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This place looked unfamiliar. It seemed like the outside was all dark, some type of greenish undertone. Then again, it was hard to spot anything or anyone with all the fog around. The only thing visible was the silhouette of some type of massive mast. For the most part it was slim yet on top there were two round things visible with some distance in between. It seemed to reach up to the sky, on top of it being the slimmest part of them all, almost looking like a stick.
When looking around there was nothing else around, not as far as they could see at least. The fogginess made it impossible to make out. Not to mention that it was overall cold, the air itself leaving a cold yet moldy feeling on the skin.
And it was annoying them just a little bit. Though more than annoying them it was scaring them. This atmosphere was making them shiver. It was all empty, cold, suffocating. The opposite of their room.
While their room was all dark it was at least warm, warm enough to sit there in shorts, a shirt and a sweat jacket with a hoodie. So here right now they were freezing. Even zipping their jacket close didn't help, not really at least. They were still feeling the cold air against their legs and face.
At most they were muttering against the cold air, stuff they cannot remember. Yet it would boil down to figuring out where they were at most. They couldn't see anything and that place did not look familiar, at all. Nor did it feel familiar either. Just what was this location? They couldn't say. And there wasn't anyone they–
Wait, no, hold on. They could spot someone or something. A silhouette of a person. They saw it! Right from afar! Their eyes went wide, a hopeful sparkle most likely in them! So they just ran over there without thinking.
Their legs carried them very quickly and they shouted it over already. “Excuse me! I wanted to ask you something! Can you tell me where–” And yet this would stop the moment they spotted something.
It was when they saw the figure turn around. They couldn't see much due to the fog, it had been that thick. Instead they only saw a blue aura around the silhouette. Not just that but the person turned around, slowly yet creepily. The next thing they saw were golden glowing eyes, brightly glowing, almost blinding. All while they saw a smirk beneath the fog, one so wide that it made them clearly uncomfortable. And then the sudden laughter. A laughter which was high pitched, a classic creepy one. And it didn't stop. It had made them really uncomfortable, enough to send shivers down their spine. It was just–
“Did you come here to play~?” The voice asked, an echo audible through the entire place. Something about this… It was just… Ah, they could hardly put it into words but it was—
“
Get out of there!
” An unfamiliar voice suddenly shouted, making them gasp. Though before they could notice anything else their view went black and their ears seemed to have deafened themselves. They couldn't even process what was going on in such a short amount of time.
Did it work? Was he finally sent somewhere else? A plane of existence he could not return from? If so that would honestly be the biggest taste of freedom he has had since. No one could tell him what to do anymore, nor talk behind his back. It was liberating. His wish became true. No longer stuck at the place he had been forced to stay at. No, he could be free here, couldn't he? Finally…
And yet he didn't see where he was. Even with his rather baggy clothing which covered his entire body he still felt a cold air around him. And it was uncomfortably wet too. And something smelled horribly, like moldy cheese or something. It made him move his nose a little, or rather his nostrils. Talk about something annoying. But better than staying wherever he was staying. He’d take the smell over anything else, really. You get used to these types of things.
He took a step forward. And another. And then another. The ground felt wet, as if it had just rained. No, it was as if he was walking through some mud. And the fog made it impossible to see. All except a silhouette nearby, a massive tower of some sorts. Slim overall yet on top it looked as if there were two, thick rings clutching onto it. It was a tower, yes, yet he couldn't make out what type of tower.
And nothing else was visible either. He was stuck from the looks of it. Anyone would probably freak out but he seemed… No, excited was the wrong word. It wasn't that. It was just better than the alternative. Then again, that wasn't a high bar to reach. His home was a shithole, enough for him to take even the pits of hell over it. Anywhere was better… Literally anywhere.
But he was curious… Was it really just him here? Or had there been someone else by any chance? He wouldn't mind being alone but he just had to know. Maybe he can find a way to survive here and make this place his home. He was ready to go that far. In fact, he was more than ready! But then he saw something within the thickness of the fog… The silhouette of a person.
He only shrugged. Curiosity got the better of him. He got closer without a second thought, even waving for a moment. “Hey! Whassu–” But then, when he was in close proximity, he stopped. He didn't know why but something just made him stop dead in his tracks and his mind was racing all of a sudden. The urge to jump of a cliff had become massive once more, his body shaking as a result, yet it wasn't a positive reaction. No, he just wanted to run, suddenly getting away from this place. Yet he didn't know why.
The shadowy figure itself should have not invoked any reactions. Sure, some blue stuff surrounded it and there were bright, golden dots within the fog itself but he would be unfazed by those things. Or rather, he didn't care too much in the end. It was something different.
Something made him want to throw up right then and there. But he didn't know what that was. Out of nowhere he felt disgust right inside of him, about everything, even himself. His skin felt abnormal. He just wanted to scratch it off until he was bleeding, just so he didn't have to feel it any longer. But he couldn't move. And he didn't know how to explain this. It just hit him out of nowhere. And he could no longer speak.
“Let me end your pain.” A voice echoed from nearby, the silhouette seemed to speak. He could see it opening its mouth slightly at least, the tone quiet despite the echoes in his ears. And the voice felt familiar but at the same time– “You want to be set free, right? I can–”
“Agh! Stop! Just stop!” It shot out of his mouth. It was less because of what it said but how it sounded. The voice was ear piercing, he hated it! It was disgusting! He didn't want to hear it for a moment longer! “Stop talking!” If he could he would have ripped his own ears out honestly…
And yet before he could get out another word he felt woozy, at the brink of collapsing. “Just… Shut… Up…” The last words he said, only to be close to losing consciousness. Though before that there was one last thing he heard… Another voice he couldn't make out however nor did he really have the energy to.
“
Ah! Damnit! Fine, I’ll get you outta here!
”
The guy groaned when looking at the two on the floor, looking as if they were sleeping. And yet it was anything but that. He had hopped to them, just before they were losing consciousness. Just in time before things could escalate. Sure, due to the fog right now they would have not been in any deadly danger but better safe than sorry. And he wasn't going to take the risk, especially if they were just showing up like that.
What force had brought them in here was unknown, not even he knew for certain. His ears had wagged and his nose had been constantly moving on its own. Two unfamiliar scents he had never smelled before. And it led them to these two individuals. One looked like a girl and the other looked like a boy. And they were knocked out cold.
Two beings which were not from here, he knew that much at least. And judging from the way they had behaved they were not aware of the danger they were in. At all. Then again, it was not unusual either, given that this place was only occupied by the equivalent of Shadows. The tower itself had been standing there abandoned for some time now, as long as he could think. And the Shadows were pretty much everywhere. No outsider could survive that. He himself had a hard time fending them off but just managed. Yet what were two, defenseless beings going to do here? Die at this rate.
He sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He had no choice but to send them home, as quickly as possible. Because who knew what was going to happen if they stayed here any longer. They will not live another day, surely, especially with no means of defense. Though for that he would need to find a set of televisions first, just to put them back to safety and pray that they would never show up again.
It was like that time too, years back, with that odd man. Come to think of it this man looked a little like— Ah no, probably the imagination of this old man. His memory is a little blurry too. It has been too long and the man was probably home, safe and sound. At least he had not smelled or sensed any distress with that guy. That was… A good thing, right? Yeah, it was. Of course it was…
But enough about dwelling in the past like that. Two kids needed to be brought home. And it would be a bit of work. But he will manage. That was not his first time.
Just hurry before any Shadows spot them or the fog decides to randomly disappear.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They were pretty stern about it, strict even. For years they knew what they wanted, or rather what they were into. Or better put,
who
they were into. After all, that was why their previous relationship had failed.
“Sorry but… I’m just not into you.”
“Huh!? Wh… Why not!? Wait, are you seeing someone else!? Is it who I think it is!? I should have known! That guy–”
“I like women!”
How they had broken up with their first and last boyfriend, a man 4 years their senior, when they were still young. It wasn't their gap. It was because they just couldn't feel the same. The reason why they had not been into this relationship was very simple. The soft touch of a woman, the desire to feel another’s soft lips. The tenderness, the embrace, the touch. Admiring those with the same anatomy, wanting to be closer… Yeah, that was what they desired, who they desired. A simple logic and the only reason Annika could think of, why things just hadn't clicked with that guy. It was that… Just that, yeah. A simple answer. And yet things just weren't so simple in the end… Or rather unfortunately. Just when they thought that they had the answer.
It had happened right when they had applied for a part time job shortly after arriving in this small town. Though to be honest it was completely unfamiliar territory. They themself were not from a major city, had never lived in one, only paying it a visit to go to school or shopping. But they themself were also from a town. So this was nothing too unusual. Even the part with barely anything to do. Then again, in their town there had been lots of old people and barely anything to go to, even less than in Inaba.
It was honestly impressive that they had a store from a bigger chain here. And that was where they worked at, a store called Junes.
“
Eh? Why do you want to get a job?
” Their ‘brother’ had asked. Truth to be told this guy, Strange, was not their brother. It was a front both kept up. But people bought their act so it didn't even matter if they were related or not.
“
I want to work.
” They had responded.
“
That's a sentence which should never be said. Ever.
” He had responded, a bit in disbelief. “
Just sleep in!
”
“
I’m not letting you do all the work. I’ll help in some way, even if it's only part time.
” Besides, if they didn't they’d die of boredom. There was not much to do here anyways, may as well. Studying non stop would get them to collapse anyways. Or just bored in the end. So it was a good distraction. Even when it was hard talking to and helping customers sometimes. They were not the most sociable type after all. They managed, though just barely!
No, wrong. So wrong. They were dying. Each word escaping their mouth was just a scream for help, death releasing them from the torture. They had hoped that they would mainly get to help restocking items or anything behind the scenes. But talking to customers? The horror! Keep up a smile, a friendly tone… Draining. They were wondering if this secretly wasn't hell honestly, having died and fallen into the deepest pits there were. But no, this was real. This was their life now. Though would one believe that this wasn't the most frustrating part? There was another… A certain someone.
