The cherry blossom fell on the sidewalks of the school up in the mountains. It was separated from the rest of the world...some would even consider it separated from the “real world.” For most of the students in the school a “real world” life is far from reality. The students of the school are there for a reason, because they are have a hard time living in the real world. Disable, that is what these students are, whether it be a missing leg here, or a blind girl there, even someone who feared all of society, these are the students of the school. Yamaku High is not a place these students go to be forgotten and shunned from society, no, it is a place they can feel part of the real world. Whether it be a blind girl from a rich family, or a girl that can not even communicate with her own family. Everyone is accepted with open arms no disability is too much of a task for the staff of Yamaku.

The students are like everyone else they love, they laugh, and they have fun just like any other high school students in Japan. That is the point of the school, to show these students that life can be normal. Their disabilities will dictate some aspects of their lives, but that most of their life can be taken into their own hands and they can live a normal life after their time Yamaku high school. That is where the story begins a school for the disabled and a couple of disabled students trying to work towards a feeling of normality.

~ Mattchew

---

“Thank you all for coming to the opening ceremony. We hope that everyone has a good year, and for those of you that will be staying in the dorms, I hope you have a good time,” The principal of Yamaku ended the main part of his speech with this statement. He always ended it like this, every single year. It always began the same with students having to file in at 7:45, the ceremony starting at 8:00 sharp and his speech ending at 8:25. Next it'd be the student council president, a deaf girl who would try her best to speak at the microphone, her speech, slightly less optimistic than the principal's. Then at 8:30 students would file out of the auditorium and head off to their classes. Though just like every year, not everyone would be going to the class from the auditorium. It was quite apparent of all the empty seats within the hall, students who slept in late, didn't care enough to come to the ceremony, or the wanderers of the school.

One of the seats in particular belonged to a Mr...

---

Kyle

“Oh Jesus am I late!” A voice screamed across the grounds.

In full sprint, Kyle was hustling from the Dormitories to the main building where classes were being held. Shirt half buttoned up, only partially tucked into his pants and his tie flowing in the wind, held tightly in his left hand, Kyle was the prime example of not knowing how to be a student. His morning exercise had taken up more time than he thought it was going to. After about an hour and a half of light jogging, punching exercises and weight training, Kyle had completely lost track of time.

“Day one of being a student and I’m going to be late to my first freaking class, -50 points to the foreign kid.” He scoffed at the thought, slowing down as he neared the entrance, he attempted to catch his breath and compose himself as he entered the building. Once inside he picked up his pace to more of a power walk, attempting to button up the rest of his shirt with his one hand. “Now where the hell am I going? Homeroom right, that’s around…this corner? Wait, no, it was…up one floor? Damn it…I’m no good at this.” Frustrated at his own inability to figure out where he was going and focusing on the shirt buttons he didn't even notice the outstretched hand in front of him before he ran right into it. The sudden disturbance finally popped the cork on his lid.

“Hey kid, why don’t you watch where the hell you’r-,” he cut himself off short and hung his head down.

What the hell was he doing yelling at this guy, it wasn’t his fault that Kyle bumped into him, frankly Kyle wasn’t paying attention in the first place and its not like it was this guy’s fault that he’s late to class. “He’s probably scared out of his mind right now, you just yelled at him you idiot!” Kyle sighed and clenched his fist, “gotta make this right.”

“Hey look man,” Kyle scratched his still hung head, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault, I didn’t mean to-“ a piece of paper slowly made its way into Kyle’s view. Following the outstretched hand to its owner, he found…."this guy….literally has the blankest expression on his face"…not the reaction Kyle was expecting. Standing more upright he took in the sight of this guy, his clothes looked a bit disheveled, his hair was white, long, his eyes, mouth…general face area completely blank if not slightly confused, Kyle couldn’t tell. His hand though was waiting expectantly, Kyle thought that maybe he wanted Kyle to take the paper from his hand. When he finally did and skimmed its contents Kyle realized this guy was just looking for his homeroom too.

“Man you seriously picked the wrong guy to stop today.” At most, a slight head tilt was the guy’s only response, maybe he was deaf? No…if he was just deaf he would have made a better attempt to stop Kyle then just an outstretched arm, there was definitely something up with the guy. Regardless he couldn’t just leave him here, so handing the guy back his schedule, Kyle motioned for him to follow, when he didn’t immediately Kyle took him by the arm and started leading him to his homeroom. There was zero resistance which could mean that the guy was used to being dragged around, but that wasn't the prevalent thing on his mind. With him this close in proximity Kyle couldn’t help but notice that there were some pretty strong scents coming from the guy. Most of the scents were pretty weird smelling and while Kyle couldn’t place half of them, he didn’t really have the time to think on it. At least now when he went to homeroom he’d have a better excuse than, “Sorry I lost track of time because I was working out so I could cope with my failed life goal.”

...Actually that excuse was pretty valid too.

Eventually Kyle found the guy’s homeroom and greeted the teacher before pulling the guy in. The teacher seemed to know this student and thanked Kyle for his help. He wrote a quick note down and handed it to Kyle telling him to give it to his homeroom teacher so he wouldn’t be considered tardy. After exiting the homeroom Kyle couldn’t help but stay behind for a few seconds, peeking in through the window in the door he saw the guy bumping into filled chairs before sitting down at an empty seat in the back. What his deal was, Kyle couldn’t be sure, nor did he really have the time to be doing this. Putting the note in his pocket he continued on his search to find his own homeroom. Finishing up the buttons on his shirt he now only had one problem; how the hell was he going to put on this tie?.

There in back with sitting with her nursemaid, a doll of a girl sat with her eyes close. Her lashes were long and dark, fanning over porcelain flushed skin. Her rose bud mouth was drawn in a small serene smile, and her long wavy hair was drawn over one slender shoulder. Both delicate hands folded in her lap she sat perfectly still. In a soft colorful kimono, she almost looked like one of those collectible doll that grandmother collected. Slowly her eyes opened, sightless and glazed, like two perfect round clouded crystals in an odd shade of purple black.

"You should of worn your uniform, Miss," her childhood nursemaid murmured nervously in her ear, "You'll get in trouble."

"Please, Kitome, I'm trying to listen," her voice was soft and warm, musical yet a bit stern.

"Your parents had everything shipped in," the worried elder's voice mumbled, "but leaving you here by yourself..."

