Chapter 32

"Look Len, we honestly have no idea who these people are," Mikuo said upon firmly shutting his locker. Len stood next to him staring idly down the halls while Mikuo did up his combination lock. He was having a difficult time focussing on Mikuo's words when there was such an acute commotion at the front door. Nothing had ever happened at Vocalo High that had drawn that big of a crowd before in years. Everyone was responding positively as well which was uncommon if not rare for delinquents.

"They're dangerous that much is clear. But I'm wondering how we can stop or at the very least identify them you know what I mean?" he finished turning to Len. The two began walking down the hall together half of Len's mind still centered on the crowd and this mornings commotion. "Don't you know how to locate these people?" Mikuo asked. When Len didn't respond he stopped right there in the halls. His action caused a girl with silver hair behind him to stumble into his back. She shot him a poisonous look as she passed even after he'd apologized.

"Len? Are you even listening to me?" Mikuo asked.

"Of course I am, your question was just redundant so I decided not to answer. I mean if I knew, I would've went after Rin already," Len pointed out matter of factly.

"Well, can't deny that," Mikuo said walking fast to catch up to Len. "So this place Rin is at right now, let's call them uh...the agency or whatever. I mean, I noticed Rin was pretty abnormal but honestly who here isn't? Obviously we can't class her based on that alone. Besides that, I doubt they'd hurt her Len."

"Yet she was in chains."

"There must be a reason for that Len. I mean think logically. Why would a girl that sweet be locked away in chains? Or even on the run for that matter?"

"I don't know, she couldn't remember."

"Yeah, but that scientist guy said she was unstable right?" Suddenly Len stopped.

"Does Rin seem unstable to you?" Len asked. Somehow what Mikuo had said rubbed him the wrong way. And that was the problem. Rin didn't seem unstable or dangerous or anything of that kind. Rin was Rin and nobody else.

Yet still Len couldn't understand. Couldn't understand why anybody would ever think let alone treat Rin like she was some kind of savage. As far as he knew she was an innocent girl with a strange case of amnesia. How could anyone think otherwise? Unless of course...there were things Rin hadn't told him.

"Len I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I'm just referring to that scientist guys words is all," Mikuo said. His eyes were filled with worry along with slight confusion. "I honestly can't even read her...she's a puzzle and her entire life is a conundrum." To that Len smiled.

"I couldn't agree more."

With that the two entered homeroom for attendance and seated themselves in their designated seats. Kaito paid Len no mind while he sat, he seemed groggy and tired like most did in the morning and yet overall just exhausted. Len of course had always hated him but just now with the way he looked...he felt sorta guilty. However he couldn't reason out why. Len couldn't help it when his subconscious noticed Rin's vacant presence. He shrugged off his sudden sense of disappointment as fast as it had appeared. Miku sat across the room next to Luka, glancing over at him until he met her eyes. Luka of course paid no attention to anyone other than Miku despite the people who were hopelessly trying to start a conversation with her. There was shouting in the halls as teachers ordered students to get to their classes before it was silent. Mrs. Meiko came into the classroom instantly calming the classroom noise to silence.

"Hello everyone, I hope you all had a good long weekend. I'm sure you all enjoyed it to the fullest. However now we're at school and we are here to learn and really that's all. I'm here to teach you, and you will listen," Meiko declared. Her eyes scanning her classroom before she continued. "While other things may be important in the long run, you are in my class right now and will respond and behave as such. Am I clear?" The class nodded universally and Mrs. Meiko smiled. "With that said, we have a few new students before I take attendance."

Len felt his breath knot in his throat. New students? The words rang in Len's mind like a warning bell. It wasn't like Vocalo High never got new students of course, but the thought of suddenly having more people wanting to enroll after he'd successfully snuck Rin in made Len a tad bit antsy. Sure he had nothing to worry about, at least he assumed so. However it wasn't enough to assume anymore these days, not after what had happened at the market. These were the days of knowing not assumptions. Still, he didn't have to be so paranoid. It's not like the agency knew where he was. And even if they did there were still several other Len's in this school building. If they did know where he was however, Len was sure he'd at least have a warning since it'd be hard to overlook excessive weapons and security. Maybe they'd even have the building surrounded if Rin was as dangerous as they said she was.

