?/?

"What was I thinking?" A blonde teen said being held back by two armored knights as she saw the boy that stopped her from getting into that car just a couple of days ago. Her tone had a strangely dismissive vibe to it. The knights let her go thinking that she had been more pacified than she had been moments ago. She looked down at the boy who was now taking a beating from the distorted version of a teacher she had recently grown to despise. At her words, the man stopped mid-stomp giving her a devilish grin, in nothing but a speedo and crown.

"Do you understand now? It's like I always say slaves should just beha-"

"...Shut up!" The girl said, her tone gaining a bit of bite to it. "I have had enough of this... You've seriously pissed me off you son of a bitch!"

'Finally, It has been some time has it not? How long would the people around you have to suffer all of this injustice until you had called upon that side that thirsts for the storm that dwells within us? I am thou and thou art I, it is time we forged a contract of our own. So do not feel the need to restrain yourself.'

"I hear you..."

'Understood, then feel free to use the power that I lend to you as you see just.'

(...)

04/11

"Are you sure? I can drive you both, you know." A square-jawed man said to a certain blonde, as she waved the man off with a manufactured smile. "Really it's no trouble." he propositioned from the driver's seat of a white sedan.

The two teenagers were currently standing under an awning in front of a clothing store window, a beautiful twin-tailed blonde and her frizzy-haired companion. "No, really it's okay... " She stopped to look at the boy beside her with a blush developing, taking his hand in hers to the surprise of both gentlemen. "It's been forever since I have seen Akira, and he hasn't gotten used to the city yet sooo... I wanted to show him around since we are in the same class and all." She finished her face red as a tomato, not making eye contact with either party scratching her cheek with her free hand nervously chuckling. She was grateful that Akira had the poker face to end all poker faces because if she was honest her acting wasn't all that good.

Getting an eyeful of the teens holding hands the man resented his offer, through gritted teeth. "Well alright, be sure that you are not late." He begrudged rolling up the window of his car, driving off without another word.

Akira finally spoke up once the man had left. "Do I know you?"

Being spooked the blonde froze for moments on end and took some time to come up with a response. "Not personally though it wouldn't be a surprise if you recognised me... Not the odds are that high, to begin with, I heard your name from a friend so I looked up your case." She was glad that she had invested her time in acting lessons, because if this was like last time she wouldn't have pulled any of this off, and that was frustrating considering that meant the person she loved lied to her about her acting ability. She looked at Akira fighting off the pout that was threatening to break her façade. "You should be prepared, you know."

"Prepared for what?" The boy asked, giving her a serious look. A look the girl could not handle right now, if it was any indication of his current mental state then it took everything in her not to jump him and try to comfort the boy with that dejected look on his face, they were strangers after all.

"Me and my friend are not the only ones, and I thought you should know so that you can be prepared. This school is not very kind to those who don't or can't fit in." Her free hand balled into a fist as she thought about her situation and her friend that was stuck in a situation that she could not help her out of, at least not until now. "And someone charged with assault... No matter how bullshit it was, it was only going to get people talking. And I can't stand by and let you go through all of that. I will do my part to help you where I can." She paused looking into Akira's eyes which had a faint red tint on his face. "My best friend was there when something similar happened to me, and I thought that you shouldn't be treated any less especially when it wasn't your fault to begin with."

As soon as she finished talking her frame was wrapped in an embrace. Her face, if it was possible became redder than it was prior, the girl did not know it now but that hug had something hidden beneath the surface. The boy's true feelings crept out from under a mask of indifference, a mask that was on display that was meant to hide the pain Akira felt about the situation and the hopelessness that he had been hiding deep down. A mask that quite frankly was shared between the two not that either party would realize anytime soon. "Thank you..." Was all that came out of the boy.

The girl was surprised at first but returned the embrace, this was something that she wasn't expecting though recently she had found out how much she had grown as a person, and it wasn't by much. 'This sucks, it's not fair. Why?' Her face transformed, her expression unreadable. She felt the telltale signs of her tears threatening to stain her face. Pushing Akira away she hid herself under the hood of the sweater she was wearing. The girl turned around so he couldn't see her face. Knowing that the current situation has become awkward, to say the least, the teen gathered what remained of the courage that she had come to build up inside for a tactical retreat. "I-I'm sorry Akira but I forgot that I had to meet someone before class so I will see you later."

Akira was left on his own as he watched the retreating figure of the girl he just met gracefully exit. Though he had embraced her and thanked her for what amounted to average human decency, the fact that remained that outside of his parents she was the only one that treated him with any compassion over his whole situation still stood even if it turned out to be some sort of trick on her part. That's when realized, thinking about what just happened, he never got her name. 'Oh well, she said that we were in the same class. I will ask her name when we see each other again.' The rain had lightened up since their conversation began so he moved to leave not remembering much about the area.

