"What's a damn punk like you need in the faculty office!?" a grumpy, angry voice shouts from the office as I open the door. There's so much wrong with what I just heard that I don't even know where to begin. When I walk in, I see one of the occupants walk in my direction, and from his appearance alone, I can tell he's the one that's pissed; although his striped, dark navy suit and white collared, long-sleeved shirt combo and yellow and orange checkered tie don't seem all that menacing, his bob cut black hair and buck teeth sure do alongside veins popping out of his forehead.

"Well?" the man demands. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

I gulp. "I'm Yu Narukami," I reply calmly, despite my body telling me to panic. "I'm…"

The man scuffs. "The new transfer student, huh? That's just what this school needs…" He then looks me in the eye. "I'd bet you're just like the last one, too!" I want to ignore him, but he's just so… Actually, I can't think up the right word to describe him. Ah well, I'll try to ignore him anyways. I mean, there's no way he could make things worse than they already are.

"And of course, you're stuck with me."

"…" Well, shit. Things just got worse. Do the gods spite me or something? Now not only will I have to endure his wrath on a regular basis, but I also have to be generalized based on my status as a transfer student? What sick and twisted part of hell did I just walk into?

He continues. "Well, follow me, and keep up!" I don't want to follow, but lest I want to get labeled as anything worse by this dick, I guess I have no choice. At least I'm not the only one forced to be subjected to his torment.

"Alright, shut your traps!" the teacher barks to the noisy classroom, sending everyone into immediate, uneasy silence. Myself, I'm still trembling from the "lecture" he gave me before entering the room, so having to listen to more of his nonsense is pretty much akin to torture.

He continues. "I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today onwards." Yeah, more like the ringleader of hell.

"First things first: just because it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like lovestruck baboons." I notice a few of the other students shift uncomfortably in their seats, but it's not like I can blame them.

"Long as I'm around, you students are going to be as pure as the driven snow." He then turns his painful gaze back to me. "Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student." Oh joy, I'm next on your schedule. I also love the way you distastefully said "transfer student;" that was a nice touch.

"This sad sack's been tossed from the big city to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage." I breathe through my nose as I write my name on the board; sure, this guy's an ass, but I'm sure I don't need to be on his bad side.

"And she's just as much of a loser here as she was there, so you boys better not get any funny ideas. Tell 'em your name kid, and make it snappy."

I turn to face Morooka instead of the class, way beyond giving a damn. "You calling me a loser?" Once the words escape my mouth, a collective set of gasps rise from the class as everyone stares at me, no doubt baffled by what I just said. I stare at Morooka with an innocent smile as a vein pops out of his forehead. I'm screwed, but no one generalizes me as a loser and gets away with it.

"W-Why you little—that's it! You're on my shit list, effective immediately!" Funny, because from my perspective, it looked like I already was.

He continues, louder than before. "Now listen up! This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and assholes, in more ways than one. You better not even think about getting involved with the boys here, you got that!?" Great, more lecturing. Well, I guess I asked for this one.

Again, he continues. "But what do I know? It's not like the old days. Even here, kids grow up so damn fast, always fooling around on those damn phones for no other reason than to check your life journals or FaceSpaces." Is he seriously still rambling on? Someone shoot me now before I have to listen to one more sentence of his "lecture."

Suddenly, one of the female students raises their hand. "Excuse me! Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?"

Morooka turns to face the girl in question. "Huh? Yeah, sure." He returns his gaze to me once more. "Ya here that? Your seat's over there. So hurry up and siddown already!" With pleasure. I walk over to the empty desk and take my seat, and the first thing I do is look to the girl who saved me from my torment; the girl sports short, lightish-brown hair and a green, high collared athletic jacket over the standard uniform. Now SHE looks like someone I could grow to like.

"He's the worst, huh?" she asks me.

I put a hand over my face. "You can say that again," I sigh.

"Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class… Well, we just have to hang in there for a year." That's comforting, but unless Morooka gets hit by a train or something, I doubt that I'll be able to find solace in his classes. Regardless, I listen around to the rest of the students once I realize I'm the center of their conversations.