When the door slid open Len felt as if everything around him froze. He couldn't do anything except think and even those motions were slow. It was the girl he'd met only the other day: Yuzuki. Same smooth complexion, high cheek bones, young face, and lilac purple hair. The intense purple of her eyes had seemed to dull to just a fair and rather pale purple. They hadn't lost their luminosity, just their overall flare of light. Her hair as well wasn't parted like it had been last time. Instead it was all pulled back, her bangs included with a glossy crystal headband. About four K if Len had to guess. Yuzuki didn't look too bad with her forehead exposed it was actually rather natural.

She was still short, and even shorter still without her platform shoes. Her eyelashes seemed longer and thicker with no visible signs of mascara. Her eyebrows were thin in the bright light, a feature he'd never noticed before. Her lips were full, pink, and glossy. She still moved as graceful and lithe as (Water?). In Vocalo High's school uniform her figure was thin and ever so fragile yet shapely in feminine places. Yuzuki managed to look fragile and yet at the same time she wasn't defenseless least...not to Len.

The second student following her was also an impressive sight. He had a way of drawing all attention to him just as much as he seemed to possess the ability to fade quietly into the background. The first thing Len noticed about him was his hair. It flared a glaring pink so vibrant it seemed to bleach the colors around it into darkness.

Like Yuzuki he also wore the schools uniform and looked rather professional in the black. Of course in no way did he look like a delinquent. He was earnestly quite the opposite. He was a sort of pretty boy and managed to look deadly all the same. His skin was also fair but not so much as Yuzu's. He had more of a tone to his. His cheek bones were also noticeably high and his face was handsomely angular. He stood tall and was lean and muscular. Not overly for his age but just perfectly. Enough for the entire female student body to fantasize over for a good portion, if not the rest of their lives. His eyes were just as luminous as Yuzuki's but a blinding pink color. Though his expression was rather blank the aura around him bled enough alarm to be a warning to all that would attempt to try him. Despite that he was insanely handsome. A handsome that the likes the students of Vocalo High had not seen in a while. Besides Len himself of course.

When both stood silently at the front Mrs. Meiko smiled and the rest of the class was deathly silent. Len wondered if everyone was noticing the same things he was in the two. Were they contemplating how odd it was to have new students this . . . well put together at their school. Sure, there were all matters of people at Vocalo High; lower class, middle class, and even higher class individuals like Luka. However everyone here had something in common. Something had happened in their lives, some event that had sent them on a road to this school. Some like Len had come here by choice knowing fully well there were other more prestigious schools that were accepting.

"Well then you two, why not introduce yourselves to the class?" Mrs. Meiko instructed. Luki fixed his shirt and seemed virtually undecided as well as uninterested. Yuzuki on the other hand was rather flustered.

"Oh, um well...what is there to tell," Yuzuki giggled. Even though she laughed she seemed rather confused about what she'd been ordered to do.

"Why not tell us your names and a bit about where you're from. You could even tell us other schools you've been to and any other background information you'd like to share," Mrs. Meiko said. Her bright smile dimmed to something softer. Yet even if she'd only asked Yuzuki simple questions Yuzuki seemed confused. More so now than before Meiko had spoken to her. She finally cleared her throat.

"Well, my names is Yuzuki Yakari of course you can just call me Yuzu if you like. The silent boy next to me is named Luki. He doesn't like to share much," Yuzuki smiled brightly. "I apologize for being a little awkward up until now we've been home schooled and since our tutors knew everything about us from our profiles we've never had to do any introductions."

"It's alright Yuzuki I've had quite a few students who've been home schooled before," Mrs. Meiko said. "Do you have anything else to add?"