"Kitome," it was a sharp whisper, odd sounding from such a sweet voice, but she turned her head to worrying hen of a nursemaid, "It is time I rely on myself. I shall be safe here but I will also be free." A sad smile was painted across that beautiful young face, "You should go now Kitome. It's time for the first class. I'll be fine by myself."

"But Miss..." the elderly woman murmured. Tomo could hear the choked emotion in the kind time worn voice. Her small pale hand lifted, searchingly and soon the familiar touch of the hand that had alway guided her clasped hers. Placing both hands over the elder woman's she smiled.

"Thank you so much Kitome," her musical voice sighed with farewell sadness, but a mature logic, "Write me often, please?"

"Yes, Miss," the hesitated voice of her loving nursemaid Kitome answer, before she was pulled into a warm hug. The smell of lilac and cinnamon, the feel of a plain uniform kimono and the warm of a caring old woman. The one who had always fussed over her and raised her like a loving grandmother. The alien feel of tears stung Tomo's unseeing eyes.

"I love you Kitome," she whispered softly, "My soul's mother." The old woman gave one last caring squeeze, a pat on Tomo's head, and what felt like a stack of starchy clothes before the sensation of her presence was gone. Empty air, cold and empty, now filled the spot where he caretaker had once been. The childish side of her wanted to cry and take back her decision of Yamaku Academy. She wanted to be a child again, sleeping with her head on Kitome's lap as the summer sunlight brushed against her face and the sound of Kitome's voice singing old folk songs rang through the air.

But she had to grow up. She had to stand by her decision. Taking a walking stick out of her small traditional japanese bag, she waited for the sounds of the people around her to fade a bit before undoing the folded stick. Suppose she should change into her uniform... Kitome would want her to have a pleasant first day. She went through much trouble for her... With a small sigh, she made her was gracefully and confidently inside the school building. Thank full she had a brail map of the school with her so finding a bathroom to change in wasn't too much trouble. Well, once she found out where exactly she was first. Navigating from there was a breeze.

From there she went to her locker, which was a bit harder to do, since getting the right turn was a bit difficult. But she wouldn't ask for help either, so it took a bit longer. However once she found it she felt victorious. I'll get the hang of this in no time, she thought cheerfully. Placing her kimono in her locker, she locked it up and check the map for her homeroom. It might take her a bit longer than most, but it was the first day. Certainly lots of younger students, especially first years and new students, like herself, got lost.

So the sightless doll maneuvered her way through the school, unaware of some of the looks she got. It would of surprised her, since those looks were so vastly different from those at her old school. Instead of envy and jealous hate, she was being looked at in gentle appreciation. She was a beautiful girl certainly. There were many beautiful girls in the school. But she held herself with a traditional Japanese air of refinement and grace, even with her long white cane. She touched the brail sign next to the door to her classroom and a glowing smile crossed her face as she recognized it as her own homeroom class.

Sliding the door open, she heard the talking and laughing of students soften. Ah, she must be a bit late then... With an honorable bow of that of a young lady, she apologized for her tardiness. "Apologies if I am late, Sensei," she stood up in a straight and polite stance that held just as much delicate grace as an old Japanese doll, "I took me a while to find the classroom. I am Mizukimura Tomo."

"Not at all, Mizukimura-san," an old man's voice smiled, "You're actually a bit early."

"Thank you, Sensei," she smiled and gave a shorter bow, before taking a few cautious steps forwards, "P-Pardon me..." The silence crashed down on her and she blushed a bit in her embarrassment, "Could you direct me to an open seat? I'd sit down quietly, but..."

"Of course," the teacher voice was kind and patient, which eased her embarrassment some, "First row, third seat. Next to the window."

"Thank you Sensei," she smiled graciously, before gliding over to the area he specified and sitting down. Sunlight streamed in and she closed her eyes. The warmth touched her face and she smiled. It streamed through her long dark wavy hair, which was now loosely tied to one side, and across her porcelain skin. It felt good to take part in a normal school life.

Tomo sat in her seat, dozing in and out of whatever the class was discussing, whether or not it was even official class discussion. Her fingers lightly trailed over the sentences in the English book on her lap, but she wasn't paying attention at all. English was just about as interesting as Japanese literature. But maybe that was because she was already well versed in it. He father's business often require them to be visited by foreigners. English, American, French, German... Tomo had been tutors and taught in all of those since she was little. It was necessary in order to make good impressions for father and mother's business. But it didn't make it any more interesting. She sat cradling her chin in her palm, a serene expression on her face. The classroom was relatively silent. Was it because there were many people here yet?

Ivan slowly and regretfully opened his eyes has he heard his alarm clock going off, he rolled over on his bed and reach over shutting it off. The alarm clock said it was 7:30, meaning he was too late to see that presentation. He didn't care though, he came to the school because of their experience with those who had physical disabilities, not to hear speeches. He planted his palms onto the mattress and slowly dragged himself off his bed, plopping into his wheelchair. His crutch and walking stick were still safely tucked in at the back of the chair so he could still reach things and attempt to walk when he wanted. Though he didn't have the time to try now or he'd end up late for class. Ivan rolled his way into the washroom and got himself ready the best he could, before carefully changing his clothes.

Once he was ready he opened the door and left his room. The school grounds were still unfamiliar to him, and now that he thought about it he wasn't even 100% sure how to get to class. "Well this is great... Ivan thought. He knew he had English in the morning which was nice considering he was still learning Japanese so starting off with a language he already knew helped. He knew to get there he'd have to first leave the dorm hall obviously, so he made his ways around until he found the elevator whose exact location he thankfully did have memorized. He went down to the first floor and rolled out, from there he knew the classes were mainly organized by wings, so he looked for the English wing. There should be a sign or something? Right? Thankfully after a bit of wandering he did find the sign, and sighing with relief he looked at his phone to check the time... 8:30. Yea, he was going to be late. He rolled his way into the English hall and then stopped, he quickly dug through his school back and pulled out his schedule with the room code on it. E304 it said... which if their system was the same as Canada's that mean third floor, fourth room. So he began randomly wandering the halls yet again for another elevator, 10 minutes later he found it.

