01

“I’m late!!!”, screamed

a young man, about 16 years old with snow white hair that flailed

behind him, as he ran past the hordes of men and women going about

their daily business. It was clear from his larger than normal

strides and the heavy panting through the corner of his mouth that

wasn’t occupied by bread, his breakfast, that he had missed out on

something especially important. “Excuse me! PARDON ME! COMING

THROUGH!”, he yelled as his slid past, with incredible agility and

speed, the myriads of office going pedestrians. He even managed to

save a drink he had accidentally knocked out from the hands of one of

the unfortunate people to have stood in his path. ‘How did I become

this late! I can’t believe I’m still not used to waking up in

time. I wish the ceremony isn’t over yet’, the young man thought

to himself as he jumped over signboards, leapt from car to car to

cross the road and even hitching ride on some of them but the morning

traffic in Amberford is one of the worst in the country, if not the

world.

The young man checked his watch. It was half past 10. He was supposed to

report to his new high school at 9. His new high school. He had no

idea what to expect, it was a new experience for him. He grew up in

the tiny, countryside city of Shizuku. The big city, the crowd, the

size and food, all were new for him. Little did he think a country

boy like himself would get the chance to live in the most desirable

city in the world. He was panting like a mad dog by the time he

finally reached his destination. He looked up at the colossal 10-foot

iron gates in awe as he saw, laid out in beautiful golden letters in

the shape of an arc – AMBERFORD ACADEMY, his new high school.

The gates were made of solid iron. Each stood a good 10-foot high and had

columns inlaid with gold. The magnificence of the structure was

exemplified by the glistening rays of the sun that peaked out of the

branches of the trees that seemed to line the walkway. The

white-haired man took a moment to catch his breath only to lose it

looking at the sheer craftsmanship and splendor of these mammoth

gates. ‘If this is how amazing the front gate looks, what in the

world is in there?’, he thought to himself. Suddenly he realized he

was already running late by a long shot, he didn’t have time to

catch a breath, let alone admire the front gates and its

craftsmanship.

Reaching the front gates was just the beginning. There was a good 20-minute

full speed sprint required to reach the main school building. By the

time he had reached the monumental mega structure, his vision was

blurry from the sweat pouring out of his face. The white stone

edifice stood before him several stories high. There was a

considerably large fountain in front with the pure water glistening

from the sun. vibrant fish that he had never seen before filled the

fountain. It was massive. The building, the area, the scope, the

scale, even the very ground itself exhumed class. ‘You won’t get

to see this kind of luxury out in the country. It’s big enough to

fit 20 of my middle school in there’, he thought to himself. Even

now he hasn’t fully comprehended the depth of the undertaking he

has put himself into. He had written the famous entrance exam hoping

fully well to fail but something within him told him this is the

place where he will find the answers to all his questions.

As he entered the main hall, it looked strangely deserted with nothing

but the whistling of a cold and lonely wind. He looked at the

gigantic electronic bulletin board that was suspended in front of

what appears to be the tachyon electron generator, model at least. It

was one of the greatest contributions to mankind from one of the

greatest minds in the world, a student of this very same academy.

‘WELCOME FRESHERS’ – was written big and bold on the bulletin

board. The pure white walls inlaid with glowing blue power lines that

emitted a faint, but pulsating glow somehow helped him to relax.

“Welcome to Amberford Academy. My name is Artificial Controlled

Intelligent Response Array or ACIRA for short. How may I help you?”,

said a construct of a young woman in the school’s uniform, the AI

in control of the school systems no doubt. “Please wait while I

scan the database for your ID”, she said. Within a blink of his eye

ACIRA was done. “Welcome, Kioku Tatsugaya-san. You are currently

late for your initiation ceremony. Your colleagues are already in

your class. Follow me if you will and I will escort you”, said

ACIRA and a green line appeared leading up to the grand staircase.

Kioku followed the line as the AI followed right behind him.

It took him a while, meandering through countless hallways and stairways

until his destination was within his sights – Class 1-1. He came to

a sudden stop slightly losing his balance in the process. He steadied

himself and finally opened the door.

The hall was huge. It wasn’t a surprise by this point. Everything in

this academy was supersized. ‘Is this how high school should be?’,

he thought to himself. On one wall was an incredible white screen

spanning the length of it. The seats for the students were arranged

in a stepped-up cascade design. Kioku could barely see the last row.

There was enough space to fit a hundred students in there and about

every seat was filled. Kioku still couldn’t piece together how he

got into this high school which is ranked as the toughest to get into

in the world especially since he took the test as blind as a bat with

no prior experience. It was considered a miracle to just clear the

test and Kioku went ahead and got a perfect score. A feat in itself

but what’s more, it’s downright unbelievable that just a year ago

he couldn’t even remember his own name.

