Author's Note:

cesarahdz04: I liked the chapter but you leave several parts to the reader's thoughts or memory, like the conference, I only narrate the actions but not what was said or what the teachers said as well.

That I do. I dislike overdetailed storytelling. Like, dedicating a hundred words to a table. Is that table important? Will we see that table again? I ask those questions when I invest in details. Nothing is black and white in writing, so take this example with a grain of salt.

Robolacion: this chapter is repeated

I'm not sure what you mean. I've checked the chapters and they seem fine.

That is all for now. This website is somewhat dead but I'll continue posting chapters here.

Stay safe and hydrated.

"Ugh… Miyaaaaa… five more minuuuutes…" I curled up, hugging the blanket. After a whole minute of the annoying sound persisting, I threw off the covers with a tired grunt, preparing an epic lecture about the importance of sleep to humans…

There was no one in the room. The room wasn't mine. No, it was mine. Now.

Yesterday's events slid across the outer shell of the squishy brain, the folds absorbing knowledge, though some parts were too smooth. If there was no Miya to awaken me, then why…

I raised a lazy hand, my finger wiggling as they touched down onto the chair serving as a temporary bedside. A vibrating, rectangular object fit neatly into my hand, a dozen random presses of the thumb either dismissed or postponed the alarm. Rolling onto my back, I stared at the ceiling with a single thought; I really did it.

I was in Cherryton. It wasn't a fantasy. Me, being me, back to town. It almost seemed too good to be true. If I had a guitar in the corner and my old set up, I wouldn't have given two fucks where I was. Until Mom's breakfast call didn't happen. That was too depressing to imagine.

Stretching my arms, I sighed to a popped joint. Taking a deep breath, I rolled over once again. My legs were over the edge, the perfect leverage to finally get up and to it. I then sat on the end of the bed, my shut eyes protecting my delicate conscience as all systems rebooted.

The mattress, in spite of its simplicity, was the bomb. Memory foam, real quality, whatever it was, I had slept like a baby. My old one didn't hold a candle to this one. Although the pillow was a little too high for my neck, punching and squishing fixed that.

„Brrr… fuckin' cold," I shivered, grinding my teeth. I rubbed my eyes, leaving the bed at last. Step by step, I moved like an automaton towards my greatest desire; the bathroom.

Business went as business goes. Empty the digestive tract, wash my hands properly, under the nails was a prime breeding ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria. Working on auto-pilot, I stopped removing my underwear at my knees, a specific hour in the day ruling an early shower obsolete; Physical Education.

„Damn it…" I regained my decency, the rubber band snapping onto the waist upon release. After searching the cabinet below the sink, I drew a temporary solution of the stink; deodorant. Twisting the cap ninety degrees, I sprayed both armpits, taking a whiff, „hmmm… minty…" Miya knew me too well.

Next was an oral cleansing. Wet the toothbrush, a blob of paste, and get in there like you mean it. On one corner, we have the invader; plaque! Booooo. On the other, we have the home champion; hygiene! Hooray! Three, two, one, fight!

The match lasted a total of three minutes. The paste was too much for the evil gooey, dirty, white stuff. The technique was immaculate; no spot was left untouched. A pass with the tip of the tongue confirmed the slick state of the teeth though I had, had, had to remember to request dental wire. Then, I'd have a flawless victory.

Spitting the foam into the bowl, I rinsed my mouth one last time, smiling at the mirror. Once I cleaned after myself, I moved onto the next objective; the closet.

Sliding open both doors, I picked out a whole outfit. There were two types of socks; light and dark gray. Testing a pair with touch, I learned the darker ones were for colder seasons. A light pair it was. All the shirts were long sleeved and collared, white too. A blue vest… sure, yes! It was part of the drip, I recalled from memory.

That was when I discovered a grave mistake I had made. The pants weren't the one, two, buckle my waist. They had suspenders. I had to take off the vest after buttoning up, adjust the straps for like five minutes, then wear the vest. Did I even do it right? Fuck if I knew. It was comfortable so…

„Oh, for fuck's sake…" I shook my fists at the ceiling. There were ties! TIES! What was I? My dad? I was starting to miss the American system. As stupid as it was; it was fun. It felt like a chore. But I had to do it right.

Thank whoever created the internet for educational videos. A quick search in Zootube provided me with a five minute video of an animal instructing via visuals and speech how to properly tie a tie. It took me double the length of the video to succeed. I didn't get the loop on the first tries.

Securing the long spade into position, I patted myself down, feeling elated. Exiting full screen, I left a like on the video and saw I had ten minutes before the first class- „SHIT!"

Zooming back to the closet, I grabbed a pair of shoes. The brown bulky fuckers didn't want to co-operate! „FUCK!" I forced myself to slow down, to make sure my feet were comfortable and wouldn't slip out the first step. And then, to cherry the top, I realized exactly what I was missing the day before. It wasn't a computer, that was a first-world problem! I didn't have a school bag.

„FFFFFFFFU- there it is," a huge wave of relief washed over me, allowing me to finish with the second boot. Testing the puppies out around the room, I peeked into the closet. I was right. There was room for the suitcase on one side, why wouldn't there be symmetry? What kind of competent builder can live with himself knowing his work was sloppy?

Grabbing a strap, I slunk it onto my back, having the world's weight come crashing down, „Why… heavy…"

Stumbling over to the table, I turned around, letting the backpack fall onto the surface with a bang. Zipping open the main compartment, I had a moment.

It was full to the brim with notebooks, books, and more books. Somehow, whoever left this here managed to squeeze mass into a volume that shouldn't have been possible, or the fear of being late was severely affecting me. Either way, I emptied out the pocket dimension but then forgot which ones I needed.

„Fuck, no, no, shit," I was sweating up a storm. What was the first lesson? How many were there? Did I need a marker for the gym? I couldn't concentrate, I completely blanked, my eyes rapidly scanning the table without a goal.

