Chapter 3: Fated Meeting

Nurses Office 7:40:07 AM

After consuming breakfast in the cafeteria, Lephantis rushed off to the nurse's office to get the examination out of the way. He's still on the fence about the two new faces he's met this morning. They seem so kind, but so were the other teachers when he first met them. Perhaps they are different? Maybe not? "What do they have to gain for being nice to me?" Lost in his reflections, the door to the office slid open, and a pair of brown eyes pierced his very being. Sensing the stare, he is brought out of his thoughts and tilts his head down at the school's nurse. "Welcome back to earth! Let me have a look at you." She steps out of the doorway and ushers him inside. The room was located on the first floor on the east wing of the school, and it's very pristine. Beds lined up the walls, and the singular window was open with a light breeze swaying the curtains. Linna pointed to the bed closest to them. "Go ahead and take a seat. I'll be right with you." Lephantis heeds her command and claims his seat. When he looked up, Linna was already behind her desk, aggressively moving various folders and documents around in a very particular order. After she was satisfied, she picked up her glasses, which somehow didn't get lost in all the commotion, and put them on.

Lephantis blinked, confused about why she needed them if she could restrain one of his limbs from twenty feet away. He didn't have time to postulate the why because a hand was rapidly approaching his face, grabbing him under the chin. His eyes widened as his view shifted to the deadly, serious,glowing eyes of the school's new nurse. "The cut between his cheek and nose... healed?" She muttered. Her eyes seemed to intensify as she tilted his head left and right. Locking on to the left side, perceiving some remnants of trauma on his temple. Releasing him of her iron grasp and hearing a breath get released, she steps back and inspects his whole body. Aside from various bruises dotting the front and back, there aren't any serious injuries to ascertain. However, after removing her glasses, she did have a couple of questions. "How do you feel?" Linna Woods' Forte allows her to perceive a patient's injuries, sickness, and other abnormalities within the human body. It presents information on the potential causes of said anomalies, and it will also supply remedies after the wellness check has concluded.

Observing her line of sight, which was focused slightly to his left and high, he remembers that he was getting beaten up prior to this meeting. He places a hand on his temple and rubs a circle to see if it aches. After feeling a dull pain, he shakes his head. "I feel okay. The pain in my temple doesn't hurt that much." Linna seemed pensive for a moment, but she would save her response until after her next question. "What's your name?" Lephantis raises his head at the question, making eye contact with her. "L-Lephantis Carlein." Feeling a little embarrassed at the situation, he averts his gaze away from her. Linna smiles, then walks to a nearby cabinet, reaching in and grabbing a small basket. She returns to her previous spot in front of her patient, then crouches, offering the basket to him after garnering his attention. With the same smile she had. "Here, eat one of these. I promise you, it's very sweet and should help with the bruises that aren't visible to the naked eye." His hand immediately reaches up to his chest, and she nods. Blushing slightly at the failed attempt of acting tough, he reaches into the basket, pulling out what appears to be a gumball. He immediately shoves it into his mouth, chewing the impossibly sweet delight. "How is it? I can tell by your facial expression that you have a sweet tooth on you, hm?" She grinned as she set the basket next to him and stood at full height. Lephantis was in sweet heaven; his face contorted to a big grin as he placed both his hands on his cheeks, swaying left and right at the overload he was having.

Satisfied with the reaction, Linna returns the basket to the cabinet. "The bruises on your body should disappear by the time class starts. You may feel some discomfort, but due to your recovery factor, I don't think it'll be much of an issue for you." Hearing soft footsteps approach, she turns around, greeted by the admiration written on his face. "Thank you very much, Woods sensei! It was very good!" He immediately bows his head in earnest, trembling from the gentle care he was provided. Linna was taken aback by the outburst, considering the meek boy she was inspecting prior. She reaches a hand out and, with a pomf, pats the young man's head. "I'm glad you like it! Please raise your head, though. I'm only doing the job of any old nurse." Heeding her suggestion, he slowly lifted his head as she removed her hand. "Even still. Thank you for treating me! Am I good to go to class now?" She nodded. "If you ever find yourself under the weather, please don't hesitate to see me." She daintily waved as he grinned back at her, sliding the door closed. After hearing his footsteps recede, her facial expression darkens as she grabs a folder she cleverly concealed under her keyboard. Flipping through the contents, she landed on the previous nurse's file. "You'll never find work at any school ever again. I'll make sure of it!"