Always chiming in, just in time, whenever Annika was in peril. Or so it seemed. The first few times they didn't pay it too much mind, forgetting the face quickly. Yet the more it happened, the more they became familiar with that face, his face. Taking over and handling it with ease, making them feel guilty. And always being asked “Are you alright?” Or “Do you need a break?” – It only made it worse. What didn't help was this grin, appearing to be friendly. It had burned itself into their mind, more than they liked to admit. Sometimes it just appeared in their head at random… At home it would be especially frustrating thanks to Strange pointing it out all the time.
Though back to the present. They would always shake their head, even if they were a little irritated each time. “I was doing just fine.” They sighed. “Stop butting into my work, will you?”
“Ow! That hurt!” The guy would say, a little exaggerating when saying that first part, as if it actually hurt. But he would laugh it off moments later. “You’re as cold as always, aren't you?”
They only huffed. “I just want to do my work. So don't–” Yet they had no chance of finishing, having their mouth grabbed by its two ends, one finger pressed against their cheeks each, then it being forcefully curled upwards. “Whaf afe you dofing!?”
“Then smile! You’re scaring the customers away!” Though the guy said it as if it was a joke. It may as well have been.
“Ftop thaf! Now!” But that fell on deaf ears for a moment, their mouth forcefully curled up. Not to mention that they would not be released until moments later, nearly growling. “Ugh… This again! Why you–”
“Haha, there we go! You’re finally being expressive!”
“Ugh… This isn't funny… Go back to work…”
Every single time, something like that. Recently it started to make their head spin, feeling dizzy and all. And thinking back on it only made it worse. Once more that grin was burned into their mind, even that laugh echoed in their ears. It was driving them insane. Each time it just got them pounding, blood rushing for no reason. As if they had a fever, yet they were fine moments later.
But why? It didn't make any sense. They had no answer to this, not really. When asking once someone said this: “
Sounds like you got a crush Annika!
” Yet they would deny this, at least in their mind. What nonsense… They only felt attraction like that to women. And that co–worker? That was a guy. It can't be that! … Right? Yeah. It’s not a crush.
Although, a good thing is that they only saw him at work. Anywhere outside of that and they wouldn't know how to handle that! Yeah, just a pair of strangers working together, nothing else!
Little did they know at the time that the guy in question was attending the same school as one of their underclassmen after transferring to the only highschool in town.
Who you might ask? His name… This guy’s name… Ah, right! They remember! Yosuke Hanamura.
Eh, not like anything comes from this! … Well, they sure jinxed it. But that's a story for another time.
There's only one fact… Annika does not have a crush here! No way!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“
Seriously? You could do anything with your life here and you go back to school?
”
“
Well, my goal was to finish my education and go study somewhere. And I can't lose one year! I want to go to school!
”
“
This is a sentence which should never be said…
”
Needless to say it had been Annika’s wish regardless. If they wanted to further their studies they had to attend school here to finish their studies in that sense. And Yatogami High School was basically just around the corner, the perfect opportunity. It took a bit of convincing and other types of work yet they managed to come up with something at the very least, enough to be accepted.
‘A girl who has moved with her brother into town due to his job. Their parents had only recently passed away and they have no relatives to live with. So they are making a living on their own.’ – At least that was the cover story. A simple one yet it was very effective nonetheless. That was if anyone would ask them about it.
As for the girl part… Well… They felt uneasy. Whenever referred to as such Annika just wanted to sink into the ground. But it had to be done. This was the year 2011, they would just get unnecessary questions. They looked like a girl, sounded like a girl and had a feminine name. So to everyone they were just that, a girl. All to make things easier. Yeah, easier, but not necessarily more comfortable in their skin. A constant reminder…
“
Huh? Look at your bod, it’s clearly a gal’s. You’re a woman. What else would you be?
” – Just the reminder of such a comment could put them over the edge, make them shudder in place. Even as it echoed inside their head. No, especially as it echoed inside their head. The constant reminder as to what they will always be seen. As much as they hated to see it that way, it was just how things were. But they had to accept it with a deep breath, even if they didn’t feel that way at all. It was what it was.
So at school they were playing this role, the role of a girl. Something the others saw them as and would keep seeing them as. Even their homeroom teacher had introduced them in such a way.
“
I know this is sudden but we are having another transfer student here. Please welcome
her
and help
her
to find
her
way around school. Do you have anything to add, Annika–San?
”
It echoed in their head. ‘Her’. A painful emphasis on this one three letter word. ‘Her’. It was like an uncomfortable bang each time, yet one she would constantly have to live with. And as if school life couldn’t be any worse… There was one other thing they came across, one thing they had not hoped for.
It was on the way to school, on the way there by foot. They were minding their own business until they heard a sudden crashing sound. It made them stop dead in their tracks, freezing up. Their heart nearly jumped as it had startled them, the sound being all too sudden. They turned their head into that direction very quickly, only to be met with an… Interesting sight.
A bike had been right on the ground, just fallen down, in front of the trashcan. And right inside the trashcan they could see two legs wiggling out constantly, as if trying to maneuver right out.
Though what irritated them more was that the other students were just passing by, as if nothing was happening. They didn't even look at the scene. It irked them. Did they want to do it? Well, social interactions be damned. Yet with the way this looked, they had no choice. If no one would, they will.
So they walked over to the wiggling legs, grabbing the waist of whoever was in there and they suddenly pushed, trying to pull this person out. Pulling and pulling and pulling! Even If it got them weird looks.
They heard the sudden shrieks, perhaps caught off guard for a moment, even the voice saying: “Ey, be care–” yet that went unfinished as from one moment after the other they managed to pull this person out. Though at the price of them falling backwards and right onto their behind, onto the cold ground. Not just them though, also the person.
Annika had not noticed it at first, only trying to recover from the short moment of pain. They let out groans of pain for a few seconds before it had even dawned on them, yet only when this person had stood up and turned around… And the voice became clearer. “Woha! Are you ok!?”
They wanted to flinch, noticing a quick beat from their heart. And when coming face to face… They just wanted to sink into the ground, judging how they froze. If things couldn't get any worse… Goddamnit. “Yeah, I a– Huh!? Hanamura–San!?”
Yeah, that's him. No doubt about it. And he took a bit to notice it too yet when he did– That smirk again!? Why do they always have to see it? “Saved by a cute girl? Talk about luck!”
Did he just– Ugh! What a pain! “It’s called common decency.” They sighed. “Don’t read anything into it.”
“Even now you're just as cold, aren't you Annika?”
They rolled their eyes. “So what?” They even mumbled as a response yet that may as well have fallen on deaf ears. Because the next thing they saw was him holding out one of his hands, having her caught off guard as well now. Actually, scratch that, he just grabbed them by the arm. And they didn't even have a chance to ask.
“Let me help you up now.” He said as he did just that, pushing them back up in one swoop. “There we go.”
“That wasn't necessary.”
“Just let me return the favor.”
“Hah… Fine. Thanks or something.” Somehow they felt flustered by this… Damnit. They couldn't look him in his face at all. It was difficult to keep calm somehow and they didn't understand why. Ugh… “You’re also going to school here?”
“Haha, I sure am! Where else?” They heard him respond, the voice still… It made them feel things. Things they didn't really understand. “You too huh? I haven't seen you around since transferring here.”
Wait, he also transferred? Probably sooner than them… Yet they decided not to question it. “Because I just transferred here myself.”
“Oh! Right, I think you mentioned just moving here with your brother sometime.” Though he then laughed in between. “So that makes you my upperclassman then! Time to start you calling Annika–Senpai.”
They sighed once more, shaking their head yet again. He remembered that? Damn it… “This sounds embarrassing… Just keep saying Annika.” They corrected. “Anyways, pick up your bike and hurry. Or you'll be late.”
They just wanted this conversation to be over. Because on the inside they were a nervous wreck for some odd reason. Talk about worst luck! Hanamura–San is here! At this school!
They have to find a way to survive somehow…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
At first one may believe that it is a dream. When he checked the calendar the year said 2011. Every calendar he came across. The news. The weather reports. Even the screens of flip phones. The past… In an unknown town nonetheless. Everyone was an unfamiliar face. No one knew him and he knew no one.
Anybody in his position would be scared. Even the girl who shared the same fate as him was scared. A girl around his age yet slightly taller than him. A female figure she didn't hide, though she had very short, dark brown hair. Not just that but ove would usually only see half of her face as the left side was covered up by her messy hair. He had never seen her full face. Was her other eye even dark green? Maybe she hid something else underneath that hair. Eh, not like it matters.
But when she had been first getting up from the grass they both had been lying in she screamed. “
Where am I!?
” She thought too much about it.
Meanwhile he was busy lying within the grass, looking at the clear blue sky. His head was empty yet from the commotion he could tell that this wasn't home. It wasn't his room. Usually it was rather dark, only the monitor inside giving him the faintest hint of light. This was too bright. But something in his gut told him that he wasn't home. There was no need to wish for the ground to devour his flesh so that his bones were the only things left. At least not yet…
This wasn't home. He wasn't exactly ecstatic but he also wasn't going to complain. ‘
Any place is better than home
’. Yeah, he knew what he had said. And he stood by that. Anything over that hellhole. Even if it took a bit of adjusting. But he pulled through and managed to at least establish the basis for living here once knowing what was up.
“
My apologies for sending you two here. I didn't mean to do that… This is a world different from your own yet not completely. For now try to live in Inaba. I will look after you fir making such a mistake.
” – A black and white tuxedo cat had explained. Anyone would be freaked out over a talking cat but he didn't mind. In fact that made Kitty special. And kitty is kitty so he wasn't complaining.
A small, rural town in Japan, a literal no name. A place he has never heard of and a place where no one ever heard of him. It was more than he had ever asked for. At the very least no one would know about him. He could crawl out of his past skin and put on a new one. And no one would ever know. Not even the girl here had any clue at all. No one knew… No one. That in itself should be the equivalent to a bliss. And while not a bliss it was at least making things more bearable.
And now? He was living a new life, a new identity of some sorts. Strange, that's what he called himself, the name he said when introducing himself. And he agreed to play the role of a brother, mainly because he had nothing else to begin with. And he needed a cover up story or something like that… Not just that but it would be an inconvenience to stay away from her, Annika. Not really for much reason other than that she could peek into his mind! Well, he could do the same thing to her mind. But he had to stay on standby, in case something would slip through the cracks. He couldn't have that, not again…
Though life wasn't so bad. Opening up a shop within this town, doing something to earn money. Beats over visiting school ever again. He had some skills to use when it came to electronics. And it was the past so he should be doing just fine with this technology. For him it was outdated after all making it easier to apply everything he knows. And if he had to do something it may as well be this.