A dazed and confused Kioku slowly opened his eyes to see the bright

light glaring from the ceiling. The air was riddled with the odor of

disinfectant. As he looked up all he could see was a dark silhouette

of a man dressed in a long white coat. “He’s waking up. Check his

vitals”, said the man but all Kioku could make out was rumbling. He

had forgotten everything – who he was, what he was, where when and

why. He couldn’t even remember how to speak. He was like a newborn

baby. Memory loss is a little price to pay for the kind of accident

he was part of. That accident had left him with an amnesia that

caused him to forget everything up until the incident. After a year

spent in rehabilitation, Kioku had finally nailed down all the basics

and much more. He effectively cramped a decade worth of academics,

experiences and learning into just twelve months, a feat worthy of

his title of genius. In all his memory loss and absolute uncertainty,

there was only one thing he was certain of. He had to go to Amberford

Academy. Even though he had no idea what it was, something within him

always screamed this place. Thus, he wrote the famous entrance exam,

passed the test with a perfect score and now he stood in front of his

classroom. Maybe now he’ll finally get the answer to what he was

feeling and why.

A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties with wavy brown hair tied up in a

ponytail looked at Kioku as he opened the door.

“Ah, Tatsugaya-san, ACIRA informed me that you’ll be coming”, said the young lady as she

adjusted the frame of her spectacles. Her sophistication and handling were that of a teacher. She gave Kioku a sweet smile.

“Good morning, ma’am! I’m terribly sorry for being late. I got stuck in…um…a major traffic

jam”, said Kioku bashfully.

The truth was that Kioku was not used to waking up at fixed times since practically he’s been living for only a year and thus had difficulty keeping up with the schedule, but he couldn’t clearly

explain that to his teacher at least not until he takes the time to

explain his whole predicament, so he found it best to just tell a

lie.

” Hmm... Yes, traffic has gone up more than usual lately, no matter. You’re lucky that your

achievements merit some rule waiving but please refrain from

repeating this again”, said the teacher with a sinister smile on

her face.

Something about how she said the last part sent a shiver down Kioku’s spine.

He nodded nervously. “Well, there doesn’t seem to be any place

left on the boy’s side and I can see some empty space at the back

of the girls’ side. You can sit there”, said Kioku’s teacher.

Kioku walked up the aisle to reach the farthest set of benches all the way

out in the back. As he walked by, he could feel hundreds of gazes

upon him. He was used to the extra attention. His snow-white hair was

as unusual as hair colors could get combined with his steel gray

eyes, he looked like an arctic wolf. This unusual feature had always

garnered the attention of people. ‘He’s cute!’, ‘He seems

nice’, ‘Is that his natural hair color?’, Kioku could hear all

kinds of questions and whispers amongst his fellow peers. He walked

up slowly to the last row of seats and slumped into the first empty

seat that he saw. The seats were one of the softest he had ever had

the opportunity to sit on. I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise

considering the amount of money that goes into this school. It’s

practically a school for the top 1% of the society so no expenses

were spared in any way. The chair seemed to adjust according to

Kioku’s posture to maximize comfort. Kioku was enjoying this luxury

especially since his marathon to reach school in time exhausted him.

Kioku was sitting there quite relaxed and satisfied when he heard a

little muffle to his side.

“Hey there, enjoying yourself I see”, said a voice from his side. Kioku was startled and

almost fell off his seat. He was sure he was the only one in that row

or maybe he didn’t pay much attention because all he wanted to do

was sit to relieve his aching feet.

Kioku quickly regained his composure and looked at his desk mate. It was

another guy. His dark brown eyes fixed in a cold stare. His spiky orange hair stood out to Kioku. The color was unusual, a mix of blonde and red head but Kioku had no right to judge this guy when he

himself sports a unique hair color. Something within him told him

that this guy and he would fit right in with each other.

“Uh...

You okay dude? Didn’t mean to startle you like that”, said the guy with a smile.

“Huh?

Yeah, I’m fine! Just a bit tired from all the running around. Hehe”, said Kioku.

“What?

Then how did you get stuck in traffic?”, said the guy.

‘Damn!

He saw right through me!’, Kioku thought to himself. He began

scrambling within his head to find a fitting excuse, but he was fresh

out of ideas.

The other guy caught on to Kioku.” Not too good at lying are ya? No matter. Everyone has their own explanations. Look at me… I’m forced to sit here with the girls just because I was late... My dignity of being a pure male because I’ve only been to boys-only institutions, is shattered. I can’t stand it!”, said the guy.

Kioku couldn’t understand what exactly his problem was, but he went

along with it anyway.

“By the way, my name is Yusuke Hirosaki”, said the guy, “Glad to make your acquaintance”.

“Hi, my name is Kioku Tatsugaya. The pleasure’s all mine”, said Kioku.