3rd floor 7:48:37 AM

"Did you hear about the transfer students that came in last Friday?" A male underclassman asked his group of friends. "The two girls that were in Machida-sensei's office?" One of the boys offered, which was then confirmed by another. "Yeah them! I remember Ian talking about them at the arcade." A chorus of "Ahs!" echoed between them, remembering the passing comment of the prodigy. "I must give him props though because he is a brave man. The taller of the two has style, but she's a bit of a giant." Most of the boys nod. "I agree; if she were around my height or a little shorter, I think she'd be way cuter." Another wave of nods. "Have you seen those freakishly huge mitts as well? I swear she can catch a dodgeball in each hand!" The boys laugh at the mental image. Unsuspecting was the one who made the comment. A slender arm makes its way around the neck of the boy. "Oh? Is it that funny? That a girl can't control how her body is matured?" It got deathly silent when a feminine voice was heard. The boy, who's currently trapped in a headlock, paled and turned his head to meet the ire of a young lady. She is 5 '7, has a vanilla complexion, jet black hair tied into a bun with ash blonde highlights, dark brown eyes, an oversized shirt that has "PUNK" scrawled across the chest, navy blue jeans that are rolled up just on the ankles, and tennis shoes. The boy stuttered as the others all took a step back, watching the interaction unfold.

"I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying about my bestie. Care to repeat ya self?!" she spat out mockingly. Again, the boy was at a loss for words and could only shake his head. The young lady shifted her glare towards the other boys. "How bout you few? Anything to say?" They all shook their heads, and after seeing what was behind her, they wished their friend good luck and immediately retreated around the corner in a panic. She clicks her tongue, disappointed at the lack of camaraderie between this group. Her glare falls back on the young man. "Could you let me go? I'm sorry for what I said, and I won't do it again!" He whispered to her. She giggled deviantly at the apology. "What are you telling me for? I'm not the subject of what you were making fun of!" Swinging the boy around to face the person who had been standing behind the two. "You hurt my friend's feelings, so you should apologize to her! Don't you boys have any sense about you?" His eyes widened in horror as he craned his neck and met the narrowed eyes of the other transfer student.

She is 6'0 with lavender eyes, Hazel complexion, unruly heliotrope hair tied in a bushy ponytail, wearing a black off-shoulder T-shirt with MonStar written in several different colors, black jeans with tears at the knees and upper thighs, a white belt with pink stars loosely hugging her waist, and checkered converse. Glaring down at the poor soul in front of her, she places a hand on her hip, intensifying her gaze. To the young man, the longer he locked eyes with her, the scarier she appeared to him. Her eyes seemed to glow with lethality, and her smile seemed synonymous with a shark. She raises her free hand with her fingers spread and curled, showing sharp but painted nails. "Well? I'm waiting… Unless I have to wring it out of you!" She emphasizes that by reaching out towards him, causing him to squirm. The students that currently filled the hallway were all spectating the event, not wanting to be a part of what was about to happen. "I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry! Just please don't hurt me!" The ash-blonde releases the student, shoving him away from the two. "Now Scram! We don't want to see Tail or Hide of ya for the rest of the day!" The boy was already around the corner by the time she was finished speaking. Crossing her arms in a huff, she regards her friend with a grin. "It's just like old times, eh, Celena?"

Celena regards her friend with her signature shark smile. "Weren't too bad, yaself, Kioko! I wish I could see the look on his face when you scared the hell out of him." The two share a laugh as the students now start to thin out from the area. "The students in this school have no backbone. It's almost like they were already pacified or something." Kioko scoffed. "It might be the case that this school goes by different rules than our old one." Celena supplied. "Yeah, but even still, one should be ready to throw down at a moment's notice lest they be devoured and bullied for the rest of their school career." As Kioko tucks some hair behind her ear at the statement, she begins to hear murmurs from students who were sticking around. "Ugh, it's him." "They didn't get rid of him?" "Someone must've leaked." Confused by what she was hearing, she glanced up at Celena. Celena only offered a shrug in response to her perplexity. Both peered down the hallway as a head of fiery red hair walked towards them, ignoring the stares he was receiving.

As he grew closer to the pair, they could hear him humming a tune to himself as he nodded, causing his hair to bounce around. At a certain angle, something gleamed near the crown of his head. The trinket keeping his hair together was decorated with an assortment of stars varying from baby blue to hot pink. A sharp inhale was heard from Kioko's right, and when she glanced over, she was astonished at what she saw. Celena held a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her surprise, but the way her eyes shook gave it all away. Kioko didn't know what to make of what she was seeing. "Yo, Cel, you okay? Ya know him?" Not even hearing an utterance, she glances back up at her towering friend. It was like she was frozen in place, and the closer he got, the more she held her breath.