Until I spotted a crumbled note beneath a maths book, the title a menace that holy fire cannot destroy; Calculus. Nudging the heavyweight aside, I grinned at the spreadsheet, firing off all subjects on that fine Monday. Mathematics? Check. Gym? FUCK. I didn't have shorts in the closet! Fold up the pants, goofy but effective, we'll see. Seaspeak? Sure. History? Piece of cake!

A minute dedicated to organization later, I zipped the contents close, throwing the back over my shoulder before the second arm slipped under the strap. Checking the time again, I nearly screamed. Five minutes before…!

„Oh," my grip lessened, the phone clinging onto my hand. Moving calmly around the table, I grabbed the key to the room as well as the ID, shame settling in.

In my haste to prevent a minor failure, I ignored a crucial detail in the digital clock. While it was true the minutes were close to resetting back to zero, I had an entire fucking hour. I had set the alarm somewhen at night, I must've been so tired I forgot. Now, I felt like an idiot. A fortunate idiot at that.

Smoothing out my clothes, I adjusted the backpack, the ID going into the right pocket and the key into the left. There was also a green jacket, the school's claw emblem over the left breast. The vest was quite enough.

Before leaving my room, I checked that all the lights were off and the window was shut. I didn't know why I did the latter but it didn't hurt to be extra safe. Not that I had anything worth stealing.

Nodding to myself, I left my room. I could've stayed in my room, I contemplated as I went to the lobby, browse the web, watch videos, see what bullshit the news cooked up this fine morning. However, my tummy was hungry and I wanted to explore. I only knew where the gym was because it was a three minute walk from the dormitories.

Arriving at the hangout, I spotted an elk brewing a hot drink, a spoon mixing the ingredients in hand. He heard me, the sluggish acknowledgement of an exhausted senior mutating into stiffness that rivaled my morning wood. Surprisingly, I didn't have one today.

Since he was staring and saying nothing, I nodded upwards before continuing. When I passed the second sofa, he asked if I'd like a black tea to which I politely declined. Before leaving the building entirely, I bid him farewell, not bothering for a reply.

Stepping into the outside, I admired the scenery. Truly, it was a school. I then started to the main building. This early in the morning, the only students awake were either amateur athletes or… me. The grounds were emptier than a graveyard including the deceased.

It wasn't that cold, a chill. The day would warm. I chuckled, the sun was just above the horizon. Pocketing my hands, I looked everywhere I pleased. On the other side, where a dozen club buildings were located, was also where that miniature olympic track was. I had a reasonable suspicion the coach was going to pick the open field, the gym would become the default option during winter.

If the island was anything like the original gangster, the snow would be fun. I always wanted to make angels.

The walk to the main building, at my carefree pace, took ten minutes. Fifty more to go. I entered, still not a soul in sight. Scratching my head, I picked a direction and went. After four deviations from the path, the corridors blended into one another. A poster on that wall, familiar. I yawned, slicking back my hair. I had no idea where I was going.

"Hm."

Until I found another student, I was condemned to wander for eternity, haunting my fellow newbies. Pranks crossed my mind. Maybe when I was a second year. Although it was the first day for real, I found enjoyment in the little things.

With no one to gawk, fawn, creep or gossip, I was free to go wherever, whenever. I liked being around people, sometimes, but that sometimes meant I needed me-time. And as I overlooked the cafeteria, big ass tree and all, I was glad past-me set the alarm. The only time I could feel like I was back there was now, and it was… alright.

It was then I decided that seven hours of sleep was pretty much the same as eight; I enjoyed the early walk. A quick glance at the phone cut my time in half. I had to find the class.

Rounding the corner whilst staring at the screen, I bumped into someone, the both of us stumbling back, "Ah! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking," I apologized, putting away the phone.

"It's o… o… o-o-okaaaay?" Black shoes, white skirt and dress shirt, cream leather belt, must be synthetic too; a female. I bit my inner cheek, the last thing I needed was to be labeled a creep in the new school.

"Phew, thanks," I dusted off my chest, "by the way, do you know where the math class is? It's under Miss Hajime, and… as you know, I'm a first year," I smiled, doing so without showing my teeth felt so fake.

The wolf blinked several times, her maw opening and closing without a sound. I know I'm ugly, no need to make a scene, lady! "If you don't know, that's fine, I'll just-"

"WAIT!"

I mentally recoiled by her sudden outburst, "Yes?"

"I'm also a first year! And I happen to know where our class is."

"Nice. We can go there together," I stepped closer, offering a handshake out of habit, too late now, "you know my name," I chuckled, "what's yours?"

After staring at my hand for a moment, she broke out of her trance, grabbing mine with a little too much force, "Juno, I… I'm Juno."

"Nice to meet you, cute name," I let go, adjusting the right strap, "lead the way, Juno."

"Yes!"

Apparently, I had missed the classroom not far from where we met. We backtracked my steps and turned where I should have. Just my luck that I met the, upon closer observation, gray wolf. Though her fur was brown, that'd make her a brown wolf. Did that also mean she had the n-word pass? And from her muzzle down the neck and assumably the rest of her torso was a cream color similar to my skin tone pre-stasis.

"If you're a first year like me, how do you know this… maze!" I flung my arms outwards, avoiding hitting her.

"I have a really good memory and I enlisted during summer!" Was that possible?

"Why sacrifice vacation?"

"Everyone wants to get into Cherryton, but there's a limit to how many students can enroll every year," she explained, her tail wagging.

"Dang, so it's truly a good school if it's so desired."

"Yup! That means you're also really smart, right? I read in mythology books that humans-"

"Hey hey hey, now. Whatever boogieman conspiracies you cooked up while I was asleep are likely just myths…" she deflated, her ears drooped and I felt a little bad, "but I'm curious, what did you want to ask?"

