82 Chapter 80 ~ Ashford Academy
Kallen Stadtfeld stood at the main entrance of the academy building, waiting in silence demurely and attracting the awed and lovestruck gazes of the many boys who walked past her.
There was a graceful elegance to her that pulled onto the heartstring of the young male teenagers. She looked almost like a delicate flower atop a tall cliff; beautiful, sacred, yet untouchable.
Few had the courage to walk up to her and start a conversation in fear of tainting her or breaking the delicate tranquility around her.
And so, to their safety, they didn't bother the crimson-haired girl who was inwardly seething.
Why… Why in the world do I, Zero's right hand, have to wait for some transfer students in this children's playground?!?!?!
Milly Ashford… The "tyrannical" president of the student council, had asked her to wait on the new transfer students that will be coming today and lead them to their class, which was coincidentally the same as her's.
She forced such a troublesome job onto her with a brilliant smile that Kallen still hadn't forgotten.
Why did she have to do it?! Why couldn't any other staff or teacher from the academy do it?!
And to that, Milly answered with a bright tone.
"This will be your first task as a member of the student council~! So do your best!!!"
She wanted to reject it using her "frailty" as an excuse. Although it was a pain to act like a frail, demure girl all the time, at least it was a useful excuse, especially for moments like this.
But before she could and suggested if Lelouch or Suzaku, the two "healthier" men, or even Shirley could take her place, they were all unfortunately unavailable…
Suzaku would be absent for his military duties, while Lelouch apparently had some other business to take care of. And Shirley had morning swimming practice.
Thus, it all fell onto her to do it, and she couldn't even begin to describe how annoyed she was to be dragged into such a farce.
She had just discovered that her mother… Her real mother was using "Refrain", a highly illegal and dangerous drug that corroded the mind for a momentary bliss of reliving their happiest memories.
She and the black knights raided a compound that stored and distributed these drugs to the Japanese people, who sought it in their lowest times. And her mother was included in the many victims they found there.
She was admitted to the hospital and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
It had only been a week, perhaps a bit over a week, since that happened. And now the black knights were also preparing for another operation soon.
But instead of helping with the preparation, here she was going to school and wasting her time waiting for some stuck-up Britannians to come to school.
How could she not be angry?!
It took her everything she had to not burst into rage and shout out profanities at the children around her.
"Hey hey, did you see that car entering the academy?"
"Yeah, I saw it! Wasn't that a black Lamborghini Sian? You could only get that car from the mainland! Whoever it was must've imported it!"
"Damn, I'm so envious! They must've come from a rich family!"
"No shit! If they could come to school in that, you can just imagine how rich they are!"
Kallen overheard the conversation between the two guys excitedly shared as they walked past her, and her mood became even worse.
There had never been any "Lamborghini" entering the school premise before. If there was, it would've been a massive news in the entire academy, just like it's becoming now.
And anyone could easily connect the dots…
The one riding that car might be one of the transfer students she was waiting for, and the fact made her stomach twist in even more indignation.
Great… It's even worse than a stuck up Britannian… It's a spoiled, stuck up, Britannian brat who could only brag about their mommy and daddy's riches…
She clenched her hands resting in front of her slightly, digging her nails into her skin, as she pursed her lips.
To onlookers, she would've looked like she was tired from standing there, waiting in silence without complaining about her duty, and elicited their pity, compassion, and admiration.
But in reality, Kallen was ready to simply walk away and give some excuse to Milly later about why she didn't wait for the transfer student.
When suddenly, she heard gasps of shock and awe from around her, bringing her out of her daze.
She looked up, and a crowd she hadn't realized before had suddenly appeared in the courtyard of the prestigious Ashford Academy.
…That must be the asshole. I was too late… Damnit!
She cursed herself for being too slow in her retreat, and she was now forced to handle the obnoxious spoiled Britannian brat from some rich family; a combination that she hated the most in the world.
Kallen resigned herself to her fate and kept her eyes forward. She was ready to act as flatly as possible and steeled her heart for her upcoming tribulation so she won't rip the brat's face apart or break some bones.
But as the crowd split to make way for the "brat", her eyes widened in pure surprise as her pale pink lips parted in a tiny gasp.
Coming from the midst of the crowd, dressed in the Ashford Academy's jet-black and gold-trimmed uniform, she saw the most handsome man she had ever seen in her entire life…
A perfectly beautiful expression, accentuated by his kind, polite smile. A tall, athletic figure that perfectly balanced strength and elegance. And charisma that separated him from others but not alienate.
He was… perfect. Almost too perfect. Such a thing should've made her uncomfortable. She knew all too well that things that looked perfect would've had a hideous side to them hidden behind it.
Yet, she didn't feel an ounce of unpleasant feelings from him. And before she knew it, she was staring at him, entranced.
"Hm?"
"!!!"
She snapped out of her daze when she met his gaze. And out of habit, she took a step back and put her hands to her side, ready to defend herself just in case.