“Oh, I know who you are. You are practically a legend now you know? There’s not a single student

here who doesn’t know who you are. Scoring a centum…... How do you even pull something off like that? I was happy I cleared the paper. This hasn’t happened in a while”, said Yusuke.

Kioku wasn’t sure what the big deal was. It came quite naturally to him, so he didn’t know how to really put it into words. What struck him was Yusuke’s last comment about it having not happened in a while.

Was it so tough? Kioku was lost in thoughts.

“Really? I’m sure even you can do it Hirosaki-san. It’s just blown out of proportion”, said Kioku.

“Jeez you a genius or something? If you are so casual about it, you must be. The last perfect score was 3 years ago”, said Yusuke,” also,it’s Yusuke don’t give me that Hirosaki-san crap”.

“Ehh….

Okay sure Hiro- I mean Yusuke”, said Kioku. He was instantly

curious to know who was that other person that scored a perfect run.

He couldn’t quite pin why.” Hey Yusuke? Who was that other person

who got high scores?”, said Kioku.

“Hmm…

I have no idea except for the fact that it was a girl. Her very existence seemed to have been erased from all records. It’s like she never existed in the first place.”

“But

why? Did she do something terrible?”, said Kioku with a heavy and

concentrated expression on his face.

“Dunno.

But I do know for a fact that She wasn’t the one who did WRONG but

the one who was WRONGED”, said Yusuke with such gravity in his voice that Kioku felt like something got stuck in his throat. What in the world could have happened to that girl that she was erased from everyone’s memory? Who was she? What happened to her? Many questions flooded Kioku’s mind as he sat there staring at his desk.

Kioku was so caught up in all these questions that he failed to pick up on the slight static of the loudspeakers coming alive.

“I’d cover my ears if I were you”, said Yusuke and closed both his ears.

Kioku was confused. Why cover his ears? The answer to his question would come as a rude awakening when the speakers behind him burst alive with his teacher’s voice. The sound waves seemed to echo from deep within his rib cage. It was loud. He could hear his teacher even when he completely covered his ear. ‘Why do they need such

loudspeakers?’, Kioku thought to himself but one look at the condition of the class gave him his answer. With so many people in one room even a quiet conversation sounds like a social event. Kioku let out a sigh and listened to what his teacher had to say.

“Could

I have your attention please? Okay good. Good morning class, my name is Shiori Minamiya. I’m an instructor in Prehistory and Evolution and I have been assigned to be your mentor. If you have any kind of grievances, troubles, suggestions or just need someone to talk to I’m here for you. So, you better give it your all to come out on top and

make yourselves proud. Well, you’ve already made yourselves praiseworthy by being admitted in here but getting in here is just the beginning, a life of adventure and thrill awaits you, my children and I’m happy I get to share that journey along with you bunch of talented kids.”, said Minamiya-sensei.

The whole class stood up in unison and bowed their heads, as was the tradition.

“Good morning, Minamiya-sensei. We look forward to following your guidance”, said the whole class. It was scary how synchronized it was as if it was rehearsed several times over. Guess everyone had the same thing buzzing in their minds.

“So,

why don’t we get to know one another a little more. I’ve read all

of your files, but I would love to talk to all of you”, said

Minamiya-sensei.

Thus

began a long and grueling process of self-introductory speeches. It was just a few sentences about each one of the students but there were so many of them that it would take a while. Finally, it was Kioku’s turn. He was the final person. He stood up to speak and he could instantly feel the gazes of everyone in the class fixed on him.

It was overwhelming.

“Ah,

Tatsugaya, you made us all wait quite a bit you know? I even thought

you weren’t even coming”, said Minamiya-sensei.

“Umm….

Hehe”, all Kioku could do was blush embarrassingly at his teacher.

The desks seemed to have built -in microphones to help with

communication.

“No matter. So, what brings you all the way from the countryside to the

other end of the country?”, said Minamiya-sensei.

Kioku had no real answer to that question. To put it simply, he wrote the test and got the seat, so he came. Kioku said,” Well, to be perfectly honest, I came just because I got the seat. I thought what

harm could it be?” He smiled sheepishly.

The whole classroom was silent. Out of nowhere, there erupted a wave of laughter. The whole class couldn’t believe what Kioku had just said. Kioku was confused and was out of the loop.

“My,

my, you are gonna be one interesting student, Tatsugaya. I’m

looking forward to your experience here”, said Minamiya-sensei,”

Are everyone from Shizuku this amazing?”

Kioku was lost and confused as to what happened. Just then the bell rang.

It was lunch break.

“Hey,

you didn’t tell me you are from Shizuku”, said Yusuke as he and

Kioku left their seats to walk to the cafeteria.

“Huh?

Yeah, I am. It’s not like you asked either”, said Kioku.

“touché.

Well guess that makes us neighbors. I’m from Orayawa”, said

Yusuke,” By the way, any idea how to get to the cafeteria?”