"Is it true that humans can throw objects at supersonic speeds?"

I burst out laughing, stopped to think how idiotic that was, and laughed again, "Holy! I freaking wish!" The pranks. The pranks! The assassinations but mostly the pranks I could pull off!

"So… that's a no…"

"Juno, whatever you read about humanity is probably just theory. Since the government didn't release the tapes, they're gatekeeping everything," we arrived at a particular door, the shadow of a figure sitting at the teacher's desk visible through the blurred glass.

She gasped, "Really?! That's… awful!"

"Yeah, I doubt-"

"Can you tell me everything?!" She grabbed the hand closer to her with both of hers, stars shining in her eyes, "Please?!"

"Whu- huh? What?"

"Pleeeeease?"

"Juno, we just met-"

"PLEEEEEASE?!"

"Okay! Okay!" I yielded, „Jesus, what a girl…"

Once she released my hand, I entered the classroom. There, at the teacher's desk was Ms. Hajime; a zebra. She had written her name on the chalkboard behind her. The classroom had thirty seats in total, each seat a separate table unlike the paired ones in my old high school. Looking back on the previous sentence had me something silly. All trolling potential was out of the window; more focus on actually getting work done.

Greeting the teacher, she absentmindedly did the same, deep in her current task. At the moment, a quarter of the classroom was full, fifteen minutes before the lesson started. This was a crucial moment in my first year. If the unwritten rules hadn't changed, the seat I chose would become my unassigned temple of solitude.

The backrows had two students already. A dog and a reptile with a short tail. I sensed their stares across the room. No bueno, empty belly. The middle was desired by the masses, not a bad choice since I was relatively early.

A road not taken is a road wasted. To assert my dominance, I claimed the middle seat in the first row. That way, the starers didn't embarrass themselves by looking back. I was a generous man. But once the novelty wore off, it wouldn't matter. There was no way they wouldn't get used to my presence.

Unpacking my bag, I withdrew an empty notebook, the maths book, a pen and… where's the ruler?

„Bruh…"

I thought Miya took care of everything! What if the first lesson was geometry? I didn't have a steady hand nor a substitute- never mind, I could use the edge of the thick book, crisis averted.

Checking the time, in ten minutes the lesson would begin. Students began piling in clumps; some didn't hide their excitement, some were as stoic as unrefined quartz. Propping my head on a hand, I yawned, debating whether I should quench my hunger with water- I didn't have a water bottle. The authentic academic experience.

Averting my eyes from the board, I spotted to my right a brown-white blob; the eccentric wolf. She had taken the seat next to mine, her desk organized with all the supplies she needed. She was in the middle of writing in her notebook, so I looked elsewhere.

„First day…" I whispered, the corners of my lips twitching upwards.

So what if I didn't come fully prepared? One phone call and viola! I'd have everything. It was like ordering online without paying or the waiting period. I was too harsh on Miya, again. It probably slipped her mind with all the responsibilities she had. I should call her, it'd make her happy.

Opening a new page, the bell rang. The lesson started. The first thing that happened was a greeting from all of us to the teacher. She introduced herself formally, explained exactly what the subject was for the day and that the bell didn't dismiss them; she did. I smiled, some things never change.

Today, she taught us simple algebra. More like reminded us what we should have come with from middle school. I, having graduated from their equivalent to eleventh grade, took the class in stride. Some struggled, but I didn't make fun of them.

The system wasn't meant to actually teach kids skills they'd use in the big world. It was an indoctrination, the key to success was to be a parrot; figuratively. You are told A, repeat A. You are told B, repeat B. Combine the two, you get AB; that simple.

Despite knowing all of that, I still chose to come back. The fact didn't bother me as much as it should have. Perhaps I was too far gone, before they knew it I'd start eating vegan brains and spouting hippy slogans. It made me think. The subject was easy, so easy I was operating at half capacity. Perhaps, the real reason I wanted to come back was… to make friends.

I couldn't live my entire life behind closed doors, as cozy as it sounded. If I wanted to be as happy as humanly possible, I had to get a job that would stimulate my brain, I had to sleep well, and I had to talk with people from time to time. What I had back then? Bye bye. The friends I made were old ones from elementary, rest their souls.

Yet, I felt something unknown compelled me to believe. I would've said God but spaids. I wasn't a hundred percent sure of my reasoning, ninety five was pretty much a rounded hundred, no? So, fuck it. I was having fun, why overthink it? Indeed, Johnny, another flawless victory for logic.

The lesson lasted an hour and a half. By the end, Ms. Hajime assigned homework in the textbook; five pages of easy peasy equations to find the X. I had it in the bag, the real challenge would come when we started learning functions.

Fortunately, just as she uttered the command to leave, the bell rang. I didn't rush anywhere and let the mob through. The zebra returned to her desk, a very busy lady. I packed up my things, deep in my zone. If I wasn't wrong, after breakfast we had… Seaspeak, ugh, and-

A hand suddenly touched my shoulder, scaring the shit out of me. I didn't scream, though, I jerked, "Ha? Who?"

"Oops, sorry," the wolf retracted, closing her hand.

"It's fine…" don't do that again, "Do you need something?"

"Um… I… I wanted to ask…"

"Yeah?" I zipped up my bag, resting it on my lap.

"Do you… wanttositwithme?"

I blinked, "What? I didn't catch that."

She turned away. I glanced behind her and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then, she asked clearly, "Do you want to sit with us? A-at the cafeteria…"

"... Sure." If that was all she wanted, there was no need to be embarrassed.

She was likely trying to score cool points among her peers because I was who I was. Throughout the lesson, she was the least who stared at me when they thought I was oblivious. I also respected the grind.

"YAY!" She jumped in joy, grabbing my arm before pulling me alongside her, "Let's go! Quick!"