She tried to snap her out of her daze, but she wouldn't budge. When he was just a few feet away, that's when Celena spoke absently. "He's wearing it after all these years…" Kioko lets the statement sit in her head for a couple of seconds before something clicks, and then it starts to make sense to her. "This must be the one she was talking about all those years ago! It seems she needs a little push to get the ball rolling." With a plan already in mind, she takes position in Celena's blind spot, waiting for her chance. As the red head was getting within reach, Kioko mustered all the strength she had and shoved her friend into the unsuspecting teen. A squeal escaped her lips as she stumbled towards the young man.

Brought out of his daydream due to the sudden shout, his head snaps in the direction of the sound. Seeing the rather large girl stumbling towards him, his brain offered him two ways to handle the situation. Either dodge out of the way and let her fall, or try your best to catch her and make sure she isn't hurt. Lephantis had reacted before the second option even crossed his mind; due to his upbringing and childhood, he knew what was right. Spreading his arms out wide and setting his feet, he will endeavor to stop her momentum. With a POMF, their bodies collide, and Lephantis quickly wraps his arms around her, but the sheer force she came at him with was a little too much to handle. Thinking fast, as he was now plummeting to the tile flooring, he quickly tucked her upper body into his torso, hoping to absorb most of the shock. A THUD sounded in the hallway as Kioko camouflaged herself within the students watching the event unfold.

Sprawled out on the ground in a pile of limbs, Celena opened her eyes and pushed herself up, shaking her head. "You're not hurt, are you?" A soft voice makes itself known from below her. Trapped in-between her manicured hands was the very boy she believes to be her fated savior. Schooling her features to a flirtatious smile. "All thanks to you, I'm A-Okay. Do you catch every girl that falls your way?" She said with a purr while subtly moving one of her hands and lowering herself onto his chest, tracing circles. A wave of "Ohs!" could be heard as Celena was making her advances on Lephantis. Kioko, not one for missing special moments, whips out her phone and takes a couple of snapshots to tease her friend later. Amongst the clamor of the students, a very clear AHEM can be heard from the doorway across from them. "What's with all the ruckus out here? Come on now, get to class before you're late! You two untangle yourselves from each other right now before I write you up." The door shuts as the students scatter to enter their classrooms, and Celena picks herself up from Lephantis, offering him a hand. He reflexively places his hand in her palm, and she pulls him into standing.

His hand felt small in hers, not by a large margin, but she couldn't help but feel self-conscious about it now that it was at the forefront of her mind. He thanks her for helping him up, and he dusts himself off. Sneaking a glance at the girl. "Woah, she is really tall! Is she new here? I don't think I've seen her befo-." Right before his thought finishes, his eyes land on her face, and only for a moment does his mind flash a memory of a younger kid crying at the playground. His hand subconsciously reaches towards the back of his head. "Like what you see, Red?" Jarred out of his thoughts, Lephantis is faced by Celena,striking a very provocative pose. The blush returns to his face, and he immediately averts his gaze, causing Celena to laugh at his bashfulness. Through the embarrassment, he tries to ask her if she knows where her classroom is. "What was that? I'm afraid I didn't hear you, Red. Care to speak up?" She teases as she shrinks the distance between the two, leaning eye level with him. Back against the wall, he strives to raise his inflection. "Do you know where your classroom is?" He said, now facing her.

Feigning deep thought, she decides to play dumb. "Mmm. Nope! This is my first time attending this school. Could you guide me to class 3B, please?" Placing her arms behind her back and fluttering her eyelashes to emphasize her request. Having the intended effect she wanted, Lephantis nods his head in acquiescence. "I feel like I'm getting toyed with... Wait, did she say 3B?" Realizing she's in the same grade and room as him, the surprise present on his face was palpable. She grinned, taking a few steps ahead of him. "Whatcha waiting around for? At this rate, we'll be late!" Noting the time and wanting the teasing to end, he catches up with her, taking the lead.


Classroom 3-B 7:58:00

The two walked through the hallway in relative silence, if Celena allowed it. She teased where she could and asked general questions about the school and her possible new classmates. Lephantis answered what he could about the school, and when it came to the students, he hesitated before speaking in favor of them. Celena, ever observant, raised an eyebrow when he went silent but chose to leave it alone for the time being. Turning the corner, the classroom came into view, and their homeroom teacher stood outside of the doorway, spotting them. "Ara! There you are!" She said in hushed excitement, walking over to the two teens. "You're just in time! Welcome to our school! I'll call for you to come in when I start class." Letting the two hash out details for the oncoming introduction, Lephantis goes to the door,psyching himself up, then slides the door open.