“No clue. Maybe ACIRA can help us.”

“Oh no, I know where it is but I’m asking if you do.”

“Oh,nope. I’m new here so I’ve got no idea.”

“Let’s go together then.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Kioku and Yusuke began walking through the extensive and elaborate but

beautiful roads of the academy. The sheer size was mind boggling to

Kioku. The crowds of students walking made it look more like the

academy was a city in itself.

“From what you said Yusuke, it seems the cafeteria is a long way off. Why

don’t they have some vehicles or something for transport? Doesn’t

seem like they can’t spare the expense”, said Kioku.

“Yep, they can if they wanted to, but they chose against it saying that the

students could use the exercise. Teachers and staff have personal wagons to get around though and cycling is also an option. You can take one from the reception, a fold-able bike that can fit in the palm of your hand, but I prefer walking especially since the student paths are almost always too crowded for cycling to be any effective”,

said Yusuke.

Kioku

and Yusuke became fast friends. They talked about a variety of things

and figured out both have similar interests. The cafeteria was a long

way off, a 15-minute walk to be exact. But the distance was made

trivial thanks to the company both had acquired. The cafeteria

building could be seen far off in the horizon.

“Ah!

There it is. Damn it’s quite a long walk.”, said Yusuke.

Kioku saw the building in the distance. Entirely made of glass but it was no ordinary glass. Yusuke explained to him that the cafeteria is made of a special kind of material that looks like glass but can withstand

even a nuclear blast or a 15 magnitude mega-quake. It was developed by the academy. The whole campus is solar powered using a new material called Solenium, another one of the academy’s accolades. Solenium has an efficiency rating of 90%, highest in any form of electric conversion thus the campus will never run out of power so

long as the sun still exists. There is also a backup nuclear generator in case of emergencies. The sheer technology and innovation that went into the campus is exactly what makes it an elite experience.

Kioku had told himself to accept the sheer scale of the complex, but no amount of preparation could help him to really understand the expanse. The cafeteria looked more like the headquarters of a major

company. It was beautiful and elegant. The sun rays bounced off its myriad of well-polished glass panes, dancing happily in the air. It looked like it had at least 3 floors and enough room to accommodate a small city. Yusuke explained to Kioku that it had 5 floors actually –the first three floors were for students, and it can accommodate

approximately 10000 students in one sitting, the last 2 floors were for the staff and teachers accommodating about half that of the students. Kioku couldn’t wrap his head around the numbers. The place just doesn’t cease to amaze him.

Yusuke and Kioku made it to the uppermost level meant for students. The tables were artfully arranged in the vast space. The floor was jam packed with students eating, drinking, playing and making new acquaintances. Yusuke and Kioku grabbed themselves a ham burger and a glass of nice cool lemonade and grabbed the first empty table they could find. They continued talking about all kinds of things ranging from their native to universal theorems.

From the other end of the mess hall, Yusuke heard bits and pieces of some commotion. Kioku was oblivious to all of this. “Hey there’s a fight going on over there let’s go see”, said a guy that was passing by.

‘A…A fight?!’, thought Yusuke. It was clear that Yusuke was pumped up

to witness this. ‘It’s been ages since I saw a proper brawl and that too on the first day of school! I’m not gonna miss this’, thought Yusuke as he stood up and ran towards the crowd that was

gathering on the other side of the hall.

Poor Kioku was taken by surprise by Yusuke’s action. He hastily threw

his ham burger onto his plate and ran after Yusuke to catch up to him, but the crowd wasn’t making things any easier. Yusuke went off far ahead into the crowd. Kioku couldn’t keep up and he soon lost Yusuke in the sea of their black and white uniform. In the far-off distance, Kioku could see a giant shadow that was towering over the

rest of the students. It wasn’t clear what it was so Kioku assumed it’s a statue. The closer he approached the epicenter, the clearer it became. The large shadow that he saw was not a statue at all but was the biggest guy Kioku had ever seen. The man was a giant in all sense of the word. He was wearing the school uniform which means he

was a student, but he was twice the size of a normal high-school boy. Kioku saw another guy all smothered by tomatoes and sauce, on the ground scared out of his wit.

“I already apologized to you pipsqueak. Now leave me alone before I get annoyed”, said the giant.

“Tetsu?

Is that you?”, said Yusuke who by now, had reached all the way out in the front.

The giant looked around until his eyes met Yusuke. Instantly his grave annoyed expression turned into a big wide smile. “Yusuke?”, said the giant.

“Hey there buddy! Where have you been all this time? Long time no see ya

big oaf”, said Yusuke as he ran to hug his childhood friend.

Tetsu lifted Yusuke in a hug as easily as lifting a baby. “Ha Ha! I knew I’d find you here! Glad I ran into you man”, said Tetsu as he hugged his closest friend hard.

