walks towards the door to exit the rooftop. A crow squawks somewhere nearby and it echoes as the wind picks up again. Suddenly, I remember the very first superstition Arthur told me about Hetalia High. "Firstly, if you hear a crow while you're on the roof, step first with your left foot when coming back inside. Otherwise, you'll get badly injured."

I'm about to call out to Matthew to warn him, but it's too late. He's gone inside.

And the first foot he stepped on was the right.

It was interesting writing this chapter. Alfred's in some deep shit, ya know. He better be careful lol.

Also, please give me feedback by reviewing. :D