Feeling the eyes of most of the students shoot through him, he closes the door behind him and ambles to his column, noting that three seats remain empty. "They should be back towards the end of the school day, if I remember correctly." He walks to the fourth chair next to the windows and takes his seat. Placing his school materials across the desk, covering the various scribbles and writing, he props up his head with his left hand. The students in the back and a particular greenette were heard snickering and whispering. Machida-sensei walks into the classroom. "Good morning, students!" Machida Hiroko is 5'5, wearing a white button-up, a navy blue skirt, no socks, pumps, pink hair, and blue eyes. She's very caring about her students and has been working at the school for about 5 years.

The students greet their sensei in chorus, and she chuckles at their relatively high energy. "Alright Settle down. We've got a transfer to introduce! Some of you may have seen her in my office when you were turning in your work last Friday, but please give her a warm welcome. You can come in now!" The door slid open, and Celena strolled in with a spirited expression. Turning her back to the class to write her name on the board, there were hushed whispers going around, especially in the back. After dropping the chalk back into its holder, she spun on her heels with her signature shark-tooth smile. "Names Celena Brighton! I'm from Urigawa, and I like dogs, getting my nails done, and sports! It's a pleasure to meet you all! I'll be in your care!" She bows her head, then raises back up to full height. The class applauded her introduction, and a whistle hailing near the back. After the applause ceased, Machida-sensei stood up, looking around the classroom until she locked onto a particular spot. "Hmm, let's see. How about right there?" She pointed to an empty seat directly next to Lephantis. Feeling a chill go up his spine, Lephantis sits up, suddenly ripped from his reverie. Glancing towards his right, the boys across the classroom were all glaring at him in envy. "What did I do?" A shadow was cast over him, causing him to lean back in his chair, craning his neck to meet her gaze. "It looks like we're seatmates, Red! I'll be in your care." She winked at him and claimed her seat next to him. Feeling the stares intensify, he tries his best to pay attention to the upcoming lesson.

The bell rings, signaling the end of the 4th period. Lephantis stretches in his chair and yawns, relieving his stiff body. He checks on Celena, who is currently surrounded by the girls of his class, answering the rapid-fire questions being shot her way. At first, most of them were hesitant to approach her due to the way she looked when she was paying attention in class. During their lectures, Celena's eyes were unusually sharp, and the grin she had plastered on her face as she was writing her notes was frightening. Though that all changed when the school's resident diva stood from her seat and walked right up to Celena's desk. Sage introduced herself, and not long after that, the two were going back and forth about salons, shopping, and the types of sports or hobbies they liked. Then that's when everyone else gained their courage and approached her as well, now flooding her with questions. Lephantis stood up, wanting to make a stealthy escape, walking towards the front of the classroom and making his way for the door. "Lephantis!" He jumped in place, but the group bombarding Celena didn't react to his name being called. Turning towards the teacher's desk, Machida-sensei was waving for him to come to her desk.

Obliging her silent request, he walks up to her and leans in to hear her over the noise of the class. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this request, but can you be Celena's guide until she gets her bearings on the school grounds?" Usually, when a sensei asks something of him, it's not a question but a statement. He's known Machida-sensei for 2 years and has come to the understanding that she isn't like most other instructors. "I understand if you want to say no. I know you don't have the best history when it comes to the students in your year." She gives him a knowing look, and he nods but hasn't been maintaining eye contact. After a beat, he sighs. "I'll do it. I just hope that my presence doesn't mess up her first day here." She smiles, albeit a little sad, but nonetheless wishes him a good lunch and to be attentive when Celena is with him. Shifting his gaze to the sizable crowd of teens around his charge, he builds up his courage and marches up to the noisy congregation.

"I know you have a lot of questions for her, but can they wait until after the break?" No response; he made sure his inflection was higher than normal but still went ignored. Sighing again, he decides to take a more direct approach. As politely as he could, he ventured through the crowd to reach its epicenter, hearing the occasional affront as he gently shifted the ones in his way to the side. After a grueling seven seconds, he reached his goal. "Got a question for me, Red?" No sooner had he reached her side, Celena decided to put him on the spot to get a break from the bombardment. With all eyes on him, his brain stalled, but the request he was entrusted with was still present. His voice was unconsciously lowered. "Want to eat with me?" Celena heard what he said, but the rest couldn't make out anything but a mumble. "Sure Red! Where to?" Seeing her lean back in her chair with her expression morphing to carefree, Lephantis gets the sense that she's getting ready to mess with him. Wanting to spare himself from talking in front of a group, he reaches out for her left hand, grabbing it. A collection of gasps were heard as he pulled her to standing and led her outside of the classroom.