"What's the hurry?!" I managed to hold onto my bag, the door swinging shut behind us. Many other students were in the process of leaving their classrooms as well, some baffled at… me running after her, or the fact she was dragging me.

Ripping my arm from her grip, I jogged beside her, "Well?"

"Me and my friends… I…" she slowed down, putting me a bit ahead. "I… got carried away."

I stopped running, waiting for her to catch up at her own pace, "So, we ran for nothing?"

"... Yeaaah."

The cringe I felt at that moment was overwhelmingly radioactive. A supersonic, ha, arrow annihilating my being without losing any momentum. Second-hand embarrassment was one thing, but two types at the same time? Ouch.

"Oh, Juno…"

"I forgot my friends decided on a table in advance so our spots are secured."

"...'Our'?"

"Yup. It's a big table," we started to the cafeteria, her tail brushing up against me by accident.

"If you say so."

What a strange girl. In all my years from first grade to now, I had never met someone as peculiar as her. We met only two hours ago and she… it was like we were friends for way longer! Was this the mystical power of the extrovert? A people person? I did not envy her; I liked her. She was fun.

Our arrival at the cafeteria did not go unnoticed by the masses. On the way there, a pair of eyes always gazed our way. But where food was served? I was the entertainment! Who was I? Truman? I needed a dozen character arcs before I could break out of the matrix.

Reminiscent of the underground facility, there were also two lines; herbivores and carnivores. This much segregation was giving me a strange vibe though I understood the complications of serving the wrong diet to the wrong animal, so that one may slip and slide.

My favorite feature was the open space in the middle where that huge tree stood. From the ground, I spotted squirrels having a tea party! Well, my imagination might have exaggerated some details but it was so cool! And the little birds on the branches in school uniforms fit for dolls! My heart cannot handle this much cuteness.

Still, they were fellow students. I followed Juno down the stairs, through the middle and to the lunchladies. They were efficient so we didn't have to wait more than five minutes until it was our turn.

"Lookey who we got here!" The alligator snapped, the other cooks paying attention, "What can I getcha, Johnny-kun~?"

"A little bit of everything, please," I wished to test the waters.

A minute of swift work later and I was handed a tray full of exactly what I requested, perfectly fitting the plate, "There ya go~"

"Thanks," I grabbed the tray, her hands brushing against mine in the transfer.

"I knew ya were a carnivore like us, enjoy the food," she smirked before returning to her usual poker game. Juno had watched everything transpire, impatiently tapping her foot.

"Where are your friends?" I asked.

"Over there!" She stepped around, holding her tray with one hand while waving with the other. Guessing her line of sight, a table under the massive shade of the tree was the one. She was right, it was a good spot.

If she wanted to draw attention! Was it me or did it become hotter? Hesitantly following in her footsteps, every attendee of the meeting was wearing white. This shit was straight out of an anime; the protagonist going over to sit with a bunch of girls-

„Wait a minute, they're animals!" I laughed, my posture relaxing. „They're not humans. I got nothing to worry about."

When Juno got to them, a spot was available parallel to her. On the right was a cheetah, on the left a bear. There was also a minx, a tiger, a striped relative of the maths teacher, a chicken, a whatever–the-fuck-that-is, ect. Fifteen animals in total, excluding me. Because I wasn't a regular animal; I was a human. And since I didn't like animals that way, I had really nothing to fear.

"Morning," I greeted, one leg after the other and I found my place, "Is the food any good, Juno-san?"

"Very! I heard they use the freshest and richest spices," she scooped some rice into her maw, chewing, and swallowing before speaking again, "lunch is ever better!"

"I'll hold you up to that," I dug in. The rice was sticky, the soy was soy, the omelet was omeleting. I wouldn't say it was extravagant; it was alright. Above edible for sure.

"Juno…" The cheetah whispered, though not so subtly, "How?!"

The wolf hummed, caught in the middle of another bite.

"How did you do it?"

She gulped, "I don't know… what you're talking about~"

"Yes you do!"

"You're so lucky this is a public space…" the bear grumbled, crossing her arms below her, admittedly, as the Jamaicans say, bombaclat bundle. It was a little funny seeing a seven foot tall bear wearing a girl's skirt, that thought went right into a drawer that would never reach the tongue.

Girls. No matter the species, they remain confusing.

Anyhow, I zoned out of their conversation, my eyes on the plate. The protein from the eggs was a must, the rice was far superior to their bread and water was better than carrot juice. Weird stuff. Why not something sensible like apple or grape? Orange was a given, even pomegranate- never mind, it was a difficult fruit to process.

Once I was done with the solids, I washed down the juice. It had a tinge of sweetness so I couldn't complain further. I then checked the time; ten minutes before the break was over. As my focus shifted to my surroundings, I missed something juicy, pun intended.

"You can't say that!" The wolf shouted, glaring at the cheetah beside me.

"Why? Let's ask Johnny-san," she turned to me, "Who is your best friend; felines or canines?"

I licked my lips, the carrot aftertaste bittersweet, "What?"

"It's totally felines, right? Archeological discoveries in the great pyramids prove that."

"No it doesn't! Those are just conspiracies. Everyone knows our ancestors were Mankind's greatest allies," Juno grinned, "You should stop browsing those websites, Sheila-sama, they're filled with all sorts of crazies," she spun her finger near her head, crossing her eyes with her tongue out.

"YOU-!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, my arms laid on each side of the tray, "wait, what was the question again?"

"Which of us is sexie-"

"Were canines Man's best friends?"

I didn't catch what the cheetah said but it was probably the same thing. Before I answered them, I asked, "Keep an open mind, okay?" They both nodded, the entire table had gone quiet.

