Chapter 2

Dorm

"Hello? Please answer the door, or I'll get in trouble!"

Ben chose to ignore Yukari as he was already ready for school and was actually hoping to go alone. Well that was the plan, until he heard another voice

"Don't tell me he's still asleep?" Kotone asked from outside his room. "In that case, I'm barging in!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Ben thought at Kotone's declaration. As if to prove him right there was a resounding crash on his door with it not opening, due to him obviously locking it.

"Ouch!" Kotone yelled, causing Ben to sign as he finally opened the door, not looking forward to the girl smacking herself towards his door again

"You do know this isn't a movie where you just slam a locked door and it would magically open right?" Ben said dryly looking at the downed Kotone who was rubbing her shoulder. "Plus I'm quite certain you would get in trouble for breaking my door."

"Sorry." Kotone apologized as she stood up. "But why didn't you answer?"

"I was hoping you would both leave so I could go to school alone." Ben answered honestly causing Yukari in wince slightly

"Ouch, a little too honest don't you think?" Kotone asked. "Well, Mitsuru-Senpai asked us to take you to school, so you're stuck with us."

"Terrific." Ben muttered

"Hey, stop sounding like that's such a bad thing." Kotone pouted

"By the way, good morning." Ben greeted Yukari as to not appear rude due to Kotone technically stealing him from her

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Yukari asked

"I think so." Ben answered as Makoto walked out of his room

"Can we go, it's already getting late." Makoto said before facing Ben. "Don't worry, you'll get used to her."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing." Ben thought

With that, the four teens left for school. While in the train, Kotone and Yukari explained their school to Ben with Makoto just looking out the window with his headset on

The conversation continued while on the train. Kotone then pointed out the window towards the school. "So, that's it. See? There it is!"

"Tatsumi Port Island is a Man made island." Yukari added

Ben looked out of the train window, but then the train bent around the corner, and he had to admit, the school looked good.

After leaving the train, the group carried on talking the rest of the way, or rather still, Kotone and Yukari talking with Makoto and Ben just listening. Along the path, a girl passed them on a bike. "Good morning!" she cried out to.

"Good morning." Kotone and Yukari replied.

As the group approached the gates, Yukari turned to Ben. "Well, this is it. We're here. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it!" she said with a smile

As they all walked into the building together, stopping at some lockers right by the entrance. Kotone turned to Ben and spoke. "You're okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is right there to the left. ...And that concludes the tour! Do you have any questions before I go?"

Most of Ben's questions were answered on the way here without having to ask, so he decided on trying to be nice and asked "What class are you in? As in all of you"

"Me?" Yukari seemed a bit confused. "I dunno… I haven't seen the classroom assignments yet." Yukari suddenly looked worried. "Hey… About last night... Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? ...See ya later."

"Not this again." Makoto signed as Yukari and Kotone left

"Something similar happened before?" Ben asked

"You could say that." Makoto said. "Later."

With that he left. Ben noticed a bulletin board with some people in front of it. Checking for his name, he manage to see the names of Makoto, Kotone and Yukari all in class 2F, but couldn't see his name. Signing, he decided to head towards the Faculty Office.

While walking, he saw some interesting people on the way there. There was a guy in a track suit talking to a girl, having a semi-argument. There was a nervous guy with glasses talking to another guy, who seem to have a confident air around him. There was a fat guy already talking to the lady behind the tuck shop. There was some blonde guy with a fan talking to a…um…Teacher ? Someone in a Samurai helmet anyways.

"Um… S-Senpai..?" Ben turned around and noticed a girl with long hair and glasses. She was hunched over her books and seemed absolutely terrified "Um…Um… N-Nevermind!" and with that she turned and ran. Ben sighed and walked into the teachers lounge.

A few seconds after coming in, a teacher in a suit noticed him. "Oh, are you the new student?" she asked him causing Ben to nod as she checked her chart.

