1.2

It was a cloudless morning. I could breathe the cool fresh air, hinting of brininess flowing from the Pacific Ocean as the sun's warmth touched my pale skin while the tress fluttered in the wind, brimming with life and joy. It's the perfect weather to take a morning stroll in the woods. Though in my case, a stroll beneath the Sakura trees that flank both sides of the footpath leading to the ANHS main ground, towards the gymnasium where all new students were required to attend. You can't really miss it as there were many school staff manning the road along the way, yelling instructions, particularly to certain groups of people: the free-spirited and rebellious like the delinquent. The less said about him, the better.

Where was I? Ah, yes. Like I said, it's THE perfect weather one could experience seldom in a lifetime. Whoever had the idea to plant this many Sakura trees should have a raise, well, not really. I figured this was a collective conscious decision to awe and make a lasting impression on visitors and the residents. Wasteful? Yes. But an image must be maintained. It is a government-funded school after all.

Feeling like I was left behind by my fellow students, I hurried up my pace. I almost completely forgot the school brochure in my hand, handed by a pretty school staff Onee-san once she saw me school brochure-less which was supposedly delivered alongside your acceptance letter...I forgot, Okay! Anyway, promptly turning it back and forth, I scanned the content inside; from the Introduction to the facilities offered by ANHS which was, honestly, pretty impressive If I had to compare it to my old school since I had no other first-hand reference. Let's see...dormitories, check; It was one of ANHS admittance obligations before taking the tests, OHHH swimming pool, ANHS RULES! Next up, library, check; who goes to the library nowadays anyway? Bunch of nerds that's-OOF

BUMP

"Ah, 'M sorry." Which someone apologizes? Eh? Why though?...wait english?

"Um, shouldn't I be the one who apologizes?" I questioned, giving myself time to take a measured look at the person whom I had unknowingly bumped into. I wouldn't be surprised to offend another person, right after I just had minutes prior, on my first day of school. Was I a bad person in my last life or something?

"Ah, that's on me. Sorry about that. I was trying to avoid you but hit you instead. Turns out, you're the one who was avoiding me. Again, so sorry." The person; a guy replies back in an accented Japanese, rubbing his neck embarrassed, after noticing he had spoken in a foreign language, his mother tongue perhaps. Tanned skin, dark hair, thin figure; though a little more to the skinnier side, and stood on 179 cm or 5'10" in height; should roughly be about the same as me. The guy turns to the side, this time embarrassed and uncertain, likely because of my staring. Oops.

"Uh, um, shall we?" I offered, motioning an arm to the side. On my periphery, I could see the school staff eyeing the both of us, ready to shout at us to get moving.

"Y-yeah, let's." He responded, following me as he rested his bag on his shoulder.

Of all the things I had guessed of how my morning would go, walking next to a stranger was not one of them. Although this one hasn't detested me, yet. To be honest, I would like to go on my own merry way, curiosity however keeps me in place...and possibly the potential of gaining a friend. I already have one adversary, no need to add more. No, the delinquent doesn't count.

As we walked, I noticed his eyes restlessly looked at the Sakura trees, then to the paved walk, never seeming to stay in one place until they met mine, "So uhh, why were you staring at me? Oh, I'm Abe Daichi, by the way, nice to meet cha."

Woahh, could this be! The friend route!

"Yeah, no offense, you don't look foreign to me."

Dejected, he looked down, "...I look out of place huh?"

Noooo!! "I mean-"

"Waaaaait, you're that guy. The guy on the bus!" Eh? 

There is surprise, his gloom and insecurities cast aside, as he learned I was the person who had offered their seat when nobody else wanted to, then it settles on sheepish countenance while scrubbing his neck. A nervous tick of his it seems. 

"Sorry for freaking out, but hey, you're a solid dude, sticking up like that. I would've done the same thing had I not dozed off." He pats your shoulder in approval of the good deed you've done. Ah, the butterfly effect. If there's a net positive to be gained from that, It would be image, but at the cost of exposure. As a firm believer of mindin-my-own-biz church, it's a cardinal sin to be in the spotlight as it will only bring trouble to your doorstep. All I'm saying is that I want to live your average school life. Eh, I'm sure everything will be fine.

I nod a few times to acknowledge his gesture but not his point.

"Right, uhh, I guess I don't want to be treated differently like I'm some baka gaijin. It's what I fear coming here, kind of stupid isn't it?" All fears are irrational, but hey what do I know? 