"... Back then… well…" I massaged my chin, constructing, experimenting, combining the right words for the ultimate bombshell. Then, it came to me, "Think of it this way; back then, waaaay before even humans became civilized, we had two friends. Dogs and cats. Dogs were our allies, cats were our… acquaintances. I find it kinda weird that you had to genetically alter… canines to domesticate them when we did that over time. And cats… just stuck with us. Free food and all that for keeping pests away."

What poked them to inquire on that? How did they know? I knew for a fact the files were locked tight. Was there a whole subculture revolving around humanity? Ha! As if. No one could be that lifeless to obsess over a dead race… that was dark.

"Whatever," the cheetah said, holding her head high, "my fur is way more pristine than yours, Juno-san~ Just because you got first dibs doesn't mean you've secured the main treasure."

I nudged the bear, doing my best to whisper to her, "What are they talking about?" She simply shrugged, engrossed in her gigantic portions, couldn't go wrong with plain rice.

Their ambiguous debate had to be put on hold when the bell rang, signifying the end of the first break. As I had with maths, Juno led me to the next class; seaspeak.

I hated snakes. But it wasn't their fault. It was a my issue. Seaspeak? That was a skill issue. I will never admit it. Forty five minutes, at the second row next to Juno, were flushed down the drain. It was actual cancer, that was the best way to describe it; cancer.

While Yamotese resembled Japanese, a copycat, seaspeak made absolutely no sense. Japanese had rules, it had elegance, it had logic and kanji. Seaspeak had nothing. It was just a bunch of cannibal tribe noises! "Blbliblob'bo," if everyone was named Bilbo in the sea I would lose my shit.

Point made. My least favorite lesson was seaspeak. Put me in a room with the snake guard wrapped tightly around me threatening to chomp my head off and I'd do it over learning another seaspeak "verb."

Unfortunately, I remembered I had another such class on Wednesday. Fortunately, it was the only other one. I'll have to talk with Miya about that; a total removal from my period table, non-negotiable.

Anyhow, the sweet end was worth the suffering. As I was packing my belongings, Juno spoke.

"You really don't like seaspeak, huh?"

"Wow, how could you tell?" I shoved the cursed notebook into the bag, let the papers crumple.

She giggled, "It was pretty obvious the entire lesson, even the teacher knows," all the more to convince Miya to cut me some slack.

"What's the next one?" I asked, pondering myself.

"Exercise!" She clapped her hands, moving towards the door.

"Ah…" I stood up, realizing the error half-way, „aaaaah shiiiiit."

"Hm?"

"I… Can I do that with what I'm wearing now?" I gestured to the suspenders, a clip of me falling over playing in repeat. The shoes had to go.

She hissed, "No way."

"Tough luck, then. I don't have other clothes." Miya! Miya! A call will happen today, it has become a canon event.

"No worries! I have a spare fit… i-if you'd like?" She smiled, her upper teeth peeking.

"Really? You're okay with that?" I was taken aback by her generosity. A girl offering me clothes, unheard of!

"Yup! Just return them after, at lunch."

"That's a deal, then."

We left the classroom, on our way to the locker rooms. I asked her if we had to go all the way to the gym, and she provided me with a detailed explanation. When the weather was favorable, we went outside to the track where other courts were available such as basketball and soccer. But when the weather wasn't, the gyms were our only options.

Indeed, there was a second gym inside the main building. It was on the first floor, on the opposite side of the entrance to encourage students to use the one near the dormitories. It wasn't as equipped as the dedicated one but it did its job.

Since the sky was clear of big clouds, we went to the courts. After Juno changed and handed me a pair of shoes, shorts and t-shirt. The male locker room was as hectic as I remembered; just when I entered, a wolf was fighting a panther. A friendly tussle, I hoped.

I minded my business. Changing from the regular fit to the one Juno gave me took three minutes without a hurry. The shirt was a bit loose and the shorts made my ass look bigger but it didn't itch. So, fuck it.

Arriving at the race track, the teacher introduced himself, and a mutual nod was exchanged between us; me and him. If I wasn't wrong, he was the one who handed the tiny mouse that stack via catapult. I wished his wallet a speedy recovery.

The first step before exercise was stretches so we did those. Arms over the head, kneeling, reaching for the toes, twist the neck in every direction, no moving part of the body was left in the cold. People can say whatever they like but cramps fucking sucked. The warmup was no less important than the exercise itself.

Once our bodies were ready, the coach began his program. He had us run around a dozen times, rest, and then do it again. By "rest" I did not mean sit down and drink, still no water bottle by the way. No sitting or standing still. Either walk or do push ups. One rebellious first year learned the hard way to obey the coach.

Now, I wasn't out of shape… entirely. The eggheads made sure I was in peak average condition so their tests were more accurate. Bullshit, but the past was in the past. While everyone, herbivores and carnivores were on their fifth lap, I was on my third. I had never felt more like a snail than I did in that hour.

But then, I remembered. My ancestors tickled my caveman-bellum, a holy spear missing from my arsenal. Ignore the rivals, just run.

On the tenth lap, after a three minute break, everyone was panting, struggling to maintain form and breathing technique. Me? I could still go five more. Two sharp inhales through the nose, two out the mouth. No matter how hot my chest burned, I didn't stop, I didn't break my stride, nothing could slow me down. I kept on moving.

Until the whistle blew.

"Alright! Good job, slowpokes! Five minutes and we start planking!" A collective groan was heard, I was too far on the track to partake. Returning to the male crowd, the teacher pulled me aside.

"You didn't tell me you were an olympic runner!" He kept his tone quiet, a raccoon heaving his guts out in the corner of my eye.

"I'm not," I replied, wiping the sweat on my forehead.

"Really?" He inspected my side profile, whistling, "that's a lot of sweat there."

"All animals sweat," now, "why do you say that?"

"No, Johnny-san, you look like a melting popsicle!" He laughed, "Lord, you probably lost a lot of salt."

