Chapter 4: At That Moment, The Cat Meets The Dragon's Eyes
TL: Akabane
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-- The cherry petals, pale and crested, are carried by the wind, one by one.
It is a common occurrence in Hokkaido that the cherry blossoms come into their own in May.
The long winter has swallowed up a part of spring, and they are allowed to bloom only for a limited time.
Nekomaru was now surrounded by such flowering trees that weren't even in full bloom.
"Here we are ......"
A large, white building rises in front of him.
The five vertical rows of windowpanes suggest that this is a five-floor building.
Hearing this alone, there are probably more than a few people who think that the word "large" might be a misnomer.
However, there is no problem. Perhaps to compensate for it's height, which is neither high nor low, the structure is built like a cross of extraordinarily long poles.
Seen from above, the huge structure resembles a white phoenix flapping it's wings in the sky.
This is the school. This is the Saibo High School that my father, Torahiko, wanted me to attend.
It looks like it would be able to accommodate a large group of people. However......
-- I'm sure it's going to cost a lot of money for the land.
The same uniforms passed by Nekomaru, who was standing still and looking at the building silently, one after another.
Some of them were wearing skirts that were just long enough to hang down to their knees instead of slacks, and instead of ties, they were wearing ribbons of the same color around their necks, but they all had one thing in common: they were all wearing the same uniform.
All of them, all the boys and girls in front of them, were the same age as Nekomaru.
"One hundred, two hundred ....... No, maybe more."
For Nekomaru, who had never been to school, kindergarten, or preschool, it was unimaginable to see this many people, all the same age as him, in one place.
Without stopping for a moment, they all made their way to the same entrance.
Apparently, that is the entrance.
Nekomaru, following their example, put his hand on the glass door that was opening and closing repeatedly in front of him and slowly pushed it open.
Nekomaru puts his feet into his shoes, which he isn't accustomed to wearing, and, clutching his bag in his right hand, he heads toward a certain place.
"Don't be so nervous. They're all nice and friendly."
Perhaps wondering why I had been so silent the whole time, I was approached by a winsome-looking woman walking next to me.
She wasn't much older than me, but the clothes she was wearing were clearly different.
She wasn't wearing the same uniform as me, but a black suit that I had often seen at work.
She leads Nekomaru to the classroom of the third class of the second year, where she is the homeroom teacher, and stops in front of the door.
"Well then, I'll go inside first. Kuroki-san, you can come in when I call you."
To this request, Nekomaru replied, "Yes." The woman nodded, opened the door, and walked into it.
Something rattling could be heard on the other side, but then, as if nothing had happened, the woman who had been in front of him just a few moments before spoke.
"I have an important announcement for everyone today. What a surprise! A new student has arrived in this class!"
At that moment, this time, a rasping noise jumped into my ears.
I could feel numerous gazes being directed at me through the walls.
"Well, I'll introduce him now. Come in, Kuroki-san."
As before, Nekomaru replied with a "Yes," put his hand on the door, and entered the room with a rattling sound.
The eyes of the group of about 40 or more gathered on Nekomaru as if they were about to lynch him.
There was nothing special about it. I have had many experiences like this in the past.
In addition, the people who had looked at him in the past, without exception, has become prey in his hands.
Compared to that, I don't care much about the gazes of those defenseless people sitting on their chairs with empty hands.
For reasons that are out of the ordinary and out of the common sense, Nekomaru, unusually for a transfer student, doesn't show any nervousness at all.
On the other hand, seeing such a strange boy, the students in the classroom react .......
"Hey ...... that thing is ......."
"No, no, no way, that's ...... impossible."
"Hey, isn't that a little bit...?"
"Uh, yeah ....... It's a little bit, yeah ......."
It was a little different to call it a welcome.
The buzzing, noisy conversation gradually turned into a muffled thumping.
Nekomaru felt momentarily uncomfortable at such a blatant change, but he held his composure and turned to his classmates lined up in front of him.
"I am Nekomaru Kuroki. Please, take the time to meet me."
He proudly introduced himself. He even used his real name.
I thought for a moment about using an alias, but then I remembered that my father, whom I loathed, had reported me under my real name, and I immediately dismissed the option.
He's been in the industry far longer than I have, but I never thought he would make such a mistake.
No, this was probably just harassment. It must have been caused by his naivete, because he was just trying to be funny.
Because that's the kind of man Torahiko's is.
"Well, Kuroki-san, take that empty seat over there."
The homeroom teacher points to an empty window seat at the far end of the corner.
It was a very warm place with good sunlight.
"Understood."
Following the instructions, Nekomaru slowly paces.
The people who had passed by began to change direction one after another, and even though they were still looking at him, he paid them no mind.
"Hey, don't tell me he's the second ......."
"Hey, come on, that's not a good idea. Even just one person is a nuisance. ......"
They seemed to be whispering about something, but I don't think it was anything worth listening to.
I need to sit down now and think about what I should do from now on.
The first thing to be aware of is that my identity will be exposed.
To be honest, I'm still a bit bewildered at being sent out to a place like this so suddenly, but as long as I keep my cool, I'm sure there won't be any trouble.
First of all, I need to spend the day relatively quiet.
Nekomaru turns his head to the full and, at the same time as sorting out his situation, assembles a solution to the problem.
He finally arrives at his seat, hooks his bag onto the hook next to his desk, and is about to reach for his chair. Just then--
"--Fufufu ...... I never thought I'd encounter you here."
Suddenly, Nekomaru heard a strange, eerie laughter and turned his body toward it.
Then he noticed a girl sitting next to him with her eyes closed, arms folded, and a wry smile on her face.
-- What is this woman?
If I had to describe her in one word, I would say that she was a girl dressed in a bewitching manner.
Even sitting on a chair, her petite and slender physique was clearly visible.
Her face, which wasn't suited to her age, showed her childishness, and her small double teeth peeked out from her smiling mouth.
Her black hair, which is just below her shoulders, is accented with a red cross-shaped hairpin.
-- Is she injured? It's wrapped very carefully .......
Nekomaru was momentarily concerned when he looked at the girl's arms.
The white bandages visible through the cuffs are wrapped so tightly around the girl's arms and palms that they almost cover them.
It would be difficult to hold a pen in this condition. Just as I was thinking that.
Bang! The girl stood up, slamming the desk with both hands, as if to deny our fears outright.
The chair falls over, dragging it's legs with the force of the slap. The girl didn't pay any attention to this, and she said,
"My name is Tatsuki Akane! I have been waiting for you, the one like me, a resident of the darkness!"
Stretching her left arm straight out, she shouted her own name and pointed at Nekomaru with her slender index finger.
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