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"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream had jolted the redhead out of her slumber, sleepy eyes immediately alert as a rapid beeping sound was heard. Inhaling, she could smell smoke. Throwing her blankets off of her, she scrambled out of the room, practically throwing herself down the stairs and skidding to a halt right at the scene of the crime. An extremely panicked girl was running around the living room, desperately trying to flap out the smoke from the jacket she had in her hands. On top of the ironing board sat a now-ruined iron, coated in an odd mix of polyester and cotton.

The girl's name was Shimizu Ichika. About a week ago, the two had moved in together, and ever since then, every single day had been composed of Ichika causing some sort of disaster with Shiori having to clean up. Funny enough, Shiori had always figured the 'spoiled rich girl' archetype was just that: an archetype. But seeing it unfold before her day after day had convinced her that yes, people could truly be that hopeless. And as she quickly put together the situation at hand, she was at least grateful this wasn't as bad as the dishwasher incident.

"For the love of--ICHIKA!" She yelled, the long haired girl finally coming to a stop. Letting out a sigh, she extracted "The hell did you do?!"

With giant, watery tears gushing down her face, the normally beautiful looking girl openly sobbed, clinging onto the jacket. "Shiori! I--I was just trying to iron your uniform!" She cried.

So she tried to iron her jacket. And failed. Spectacularly, at that. Walking over to the alarm, she managed to silence it. Letting out a sigh, she eyed the rest of her uniform, which had been surprisingly ironed out well. Ichika must have run into a challenge with the thicker material. Taking her ruined jacket in hand, she examined the burned hole wearily. No way she could wear that.

"It's fine. Let's just get ready," Shiori said, motioning for her to get going.

Looking somewhat crestfallen, Ichika dragged her feet back to her room. Shiori did the same, changing into her uniform, though she ended up pulling on her red sweater in place of the jacket. Ugh, so much for trying not to get in trouble the first day. Granted, it was only a matter of time, but she usually had a few days before either mouthing off to the wrong person or getting into a fistfight with someone.

Her watch beeped at her, and she realized it was time to start walking. Staring at herself in the mirror, she decided to leave her shaggy hair alone as she went to Ichika's room, bombarded by the scent of hair spray and perfume. While Shiori usually just rolled out of bed and was good to go, Ichika had a regime. Every single morning, she'd brush her super long hair out, making sure her waves were perfect before she would finally decide to step out of her room. Surprisingly, she didn't wear much makeup, but her obsession with her hair took enough time as it was.

"How do I look?" Ichika asked, striking a pose in her uniform.

"You look fine. Come on, let's go," She urged.

Ichika was practically skipping as she followed Shiori outside the house and down the road. She didn't seem at all bothered by her new surroundings, only curiously looking around. Shiori had her bag in one hand and the other in her pocket, only focusing on the walk ahead. Soon enough, the duo could see the school not too far ahead. She had to admit, being closer to the school made the walk a lot easier, though she supposed that was thanks to Ichika's mother.

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Yoshi had always considered himself a morning person. From the moment he woke up, he was full of energy. And who wouldn't be? It was the first day of school! Something about the first day always seemed magical and exciting to him. So when he woke up, he jumped out of bed, stretching his arms high above his head. Today was going to be a great day! New school, new people, new friends!

With the excitement in hand, he sauntered over to the bathroom, sliding in right before his little sister had a chance to. "You snooze, you lose!" He said as she banged on the door, hollering at him to let her in. Soon after brushing his teeth and washing his face, he opened the door, resulting in their usual argument of him asserting his role as the big brother by pinching her face and then running away before she could hit him.

It was routine, but it was good.

Grabbing his bag and dressed to impress, Yoshi entered the kitchen, spotting his mother on the phone as she put her shoes on. She blew him a kiss when she saw him, exiting the house immediately afterwards. Go figure, he hadn't been expecting her to still be home, but it was a nice surprise. She had even cooked breakfast! Awesome!

Once he gobbled down his food, he was out of the house and on his way, whistling to himself as he walked.

The blaring alarm quickly jolted Yujiro awake, the teenage boy's dull eyes rising to the plain ceiling of his small room. He was lucky to have his own room, giving his living situation. But his mother insisted the growing boy have a space to himself within the home. Not that Yujiro ever really used it. The room was sparse, with a mat on the ground for sleeping in the corner. Next to it was a small digital clock. The walls were littered with pictures, mostly ones the teenager took himself. The others... they were photos taken by his father. They were far more professional, the lighting and composition a sign of years more experience. Yujiro showed promise in his photography, but he still had a ways to go.

Half of the room was sectioned off with a curtain. Behind it was a makeshift darkroom, but Yujiro didn't have much time to check on a couple pictures he developed the night before. For now, he had to a routine to follow. To start, Yujiro made his way to the kitchen. He decided to stick with something simple for this morning. He was a whir in the kitchen. Within a a half hour, he managed to prepare breakfast for three and prepared his own lunch. Once his Bento had been packed up in a simple box and wrapped in a simple gray cloth, the others in the house began to stir. Yujiro quickly wolfed down his Natto, fried egg, and rice.

While his parents ate, Yujiro didn't speak a word to them. Instead, he got dressed into his new uniform. He filled it in nicely, if tall and lanky are the ideal of attractiveness. But as the aspiring photographer looked in the mirror, he found himself scowling. His face wasn't particularly welcoming. It would be a matter of time before that and his poor attitude got him into trouble. Regardless, Yujiro fetched his pack and stuffed his camera into it. With a brief nod, Yujiro gave a small wave to his mother and father. Before they could say a word, he was out the door and down the street. He wasn't much in a talking mood when at home. So Yujiro made his way to school with little fanfare, just like any other day in his life.

---

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"Nnn..." A loud ringing tone emitted from his flip-phone, doubling as his alarm clock. The noise resounded throughout the room, unceasing. A few more seconds passed until his consciousness returned to him. "Ugh..." Reaching for the desk where his phone lay chattering at the flat-top surface with its vibrations, Juno's eyes slowly darted open, reluctant as he was to do so. The incessant noise finally dealt with, his still-lethargic frame hoisted up and parted with the bed.


It was a very early morning, which he had already acclimated to. Most students his age were still sound asleep at that time, but his situation was a bit different. Being the de facto man of the house, Juno was in charge of making breakfast for the whole family. With his constricted hour-and-a-half, Juno had to act promptly. Nowadays, he can whip up the most basic of meals with little-to-no slip-ups; a definite learning experience which took him quite a while since he wasn't very fond of cooking food. Today, their breakfast comprised of bread and omelette, complemented by a side of orange juice for the kids, and coffee for himself and his father.


He would then knock on their rooms one-by-one to wake them up.


There was no response. As per usual.

Their breakfast was set on the dining table, beckoning them. Miya and Goro, his two younger siblings, settled down on their respective seats. The sole absentee was their father; a regular occurrence at this point. "..." And of course, Haru and Aki were also absent, away from their fragmented abode.

It was only due to the generosity of their departed mother's sister, whom the siblings have a close bond with, that the hospitalized Haru is still clinging on to life despite her grave illness. From shouldering her medical expenses, along with visiting her on the daily and taking care of Aki, the youngest sibling, the Tatsujin family was indebted to her for sure. Repaying her along with making up for their expenses are the two chief reasons why Juno's been working hard these past few months.

With these lingering thoughts, his blank trance had him occupied to the point where it was too late for him to notice. "...bro! Hey, big bro!" He finally snapped back to reality, darting his attention to his younger sister. "Uh.. sorry, Miya. What is it?" Having finally caught her big brother's attention, she inquired. "Is school going to be hard? Goro-nee said so himself~!" It was finally time for Miya to embark on her own childhood journey, with Goro having started school a year prior. For convenience sake, they both attend the same elementary.