"Yeah, probably," I stretched my arm, really feeling the muscle ache in protest.

"If you wanted, I bet you could win a medal. You might be the slowest animal I have ever seen but I'll be damned you can run far."

"Uh… thanks?" I slicked back my hair, the built up oil sticking to my hand.

He then gathered everyone in a circle, instructing us on the next exercises. Great emphasis was placed on technique over quantity; he was a good teacher. Push ups were followed by sit ups who were complimented by one push up equals one jump. Ten sets of each, ten seconds to rest and repeat.

It was tough. My muscles burned like hell by the third round. I tried, I really did, but it hurt too much. It was our first PE! Either I was weaker than I thought or the animals were superhuman- but they were stronger, even the herbivores among us. I had to step up my game, then. I had enough space in my room, I disliked gyms due to the lack of privacy and pungent smell.

As I pushed myself up, gritting my teeth, fighting the pain with all my might, the whistle blew. I collapsed onto the ground, the taste of iron at the base of my tongue. Rounding us one last time, he congratulated those who stayed strong and advised those who fell behind; me. Although I listened to his minute speech, I knew what I had to do.

I didn't like it. I was like that; a lazy bastard. I had to try. I didn't mind being number two but there was a minimum and at my current state it wasn't even close! For the benefit of my health, I had to force that habit into being. And I'd punch myself if I had to.

Once he was done, he dismissed us. Next were… the showers.

When the rest were further from the teacher, I went up to him and asked, "Can I shower in my room?"

"Why would you do that? The lockers' showers are perfectly fine!"

"I know, it's just…" I glanced behind, the back of a smaller reptile to me, said critter conversing with a rodent, "some are… well…" he kept silent, allowing me to finish, "strange. The looks I've been receiving are… eh… questionable?"

He clicked his tongue, his focus off to the side, "I see… There's nothing against doing that, it's just a long way back and forth. Do you think you'll have time for lunch?"

I looked to the dorms, to the main building, dorms, building, and answered, "Yeah. I will."

Unlike breakfast, lunch was much longer; half an hour. If I walked briskly to the lockers, gathered my things, went to my room, showered a quickie, got dressed and returned to the cafeteria, as mentioned, briskly, I'd have between ten and fifteen minutes to spare.

And that I had.

Entering the cafeteria for the second time, I held the bundle of clothes Juno loaned me, spying for the wolf herself. The place was way more packed at this time, chatter and gossip dominating the sense. When an elephant passed by, I spotted the table Juno was at, her friends too, some male that time.

And she had her bag with her, good. Approaching casually, I waved at the group, a thin smile to bring them ease. Juno took notice when the female she was talking to wasn't looking her way.

"Johnny-san! Where were you? We have to get to history class in ten minutes!"

"I was in my room. Here are the clothes by the way, thanks," I handed her the bundle, the outer shell was the shirt, it held the shorts and shoes… nothing a run in the washing machine wouldn't fix.

She gracefully retrieved her belongings, stuffing them into her bag. While that was happening, I informed them, "I'm gonna get a tray too, be right back."

Observing both lines, the choice was already made; a carnivorous meal. Not only were there fewer animals in their queue, I couldn't go on without a boost and some protein. How else was I supposed to build that schmexy body type? Although I felt a little guilty for not trying a herbivorous meal, I swore to do so at dinner. I could go for a spicy salad or something.

Joining the line, the animal in front offered their place. I gently nudged them back into place. It was a short wait and abusing my powers didn't bode well. As a tray was prepared I requested half carbohydrates and half protein, a glass of water, and off I went back to the-

My foot tripped, sending the tray out of my hands and into the air. The flight lasted as much as the protagonists in those adult game ads, a loud metallic crash covered in bits of delicious food. Food that was contaminated. If I hadn't flailed my arms and halted my fall with my weaker foot, I would've joined the sad pile on the floor.

However, I was more confused than frightened. I wasn't trekking through a jungle nor was I clumsy. Did I really trip over nothing? Everyone saw that, more heard than the former. I felt bad; someone had to clean up that mess.

"Hey! Are you ignoring me?!"

I addressed the source behind me, exactly where I stumbled. I hummed, slowly straightening my back. At the natural posture, we were about the same height.

"What? Swallowed your tongue, monkey?" I guessed he was related to a fox, there were too many species to learn, it should be a class of itself!

"No?" I wanted to help clean the mess I made, get another serving too.

"Ha! You actually answered…! What a stupid monkey," a boom echoed within my cranium. I wasn't a monkey. I was an ape first and foremost. A monkey was a generalization of all primates-

"Ooooooh!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers, "I get it!"

"You do?" He seemed to genuinely ask.

"Yeah! You're bullying me!" I laughed, "I can't believe it! Just like old times!"

It wasn't the reaction he was expecting. By then, throwing around the M-word drew major attention to us. A janitor entered the cafeteria through a farther exit, the sunlight abundant in the open space.

He dropped another bomb, "You're a fucking yigger!" A chorus of gasps followed, glares sent our way.

"I have no clue what that means but I presume it's racially motivated, right?"

"Wow, so you are reta-"

"What's your problem, dude?"

"My problem? My problem?! You're walking around like you own the academy! All the females look at you- you should be dead!" Damn, my feelings.

"I know," I thought of the dirty tray, "Shit happens. What do you want from me?"

"You… I…" Sometimes, I just don't get people, animals. Perhaps the GTA series wasn't a parody as we believed, "Kill yourself!"

"... Bro…" I pursed my lips, holding back a snort, "Do you realize who I am? Are you blaming your bitchless behavior on me?"

"Bi- bitchless?! What does that- FUCK YOU!" He clenched his fists, imaginary smoke rising off his furry scalp.

"You're weird, dude."

"ME?! Have you looked in the mirro- why are you turning your back on me, fool?!"