After gaining sufficient distance from the classroom, he slows down his pace and catches his breath. He was expecting a quip to come flying out of Celena's mouth by now, but she's been strangely quiet. Turning away from the wall he was resting against, he looks up to her. Celena herself had a goofy smile plastered on her face and seemed to have her attention elsewhere. "Brighton? Are you present up there?" Taking her head out of the clouds, she directs her attention to him, flashing a teasing grin. "Oh, I'm perfectly fine Red. If you wanted to be alone with me, you didn't need to be so roundabout.~" She emphasizes her point by bringing up their interlocked hands and the sheer number of students currently not present. Lephantis was bewildered by the statement; he released his hold of Celena's hand, much to her disappointment, and took in his surroundings. Currently, the two were on the stairwell that heads to the roof, and due to his haste, he didn't take into account that he defaulted to the place he usually hides during this time. Sighing to himself, he turns back to her. "Please forgive me. I didn't intend for us to be here; I wanted to show you where the cafeteria was." Celena was already up the stairs with the door open and Bento in hand. "All is forgiven, Red! Our old school always had this door locked, and I always wanted to eat on the roof. Now get up here!" Detecting excitement in her tone, Lephantis decides to just go with her wishes and hike up the stairs, closing the door.

The rooftop was spacious, clean, and fenced off with a bench by the doorway and a ladder to lead to the top of the entrance. A deep inhale and exhale were heard from his right. "Ahh! The sweet smell of fresh air. Tell me, Red, do you always come up here?" He responded with a nod and went to sit down on the bench, leaning his back against the wall. Basking in the sun's gentle rays. She sits next to him, placing her lunch in between the two, removing the chopsticks from the knot. His ear perks up from the proximity and cracks an eye open as he peeks down his left then to her. "During our hasty exit, I didn't quite see anything in your hands other than mine." It took Lephantis a few seconds to realize that she meant he didn't bring his lunch with him when he left with her. He closes his eyes to get a visual view of the inventory, scanning through it rapidly to find the lunch he thought he packed inside. Celena was watching him intently as he was searching. A few seconds pass, and his eyes snap open with no success. "Judging by your expression, you forgot to bring one today, haven't you?" He nodded as she took a bite of egg and rice. Lephantis could've gone to the cafeteria and gotten some food there, but to him, that would violate the request that Machida-sensei asked of him. His internal conflict is on full display as he tries to decide what to do. However, Celena had another idea in mind. Reaching over and pinching his cheek with her nails, he yelps at the intense pain and immediately claps a hand on his cheek. "What was that Fo-mmpf!" As he turned to admonish her, a well-cut piece of beef was shoved into his mouth.

After successfully feeding him, she continues to eat like nothing happened. Lephantis begins chewing, then swallowing the delicacy, noting how tender and oddly flavorful it was. "How was it? Good?" He looks up to her as she peers down at him with a sly smile. There was something different in her eyes than her usual playful gaze. "It was very delicious... Did you make it?" She didn't give any confirmation but did pick up another piece, ready to offer him another. "I couldn't, I don't want you to be hungry during class." She shakes her head and seems to insist on him eating with her. "I don't mind. Plus, if you're going to be guiding me through the school, You'll need your energy because I'm a lot to handle. Red." The innuendo wasn't missed by Lephantis, but it still caused his face to heat up. Still, with no hesitation, he eats what's offered to him, then scoots closer to her. The two shared the lunch in comfortable silence.


After the two finished eating, they were back in the halls, walking at a relaxed pace. "Thank you for the food, by the way. I'll find some way to pay you back." Celena hums in thought, wondering what she would want from him, but it didn't take long for something to pop into her mind. "Then how about telling me your name? For starters." Lephantis raised an eyebrow at that, and looking back on it, she only ever called him by the color of his hair and eyes. After their time on the roof, he feels like she isn't all that bad. "Lephantis Carlein. You can call me by my first name if you want." She hums again, then wraps an arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her side. "Mind If I call you Leph instead? In exchange, you can also call me by my first name!" Slightly startled by the contact but doesn't immediately pull away, getting a sense of Deja Vu from the interaction. "I suppose that's fair. I hope we can get along, Celena." Wrapping an arm around her to seal the deal. "Likewise, Leph, hope we can create some fun times in this school!" The two break away from each other as a voice calls out to them. "Me, oh, my Cel, you definitely work fast!"