It was then that Len managed a glance around the class. All the girls seemed to be swoon over Luki. They all had a similar look on their faces and were leaning quite too far over their desks to be just that much closer to him. All of them seemed to have succumbed to the sheer attraction of Luki's presence. A faint smile of amusement flickered about the edges of Luki's mouth. A visage that was both darkly terrifying and breathtakingly handsome. He'd need a barrier around to keep the girls from ripping him apart.

"It'll be our pleasure to be among you learning."

Luki had spoken so suddenly without warning the entire room had gone silent at his voice. The seductive silky smoothness expanded in every direction for miles, seemingly melting the girls insides like liquid fire as it went on. "I personally look forward to the time I'll spend here with all of you."

When he fell silent again the classroom felt drab. Like it had been stripped of everything essential and fun and had failed to be replaced. A chunk of the world felt like it was gone, had been ripped away and was fading like a mornings unforgettable dream. The kind you never wanted to wake up from.

Len was momentarily stunned before his senses returned to him. After the initial shock he was glad that Rin wasn't there next to him today. He wouldn't have been able to bear it if she'd reacted the same way to Luki as the rest of the females had. That thought shocked him more than Luki and Yuzuki did. He shook his head furiously. The other day he'd been glad to be rid of her. It was foolish to start trivially worrying about her now that she was at the agency. Besides, if Len thought on the bright side maybe Rin had figured her things out.

After Mrs. Meiko had taken attendance she dismissed everyone early for their morning classes. Yuzuki and Luki didn't end up choosing seats but Meiko assured them they were entitled to any seat they decided they wanted as a warm Vocalo High welcome. They politely declined any tours of the school however, claiming they'd already received some and knew the school quite well.

All day Luki and Yuzuki were swarmed by students. Students asking them all sorts of questions, flirting with them of all kinds, passing them club forms and the like. Everyone wanted to be associated with them. Yuzuki always kindly responded, Luki on the other hand spent all morning as a shadow. He didn't particularly respond to any one and he acted in no way that showed he had in fact heard. Of course his noncommittal ways often got him into trouble till he easily solved an equation with seemingly no effort or finished an assignment minutes after it'd been handed out. Assignments that's would've taken all night on a regular basis. Yet Luki finished them all so easily and to standards of absolute perfection.

Luki evoked rage and disdain in many teachers after falling asleep during their classes like he didn't care. He did this only to be called upon and present a brilliant answer to the teacher. He took things as far as correcting certain formulas or rather 'making suggestions' as he called it. He dumbfounded the class several times and did things Len himself had seen but not bothered to correct. Simply because he hadn't come to Vocalo High to do anything like that. He even managed to come up with simple solutions to problems Len had never considered.

Even though Len kept a close eye on Luki because of his actions, he kept an even closer eye on Yuzuki because they'd met before. Strangely enough, she hadn't pounced on any chance to talk to him. She just stuck to Luki's side like it was mandatory she be there. Sort of like a master keeping their violent dog in check. Still even if it bothered Len he didn't approach Yuzuki himself. Their first encounter had been odd enough and he still had several questions for her. Len decided though, that it was best to keep his distance.

After morning classes a late lunch settled in for the students of Vocalo High. Len was baffled by how empty the halls were as usually all kinds of fights would break out during lunch hour. The silence was an unsettling soundtrack in such a normally busy place but Len suspected his whim on where everyone was located wouldn't be wrong. Sure enough, when he went looking he was right. The entire student body was hauled up in the cafeteria. The exact same place that Yuzuki and Luki happened to be eating.

Len spotted them immediately halfway across the room at a table. They were calmly eating and not particularly paying attention to anyone who wanted to trouble them. Nobody sat at their table with them. Len couldn't believe how nonchalantly they were ignoring others and eating alone in what was their corner of the world. Even with all the attention they'd gotten in the morning how could it be that they were sitting at a table by themselves?

"Don't even think about joining them," came Mikuo's voice. "Everyone who's tried was silently rejected. Even those who invited themselves and sat down suddenly got up and went to sit somewhere else...even when they said nothing. It's creepy."