Seeing that I look contemplating, he continues, "So, yeah, I'm not from here, My Dad and Mom are Japanese but they lived in England. As a consequence, I do too, though we only came to Japan during holidays..." A dark expression passed over Daichi Abe's face before he forced it back to a more neutral one. A teen with a mysterious circumstance. Normally, I'd avoid such a person but I'm feeling a little bit daring today. Statistically speaking, what are the chances we're in the same class? There are 160 total new students, 40 students for each grade, so that should be...1 in a 4 chance. Relatively high, huh? Well, being cordial never hurts anyone.

"What about you uhh..."

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, nice to meet you too." I offered a shake; a shake that he was glad to accept, a genuine smile plastered on his face. "I'm a born, raised, and bred Japanese." We stopped briefly before back to walking.

If this was a game, a notification achievement would pop out: First Friend! 

"Huh. Cool, cool." He nodded to himself. "So, uhh, where's your bag Kiyotaka? Wait, can I call you Kiyotaka?" He gives me a quizzical look, a slight turn of his head something akin to a pet looking at his owner. Adorable. Though this is a delicate issue, should I be on a first-name basis with someone who I just basically met? Should I break a tradition that has been around since my forefathers? Or should I refuse to conform and break away from tradition? I've bear a witness to one, so should I?

In the end, I decided it would do me no harm. This way, he will be able to be more open with me, meaning he will trust me more. "Sure."

"Phew. I'm glad you agree, I don't think I will ever get used to Japan's customs. It's just so weird." Abe-no, I suppose I should call him Daichi from now on, breathes out a faux relief.

"To answer your question, no. I wasn't aware we could bring a bag." I confessed. Half truth, of course. I see no reason to bring anything but the necessity: myself and the admittance letter, everything else will be provided to you on the school grounds once you're done for the day, though I assume he meant sustenance and school equipment. Two of these have been accounted for; the first is irrelevant and the second has been addressed in the school brochure. While walking behind the students, I noticed that almost everyone was carrying a bag - the females with cute bags and the males with either practical or show-off like mountain bag dude over there. The one I noticed without a bag was the girl from the bus. And the blonde guy. Speaking of him, where is he? I haven't seen him since the bus event.

"Really? You can do that?...Huh." He muttered, eyes set to frown at the information before looking at me dead serious. "So, Kiyotaka, this is kind of a deep question I'm asking you. The kind of death and life at stake."

Oh?

"So, uhhh, you an ass or tits kind of guy?"

"..."

We engaged in small talks, mostly about trivial topics, to fill the gap of silence. Usually, Daichi would lead the conversation while I chimed in to offer my thoughts. Some of his words were hard to understand; words he rarely used in a sentence before, but we managed. Time flew by and before we knew it, we had arrived at the gym.

***

School admittance letter asked, a few verifications by a device done, I was free from the clutch of the school staff administration, minutes in time felt like hours. Though, of course, I'm exaggerating. But you get the point. 

Walking past school staff-san, I examined the gym, cross referencing what had been written on the brochure. The gym seems to be one of the landmarks of the prestige of ANHS, boasting state-of-the-art technology, training, coaches, health advisors, and more, it's said to be the birthplace of past and future champions of Japan to come. From the outside view, it is shaped like a dome, a massive structure providing a bulwark against the heaven. The extensive use of plywood and laminated hardwood in the rich timber interiors contrasts elegantly with the heavy concrete masonry of the exterior. It's also a multi-purpose space, where the annual opening ceremonies and club fair are going to be conducted. Such massive structure in the modern age it's not unheard of, but it's an amazing sight to behold all the same. 

It was dark inside the gym, but not dark enough to impede someone's vision. Hundreds of students, guided by the staff, had taken their seats, leaving only dozens of seats remaining. Walking through the intended sidelines, I briefly looked at the gathered crowd. All manners of students assembled in this one place, the perceptive few have eyed key members that would play detrimental or assertive within the class dynamic, the cunning lots who already made a home for their pit of vipers, and then there were the rest of us, the insignificant majority, who played by the rules and ended up getting screwed over in the end. At least that's the scenario I cooked up in my mind. 

"Psst! Kiyotaka!" Comes a whispered call to my name, eyes shifting to me for a second, then quickly losing interest. I see Daichi had raised his hand, sitting in the middle row, his other hand patting an empty seat. "I saved you a seat." Taking up on his offer, not having to dread finding an unoccupied seat, I weathered through the annoyed looks tossed by my fellow students, or perhaps my soon-to-be fellow classmates? 

"Not going to thank me?" Daichi smiles in good humor.

"As expected of my ever-faithful servant. You're attentive as always." I banter back, playing the part of a pompous person; folding my arms and tilting my head a bit higher.

"Ungrateful punk. Next time I see you standing by your lonesome, there will be no seat for you." 

Like that, we bantered back and forth, waiting for the entrance ceremony to begin. 