"Ben Strega, 11th grade, correct?" Ben nod again, as she looks back at her notes. "Let's see… wow, you've been to a lot of places haven't you? And… in 1999, that was, what, 10 years ago? Your parents…" she gasped, and Ben already knew what the board said. "I'm sorry, I've just been so busy, and I didn't have time to read this before hand…I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach composition. Welcome to our school."

Ben nodded as she continued. "Have you seen the classroom assignments yet? You're in 2F, that's my class, but first you need to get to the auditorium, the opening ceremony will be starting soon. You go on ahead, I need to catch up on all this paperwork…" she sighed and sat back down.

Auditorium

"As we begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means…"

It took all of Ben's willpower not to yawn. He'd expected the speech to be boring but this, this was giving a whole new meaning to the word.

The auditorium was large, befitting the spacious, top-class school Gekkoukan was. Excellent acoustics, seating arranged just right for a clear view of the stage from any position. Absolutely perfect to take full advantage of the principal's talents.

His thoughts were interrupted by a classmate sitting behind him tapping him on the shoulder. "Psst!" the other teen said. "You came to school with Kotone and Yukari this morning, right? I saw you walking together."

"And?" Ben muttered, trying to keep his responses as low-key as possible

"I have a question," the other student said. "Do you know if they both have boyfriends?"

A number of possible responses went through Ben's mind, ranging from the obvious to the sarcastic. In the end, however, he settled for a simple shrug. "Beats me," he murmured. He suspected they didn't, but had nothing but his gut to back up the idea, and in any case he somehow didn't want to make this guy too hopeful.

The student blinked. "Huh. You came to school with them, so I figured you'd know them at least that well…"

"I hear talking." A Man growled. "It must be from Ms. Toriumi's class."

"Quiet!" Toriumi hissed from several seats away. "You're going to get me in trouble!"

The other student quickly leaned back in his own seat as Ben went back to listening to the principals speech

He rather thought he'd prefer to be lulled comatose by the principal's rhetoric than discuss the love life of someone he barely knew with someone he knew even less.

After the Assembly

So far, it hadn't been a half bad day; school was no more interesting than normal, but he counted himself fortunate in that regard. The principal might be duller than a box of hammers, but he at least wasn't malevolent, and his homeroom teacher appeared to be sane for a change.

Stretching, he finally hauled himself out of his seat, musing that now would be good time to start his discrete investigation into the previous night's oddities. Before he could move more than a couple of feet from his desk, though, he came face to face with another student, grinning widely.

"Hey, dude," the other said cheerfully. Wearing an open jacket, untucked shirt, and a ball cap. "How's it goin'?"

"Not half bad," Ben judged, lifting an eyebrow. "Aside from nearly being bored to death this morning. And you're…?"

The hat-wearing student's smile widened. "Name's Iori, Junpei Iori. And you'd be the new guy, right? I know what that's like; I transferred here myself when I was in eighth grade, so I've been the new kid on the block myself. I know how tough that can be." He stuck out his hand. "So. Figured I'd come over and say, 'Hey'. See what a nice guy I am?"

Almost despite himself, Ben shook Junpei's hand. Junpei was weirder than a first glance suggested, but in a good way.

"Ben Strega." he said

Approaching footsteps broke up the light conversation, and Junpei turned his megawatt grin on the Brunette, Red and Blue haired students walking toward them. "Hey, it's Yuka-tan, Kotone and Makoto" he greeted cheerily. "We're in the same class again? Cool!"

"Hey Junpei." Kotone greeted

Yukari, for her part, merely sighed, familiar with Junpei's habits. "At it again, I see. Y'know, someday you're going to run into somebody who doesn't like having their ear talked off at first meeting. What'll you do then?"

Junpei blinked. "Whaddya mean? I was just bein' friendly, introducing myself to the new guy. You know, showing him the ropes."

Yukari shook her head. "Whatever. Anyway," she said, turning to Ben, "it looks like we're in the same homeroom."