Getting inside the elevator he made his way up to floor 3. On his way up he noticed the elevators were a bit slow, perhaps not to startle students? Maybe certain speeds make students with certain disabilities feel unwell? Regardless he got out and looked at the room code of the room in front of him. E320... Ok, so he was clearly at the wrong side of the hall, so he began rolling in a direction and watched the room codes slowly lower, 19, 18, 17... until he reach 304. Having finally got there he rolled up to the door which was already closed, class must already be happening. Noting his he quietly and slowly reach out for the doorknob, twisted it and with a light push the door slowly and gently opened with a light *creek* sound to it. No one seemed to pay him much mind as a teacher was still preparing his lesson it seems, so he rolled over to a desk without a chair so he would have room for his wheelchair. He got out his school materials out and looked around the room quickly, he had never seen so many people with varying disabilities in the same room before, especially is such a casual setting. Normally you'd expect these kinds of numbers in say a terrible accident where everyone's been wounded, but this seemed to be the norm and would be nothing that Ivan would need to get used to.

This was it. A fresh start in an otherwise unfamiliar place. Kaori didn't know anyone, or have any friends here but her parents had promised that it would be for the best. She would miss her family, her younger sister most of all, but both her father and mother spoke highly of this place called Yamaku. She had only arrived at the dorm the day before the opening ceremony and the start of school so most of her things were still packed away in her moderately sized dorm room. Kaori spent most of the first day taking pictures of the school from every angle she could reach although it took her a while on her new legs.

She had only spent a few months walking after being confined to a wheelchair while she waited for her prosthetics to be made and still she felt uneasy. Even the simple act of standing up required a degree of concentration still but the doctors had assured her that with time movement would become more natural. She had no reason to doubt that it was true but she couldn't shake the feeling of standing on what were essentially stilts. The prosthetics themselves were remarkably life like however and the exterior even matched her complexion so to the untrained eye one might not even notice them, a fact that made her feel a bit better about her situation.

The opening ceremony wasn't anything special and, in fact, it seemed almost ordinary which was not what she had expected. During her time at the hospital everyone treated her as if she were a porcelain doll that could fracture at the slightest discomfort. It was a bit overwhelming but it wasn't as if she couldn't understand why. She still had dreams of the incident that caused her current situation. It wasn't something she liked to recount but she had little control over the memories that haunted her dreams. The nurses almost psychically picked up on this and responded with kind words of reassurance. In fact, the entire school aside from it's understandably large medical facilities seemed like any other school she had been to. It was odd but it made much more sense than the bleak mental hospital-esque vision she had anticipated prior to her arrival. After all, such a setting would be horrendously depressing. It seemed that the only difference between this school and her previous one was the abundance of students with unique conditions such as herself, although she suspected they were not quite as unique as she was.

Once the opening ceremony had finished she made her way to her homeroom class,which thankfully would be on the first floor as she hadn't yet mastered stairs with any degree of grace. Upon opening the door to the classroom she was greeted by a rather cheerful looking woman, possibly in her thirties, who was apparently the teacher. Kaori gave a polite bow as she replied in her most polite tone, "I'm Mori Kaori. Pleased to meet you, Sensei." The woman smiled as she motioned for Kaori to take a seat, "Have a seat anywhere you like Mori-san. Class will begin shortly." Only about half the students had arrived as Kaori was a little early to class. She took a seat in the second row from the window and in the middle, the same seat she had in her previous school. Ruffling through her school bag, which was slightly over-sized, she moved past her notebooks and her camera to find her Sony Xperia tablet. Having nothing else to do until class started, she decided to doodle in the meantime.

Mariko was first out of the auditorium, but she stayed milling about at the door watching some of the people drift by. She knew where her class was, and hopefully most of her costudents from last year would be in there with her. She hated having to remember new faces, and it was always so hard to distinguish one peach blur from the next. She realized, not for the first time, how short everyone seemed to be. She'd hit another growth spurt this summer, it seems. And all her dresses would be too short again. Mariko brushed a strand of peach blonde hair back behind her ear, and kept watching.

There was someone interesting. She looked too old to be fifteen, maybe a second year? No self-respecting fifteen year old would wear such an outdated piece of decorated carpet, anyway. She moved with the sort of self-righteous, holier-then-thou movements that only the blind or the ruling class had, that certainty that the entire world would conspire to leave things exactly where she wanted them to be. Something inside Mariko, possibly her lower-middle upbringing, detested that kind of person. She got blurrier and blurrier until she was finally just another dot in the white-and-green crowd. Mariko turned her eyes back, glared at a couple more new kids, and slouched off.

---

Class 2-2 turned out to be big, stately, if a little too sanitary. It reminded her of her numerous trips to the eye doctor. There weren't any open windows, and the flourescents made the light blueish and bright, which made Mariko's (Admittedly stained) uniform look dirty. Not that anyone else in the class cared, of course. Class 2-2 was where they put all the blind kids. And there were quite a few signs of that. No swingy doors on the shelves, so nobody could walk into them. Desks were made with very rounded corners to stop some clumsy sod from stubbing themselves. And the blackboard was shiny, like a beetle's carapace, having never been contaminated with anything as impure as chalk. Her new teacher was there, filing up some books. A few students were milling around and catching each other up on their holidays. And she was there too, that... girl from the auditorium, right in the front row, where she'd hog the good light. It wasn't like she needed it, anyway, the girl was clearly blind as a bat with a tiny little bat-sized blindfold.

Mariko giggled at the resulting mental image, and looked around for a suitable spot. Two places removed from the front would do nicely, being a good compromise between being visible and being hidden from sight. That still left her a good few minutes before the first class would start, still. She pulled out a piece of paper, and began idly folding it into a recognizable shape.

For most, the first day of the new school year was a time to meet new people and rekindle old friendships. For others it was a chance to start again, free from the baggage of yesteryear. For Todoroki Fuyuki, it was a time to review and update old dossiers, a task he both relished and dreaded in equal measure. The opening ceremony had been less than enlightening, with little chance to interrogate new students and even less to observe the staff; the Principal's speech was as boring and irrelevant as ever and the Student Council President was the same two-dimensional girl as always. No new data there... He ignored the proceedings, instead scanning the room for unfamiliar faces, be they first years or transfer students. A few caught his eye, a maimed girl here, a foreigner there. Nothing exceptional, but still noteworthy. He spied a handful of transfers, mainly in the second year; he took special note of them, as they were potential classmates and customers. No-one craved information like a stranger in a foreign place, especially somewhere as exotic as Yamaku. Fuyuki had anticipated this and carried a handful of printed maps in his bag; free of charge (rare for him) but a good investment to gain trust.