"Sucks to be the transfer student, ending up in King Moron's class on the first morning here…" King Moron? I have to admit, that sounds like a much more fitting name for him right now.

"Yeah, he won't think twice about suspending you if you get on his bad side. But then again, we're all in the same boat." I only find momentary solace from a comment like this.

"Shut your traps!" King Moron barks. "I'm taking roll, and I damn well expect you to respond in an orderly manner!" I'll consider it, King Moron. I'll consider it.

"That's all for today," King Moron announces as class draws to a close. "Normal lectures will start tomorrow." He then heads for the door, but before he leaves, a soft trill fills the room.

"Attention all teachers," the PA system echoes. "Please report to the Faculty Office immediately for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice."

King Moron faces us once again and huffs. "You heard the announcement. Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise!" And with that, he exits the room almost as fast as he and I entered it this morning, and the room erupts into conversation like class never even happened.

"He's seriously getting on my nerves," a girl to my left tells the girl in front of her. I sigh. You and me both, girl. As I think this, I hear police sirens grow in volume, leading to some of the students to immediately run to the window; I momentarily turn to the window in curiosity, but the fog covering the area makes it nearly impossible for me to see anything. Upset, I proceed to put the items on my desk back into my backpack.

"H-Hey, Yukiko-san," I hear a voice greet. "Mind if I ask you something?" I turn my head and see that one of the male students is trying to attract the attention of the girl sitting in the row in front of me; she has long, straight black hair and wears a red hair band that matches her red sweater that she wears with her uniform. She, along with the short haired girl from before, really stick out the most, almost like one of those clichés you see in manga.

The boy continues. "Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?"

The girl shifts uncontrollably in her seat. "I can't discuss such things."

The boy rubs the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, I guess not…" He then runs back to the window, and the short-haired girl walks over to the black-haired girl's side.

"Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?" the short-haired girl asks.

"There's no telling," the black-haired girl replies.

The short-haired girl sighs. "I shoulda left before the announcement came on…" Yeah, I have to agree with her there, but it's not like we had the option.

After a few minutes more, the trill from before sounds off again. "Attention all students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the officers. Head directly home. I repeat…"

"Incident?" one of the male students asks.

"What, something actually happened?" one of the female students asks. So stuff like this doesn't usually happen? Geez, that timing is just too uncanny. Regardless, I stand up, but before I even have a chance to move, two familiar girls walk up to me.

"Hey, are you going home by yourself?" the short-haired girl asks.

I nod. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, why don't you come with us?" I grow silent. "Oh, I nearly forgot! My name's Chie Satonaka. I sit next to you, remember?"

I nod. "Yeah, of course."

"Well, nice to meet you!" Chie then turns her attention to the other girl. "This is Yukiko Amagi."

Yukiko rubs her hands, almost as if she's cold. "Oh, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," I reply back.

"T-Thanks. I'm sorry this is so sudden…"

Chie pouts, waving her hand in protest. "C'mon, Yukiko! Don't apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing!" As she speaks, I can't help but see how much these two are polar opposites of each other: one is as quiet as they come, and the other is so outspoken, she's impossible to miss. A unique pair, but one that nags at me in the back of my head, and I don't know why.

"Well then, let's get going," Chie says. I nod, and the three of us walk towards the door when another male student blocks our path; I don't notice it immediately, but after a second or two, I realize it's the boy from earlier who crashed his bike.

"Uhh… Satonaka-san?" he asks Chie.

Chie, on cue, looks at him with a puzzled look. "Hmm?" The boy's brown eyes look to the ground and to Chie a few times, almost as if he's trying to dodge a bullet. Then I notice a DVD case in his hand.

"The movie was really awesome…" he explains. "Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see. And…" He holds out the case with two hands and bows. "I'm really sorry! It was an accident. P-Please have mercy on me until my next paycheck!" Chie takes the case, and then the boy takes off. "See ya! Thanks!"