Yusuke could feel the pressure building up.” Umm, Tetsu my man you can let

go now. It’s becoming a little hard to breath…”, said Yusuke

but Tetsu was busy reminiscing his days with Yusuke. “Tetsu… I……

Can’t…... Breath…”. Yusuke struggled against Tetsu’s

powerful arms to no avail. Yusuke could hear his spine cracking and twisting out of place. Tetsu laughed and let Yusuke down.

“Damn,

still as strong as ever you monster. I almost died there”, said

Yusuke.

“Oh!

this is gonna be child’s play compared to what she’s gonna do to

you. You’ve made her extra pissed”, said Tetsu with a sinister smile on his face.

“Made who extra pissed?”, said Kioku who finally caught up with Yusuke

when the crowd began to disperse.

“Who’re you?”, said Tetsu looking at Kioku. Kioku staggered a little. Tetsu was much larger up close.

“Ahh! Kioku sorry I ran off like that.Kioku, meet Tetsu, Tetsu “Monster” Mishizaki and Tetsu, meet

Kioku, Kioku “genius” Tatsugaya”, said Yusuke.

“That genius was unnecessary Yusuke”, said Kioku blushing a little.

“Wait, Tatsugaya? You mean that guy who got perfect scores?”, said Tetsu.

“Yep. The very same. He’s in my class and now we’re friends, am I right?”, said Yusuke.

“Woah! You’re something like a celebrity you know?”, said Tetsu.

“Alright bud, if you’re done with your little parade with that guy, shall we

go sit and eat?”, said Yusuke pointing to the passed-out guy on the

floor. So Kioku, Yusuke and Tetsu walked over to their table and sat down to eat their lunch. Tetsu fit right in with the other two. The three became fast friends as soon as they began talking. They had a lot in common. Kioku worried a little looking at the tiny chair on the brink of collapse from Tetsu’s weight. It was a miracle how the chair held up.

Tetsu was Yusuke’s childhood friend. Tetsu’s father was a trusted advisor and friend of Yusuke’s father who was the head of the Saki conglomerate. So Tetsu and Yusuke practically grew up together. Tetsu suffers from a genetic disorder which makes him grow in all respects much more than a normal human being. It was a rare form of gigantism that wasn’t just limited to height. Thanks to his extreme physique,Tetsu earned the nickname ‘Monster’ though he hated to be called that by anyone other than Yusuke. Tetsu was put in charge of looking after Yusuke because of how irresponsible he could be though Yusuke kept denying it. Kioku could definitely imagine Yusuke causing havoc. The three of them laughed and enjoyed themselves.

Suddenly Yusuke’s face grew grim. His smile contorted into a gape as if he had seen a ghost.

“Shoko sense tingling”, said Yusuke as he shook in fear. Just then two

girls appeared right in front of them. “I knew it”, said Yusuke

as he felt something get stuck in his throat.

Kioku couldn’t take his eyes off of the two ladies now standing before him. One had long beautiful blonde hair that flowed behind her. The other, who Kioku assumed must be her friend, had long black hair tied

up in a pony tail with bright red beautiful eyes. She was wearing a flower pattern modernized yukata instead of the school uniform which Kioku found strange.

“Shoko!

How you been?”, said Yusuke nervously fidgeting in his seat.

“Cut the crap Yusuke! Be a man and accept your defeat. I’m not the one who set up the terms and now I’m stuck with you on this. God! I wanna crush you under a truck so bad! Just be done with it so that I

can have a bit of peace and quiet”, said the blonde-haired

girl,”This Saturday 10 AM. You better be ready”.

Yusuke frantically nodded his head without speaking a word back. He was completely paralyzed in fear. The two ladies walked by immediately. The black-haired girl was calm and quiet throughout the whole exchange. Kioku was mesmerized by their beauty.

“Who..

was that?”, said Kioku who was still trying to piece together what just happened.

“That, my friend, is the devil incarnate, the mistress of calamity, the

empress of destruction. Never mess with her, dude, if you value your life”, said Yusuke with a traumatized expression on his face.

“Shut up you idiot. Nishizawa-san is a nice young woman. You only hate her

cause she is your fiancee”, said Tetsu.

“f..

FIANCEE?!?!”, said Kioku. He felt the fry he was eating get stuck

in his throat.

“Hey it wasn’t my decision okay? Stupid business dynasties and shit.

Besides who would wanna marry that old hag?”, said Yusuke defiant.

Kioku was totally lost. Fiancee? Wasn’t Yusuke a bit too young to have a

fiancee? That girl was his fiancee? What exactly was Yusuke

complaining about? Kioku’s head was spinning from all this.