The both of them nodded in unison. "Good. Now finish up your breakfast so you can get dressed. You know where your uniform is, right?" Miya merrily nodded once more. "Good girl." A faint smile escaped the eldest brother's lips as she headed off to prepare herself for her very first day of embarking in her childhood. It was short but sweet moments like these where he felt like his weary days were most definitely worth it.

Goro, on the other hand, was still glued to the table, his platter still unfinished. He paid notice over their father's untouched portion, and then to Juno. "Daddy's still..." The child muttered; a perceptible frown painted on his face. "... He'll wake up soon. Let's just leave his food here, alright? Now go. We don't wanna be late." Taking their finished plates and setting them down on the kitchen sink, Goro woefully concurred. "Okay.."

---

---

Juno patted the two of them on the head, before seeing them run off together with the crowd of elementary schoolers. Juno picked up his flip-phone to check on the time. "6:23. That's enough time." Luckily, the distance between the Kawashiri Elementary and Fujioka Senior High wasn't too far off. And with that, he began treading along the sidewalk, on the way to his destination.

Today was going to be Juno's first day being a high school student. He felt as if this transition would be brutal for him, considering his unfortunate circumstances. Unlike most of the freshmen who were particularly excited to meet a lot of faces, fresh and old, said thoughts haven't crossed his mind as his aim was solely focused on one thing: finishing as soon as possible. He was more nervous than enthusiastic, but there was no time for that. He could only think of his family's future, and how Haru and the rest were relying on him. This was for his family, and he can't rely on that "despondent slob". No one else can do it but him.

---

Ren took a deep breath in as he stood at the top of the steps to the shrine, looking down over the town he'd only moved to just a few days ago.

"Ya know what?" He mumbled to himself. "'s a little crowded, but I think I this place might be pretty nice!"

Now, for many people, considering a city like Kurosuoba to be crowded would seem pretty weird. It was actually kind of rural when you took everything into consideration, but Ren had a bit of a different view. It made sense, considering he was from quite possibly the literal middle of nowhere. Everything was crowded compared to the small village in the mountains he moved from.

There was also the fun little way he seemed to be some kind of magnet for small transportation, with a grand total of four bicycles crashing into him since the move. That might've impacted his views on the subject, just a little…

However, before he could get swept up in any more of his deep thoughts, the opening theme from Anohana sounded from his pocket, prompting him to dig around in his pockets to pull out his shiny new totallynotoldanddented smart phone. Merely a second after looking at the screen, his eyes widened in terror, as he saw the alarm for 5:50, when he'd originally planned to wake up. Yeah, it was a pretty ridiculous, almost decadent sleep in, but if he was ever going to experience sleeping in, he wanted to go all the way! However, now he was halfway across the city from his house, having gone on the walk when he could barely even sleep at all. He also wasn't wearing his school uniform, hence why the distance to his house even mattered.

"AaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHH!!! He shrieked, deciding for whatever stupid reason that the best choice here was to dash down the steps. Naturally, he lost his balance. However, due to the angle, he managed to actually keep on his feet, in a perpetual state of falling forward, until he managed to reach the bottom. He face planted then, of course, but this was hardly the first time he'd fallen down a mountain. After barely a moment, he was back on his feet and running. After about twenty minutes of sprinting, Ren finally stepped into his sisters apartment, gasping for air.

For her part, Igarashi Mari simply glanced at Ren out of the corner of her eyes, before returning back to her breakfast.

"Out for a walk?" She asked casually, as Ren rushed into his room.

"Couldn't fall back ta sleep!" He called back quickly. "Got too excited about the whole real school thi-... Guh... GAAAHHH!"

He wasn't entirely sure why he couldn't fit the shirt over his head at this point. He figured he might actually end up rushing a little, what with his extended sleep in, so he'd planned to leave his shirt buttoned up so he could just slide it on in the morning. Now he was beginning to wonder if that was such a good idea. Maybe... Just maybe... He was a little too fat for it to that plan...

"Ren, is it the collar or a sleeve?"

He paused, before feeling around at the opening above his head, and adjusting his shirt to put it on properly.

After he finished dressing, he peeked out nervously, only for his fears to be confirmed by the smug expression on his sisters face.

"Oi, nee-chan, please."

"Fine, you're safe 'till you get home." She said, before pointing to the toaster. "Anyway, I made you some toast while you were trying to get dressed, so you don't starve to death while you run."

"I wouldn' starve to death, just emaciation and near death."

"Well, either way, you'd better hurry. If you don't leave soon, you might only be an hour early, and what will your classmates think about you then?"

"Ah, right! I don' want 'em to think I'm some kinda delinquent! Thanks for the toast, nee-chan! I'll see ya later!"

And then he was running again, moving at a speed that really shouldn't have been possible for someone as large as him. However his extra weight did prove to impede him before too long, taking the form of sudden, ravenous hunger.

Actually, I didn't make any lunch for today, did I? This is gonna be all I have to live off 'till I get home!

And with that terrifying thought in mind, he quickly put the toast into his mouth, holding it there as he ran.

Huh, ya know, isn't this that thing anime heroines do right before they run into the main chara-

And then he was falling, a small part of his brain registering that he'd bumped into something.

Or someone.

However, that wasn't quite as surprising as the small "Kyaa!" he let out as he toppled over. He remained on the ground for a second, dazed and trying to figure out what had just happened. However, once he realised what was going on, he practically shot up to try and help whoever he'd probably accidentally steamrolled.

"Oh crap, you ok? Sorry I ran into ya, I'm kinda du-ooooohhhnowhy..."

And despite his worry for whoever he'd hit, he found his gaze stuck on the piece of toast, which had landed face down on the concrete

"Whelp, there goes my chance of survivin' the day..."

---

Usually Miyuki wakes up at a later time, but since she agreed to walk with her younger sister Yumiko on her first day in middle school, she woke up around 5am. Her parents were already up as well, working on the household chores and preparing their children for school. Since their unassuming wooden house only have one bathroom and toilet, she tried her best to make due. Once both Miyuki and younger sister were done preparing themselves, the family ate breakfast together. They exchanged conversations, usually related to their activities that they will be doing today. Although they lived rather poorly, the family is happy with how things are. Perhaps it was the slow life of Kurosuoba, compared to the frenetic, bustling life of Tokyo which they had lived on several years ago?

Once everyone was done with breakfast, Miyuki's parents escorted their children out. Her bespectacled father with stubble on his face and short hair, smiled at his daughters.

"Take care, you two."
"Don't let Yumiko running around too much!"

Miyuki's caring but strict mother added. The blue-haired girl merely smiled and bowed as she acknowledged her mother's request.

"Yes, Mother."
"Worry not! I'll not fall down! Just wait and see!"

Her doting and energetic younger sister exclaimed with a gesture. Miyuki rubbed on Yumiko's head, as if she was attempting to lower down her enthusiasm.

"Hey now, don't get too carried away, okay?"
"I'll be fine! Watch me as I'll make myself famous!"

The others chuckled on Yumiko's optimistic personality. If anything, she is the cheerful blob that never stops providing happiness to the family.

"Alright, I think it's time. Let us go then."

The Ishihara girls then bowed at their parents and bid their goodbyes, before taking off for school. During the walk to Yumiko's middle school, they both bantered, ranging from how different between elementary school and middle school, up to what kind of boys that Miyuki would take interest in. The blue-haired obviously evaded the boys question with slight embarrassment.

---

"Okay, looks like we're here."

The girls arrived at the middle school Yumiko has enrolled in. It seems like other students were already there as well, although the gate was closed. There was a man in a uniform, standing in front of the gate, presumably the security guard who is on duty, watching over the students gathered outside of the gate for any troubles.

"Aw, I wish the journey is a bit longer..."

Yumiko pouted, as Miyuki patted her head once more.

"There, there. Onee-san here needs to go to school too. Don't be a mischievous girl, okay? I know you want to be the center of everyone, but you can't prank other students, especially on their first day!"