Lephantis immediately abouts face and spots the ash blonde some feet away. Celena waves her over. "Hey Kio! Where ya been?" Strolling up to the two, Kioko returns her greeting. "In the lunchroom, which is massive, by the way, I waited around, but you didn't show. Did you get lost?" Celena glanced down at Lephantis, and in response, he immediately stared at the wall. Smirking, she wrapped a loose arm around his neck and pulled him into herself. "Nope! Apparently, this school keeps the door to their rooftop unlocked. Leph here was excited to show me that first before anything else." Lephantis' bangs were covering his eyes, but the blush on his face was very apparent. Kioko stifled a chuckle as she looked him up and down. "Iszatso Huh? Looks like the push really was worth it if this was the outcome." Kioko nodded to herself in approval while Celena had already moved into position with glowing red eyes and a hand raised back.

CRACK. "YEOOWW!" Kioko Clutched her head in intense pain, and Celena winded back quickly for another smack. "What was that for?!" Seeing her already mid-swing, Kioko's hair quickly extended towards Lephantis and the lockers next to him, wrapping around the former and gripping the latter. "That's for pushing me into him." She flings herself to his side, with Celena's hand whizzing just behind her, and immediately takes cover behind him. "C'mon! It all worked out, didn't it?" Lephantis was in awe as she skillfully maneuvered out of Celena's reach and behind him in one fluid motion. "Wait… She was the one who pushed her into me?" Celena's narrowed eyes snapped onto what was cowering behind him, but he found himself stuck in place from the death stare. "Just let me smack you one last time!" A bead of sweat was going down his cheek as she slowly approached. "I'm Sorry! I didn't want you to miss your chance! Help me calm her down, please!" Kioko whispered the last part, pleading for his help like her life depended on it.

Deciding that he doesn't want to see blood spilled in the hallways, he summons his courage and takes a couple steps forward. "Um.. Celena?" She stopped in front of him, tearing her gaze from Kioko to him, her features softening just a little. "I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but if it makes you feel any better, you brought a certain liveliness to my day." Celena was dumbfounded by the sudden confession, and now her attention was firmly set on him. "You're just saying that to protect her. Which doesn't make me feel any better…" She crossed her arms in a pout. Sensing her anger waiver, Lephantis continues to speak. "I really do mean it! My time at this school hasn't really been the best, and you were a very pleasant change to come by for the short time we've interacted. I should consider myself lucky!" Celena eyed him silently, as if searching for deception in his words, but didn't object to what he said. Her posture loosened as a grin started to play on her lips. "Yeah, you should! It's not everyday you get to hang out with someone as awesome and fun as me!" A small smile appeared on Lephantis' face as he played along. "You're right, now I get to experience it every day! You're the best, Celena!" Now outright cheesing at her, she caves as her rage subsided. "You can come out Kioko, you're off the hook. Don't expect him to save you next time, though." Kioko, who retreated around the corner, stuck her head out, astonished at what she witnessed. "Usually she's impossible to deal with when she gets like that. How was he able to talk her down without even lifting a fist?" Strutting back over to the two, Lephantis, who's still feeling a bit talkative, introduces himself first.

"I'm Lephantis Carlein. I'm assuming you two know each other?" He bowed his head, then immediately raised it, struggling to hold his laughter back. "Kioko Yoshiko, and yes, we know each other. Something funny?!" She pointed at him as he sputtered a pfft, then placed a hand over his mouth. "N-No.. It's just that you two,pfft, remind me of a couple of friends of mine." Kioko decided to let it go since he did help her out. "Thank you. I owe you one for saving my head back there." Finally calming himself down, he waves off the concern. "No need! I would've interfered either way, how's your head?" Watching her two friends converse, Celena has a really good feeling they'll get along just fine. "Stinging, no thanks to her! Had I not been born with my Forte I'm sure my skull would've caved by now!" Lephantis openly laughed at her statement, and the cheerful noise was music to Celena's ears. "Then maybe I should've swung harder because you're still alive, aren't you?" She joked as she caught up with the two and began to walk the halls again. "I'd prefer if you didn't slap me upside the head again, like ever!" The two shared a laugh as Lephantis led them back to their classroom.


Opening the door for them to enter first, Kioko and Celena walked in. "Ooh, a gentleman? I thought those were extinct! Are you sure you're not the lucky one, Cel? You can't find many of those anymore." Kioko whispered to her bestie, and Celena tried to elbow her to shut her up, but Kioko was able to catch it in time. The classroom itself was half empty, with Machida-sensei still at her desk, eating. Closing the door behind himself and gesturing to the two where he and Celena sat, Lephantis walks over to Machida's desk. She glances up at him after observing that the number of people he escorted was raised to two. She smiled at him, noting his cheery expression. "You certainly seem to be in high spirits. Anything you want to tell me?"

