A.N: Hello again, everyone! Here's the fourteenth chapter of this story! I hope you like it!
Chapter Fourteen: First Day's Nerves
13th of March, 2011
"Ah, Naegi-kun. Good morning. Please, come in."
Makoto nodded and didn't make Kyoko wait more than necessary. Standing in front of a female student's dorm at seven in the morning in his pajamas was awkward, to say the least, especially on the first day of class. Stepping inside, the Ultimate Lucky Student got to see how the girl's room looked.
The end result was that it looked rather plain. Makoto could see pile upon pile of documents on her desk, but aside from that, nothing that reeked of extravagance. It somehow fit the bill for the boy's idea of the Ultimate Detective.
"Well, the shower is all yours now. Feel free to keep your bottles in my bathroom until yours is fixed to save yourself the trouble," Kyoko kindly offered, closing the door behind them. "I just ask that you take a reasonable amount of time in there so we make it to breakfast on time. I'd rather not have to explain something like this."
"R-Right..." Trust me, me neither... Makoto thought with an eye roll. "T-Thanks again, Kirigiri-san."
He quickly bowed and headed inside the bathroom. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, just girl products that Komaru very well could have had at home. Makoto made sure to lock the door before stepping out of his pajamas and getting under the water, shower gel and shampoo bottles in hand.
The initial cold water made him shiver, but before long, the hazel-eyed could relax and bask in the comfortable warmth. He noticed with an amused smile that Kyoko's shampoo was lavender-flavored, perfectly matching the color of her long hair.
As enjoyable as showering in a top-quality bathroom is, I need to hurry if I don't wanna cause Kirigiri-san's ire... He shivered again but for a totally different reason. Before rinsing himself, the boy lathered his body with shower gel and his spiky brown hair with shampoo. In a few minutes, he was out of the shower and ready to go, wearing his new school uniform.
"I'm ready... Hope I didn't make you wait too long," Makoto said shyly, noticing the girl was doing her braid in front of a mirror.
"Not at all. I appreciate your quickness," Kyoko told him. "You may go on ahead to breakfast without me. I have some things to take care of before I join you and the others." She let out a rare chuckle. "If anything, you were too quick in the shower. It took me by surprise."
"A-Alright, then..." Makoto scratched the back of his head. Well, it appeared the detective had genuinely forgiven him for his indiscretion of the previous day. "I'll see you at breakfast, Kirigiri-san."
With a nod from the girl, the Ultimate Lucky Student took his leave. This had gone better than expected. Makoto could sigh in relief.
13th of March, 2011
When Makoto entered the dining hall, it was much calmer than expected. Of course, this room was free for only their class to use, so it was bound to be less noisy than the cafeteria. Not that the Ultimate Lucky Student minded: he enjoyed the peace and quiet more than met the eye.
"G-Good morning, everyone," he greeted, his voice retaining some of its initial shyness. He could see that eleven people beside him had already arrived. Aside from the Ultimate Detective, Mondo, Byakuya, and Toko were still unaccounted for. Makoto walked over to Sayaka and timidly asked, "Is it okay if I sit here, Maizono-san?"
"Of course, Makoto! How are you doing?" the Ultimate Pop Sensation sweetly wondered. She looked cute, even in their school uniform. That distracted him more than he wished it did. "Not too nervous, I hope?"
The Luckster scratched the back of his head as he sat on the girl's right, cheeks slightly pink. "A-Ah, well... A little bit, I guess... It's not every day you have your first classes at a school like Hope's Peak Academy, so I'm still trying to brace myself."
"I'm sure you'll be fine," Sayaka offered with a reassuring smile. It did give the boy a slight confidence boost. "I'm kinda nervous, too, to be honest. I know it might sound weird since I go on all these tours and stuff, but still..."
Well, you're doing a better job at hiding it than I do, Maizono-san... Makoto thought. "We just have to give it our best, don't we...?" he told her, trying to sound more convincing than he actually was.
"Yep! It's just a school, after all! What could go wrong at a place like this?"
Makoto had to admit she made a fair point. Knowing you were in the center of the world was daunting, but at the end of the day, Hope's Peak remained a high school. They were here to learn things and get prepared for their professional futures. That much, Makoto figured he could deal with.
"Yo, Naegi!"
"Oh, hey, Kuwata-kun," Makoto said at Leon's sight. The red-haired boy was carrying a tray that clearly had more food than a single person could eat for breakfast. "Good morning."
"I brought way more than enough breakfast for Maizono-chan and me, so feel free to take some, 'kay?" the ballplayer suggested, sitting on Sayaka's left.
What a gentleman... Thought Makoto, rather ironically. Nevertheless, he nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, Kuwata-kun."
They spent the next few minutes chatting. In the background, Makoto noticed the last few of their classmates joining the group – including Kyoko. The Ultimate Detective seemed to have a somewhat discontent look on her face, though Makoto had trouble judging from afar.
"Well, dear classmates! As we finish our first breakfast together, the time for our first class draws near!" Everyone's attention was caught as Taka spoke – loudly – and stood up from his seat. "The map installed on our e-handbooks tells us that our classroom shall be on the first floor of the building next door! Please make sure to be on time!"
With that, the Ultimate Moral Compass grabbed his tray and headed for the exit, placing his dirty dishes in the designated place. The small group of Hina, Sakura, Celeste, and Hifumi followed along, leaving the rest of the class a few members short.