By the time the opening ceremony finally ended, he had picked out a number of priority students, some new, others long standing clients. As the hall emptied he hustled between them, weaving through the thronging mass as only one of his slight stature could. Here and there he struck up a conversation, using leading questions to find out whose circumstances had changed and how. By the time the hallways had cleared his hands ached from typing so fast but Fuyuki was nevertheless happy to have updated so many files. Unfortunately it had taken rather longer than expected and he found himself edging on lateness... not exactly a rare occurrence, but he would rather not get yelled at so early in the year. He took off at a light jog toward the second year wing, praying that he wouldn't be late.

The people he passed were of a sort you would never find at a 'normal' school. Amputees, girls with missing eyes, a school nurse who actually knew what he was doing... It had taken Fuyuki some time to adjust, but Yamaku was truly a unique place. His own disability was less obvious than some and he had expected some degree of bullying even here, if only born of bitterness from those worse off, but the level of acceptance and respect from his fellow students was shocking. Even foreigners were treated equally here, although he suspected that was partly because half the students didn't realise... As he ascended the last flight of stairs to his homeroom, Fuyuki slowed to a relaxed walk; it wouldn't do to have people think he needed to rush anywhere. He had a couple of minutes anyway and their teacher wasn't the strictest... most of the time.

It all happened so fast, Fuyuki barely saw what hit him. As he turned the corner at the top of the stairs, he walked headfirst into another student, bouncing off the taller boy and back toward the stairs. He tumbled head over heel down, somehow managing to whack every limb en-route to the first floor landing. Fuyuki sat dazed for a moment, pain arcing up and down his limbs; at least the PDA was undamaged, he thought spacily...

Some greeted the day, rejoicing at the sunlight of the new day pouring in through the open window curtain...but not Junpei. Sure, new days, a-o-k...but the sun...as much as he could, he had the blinds down and the curtains covering up as much as possible. Only a small finger of light poked in, from the looks of it, streetlight, but by then the alarm clock had already sounded. Waking up early was his only option, if Junpei wanted to retain the new found 'normalcy' he so craved. Pulling the covers off, he pulled himself up into a siting position on the bed, peering over at the clock...

'5:30AM'

The usual time. Reaching over to his night stand, Junpei picked up the hair tie and brush...taking time to carefully brush out of tangles of his hair, he took the hair tie and pulled it altogether into a loose enough ponytail. Just in case. Setting the hairbrush down, a hand went over to a plastic container also present on the night stand. Snapping it open, he pulled out his upper jaw piece, before getting up and going into the bathroom.

Flicking on the light, Junpei didn't flinch back from what he saw, but he did shut his right eye...he could do just fine with his bad one open. Setting the jaw piece on a ledge of the sink, the boy got to work brushing his teeth half-blind. It didn't take too long, rinsing his mouth and then washing the real portion of his face, he took the jaw piece and began setting it into place. A combination of thin magnets and snaps held his upper jaw in place with the bone grafts. With that done, all that was left was clothing and make-up, Going back to his room and getting to the clothing he had set out on the dresser, his sleepwear went off and his uniform went on. Glancing over at the clock...

"..."

Almost a quarter past six. Now would be the long make-up session. Taking out his make-up kit, pulling out and snapping the silicone pieces onto his face, using liquid latex to hide the seams...Junpei got to work on his face...

---

Ascending staircase in a unhurried manner, since rushing would lead to falling, and falling out lead to potential face damage...Junpei carried his bag and make up case in one hand and almost started counted the steps in boredom. Suddenly, a barrage of bangs, booms, and pain yelps came from in front of him quite suddenly, along with a small person landing a few feet away from him. Making his way over in a nervous silence, he couldn't help but wince when he saw exactly how small this person was, then the height of the staircase they fell down.

Part of him wanted to back away and pretend he didn't see this, the other part of him reasoned that he was already there and hence should just do something. Noticing the guy on the top of the stairs, Junpei switched between looking at fallen person and then the stair top guy expectantly...he finally just went and offered a hand to fallen person. "..."

After much unsuccessful fiddling with his tie, Kyle opted to just hang it around his neck. At the very least, the teacher shouldn't scorn him for not having the proper appendages to properly tie it...he hoped. The tie though was the least of his problems...

"where in the hell is my homeroom?!"

After several minutes of aimless wandering, having to translate his class schedule and viewing a school directory, Kyle was about...85% sure he was on the right floor, but at the wrong end of the hall. To compensate for his misdirection, he walked in the only direction he could and trucked on. Despite feeling incredibly late to class, he couldn't help but notice how many other students were milling about the halls as they wandered to their class. A missing limb here, several scars there, that guys looks normal, he felt incredibly "different" here, but everyone else was "different" too, so wouldn't that make him and everyone else the same? He suspected that it wasn't the disability that was causing him to feel this difference and as he pondered on this thought while searching for his homeroom, a series of unfortunate events occurred.

It happened all too quickly, first was the small amount of force bouncing from his tough frame, second was the series of crashes of said small force hurdling down the stairs, third was the shock and awe, which quickly led to the thought of...

"-1000 points to the foreigner..."

Witness to this atrocity was another student, tall, white haired, expressionless face completely contrasting the dumbfounded shock on Kyle's. Both of them simultaneously stared at each other, then to the small figure, back to each other, then back to the figure. As slowly as the student reached his hand out to the small figure, Kyle was just as quickly bounding down the stairs, skipping steps, while screaming in his mind, "ohgodohgodohgodohgod!!!" before coming to a complete halt, kneeling in front of the figure, a really tiny girl (the points just doubled in negativity).

"Oh my god, are you alright?! Shit! I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going, and then you just (points to himself), and then just (points to the stairs) and then (points at her), oh god are you alright?!"

Nobuyuki Ueda was late. It almost seemed as if those four words were destined to be intertwined with another. He had entered the main building from the dormitories a few moments prior without seemingly a care in the world. As those who seemingly had a better grasp on the reality of the situation were running past him, screaming thought not vocally, more of the internal screaming that is mastered by those used to high stress situations, such as people watching in desperate agony as a roomba runs over some canine waste product and paints a picture with it. No Ueda was seemingly not cornered at all as he slowly progress, the sound of his odd three legged steps went about, the soft plodding of his feet, contrasting with the sharp thud of a cane bounding against the floor.