“You see Tatsugaya-san, Yusuke and Nishizawa-san belong to what we would call first world citizens or aristocrats. Believe it or not but this airhead is the next-in-line to the Saki Conglomerate and

Nishizawa-san is the only daughter of Hajime Nishizawa, the owner of

Nishizawa Dining Group. They were betrothed while they were still in the womb to bolster a friendly relationship between his dad’s company and her father’s company. Kinda like a business

deal but your dealing relationships”, said Tetsu.

“I get that, what I don’t get is him complaining when he’s handed a

beautiful girl to him on a silver platter almost”, said Kioku.

“I know right?! He’s just dumb”, said Tetsu.

“Shut up! You don’t know her like I do! She is the real definition of monster but her dad is the worst… Just looking at him makes my legs go jelly”, said Yusuke.

Then three went on arguing about Yusuke’s predicament. Kioku and Tetsu were on the same side saying that Yusuke was lucky but Yusuke believed he was cursed and no mater how much evidence both sides

cooked up, neither side was ready to give in.

“Ah!! You guys are incorrigible! I’m going to get another ham burger to wash down this nasty aftertaste you guys left. You guys need something?”, said Yusuke.

“oh if you’re going, one for me too”, said Kioku.

Yusuke waved as acknowledgment and walked towards the richly laden stalls. The mess hall was fully automated since no one could be expected to serve so many. There was all kinds of dishes available for all kinds

of people- from salad for the health conscious to the greasiest

burger ever. If you can name it, it will be there with specials every

day. Drinks are also not exempt from this treatment. Everything from

fruit juices to even carbonated drinks were there. Yusuke took some

time figuring out where were the ham burgers. He grabbed one for

himself and another for Kioku.

An idea flashed in his head. Yusuke had a sinister and evil smile on his

face. ‘So Kioku, you sympathize with the demon huh? You want ham burger? You got it’, thought Yusuke. He grabbed the ham burger tightly in his arm. He located his target, Kioku’s white hair literally stood out of the crowd. Yusuke took him aim and launched the ham burger flying at incredible speed. ‘Your ham burger is coming as an express delivery Kioku’, thought Yusuke and smiled coyly to himself.

“Yusuke is sure taking his time isn’t he?”, said Kioku. “Knowing him, I think he got lost and now somewhere in china by now”, said Tetsu. Kioku felt a tug on his feet. He had stomped on his own shoe lace that had somehow come undone, must Have had happened in the crowd. Kioku sighed to himself and got to fixing that up. Just as he bent

down, he felt a gust of air blow past his head like something was thrown at very high velocity. Kioku tied his shoe lace and sat up straight to ask Tetsu how he became friends with Yusuke just to find horror in front of his eyes. The tomato slice slowly slid down his face. The sauces looked like blood dripping from his forehead. The buns were stuck to the mayo which was now smothered all over his face. Kioku could feel the rage emanating from Tetsu. Tetsu took a deep breath and opened his eyes. His eyes were burning from his rage. “You… Know….I. Hate….. HAMBURGERS!!!!!”, said Tetsu with such an expression on his face, Kioku felt like he was gonna melt.”THIS MEANS WAR!!!!”, said Tetsu as he picked up his half-eaten chicken burger and threw it at blinding speeds at a

silhouette in the distance. “I know it is you who did that Yusuke! I can smell you!!”, said Tetsu.

‘Smell him from what? The ham burger?’, Kioku thought.

Tetsu was bang on with his aim. Yusuke could see the burger coming towards him like a bullet. Just in the nick of time, Yusuke dodged the fast food of death but an unfortunate guy got hit by it instead. The guy was out cold from the sheer impact of the deadly dish. He had heard Fast food can kill but this was unexpected. He was enraged and

threw his sandwich at some random guy. This process kept repeating itself and soon the whole mess hall turned into a war zone. There was culinary delicacies flying left and right. Sandwich flying over there, croquet flying here, tomatoes squished on the bodies of students, it was utter chaos. Kioku looked around in wonder and amazement as the walls were stained into modern art by the students. Suddenly Kioku could feel a tug on his feet and he was pulled under a table. Kioku saw Yusuke as he looked intently at him.

“What are you doing soldier? Spacing out in the middle of the battlefield.

The ambush was quicker than we anticipated. Do you have arms and

ammunition, cadet?”, said Yusuke.

Kioku was confused at first but then he understood and he played along. “No

sir, the ambush was too quick.”

“Damn it! I know. No matter, here, take this. It should satisfy your thirst”, said Yusuke as he handed a bottle of

mustard sauce to Kioku.

“Thank you Commander. Now let’s beat these guys back to where they came

from”.

“That’s the spirit cadet, for the home land!”

Kioku and Yusuke jumped out from beneath the table screaming and began shooting up every one with their tomato and mustard guns. Kioku was aiming for their eyes and he rarely missed. The ones who had the misfortune of facing him ran to the bathroom for their dear life. Kioku gracefully kept dodging everything that was thrown at him while shooting down enemies with marksman accuracy.