"Taka sure is loud, and this is coming from someone doing concerts all year long..." Sayaka said with a sigh. "He's right, though: we should hurry so we don't get to class late."
"Yeah, don't wanna be late with this dude around," Leon concurred. "You've eaten enough, Naegi? We can still wait a few minutes for you."
Makoto swallowed the last drop of his bowl of miso soup before speaking in a hurry, "B-Be right there!" Note to self: in the future, get to the dining hall earlier to eat a good breakfast before Taka decides it's time to head to class...
The trio cleared their collective tray and headed out, deciding it would indeed be wiser to be on time – not so much not to anger their homeroom teacher, but to stay on Taka's good side.
13th of March, 2011
"Oh crap, I forgot my e-handbook back in my dorm!"
So much for being punctual... Makoto thought at Sayaka's exclamation. With his cellphone showing 8:21 and their homeroom period starting at 8:30, this was a tight race against time. "I think you still have enough time to get it and make it to class on time if you hurry."
"R-Right! B-Better make a run for it, then! I-I'll be back in a jiffy!"
"W-Wait, I'll come with you!"
Makoto didn't even have enough time to interject before Sayaka was running back to the dorms with Leon in tow, leaving him alone in front of the dining hall. He sighed and rolled his eyes.
Kuwata-kun, I think we all get that you're interested in Maizono-san... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, realizing he was good to go to class by himself. Not nerve-wracking at all. Exactly what he needed, except not.
"H-Hello, Naegi-kun... A-Are you heading to class, as well?"
Turning around, Makoto noticed the familiar short figure of his classmate Chihiro Fujisaki. There weren't many people the boy was taller than, so he could immediately recognize the Ultimate Programmer. Chihiro seemed even more nervous than he was, which, in a selfish way, was a relief.
"Good morning, Fujisaki-san," he greeted politely, giving the programmer a kind smile. "Yeah, I was with Maizono-san and Kuwata-kun, but they rushed back to the dorms to grab something, so I'm heading there by myself..."
"O-Oh, do you wanna go there together? I originally wanted to go with Mondo, but he got to breakfast late and isn't done eating yet..." she explained with a soft sweatdrop. "He doesn't seem very intimidated by Taka..."
Yeah, that's the impression I got at the party last night... I don't think the leader of a biker gang can get along so well with someone who's as strict about the rules as Taka... "Sure, let's go together!" Makoto said, finding himself at ease around Chihiro. "I'll, uh... probably be less nervous if there's someone with me."
It didn't seem like the petite girl would disagree with that. They were quickly on their way, and luckily, the building where their classroom was located wasn't too far away. And while Makoto had no issues with just listening to the singing birds as they walked, he figured it wouldn't hurt to get to know more about his new classmate.
"So... what is it that you do as the Ultimate Programmer, Fujisaki-san?" Makoto asked, only vaguely recalling some of the things he'd read online. A refresher couldn't hurt; perhaps it would help Chihiro open up a bit.
"Oh, thanks a lot for asking, Naegi-kun! Basically, I'm trying to come up with ways to make life easier for people dealing with personal issues and all that with AI! I know I'm still in the early stages of my research, but I have no doubt that AI will strive in a few years, and I'd love to be a part of it!"
It's like she's a totally different person... Makoto noted sweetly. The girl's lips had stretched into a wide smile at the mere mention of her Ultimate talent. She doesn't lack passion; that much is for sure. "That sounds great, Fujisaki-san. I... don't know much about all that stuff, but I'm sure you'll be able to help plenty of people with your work."
The Ultimate Programmer blushed a little. "T-Thanks, Naegi-kun... There are times when... I lack self-confidence, so hearing that people believe in me really helps."
Makoto nodded. If he could help people feel better about what they did, he would gladly do so (as long as it wasn't for evil, obviously). And while he realized there was probably a story behind Chihiro's determination, he felt it wise not to pry. It was none of his business, after all.
The rest of the way was spent in comfortable silence. Makoto got a chance to see what the building looked like. It was basically the same as an ordinary high school – just bigger. Way bigger, actually. He had trouble realizing this was only for the Ultimate classes. His previous school definitely could have fit inside, and some rooms would have been left unoccupied.
"Well, here we are."
From the outside, Makoto and Chihiro could hear the voices of those who had left before them. This was undoubtedly the correct room, and Makoto suddenly tensed. Everything from crossing the gates yesterday had led up to this.
"I'll knock," he said.
"Yes, come in!"
It was a woman's voice. Makoto placed his hand on the knob, which felt heavier than any knob he'd ever touched. Get a grip, Naegi! You're just going to class! It's not a big deal! With a deep breath, the Ultimate Lucky Student opened the door, revealing the insides of the classroom.
"Ah, two more students! Please, come in and sit wherever you'd like!"
Makoto's eyes widened. There was absolutely no place for doubt now. What he had previously dismissed as a mere possibility couldn't be denied anymore.
I... I've met this woman before!
To be continued...
A.N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! By the way, I'd like to remind the people who have read the original of this story (especially the friends I've had the chance to talk about it with) to please not spoil the upcoming plot twists. I know I'm evil for putting cliffhangers, but please let me be evil with the newcomers :p Well, this plot twist is very obvious, but you guys get my point. Thanks a lot! Please leave a review, and I hope you all have a great day!