A new life where everyone would know him as Strange… Yeah, that didn't sound so bad. He’ll manage. He will be able to live without being judged, right? Right, it should be a good thing!
And yet that didn't make him much more comfortable when–
“Hey, you ok?” A voice was ripping him out of the clouds, making him wake up. When looking around he just saw a stack of boxes in front of him, all while he had been leaning against the desk. “This isn't the time to slack off!”
A quick glance to the sight, spotting a guy right then and there. Short, messy brown hair and deep violet eyes. The clothes were casual, jeans and a dark shirt while wearing a jacket in the same color as his eyes… Wait no, maybe a little darker. Though the get up had gotten a little dirty from work properly.
Another guy Strange didn't know where he came from. All he knew was that Kitty dragged him here a few days later and he suddenly offered to help with work. Apparently a shop needs employees so Strange had just shrugged and had said ‘
Eh, why not
’ when hiring him. Though he was wondering where Kitty picked him up from…
Anyways, that guy is one of his employees, though a little older. Vic was his name. He was good with some of the stuff here so Strange didn't flatout refuse his help. But of course they weren't close. He wasn't close to anyone really.
“Oh! Right, right. Something needed fixing.” Strange responded, almost muttering under his breath. He was spacing out again…
“You good? You’ve been spacing out a lot lately.” Vic asked. Why did he have to? Then again, not like he knew…
“Hm? Yeah, just fine. I’ve been staying up for too long is all.” Not completely wrong…
“Again? You're handling a store y’know. You should–”
“But this new game came out last year! It doesn't play itself!” Strange interrupted and huffed quickly. “I need my daily enrichment too!”
“Er… That's great and all but–”
“Don't be mean to me!” Strange pouted though, spotting Vic flinching.
“I wasn't–”
“Plus, you have work too! No skipping either!”
There was some muttering Strange heard, something something kid. Not just that but the brunette had a hand on his forehead, shaking it. And yet he still responded with “Yessir” shortly after. Then again, that may as well have been an empty phrase too.
But not like it mattered. He was used to this from home. This place is already way better than home though. His past will be forgotten at the very least… And Strange couldn't ask for more than that.
… Ok maybe he could by buying a few games he knows he wants and will be coming out soon.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Were we lucky or what?”
“Yes! I couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Yamaguchi–Sensei as our homeroom teacher!”
“He’s not just good at teaching but he’s also something to look at! And not to mention that he’s very tall! Do you think he has a wife?”
“As if! He doesn’t strike me as the type.”
“Hmm… Maybe I have a chance then.”
“Haha, no way! He would never date a student. He’s not a creep.”
“Never know until you try.”
“No, seriously… Forget it.”
Ever since arriving Annika had heard the gushes about this Yamaguchi–Sensei. Fuukichi Yamaguchi, the homeroom teacher of their class, class 3–2. Even when entering they always heard something about this teacher.
Needless to say, even among some of those eccentric teachers he stuck out like a sore thumb. They had to admit that much. It might be the height, being taller than everyone else here, almost as tall as one of the smaller trees. He just barely fit through the doors or something like that. Maybe it was that extremely long hair reaching up to the ground, binded into a ponytail. Or was it the hair color? After all, purple did stick out. It was kind of bright too. Nothing too bright but bright enough. Then the clothing, making him look more like a doctor than a teacher. Especially that very long, white coat alongside the black gloves. Although, they heard that he was also in charge of the nurse’s office. That teacher sure kept himself busy…
In any case, Yamaguchi–Sensei was someone a lot of students seem to be respecting if not admiring. Female students especially seem to just fawn over him wherever he was. Not just that but some came to him after class, asking simple questions. It was probably an excuse to talk to him longer. Yet instead of losing his cool he would always be ready to engage in these conversations, answering and addressing whatever his students were telling him.
Them approaching him? They weren’t even thinking of it. Not even right now where they were just observing three female students chatting away. And he was just taking it, responding in a calm and collected manner. Though it did make him look a little stoic, his dark blue eyes especially coming off as cold. Yet also oddly… Gentle? It was hard to put into words. And it had even gotten their interest, but not for reasons one might think.
Yamaguchi–Sensei wasn’t exactly attractive to them, but which man was attractive to Annika? And even then they had not really been interested in talking to anyone else. The students and teachers mostly wanted to keep at an arm’s length, There was no use to form such meaningless bonds. And yet when it came to their homeroom teacher there was just something there… Something which made them want to walk over there and strike up a conversation, get closer.
Was it because of the funny hairstyle he shared with them? No, they didn’t have long hair like him or anything like that. In fact their hair only reached down to their shoulders, no further than that. It was covering half of their faces. Theirs was on the left side while his was on the right. That was one funny similarity, they had to admit. But then again, if it had only been that then maybe the desire wouldn’t be as strong.
No, it was something else. Something they couldn’t put into words. It was a certain pull Yamaguchi–Sensei had. Something just piqued their curiosity. There was an oddly familiar air around him yet they couldn’t exactly say why. Whenever he spoke it became even more apparent. Maybe it was just some weird curiosity and nothing else… Yeah, that could have been that.
And yet, whenever he looked at them it was a little scary. Even now as he was talking to the other students he glanced over at them. He did it more often than not, whenever they were in the same room or passing by another. And for a split second the expression would change, making them freeze up. It was uncomfortably cold, though only for this short moment. It wasn’t exactly hostile but one could tell that something was up. In fact he was eyeing them at least twice a day. But nothing more than that, just eyeing them. They had never talked and only very few times had he ever asked Annika something, even in class. It was a little weird, to say the least.
And that was the part which was scaring them. They didn’t know what to expect would they decide to approach and talk to him. Maybe it was just their general fear towards strangers making itself known but it was just terrifying imagining to open up their mouth in his presence. And yet they always felt looked at by him. It was all so weird. They didn’t really know what to think of Yamaguchi–Sensei to be honest, even now.
But luckily he would look away from them shortly after, not paying them any more mind. They sighed in relief, nearly dropping down in their chair. He would always drop the gaze too, luckily, leaving them to themself. And that was all they could have been asking for.
Ah, right, they had to get out of here too. Luckily they had been notified earlier during lunch break that they would be needed at work. A perfect time to head out and get to work! On their own! … But knowing their luck this would be something impossible to ask for. Maybe if they were quick enough…
Still, Yamaguchi–Sensei was an enigma to them. Something told them that if this all kept up the two would get more involved than first thought. That or Annika was imagining things.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Are you even taking this job seriously Mister Yamaguchi!? With your teaching methods it sounds more like to me that you are distracting the students! Especially the girls, don't get me started! But that’s what we get from some teacher from the city – Shit! I shouldn't even be surprised that you're a skirt chaser!”
The many times Fuukichi has heard this he couldn't help but just go deaf. It went into one ear and the other out. It was the usual complaints from Mr. Morooka after all. If it had been the world the young teacher had previously lived in then maybe he would have shot the teacher right then and there to shut him up. It was that simple. A cruel way to deal with someone yet it was the only language these people spoke. But that was not the here and now, no. He abandoned those ways years ago.
Honestly, he was not even talking back to the old man either. It would just spiral into a never ending discussion and that was honestly a waste of time. It was best to just let him talk, become background noise at this point in time. All while Fuukichi was busy with his own set of work right now, something which had his attention more than anything else right now at his desk – Correcting the homework he had given out a few days ago and collected today.
It wasn't exactly quick work if he wanted to do this thoroughly. Going through each sheet several times to leave feedback. After all, it is the duty of a teacher to help and guide students through the curriculum. No, school life for a matter of fact. Of course that meant for a teacher to expect the students to put effort into their work yet if one is ready to put in the effort to fulfill the role of a helping hand then these things should go without saying. Put in as much effort as the students are.
Hence why Fuukichi spent hours even within the faculty office looking over assignments and papers. Of course he also lent an ear to his colleagues should they seek advice. It was also a way to pick up on techniques himself, stuff he could apply to his own efforts at work. One may say that he was drowning himself in work but… It was fun. At least more than shoving a knife through someone's chest and having to watch them bleed out.
The life of a teacher was… Peaceful. Calm. Without anyone's blood spilled. Honestly, it was the best a sinful man like him could ask for. In a new world where he wasn't hunted down, no one knew his face and no one would run from him or try to attack him. No, he was like anyone else in this small town. Everyone knew his face and greeted him.
“
Good morning Yamaguchi–San.
”
“
Oh, if it isn't Fuu–Chan.
”
“
Ah, what a surprise to meet you here Yamaguchi–Sensei!
”
All greetings with soft smiles, warm greetings. At first the feeling was foreign yet now he was used to it. A feeling he probably didn't deserve… But he was gifted this type of life regardless.
Perhaps it was just a way for God to give him a second chance, to see how he fairs now, with his past erased. He could shape things how he wanted, the path of his choosing. And he was not going to waste this chance, not when it had been pretty much bestowed upon him. He was going to use it and make sure to live his life as a man free of sin, just as The Lord had intended. He was going to earn his place in this world.
Though… It seems that there was a roadblock in the way. He remembered when having moved to the next batch of papers, the name written right on top of it… ‘
Annika
’. The new student who just moved here, part of his homeroom class. The moment he saw her he had already an uneasy feeling stirring up… She looked similar to him. No, she looked like that baby he had seen once before. That daughter of his old man. The one he had with this woman before running away… If it hadn't be for this baby girl then—
No, he cannot think of such thoughts. Yet it plopped up whenever he just pictured her face. That young girl, the one who just had the unfortunate coincidence to look so similar.
But that is why he also cannot approach her… Or else he may fall back into sin. He cannot wash his hands clean, of course not, but he can suppress it. He had to suppress it. He–
The bell rang.
The signal, making Fuukichi put the papers away for the time being and lift himself off his seat. “Apologies, I will have to cut this conversation short Mister Morooka.” he said but everyone knew that the one in question had just been talking to a wall essentially. “I have to head to my class now. We may continue this later.”
And without saying anything else he walked past the old teacher in question, leaving the faculty office shortly after.
