Author's Note: Decided to upload this one a little earlier due to all the positive feedback. Also, just to clarify if you didn't catch it from the first Chapter, this is a Minato/Mitsuru fic.
To Minato's surprise, the details he needed to know turned out to be nothing more than the mundane matters of the dorm. Mitsuru had given him an informative lecture regarding those matters but he felt as though she was deliberately avoiding the issues he wanted answered. It couldn't be that she had no clue. Not after the way Yukari had acted. The brunette's overreaction told him she was preparing for something else to enter the dorm. And whatever it was, it had to be something that she was afraid of. Otherwise, why pull the gun on their new dorm mate when they expected him to arrive?
The questions in his mind continued to swirl even more when he opened the fridge to see it jam packed with cans of protein drinks and nothing else. Minato frowned at the contents before espying a silver haired teen walking towards him. He wore a slightly different version of the boys' uniform, with a red sweater vest that replaced the standard black blazer, on top of a white long sleeved shirt.
"So you're the new kid?" he said, reaching into the fridge. "I'm Sanada Akihiko. How ya doin'?
Akihiko seemed to be around the same age as Mitsuru (at least that's what Minato figured) and Minato introduced himself politely. He watched Akihiko guzzle down the protein drink and noticed his grey eyes never stopped to blink.
He must be some kind of fighter Minato thought.
As he listened to Akihiko's briefing on topics that Mitsuru had not covered – such as the layout of Tatsumi Port Island and a couple of good restaurants in the area – Minato wondered if Akihiko was also avoiding the matter that had been on his mind since his arrival. He had to admit, Akihiko was doing a good job at diverting his attention to the housekeeping details for he only noticed Mitsuru entering the foyer with Yukari when he heard the sound of her heels clicking and clacking on the floor.
Mitsuru strode over to where he was. "Akihiko and Takeba will be accompanying you to school today. I've already spoken with the school administrators and everything should be taken care of. Just focus on getting used to your routine."
"Thanks Kirijo-senpai," Minato said with a slight bow. He thought the bow unnecessary but decided she deserved the respect. She had gone out of her way to make his transfer here as smooth as possible after all.
"Please, there's no need for such formality," Mitsuru replied with a chuckle. "We'll be dorm mates so just 'Mitsuru' is fine."
"Okay. Mitsuru-senpai then."
She nodded and he could feel her smile as he walked out the door with the others. It felt awkward to call someone he had known for less than a day in such a friendly manner but it did help clear some of the tension.
Gripping his shoulder bag, Minato followed Akihiko and Yukari through the bustling streets of Iwatodai and to the train station. As distant as Tatsumi Port Island was, the journey to school did not take long and they were soon at the front gate. He heard that this school was very prestigious and now that he was standing at its gates, the view of it he saw from the small windows of the train really did it no justice.
For Gekkoukan High School was massive.
The pathway leading to the entrance brimmed with a sense of welcome in the warmth of the spring sunlight. Birds sang happily in the two lines of blooming cherry blossom trees that ran all the way down the path's edge to the school. Some of the pink petals lazily tumbled down to the earth, a light breeze angling their trajectory.
Minato could feel them landing in his hair and he lightly shook his head to remove them. In doing so, he noticed several groups of students watching him like a lion watching its prey. When he met their gaze, they quickly turned their backs and began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Well this is it," Yukari said, catching his attention. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it."
Minato looked at the majestic entrance and took in its grandiose. Polished windows stood behind the three pillars that guarded the entrance, with the main building of the school seeming to stretch both ways for about a kilometre, the paint a pristine white.
As expected by something commissioned by the Kirijo Group he thought.
He had expected that settling in would be slow but as soon as Akihiko and Yukari led him into the lobby, which would have held the same level of grandness if it weren't for the number of students in the area, more than half the students made sure to clear a path for them. Minato kept his eyes forward, avoiding all the curious eyes and the pointing fingers. He had assumed that his two dorm mates would be popular but not to this extent.
"Does that happen often?" Minato asked once they were well out of earshot of any other students.
"No, not really," Yukari replied. She looked a little troubled. "But I suppose we are some kind of role models here. Though I'm not sure where everyone got that idea from."
She glanced at Akihiko who grunted in agreement.
"Well, I had better get going," Akihiko said. "There are some things I need to take care of. Takeba here will show you to your homeroom and help you get set up. You're both in the same class so just follow her lead." He turned to Yukari. "Make sure you do show him around. I don't think either of us wants to be lectured by Mitsuru on how we didn't follow her orders."
"Sure thing," Yukari said.
"Good. I'll see you guys back at the dorm, if not on break," Akihiko said before heading down the nearby corridor.
Once he was out of sight, Minato followed Yukari up the stairs and around the many hallways, processing the information regarding where which rooms were among other things. He was surprised that she was oblivious to the many eyes that were on them.
"...And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions?" Yukari asked as they reached their homeroom.
Minato shook his head.
"Great. I just need to check in at the archery club. I'll see you back here in about fifteen minutes," Yukari said, turning on her heel.
It would be the longest fifteen minutes of his life.