"Anyway, you're not cold?" Daichi asked as I saw him start rubbing his palms together, his body shivered slightly. I pause for a moment, barely a second to register the temperature. Now that he mentions it, it's quite cold in here. It should've been something I noticed since I stepped inside, but I guess it escaped my notice considering I have some resistant to cold, though that doesn't mean I'm not affected by it. Just something I have from childhood growing up in a cold environment.

"Not really." I returned, my tone teasing.

"Are you like from the northern part of the country?"

"Something like that." 

"Yeah, whatever. It's just, cold makes me prone to pee. I think all guys are like that."

Hurriedly he switches topics, hoping to take his mind off the cold, "Bro, I swear, have you seen some of the guys here? Some of them don't belong here. I could've sworn I saw Johnny Sins."

"Agreed." The delinquent chips in from behind us. 

Whatever thought I had was ground to a halt as the light shone brightly, illuminating the center part of the stage, after the curtains were opened, where a small figure; a cute female upperclassman stood beside a podium. A few steps behind her, a line of upperclassmen stood tall, faces poised, hands on their back, posing a united front for us new students to see.

Seconds later, an unassuming person shows up, with confidence and authority bestowed upon him, and strides to the podium effortlessly without breaking a tempo in his steps. There he stood tall underneath three big flags: the old Japan flag, the school flag, and today's Japan flag. The man wears a neat business suit; nothing excessive, and shaved raven hair slicked back; waxed by the looks of it, as it glows barely underneath the fluorescent light while his hand firmly grabs hold of the podium. The man strikes a distinct impression, of a strong and modest leader.

"Good morning, pupils of future leaders of Japan. My name is Nakamura Masaru, the School's Special Director. First of all, I would like to thank you..."

Well, had I bothered to listen at all to the man's inspiring speech, his hope for us in the future and everything entails, I'd surely be among the students promising to do their best during their high school life, instead, here I was daydreaming of my ideal school life and by the looks of my fellow students, they were taking same liberty of how to better spend their time. It wasn't until later after the man had ended his speech, parting good health to all of us, that I was grounded back to reality as I saw another person walking to the podium, this one wearing the same blazers as us; a student. His gait and the way he carries himself are different from those of the man; whereas the man was composed, this student was precise and clinical. If I hadn't seen his blazer, I don't think I or any of the students here would be able to tell he was a student of this school. With him, the air in the gym shifts.

"Thank you for the kind and encouraging words Special Director Nakamura-san" The student nodded to his side, the spot where the Special Director was last seen headed to. "And I would like to extend my thanks to all the school staff who have been performing diligently in their tasks, to the school faculty members and everyone else in their part ensuring the opening ceremony ran smoothly."

He then looks at us, his gaze scrutinizing and judging if we're eligible to attend this school. The seconds of silence were suffocating before the student settled to answer, seeming satisfied with what he found, what is to anyone's guess.

"My name is Horikita Manabu-" Horikita? "I served as the Student Council President. Beside me, is the Student Council Secretary. And behind me, are the body of the Student Council. We, as the Student Council, have the duty and obligation to be your guiding hand and uphold the school's values: Diligence, Resilience, Respect, and most important of all, Power. The same core values as a leader. A leader without diligence is doomed to be lost. A leader without resilience is doomed to fall. A leader without respect is doomed to suffer. And a leader without power is no leader at all for without power, how can you lead? To enforce your will to the world. It is wise to remember, however, that power can come in any form. Take note, we do not and I repeat, do not condone any use of violence. Here, at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, we will cultivate your talents and train you to be leaders. Leaders in any given capacity. Be it a leader to a state or a leader in a household. Do plan your future in this school meticulously, of what kind of leader you aspire to be. Failure to plan means you plan to become a failure. That will be all from me. Should you have further inquiries about the Student Council and its membership, please refer to any of the Student Council present, including me. Do enjoy your time here in Advanced Nurturing High School and cherish every moment like it did for me. Thank you for listening. Tachibana, over to you." The Student Council President bowed slightly and then stepped off to the side. Consistent and precise till the end.

"Y-yes, Prez! This concludes the opening ceremony. First years, you are allowed to make your exit and head towards the next destination, your classroom. A teacher will shortly be with you. Please do not be hasty-" Tachibana or the so-called Student Council Secretary cautioned, her face stoic as if she didn't do that cute squeak in the first place, or was she pretending to? Cute. 

After a while, between waiting for the crowd to thin and Daichi going to the toilet, I stared blankly at the flags with thoughts that were my only companion.

"Thanks for waiting, Kiyotaka," Daichi said, relief crossing his face and demeanor. It was funny to see him squirm to the toilet after asking the school staff where the toilets were. 

We banter a bit as we head outside, away from the lingering body scent and acrid high-class perfume. Though, admittedly, my mind was not in the conversation.