As Ueda plodded along his thoughts drifted away to him like smoke from a flame. His thoughts out of maybe a sense of nostalgia, to his first year at Yamaku. When he had first arrived two years ago the academy seemed odd, overly complex and incomprehensible to a degree that would drive the human mind to start ranting and raving about the coming lizard man invasion. It took him some time, to finally get a hand of things to come, moving along with the success of small child without legs trying to ride a bicycle: adorable, yet sad at very same time. Though somehow through the process of Osmosis, he did begin to pick up on how to get from point A to point B quickly. It came with a moment of revelation and understanding and for a moment he was a caveman and he had just discovered that if you rub two sticks together long enough, fire happens. Gradually this understanding came from, not relying on the map of the school all new students are given as they move in. For the map was almost a fictitious entry designed to give a semblance of order, even though the piece of paper could not tell you where the foot traffic was always the heaviest, where the 12:00 PM children with wheelchair rush occurs and one could only watch in horror as the wheeled demons mow down any that dare to stand in their way. He learned like most, and like most he did not use the power that came with this knowledge responsibly. For if he did, Ueda would not be late.

And yet here he was looking up at the stairwell in front of him. For Ueda was seemingly running on a clock that was about ten minutes behind the rest of his classmates and teachers, coming in to class late was a habit, and that was on good days. On bad days he just wandered about, not caring about his studies. He was much more content with finding new places where nobody could find them unless they were part time basset hounds. He took a breath as he brought his first foot onto the first step. And a dull pain ached through his body, and that was another thing that had changed from when Ueda first came to the academy. He did not yet have his cane. But little could be done to stop that and when he acquired it at the beginning of his second year, he did his best to ignore that even existed. But at times such as this when the pain ran through his legs, it was a reminder of why he had it. And a normal man would of taken the elevator, to avoid the inconvenience but of course Ueda would not do that, too stubborn and too unwilling to accept defeat as he pushed forward one step after another.

Two years at the academy had not changed Ueda. Though it many ways his perception of his situation did change. For he realized that with so many students attending the academy, that either the dice thrown at the beginning of ones life to determine if they would be normal, healthy, comfortably middle class, or, poor, insane, and posing a degenerative disease that slowly kills you must have been weighted heavily to one side in some peoples cases. Ueda deiced that it was either because the reminiscent figure above either had a sick sense of humor, or he like all the other kids just had bad luck and should ever becoming professorial uncontrollable gamblers. In many ways he still found the academy very counter productive in its goal, of bringing them up in a location where nobody was ostracized for being different. It was as if they were all goldfish in a safe tank, but what happened when they exited the tank? Well the plump little goldfish know used to swimming in a little tank, would be devoured by the sharks of course, the circle of life and all that. But Ueda put those thoughts away, keeping his own inner pessimist at bay.

