Chapter 2: Dawn

Kobe, a bustling port city adjacent to steep hills. When the morning sun rises, these mountains offer shade for the inhabitants living below.

From the vantage point on his bedroom window, Ren could see his city, the ocean no longer visible in this concrete jungle. Though he could take the train to Suma Station if he wished to go.

The young man was eighteen years of age and a senior in Chuo High, a renowned private school.

Getting ready for school, Ren slung his bag over his shoulder and walked down the stairs, immediately hearing his mother cooking in the kitchen.

"Good morning!" Ren greeted his mother.

"Good morning." His mother smiled at him gently warming his heart. Despite being a single mother, she was always full of energy and dignity, never had he seen her cry after his deadbeat father left them.

"Mom do you have work today?" Ren curiously asked, receiving a quick shake of her head, with a hum he nodded, going to the kitchen to begin arranging the plates and dishes.

"Well, let's eat!" She grinned. A simple breakfast, miso soup, a bowl of rice, a grilled filet of fish, and a side of vegetables. 

Noting to himself that he had roughly an hour before leaving, he turned to his mother, seeing her frown seeing the news.

"Mom, what's with the face?" Ren asked curiously, to which his mother sighed and nodded to the side, signalling her son to watch the TV.

"Another incident? That's messed up." Ren absentmindedly commented, the news reported another of many incidents in the city.

Supposed violent crimes occurring in the city, authorities hypothesise its a new drug or just people snapping from work pressure.

Osaka is usually where the drug dealers go to within the Kansai region, after all it was the "fun" city sprawling with tourists for nightlife activities. 

But due to these recent developments, there has been an increased police presence in Kobe, especially train stations to keep an eye on the supposed drug dealers and the like.

"Ren, be careful alright? Don't go into empty spaces and don't be alone. If something happens, just run." His mother advised him worriedly before finishing it with a gentle smile.

"Only if I don't have my shinai(1)?" Ren smirked, seeing her huff.

"Don't hurt people… too much!" She relented, taking a sip of the soup, off in her own world.

Ren then narrowed his eyes at the supposed CCTV footage while his mother tuned out, eating food.

A salaryman laying on the ground jumped at a pedestrian, an old man, and the footage ended there. Feeling an unfamiliar sense of unease, he quickly distracted himself and began eating breakfast.

——

The train ride was always calming despite being the most crowded at this time of the day, luckily he found himself seated. Some hushed whispers next to him caught his attention, and with a roll of his eyes, in the corner most side, he could see the women's cart through the connected door. 

'What the hell?' Ren could see a woman, an office lady on the seat wriggling on her seat while other female passengers moved and looked away, clearly disturbed at the sudden situation.

"Taking drugs in broad daylight? Or is there something wrong here?" Muttering to himself, he quickly got on his phone, scrolling through his apps and coming across one very familiar.

Qwitter.

He quickly typed some keywords and found the first recommendation. The full video of the CCTV footage shown on the TV.

But before he could watch it, the train announced its destination, realising that he had to get out Ren grumbled inwardly and quickly exited the train.

From there, he walked and came across a split at the lane, turning right he made his way to his school, Chuo High.

A prestigious High-school built within the richer suburbs of Kobe. Chuo High school was known for three things; Rich kids, Good education, and Sports.

Despite Ren's mother being a single-mom she worked her way up the company and eventually became well off enough to be able to send her son to this private academy, but it was also Ren's own sports scholarship which helped him get his seat.

——

"Good morning, Captain!" Takamichi shouted when he saw Ren, he ran towards him with a grin to which Ren scowled.

"Its so early in the morning and you are shouting." Takamichi heard him muttering to himself and chuckled.

"Captain, today's the day!" The younger and energetic boy informed his senior.

"Ah… that… just talk to Reina" Ren waved his hand shooing the boy away.

"Oh c'mon! Captain, you know she hates me!" Takamichi howled, grabbing his senior pitifully.

"Tch! Don't get too close." Ren grunted, his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Ren get away from that thing! He's got some kind of disease!" The senior overheard someone familiar shouting at him.

"He's got a disease?! No wonder!" Ren acted.

"Something like rabies, makes you all touchy and feely like those subway perverts." The newcomer explained.

"Taka get away from me." Ren shivered, seeing his junior's pitiful look.

"Senpai, I'm not sick! I'm not sick!" Takamichi waved his hands under the accusations, and before long everyone in the hallway giggled at their interactions.

——

"Minamoto, good morning." Walking into his classroom 3A, he was greeted by yet another sight, a beautiful girl, her eyes so cold that it sends shivers down whoever gazed at her.

"Yarigawa, good morning!" Ren smiled at the new face, eyebrow twitching when she nodded at him approvingly.

"Minamoto, I wanted to clarify whether you are going to be free after school for our duel." Ren groaned at her words but relented at her intense stare and nodded.

"Yeah, As planned… Seriously though which one is this? The tenth duel?" A bit exasperated by her over enthusiastic approach to prove herself, Ren couldn't help but repeat himself.

"I've told you before that Sojutsu and Kenjutsu are meant to-"

"Fight together and not against each other, yes. But Sojutsu is the more elegant art and I will keep proving it." She then sat down.

Almost immediately, the door opened with their homeroom teacher, face a little pale.

"Good morning class. Sorry to stop you all short but there will be an announcement soon so please be careful." He spoke, Ren could feel his lack of enthusiasm and tremble?