I bent down to the mess, staining my hands.

"I don't care if your piece of shit species went extinct, your face annoys me to no end!"

I picked up the tray, holding the short side with both hands.

"I knew you were slow but do you have nothing to say?"

I rose, his shadow creeping over mine.

"As expected of a lowly submissive monke-"

I swung the tray around, smacking him square in the face. The slap of meat and steel had a crispy tang, partially satisfying to the ears. His head recoiled, his body following him to the floor. He was knocked out after one hit.

He was knocked out on the floor, no blood though… yet.

„Ooooh… shit," I lowered the tray, all around shocked animals. Surprisingly, despite lacking as many facial muscles as I had, they expressed strong emotions. But what was even stronger was the stagnant silence. The sheer weight of a breathless hall crushing my conscience.

„Aaaaah shiiiiiiit… I didn't even swing that haaard…" I continued to stare at the unconscious fox, his chest steadily rising and falling. Then, my phone rang.

Pulling it out, my heart dropped at the identity of the caller. My finger hovered over the green circle, hoping he'd give up. Spoiler alert; he didn't.

„Fuuuuck, I'm… in trouble."

"You can't go around hitting students!"

"He started it!"

"Yes, he did use… unsavory language, but it didn't mean you could injure him in retaliation!"

"He was about to kick me!"

"But it didn't happen, therefore-"

"So, what? Was I supposed to let him kick me in the-"

My phone rang again, the bird had to wait. I shut off the screen, not hanging up but silencing the cheery tune.

"No! You can't use violence to fight violence."

"I gave him enough chances to back down… I didn't know 'monkey' was racist! It's racist, right? Am I allowed to say the M-word?"

"Now's not the time for jokes, Jonathan-san. You gravely injured a senior student and now he's in the infirmary, possibly having suffered a broken jaw."

"..."

"You should have called one of the staff or simply ignored him. Fighting is never the answer-"

"I should've kicked him while he was down…"

"JOHNNY!" Gon shouted, his ears perked and fur strands sticking out in odd spots on his neck. "Lord have mercy…"

"Am I in trouble?" I crossed my arms, my bag resting between my legs on the floor. His office was nice, the air conditioner ventilation fresh air.

He held his tongue, eventually replying, "No."

"And everyone is on my side, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"'But violence is never the answer,' yeah, I get it. It was in the heat of the moment, okay? I don't do well with bullies."

He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, "For the love of…" My phone rang again; the fifth time!

"Okay. Do not do this again. While you are… in the right," despite not really being there, "If an incident like this one reoccurs, I will have to involve the authorities."

"THE COPS?! For what purpose?!"

"You. Broke. His. Jaw. Just because you are… you… doesn't mean the law exempts you," while that was true… that was true. "We'll sweep this incident under the rug. Please…" His ears twitched, "If you want to stay in this school, getting in trouble is the worst thing you can do. Because if they deem you in danger…"

"Okay. I think I get it, si- Gon-san. It WON'T happen again…" swallow my pride, tailbone between my cheeks, metaphorically.

"Good… good…" he sighed, "you may go back to class, though there're only… forty minutes left. Are you well-versed in our history?"

"Eeeeh… more or less," I turned my hand left and right, "Nature animals, life animals, peace, great war, modern age. I mostly know- have theories on your evolution."

"Really? What sort?"

"Secret! I'm planning on using them for bonus points," I rubbed my hands jewishly under the table, the merchants' guild watching over me.

"I see…" his own phone rang, the default melody semi-traumatic at that point. "Hello…? Yes…" he shooed me away with his free hand, his face turning serious. I didn't take it too personally and left quietly, shutting the door behind me.

„Fuckin' snitch…" I adjusted the strap on my right shoulder, thinking of a way to locate the appropriate class. I'd relied solely on Juno as my guide but there wasn't a single soul in the halls at that time. Perhaps there was someone at the teacher's lounge, that was a good idea.

Initiating the plan, I recalled a gay poster from the previous day, setting me on the right track. But as I rounded a corner, my phone rang again.

„Bro, you cannot be real with me…" I groaned, giving up ignorance. The scam calls had to stop, a VPN would- it was Miya. Miya had called me numerous times and I didn't answer. I didn't answer a helicopter therapist.

„Oh nooooo…" I slowed to a shuffle, my foot hitting the corner of a bench. Plopping down, I breathed, „I'm so coooooked…"

Folding under the pressure, I pressed to answer, placing the upper speaker against my ear, "Hello?"

"JOHNATHAN YOUNG! WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A FIGHT?!" Luckily, the device's sound output wasn't set at a 1:1 ratio lest my ears raptured.

"Listen, Miya-san," I tried to butter her up with an honorific, "I know you… might be angry-"

"ANGRY? ANGRY!? Angry doesn't begin to describe what I am feeling! How did this happen?! Why did the principal inform me and not you?! Are you hurt? Do you need an ambulance? Did you win? Did-"

Into one ear and out the other. She fired one concerned question after the other, often repeating what she already asked. I let her go on a rant, the fire in her voice dying and rekindling at random intervals.

I silently yawned, checking the time; thirty minutes until the end of the day. I hoped she cooled off enough.

"Can I explain?"

"And what about- yes?"

"I'll tell you EXACTLY what happened, okay?"

"... Go ahead."

I told her everything. From my gullible ass taking a whole minute to figure the mood to the crispy, crunchy, satisfactory smack of the tray against that ugly mutt. Unlike the principal, I couldn't lie to her. Well, I could but I didn't. I'd never. After everything that happened? She was my last defense. If all truly failed in the school and I had to go back, she'd be there for me. I could always rely on her. Plus, I owed her tons.

"And then Gon called me privately to his office and…" I swallowed, my throat dry from constantly talking, "I'm sorry… for not answering. I was in the middle-"

"I understand…" she went quiet before continuing, "the principal is right though. You can't afford to attract that kind of attention."