"Yes, Onee-san..." Her short-haired younger sister grunted.

"Remember! Don't get into trouble, okay! Bye!"

Miyuki added a few more and waved at Yumiko, before announcing her departure. She then took out her phone, checking for the current time. It was 6:30am.

("Phew. Let's get going then.")

She thought to herself, after twirling her hair while heading towards Fujioka Senior High.

---

---

Miyuki has some anticipations towards Fujioka, but it was not enthusiastic as her younger sister. She learned that some of her old friends from middle school actually enrolled into Fujioka, not to mention that a new school comes new environment and new challenges. She may not fond of new challenges, but she is willing to experience something new that can broaden her horizons. After all, this is high school. The last step before college and university, which are going to be more hectic than any high school levels. She thought might as well experience whatever youth has to provide, rather than shying away, although chances are her mature personality will be affecting on what she can properly experience without frowning on it.

She eventually arrived at the Fujioka Senior High School without any issues, and noticed that there are students around, waiting for the gate to open. Miyuki then scanned the students for any familiar faces. Her amber eyes eventually caught a male student with a dark brown short hair and a rather gloomy expression. It was without a doubt that it was Tatsujin Juno. Then their eyes locked. At first she wanted to look away, but that would be too rude, considering that they both knew each other.

With a smile, Miyuki walked towards Juno and bowed to him when they are in talking range.

"Good morning, Tatsujin-kun. It seems that we're in the same high school."

She greeted him formally.

---

@Althiel

Ryuuto could hear his sister's alarm going off through the sounds of carnage as he tore through his enemies. Ryuuto was already washed and fully-dressed in his uniform, ready to walk out the door while most students were just crawling out of bed. Now, Ryuuto didn't wake up that much earlier than most, but he was all about efficiency. A shower took two-minutes tops, his uniform was already laid out and he just had to slip it on, he tied his tie the night before and just had to slip it over his head to tighten the loop. The longest part of his morning was waiting for that damn rice cooker to hurry up and cook the rice. Unfortunately, some things in life couldn't be optimized; rice just had to cook. But, he just set the rice cooker up as soon as he woke up, got ready, and then stared at the very, very slowly cooking rice until he could scoop himself a bowl.

He scooped a mouthful of rice into his mouth during a load screen while he heard his sister fumbling around her drawers, calling out to their mom about where her things were. It was amazing how disorganized Sayo could be, and Ryuuto just didn't get how she lost so many things. If you put something somewhere, it would be there the next time you looked for it. Simple. There was a bit more scrambling, and then Ryuuto heard his door open.

"Ryuuto! What are you doing playing video games!? You have school in an hour!"

"Fifty-eight minutes, actually," Ryuuto said in a calm voice, not taking his eyes off the screen, even as his mom chastised him. "This is a Thirty-one minute run, and school is twenty-six minutes away. I'm twelve minutes into the run so that means I have..." He did a brief calculation in his head. "Thirteen extra minutes. It's fine, Mom."

His mom furrowed her brow. "Well, then let's hope you can find your sister's ribbon in those thirteen extra minutes of yours."

"H-huh?" Ryuuto gave his mom a flabbergasted expression.

"It's Sayo's first day of Middle School and I want you to with her."

"Ah, geez, but... fine..." With a sigh, Ryuuto turned off his game. He certainly wasn't a doting sibling, but he did at least do the bear minimum of what a big brother should do for his sister. Even if she was annoying. He pushed open his sister's door to begin the fetch quest and saw Sayo tossing her things all about her room, looking for her ribbon. "Gah, Sayo, stop throwing things. You'll just make it harder to find."

"But I know I put it right here so I wouldn't lose it! It doesn't make any sense!"

Ryuuto looked to his right and saw a ribbon hanging off of her dresser. "Found it," he said in a deadpan voice.

Sayo scrambled over to the dresser. "Really!? Thank you so much Onii-chan! That's... that's not my lucky ribbon."

Ryuuto rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Who cares? It's just a stupid ribbon. You have like five of them and they're all the same. Just put it on and lets--" Sayo started to tear up. "Ah, geez. Okay, it's not a stupid ribbon. We'll find it when we get home, but we're gonna be late. Here..." He took the ribbon and tied it into her hair, a skill he had to learn to abate his sister's incessant nagging. "See? You look just as cute in this one. Now can we please go?"

Sayo looked herself over in the mirror while Ryuuto impatiently tapped his food. "Mmm... Okay. I guess it will do."

With the crisis averted, Ryuuto left the house with his sister, frequently checking his watch. As they walked to the middle school, Sayo bombarded him with questions. What was middle school going to be like? Was it going to be hard? Would he help her with her homework? Ryuuto did his best to reassure her. As annoying as she was, she was still his sister and he cared about her, even if he didn't care about her stupid ribbon. "Don't worry," he said at last. "Part of middle school is learning how to figure things out for yourself. I know you'll do fine and by the end of the year, you'll be the one telling me to stop bugging you." He gave her a pat on the back and smiled as she boldly marched up to the school gates to meet her new friends.

"Whew! Now that that's over..." He checked his watch as he headed to the high school, calculating how much time he had left to get to school and if he had time to get in a quick dungeon on Puzzle and Dragons, when suddenly he was staring up at the sky.

"Oh crap, you ok? Sorry I ran into ya, I'm kinda du-ooooohhhnowhy..."

It took Ryuuto a minute to realize what just happened. "Ugh... crap. What the hell! You should watch where you're... umm... oh... Ryuuto started to snap at the boy, but then the sun was eclipsed as the colossus loomed over him. A cold sweat came over his body. His first thought was that he had just run into some gang's hired muscle, but then he saw the school uniform. What the hell? There definitely wasn't anybody this big in Middle School. Either this guy was new to town, or some kid had one hell of a growth spurt. Then he realized that he was staring. "Oh, uhh, n-no worries, right? S-sorry for bumping into you." Ryuuto laughed nervously, praying to every god he knew that this kid wouldn't rip him in half.

---

He usually wouldn't be wide awake at this early hour. He had always been a night owl for the majority of his lifetime. But now he was forced to discard that lifestyle, whether or not he liked it or not. It was indeed a difficult period to live through, but if discomfort wouldn't kill you, something else would. And so here he was, before most inhabitants of Kurosuoba, wandering through the Internet to kill his time before the clock bell the six chime to signal the new day. After scrambling through the news and some interesting online videos, he eventually came back to his usual website: a place where only intellectuals and curious individuals pass through. It was a website designed as a forum format, where visitors could create a discussion page with any topics of science, and the users there, usually older university students or teachers, but sometimes an outlier like Amari, would try their best to answer them. In recent months, he had already been an active member of the site, and his answers had been quite well-received among the askers.

He was already cleanly dressed for school already. His backpack was already packed and ready. He still had ten minutes to kill before he step into his new world. And what better ways to do that than assisting those in needs.

"For that problem..." He mumbled to himself. "If the function is larger or smaller than a real number, then its integration should also be the same."

He proceeded to put everything he just said into the computer screen. His ten fingers lightly tapped the keys as letters consecutively popped up on the monitor. From time to time, he would be obliged to press a few keys at once, sometimes up to three, which was the only interruption of the smooth movements of his palms. Once he had conveyed the idea, he just needed to put the numbers in display, and everything was done. The guy should be able to finish it after that instruction.

He then went on to solve one more before the bell rang. Six exact hit. Each bell echoed throughout the house and beyond. It was quite an antique clock, ran completely mechanically. But it worked well. Hell, if maintained right, it could even outlive the entire family itself.
Then, he heard a knock on his door.

"It's me."

It's just mom.

"The door's unlocked." He simply replied, as he powered down his laptop.