He didn't hate his new life, not one bit. But… He is also afraid. Afraid to fall back into old habits.
Just what has the Lord planned?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Even when first coming to this school, there was one thing Inaba people often talked about. The teachers in particular were always mentioning one set of twins. It was almost impossible to escape them. In fact Fuukichi had heard of them from the P.E. teacher of the school, Mr. Kondo. It was in a fleeting conversation, one two colleagues would have. And needless to say, that conversation did jog some memories in his own mind.
“Oh, I went downtown the other day. Wanted to see how the twins were doing.” He began, laughing wholeheartedly. “Gotta check up on some of the former students after all! Hah!”
“Twins? Who are you referring to?” Fuukichi had asked, many could come to mind after all. Especially since the P.E. teacher had used ‘the twins’. Yet his mind didn’t want to jump to conclusions right away.
“Oh? Don’t tell me you already forgot Mr. Yamaguchi. You know, the twins! The twins not even Mr. Morooka dared to complain after a while!”
That… Actually wait, that did narrow it down. “You mean the Ayers twins?”
“Yes, them! Looks like they have kept themselves busy since graduation. They’re still living together within that dojo. Can you believe it?”
“I see. They did seem inseparable so I cannot say that I am surprised.”
“Oh surely! They’re still as close as ever! And they’re still keeping up with their training regimes too. Some things just never change.”
Xenon and Xenovia, a young set of twins. Their names sounded foreign and that’s because they were of foreign blood, even if only somewhat. Their father had married a woman from overseas, inheriting the name ‘Ayers’. And despite their grandfather’s protest Xenon was made the heir of a dojo local in Inaba for years. All because the boy had been born to a foreign woman. Or so Fuukichi had heard. Rumors spread far in this small town.
In any case, the twins both didn’t have the easiest time during their first year at this high school. It was primarily Mr. Morooka who had looked down on them in particular. All because they both were partially of foreign descent. At least Fuukichi was hoping that this was the case. It wouldn’t be much better honestly but…
The twins had both darker skin, paired with black hair. Their eye color matched too, being a very dark blue. Not just that but their faces almost looked identical. Then again, that may not be unusual for twins. Yet that was where the similarities ended.
The boy was taller than his sister, her only reaching up to his chest. Of course he was also of more muscular build, his shoulders wide. Compared to him she looked like a delicate flower, slim and fragile. Her hair was longer than his, usually open unless she was exercising. Their roles in the athletic world were obvious – Xenon was the strong one while Xenovia was the agile one.
It reflected in their personalities too. They couldn’t be any more different. Xenon himself was a guy who was hard to get along with, difficult to approach. It was not rare that he would start cursing whenever given the chance. Almost every conversation he would drop some type of curse word. His tone was also always on the more annoyed side. Him saying stuff like “
The hell do you want?
” or “
Fuck, can you leave me alone?
” weren’t rare phrases coming from his mouth. One would think that he would need a proper mouth washing or something. What made it worse was his face. It was barely changing, always so cold and hard to read. Then again, Fuukichi shouldn’t judge. His colleagues had told him that he wasn’t the most expressive either.
But would this teacher say that this boy had been a bad kid? Not really, no. Sure, he was always busy keeping to himself yet he would step in where it mattered. There was this incident of bullies at this school, another kid being bullied by his peers, a first year. Xenon was the first to jump into action, though instead of reporting it he let his fists do the talking. It was him instead who got into trouble but some of the teachers made sure to give him a punishment as lightly as it would allow. After all, he was only looking out for someone else. “
These punks don’t listen to anything but goddamn violence. You teachers are naive.
” He had even scoffed at them during this conversation.
Others were scared of him for a reason yet he always looked out for those necessary… Using violence as a tool to stop injustice rather than spreading it. ‘
Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways
’, Fuukichi was more than aware of that. And yet, there was just something about Xenon which was hard to put into words. He was hard to read but there was nothing wicked about him.
As for Xenovia… She had always been the polar opposite of Xenon in that regard. Always polite, gentle and approaching others easily. She had been class representative and student council president in her years at Yasogami High. She managed to get through others with her words. Not just that but she was certainly admired during her school days, guys always lining up to confess to her. Yet she had shot them all down.
She was always looking out for others more than her own sake. May it be students or even her older brother. Dare one say that she was the one usually keeping him in check before total escalation. She was taking on one task after the other and even the teachers had trusted her more than any other student.
Like her brother she managed to keep up in academics yet also managed to keep up with her training. She was not inheriting anything yet had always been open about her dreams. “I shall work hard so I can compete on an international level someday.”
Like him she was active in the world of sports, an athlete. Athletics were her strong suit and even during her school days she already started to compete on a national scale. Dare one say that she was also Inaba’s pride and joy, having someone like her within this small town. She was always impressive, even to someone like Fuukichi. Keeping up with her studies and responsibilities while training hard.
In their own ways both twins were feared yet also respected. Polar opposites yet also being a team. A sibling bond one could be envious of. The opposite of his own bond with his younger sister… She doesn’t even know and the urge to– No, he cannot think about that. ‘
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
’ He had to remind himself of that when thinking about her…
In any case, a bond between siblings which was hard to break. That is who Xenon and Xenovia are and from what Fuukichi saw, always had been. To hear that they would spend their time together, taking care of the family dojo together for the time being… It was not a big surprise.
He hadn’t checked up on them and he didn’t see it as his duty doing so. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen inside his head if he did. But he was certainly hoping for the best, that the both were cherishing the bond they had for the time being.
After all, they are actual siblings.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Each day was just exhausting, enough for Annika to sneak up to an unused room during lunchtime and just decided to snooze away for the time being. They were no morning person, always being grouchy when waking up. If it wasn't for the black–white tuxedo cat they would have probably slept in more than they would have liked. After all, he does everything in his power to help them get up – Meow loudly, paw them and even scratch when needed. Someone probably had to feed him.
Anyways, they may have started to regret the decision to attend Yasogami High School, not for anyone in particular but because they could have just tried looking for a night school instead. Or something like that. Night classes would be easier to manage in their mind. Getting up at a time which is reasonable for them. But no, they decided to prioritize the way over that apparently. Hah… And now they have to live with that decision. Then again, night school might have gotten in the way of their current part time job.
In some sense they envied Strange. Being able to get up later and stuff. Way later than them at least. So in the mornings they were just busy waking up. Classes were so hard to focus on, they only processed like half of the stuff. Afternoon classes were much more bearable yet few in comparison. Why is society laid out for the early risers!? Ugh…
But if there was one place Annika could get peace at it would be the unused room of this school – The English Classroom. Apparently the school is short staffed and had no one to teach English specifically. So it was up to the other teachers to pick up the slack. Well, not like they needed to be taught, given that even in their world they were pretty fluent in English itself, but it was still quite something to look at. But this also meant that this classroom was free. And it was easy to sneak in.
They just had to watch out for this teacher with teeth reminding them of this gag manga guy going ‘Sheeh’, otherwise he’d give them an earful and belittle them. During class he sure didn't mince his words, making them hide behind their textbook each time… Unfortunately he called them out a few times and tried putting them on the spot for not paying attention in class. And then all eyes would be on them and they stuttered non stop. Luckily they knew the necessary answers each time yet it was still nerve wrecking. How did they even manage to survive these classes? Hah… Talk about not standing out… Then again, it was only in short bursts. They were certain that barely anyone knew they even existed outside of class. And that's how it should be.
It allowed Annika to sneak out during lunch. While others invited their friends to eat or just talked the entire time they took it upon themself to just wander off. They never bothered getting lunch, moving it to after school, sometimes even before their part time job. Instead they just set an alarm they brought to school, all to wake up five minutes before lunch break ends, just so they could get back to class in time. And then it was off to dreamland. A short lived moment but they really just wanted to sleep. But if they felt energetic enough they would bring a few sketchbooks and pencils along, either to write or draw away. As long as it was time alone it didn't matter all too much for them.
And it was supposed to be like that for another day. Honestly, this room became their own little sanctuary at this point, away from everyone at school. No teachers and no students, just them in their own world. They could just unwind! Paradise l, literally! Hah, life can be a little fun sometimes.
Annika had sat down by then, taking up the space on one of the seats, stretching by lifting their arms both up. And just as they had gotten ready to go through their usual routine, or one of them at least. No rush, no one is there to disturb them after all! It was just them and—
“Oh? There you are Annika–Senpai!” A voice just had to interrupt their moment of bliss by startling them. Their heart may as well have jumped out of their chest and they nearly fell over. At first they were wondering if a teacher had spotted them yet then they processed the word ‘Senpai’, sighing in relief. No, it had not been a teacher at least. So no scolding yet.
But someone had found them, making them all grouchy in one swoop. Though that quickly turned into internal panicking when seeing who had spoken up and was now closing the door of the classroom. Worst timing! “Hanamura–San!?” Yeah, that guy. Goddamnit! Does fate hate them or something!?
Though he didn't comment on it, only chuckling when turning to them, the usual grin on his face. “You’re the ghost haunting this place. Who would’ve thought!”
“So what?” They scoffed, folding their arms as they narrowed their gaze at him. “Are you going to tell a teacher?”
“Not if you agree to go on a date with me.”
“Wha– No way! Forget it!” This for some reason may as well have gotten smoke out of their ears. They were probably redder than red from it too. Why does this always have to be so irritating? Place him in the same room and they always felt a little woozy. And not even the bad kind. It was the kind making you jump up and have so much racing in your head at once, energizing you in some weird way. It may as well be… Heart fluttering? But that doesn't make any sense! They're not even into guys!
All that got out of the guy was a sudden laughter however. Was their irritation funny to him? Seriously!? “Calm down. I’m just messing with you!” He responded. Ah, that's why. And here they– “Unless you actually want to?”
They squirmed in their seat, mouth nearly gaping open like some fish. But just nearly. “I said ‘no way’, didn't I!?” Why were they getting so worked up though? Even they knew that was a little odd… Being around this guy felt odd to them. Yet they had to calm down. Deep breath… “Anyways, tell me how you found out I’m here!”
Hanamura was looking at them, they could see him chuckle, trying to hold back his laughter that way. They just wanted to groan. Seriously… But they also kept that in. There was no need. “I just got lucky is all.” He responded. “You weren't in your classroom and when I asked no one knew where you went either. So I looked through the entire building.”