“C.. Cadet”, Kioku heard from behind. He turned around to see Yusuke all covered in tomato sauce (blood in terms of their fantasy) and on the ground. Kioku ran towards Yusuke shooting up foes that blocked his path.

“Commander!!”,said Kioku as he slid right next to Yusuke.

“gah.. guh.. I.. I guess this is it for me, champ. You fought well for our country.. ugh.. ugh.. ugh.. I’m

proud of you, son. I’ve no regrets dying for my country. Live on and fight for me.

Good…. Bye”, said Yusuke as his hands fell limp to the side of

his body.

“Commander!!!”,

screamed Kioku as he felt his superior disappear. “I will win this

war for us Commander. Count on it”, said Kioku and was about to

start his revenge run when suddenly they were all drenched in ice cold water and the ac cranked to sub zero temperatures.

“For the kind attention of all students, such unruly behavior is against the rules and regulations of the school and failure to comply will result in drastic results. Please cease and desist all aggressive behavior and move to the dormitory. The classes for today have been suspended on account of this indiscipline”, said ACIRA. It was the

riot suppression system of the school that had triggered to stop the students.

It

seemed like that had flipped a switch in everyone. They all looked at

each other like they had no idea what they were doing. Slowly and

quietly, everyone walked back to their respective dorms. Kioku and

Yusuke were laughing all the way.

“Man that was awesome! Nice acting by the way”, said Yusuke.

“Right back atcha”, said Kioku.

“Jeez, you two are meant for each other. All I got

was getting hit from all the sides”, said Tetsu.

“Well people have terrible aim so go for the biggest target would be the go

to strategy”, said Yusuke.

“Screw you”, said Tetsu,”Kioku you were on a roll. So many poor guys and

girls ran to the bathroom to end their agonizing pain from your

mustard eye shot”.

Kioku smiled as he looked at the other students walking by. He had no idea

if they were also victims of his craziness.

“Where is this bath by the way?”, said Kioku.

“Oh we ain’t going to any bath, Kioku. We are going to the

hot-springs!”, said Yusuke.

“Huh? I just want to get rid of the smell of food as fast as possible.

Besides how exactly are we gonna find a hot-spring nearby?”, said

Kioku.

Yusuke laughed,” You underestimate this school Kioku”.

“What? Speaking of which, is this school ridiculously big or is it just

me?”, said Kioku.

“Yeah I know right? I mean, the campus alone was just enough but they went

overboard with the city”, said Tetsu.

“It wasn’t planned or anything. This area was a barren land before the

academy was established and the area became so popular because of the

academy so its only natural that the whole city comes under the

academy”, said Yusuke.

“The whole city? The whole city belongs to the academy?”, said Kioku

absolutely dumbfounded.

“Yep and so basically the whole city is the campus. It’s huge I tell

you, got everything you can ever wish for. A multistory mall, highest

grade emergency and rescue services, a stadium, a hospital, a law

enforcement team and perhaps the most important of all, a

hot-spring!”, said Yusuke.

“But isn’t the hot-spring dominated by the female students. Guys very

rarely go there or so I’ve heard”, said Tetsu.

“Who cares? Just a bonus then”, said Yusuke with a lewd smile.

Kioku realized something and was about to warn Yusuke that since girls control the hot-springs there was every chance for him to butt heads with Shoko but Tetsu stopped him and asked him to be quiet.

The three happily reached the hot-spring. Yusuke hopped and skipped as he went in. As Tetsu had said, there was a majority of female students and no male students at all. The girls were surprised when they saw the three of them.

“Umm.. I think we should get outta here”, said Tetsu, his face redder than a tomato. “What?! We have as much right to be here as them”, said Yusuke.

“What are you guys doing here?”, said a familiar voice.

Yusuke shuddered upon hearing it. There was no mistaking it. It was Shoko in

all her grace and authoritative nature.” Sh.. Shoko! We were just sightseeing “, said Yusuke.

‘Damn it, Yusuke! Do you realize how bad that sounds?’, Kioku thought to

himself.

“If you came to use the bath, the boys’ entrance is around the corner.

And please grow a spine Yusuke”, said Shoko.

“So guys are allowed?”, Kioku said.

“yeah but since its closer to the girls’ dorm, it has primarily been used

by girls. Guys just stopped coming at all so we ended up using more.

Not really sure what made the guys stop. This is a little unexpected

though”, said Shoko,” Who might you be?”

“Oh, my name is Kioku Tatsugaya. We met.. Well not really met more like

you threatened Yusuke during lunchtime and I was there looking at you

I mean not at you specifically looking at you both and you friends with beautiful black hair I mean her hair I

mean even she is, but I didn’t mean, of course you understand… Damn it”, said

Kioku. He has never been as embarrassed as he was now.