Opened the door was this young woman, dressed fully in her work attire - a knee length neat skirt and long sleeved shirt, all in black, with silky white braided hair let down to her shoulder. She held a tray with two cups of hot tea brewing white fumes.

"Are you ready for the first day of high school?" She asked as she placed the tray onto his desk, her voice as sweet and patient as ever.

"Yes Kaa-san. You know I already have everything settled last night?" Amari replied

"Even that?" She asked, as her son eyed the floor briefly, a little frowning.

"Yeah, all ready." Then replied.

His mom only nodded with a large smile as she took the cup of tea with her delicate hand, sitting down on an extra chair before sipping it slightly. Amari did the same, but took a large gulp than her.

"Is this ginger?" He asked.

"Yes, you've guessed it. It helps a lot."

A ghost of a smile escaped his lip. Despite the appearance, in recent years, his mother had been in the occupied zone, as the stress of both professional and personal life hitting her all at once. It wasn't easy for everyone to handle. Any weak-minded individual could be driven to the brink of poverty at any given day. Going through all of this by herself was already an achievement of herself. And yet these very small things she still managed to devote the time to provide.

The mother could see it. She placed the cup of tea onto the tray again.

"Don't worry too much about it Amari. If you don't forget your routine, you should be fine."

"No I won't forget it. Thank you, Okaa-san." He replied as he stood up from his chair, his tea finished. "I should be going now."

"Do you need me to give you a ride?" She kindly offered.

Amari stood in thoughts for one moment. "No thanks. This should be good exercise."

"Enjoy your day then!" She waved him goodbye as he left his room, and the house in general.

---

The school was rather not that near. It can take a walker thirty minutes, and a biker ten to fifteen. But Fujioka was the only place that accepts him now. Unforeseen circumstances really was a cruel thing. But as a common walker like him, it should not be a problem. While on the trail to his new second home, the man's thought wandered the questions. High school huh? Would it be hard? Would he make it through. Probably. People usually quotes Amari's unusually bright mind as a math student as assurance, and they did have a point. You wouldn't see a pool of knowledge like him even in university level. But they still didn't address fully. His bulb in other subjects were just as common as a normal high schooler, sometimes even dimmer.

Well, as his reputation goes, it shouldn't be a problem. But then what about friends. Friends...It struck a bad chord. Just like a mathematical equation, when the number went irrational, it became almost unbearable to calculate by hand. He hadn't bothered reconnecting with any of his old friends after that incident. Well almost any. He just plainly didn't care about them anymore. They didn't even give a damn when he was away. Perhaps the only one who dis was Ryuuto. And he was probably the only one. Now that he was in context, where did that guy go anyway? Amari was pretty sure with that straight A record, he'd be transferring to a gifted school or something in some large cities. But just as the thought passed his mind...

"Wait, is that?" He briefly saw this silhouette of a figure. "Ryuuto?"

The guy didn't hear him from the distance of course, as he turned the corner. Amari found his sight slightly hard to believe. His strides widened. Nearly running to the corner of the street, the confirmation was indeed surprising. It was him...

And to an even greater surprise, he was lying flat on the ground, facing a tower of a person.

"Ryuuto?" Amari asked, before turning his eyes over to the Goliath in front of him. "I'm sorry, do you guys need any help?"

@Raging Fenrir@Rabidporcupine

---

"Ugh, I can't believe this mother of ours," Egusa Midori complained to her older brother, Egusa Atsumori, as they walked down the street, "Everyone else would probably be asleep by now, and here we are having practically been kicked out of the house!"

"Hey, come on now; you know what she's like," Atsumori replied, "She never did want anyone lounging around the house."

"So what(?), that's supposed to give her the right to throw us out, is it?" Midori sneered.

"Apparently," as he shrugged his shoulders, Atsumori breathed a heavy sigh, "It's just as much a pain in the ass for all of us, alright? There's nothing you can really do that isn't called sucking it up a little."

...

As little as she wanted to, Midori had to admit that her older brother was right. Living with Egusa Murasaki was most painful for Midori herself, true, but their constant feuds with each other were also taking their toll on the youngest of the family, Egusa Emiko. And Atsumori was always the one that had to ensure that such feuds were kept under control. No doubt that aspect would put a lot of stress on him too. In any case, Midori and Atsumori were approaching a convenience store, which gave the former a chance to kill some time.

"Hey um, Atsumori?" asked Midori, pulling out some cash and handing it out to the guy in question, "Can you get a few things for me?"

"Yeah alright, fine," replied Atsumori as he took the money, "I'll just go in, grab some smokes, get your stuff, buy a few more things for Dad's visit and... crap, now that I think about, we never figured out where he was gonna stay..."

"I know a place we can try," suggested Midori. Atsumori seemed to be in thought for a moment, but then suddenly...

"We'll come back to it," he said, "I'll be right back,"

With that, Atsumori went intp the store, while Midori stood right outside and waited, watching the other people pass her by on their way to wherever they needed to be that particular morning. Suddenly, Midori caught sight of a familiar brown-haired girl, who was riding her bike in this direction. Midori could never remember the girl's name, but she did know that she and her mother worked at the ryokan that she'd always pay a visit to, and even spent a night in on several occasions. If Midori could catch up with the girl, she could ask if there was a spare room available at the ryokan in question. It was most definitely worth a shot.

"H-hey! Hold up!" Midori waved her arms in the air as she said this, hoping she'd managed to capture the girl's attention, and that she didn't wind up braking too far away from her. She was not going to run half-way down the footpath just to stop and chat.

@Raging Fenrir@Conscripts

---

"Oh nah!" Ren said, waving his hands in surprised denial at the fact that the other guy was apologising. "Weren't your fault, I jus' wasn' watchin' where I was goin'! Here, lemme give you a hand."

Without even waiting for a response, he grabbed the kid by both shoulders and lifted him back up to his feet with surprising ease. It was only when he stepped back from this that he noticed the boys uniform.

"Oh hey! You're goin' to Fujioka too, huh? Wonder if we're in the same cla-"

However, before he could keep speaking, he heard another voice, and turned to see another boy running up to him.

"Oh, hey!" He said, laughing nervously."I think so. Well, I hope so, at least. I'd hate to accidentally hurt anyone on my first day."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, before turning back to look at the newly named Ryuuto.

"Still, seems like you're made a' some pretty strong stuff!" He said with a chuckle, this one a little less nervous. "I must've been running full speed back there, but you're talking' fine like nuthin' even happened!"

And then he backed away slightly so he could speak to both of them.

"Anyway, I guess we're gonna be seein' a good amount've each other over the next few years, so 's nice to meetcha both!" He said, trademark slightly too big smile on his face. "Name's Igarashi Renzo, but you guys can jus' call me Ren! Hope ya don' hate me too much for knockin' ya over that we can't be friends!"

---

Arata woke up to the sound of his phone's alarm, the first time he'd heard the song was when he flicked on the TV and it was at the end of an anime, it was then he'd decided it'd be a great alarm. Now, nearly a month later, he was regretting it. He turned off the alarm and got up, he went out into the kitchen and found a small bread bun, with a note. It was from his parents, the bread was a gift for starting the school year. He thought it was a pretty lousy gift, until he bit into it, it was absolutely delicious.

He wolfed the bread down, whilst watching something on TV, he barely paid attention to it, as he was stressing slightly. He went for a quick shower and dried himself off. He brushed his teeth and carefully inspected them in the bathroom mirror, making sure even they were presentable. He flung his uniform on, he looked at himself in the mirror. He inspected everything, was he too tall? He had thought that as he'd grown a few inches this last year and he was no longer the small one. Was his hair just a little too long? He'd only gotten it cut last week. He spent so long worrying about his appearance he had lost track of time and now it was already 6:30.