Lephantis raises a hand to the ponytail curled around the right side of his neck, fidgeting with the colorful trinket. "Well, those two have an interesting way of saying hello to each other. Anywho She introduced herself to me as Celena's best friend, and so now I think we're acquaintances? Friends? I'm not exactly sure, but she's as friendly as her... I'm sorry, Machida-sensei, I'm rambling." Machida didn't mind him talking, if anything, she was leaning closer to make sure she heard every word. This is the most she's ever heard him speak whenever his group wasn't around. "Oh, you're fine, Lephantis. I don't mind one bit. I'm just glad to see that you actually do possess a bright smile." The compliment materializes a light flush to run across his face as he takes both hands to fidget with his hair. Machida laughs at the reaction as she spots the two girls in question watching him. "Your friends are waiting for you, Lephantis. There's ten minutes left until the lunch period ends, so go on to them and be sure to send the other one back to her class." Lephantis grinned, then nodded, making his way to his seat. Kioko was sitting on the desk immediately behind him, and Celena had her chair pulled up in the aisle. "You seem to be awfully chummy with the teacher. Are you her pet or something?" Kioko was kicking her legs as she idled.

Lephantis shook his head and turned his chair so he could talk to them properly. "No, not really? She tasked me with being Celena's guide, though." He reaches up to the hair band, gingerly removing it, and sports it on his right wrist. Running a couple of fingers through his neck-length hair, he releases a delighted exhale. Kioko leaned forward, inspecting his roots. "Woah?! Is that your natural hair color?! No way! They don't make you dye it?" Lephantis glances up at her. "Uhh no actually, because there are people here who have pink, green, or pretty much any color along the spectrum. They're really big on letting us have our individuality here. Was it not like that at your school?" She shook her head rapidly. "Nowhere near like that! They were hell bent on keeping us in line, so we just did what we wanted anyway and got in trouble afterwards. Can I braid your hair? It looks so soft!" A little taken aback by the request, Celena spoke up. "She's really crazy about hair, given her forte and all, so she knows all kinds of styles and crazy ways to decorate it. You'd best specify something lest you want to become one of her experiments." Thankful for the information, Lephantis turned down the request but did allow her to at least touch it, stating he was going to get it cut this weekend or next.

Obnoxious laughter can be heard from the halls near the room's entrance as a couple of silhouettes appear before it. The door slides open, with Sage walking in first, followed by Ian and Thierry. "You couldn't have waited till after school to turn him down? Getting rejected in the hallway is pretty rough." Ian was recounting the scene as they walked in, feeling bad for the brave soul that approached the diva. Thierry had a smug grin spread across his face as he adjusted his jewelry. He wore an orange V-neck shirt with onyx frayed jean shorts, black combat boots, rocks a blonde Faux Hawk, and has blue eyes. "Hey, I told him the info he wanted to know, not my fault it didn't work out for him." He laughed while Ian raised a brow at him, inquiring about what he'd told the heartbroken student. Sage huffed while crossing her arms and glancing back at the two boys. "Oh Puh-lease! I only like those who have elegance and a presence that commands attention." She hmphed as she looked forward, spotting Celena, Lephantis, and Kioko talking up a storm. "Who is she? Celena's Friend?"

Sage was observing the trio as Ian walked up to her side, his stare fixed on the boy he thought should've been expelled this morning. Feeling like he is being watched, Lephantis sweeps his gaze towards the door, having caught the eye of both Sage and Ian. Thierry, who felt Lephantis' stare, immediately went to his seat and put his head down. Sage offered a faux smile to him, which caused him to look away from the two, feeling his anxiety rise. Celena and Kioko, sensing his distress, were about to ask him what was wrong. "Hey Celena! Who's this?" Sage and Ian had approached them, with the latter silently grilling Lephantis with an air of hostility. Celena regards Sage, offering a smile. "Oh her? This is my best friend, Kioko Yoshiko! She came along with me after I transferred out of my previous school." Hearing her name called, she immediately stood up, offering a silly salute. "That's me! Are you also friends with my bestie here?" Sage is slightly taken aback by her energy but returns her salute with a small wave. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, we met not too long ago before we broke for lunch…" As the girls chatted, Ian closed in on his target, lowering his voice. "Don't think you've won. I'll find another way to expose you. Just you wait!" With his message delivered, he takes his seat in the back next to Thierry.