She knew how beautiful she was, and based on her past experience, many playboys would try their luck on her, especially since she looked frail and defenseless when she acted as Kallen Stadtfelt.
And the more handsome they are, the more confident and obnoxious they would be.
Someone this handsome… and extremely rich to boot. He must be in the belief that everything in the world was his own, including girls.
But instead of the lustful, possessive gaze she'd often receive from males, she saw surprise and confusion in his eyes.
He even tilted his head in confusion, as if wondering why she'd suddenly act like a deer in headlights.
He approached her, and with a calm, pleasant smile, he began.
"It is nice to meet you. Are you perhaps… a member of the student council? I was told that someone from the student council would be here to help me and lead me to my class.
His deep, smooth, enchanting voice dazed her for a moment. But she quickly recovered and nodded.
"Y-Yes, I am. My name is Kallen Stadtfelt."
"I see. My name is Alexander Kyrielight. I will be attending the Ashford Academy from today onwards. It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance, Miss Stadtfelt."
"Ah, the pleasure is mine. And likewise…"
Kallen tried her best to compose herself. But it proved to be much more difficult to do that with him right in front of her.
"U-Uhm, I'm sorry, but we still have to wait for another transfer student to come. Would that be alright?"
"Of course. Please don't mind it."
"...Thank you."
Kallen looked at the man before her weirdly.
Normally… This kind of entitled rich kid would barely be able to tolerate being made to wait.
But Alexander was… weirdly patient about it. Was he just trying to act or show off in front of her to elevate her impression of him?
…This is not a regular rich brat. I need to be careful and not associate with him too much.
She stepped slightly away from him and prepared herself to seal off her heart from any sort of advancement from him, no matter how subtle.
But… they simply stood in silence.
Where guys would try and make some conversations so they could become closer to her, he simply stood there in silence.
…This guy's definitely strange. Is he an introvert?
She turned her head slightly, trying to steal a glance at him. But when her eyes fell onto his face, he realized that she was glancing at him, and turned towards her.
Then, he simply smiled and nodded his head slightly before looking away, creating even more questions in her mind.
…Strange.
Kallen decided not to mind the strange handsome transfer student and kept to herself.
And soon, she saw a black-haired young man, dressed in the academy's uniform, approaching her.
He had quite a subtle charm to him, but after being exposed to "Alexander", she had begun considering any other males to be the same without even realizing it.
"You must be the member of the student council I was told to find. It's a pleasure. My name is Silver Taurus. The new student who will be transferring as of today."
Tatsuya bowed his head towards Kallen, and she reciprocated with a demure, graceful bow she was forced to learn as part of her etiquette lesson from her Britannian step-mother.
"It's a pleasure. My name is Kallen Stadtfeld. And indeed, I'm here on behalf of the student council to lead you to your classroom."
"Thank you very much, Miss Stadtfeld. And I assume you are also another transfer student?"
Tatsuya turned towards Yuuji, his face stoic, not giving any signs of their relationship.
"Indeed. Alexander Kyrielight. A pleasure to meet you, Mister Taurus."
"Please. Just Silver is fine."
"Very well. Then please call me simply by Alex."
"Certainly."
Yuuji then turned towards Kallen.
"Shall we go now, Miss Stadtfeld?"
Kallen held herself from flinching when "Alexander" called her by her Britannian name, and nodded.
"Of course. This way."
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
Yuuji and Tatsuya followed Kallen through the halls of the Ashford Academy towards their class.
And as they did, Yuuji couldn't help but think back on the transfer process he experienced.
It has been… very strange.
Both he and Tatsuya received an email from the academy, telling them that all of their papers and transfer procedure had been completed, and that they could immediately start going to class the day of their transfer.
Given how thorough the group chat has been with their integration into this world, Yuuji and Tatsuya didn't really questioned it.
What confused them was the fact that in the email, they were told that they will be lead to their class by a member of the student council…
They couldn't believe what they read the first time they went through the email.
Yuuji thought they'd be going to the principal's office or the administration and be led by their homeroom teacher. But instead, they're led by another student…
Was this anime logic? It's true that sometimes, transfer students are lead by a member of the student councils in anime because the author either wanted to introduce the student council members, who'll be pertinent to the story, or simply didn't want to to write about a school staff that would appear once for this purpose and never to be seen again.
But experiencing it in reality was very weird…
And what's even more surprising is that the one leading them was Kallen Stadtfelt, or Kozuki Karen.
They didn't expect to meet her the first thing in the morning.
Seeing the taciturn girl walking in front of him, Yuuji also couldn't help but think of her weirdly.
Yes. In her Kallen Stadtfelt persona, she was a quiet, demure, frail, yet extremely intelligent girl who's well known for her beauty.
But… For some reason, she seemed to be strangely on guard with him.
Considering her background, perhaps it was because he was a "Britannian" and the inherent suspicion she had developed from the numerous encounters and experiences she had with the Britannians in the past.
But she didn't seem that on guard with Tatsuya, even though he was supposed to be "Britannian" on paper as well.