"It's not just that," Luka said, her voice coming from seemingly nowhere into the conversation. "There's no way either of them would want to talk to you Len." Len rolled his eyes, he hadn't been planning to sit there anyway. Mikuo threw an arm around him and lead him to the nearby table where Miku, Luka and Kaito sat. Kaito however did not look as cheery or as well as the others. He was slumped a little, as if the air had gone out of him. He was pale, a colorless pale that was abnormal. His expression too was a little bleak, and a little forlorn. He seemed weary as well, as if he hadn't slept properly despite him being out cold on their way back. Len sat at the table nudging Mikuo who sat down next to him. He nodded in Kaito's direction and Mikuo nodded understanding him without speaking.

"Kaito? Something wrong?" Mikuo asked, but Kaito didn't seem to hear him. He only continued to stare at his food not touching or even bothering with anything on the plate. There was a sort of horror to his expression.

"Kaito...?" Len finally spoke. His voice cracked several times like glass. The others at their table must have heard because they were watching. Luka sat up directing her gaze directly to Kaito.

"Kaito? We're talking to you, and it'd be appreciated if you answered,"Luka snapped. It was then that Kaito gripped his fork with such force it was unnerving. He didn't seem to be all here as if someone was talking to him. This wasn't the first time either. Ever since they'd gotten back from their trip Kaito had looked so...shaken.

Miku placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder. "Kaito?" she called gently, voice hesitant. "Are you okay?"

But Kaito didn't respond: he was mute. His face was pale and there were deep circles under his eyes. He had the face of a man who'd been fighting endlessly. A fight that took place not only in the physical world but the spirit world as well. He was far from okay. In fact, it looked as if he'd never be okay, not until he handled what was plaguing him.

"Of course he isn't," Mikuo snapped, his voice sharp and cold. "Does he look okay to you?" And he really didn't.

"Hey...can I, confide in you guys?" Kaito finally spoke as if he'd been temporarily released from whatever spell he'd been in.

"We're not exactly friends but sure," Luka said before examing her nails.

"I just..." Len noticed Kaito's hands trembling. They shook nervously along with the fork he was holding. He dropped the fork and tightened his fists. "It's strange but, oh and don't think I'm crazy or anything-"

"Kaito get to the point!" Luka shouted.

"I'm sorry it's just, I haven't been able to think straight lately and odd things are happening," Kaito told, his voice trailing.

"Odd? What do you mean odd?" Len asked.

"I can't explain it but...there's paranoia and a voice and other different things are happening. I feel like I'm losing my mind you know?" Kaito trembled. "Just day by day...fragments of it. Then I get these horrible cravings and even worse urges. Do you think it might be an addiction of some sort?"

What Kaito had rambled on about intrigued Len and somehow he couldn't drop the subject. He had to know what Kaito was speaking about because he'd always known. Mentally unstable or not there was always a use to useless rambling.

"Wait Kaito what do you mean?" Len asked. "What kind of cravings?"

"I...I have to go there...and...and obey..." Kaito said.

"Kaito? Where do you have to go! What do you mean-" But Len didn't get to know the answer because shouting started somewhere else in the cafeteria shouting started. There was a large slam and then more of a fuss.

"We're sick of you walking about like you own this place!" Somebody shouted. Len glanced over to the source of the commotion, it was coming from the table Luki and Yuzu were seated at.

"Hey pink flamingo! I'm talking to you, isn't it only polite that you answer to your higher authority?" The green haired boy declared. And though they were clearly looking for trouble Luki and Yuzuki continued to pay them no mind.
"Maybe he really is mute like the rumors say," a lackey said leaning closer in to look at the two as if they were a rare species.
"Aww, cat got your tongue love?" One of the lackeys mocked getting a short chuckle from their boss. When Yuzuki and Luki continued to bluntly ignore them a stockier lackey dropped his hand in a smooth sweep knocking everything off their table which sent what remained of their lunch spewing as it splattered against the wall.

"The boss is talking to you and you will listen," the lackey screamed. The lunch room fell as silent as a theater. Nobody interfered, but everybody listened.