Lephantis takes a deep breath, then exhales, bringing his right hand into his view, trying to find comfort in the colorful curio around his wrist. "Well, I suppose that is to be expected... It would be hard to believe that he'd give up after what happened this morning." Sighing to himself, he shakes his head. The last thing Lephantis wanted to do was attract more attention to himself. However, he couldn't simply let Ian beat him down, he was through with getting tread upon. Lightly clapping his cheeks, he shakes off the line of thought and chooses to focus on what's going on now. Turning around in his seat, he catches a glimpse of Celena hastily shifting her gaze from his direction to Sage. Lephantis tilts his head at the peculiar action. "Did she overhear what he said to me?" Deciding to explain later, he tunes into the conversation being held between the three girls. "Speaking of which, what was your old school like?" The two girls exchanged glances at the question, and Kioko was the one to answer. "To keep it short, it was chaotic. There was not much learning to be done, but there were fights going on nearly every day. In Urigawa, your strength mattered way more than your intelligence. We got by, but it was still difficult to adjust to starting out." Celena nodded along with her statement. "Essentially, most of the student body was separated into cliques and constantly fought for control of the school. The faculty were next to no help and just let things continue to be settled among the students. Eventually it got shut down for lack of results and discipline." She said with a shrug.

Sage's eyes widened a little at the disclosure. "Oh my, that is terrible! However, at this school, you won't really be experiencing things like that here. There's the occasional troublemaker that shows up, but it's nothing that I or the other students of my caliber can't handle." A gleam seems to shine in Kioko's eye. "That was going to be my next question, actually..." Who is the strongest at this school?" Sage takes a moment to ponder the query. "Hmmm… I think in the entire school it should still be Oskar, however, in this room, that would be me and Ian. Why do you ask?" Celena spoke up next. "Curiosity mostly, is there anybody else we should know about?" Sage hummed. One other third year came to mind, but a chance also made itself known to her. "I would like to have these two by my side. Both of them have some potential, if their history is anything to believe." Glancing at Lephantis from her right, he met her eyes with a raised brow, and then a finger was pointed in his direction as she faced him. "For a different reason, I'd recommend that you create some distance from him. Being around this insect would only paint a target on your back. '' The accused leaned back against the window when she pointed at him, a shocked expression present on his face. He looked around the classroom, where most of the students had returned, and was faced with multiple expressions spanning from malice to sympathy. Still, he kept quiet and only faced his accuser with silent resolve. Celena and Kioko were confused by the reaction of the class and Sage. Was Lephantis really someone to be worried about? Celena did her best to keep her tone neutral. "He seems harmless, though. What did he do to get a target put on him?"

Sage was about to answer that question but was interrupted by a loud CLAP. The sound was akin to that of a lightning strike and momentarily deafened every student in the classroom. Lephantis was among the first to recover from the disorientation, he shook his head as he palmed his ears to silence the ringing. The clicking of heels made themselves known in their approach to his column. Machida-sensei waited for the other students to rouse from their condition as her gaze was firmly planted on Sage. Shortly after, everyone else recovered and gave their attention to their teacher. "I don't know what goes on outside of this classroom, but when you all are in here with me..." She emphasizes by glancing at everyone in the class. "I will not tolerate bullying of any kind. Do I make myself clear?"

Lephantis, who kept his head down due to the proximity, peeked upwards at Machida's expression and immediately averted his sight. "Oh, she's mad... I didn't think she was capable of making a face like that!" Although hyperbole, he was right for one thing, it wasn't often that his kind-hearted sensei got angry or thought it possible. The students went quiet at Machida's change in tone, not wanting to be a victim of her calm wrath. Sage was frozen in place as she was caught in her little scheme, she dared not to talk back. Machida turned her gaze towards Lephantis, significantly softening her features. "Lephantis, could you please escort your friend back to her class?" Wanting to escape the tension of the situation, he nods and calls for Kioko to follow him out of the classroom. "Hey! Wait for me! See ya later, Celena!" Kioko quickly gets off the desk and immediately shuffles out the door, shutting it behind her.


Author's Note:

I feel comfortable closing it here. It felt odd when I thought I could have closed the chapter earlier but more and more Ideas and situations kept coming to mind. It was quite disorienting to the fact that I was starting to mix ideas in the paragraphs again and had to really sit there and think. "Does it flow? Is it relevant? Is it too much?" I just kept typing and went back to edit it later. After 10 billion attempts and reattempts of story structuring I think I can be satisfied with what I've written thus far. Anywho I Thank you for tuning in this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it even if it is amateurish. Catch ya Next time!