“Ah, really?” Now they felt a little guilty… “Is it that urgent?”
“Kind of, yeah. Da– Ahem, the manager said that you didn't pick up your phone. So he asked me to tell you instead.”
A phone call? Probably just now. They had no idea, given they had barely any contacts outside of Strange and the store manager, the latter was only for work. And they were always on schedule too. But they should have expected a call from work… Hah. “S… Sorry. My phone is usually in the bag…” They need to start putting it into their pocket for emergencies. Now this was embarrassing…
“It’s fine. You didn't do it on purpose.” Was he just saying that to reassure them? Seriously, that guy… “Anyways, I was supposed to ask if you could come in after school. Apparently we’re short on staff.”
“Yeah, I’ve got time.” They responded with no hesitation.
“Wait, just like that? You got no plans?”
They shook their head. “Not really, no.”
“That's–” It was as if he was at a loss for words. Was it really that surprising? Eh, they had to shrug it off.
“I’ll just let my brother know that I’ll be home later today.” They continued as they got up their seat. There was no use in trying to nap anymore. Or spend time alone really. “Someone has to feed the cat.” Then again, Strange would probably do that without being asked, given how he is pampering the ‘kitty’, as he liked to call the cat.
“Uh… Right…” They were a little confused though. Hanamura’s tone changed for a moment, as if Annika’s behavior was that of an alien. Well, maybe not
that
far but definitely unusual. His question told them as much. “Say, what are you doing here by yourself? Don't you spend lunch break with–”
“It shouldn't matter to you.” They interrupted while walking past him, opening the door. They didn't even look at him anymore nor did they want to have this conversation to begin with. It was annoying to have someone get into their business like that. “We’re just co–workers at best.”
A moment of silence kicked in. They didn't know why they even waited for him to say something. But they did, somehow. Though it didn't take long for an answer. “Sorry. I was just wondering.”
“Just remember that for next time.” They sighed before finally leaving. “I’ll see you later at work.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
If there was one thing Fuukichi was not the best at, it would be the handling of modern technology. Even in his world he really had no idea how to handle some devices sometimes and before knowing it they broke down. Though honestly he was also questioning what the need even was for technology, a phone in particular. The youngsters were all crazy to get the latest model or have any type of phone. The one he owned was a simple phone which got the job done it had to. After all, the only thing he needed to be able to do with a mobile phone was for calls, mostly work related. It would be too much of a waste otherwise.
Although, he had a problem when the phone decided to not work. He tried turning it on over and over, but nothing. Shaking it, even throwing it against something, anything to turn it back on. After all, give the old television inside his home a good few smacks and it was working just fine afterwards. Why would it be any different for a phone?
Though he tried and tried, that did not work either. So he gave up, knowing that he would be getting nowhere with this. He had heard of a shop recently opening up, specializing in these things. He never thought that it would be necessary but he needed to pay it a visit, didn’t he? And that was exactly what he did in the end.
As it was a small town Fuukichi pretty much knew where he needed to head to, or rather he found the store pretty quickly. It was north within the shopping district, having taken one of the buildings which were pretty much vacant, the former electric shop. Was it an electric shop actually? He… Didn’t know. Truth to be told he had only stepped foot inside the former store once just to get this phone and nothing else. So he couldn’t remember.
But it didn’t matter anyways. Just as he stepped inside the building he was greeted with a rather messy interior, with devices all over the place on display. On tables, the walls, just as far as the eye can see. Though it did look refurbished at least and the walls freshly painted. It was all in rather dark colors however, making it look rather gloomy than welcoming. Not just that but some type of rock music was blasting through the speakers. If it wasn’t for electric devices placed within the store, one would mistake it for anything but a store for electronic devices.
But he wasn’t here to judge the owner’s decisions on how they chose to run the shop. Honestly, that was their decision. And if that was what they preferred, then so be it. He wasn’t intimidated by that to begin with. There were scarier things than the equivalent of an edgy youth’s room.
Thus Fuukichi took a step forward, to the counter where he saw someone standing there. A guy, a rather short one, at least shorter than most and especially shorter than Fuukichi. Shoulderlong, dark brown, messy hair and wearing black clothing, only some of the accents being red. A jacket with a hoodie, looking a little puffy, as if trying to hide his skin. And when looking at his face, next to the golden eyes there was also… A scar on his face? Yes, on the left, right across one of his eyes. Yet it looked like an old one. One could only wonder what happened… Yet Fuukichi quickly shook that off. He wasn’t here for that.
“Hello. Excuse me?” The man began, making the boy look up from the device he was looking at. It was an odd one, two screens of some kind. And from the looks of it you could clap it close. What an odd thing. Fuukichi couldn’t help but eye it for a moment yet would shift his gaze once he was talked to.
“Yeah?” The boy asked, his expression seeming to show not much of an interest. It was rather blank than anything if not slightly annoyed. Yet that remained unsaid. It wouldn’t be long anyways. “You need something?”
“Indeed. Would you take a look at this for a moment?” He asked before putting his small phone onto the counter.
One could hear the grumble and eye roll yet the boy seemed to look at it closely. He even picked it up to take a closer look at it. He remained silent for a few seconds, probably to do a closer observation before saying: “You threw this around or something?”
“Yes.” A straightforward answer.
“Why would you do that?” The boy sighed. “Well, it seems robust enough so it survived the blow outside of a few scratches. What’s the problem?”
“It suddenly shut off and won’t turn back on.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. The screen suddenly disappeared. Again. I don’t want to buy yet another phone. Do you think you could resolve the—”
“Have you tried charging it?” He interrupted, leaving Fuukichi puzzled.
“Charge?” He asked. He worried about having to throw away yet another phone. This wasn’t the first time after all this would happen. Each phone would eventually have its screen turn black and not turn on anymore. So these things broke easily… Didn’t they?
“Yeah, charge the battery. Did you try that?”
“What… Do you mean by charging the battery?” Aren’t batteries these things you would place into something and switch out once they run out of power? Did a phone need some type of battery then? But why would you charge the batteries?
The guy only threw a glare at Fuukichi, raising an eyebrow before sighing. “So you didn’t.” He added. “Alright, hold on. I’ll show you.”
“Sh… Show? You could just—”
“No, it’s fine. It won’t take long. Besides, the sooner I get this done the quicker I can get back to my game.”
Game? But no, Fuukichi didn’t ask. “If you say so.”
Technology surely is complicated though. All this time he believed that those phones with a black screen broke easily. However, that was far from the case. All one would have to do was ‘charge’ them. A fascinating concept.
Maybe modern technology wasn’t so bad.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Annika was roaming through their bag in frustration yet didn't find it. No matter how many times their hand was feeling through every bit of its contents – Feeling the books, notebooks, pencils, papers and that tiny plush they snuck in secretly (a very tiny plush they call their companion – A silly yet cute looking dark green octopus looking a little grumpy). But no sign of a very important item they were certain that they had placed into their bag – A pocket sized umbrella. They probably forgot it at home in the rush of this morning, having gotten up a little too late for their own liking and needing to rush outdoors. They speed ate some leftovers after getting dressed before making a run for it. After all, tey didn't want to be late. But within that all that hectical timing their mind skipped back and forth constantly, sometimes even several things at once. And then it could have slipped their mind.
It was no problem in the morning but in the afternoon? It just started pouring out of nowhere! And thus the forgetting of that umbrella made it extra painful. They could have just run home before going to work but it would mean that they would be getting wet. And they hated the feeling of water on their skin in any way. This is why their showers didn't last that long. They didn't like taking showers. They had to take them though or they would stink or something. Hah, this was the worst…
How would they get to their part time job in time if it was pouring like crazy anyways!? They couldn't show up there all soaked either. “What do I do!? No, seriously, what do I do!?” They uttered to themself in said panic. An option was to call Strange and ask for him to stop by and bring their umbrella but they didn't want to bother him during working hours either. So that wasn't an option.
Hah, at this point they had to bite the bullet and–
“Annika–Senpai? You didn't head out yet?” A voice would bring them back into reality, making them turn where the voice came from. Only to sigh internally when spotting who it was. And of course same old same old. “Usually you’d be way ahead of me for work.”
“Ah, Hanamura–San, you’re still here?” They asked, not sure how they get stuck in conversations with him rather often these days. It was as if fate was playing some cruel joke on them. “Also don't bother with me, I’ll show up on time.”
“Let me guess, you forgot your umbrella at home?” Hearing that from Hanamura of all people stung quite a bit. In fact, it was embarrassing when he was the one asking them that.
“I– Uhm…” They wanted to to say ‘no’. But in the end they couldn't. It would be a lie if they did. So at most they could only get something out which dodged the question altogether. “Does it really matter?” They even turned their gaze away, trying not to face him in any way. They couldn't or else they felt like exploding. Why were they like this actually?
Though it didn't seem to bother the guy. In fact they heard him laugh for a moment before continuing to speak. “As feisty as ever, aren't you? But it’s kinda cute.”
It’s kinda– Huh!? Why may steam rise from their ears at that point!? “Are you trying to hit on me?” They asked, nearly scoffing. Why was their chest at the brink of exploding again?
Although, his answer made them calm down, yet there was something off about their reaction to it. “Huh!? N… No! No no no! I didn't!” He tried to excuse it. “I mean it! It’s just a compliment! Really!”
Why did their mood drop? They can't be hoping for this, right? After all, a guy wouldn't interest them in any way. “You have to watch what you're saying sometimes.”
“Haha, sorry. Didn't want to give you the wrong idea. But if you are interested–”
“Don't push it.” Quick and sharp and cold. Just to get their message across. They even glanced over at him for that, making sure that their expression matched the tone of their voice.
They could see him being startled at least. “J.. Just kidding!” He quickly added, voice a little stuff before calming down the next moment, just as he was walking up right next to them. “Anyways, why don't we head to work together?”
The suggestion had Annika bafgled, their expression changing from cold to surprised. “Together?” They repeated. “You know that two people can't sit on the same bike, right?”
“Oh, I didn't come here by bike today.” Hanamura corrected them pretty quickly. “I mean the weather report yesterday said that it’d be raining later today. So I decided not to bring it with me today.”