Panicked Arata ran into his room, quickly checking everything was in his beg, then he ran to the front of the house and put on his trainers. He locked the door behind him and put his key away. He quickly got his phone up 6:42. He had to be there at 7, so he could be one of the first, he couldn't be left out this year, no one he knew was going here so he had to make friends straight away or he'd be alone. He set off running, if he ran he could be there in just under 15 minutes. So he ran as fast as he could.

He arrived, it was 6:54. He'd done it, he was exhausted, just outside the gates. He looked around at the sheer amount of people already at the gates, some were even conversing. Arata breathed out, a sigh of relief and of tiredness.

In what was otherwise darkness, a small box cast a dim, red glow upon a small mountain of blankets, comforters, pillows, stuffed animals, and slightly used clothes. The box, as harmless as it may seem, held a deep loathing for the mountain. It yearned for the carefree existence of the Mountain, unbeholden to dates or times. Yet fate had other plans for the poor light, who was tasked with watching the mountain, carefully, until…

Yes. The box quivered with anticipation. It was almost time…

The strange symbols upon the small box shifted and all at once, the dim light grew stronger and it let loose a loud, high screech. It followed this twice more before catching a small rest. Then, it was time to screech again.

The Mountain stirred. The box had succeeded! Maybe now it could finally pursue it’s dreams? Perhaps now it could - oh no. From underneath the Mountain shot out a pale, fleshy arm. It came straight for the box who, despite its best attempt, was immobilized with fear. All it could do was screech again. This only angered the Beast Beneath the Mountain. The arm flailed about, crashing down all around the box.

For a brief moment, the box considered going completely silent. Perhaps then it could trick the Beast into thinking it had fled? Then it could live! It could...no. The box had been given a task. It was given purpose. As much as the box wanted so desperately to fight against it, the box was powerless against fate. And so it screeched. Once. Twice. And before the third could echo out from the box’s strangely powerful speaker, the Beast struck it from above. Dazed and confused, the box found itself unable to scream. The Beast struck it once more and the box finally came to terms with the inevitable...it was going to die.

But...then again...we all have to die sometime...right?

The box had no time to even muse over its final thought before the Beast spread its fingers over the top and flick a switch, causing the box to go dark as well as silent.

The Beast’s arm went limp as it slid off the box, striking the wood of the nightstand before finally coming to rest dangling off the side of the bed. For it moment, it seemed as if the Beast would stir no more...but finally the Mountain began to rise, with parts of it tumbling aside.

Itou Yuuki sat upright in her bed and let out an exaggerated yawn, throwing her arms out to either side and twisting her spine in such a way as to get an oh-so-satisfying pop from most of her joints. Casting off the lingering remnants of sleep, Yuuki scooted her way to the edge of her bed.

Beside the bed sat the girl’s wheelchair, facing the bed at an angle. She pushed on the armrest to test whether or not the brake was set and when she was satisfied that it was, she transferred herself onto the chair. With that chore done, the girl was free to flip on the light, gather her clothes and towel, and head off to the bathroom, and go through the rest of her morning routine.

“Morning, kiddo. Hurry up and get ready; breakfast is almost done.” her father’s gruff voice rumbled from the kitchen as she rolled by. Yuuki answered with complete and utter gibberish. Hiroshi nodded at his daughter’s sagely wisdom. “Good point. I WILL have another strip of bacon.”

“Meat is murder.” Yuuki slurred in English as she wheeled her way into the bathroom and closed the door.

“Well, murder is delicious.” Hiroshi fired back as he added another strip to the pan. When he heard the sound of the shower starting, the father grinned. Honestly, when Yuuki had just out of the blue claimed that she was “done with meat” a few months ago, he figured that it would only last a couple days, maybe a week or two at the most before she broke. Yet here they were.

“Stubborn brat.” he muttered as he flipped the girl’s pancake. “Definitely didn’t get that from me. No sir.”

A short while later, the bathroom door opened once more and out rolled a much fresher and much more alert Yuuki ready to take on the day.

Grrrwwww…

After some breakfast.

She began to roll down the hall towards her room, but when she saw that her father had already set out the table and food, she couldn’t help but stop right in the perfect spot to block his view of the television.

“Tousan…” she called out, feigning concern.

“Hmm?”

“You’re going bald.” she lied. Hiroshi’s jaw about hit the floor. He wasn’t really, but the look on his face in the moment was priceless.

“Whaaa?” he replied, dumbstruck, scrambling to his feet and hurrying off to the bathroom. Snickering, Yuuki made her way into her room. Inside, she pulled her chair back up against the bed and grabbed her legs which had been leaning up against the nightstand. She placed them on the bed then opened her nightstand exposing her collection of socks. It was about this time that Yuuki heard her father chaining together a string of profanity that would make a sailor blush. The girl simply giggled and slid the sheaths over her residual limbs. Then came the sock, the liner, the actual leg itself, then finally the sleeve. Once both legs were fully secure, Yuuki locked her chair and pushed herself up. For a moment, she thought she would topple forward, but her legs locked and she was steady. Even after a couple years of using them, she still wasn’t used to that feeling. She trusted that her legs would hold but...there would always be that uneasiness, she supposed.

Yuuki exited her room once again and immediately saw her father grinning at her from the table. Uh-oh. Before she said anything, she scanned the table…

No pancake.

Her eyes widened and pancake panic flooded the girl. She finally met his gaze and it was all she could do to mouth the word ‘no’.

Hiroshi donned his best Big Bad Wolf grin and leaned back, patting his tummy.

Yuuki’s eye narrowed. “You’ve gone too far this time, Ojisan…” she muttered as she trotted down the hall towards the kitchen, keeping her gaze locked on him the entire time.

“Oh yeah?” Hiroshi replied chuckling. “And what are you going to do about it, Obaachan?”

When she didn’t reply, he found himself amused. When he heard the fridge crack, he got concerned.

“Err...?” he started. When the girl appeared around the corner again holding a can, it was Hiroshi’s turn to utter a helpless “no.”

Yuuki replied by mouthing “Oh yeah.”

“But...but you don’t even LIKE coffee!” he muttered, staring at the precious can.

“I like justice.” the defiant daughter fired back, hovering a hand over the tab.

“You wouldn’t.”

No sooner did the words leave the frightened father did the sound of a tab popping flood the room.

“Watch me.” she offered before bringing the can to her lips and throwing it back. Yuuki killed off half the can before she had to stop. “Yuuuck.” she complained. Her father’s head dropped as he whined.

“That was my last caaan...and you didn’t even enjoy it, you little brat.”

“It’s not my fault! You ate my pancake!”

“Check the bookshelf.” he muttered, pointing a limp arm towards the smallish bookshelf in the corner of the room.

Confused, Yuuki glanced over - and immediately saw her little golden trophy sitting neatly upon an otherwise empty shelf. “Ohh…” Turning back to her father, Yuuki offered him her most sheepish grin. “W-would you want the rest of this?”

Hiroshi shot the girl his best ‘I-can’t-believe-you’re-my-daughter’ look which got another uneasy laugh from her. She strolled over to pick up her pancake plate and then made her way to the table in the center of the room. Placing both down by the utensils and glass of juice laid out for her, Yuuki pulled out her chair opposite her father and slid into it.

She then attacked the pancake.

Hiroshi sighed then sat back up, a genuine smile on his face now. He reached over and grabbed the can of coffee. “Better hope there’s no backwash, brat.” Yuuki repeated the same thing in mocking tone. And, after a moment, they both laughed.

With a mood settling down, the father regarded his child with a weary gaze. “So...excited yet?” he asked, taking a sip from the tainted can.

“Mmm...” Yuuki considered it while sipping from her juice, then shrugged before cutting into her pancake. “Guess so.” And after a moment, “How was work?” was asked before a healthy sized pancake bite was shoved into her mouth.

“Long.” the man shrugged. Yuuki could tell by his face that he was exhausted. Working all night then staying up to make her breakfast? He was pushing himself way too hard. Of course, saying that would do jack-all to make him take it easy. Her father was a stubborn old man, alright. She was just glad that SHE didn’t end up as stubborn as he was.