"Ha! I don't even have to try. I'm practically a magnet!"

"Not the regular kind! The bad kind! While…" her end fell silent for longer, "I can't say this on paper but I'm a hundred percent on your side. I never said that, okay?"

"Said what? You suddenly cut out for three seconds. Isn't that crazy?"

She giggled, "Alright, glad we're on the same page. Send me a message once in a while… I miss you."

"Aww, I'm blushing right now," I smiled, my heart touched, "I will. Be ready for some bombastic grades!"

"By the way, I'm coming to visit on Saturday for our first weekly checkup."

"Right," she did say that, I'd have to make the room presentable by then. "Hey, can I ask something?"

"Of course."

"I'm not pointing any fingers but I have a few missing things… like a sports fit, arts supplies- generally! And-"

"Send me a list in Beastenger, I'll have it delivered today."

"Woah! That fast? Thank you so much, Miya!" I got up from the bench, a mature animal on a coffee break at the end of the hallway.

"It is no trouble, Johnny-kun. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to tell me."

"I will. Alright, I have to go now. Talk soon."

"Goodbye~"

"Bye," I hung up the call, pocketing the phone before interacting with the physics teacher.

I wasn't too far from my class; three turns in total. Once he finished directing me, I thanked him for his time before departing. Miya was right. I should call her more. Integrating into the academy had taken the forefront of my mind as well as most of my time so I… forgot about her.

Taking a right, I felt awful. How could I do that to her? Calling every day was too much for me. I could send her a message, share me day with her. I deemed that enough. And if it made her happy, my scratched ego could rest.

With a lighter mood to boot, I arrived at the last class for the day, preparing my knuckles against the hard wood when the bell rang, ending the day.

The class was over. I had wasted an hour and a half mucking about. „Damn it…" The material! What was it? Was there a quiz the next time? Was it new knowledge? I hated missing out! I treated the process like a chain link; if one piece was absent, the entire train would derail. And while I wasn't a huge fan of trains, I assumed bringing them back on track, literally, wasn't an easy task.

Sighing, I stepped aside, the first of many students leaving the room. I kept to myself, some sending me quick glances which I returned with a nod. I was waiting for someone who has proven to be useful, someone I could rely on… business-wise.

"Hey," I said, the wolf turning on her heel to meet me.

"Oh! There you are! Where were you?" She stepped aside as well, her tail lazily wagging to and fro.

"At the Principal's office, you know…"

She scoffed, "Really? But he started it!"

"I know!" At least someone agreed with me. "What's passed has passed, it's fine. What matters to me is the lesson, what did I miss?"

"Honestly, not much. The teacher went over what we should already know from junior school," she started walking, so I accompanied her.

"Sure, but what was it about? I didn't exactly… you know…"

"The Great War. The cause, what happened, the major battles, the aftermath. It was really simplified. I bet there were free courses on Zootube a hundred times better!"

I chuckled, "Probably. Did you take notes?" It wouldn't hurt to go over them.

"Of course, do you need them? I'll send them to you…!" She twirled her fur around an index, looking away, "So… can I have… y-your number?"

"Yeah, it's…" I recited the digits, allowing a rhino to pass me before I did.

"Huh? W-wait, I- let me just…" she searched for her phone, not paying any attention to where she was going. About to collide with another animal, I tugged at her sleeve, a crisis averted.

"Huh? What?" She held her cellphone, a cutesy pink.

"Look where we're going, Juno," I came off harshly but she did almost go head first into a pair of antlers.

"Okay… s-so, your number…"

I repeated the sequence, her fingers teleporting to each individual pad when the last syllable of a number passed my lips.

"Call me," I asked of her.

"...?"

"Call me so I can save you as a contact," we arrived at the main entrance, pushing the double doors open. Sweet, sweet sunlight. I can never have enough of you.

"R-right!" I received the call, hanging up before saving her by her first name, no honorifics. It wasn't like I knew any other Juno. The only ones in my list were her, Miya and… tragic. Just tragic.

"There we go. Please don't forget to send me your notes, okay?"

"Don't worry, I will right after I'm done with the drama club," she smiled, "what club are you in?"

"Uh…" Once again, my idiocy amazed me. Club activities were mandatory and I weaseled my way into two. Hehe, weaseled, I sensed pun jokes potential. "I'm in two clubs, actually."

"Really?!" Her tail became a propeller, her eyes shining like stars, "They don't let anyone attend more than one! You must be really talented, Johnny-san!"

"Naaaah, I just wanted… it's all about privileges, Juno, privileges," honesty was a good policy and I felt I could trust her more than the average animal.

"Well, good luck! I'll see you tomorrow~" She waved me farewell, running off to her club.

"See you…" once she was too far to see, I stopped waving, biting my lower lip. „Okay, which one was it today…" I scratched my head, the hour sheet taunting my memory. It was a short word, I already had a strong base for success-

"Ah! The music club!"

I recalled Gon's tour. Opposite to the dormitories were six minor facilities; the clubs. While some were small enough in equipment and personnel to be fitted in the main building, others such as the sports teams, the drama queens, and the musical highschoolers were designated one of those separate buildings.

Juno had also run that way. It would've been awkward to follow her after parting. Today was lots of that, especially with her. An extrovert meets an introvert; the world explodes. But she was fun and helpful. I had a good feeling about her, it was time I got some female friends.

Now that was funny. She was a wolf! An animal! Maybe she was cute, but in the same way a kitty was adorable. Imagine if a weirdo was selected for cryostasis; impossible. I supposed checking one's digital footprint wasn't always a bad thing.

Anyhow, strange complexes aside, it was time I became acquainted with my future clubmates. As I started, I wondered what was the most outrageous instrument they had in store.