As he walked up the stairs somewhere close and above him, he heard a series of loud noises. It was only as he progress further up the stairs did he see the source of the noise. Three people upon the first floor landing, two of them standing and the other one a smaller figure kneeling on the ground. Ueda did some quick connecting of the dots, and deduced that somebody more specifically the small figure had taken a fall. And judging from how one of the boys, who seemed to judging by body language and general reaction, had slammed into the smaller figure and sent them flying backwards to their otherwise unscheduled doom. Ueda then moved around them and kept on progressing up the stairs, deciding that two people helping the smaller figure was more then enough. The sound of his cane echoing as he progressed slowly up through the stairs and away from them, as he thought to himself. And thus it was proven once again, stairs are the mortal enemy of the bipedal mammal.

~~~
The door to room 3-4 was closed, when Ueda arrived and he shrugged before slowly entering. His teacher turned around and looked at him as he let out a sigh. "Mr. Nobuyuki, I was just starting, and may I asked why you are late to my class, as one would come to expect from you?" His teacher asked "Or did you just think that class started ten minutes later this year?"

"Well no! Of course not Sir! You know how it is in the morning, and the traffic on the highway on the daily commute. You can't help when there is a ten car pile up, that is not my fault?" Ueda interjected with a sincere hint of honesty to his voice, even though he was lying through his teeth.

"Mr. Nobuyuki, I'm well aware that you live in the school dormitories, or do you not remember last years incident?"

"Well! That my respected teacher has nothing to do with the current situation and I find it very insensitive that you open wounds still so fresh." Ueda declared holding his free hand to his chest as if he had just been shot.

"... Mr. Nobuyuki just take the empty seat next to Mr.Blair over there. He is new here at our academy, so I ask you from the bottom of my heart. Don't corrupt the boy."

Ueda nodded, and walked over to seat that his homeroom teacher had gestured towards. He eased himself down, doing his best to not put anymore strain on his already falling apart body. "Well, at least I tried." Ueda muttered to himself as he took out his books, not bothering to opening them as he shoved them to a corner of his desk and put his head down.

In a way, physical pain was a novelty at Yamaku. Many students were hypoalgesic to varying degrees and some would have been grateful for the sensation. Fuyuki was not one of these people. He groaned soundlessly as the dull aches set in and took the nearest handhold to pull himself up; in this case it appeared to be the hand of another student, male and a damn sight bigger than himself. For a moment Fuyuki paused, trying to remember where he had seen this particular face. After a few seconds he was able to pull himself together and reached for his PDA. As he typed, another student came barreling down the staircase, presumably the one he had walked into... 'Thank you. I am unhurt; the fall was not as bad as it looked. My apologies for the inconvenience.' As ever his computer played the words aloud in a soft, androgynous voice, toneless and flat. While he had grown used to composing full sentences rapidly, sometimes it came out a bit disjointed. He turned his attention to the other boy, a foreigner it turned out and gave a little smile. Not one of the ones I saw at the ceremony... An unknown factor. The lad was panicking, clearly flustered by the turn of events. 'I am uninjured, please do not. Worry.' Inwardly Fuyuki cursed both of them for seeing him like this... If reputation was everything then this whole altercation could be a serious problem. The best he could do was allay their concerns and leave ASAP.

He stretched out, testing his arms and legs, hopping on the spot, before giving them both a cheerful smile. 'See? No permanent harm done. I must apologise for my lack of awareness and will endeavor to ensure that this does... not happen again.' As he typed Fuyuki noted another student passing them, this time one he recognised. He gave Ueda a respectful nod as the older student walked on, wondering if his dossier needed updating as well... For the moment, there was the more urgent matter of deflecting the attention of these two. 'What years are you both in? I am Todoroki Fuyuki, a second year.' He tilted his gaze to the foreigner with a quizzical look. 'As thanks for checking on me, would you like any assistance?' While he was also eager to assist the other student in forgetting about this farce, he still couldn't pin the name down. And besides, that expressionless face was getting scarier by the second...

Azusa her alarm clock ringed a few times making the most annoying sound of the world. It only irritated more knowing that it was 5 pm in the morning she would need to get used to it since the doctor suggested her to do some workout whenever she had some free time. It would also help her to wake up more quickly instead of just sitting around in a boring classroom looking out of the window the entire day. The sunlight of the morning sun shined through the gap between the two curtains that waved around a bit since she left the window open yesterday night. With a wide yawn she turned around another time as she had a big lack of sleep, slamming the alarm clock a few times before it finally turned off she got up and started to do her daily morning routine.

She didn't feel the need to put her prosthetic on just yet since it would only itch and irritate the whole time she could manage without it for now. She changed her clothes, brushed her hair quickly, eat some breakfast and finally putting her running prosthetic on. She did some stretching before going out the front door and used the lift to get down to the main floor of the dorm she was in. It was rather hard to walk on the prosthetic, she only used it a few times before and that didn't go well either probably have to check up if it's still alright after this though. She walked outside of the building as she could feel her whole body slowly warming up by the sun. It felt nice to have a breeze and such a warm sun in the morning her hair waved around behind her as she kept walking towards the field with only stumbling a few times. After doing some more stretching at the side of the field she started to run around a bit slowly but still with a good pace. When she tried to run a bit harder it seemed the prosthetic didn't work that well on her leg and made her fall in the progress. Some blood dripped on the ground coming from her elbow, she turned around and sat down on the ground to get a closer look at her elbow. It didn't look so bad but it still stung a bit from the fall. She got up and kept a more slow pace till she finished her final lap before going back to her room to take a shower.

After some time in the shower she got some band aids and something to clean her wound "Tchh.." It stung a whole lot more when she cleaned the wound but it stopped rather fast. She go out one band aid and placed it on the wound as she already started to hobble towards her bed. She pulled on her normal everyday prosthetic leg as she was already wearing her school uniform. She was almost ready for her napping the rest of the day but before that she still needed to pull her socks and shoes on. She grabbed some striped knee socks from out of her closet and pulled them on after she sat down on her bed once again. You wouldn't even see that she didn't have a two legs it all looked rather normal however walking didn't go so smoothly at times. She gave a quick glance at her alarm clock and saw that she was already pretty late for the opening ceremony. She didn't feel any excitement at all for it as she walked out of the building again completely dressed as she pulled the school bag along behind her back.

Her hair was tied up in a sideways ponytail on the right side of her head. She didn't really bother to put on a lot of makeup on the first day of school she never really was a girl that would wear a lot of makeup in public. The opening ceremony already ended before she arrived the student didn't look completely hyped for the first day. Well most some of them would start talking to their friends about a lot of things that happened in the vacation. But Azusa didn't have those sort of friends she would always been left out from the others of the school and just sit alone during classes and lunch breaks. As she entered the classroom she could see that all the students where all unique in their own way no one was the same. Excitement shot up in her as she sat down thinking about it she could perhaps make friends with one of them. Some of them where also left out because they weren't normal like the others. Well what is so fun about being normal, The same day over and over again, just thinking about it gave her goosebumps. It would be boring to have something like that, A whole lot of her life has been like that, It all looked the same everyday. The lesson began as she kept looking out of the window into the endless sky with the same thought in her mind.