That… Was a little unexpected. He didn't come by bike, huh… “I see…”
“And since you probably need shelter we can walk together. So? How about it?”
Walking closely together, away from school to work, right under the same umbrella as it was raining. Annika’s head was just racing at that point, thought after thought. It was an utter mess, they were nearly stumbling or at least ready to. But why were they acting up? It was no big deal… Yeah, no big deal. None at all… Keep it together Annika! It was just an offer to be friendly. There was no meaning behind it! Nor were they happy about it or anything! “Uhh… Well…” They began stuttering. Just say yes! Hah… Then again, the rumors which could follow if anyone saw them together like this.
“C’mon. Unless you want to get wet, Senpai.”
“Wha– Of course not!” They confirmed, suddenly noticing how they took a step to the side right next to him, as if getting a little too close. Yet they kept enough of a gap to not touch him in any way, not even their shoulders were touching. “Ugh, fine! I’ll take you up on that offer! This once!”
“Yes, yes. Got it. Then let's get going!”
Hah… What a mess they were getting themself into here? Oh well… They had to worry about this later, didn't they?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
If Strange learned one thing it was that it was raining pretty frequently in this town, sometimes two whole days in a row. He barely went out so it may not have mattered too much yet the times he did go out made it… Eh, honestly, it wasn't so bad. Just some rain. If it was acid which could peel off his skin, now that would be a different story. That’d be a– Ah wait, he’s doing it again. Damn it…
In any case the times he had to leave the house were job related, usually a trip to the city to get some parts for his shop. So he had to head out and take the train to the next best city which always took up some time. Which meant that Vic would be in the store to keep watch but should be fine.
Going out all by himself though, in the rain… It was early in the morning when he headed out, walking by foot. At least the sun wasn't out shining so there was that. It wasn't too bright as a result so it could have been worse. And usually there would be nothing special about this walk whatsoever. After all, all he did was pick up some parts and go right back to his shop. That was until his ears took in the sound of sudden whining.
It was loud, unable to not hear. He turned around a few times, looking around the flood plain. Though there was nothing at first, or so it seemed. All one could see was the grass and the hills but that's about it. Maybe it was just his imagination? Yeah, maybe.
So he took another step yet heard another whine. And when taking yet another step there was the next whine. And then one more time before Strange didn't dare to move his foot any further. He tried to yet had it lifted into midair when he heard the whine echoing again, even if only for a short moment and it being quieter than before. He still heard the whine. So… It wasn’t his imagination?
Once more he turned his head around all over the place – Left, right, center. Nothing at first… Until he turned his head to the lower part of the floodplain, spotting a box from afar. Inside this box were what looked like two dogs from afar? Yes, two. He took a closer look, even squinching his own eyes. The small one, an Airedale Terrier with fluffy, brown fur mostly. Though he could see the back a little bit, spotting some black on it. The dog right next to the puppy was a taller one, a Portuguese Water Dog. Washed out brown with curly yet fluffy fur. Worst of all though they had no shelter whatsoever. The box was way too small for the both of them. They were practically squeezed in there. Not just that but they looked not just wet but also dirty, lots of leaves and mud being within their fur. Who would do such a thing!? This was horrible! Oh if he ever found out who put them there he would kill that person in a heartbeat!
The smaller one of the two was looking all around, letting out the occasional howl, then going back to a whimper. The taller one seemed to just sit up and look around but not doing much else. Yet there was a passerby the tall dog growled at, making this one run away quickly. Strange couldn’t help but watch. Those two dogs… They were hopeless, all alone in the rain. It was a hurtful sight. Surely they didn’t do anything wrong. There was just no way. Abandoning them was just too cruel. Only a monster could do such a thing!
Maybe it was out of instinct at that time yet he decided to make a little detour. Shouldn’t matter too much, the train wouldn’t arrive in another hour or so. This was a town in the middle of nowhere after all. And so he walked down to approach them finally.
His steps had not been unheard, both dogs turning to him pretty much right away. They were staring in his direction, one eager while the other let out a loud growl, a growl so loud that anyone would have probably run off right away. But Strange… He was not really intimidated. And honestly, it was the last thing on his mind. He just felt drawn to those dogs, right away basically. Being left alone like this in the cold with no one to turn to… Puppies didn’t deserve this. They never did. And so it was only natural to do one thing…
“Erm… Boss? Where are the parts?” – Back at the store, at least for a little bit. Strange had decided to pick up the box with the two dogs inside. How did he manage to carry that? No idea but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t leave them behind! He was unwilling to! They were puppies! Innocent, little puppies who just needed a home and love! So Vic’s shocked face didn’t faze Strange either, far from it honestly. “Don’t tell me those two dogs are—”
“They’re my babies!” The other guy protested suddenly, huffing.
“Your… Babies? Since when?”
“Since now!” This was confirmed by one of the doggies with a loud bark, a cheerful one as this one had the tail wagging. Seems to be a little one constantly in a good mood! Even if something smelled… Maybe it was just due to the doggos staying outside for who knows how long. “Anyways, I have important errands to run for them! I will entrust you with my babies but if you harm them in any way I’m gonna kill you!”
Vic flinched, even though he also seemed just baffled at the same time. But that really didn’t matter! “Uhm… What about the parts for the shop?”
“I have more important things to do than worry about that!”
“But you need those parts to—”
“The parts can wait! The puppies come first!”
“Ok fine, I’ll call that you come pick them up later today and you have important business. Is that alright?”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Strange said before placing the box down, only to kneel down to both of the dogs and pet them on their heads each, not holding back his smile. “I’ll be back! Yes yes, I’ll miss you both too! But it’s very important, ok?”
The tall one growled yet the small one? This one hopped up from the side and suddenly licked his face, making Strange chuckle for a moment. “Haha! That tickles! Hey! I’ll be back, I promise!”
And that was the day he had found two very important people in his life. They are more than dogs after all, they are both his kids! Their names? The cheerful one got the name Luna while the grumpy one got named Rio. And they are both now the kids under Strange’s custody!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Annika opened the door to their shared home with Strange they didn't expect the sight in any way. They expected to be greeted with a tired guy, busy on his gaming handheld device and playing some game on it without a care in the world. A quick “
Sup
” and a short wave before continuing to game. That was as far as the interaction between the two went, the ‘siblings’. The tuxedo cat was squeezed inside a corner to sleep himself, softly snoozing away.
Well, unless you count the “
Leave me alone
” inside the head. They always sighed at that and walked past Strange each time, to the kitchen to pick up one of the several cup ramen the two were storing in the cupboards.
“
Message received
” they would always reply, not exchanging more words than that. They would always eat up their dinner before heading to their room to do their own thing – Either study or to write. Or to just fall asleep until midnight. Whatever came first.
The sibling story was just a front. The two were not siblings, not brother or ‘sister’. These two were not related nor did they know another. Honestly, this felt more like two people living under the same roof due to a contract. They shared a small three room apartment – Two bedrooms, a ‘living room’ and of course a small bathroom and a small kitchen. All while living at a small apartment complex, a little run down. They couldn't afford more than that. They were already throwing the necessary money together for rent after all.
Food was cheap, always stocking up on cup noodles. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. All because none of the two could cook or refused to. Annika couldn’t, they would set the kitchen on fire. Home Economics banned them for a reason honestly. So they dared to not cook anything at home. As for Strange they weren't sure. And honestly, they never asked.
The most expensive was the cat food and the cat litter for the litter box but that was about it. It was still affordable. Both lived and that was the bare minimum they could ask for. They didn't have to get along, they just needed to survive. And they weren't sure how to approach their ‘brother' either. Disturb him and he will be annoyed… Unless you were ‘Kitty’, that is an exception..But the cat would barely do that honestly. This resulted in their conversations being short and basic, straight to the point. They knew nothing of another. Sure, they had some odd telepathic connection which led to them knowing what they both were actually thinking but they never thought of much in each other's presence. And… Maybe that was for the best…
So Annika was surprised when they opened the door and were suddenly tackled. Not by Strange but by someone else. A tiny dog who was running over and jumping the moment it heard the door open. The barking was loud and the hop sudden, them nearly stumbling onto the ground thanks to this sudden attack. What was even more irresistible was when the doggie looked up with wide puppy eyes and wagging its tail with excitement. It was overwhelming and before they could even process it Strange was chiming in.
“Woha! Careful now Luna! Don't scare her like that!” They heard him say yet it was a little surprising when they heard it. He was… Laughing? Yeah, laughing. Not just that but his mood seemed to be better than usual. They constantly heard ‘
My daughter is so cute
’ from his head.
‘
Daughter?
’ Annika repeated in their own mind, out of instinct.
‘
Don’t be mean to her! She likes you! Feel honored!
’
‘
I didn't mean it like that! I was just wondering!
’
Yet Annika remained calm, not moving as the puppy was looking up at them. “Luna, huh?” They mumbled out loud before reaching up with one hand to pet her. This was met with immediate barking, loud barking. “She is cute.”
“Of course she is!” Strange agreed, sounding like some proud father. All while their hand went through her fur while talking.
“Don't tell me you brought this dog home.”
“Of course I did! They need a place to stay!”
“They? There's more than one?”
“Mhm!” One look over revealed a taller dog standing right next to Strange, though feeling more as if it was staring daggers into Annika. “This is Rio, my son!”
They were baffled. Not because he was calling the dogs his children, no. They didn't mind that. It was rather Strange’s enthusiasm. Annika had never seen that before, not from him. It was a new side, one they did not expect. And it looked genuine too, not an act. He was really happy, excited even. Equally as much as how Luna was still hopping up and down while they were petting her. The exact opposite of how he usually acted. And it was… Not unpleasant actually.
“I… I see.” They responded, unable to hold back a short chuckle. “Though are you sure that we can afford it? After all–”
“Yep! Got that covered!” He responded. Or rather, not letting them finish.
“Are the neighbors fine wi–”
“They learn how to handle it!”
He was surely persistent on keeping them, wasn't he? “Aren't you worried about noise complaints?”
“People who complain about puppies have no heart! We are keeping them!”
Yeah, he was stubborn too. His mind was made up. Thus they let out a sigh, though with a light smile. Something about this side of Strange was refreshing, pleasant even. “Roger that then. Welcome to the family.”