Not a minute before he could take a step into his homeroom, he felt someone clamp his right arm.
A female student.
Uh oh.
"Are you a friend of Akihiko-senpai?" she asked. Her eyes were already large but they had seemed to grow in size as she pulled him forward. They were not adorable either.
"Do you mind?" Minato asked as he brushed her off but it was to no avail. She continued to hold his arm and pressure him with that intense, fervent look on her face.
"You must be a friend of Akihiko-senpai," she continued in what Minato thought to be a rather deliberate loud voice. Apparently she had no notion that clinging onto him like this was a problem. "Only a friend of his could walk with him, or even talk with him."
"Look, I think you need to–" Minato started.
"Did I just hear that he's friends with Akihiko-senpai?" another nearby girl shrieked, rushing over.
The girl's shrill voice alerted every other girl in the vicinity and soon, Minato found himself with his back against a wall, surrounded by a number of them.
"What's he like off campus?"
"How long have you guys known each other?"
"Can you introduce me to him?"
The barrage of questions never ended and because he was the new kid and had the luck of the devil, he noticed a group of male students approaching him. Scanning their faces, they appeared to be the same group that had shot jealous glances at him as he followed Yukari around.
"Hey, you came here with Yukari-senpai didn't you?" one of the guys asked.
Minato bit his tongue and remained silent. He could feel his temper rising but knew nothing good would come out of throwing it at them.
"Hang on a second, Yukari-senpai now lives in the same dorm as Akihiko-senpai right?" another guy pointed out. "So if this guy came with them then... Whoa. This dude lives with Yukari-senpai. Hey man, tell us. What's it like?"
Minato glanced at the girls on his right, and then at the boys on his left. He was completely surrounded. There would be no way of escaping without having his reputation tarnished. But as the etiquette of giving a good first impression had just jumped out the window, he decided there was no other choice. He prepared himself to forcefully shove them out of the way, and almost did so if it weren't for the voice that arose from the homeroom's entrance.
"Look if he doesn't know, he doesn't know," the voice said.
Minato searched for the source of the voice and saw a student wearing a baseball cap and a purple shirt under his blazer. He strode over, breaking through the fortress of students and joined Minato's side.
"Now come on, give the newbie a break," he said.
The group surrounding them groaned and slowly broke up. Minato heard them muttering that they would ask him next time. He really hoped that there would not be a next time but knew it was akin to winning the lottery. There would definitely be a next time.
Once they had all left, Minato turned towards the unfamiliar face and eyed him.
"I don't suppose you would like to know about the daily life of Yukari and Akihiko now would you?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"Who me?" the student said. "Nah. Those idiots were just making a loud fuss so I came outside to shut them up. You must be the new transfer student. Name's Iori Junpei. Nice to meet ya."
Minato breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. Someone who was not crazy.
"Likewise. Arisato Minato," he greeted, outstretching his hand. "And thanks."
"No problem man," Junpei said, shaking his hand. "I transferred here last year so I know how tough it is being the new kid."
"Are students here always like this?"
"If ya mean head over heels for Akihiko-senpai and Yuka-tan..."
Junpei trailed off as Yukari approached.
"What's this about being head over heels for me?" she asked with a stern look.
"No-Nothing," Junpei said sheepishly. "Just introducing myself to the new guy, that's all."
Yukari sighed. "Sure you were. I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think that you might be bothering someone?"
"What? But I was just being friendly."
Yukari turned to Minato, who nodded in agreement and hastily explained what had happened while she was gone.
"If you say so," Yukari said once Minato finished.
Minato and Junpei exchanged glances. She thought they were bluffing.
"By the way, I heard you two were walking around the school together. What's up with that?" Junpei asked with a smirk.
"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Yukari exclaimed. "I was just showing him around the school."
Junpei raised an eyebrow.
"Listen, we just live in the same dorm," Yukari said. She was clearly exasperated. "There's nothing going on, okay? I just met him yesterday and there's absolutely nothing between us! Why are people even talking about it? Come on, class is going to start soon." She then entered the homeroom.
"Ah, who cares?" Junpei said, turning to Minato. "No one takes rumours seriously anyway. She's so paranoid. But man, you ain't been here for more than an hour and people are already talking about you! You must have really done something to get everyone so riled up! Heh, this is going to be a fun year. I can feel it!"
Taking his seat in the classroom, Minato could not agree more. Though he was sure that his definition of fun was opposite to what Junpei had in mind. He sighed, wondering if this was just another scheme laid out by fate. He had never in his life wanted to stand under the spotlight but it always happened to fall on him whether he liked it or not. And now that many students knew he had some connection to both Akihiko and Yukari, any form of anonymity would be impossible to conjure.
He was not just a transfer student.
He was the transfer student who had magically acquainted himself with two standouts of the student body.
He supposed it could be worse. At the very least, being questioned was tolerable, and it also meant he would not be chased by a horde of girls. He just hoped he did not have to play the role of the third wheel. He swore that if it ever came to that, he would shoot himself in the head. Maybe he could use Yukari's gun. He chuckled at the thought as he pulled out his books.
That reminded him.
What was with those guns?