Tomo sat in her seat, face turned towards the sun. It was so pleasantly warm. She wished she were outside. Only the coolness of a breeze could feel just as good as the golden warmth of the sun. But then she heard the door slide open. She would of ignored it, were it not for the feeling that someone was staring at her. It was an unexplainable feeling, one even seeing people got, but without her sight, every other sense was heightened. And this stare felt more... ominous than usual. Something that stories often described as a 'glare' would probably fit such a feeling, though she had never truly experienced such a thing. Not in the true sense anyway, but she had felt 'glaring' before.

Oh, dear... This did not bode well. Her first day and someone already seemed to dislike her without cause. Well...all she could do was deal with it as she usually did. But she did wish she was still wearing her kimono. It was more comforting to be dressed in something she knew well, than such a vulnerable thing like this uniform. But she straightened her back elegantly, her lavender eyes staring straight ahead of her at nothing at all. Her dark lashes, long and fan-like, bushed over her porcelain cheeks as she closed her eyes once more. And when she opened her eyes next, they were glancing towards the direction she had felt the glare, though they truly did not see anything all. Most people discontented with usually found it a bit creepy when she could find them with her eyes, even though she could not see them. But it was more like pointing a finger at something you could feel close by while in the dark, not always on target, but with a bit of good luck you'd be pointing in the right direction.

There were people talking of holidays they had been able to go on, and the sound of shuffling papers and more heavy objects, which she assumed was books, since it came form the direction the teacher's voice had come from when she had first come in. Her unseeing eyes closed once more as she focused on all the sounds in the room, ignoring the ones ruled out, concentrating on just who might be the one with the heavy gaze. Unable to find the person, she opened her eyes again. Well, they had stopped glaring at her. Maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe just a bit of paranoia from her last school experience. So she once more turned back to the sunlight, but this time her body did not relax. Her long wavy dark hair pulled over one shoulder in a loose tied ribbon of white, she waited. If it had been her imagination then she would not feel it again. But if it had not been, she would probably feel the glare once more. People tended to be creatures of habit, once annoyed or discontented.

Amity Cole's first day of her second year at Yamaku wasn't off to an ideal start at all. None of this had to do with her missing sense of touch; that was something she'd learned to adapt to over the years. No, her day was starting poorly because of her awful sense of time...

---

Two hours earlier...

BRZZZT! BRZZZT! BRZZ-click.

"Good morning to you too, painful alarm clock," Ami groaned. At first, it was the same as any morning where she first wakes up sluggish as can be. Then the realization set in. Today was the first day of class! Almost-leaping out of bed (she'd actually leapt the previous year and broke her nose, not noticing it until somebody pointed it out) and grabbing the school's green-and-white uniform, Ami made a beeline for the bathroom. She had to shower! She had to dress! She had to figure out where her new classroom was! There were so many things to do this morning! She'd managed to accomplish them all in record time, even. After the few minutes it had taken her to shower and get dressed, Ami took another look at her clock. I've got time, she'd decided, so she'd grabbed two puppets at random and began holding a private one-girl show.

She'd gotten so into it that she forgot all about the fact that there were classes today. By the time she'd checked the clock, she knew there was no way she'd make it to class on time. So she'd taken a few minutes more to finish up her little show; it was just getting to the climax.

---

Why did I do that? Stupid me, stupid me! For the last few moments, Ami was moving as fast she knew she could without tripping herself up throughout the school building in a frantic power-walk, trying to find her classroom. Then she ran into some unremarkable first-year who'd been lost and showed him the way to class, and now she was back on the first floor, taking a quick drink break. Hydration was important, after all. And maybe it was for the better that she stop at this vending machine by these stairs. What happened next was chaotic, but could have really saved her hide.

It was one of those moments of "Wow, that was all so fast." Where one just sort of has no choice but to stand by and watch. Two boys had just fallen from the stairs, hitting the floor, then a third boy - certainly taller - helped one up. The one who got helped up by the tall guy had one of those things where you type in the words and it comes out as a sentence. Even if she didn't need and didn't particularly want one, Ami always thought those seemed like fun. But it was a fair enough gathering of students. One of them had to know where she was supposed to go. Stepping up to the group and raising a hand, Ami asked with what she was seriously hoping was a smile, "Excuse me, do any of you know where Classroom 2-4 is?"

As the foreigner just kept panicking and pointing, the small person took his hand and got up, and Junpei internally scrambled to see if there were any possible injury types that didn't show until it was too late. Head injuries?! People suffering from concussions sometimes didn't feel all too pained in the injured area, then they go to sleep, and...! Bruises could be internal bleeding, or could become blood poisoning?! In all honesty, Junpei wasn't too great with injury and medicine knowledge...sure, he knew how to make prosthetics almost come alive with the right combination of make up, sign language was as familiar as the small scars on the back of his hand, martial arts was as fluid as his ability to walk...but not getting injuries, more like avoiding injuries, avoiding face damage. Internally, his mind ran through all the possible disease that this person may or may not have that could result in bigger injuries (ie brittle bones), feeling like minutes have passed. When, in reality, it had only been a minute.

Getting back to the present, Junpei held out a hand towards the foreigner in a halting motion, "Calm down." Two simple words, spoken in a surprisingly smooth and soft voice...quite unused, and yet somehow not betraying the nervousness he felt, speaking to random fellow students in such a manner. Quirking an eye automatically to the smaller person machine's assurance of being uninjured, then nodding automatically to a student passing on through the area...

'What years are you both in? I am Todoroki Fuyuki, a second year.' Once again, the person used the device to speak for them...at this point, he was almost entirely sure this student was mute. Holding up two of his fingers, "Junpei Yamauchi, second year."

Despite the girl's PDA's reassurances, Kyle couldn't help but continue to hash out apology after apology, all the while beating on the inside of his brain at how much of an idiot he was. Not only was he going to be late to class at this point, but he'd probably be expelled just for making this one student, in a school for the disabled, fly down a flight of stairs like a rag doll. Not even really partway into his incessant ramblings, Kyle was interrupted by a soft, yet firm voice.

"Calm down."

It wasn't so much the voice as what produced it that stopped Kyle in his tracks, the boy standing next to him, his face was, well to put it bluntly, beautiful. It was an extremely unsettling and Kyle couldn't help but stare for a few seconds as to ascertain, why this was so. Perhaps it was that the boy's face was almost...too perfectly picturesque, like a mannequin in a clothing store. That unsettling feeling suddenly got stronger and luckily this time the girl's PDA re distracted Kyle from this boy.

'What years are you both in? I am Todoroki Fuyuki, a second year.'

Great, what a perfect first impression in front of a fellow classmate. The other boy held two fingers up and answered simply, "Junpei Yamauchi, second year," two classmates? Seriously? Kyle sighed, turning to the girl and said, "Kyle Parker, second year."

She tilted her head quizzically at Kyle, 'As thanks for checking on me, would you like any assistance?'

"Really?" Kyle couldn't help but scratch his head a little out of embarrassment, after all he still felt like it was his fault, "well...I guess if you could-"

"Excuse me, do any of you know where Classroom 2-4 is?"

Kyle quickly turned to see another girl, this one making the most forced out smile he had ever seen. He couldn't help but stare somewhat dumbfounded, he also couldn't tell what was creepier, the forced psychotic smile or the perfect mannequin to his right. Quickly composing himself he spoke up, "uh, 2-4?" he scratched his head again, "seems like we're in the same boat here, I'm supposed to be there too, but I have no idea where it is." As the words poured out of his mouth he just realized that the forced smiling girl was in the same class as him..."oh shit does that mean the mannequin's gonna be there too? Shit what about..."