“Good! Not like you had a choice anyways!”
“Yes, yes. Message received.”
Maybe Strange wasn't as grumpy as they first thought. He loved animals too, even taking in two strays. He probably was anything but a bad person too. They should actually try to get to know him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was something Yosuke could not explain to himself. He was used to the odd stare here and there, not to mention Chie’s sudden assaults from time to time. So it really wasn’t something he couldn’t look past, far from it. He was more than aware that he was more often than not in hot water, his tongue slipping more times than he would like. All because he didn’t keep things to himself sometimes, even though he should really work on that. Yet sometimes it just came out without really thinking about it and when it was already out… It was already too late. All he could do was either run or take in the beating. There was not really a choice in between.
And yet he lately felt as if he was in even deeper shit than usual. And this time he really didn’t know why. There was always this daggering stare, that one stare which would throw him off and make him turn around… Only to be met with the person who threw such a nasty glare at him. It was so nasty that even Chie had spoken up about it when she had witnessed it.
“Alright, what did you do this time Yosuke?”
“Huh!? I didn’t do anything! Honest!”
“Oh yeah? Then why does this girl want you dead? Were you being a pervert towards her like usual!?”
“Hah!? N… No? I wouldn’t—”
“Why do I not believe you?”
“I’m serious! I don’t know what’s going on!”
That was literally it. That was the truth. When it came to Annika–Senpai he really had no clue what would be going on in her mind. Because she always threw those glares right at him, sometimes just when simply passing by him. It was sudden and quick yet always putting him on edge, even at moments of inconvenience. Even during the job sometimes it was just this sudden glare which sent shivers down his spine.
Right now was no exception in any way. A shared workload, just how it often was. After all, he had witnessed long enough that she wasn’t doing particularly well with customers, let alone crowds. So he would cover that part if she agreed to take over sorting and cleaning his workload of shelves.
She agreed pretty quickly, getting to it right away without even being asked. No protest whatsoever. It was a habit which Yosuke may still have to adjust to. After all, anyone else would groan and complain that they would have to do such a mundane task. But Annika? She just took it. Maybe just to have an excuse to not talk to people? That was just a guess but it wouldn’t sound too far fetched.
Yet each time he was just trying to do his job he felt shivers going down his spine. No, shivers would be an understatement. It was like a blizzard was hitting his back, making him always freeze in place. That or he may as well be stabbed right in the back, fall down and bleed out. Because even as she was doing that job she managed to find a way to have this gaze to throw at him. The gaze which could kill if it was a weapon, a very sharp weapon. Honestly, it hurt more than any of Chie’s kicks and that said something.
And whenever he asked her, why was she looking at him like this? She didn’t directly respond. In fact, she mostly didn’t respond at all, only turning her head away and muttering out a quick “
Sorry
” before continuing to work. It would always remain a mystery at this rate. He just didn’t get her at all.
One may argue that he never got any girl around him but Annika… She was a league of her own when it came to being impossible to understand. The two talked yet he knew only as much as her name and she had a talent for keeping anyone at an arm’s length. So of course he didn’t know what was up with her throwing glares at him! If he knew why he could maybe do something about this but if she refused to tell him then that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
But confronting her would also be a waste of time. She would probably find a way to dodge the question. “
Don’t ask about stuff like that and focus on work right now!
” – That’s what she would probably tell him. She took work seriously, sure, but… He wasn’t curious. He just wanted to know what was up with these constant glares of death. Maybe Senpai was just deadly deep down.
Although… There was one thing sticking in his head for a bit. One thing which made this more confusing. And it had come from her mouth…
“
No. I’m not jealous or anything like that…
”
Jealous… Senpai being jealous… About what? Hah… How was he going to understand her if she wasn’t saying anything?
That’s what he meant when saying that she was a very confusing case…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Ah, Xenon! I’m sorry to ask this of you but could you head out! I need some things for dinner tonight! I have to clean the dojo’s interior too though! So please, take care of that for me!” – She had even apologized for being a bother. Xenovia always did, even though he told his sister that it was really no problem whatsoever. Whenever she would need his help, he was there to assist her in any way. In his mind that was a brother’s duty. But not just that, also because he already felt lazy in comparison to her. She managed to make him look like a slowpoke if he had to be completely honest, since they were kids. While he was out there training with his old man or by himself Xenovia was always busy helping around the house. Not just that but she also kept herself busy with studies and training of her own. She had enough on her plate as it is, even after graduation. Instead of entering college right away she focused more on training for competitions. Not just that but she was also taking on side jobs while helping to maintain the dojo, still living at home with him and doing as much as she could around the house. “Please, try focusing on your own duties brother. Father said that you still have a long way to go before you can take over as the head of the dojo!” Easy for her to say. She had her hands full in comparison. Even coming over to help clean the dojo on a regular basis, sometimes on her own. She may as well be a workaholic.So whenever she made any requests to Xenon he was not one to refuse her. He felt that he didn’t have the right to. He had to do as much as he could, for her sake. And if she wanted him to do some errand shopping, then so be it! Though that would be so time consuming… Mainly because the old ladies and shop clerks always wanted to talk his ear off. It was annoying and he had to shut them off quickly. He didn’t even know what they were talking about, let alone all this small talk. It just wasn’t his cup of tea if he was completely honest. He was just buying stuff. Why were they talking to him!? He didn’t get it and honestly he didn’t even want to get it. Is this why it takes two hours to get everything? Ugh…But Xenon had no choice. He endured it, all to do his duty. No wonder Xenovia had no time to go shopping. This would just take time away. Maybe he should offer to make dinner too. She has to be tired from cleaning up this massive place the martial arts dojo was. How does she have the energy for all of that actually?But as he was in such thought he didn’t notice that he was bumping into someone. Even when he was facing forward on the streets he didn’t see this person. Only when he felt as if he was hitting something or someone did it register. Yet by then it was also a little too late. The bag was dropped and one could hear something shatter in there. “Fuck! The eggs!” He muttered, thinking aloud. Usually he would get a response for that if not an earful. But, to his own surprise, it didn’t come to that. No, not even close.Instead his ears were met with sudden humming, then a few more steps. He turned his gaze to the side to see someone, a guy a bit smaller than he was. No, quite a bit smaller than he was. He wore clothes which covered most of his body, black with hints of red. Messy, shoulder length brown hair. And his gaze was focused on some type of handheld gaming device as he continued walking. Xenon’s eyelid twitched and he was ready to growl. The fuck!? He wouldn’t let this guy escape, not even close. So without thinking he already grabbed one of those shoulders, nearly covering it with his hand. But that got the guy to stop dead in his tracks. “Ey, you’re forgetting something damn it!”There was no response, only a sigh at first. He didn’t say anything, only standing there as the sound of his game was the only thing echoing in Xenon’s ears. He was about to yell, asking if this punk even heard him to begin with. He sure as hell didn’t make it sound like that! Was he deaf or some shit!? Even if only so by choice, still…Though before the young man could get a word in the smaller guy turned, some smile on his face… The type which made Xenon usually want to wipe it off with a punch. And even when he said: “Oh, sorry” with it… Something was rubbing him the wrong way. He was so close, so very close.But in the end he didn’t. Not when hearing the sudden whispers of onlookers right then and there. He didn’t need to look, he knew better than that. He was losing his temper again. Damn it, to hell with that. This shithead wasn’t looking! So there was every reason to get angry! But no, he shoved that thought aside. The grip had already tightened after all. A bit more and he may have broken the guy’s shoulder bone or something. So he let go instead. “Watch where you’re fucking going next time.”“Yeees~” Oh the tone was still rubbing him the wrong way. He was so close to just… No, don’t. Maybe he was doing that on purpose. Yet something was already pissing him off.“Now go before I change my mind.”“Hm? What do you mean? Oh, are you—”“Leave damn it!”“Yeah yeah. You watch it too next time though.” A nonchalant response, the guy leaving before knowing it. Hah, who was this pain in the ass anyways? Xenon didn’t remember ever seeing someone like that, not even at school. That was weird. Someone who just moved? But there were no rumors about someone like that moving into town. Weird… But he brushed it off. Who cares? He better not see this guy ever again! Something was just rubbing him the wrong way after all. May this be the first and last time he had to see this dude.With that, he then picked up the bag, looking inside it. And there it was, him seeing something orange–ish dripping down… The eggs in there cracked. “I have to get new ones after all. God fucking damnit.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was not rare for Vic to witness his twin sister interacting with all types of people, including her having to talk to several guys. After all, she was the one running the business in this small town, something she really enjoyed doing. Her love for flowers had led her down this path – Opening up a small flower shop in town in one of the vacant buildings. Right within the shopping district too. She quickly became the local florist in this town, most people coming to her not just for bouquets but also for gardening advice in general. And she seemed to have fun with this. At least that’s what it looked like.He couldn’t say for certain. After all, he tried to show up there once yet all she did was give him the cold glare. And… Well, he wasn’t really blaming her. Given how things went between them back in the day, what type of jackass he was, or rather is… Yeah, no doubt about it. Even when she had been asked by one of the customers she only shrugged and said: “I don’t know who this guy is. I never saw him in my life.”But just because she was like that didn’t mean that Vic didn’t have his close eye on her. As a brother it was his duty after all, keep her away from danger. Even if it was in the shadows, out of her sight. But who knew? Maybe some creep would show up and try to flirt with her or something. Though for the most part that wasn’t the case, seemingly at least. Mostly housewives or elderly would stop by and hit up a conversation with her.Like when an old man passes by, talking to her with that smile elderly people usually have… “Oh Valerie dearie. You’re working hard as always. Why don’t you take a break?”“Thank you for your concern Sir. I will when I have arranged everything for today.” She would always respond with the kindest smile she could muster, a sincere smile to be certain.Or the time a housewife would come over. “Oh my, those are beautiful! Could you teach me how to arrange flowers like these sometime?”