Shoko gave a wide smile and giggled seeing Kioku struggle. “wait…

Tatsugaya? You mean the guy who did the impossible?” Shoko’s

expression shifted from giggle to puzzlement and then to admiration.

“I’ve wanted to meet you ever since the results came out”,said Shoko.

Suddenly the whole place erupted in Kioku’s name. Everyone wanted to meet

him. He was overwhelmed by the sheer amount. After a while, it began

to die down. Kioku, Yusuke and Tetsu took a refreshing bath in the

hot springs.

“This is life”, said Yusuke as he slid into the water.

“You said it, brother”, said Tetsu.

“Well we have a celebrity among us. How you feeling Kioku? After that

attack from all your fans?”, said Yusuke.

Kioku gave a nervous smile and was about to say what he felt when he was

stopped by the voices of the girls on the other side of the wall. The

wall must be pretty thin because they could hear the girls very

clearly.

“Hey that Tatsugaya is cute isn’t he? Not at all like how I imagined him

from what he got”, said one girl.

“I know right? Like he so cute but like so intelligent and like he’s

perfect boyfriend material”, said another girl.

“He’s in my class you know? Sits right behind me. He’s pretty silent most

of the time. It’s that other guy who pulls him along, the

orange-haired one”, said another girl.

“Ah, that’s Yusuke Hirosaki you know? Guy is the heir to Saki

Conglomerate and also certain someone’s boyfriend”, said another

girl.

“Please, not my choice. It’s just business like I could be with that loud

mouth crybaby”, said Shoko.

Kioku could see Yusuke burning up. Tetsu was holding him back from

destroying the wall.

“Who was that huge dude with them?”, said one of the girls.

“That’s Tetsu, been our, Yusuke and mine, closest friend since I can

remember. He’s a good guy despite how he looks”, said Shoko.

“I bet he is, but he looks so scary”, said another girl.

“I’m sure he is misunderstood like really he’s a gentle giant but like

he looks so scary no one talks to him like that”, said a girl.

“yeah pretty much. I remember back in middle school, he proposed a girl and

she went home crying. He was so hurt by that that he wouldn’t come

out of his room. Then I dressed up Yusuke like a girl and asked him

to try. Tetsu got mad and threw Yusuke to the floor but he became

alright after that”, said Shoko.

Kioku looked at Tetsu and Yusuke amazed. Both of them could not contain

their embarrassment.

“That’s cruel! Any who so the wild card here is Kioku then?”, said another

girl.

“I can’t quite pin it but it’s like I’ve seen him before”, said

another girl.

“Hey Shoko, if not Yusuke what about Kioku? He’s cute, smart and seems

like a nice guy”, said one of the girls.

“It’s not about who. I don’t know him though I definitely would like to”,

said Shoko.

“That’s right he beat you didn’t he? But I don’t understand you. Second

place is incredible and I’m pretty sure that guy is superhuman”,

said one girl.

“I don’t know. I don’t like losing so I’ll make sure that’s the

last time I lose to anyone”,said Shoko.

“sheesh you look scary when you’re determined”, said another girl.

The three of them decided to stop eavesdropping and finished with their

bath. As they began to exit the place, they saw Shoko and her friend

coming out as well. Shoko waved to Kioku and he waved back.

“Just a heads up, maybe try whispering when you are in the bath”,

whispered Kioku to Shoko. Shoko gave a slight smile.

“That’s the point, Kioku. Have fun. It’s a long held secret of the girls,

I’m entrusting you with it”, said Shoko.

“So you knew we were listening in?”

“Duh! Otherwise where is the fun?”

“Shoko can be quite sadistic when she feels like it”, said the unfamiliar

voice of the black-haired girl.

Kioku was taken by surprise.

“Yes,

the beautiful black-haired girl I mean her hair is, of course she is,

but you didn’t mean, it’s not like you… can talk and does have

a name. It’s Mio Akiyama”, said Mio as she caressed Kioku’s hair.

Kioku suddenly became flustered when Mio repeated his words.

“Sorry about that”, said Kioku.

“Soft, so soft”, said Mio as she continued to caress his hair.

“Yusuke, don’t forget about your promise or else you know what will happen”,

said Shoko.

Mio gently tapped on Kioku’s jaw and gave a wide smile.

“See you around Kioku. Trust me, kick this loser away and find someone else. You’re wasting your youth being friends with him”, said Shoko as the girls were headed back to their rooms. Tetsu had to hold

Yusuke to prevent him from running behind Shoko to continue their argument. A while later, they reached the boys’ dormitory. Kioku and Yusuke were neighbours in terms of rooms as well. They waved each other good night and went into their respective rooms. It was one hell of a first day no matter how any one slices it. In all the excitement, he hadn’t had time to call up his mother.

As he lay on his bed, Kioku dialed up his mother and began narrating one by one his whole experience in Amberford Academy.

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