I'd say he made a clean getaway, but Chie was just as quick to react. "Hold it right there! What did you do to my DVD!?" Sure enough, Chie is on his heels in second as she pulls on the boy's collar and jerks her leg upwards; guess that's strike two for him.

"Ugh!" He crumples to the ground in pain. Yukiko and I walk over to the two when Chie opens the DVD case.

"W-What the…?" The shock in her voice is very noticeable. "I can't believe this! It's completely cracked!" She cries. "My 'Trial of the Dragon'…!"

"I think mine's cracked too…" the boy chokes out. "C-Critical hit to the nads…" I don't want to laugh, so I bite my lip to hold back; sure, it's unfortunate, but hearing him say that is a little much, so the least I can do is keep quiet.

"A-Are you alright?" Yukiko asks him, seemingly concerned.

"O-Oh, Yukiko-san…" He looks to Yukiko with a pained smile as he tries standing up. "Are you worried about me?"

As he asks this, Chie growls softly. "He's fine, Yukiko! Let's ditch him and go home." She then puts the DVD case in her backpack and walks out the open door, with Yukiko following not too far behind, leaving me behind with the boy; however, despite a second or two of feeling pity, I decide to catch up with the girls, leaving the boy to, uhh, sort himself out.

"I move around a lot because of my parents' job," I explain to Chie and Yukiko. "I've been to a lot of schools because of that."

Chie nods her head. "I see. I thought it was something much more serious."

"You mean like a deal with a bad gang?" Yukiko suggests.

I tilt my head. "What do you mean by that?"

Chie waves her hand worriedly. "Nothing like that! Sheesh, you've got a strange imagination, Yukiko."

I laugh. "Yeah. What have you been watching to get THAT idea?"

Yukiko also laughs. "Oh, just a simple drama."

Chie sighs. "We need to find you a hobby…" She then looks back to me. "Moving on, your situation reminds me of Hanamura."

"Hanamura?" I ask.

Chie crosses her arms. "Yosuke Hanamura. You know, the guy I kicked in the nads?"

I nod understandingly. "Oh, yeah. You know, you didn't have to do that to him, even if he deserved it."

"She has a point," Yukiko adds.

"W-Well, whatever," Chie stutters. "Can we just change the subject?"

I nod. "How about telling me about the town?"

Chie frowns. "Well, there's really nothing here. That makes it nice, but there's not much to show to people from the outside. Although, there is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous…" Her expression then immediately brightens. "Oh wait! There's the Amagi Inn!"

I notice Yukiko's expression darken at this inn's mention. "It's… just an old inn."

Chie shakes her head. "No way! It's been in all sorts of magazines as a hidden treasure." She turns to me. "It's a great inn! It's been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday. Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going."

Now Yukiko frowns. "I don't think that's entirely true."

"Now now, it's okay to be proud of it with the way Chie described it," I remark.

Chie nods. "Yeah, you heard her!"

"Seriously, you guys," Yukiko continues, "it's not that special."

As we walk, I see a crowd of people gathered up ahead. "Hold up, what's going on up there?" I ask as I stop in my tracks.

Chie and Yukiko also stop walking. "I dunno," Chie replies. "Why don't we check it out?"

I nod. "I was thinking the same thing." I continue walking, Chie and Yukiko trailing not too far behind, curious as to what has so many people gathered in one place, but whatever it is, it can't be a regular occurrence.

"So that high schooler left school early, and as she came down the street…" This is the first thing I hear, and it already doesn't sound like anything good.

"Wow. Who could imagine THAT hanging from an antenna?" Hanging from an antenna? What does she mean?

"I wanted to see it too."

"Uhh, you got here too late… The police and fire department just took it down a moment ago."

I look to the others. "What could they mean?"

Chie shrugs her shoulders. "Beats me." That's real comforting. Yukiko says nothing, so I listen closer.

"Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here…"

"…" Did I hear that right?

"A dead body!?" Chie repeats, seemingly shocked. "Did I–what?"

"You're not hearing things, Satonaka," I reply. "I heard it too… But I kinda wish I didn't."