"I see you are close with Takamaki, you should be careful with her... You never know when that pervy teacher will come after you." Akira turned coming face to face with a delinquent with dyed blonde hair in an equally yellow graphic tee under the school's blazer and pants. He was lucky that this school allowed the students to customize the uniform a bit because he might not want to play the straight-laced student for much of the year here.

"Who?" There was someone like that at this new school? Then the earlier incident and its weirdness fell into place. 'Thanks for the warning, but you are too late.' Akira thought not managing to offer much of a reaction.

"Kamoshida." The blonde delinquent replied getting no response. "Wait. You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?"

"I don't know what to tell you, man."

(...)

'So we are going to ignore all of that just happened.' Akira thought to himself, entering the school after he spent half the day in some castle with his new acquaintance Sakamoto, apparently a delinquent. He half hoped that whatever the pair went through was some delusion because he did not know how he was supposed to explain the lateness on his first day to his homeroom teacher. Entering the school was simple enough, even with the reintroduction and warning from Kamoshida. He hopes that he would not have any classes with the man, he can't afford to have the man be his teacher after what he saw and heard today.

Leaving the shoe lockers at the entrance he had now realized that meeting Ms. Usami in the teacher's lounge would be tricky without knowing where in the school that is. Fortunes were on his side when he bumped into a girl walking in the opposite direction. Knocking each other over the students around them were ablaze with gossip. Akira, the first to get up on his feet, tidied his uniform and offered the brunette that he had knocked over a hand, noticing the third-year's pin on her collar. 'Hopefully, she is not too mad.' The girl took his hand graciously much to the surprise of the onlookers.

"Sorry, I was not paying attention." She said while being helped up. She was at her full height before continuing. "Again I am so sorry." She bowed to Akira before attempting to take her leave.

Akira stopped her retreat with a quick motion to stop waving and calling out to her. "Excuse me." He chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his neck. She turned to face him, the school store in sight letting out a breath of annoyance. Seeing this made Akira recoil when the visible frown became a gentle smile. "I am new here, I wanted to know if you would direct me to the teacher's office." He powered through.

The girl looked up in deep thought bringing a hand to her chin before letting out a small hum. "The lounge? Sure. That was my next stop, if you don't mind waiting I can show you the way after I get what I need from the store." She said concisely with a blank expression on her face.

Akira could not help the smile on his face, not only did his worries about a horrible form of school life seem to be more barrable with each person he met, but for the first time since moving to Tokyo had hope. "I don't mind, I will owe you one regardless. Oh..." He paused as if remembering something important. "My name is Kuruzu Akira by the way. It is a pleasure to meet you." He said bowing to her.

Taken aback the girl blinked as the volume of the background increased, her nearly lifeless dark brown eyes seem to examine the boy. 'Kuruzu huh, where have I heard that name before.' Still looking him over before her mind caught up with what was going on. "Right, Kawakami Sadayo. You don't have to speak so formally." She spoke returning

"Right, I will be in your care senpai." He raised his head to look at her, a smirk clear on his face.

"I will be right back Kuruzu-kun, please stay here." She said in a tone that made it seem to all that she was done with the situation, but he nodded as if nothing was wrong. This was new for her, the other students didn't treat her with much respect mostly due to what the rumors about her part-time job were. Though they were close they were somehow far from the mark, Sadayo was careful about where and when she wore her job's maid costume, but some boys in her class spotted her in between customers. If it wasn't for her quick thinking and her homeroom teacher she might have been expelled because of it. She moved to the store without any other words, running an errand for the same teacher, buying the special anpan for her and some milk for herself. Not long after she left she returned with a white shopping bag in tow. "Follow me."

The two ascended the stairs on the opposite side of the hall from the store, reaching the second floor. From there it was a straight shot to the teacher's lounge. Akira had hoped Ms. Usami would not be that angry with him for showing up late, almost half the day, but that was quickly overruled with a glare that made him shrink within himself as the two students entered the room to be met with two female teachers chatting, Usami annoyed, and Sadayo announcing their presence. "Akira-kun." Ms. Usami's voice was stern when she addressed him.

"I'm sorry, it was the first time I took the train and the routes and stations were confusing." That was a lie but he could not say the true reason he was late, that world? It was a sobering experience, and he did not know how to explain all that he saw without giving off the impression that he was on drugs like the police officers thought Sakamoto was on. He was going to have to apologize to him later for leaving him behind like that. He let out a nervous chuckle when his homeroom teacher's eyes narrowed.