"What is your problem!" Yuzuki finally shouted rising from her seat. It was slight and quite unnoticeable but Len saw it. He saw when Luki lightly placed a hand over Yuzu's as if tacitly telling her not to engage the potential fight, that it wasn't worth the trouble it'd cause. He let go the same instant he'd gripped on and rose from his seat.

He said nothing of course but only stalked over to their spilled lunches against the wall and knelt on one knee. Pulling a few napkins out of his pocket he began to clean up the remains of egg salad sandwiches, cucumber and what Miku pointed out might be fruit salad. Len didn't understand why Luki didn't just give them the fight they wanted. He'd bled a dangerous aura that darkened the atmosphere all morning long and his arrogant attitude hadn't helped either. So why now was he being so passive? The green haired boy directed his gaze from Luki to Yuzuki.

"Oh my, I almost didn't notice you little lady. Aren't you a beauty...," he whistled and the rest of his group followed making similar whistles and crude slurs. Len gritted his teeth and got out of his seat as well. He'd never been one to idly sit by when a female was in danger. Sure many feminists would disagree that a girl wanted or needed to be protected but in some ways Len had always been old fashioned like that. However Mikuo grabbed Len's arm before he could go. Mikuo shook his head, as if saying not to interfere. That it was their problem to solve.

"Why don't you ditch the girly man hmm? I assure you that you won't regret a night or more with me darling, I'm a real man unlike this dweeb you're with," he smirked. But Yuzuki only giggled and then she laughed out right filling the room with a melodic and yet sadistic laughter.

"Real man?" Yuzuki giggled before her gaze turned sharp and the green haired boy froze in place. "You can't handle even a sliver of what Luki's been through. Pink hair or not he's manlier than you'll ever be. What kind of real man needs five additional people to start a fight with one person?" Yuzuki mocked. "If you have a problem with Luki face him one on one. But you're too much of a coward to do that. You don't have that kind of honor do you? No, you need an entourage with you wherever you go right?" snapped Yuzuki, her voice cold and unfeeling. She grinned then, a sinister grin that was so sickly cold the chill radiated throughout the room.

"I see how this works," she laughed. "You're that group that does everything together! So if one of you has to go to the bathroom the others agree and tag along one by one till it's a little field trip to the bathroom. Honestly, what are you? Children?" The group of delinquents were silent then as their bosses face contorted into a mixture of rage and insult.

"How dare you speak to the boss that way you wench!" shouted one of the lackeys. He raised his hand and Len was up, but Luki was quicker. It was only then that Luki forced the green haired boy to the table hard enough for it to vibrate. He had grabbed the boy by his neck and struggle as he might the boy couldn't free himself. The lackeys didn't move, didn't breathe. Instead, they ran and fast too. As fast as their legs could take them. Len couldn't see Luki's expression but he knew it wouldn't be friendly.

"That's a nice neck you have there," Luki began. "Shame if something were to happen to it..." His voice was cold and venomous, Len shivered. Something he couldn't remember doing before from just a voice alone. Luki let go of the boy when he screamed, a scream so high and bloodcurdling that Len winced. However Luki and Yuzu didn't so much as flinch, a fact that disturbed Len on a deeper level than he could explain. Len noticed the forlorn glance Luki cast at his ruined lunch and that got a laugh from Yuzu.

"Don't worry, I'll make lunch for you again tomorrow so don't look so sad," Yuzu assured, Luki nodded affirming that he'd gotten the message. Len tugged free of Mikuo and trotted over to them causing more onlookers to take interest.

"You two okay?" He asked, wondering why he even cared.

"We're-" Was all Yuzuki said before she looked directly at him. She glanced back at Luki and then at him. Her eyes held something in them, something that was a warning. But Len couldn't figure out what that warning could possibly be. Yuzuki took Luki's hand and began walking out of the room. She strode right past Len, allowing him no more attention than she'd already given him.

"We're fine," she said and didn't even glance at him as she made her way out with Luki. Len of course was confused. Certainly she'd remembered him, so why in the company of Luki did she pretend not to? Unless she really didn't remember him...and yet..how could that be?