"I know what you mean," Chie replies understandingly. I look to Yukiko, still speechless, but she looks to the antenna curiously; I look to it as well, but there's not really anything to see. A dead body hanging on that, huh? No wonder people came out to see it, because now even I'm harboring morbid curiosity over it.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" These words snap me put of it, my eyes now darting around, only to discover that my uncle is here too. Oh, right. Nanako said he's a detective, so it's no wonder he's here.

I clear my throat. "We were just passing by," I reply calmly.

Dojima nods firmly. "Huh… I should've figured that would happen." He looks up. "That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here…"

"You know this guy?" Chie asks innocently.

Dojima looks to Chie. "I'm Detective Dojima, his uncle and guardian." He then looks to Yukiko, then back to me, and scratches the back of his head. "Well, how should I say this…? I hope you get along with her." His expression darkens. "Anyways, you three really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home."

I nod. "Alright. I guess I'll…" Before I have a chance to finish my sentence, a young man in a suit blazes by, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Ngh…Uuuurrghhh…" The man empties the contents of his stomach onto some nearby grass. Poor guy.

But Dojima isn't so sympathetic to the man. "Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office!?"

The man looks up at Dojima as he wipes his mouth. "S-Sorry… Nngh…"

Dojima shakes his head and sighs. "Go wash your face. We're gonna go around and gather information." The girls and I start walking away, my focus still directed at Dojima and the man; after what I've seen, I probably shouldn't try pissing Dojima off either.

"Was that what the announcement was about?" Chie suggests.

"And what did they mean, 'It was hanging from an antenna?'" Yukiko looks down in thought.

Chie looks to Yukiko. "Hey Yukiko? Why don't we go to Junes some other time?"

Yukiko nods. "Good idea."

Chie then faces me. "Alright then, we're taking off. Starting tomorrow neighbor, let's do our best!"

I nod. "For sure! See you two later." I turn around and continue the walk back home, eager to get away from the crime scene.

"I'm home," I announce to the house as I open the door. Nanako turns away from the TV to greet me with a smile and a wave before turning back to the TV a moment later. I decide to sit down across from her, just in case she needs some company.

"I wonder if Dad's not coming home again tonight…" Nanako looks down. That's possible, given what I saw today, but I decide not to tell her this.

"Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb. Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba."

Already? I guess news travels fast around here.

"The deceased has been identified as Ms. Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old at the local television station. The initial results of the Inaba Police Department's Investigation have revealed…"

Nanako gasps. "Ah! The Inaba Police Department! T-That's where Dad works!"

"It'll be all right," I tell her reassuringly. "He was fine when I saw him."

Nanako nods. "I know. That's his job, so this stuff happens."

"Yeah." We continue watching.

"The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide."

I may not be the smartest one around, but how in the hell could someone call that an accident? Do people get tangled up in antennas more than I thought? I call BS on that.

"A thick fog common to the area has slowed their progress, and plans to fully canvass the area are delayed until tomorrow."

"They found her on the roof?" Nanako asks nervously, her body trembling. "That's scary…" You and me both, Nanako. But did the news have to be so descriptive about it?

"Oh, it's Junes!" Nanako says cheerfully as if the news report never happened. She sure got over that quickly.

"At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!"

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sings enthusiastically. She then looks to me expectantly with the widest smile on her face.

I smile. "Every day's great at your Junes!"

"You memorized it already? I'm the best one in my class!" As she sings the song again, I think about how adorable the sight is. Even I'm cheered up from the news earlier, and that's not a bad thing at all.

Well, I guess this one's here to stay for now, and many apologies for not posting to any of my stories lately. November was quite hectic for me, whether it be last minute plans, back to back tests, and writer's block. You know, the norm for a college student.

Anyways, let me respond to the reviews real quick:

Sephchipmunk – We'll see. I definitely want to mix a few things up.

.31 – Yep.

And with that, I bid you adieu for now. Follow me on Twitter rjm324 if you want updates!

Read on!

-rjm324