“You want me to walk you to school today?” he asked, but Yuuki quickly refused, speeding up her chewing so that she could explain.

“You’re fine. I was going to walk with Kaede-kun. You should get some rest.” she finally managed to spit out.

Hiroshi scoffed, puffing out his chest. “‘Kaede-kun’, eh? Well, just remind ‘Kaede-kun’ that if he tries anything funny...I’ll kill him.”

Yuuki rolled her eyes. “Really, Tousan? You’re worried about Kaede-kun trying something?”

“...no...but I never get to threaten your friends.” Hiroshi whined, deflating.

Having finished most of her pancake, Yuuki dropped her utensils onto the plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Sorry. I’ll work on getting some sketchy friends with bad intentions this year.” She said earnestly as she got out of her chair and carried her dishes to the sink.

“You better.” Hiroshi muttered as his daughter passed back by, this time heading back into her room for her bag. When she finally emerged for the last time, the exhausted laborer wished her a good day and out the door she went.

His little girl was growing up.

It took everything in Hiroshi to not break down crying right then and there.

---

Five.

Kaede glanced at the dull blue hazy numbers again just to be double sure.

Five.

He sighed and attempted to find a more comfortable position. No luck. He tried closing his eyes. Surely he could will himself to sleep?

After what seemed like an eternity, Kaede opened one eye and hesitantly glanced once more at the clock.

Five-oh-one.

Kaede groaned and threw off his covers. Sleep was a lost cause. That was fine. He reached over and turned off his alarm before rising to his feet. Crossing the dark room, Kaede eventually came to the light switch. He flipped it then left the room.

Heading down the hall towards the kitchen, Kaede could hear the distinct rumbling of Ojii snoring. It would be pretty early for either of the oldies to be awake. Well...maybe not Obaa. The woman was nocturnal...but he hadn’t seen her yet. Oh well.

In the kitchen, Kaede readied the coffee maker and put in some grounds. Once that was going, Kaede felt the urge hit him, so he headed back to his room. Once inside, he opened a lower drawer on his dresser and underneath a pair of underwear was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. The boy took the lighter and a single cigarette and headed outside. He was careful not to be too loud. Wouldn’t want to wake anyway.

The air outside was cold. It cut into his bare chest and exposed legs. He considered, for a moment, heading back inside for a shirt or some pants but...well he was already lit the cigarette. He took a drag and leaned on the half wall opposite his door. There was one more apartment to his left, then four more to his right. The building went up two floors as well, so there plenty of space for people...but…

Kaede knew that most of the apartments were empty. They weren’t exactly the nicest apartments in the world. His grandparents only stayed in them because they were handicap accessible. With their advanced ages, it helped. Ojiisan couldn’t make it up and down stairs all day. Kaede frowned for a moment.

Too dark. Brighten it up.

He took another drag. In smooth. Out smooth. He couldn’t sleep well. Not that he ever could, but last night was particularly rough. He was super excited. And nervous. But mostly excited. Yet still nervous.

The cigarettes helped. A bit. They killed some stress, so that was nice. Definitely not good for him, and he’d probably be in a ton of trouble if he was caught but...still worth. He glanced around the complex. It was still super early, so it was highly unlikely that anyone would be around just yet...although…

Kaede got a weird feeling. He was forgetting about something. He started to ignore it, but it wouldn’t go away. So he put out the cigarette on the outer side of the half wall. Just before he turned to go back inside, he saw a figure appear around the next building down the road. It was heading towards the complex. It took Kaede a minute, but then it hit him: Itou-san next door would just be getting home around this time. Kaede knew that, of course, but...well he was just glad he had listened to his gut on this one. Itou-san was a cool guy but, he’d definitely say something if he had caught him.

Not wanting to risk any awkward interactions like “Heya, Ishikawa-san, why are you out here naked?”, Kaede went back inside. He could smell the coffee brewing and decided to use this time to go ahead with a shower.

With a quick pitstop in his room to get his clothes, Kaede headed off to go through his morning routine: shit, step on the scale, angst at the scale, cry in the shower, angst in the mirror for a bit, resist the urge to pluck the eyebrows away, resist the urge to cake on literally all the make-up to hide every single flaw, angst at said flaws in the mirror for another bit, angst at the stupid school rules on makeup usage, vigorously brush and floss teeth, angst over imperfections in teeth after vigorously brushing and flossing, mess with hair to get it to sit just right, angst at hair when it just won’t sit right, tie tie, untie tie, tie tie again, untie tie again, retie tie once more, angst at tie, give up and just throw the rest of the clothes on.

Finally, with his short morning ritual complete, Kaede stepped out of the bathroom a new man. His first act as new Kaede was obvious: drown himself in coffee.

After downing a cup Kaede sat it in the sink. Before he stepped away, however, he glanced around. Still no Obaasan. He waited a moment. Two. Then, when he was satisfied that she wasn’t coming, he opened a cabinet and pulled out a bowl. He inspected it, then put it in the sink with the cup. He then grabbed a spoon from the drawer and added it to the mix. He gave another glance around to see if the coast is clear.

It was.

Satisfied again, Kaede turned the water on and rinsed the three. After a few moments of the water running, he grabbed the dish soap and got the water nice and sudsy. He then grabbed a sponge and slowly scrubbed and washed everything. Once he was done, Kaede laid out a large dishrag and placed the bowl, spoon, and mug out on it to dry after wiping them with yet another rag.

There.

With all of that done, Kaede returned to his room to finish packing up and getting everything ready for school.

---

After awhile, Kaede left his room, bag in tow. He headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water for the go. When he got there though, Obaa was cooking away. She offered up a good morning before turning to see who it was. Upon seeing her grandson, however, she beamed.

“Oh my...looking handsome as ever, my dear. Come, take a seat. Let ol’ Obaa whip you up a nice hearty breakfast before school, eh?” she cooed. Kaede smiled. She really was a kind woman. Kaede loved her and Ojiisan dearly.

“Good morning, Obaa! And thanks, but I’ve got to get going. I promised Yuuki-chan that I’d walk with her today.”

“Bah! Nonsense. School’s just down the road. You’ve got plenty of time. Don’tcha try to skip out on Obaa’s cooking. I fed a family of six for decades and not a single one of them ever complained.” the older woman boasted, throwing her shoulders back and chin up in a sort of Superwoman pose.

Kaede laughed. “You’re a great cook. But…” he trailed off as he gestured towards the drying dinnerware. “And besides, she’s got that whole ‘no-legs’ thing going on, so she’s kinda slow.” Obaa regarded him with her all-knowing grandmother’s eyes that could see through any and all lies.

“Oh...I see...Obaa sees now. Flattery won’t save you, my boy...you just wanna blow off your own dear Obaa to go spend time with your little girlfriend. Don’t have any time for dear, sweet Obaa anymore” she ribbed kindly.

“She’s not my girlfriend. Just a friend. Who’s a girl. Friendgirl.” Kaede corrected, but Obaa just laughed.

“Mmhmm, suuuure...fine, fine, you may go. Who am I to stand in the way of young love?” Obaa chuckled. She obviously wasn’t convinced but...eh, what can you do? “But, y’know, you CAN invite your little girlfriend over for a meal sometime. I know Ojii and I would just love to have her.”

Kaede shook his head. It was hopeless. “Still not my girlfriend. Friendgirl. There’s a difference.” He protested, scooting past his elder. “But I’ll pass along the offer.” Having grabbed his bottle of water, Kaede took a quick swig and passed Obaa again.

“I’ll see you later. Tell Ojii good morning for me, okay?”

“Alright, dear. Have a good day.”

And with that, Kaede headed down the hall and out the door.

Obaa simply watched him go, holding the bowl in her hands.