Looking past my shoulder, at the now dimly lit, nonetheless, occupied stage, I thought back to the Student Council President; a respected and feared leader, If I had to guess to be able to achieve such a high position within the school. Not to mention it sounds excruciatingly exhausting to a lazy person like me. 

"What? The President?" Daichi guessed dead on point or was my face easy to read?

"Yeah." I looked back at him, not denying it.

"He's uhh...what's the word." He hums to himself before snapping his fingers. "Uh! Intense and interesting dude."

So that was the Student Council President, the pinnacle of genius that can be produced from ANHS.

"Interesting, Indeed," I murmured under my breath as we both walked past the door.

***

My work done, few instructions and reminders to others of what I was supposed to do, I looked at my rival/enemy/friend busy flirting, even if it can be called that, with our beloved secretary behind the curtain. So as the good friend I am, I d̶i̶s̶r̶u̶p̶t̶e̶d̶ approached them.

"huahh, it's so draining having to stand there for god knows long. What am I? A glorified mascot?!" I heard Akane-senpai groan, then cry her frustration in a low voice.

"Well done, Tachibana, and you know why." Manabu-senpai returned, encouraging contrary to his usual stoic face.

"Yeah..I knoww, It's just-"

A plastic smile plastering my face, and with an attempt to present a sunny disposition, I meet Akane's irritated gaze and Manabu-senpai's blank one, smooth words slipping from my mouth as I decide to join their little 'tyrst'. It was the worst-kept secret in ANHS history. Ah~ How gratifying will it be to see his ever-expressionless face to feel despair as I sink his ship and detonate it to kingdom come. It will be glorious. Better than sex.

Enough about that present me, future me will cross that bridge when it comes.

"What? Don't let me bother you. Think of me as a fly-"

"More useless than a fly." I heard Akane-senpai whisper loud enough for me to hear.

"-And since I'm here, might as well compliment Senpai on his last speech." 

"You-" Akane-senpai glared at me in response, words at the edge of her tongue but unable to rebuke the subtle-yet-not-really-subtle jab for it is not her place to do so. Typical Akane-senpai.

"And you are as crass as ever, Miyabi," Manabu-senpai replied, pushing his glasses or as the other council members commonly dubbed it Manabu Expression #2. 

"I try my best, Senpai." All the while still smiling cheerfully. I know it won't aggravate Manabu-senpai, but our lovely secretary though? She was fuming!

"And I see you're not doing your task." Manabu-senpai bluntly remarks.

"Ahaha, it was delegated to our more...suitable members." Caught flat-footed, I tried to weasel my way out by reasoning a sound logic; a flawed logic that Manabu-senpai seemed to make clear by the raise of his eyebrow.

"And If I happen to add your working hours?"

"Ahaha! Stop joking around Senpai!" I tried to laugh it up, but inside I was nervous as hell since I had learned that the hard way; languishing in despair as I toiled through paperwork after paperwork, it was not my brightest moment. So yeah, Manabu-senpai can be rather harsh given a reason to.

"Fine, fine. It won't happen next time." I acquiesced.

With another upturn of his eyebrow, I fully surrender with my hands raised to my chest, hoping to placate the workaholic monster dressed in human skin, "Alright, no skipping work, ever. Happy?"

"You know, looking at your back, I feel very envious of you Senpai. For now at least. Because next year, this is where I rightfully belong." I conveyed as I walked to where the podium was, carried by the other members...which was one of my supposed tasks. Looking at the empty seats, my mind conjured the inevitable future: the mesmerized crowd and me grabbing Destiny by her hair and fucked her bent down on the podium.

"What do you mean to say?" Manabu-senpai's voice breaks me out of my reverie, this time his face takes a pointy edge, accusing me of something I haven't done, yet. However I desired it to be, It won't come true with me prattling about more than intended. There are plots to plot and people to fuck, figuratively and literally. I walked back to the duo, before stopping beside Manabu-senpai.

"I'm saying your time is numbered, Senpai~ In this school, I mean, Ahaha." I faux giggled, hands in my pocket, so I could look cool and hide my shaky hands. "Take this as warning of my intent as a token of our relationship." Although Manabu-senpai was guarded, Tachibana-senpai on the other hand downright glowering at me like a puppy willing and keen to bite on the signal, making her sweet lips noticeable. Oi, oi, oi. Any more and I will damn the consequences and kiss you right here and now.

"What are your plans, Miyabi?" Manabu-senpai questioned me once more.

"Storm is coming." I enigmatically answered and judging by their looks, they hadn't figured out the famous reference albeit changed a little- It was priceless.

"I quoted that from Game of Thrones." I laughed for real this time, making my way out of the gym. I've always had a flair for dramatics.