"Looks that way." Ben said

"Must be Fate, right?" Kotone suggested.

"Fate?" Yukari snorted, smiling a little herself. "Yeah, right! …Still, I am a little surprised. Pretty amazing coincidence, isn't it?"

"Hey, guys?" Junpei called, waving his hand in the air. "I am standing right here. You forget that I'm in this class, too?" He pointed at the desk next to the one Ben had just left. "Right next to… Ah, forget it. Y'know, I heard you all came to school together this morning. What's up with that, huh? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

The blue-haired student mentally face-palmed.

Yukari apparently, took it differently. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, blinking in surprise. "We live in the same dorm, that's all; he just got in last night, so we played tour guide, that's all." She looked warily at Junpei. "Why are people even talking about it? Now you've got me worried…"

"Just live in the same dorm, huh?" Junpei's tone was skeptical. "C'mon, that can't be all of it, right?" He turned to Ben. "Right?"

"Wrong," the other said dryly. "Like Yukari-san said, I just got here last night; a senior at our dorm asked her to show me the way, that's all."

He could tell Junpei was still a little skeptical.

"Hey," Yukari said quietly, deciding Junpei's inquiries had received all the attention they deserved. "You haven't said anything to anyone about… well, you know, have you?"

"No, but if you keep talking about it in a classroom that still has several other students around, somebody is going to notice." Ben thought

"You know what?" Ben asked innocently

"What?!" Yukari almost yelled. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already? It's just, seriously… It'd be a bad idea to let anybody know about what happened last night. I'm just a little-"

The sound of Junpei stumbling back into a desk interrupted her, alongside Makoto facepalming himself and Kotone holding back her laughter

"L…last night?" Junpei stammered out. "Wait, I thought you said-!"

Yukari realized the implications, and almost stumbled into a desk herself. "Wait a minute!" she protested. "Don't get the wrong idea, Stupei! I told you, I just met him yesterday, never saw him before that; there is nothing going on between us!"

"Oh, yeah?" Junpei was more than "a little" skeptical now.

"Right!" Yukari confirmed, shooting him a glare. "Anyway! I've got to go take care of a couple things for the archery team, so I'll see you guys later. But you better not start any rumors, Stupei, or I'll know who to 'thank' for it!"

"Well, that was exciting." Ben thought as Kotone finally started laughing.

"What's with her?" Junpei wondered, doing a good but not quite perfect job of hiding the effects of concentrated death glare from a woman scorned. "I mean, c'mon… Who believes rumors anyway? Man…" Shaking his head, he turned back to Ben. "She's just paranoid. But hey, you're making quite the impression already, and it's just your first day!"

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Ben said, eyeing him. "What kind of impression?"

"Oh, come on!" Junpei gestured toward the door their brunette classmate had just left through. "She's pretty popular around here, y'know? You da man!"

"Hey, what about me?" Kotone asked. "Aren't I popular too?"

"Of course you are." Junpei said with a grin. "This is gonna be a fun year," he said, chuckling. "Really fun year. I can just feel it! Great things are coming to us this year, buddy!"

Dorm

Trying to see as much of the island as possible on foot after his first day at a new school, Ben admitted to himself, might not have been the best idea. Walking through the dorm's large double doors, he was exhausted, out of breath, and had sore feet

"Welcome back, Strega," he heard as he came in, and Ben glanced over to see Mitsuru occupying one of the armchairs in the lounge's common area. "I trust your first day in school went smoothly?"

"I suppose you could say that." he said

"So I gather from how long you were out," Mitsuru remarked. With that cryptic statement, she turned her attention back to the book in her lap, seeming to pay the younger student no further attention.

Raising an eyebrow briefly, Ben shrugged inwardly, and walked over to the dining area. Exchanging a quick nod to Makoto and wave with Kotone and Yukari, who had evidently returned well before him, he crossed to the small refrigerator and extracted an energy drink; after his after school excursion, he needed a bit of a boost before heading back to his room