An idea crossed his mind, "hey uh, that favor can apply to all of us right?" turning towards the shorter girl, "Do you know where 2-4 is, lil' miss?"

Mariko stopped folding her little origami tortoise and glanced sideways. Kimono girl was staring at her. She was off by a few degrees, and she'd ended up staring at her ears. She seemed to be looking for something, If she was a dog, her ears would be twitching this way and that trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. She closed those insultingly large eyes again, before twisting her neck back to the front of the class. What was that, Mariko wondered. An attempt to make polite conversation or a death glare? The blind were notoriously bad at giving facial cues, and Mariko herself was notoriously bad at reading faces. It honestly could've been either. In retrospect, the death glare idea was probably wasn't correct, given the circumstances. Regular people didn't want to torment others based on a completely chance encounter. That was a stupid idea, she reminded herself. She idly folded the leg of her turle back so that it didn't look like the multiple amputee in Class 2-4, and made a desicion. Mariko leaned across the gap between chairs and asked " 'Scuse me, but you're new in this class, right?"

She cringed. That came out a lot more Kansai-ish then she'd intended.

Tomo tilted her head slightly at the voice that was close to her. She opened her eyes once more, their lavender hues focused on nothing, like they were clouded in a world of their own. Her dark lashes protected them like that long lashes on a doll with moveable eyes. Her wavy dark hair over one shoulder slipped slightly towards her back when she moved. Even with her uniform on she looked like a porcelain doll, beautiful blank expression and all.

"I am," her voice was even gentle and sweet just like the rest of her, her tender tone perfectly polite, "If it is me to whom you are talking to." She smiled and it was every bit as lovely as the perfect Japanese lady should be. "I am Tomohina Mizukimura. Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

The person she was talking to was a female. And possibly either a transfer or someone from another part of Japan, by that Kansai accent. But it was probably rude to simply assume such things. Perhaps it was best to wait for any more hints at this person and the nature of their being, than by simply assuming things. While her assumptions were usual correct there was always the odd outlier every then and again. And-

Her head tilted again. There was some big fuss going on in the hallway. Concentrating for a moment she frowned slightly. Boys, from the sound of it. And maybe a girl. She blinked a few times trying to stop paying so much attention to the commotion. Pointing her gaze back at the girl's voice, which was coming from slightly behind her, she smiled apologetically.

"Pardon my momentary distraction," she said gently, "Do you know if there are people fighting out in the hallway?"

"I am," She whispered. Mariko barely caught it, her voice was so tinny and quiet. "If it is me to whom you are talking to." Well, duh. It wasn't as if there was anyone else even near them. "I am Tomohina Mizukimura. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." Mariko paused, trying to remember that name. For some reason, she was expecting Yamato Nadeshiko. It was uncanny. Had she be born, or had some Kamakura-era artist hewn her image out of rock and given it life? Mariko could've accepted either explanation. The sudden lull in coversation forced her to stutter something to fill the awkward silence.

"So, erm, are you new? Did you just trasfe-"

She stopped. Tomohina-han had her head tilted, like she'd just heard an irritating fly. Her gaze had shifted, too, over Mariko's shoulder. On her aquaintance's request, she turned to look. Someone had slid the door open, or something, letting noise from the corridor in. There were sounds of some kerfuffle outside, too. She stood up, and made her way to the door, before poking her head outside and listening in on some of the conversation. Then she strolled back to her spot. "Nothing much" she told Yam-uh, Tomohina. "Just seems like a lot of kids can't find where class 2-4 is. I didn't even know we had a class 2-4. Must be 'cause of all the new kids that transferred in this year."

Tomo only spoke quietly to the girl at first. It was best to make a good first impression. Like any well-bred lady she had many uses for her voice. Being blind, well all those uses multiplied. Unable to use proper facial cues, she instead was able to flux her voice to match a mood, even give subtle hints at to how vastly different "sorrow" could be from "sadness". She was a singer after all. Her voice was an instrument she could control masterfully. Where she fell short in facial communication and being able to see, she made up for in vocal sensation, physical sensitivity and hearing. It was just something natural to her. But then again she had been blessed with a wealthy family able to provide for a disabled daughter. Even if they never seemed to be able to have the time to show up to birthdays.

The girl she had been talking to seemed to still be near the door when she had spoke, but travelled back towards her. Standing, she held herself with that same poise and confidence instructed to her since birth. Side step here, four paces forward, and move five strides to the right to reach the door. "Sometimes we must be forgiving to those who do not know, what they do not know," she said with a strange sort of clarity in her voice, but took a few steps out into the hallway, facing the mass of voices. Her hands were folded in front of her neatly and her smile was something so sweet and gracious, you'd of thought she was something out of a painting.

"Class 2-4 should be on this floor," she said with a sort of command in her voice, "It should be the fourth classroom, which, if my guess is right, is just this way." She gestured behind her as if she were a elegant hostess from a traditional japanese inn. "You should hurry," she said with a slight tilt of her head, her voice changing slightly to become more light and almost amused, "Class is starting in three minutes." With a small bow she went back into her own classroom, closing the door and looking a bit refreshed. Five strides forwards, turn left, four paces and one side step. She reached out and there was her seat. A victorious grin washed over her face. Memory and practice. That's all you needed. Well, with a bit of enthusiasm anyway.
"Oh and to answer your question before," she flattened out her skirt, even though she couldn't see if it was ruffled or not, "Yes, I am a new transfer. I do not believe I caught your name?"

The foreigner seemed more and more likely to blow a vein in panic and Fuyuki was to the point of irritation when the other boy thankfully interceded. He turned to the newly introduced Yamauchi, cracking a grateful smile. Who knew how long Parker would have gone on for otherwise... Now that things had calmed a bit, Fuyuki took the time to evaluate his new classmates; both seemed quite well-built, athletic and carried an air of capability. Other than that, they were pretty much opposites... Parker was apparently excitable, loud and judging from his panicked concern, probably quite caring. Yamauchi was... mysterious and a bit frightening. Fuyuki didn't know what the boy's issues were, but guesswork implied it had something to do with his overly perfect and slightly scary face; disfigurement perhaps? Some necrotic disease? Filing the issue for later investigation, he reached for his PDA to continue talking.

Before he could begin typing, another voice piped in from the stairwell. The owner of said voice was another odd one (not uncommon at this school...), expressionless, but with a spark in her eye; Amity Cole, a girl he had a file on from last year. He gave her a warm smile and a little wave; they hadn't talked much, but hopefully she might remember him. 'Good Morning, Cole. I know wh-', he cut off as Parker began talking, choosing to assume he hadn't been heard rather than been talked over. A certain cynical part of him wagered the benefits of revealing his true gender to the group; being definitively male could help gain closer contacts from the other male students, but being considered female would allow him to ingratiate himself with the female population... In the end he decided to remain ambiguous and gave the three of them a happy, intentionally girly grin. '2-4 should be just around the-' Suddenly a fourth voice cut in, this time from down the corridor. Oh for fuck's sake, why won't you idiots stay out of my business today? Fuyuki climbed back up the stairs to give the girl a faux grateful bow, before turning back to his classmates. '... As she says, just down this hallway. If you would follow me?' As he turned away, Fuyuki let his mask drop for a moment, cursing the lot of them under his breath...