Girl Follows Stranger Into Vending Machine
You
You mean the matches in that bottle?
I pointed to the bottle in his hand. He slumped his shoulders defeatedly and shook it.
？？？
Bingo. You're putting me in a tough spot, though...
？？？
And you're injured. Guess we should go back to the academy.
A buzzer sounded in the train car, and the doors slid open.
The stranger pulled my arm, and I stood, gingerly placing weight on my right leg.
I leaned against his shoulder for balance, and we stepped through the door.
Like the train, the platform was deserted and strangely silent. The sun blazed high in the sky.
You
Wasn't it nighttime when I left the concert?
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I had a bad feeling when I heard Taiga was heading this one.
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Glad I cordoned everything off.
The stranger seemed entirely unperturbed by the situation, and pulled out his phone to make a call.
You
Hey so um, I'm going to go find a clinic, okay?
？？？
That probably hurts, huh? Just wait one sec and I'll get it fixed up for you.
？？？
Hello? Yeah, slight emergency. No, not Taiga...well, kind of him, I suppose.
？？？
We've got an injured civilian, but the matches aren't working.
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About the same age as me? Yeah. Female. Uh-huh.
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Yeah, they need it for the paperwork. Could you tell me your name?
(Maybe he's calling a clinic...)
The stranger smiled and made an okay sign at me.
？？？
It's Reian Osamu. Yep, yep... Got it.
Haku
Thanks, sorry about that. I'm Haku Kusanagi.
Haku put his phone away and turned back to me, sticking out his hand for a handshake.
Haku
I'm really sorry, but I'm going to need you to come with me.
Haku
No, I'm not taking you to a clinic.
I could feel my face scrunch up at his unexpected response.
Seeing this, he scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish.
Haku
Sorry to throw this on you all of a sudden. Of course you're freaked out.
Haku
I wish I could explain everything to you now...
Haku
But it'll all make sense once we get to the academy.
I hadn't expected he was talking about such an illustrious private academy.
Darkwick had been ranked number one nationally for decades.
It sat shrouded in mystery atop an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, and entry by outsiders was strictly prohibited.
The number of applicants who passed their top-secret entrance exam was also a closely-guarded secret.
However, it was rumored to be extremely competitive.
Darkwick was renowned for producing elites who performed key roles on both the national and world stage.
You
Why are you taking me there?
Haku
Doesn't make much sense, does it? I swear I'm not shady.
He pulled a card out of his jacket pocket and placed it in my palm.
The front of the card blazed, revealing gold lettering and a photo of the man standing in front of me.
You
Haku Kusanagi, Hotarubi House, Third Year...
Haku
That's me. I'm a student there.
You
What? Was that terrifying guy with the gun a student too...?
Haku
You catch on quick. Well, anyway... that's the deal.
Haku
Let's get going before that cut gets any worse.
It might have been my imagination, but the supportive hand on my back seemed to hurry me along.
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