Was she specifically on guard towards him? What did he do to piss her off? He just came into this world last night! This was the first time he had met her! Even in the memories he received from the group chat, he couldn't recall ever upsetting her in any way.
Even with his genius level intelligence and lightning fast through processing, he couldn't figure out what he did that upsetted her.
Was this one of those moments? When a girl simply got upset at you without any reason and you just have to accept it?
He had learned about it from Mira, his sisters, his aunt, and Aika. And he was told that the best way to handle it was to simply leave her alone for a while and keep being kind to her and it will resolve itself. So he was going to do it.
But still… what could he have done…? Was it even something he did?
Yuuji shook his head. And soon, they arrived in front of their class where a male teacher, presumably their homeroom teacher, had been waiting for them.
"Sir Ashley, I've brought with me the transfer students."
"Ah, yes. Thank you very much for your hard work, Miss Stadtfelt. Please come in and take your seat. You may also go to the nurse's office to rest if you wish. You must be very tired."
"I am fine Sir Ashley. Thank you very much. Then, I shall be inside."
Kallen bowed towards the teacher and entered.
"Well then, welcome to Ashford Academy. I've read about you from the forms you've submitted. I'm glad to have brilliant students such as yourselves here in the academy. And, handsome lads that you are, I'm sure you will fit in just fine."
"Thank you very much, professor."
"Sir Ashley would be fine. I'm still too young to be a professor. Hahahaha!"
The brown haired man, seemingly about 27-28 year-old man with a chubbiness and rotund figure, laughed at his own… words.
"Well then, I'll be entering first. Come in when I call you."
""Yes.""
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
Sitting quietly at his desk, Lelouch put his elbow on his table and rested his head against his hand.
His eyes were closed, and to each and every one of his classmates and friends, he was asleep.
But in reality, he was anything but asleep. His mind was filled with the operation the Black Knights will be undergoing in Narita as well as his plans for Shirley's father.
Thanks to his [Foresight] ability, which allows him to see the future results of his decisions, and his [Mind of the World], he was able to create a far better plan than the one "he" made in the anime.
Yuuji, Tatsuya, and Satoru's existence in his world now had also made it easier for him. Even without their geass or their abilities, simply having several other people who knew of his secret and who he could trust, would be a tremendous help for him.
Today would be their first time meeting. And although he wouldn't show it, he was actually fairly excited.
It… truly has been a while since he had "friends" he could be truthful towards and trust. Ever since that tragic "day", trust was a luxury he couldn't afford.
The sound of the door opening and the voice of his homeroom teacher awakened him from his "rest".
It wouldn't, normally, but Sir Ashely's arrival today would signal Yuuji and Tatsuya's, or rather, Alexander and Silver's as well. So, he woke up to see his friends for the first time.
"Alright. Please settle down, everyone. We will be welcoming two new transfer students to our class today."
The students all scampered back to their seats the moment their home room teacher entered. But as soon as he announced that they'll be having two new transfer students, gasps and whispers immediately filled the classroom once more.
"Eh?! C-Could it be…?"
"Is it the rumored rich transfer student who came here in a sports car?"
"Eh?! Are we really going to have him in our class?"
"I heard he's super handsome!"
"Oh my God~ I'm so excited!"
Voices of excitement, surprise, and anticipation filled the class until their teacher knocked on the board to get their attention.
"Settle down. I know you're excited, but stop with the ruckus. I'll be letting them in now."
The entire class immediately went silent, waiting in bated anticipation.
"Good. Now please welcome our two new transfer students who'll be joining us in this class starting from today."
The door opened, and the entire class immediately burst into gasps, shrieks, and shock as two young men entered the class.
"Oh my God! It's really him!!!"
"I-I can't believe it…! We got to be in the same class?!"
"H-He's even more handsome than I could imagine!"
The girls all burst into excitement, while the guys sat in their seats, shocked.
And this time, it took a while for their teacher to make his class quiet down.
"Hah… Alright, please introduce yourselves."
Yuuji nodded, and with an elegant bow, he introduced himself.
"It is a pleasure to meet everyone. My name is Alexander Kyrielight. I hope to make your acquaintance."
Similarly, Tatsuya also introduced himself.
"It is a pleasure to meet everyone. My name is Silver Taurus. I shall be in your care."
The girls all cheered and clapped their hands, moreso for the fact that they got a new eye candy and one super handsome and rich guy than their introductions.
And as they did, no one realized the gaze Yuuji, Tatsuya, and Lelouch shared with each other.
There was no change in their expression, and their gazes were subtle. But, there was an unmistakable connection that was established through their gaze. A connection that could only be created through time, or immense mutual trust.
Welcome to this world, Yuuji, Tatsuya.
Thank you. Please show us around later. We haven't got the time to explore much, having only arrived last night.
Of course.
Yuuji's lips curled into a small smile, which sent the girls even more excited. But they're soon given the permission to go to their seats.
And their first day in Ashford Academy officially started.