---

By the time Yuuki had left her home, Kaede was already down by the street, having another smoke. She had noticed the smoke rising from him pretty quickly. She sighed. What a dumbass.

Kaede heard her when she got fairly close. He turned and waved, cigarette hanging loosely out of his mouth. Yuuki shook her head and did a goofy, exaggerated march up to the young lad. She couldn't help but notice how tired he looked. More so than usual anyway. And he was a bit on the pale side - perhaps he was coming down with something?

Or maybe this was just how Kaede always looked when he wasn't completely glammed out. She couldn't think of a single time over the entire break that she saw him not wearing makeup, now that she thought about it. Huh.

Oh well.

“Those things will kill you, y’know.” she said all matter-of-factly.

“Here’s hoping. Want one?” he offered, holding the pack towards her with a stick already extended.

“Definitely.” the girl accepted, holding the cigarette up to her lips while Kaede lit it.

“Your Dad would kill you if he found out about this. And me. Just saying.” warned Kaede as he put the lighter away and took a drag.

“Here’s hoping.” Yuuki spit back.

For a few moments the two silently enjoyed their smoke break. They were childhood friends, having known each other since they were practically in diapers. Yuuki’s family had pretty much always lived in the little apartment complex, granted they used to be a bit higher up and had a much bigger apartment. And Kaede...well, Obaa and Ojii did more than their fair share of babysitting.

After a few more minutes of smoking and bullshitting, some smoke went down the wrong way in Yuuki, causing the girl to hack up a lung.

“Err...you good? Should I call the paramedics?”

“No, I’m-” Yuuki paused to get some coughing done. “I’m oka-” More coughing. “I’ll be-” Even more coughing.

The girl stopped for a moment to catch her breath, while Kaede laughed himself out of breath.

“Okay...Okay I’m good.” she managed to spit out in between wheezing.

“You good? Kaede asked again, catching his own breath.

“I’m good.” Yuuki tossed the remains of her cigarette to the curb and Kaede stomped it out for her.

“Because I’m pretty sure I could still call those paramedics if you need them.” he teased, taking one last drag on his own cigarette before tossing and stomping it out.

“DNR, bitch.” Yuuki fired, taking off down the sidewalk in the general direction of the school.

“Pfft.” Kaede scoffed and then let out a short cough.. “Shove your DNR. I’m not letting my best friend die, Cyborg.” he claimed as he caught up with her and matched her speed.

“Aww...does that mean that you would give me CPR?” Yuuki cooed.

“And catch your girl cooties? Pfft no. Not happening” Kaede scoffed, throwing his hands behind his head. “I was going to say that I wouldn’t let my best friend die without getting her some hot paramedic action. ”

“Wow. That might just be the sweetest thing anybody has ever said to me. You really are the greatest friend a girl could have, Kaede.” Yuuki replied, practically oozing sarcasm.

“Aren’t I?” he smirked. Yuuki gave him a playful shove and the two shared a laugh.

---

In a surprise to both of them, Yuuki and Kaede somehow managed to get to Fujioka before the gates opened. They had made some decent time all things considered. Granted, it wasn’t all that far of a walk, but Yuuki had actually held her own. Kaede couldn’t help but be a little proud of his waddling friend.

When they got there, there was already a good amount of people standing at the gates. There were quite a few unfamiliar faces in the crowd, but both Yuuki and Kaede thought they had saw a couple that they recognized.

“I hope we end up in the same class this year.” Yuuki muttered.

Kaede nodded but wasn’t about to hold his breath. When it came to academics, Yuuki smoked him. She was actually pretty smart...when she actually applied herself. But she was pretty lazy, so it was really in the air whether or not that would happen. And he…

Well, Kaede wouldn’t exactly call himself stupid, but academics were not his strong suit. He’d put in the hours studying no problem but tests…

He shuddered, earning a weird look from both Yuuki and a couple of students who were having a conversation nearby. When he noticed, he gave the unfamiliar students a big, cheesy grin. They promptly relocated. It was understandable, really.

Oh well. Kaede was a pretty hopeful guy. Maybe some sort of miracle could happen. He really would like to be with his friend this year...or really any of his friends - if they came to Fujioka that is. It was getting kind of old starting over nearly every year.

A little consistency would be nice.

“We'll see, I guess.” he muttered, hugging himself tightly. Now that they weren't talking anymore, the cold was starting to bite. The gates would be open soon enough.

They had to be.

---

Tsubasa lazily stirred on her bed, woken by the sound of an idol song playing from her alarm clock at full blast. Like most things in her room, it was a tacky overload of bright colors, hearts, and anime characters. Her hand gently groped around the surface of her night stand, in no particular hurry to face the real world. Suddenly, her whole body froze.

Kazuto! Takizawa Kazuto! The cousin that she now lived with, the one her parents had spent the better part of a month comparing her to. It seemed that she couldn´t go five minutes without some behavior of hers being scrutinized because of him. Tsubasa´s first day of school hung ahead of her, and she was determined to stop their antics right in their tracks! Today… they’ll all see how much I’ve changed! They’ll see just what a cute idol girl can really do when she’s mature! Tsubasa realized that a stuffed animal had fallen on the ground, making her pick it up in a panic. "Oh no! Kirakira-chan!"

Tsubasa hopped out of bed while brainstorming of all the possible things she could do to leave an amazing first impression. The sound of a rumbling stomach cut what little progress she had made short, however, and she had settled on just wearing her uniform to breakfast. Someone with such overly messy tendencies couldn´t afford such a huge risk, yet her optimism blinded any trace of rationality. There was a lot left to do to get ready, with her unkempt hair being the most notable example, but just this was enough for her to feel satisfied. And so began her proud stomping towards the kitchen.

“Good morning Kazuto-chan.” she said. The natural energy of her voice was being masked by feminine grace taken from magazines and used with a severe lack of social awareness. She turned to her mom, who was making breakfast with a speed that only someone with years of experience was able to reach. “Good morning mom.”

She immediately stopped in her tracks, caught off guard by how normal her daughter was behaving. It was an unnerving experience. Was Tsubasa in the middle of doing something stupid again? “Uh huh. Good morning… Tsubasa.” Her daughter already had her uniform on. Strange. “Well she’s finally here now, so you can eat, Kazuto.”

Their breakfast was simple and traditional, consisting of white rice and salmon with miso soup. Tsubasa grimaced at the thought of a breakfast that wasn´t an omelet drowned in ketchup or even just toast. She shoved a clump of white rice into her mouth with determination, all in an attempt to keep the charade going. Being an adult is all about suffering! I can do this! The chewing movements that her mouth made reached a crescendo of speed before forcefully slowing down. A mature and proper girl wouldn't eat like this, no!

Her mother squinted at her in suspicion with a power that could have torn through metal. This sort of dynamic between a mother and her daughter must have been odd to witness, no doubt.

Umezawa Haruka

It was 5:30 AM, and while most of her fellow students were either fast asleep or shambling around like zombies, Haruka was out in the cool morning air getting in her daily exercise. First day of school or not, she wasn't about to skip on her daily run. With headphones in her ears and her loose hoodie bouncing with every stride, Haruka's feet lightly sprung off the pavement in a clean, even rhythm. It was just a one-mile run today, as she didn't want to tire herself out for school, but it got her blood pumping and there was no better feeling than that. She checked her watch as she came up to her house again. "Whew. Eight minutes. Not bad..." But it wasn't great either, in her eyes. When her sister graduated, she was running six-minute miles. She stretched and took a breath, trying not to let it get to her. She had three years to shave off those two minutes. Still had time to get there.

She headed inside and heard her parents shuffling around. Her mom was making breakfast and her dad was getting ready to leave for work. "There you are, kiddo!" her father said, greeting her with a big head and a loving hair ruffle. Haruka squeezed back as hard as she could. They didn't have a lot of time together between Haruka's practice and her father's work, but if all they had time for was one hug, she was gonna make it the most intense hug in the world. Her father laughed and released her "You trying to put your old man on disability? Haha. Have a good day at school."