Sighing mostly in relief Ms. Usami moved to her assigned desk from the table where she had been chatting with the other teacher, Akira following after her. "If you are going to lie to me, at least come up with a better excuse Akira, I was worried you know." She began, adjusting her thick-framed glasses. "When you did not show up for our planned meeting I was worried that something might have happened and debated over contacting your guardian Sakura-san, but in the end, I ended up doing so, which I suggest going straight home after school, from his tone over the phone he was not to pleased when he said you left home on time." She continued sitting at her desk, looking up at the clock. "We have some time before the next period so if you have any questions before I introduce you to the class then don't feel the need to hold back, I can even offer you a short tour of the campus as we wait."

Giving her a quick nod of acknowledgment Akira replied. "That tour would be nice actually." He answered, quickly looking over to the senpai that had shown him the way here talking with the other teacher.

"That's probably for the best." Ms. Usami responded. "With your sense of direction, I would not want you getting lost on us again." She said with a smirk after Akira recoiled from the jab. "Chono." She shouted over to the other teacher who gave a wave still mid-conversation. "I am going with my wayward student here for a bit, we will finish after next period yeah?" She asked Ms. Chono who waved her off in response.

"Yeah, yeah. Later." Was Chono's response as her focus was on the third year watching them leave, not speaking until they were gone. "I see something about school has caught your interest, finally." Ms. Chono spoke as she filled out some paperwork, while the girl in front of her let out a small yelp in surprise. "Normally I would say to stay away from delinquents, but given the circumstances, you might come to school more often." She finished looking at an expression she could not read fully. She then presented the girl with a club registration form filled out with a smile. "You are all set Kawakami-chan, I know that you are already part of the go-home club but this looks better for colleges. And you have me and Usami-sensei as the advisors of the literature club since we are short-staffed, not a bad deal huh?" She wiggled the piece of paper in front of her student.

Sadayo narrowed her eyes at her name filled in at the header of the page as the club's president, if she was honest she has always had dreamed of being a teacher herself but that dream had been sidetracked recently, and if this helped her get into a good college then she would be a fool not to. "Fine, I'll do it." Sadayo spoke in a tone that sounded dissatisfied with the situation.

"Great, now we just need two others with Suzui and one other quitting volleyball soon. Oh, you think you can ask the boy you came with if he wants to join?" She said filing the registration away, Chono looked at the going giving her a disinterested look. "Oh, come on. You can't just rely on me for company forever, you need friends your own age." She said gently confronting the teenager. "Who knows you might even enjoy your final year of high school." Her final statement got something of a grunt in return.

(...)

"This is Kuruzu Akira, he was not feeling well in the morning so we only had him attend afternoon classes after he felt a little bit better." Ms. Usami announced to her homeroom after classes began anew.

"He looks normal..."

"But he might slug us if we look him in the eye..."

"Settle down..." Ms. Usami spoke up over the chatter of the class taking an authoritative tone after she had noticed the slit squirming from Akira, looking at him she spoke as the voices of her class died down. "Alright, do you have something to say to the class in introduction, Kuruzu-kun?"

"It's nice to meet you all." That was all that left his lips with his expression neutral.

"He seems quiet, but I bet when he loses it..."

"I mean, he was arrested for assault, right?..."

The revaluation made a small sigh escape her mouth forcing the woman to adjust her glasses, putting a hand on the boy's back in a small offer of support. "Well... Your seat will be... Hmm..." She looked across the class finding an empty chair near the back by the window. "There..." She said pointing it out, a seat that was behind a familiar face that caused the boy to smile slightly before it disappeared, getting Usami to notice. She watched as Akira moved to his spot behind the twin-tailed blonde of her class.

"So we meet again, Akira." Takamaki offered him a bright smile as he walked past her.

'So she wasn't lying about us being in the same class.'

"Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with him for today?" Usami asked this of her class, getting a raised hand from Takamaki. "Yes, Takamaki-san?"

"I don't mind sharing with him..." She then turned her attention to the dark-haired girl sitting next to Akira. "You don't mind trading seats for today?"

"This sucks..." The girl muttered packing his things up before addressing her. "I don't mind." She said while trading seats.

"Did you catch that? Do those two know each other?"

"Does that mean he hit on her before transferring here?"

"That means she's cheating on him with Kamoshida-sensei."

"Then again, this is Takamaki-san we are talking about..."

"For real, that side of the room is totally awful."

The room went silent as a clapping sound came from the front of the class. "Alright, that's enough. If you are more interested in your silly gossip rather than my lessons you can leave then see me for detention after school, and I have called your parents." The authority in Usami's voice returned, and no one left or spoke up. "One other announcement, the rally for the volleyball clubs is in two days. Everyone's just changed classes, so use that time to get to know each other." From her tone that last part was not a request. "Well then, let's get class started, shall we? Who's on duty today?"

A dark blue-haired boy got up from his seat near the middle of the classroom sporting quite a few injuries. "Everyone, please rise..." A shuffle of chairs could be heard as the request left his lips.