"I will, dad. Love ya!" And with that Haruka got herself washed and dressed for school. She fussed with her uniform a bit, wondering why the collar looked crooked, but then said, "Ah, screw it. Uniforms are stupid anyway." She gave her cheeks a brisk slap. "Yoshi! Time to kick some ass!" She headed back to the kitchen and wolfed down some rice and miso soup.

Here mother chuckled as she watched Haruka practically inhale her food. "Careful, dear. It's still hot."

"Not as hot... as the fire... in my soul," Haruka replied between mouthfulls of rice. She slurped down the rest of her soup and let out a satisfied sigh. "Ahh... Itadakimasu!"

Haruka's mother rolled her eyes. "Do you do that on purpose, or did I really raise such an ill-mannered child?"

Haruka already had her bag slung over her shoulder and was halfway out the door. "Sorry, gotta go. Don't wanna be late on my first day. Love ya, Mom!" Her mother probably called something back, but she was already out the door.

Many students were nervous or apprehensive about the transition to high school, but Haruka was psyched up. She couldn't wait to meet new friends, see her old friends again, and kick some ass on the volleyball team. With her and Mitsuko, they were sure to do well. If the sleepy little town of Kurosuoba would be known for one thing, it would be Fujioka Senior High's undefeated volleyball team and its star player: Umezawa Haruka. She wondered for a bit who else would be on the team with her, but she supposed she'd find out once tryouts came. All she could do now was head to those gates and see who she crossed paths with. She hummed an off-tune melody to herself as she walked to the school at a brisk pace, keeping an eye out for any other Fujioka uniforms.



The goliath put his hands on Ryuuto, and for a moment the boy thought, "So, this is where I die..." However, Ryuuto soon found himself lifted to his feet and the monster that could have easily ripped him in half began to apologize profusely. Ryuuto blinked a few times, unsure how to react to this unexpected development, but then he let out a sigh of relief. Thank the gods, this kid was actually a nice guy! "Hey, umm, it's nothing. Like you said it's just an accident." Renzo seemed rather impressed that Ryuuto was fine, but if anything the fact that he had offered so little resistance probably saved him from a worse fall. "Oh, I'm not that tough. Just a little springy, I guess." Ryuuto chuckled a bit, finding himself uplifted by this boy's high spirits. He seemed like a bit of an oaf, but definitely a lovable one. "No reason we can't be friends," Ryuuto continued, brushing himself off. "I'm Orihara Ryuuto. 'Ren' seems a bit familiar, though, given that we just met, don't you think? I'll just call you Igarashi-san for now."

Then he looked over and saw a familiar face coming to his aid. "Oh, Hatsu. Good to see you. Everything's fine, just the two of us being a bit clumsy I guess. Thanks for asking, though." He turned back to Renzo. "Igarashi-san, this is my friend Hatsu Amari. He's a master of all things mathematical, and is probably the only person in Kurosuoba who can beat me on a math test. If we're classmates, then your chances of getting top marks are non-existent." Ryuuto didn't mean that as an insult, or even a challenge really. To him it was just a fact that Hatsu would always have top marks in math, and he would have the best overall scores himself.

Ryuuto checked his watch again. "Crap, we should really get going." He looked over at Hatsu. "Hope we're in the same class. It'd be nice having a no-stress partner for assignments."

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Interactions: Ishihara, Miyuki @ES

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It had been an uneventful third of an hour of treading until he had reached his destination. Designated by the cherry blossom trees in full bloom brought forth by the season of spring, lies the high school institution that Juno would attend. The school itself wasn't as towering as he'd hoped, by account of comparison to other renowned high schools he'd seen on television. Then again, the town of Kurosuoba had this boondocks facet for as long as he was aware. The gate was still closed, just as expected due to being early. The number of students have been rapidly increasing, congregating in droves toward the front of the entrance.

He stood at the side as the noise accumulated, either from two familiar parties seeing each other and having a reunion, or strangers initiating small talk to the adjacent person. A bit irritated at the unnecessary yelling, Juno checked through his phone once more, setting up his alarm. "Okay... Guess this settles my daily morning schedule then... Ugh. For the love of God, pipe down..." While the jolliness of youth couldn't be helped, it was still annoying as hell. "..." Then he remembered. He was pretty much like this back then. It had already been a while, but he used to be an extroverted young man enjoying his salad days, making friends; no different from the people he's scoffing at right now. Where did the years go?

Turning his back on the noise and returning the phone on his pocket, Juno's eyes were locked with another. A familiar face. It would be hard to forget about her considering the number of times they've encountered each other. She approached him, complete with a gentle formality that he was used to back on the store, but not here.

"Uh... Y-yeah. Morning to you too." His response was half-baked, if only due to his surprise. Then silence made its rounds, between them at least. He wasn't quite sure what to say next. Forcing a smile, rubbing his head and averting his gaze from her, he continued. "... Didn't think I'd end up seeing you here, Ishihara-san." Fair enough, that's certainly one way to break the ice.

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Ichika hummed rather happily to herself, her waves flourishing with a gorgeous sheen long perfected. Her own uniform was neat and crisp, though she did miss her old school's uniform. Still, new experiences were always exciting, so she really couldn't help her current peppiness. She liked meeting new people, but she couldn't deny she was feeling some first day jitters. She eyed Shiori carefully, noticing how the girl only stared ahead even as they passed a few others with the uniform. Despite not knowing anyone, Ichika ended up waving at some of them. It's always ideal to leave a good first impression, some of them may as well end up as classmates.

Once they reached the gate, Ichika was surprised at how many students had already gathered around. Some were just standing around, waiting, others were chatting with friends. After about a minute, she looked at Shiori again, who seemed okay with just waiting. It struck her as just a little odd. This was usually the time to catch up with friends you hadn't seen in a while. Ichika didn't know anyone, but she expected Shiori to greet someone.

"Aren't you going to greet some of your friends?" Ichika asked.

Shiori gave her a somewhat confused look, though it returned back to its usual neutrality. "I don't have any," She replied.

Her jaw dropped. As she looked around, however, she did notice just a few people casting a somewhat nervous glance at Shiori. "For someone with no friends, you're getting attention, anyway," Ichika said, frowning.

"It happens."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because...?"

Shiori finally looked right at Ichika, somewhat annoyed. "Because people are annoying. Go ask them yourself if it's such a big deal," She said.

Ichika hesitated, though she supposed Shiori had a point. So she just stood with her, looking around at the unfamiliar faces. As her eyes scanned the slowly growing crowd around them, one face actually looked familiar. She squinted at the youthful-looking boy, trying to see why his face was one she recognized. He was talking to a blue haired girl, though it hit her. That guy was Shiori's coworker! Except she had completely forgotten his name.

Tugging on Shiori's sleeve, Ichika pointed him out to her. "Isn't that...that guy? From the store?" She asked her.

Shiori followed Ichika's arm and spotted Juno speaking to Miyuki. "That's Tatsujin talking to Ishihara. Yeah, we work together," Shiori gave her that much.

Ichika pouted, taking Shiori by the arm. "Let's go say hi!" She insisted, dragging Shiori with her.

"What--Will you cut that out?!" She retorted, though she was surprised by Ichika's somewhat monstrous strength as she was forcibly pulled along.

"Tatsujin-kun! Ishihara-san!" Ichika called out as the pair approached the two, happily grinning despite Shiori's rather grumpy expression. She released her just as they reached the two, Ichika giving Miyuki a bow. "Good morning! I'm Shimizu Ichika!" She introduced herself cheerfully, nudging Shiori.

The redhead sighed, rolling her eyes as she chose to look at a nearby tree instead. "Morning," She uttered a greeting.