“If I have the time I wouldn’t mind, sure.” Before it would turn into idle chit chatter between the two. Overall it was the peaceful life she had always hoped for, no doubt about it. And Vic could only nod along. Maybe this town had been the right choice to move to, there was no trouble whatsoever! … Except for the murders going on, that was also the unsettling part. And that was why he had to make sure that there was no one suspicious passing by, just in case the killer would dare to touch his sister. But who would have thought that he was dealing with someone else as well, someone who showed up a little too often.It was some boy, a highschooler, a little younger than Victor himself. Some guy who was constantly wearing headphones. And he was showing up several times to Flores Rosales. At first no one would think much of it, once in a while maybe. Best guess was that he had to apologize to his girlfriend for misbehaving… Until overhearing in the same conversation that he was not here for his girlfriend (actually unsurprising. Vic would have been more impressed if this guy could pull someone). And sometimes he left after some talk. This was weird already. But he didn’t want to think about it… If it hadn’t been for that one conversation that guy had with two other guys. Just a regular conversation yet Vic had nearly spilled the drink in his hand when he heard that one sentence… One sentence which made him want to snap that guy’s neck, solely because it smelled like bad news from the get go.“Oh, the new flower shop? Sometimes Dad sends me there to place a few orders. But I don’t mind. The florist is kind of cute.”The florist… His sister… Valerie!? Is that why this guy is showing up over there!? He’s just waiting to make his move!? That’s just a kid but that was it. He couldn’t risk it. This alone could rub one the wrong way. Only a potential creep would say that. Yes, there was really no doubt about it! And given that he showed up very often…Yeah, Vic has to do something about this! And he will not rest until this guy disappears from the shop permanently! Well, but first he needs to figure out more, doesn’t he? Hah, this will be a long one…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Whenever going through town, if Annika had nothing to do or just wanted to visit Strange during his job, they would pass by one of the shops within town. A nice flower shop. Small but with a cozy atmosphere. So many colorful flowers were on display too as well as the different kinds of flowers. Though they didn’t know the names of each of them outside of a few basics, like ‘rose’ or ‘sunflower’. But that’s as far as it went. Yet the colors were breathtaking – Red and blue and yellow to even violet or very warm white. It looked like the picturebook flower shop one would see everywhere. Nothing outstanding about it yet it attracted so many customers.Maybe it was that smile of the young lady running the shop. She seemed to be always full of energy and managed to talk to everyone with ease. It was only from afar but Annika found that admirable overall. Handling people like that, customers… If only they had such an easy time. But of course it wasn’t that easy. What probably also helped was that she looked somewhat cute. WIth her smile but also the tiny twintails she wore despite the long hair. And the dresses she picked usually fit as well. One of them was a white sundress with frills on it and short sleeves as well as a black bowtie. It suited her. And the glasses she wore only added to the charm of it. But each moment they caught themself admiring the florist they would see someone else entering the scene every time and they caught someone just walking up there and talk to the florist in question. And it was none other than Yosuke Hanamura. Then again, it would make sense why the food court at Junes was always filled with fresh flowers recently. The manager probably sent him to place the orders or something. But… The two would end up talking for longer than it would take to place one order, didn’t they!?Even now when Annika had passed by yet again. Hanamura had already been there and it seemed that he was chatting up the young woman all on his own. The two talked for some time, longer than anyone would with a mere order. Small talk? It was hard to tell from this distance and they didn’t want to get any closer than necessary. Otherwise they would look like a weirdo or something. Yeah, just like that guy over there who was hiding behind a wall nearby and seemed to try listening in! His gaze was sharp, focused on the duo and he seemed to be observing very intensely. Probably was off the clock or otherwise Strange would ask for Victor to re— Wait, Victor!?Annika couldn’t believe their eyes for a moment. They rubbed them both, just in case they were imaging things. But no, that was Victor, no doubt about it. He was pretty much the only employee Strange had, a guy who was supposed to help run the business because Strange had never run a business before. While he was mainly focusing on the handy work as well the technology aspect Victor was doing the small work if time. He was mainly there to keep the business afloat and running, catching up where Strange couldn’t. So seeing him here like this…They couldn’t help themself. They had to ask. Hence why they snuck up behind him before speaking up. “Victor? What are you doing over there?” They asked, only seeing him flinch all of a sudden. He didn’t turn around right away though, no, only slowly tilting his head backwards and looking at them like some confused deer.“A… Ah… Annika?” He asked, with them nodding.“Is something wrong? Maybe—”“Nothing is wrong! Scram!” He interrupted, a little louder than before yet with a scoff as he tried to put on a cold face all of a sudden. “I don’t need your help right now!”There was the tone again. Though honestly, one would get used to these rather rude remarks over time. And Strange? He was the only one who never really bothered with it, as funny as it sounds. “You sure? If you’re out to buy flowers I could—”“I said that I don’t need your help. Now get lost. Even if you’re the boss’s sister.”They crossed their arms, looking a little peeved. “You know that you look like a creep from over here, right?”“Oh please, I’m just looking out that the actual creep doesn’t go too far.”“Hanamura–San?” Now, they had their criticisms with their co–worker but… A creep? “He’s a bit of a pervert but a creep is taking it—”“You know this guy!?” From one moment to the next Victor’s head turned over to Annika’s in one swoop alongside his body, then suddenly taking steps closer towards them and leaning over, towering over them. All while his gaze was overly serious, eyelids twitching. They would back away yet if they took some steps back it would be only a wall and they would be trapped. So they tried staying still instead. “Y… Yeah. We… Go to the same school and…”“And?”“We work together at Junes.”“So you know him on a personal level!?”“I wouldn’t go that far…” That was far from the truth. They weren’t that close to him. But even when they said that they suddenly felt themself grabbed and dragged away by Victor with no hesitation.“Whatever! I need to ask you some things about him! Anything could be useful!” He even insisted, much to their own dismay.“Woha– Wait! Victor, this isn’t– Hold up! Hey!” But any protest was futile. Especially if the guy in question was as stubborn as a mule. This was going to be a long interrogation, wasn’t it? Yikes…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Before knowing it Annika was sitting there, with Victor, right at the table, the seat across from him. Both had headed to the small shop, or rather the food stall Souzai Daigaku, and had sat down at the only table nearby. They had to order something, just to make it look ‘less suspicious’ or something like that. Then again, they were taking anything over instant ramen. Not that they suddenly started disliking eating instant ramen, it was just refreshing to eat something other than noodles once in a while.
Though it was silent between the two for a while, them just taking small bites out of the steak croquet they had. The suddenness of Victor’s action had been nearly forgotten honestly. Though it was still odd to hear… “
Whatever! I need to ask you some things about him! Anything could be useful!
” It was probably the most expressive they had seen the guy in… Well, pretty much since they had met him.
Sometimes Annika would pass by the shop, solely to check up on Strange. That and since getting Luna and Rio they would come to pass by to deliver some supplies, mostly food for the two dogs or treats, or take them for a walk after school. They hadn’t talked much to the shop assistant honestly. He was usually just side eyeing them before continuing his work and they left him be. After all, it would be best to let him focus on his work. Maybe he just didn’t want to be disturbed. And besides, he often told them to ‘scram’ or something like that. So they didn’t know anything about him.
They were keeping their distance anyway. It made things easier. He was playing right into what they were asking for, knowing it or not. And his constant cold or overly strained face made him look as if he was hard to approach anyways. Or so it had gone through their mind at least. They already had a hard time approaching others so this would not make it any easier.
Yet this? He was staring at them intensely now. All while they were nomming on that croquette. If they were interested in him… Yeah, they wouldn’t really deny that he looked at least somewhat cute like this. But maybe they shouldn’t really think that right now either. Not the time or place…
He took some time though. The two were just staring at another. He looked so eager a moment ago. What happened? Maybe he was reconsidering? But no, Annika would not get out of this one. Because moments later they heard him saying: “So… Tell me about this guy.” It was rather dry yet the type which wasn’t exactly coming off natural, no. It was forced, somewhat. Yet they decided to not speak up on it and instead took another bite at first before swallowing and then finally responding.
“You mean Hanamura Yosuke?” They asked.
“If that’s the guy next to si— That florist.” For a second he cut himself off, as if correcting himself mid sentence. Si? Did he want to say something else? Yeah but what? It… Wasn’t in their place to ask. Although, now that they were looking at him close up… Victor did resemble the florist a little bit. Their hair and eye color matched up and their faces looked nearly identical. Were they– Ah no, they shouldn’t assume things. Maybe they were just imagining it to begin with.
“That’s his name, yeah. Why so curious?”
“Just answer my question. Tell me about him.” He scoffed.
They sighed yet weren’t exactly surprised about his attitude. Not the most friendly guy sometimes but hey… Not as bad as some customers they had to handle at Junes sometimes. “There isn’t much, really.”
“Not much? I thought you two visit the same school and work together.”
“Doesn’t mean we’re close.” They explained, remaining calm as they continued talking. “We just sort shelves together sometimes. Or talk at school when it’s work related. Nothing more.”
And yet he looked at them as if he was somewhat suspicious of that, as if trying to see right through them. And it made them a little uncomfortable yet they didn’t dare saying that out loud. “There’s gotta be something. Like…” Victor seemed to think about a question, very hard. Though he came up with something moments later. “What’s he like. You gotta know that.”
Was this an interrogation or something? “What Hanamura–San is like…” They had to think about it. They didn’t know him personally after all but one would get the feeling of a person when talking to them. And Victor won’t let it go unless Annika said something. So they decided to answer with the first thing coming to mind. “He’s a little weird sometimes.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah. Then again, commenting on how cute a girl is… Maybe it’s not that unusual?” Yet every time they thought about it their stomach twisted and they had the sudden urge to pounce on Hanamura, yell at him. And they noticed their own face nearly twisting into a grimace. They didn’t know why it bothered them so much. It was just an odd feeling altogether.
“Aha… So he just throws it around.” Victor responded, somewhat mumbled. He even grit his teeth for a moment. “That bastard…”
“Oh, he doesn’t do anything to them though.” At least as far as they knew. “It’s literally just him saying stuff like ‘she looks kinda cute’. Nothing more.”
“Aha…” Uwah, the air became even more awkward. Annika had to do something about this to calm the guy across the table down.
“He isn’t that bad of a guy.” They suddenly brought up, placing down the croquette as they leaned against the table, arm resting against their head as they tilted it to the side. “If you ask him, he will help you out. Though it’s hard for him to say ‘no’ too sometimes.”
That had gotten Victor’s attention all of a sudden, his expression relaxing a little. He said something yet they weren’t paying attention. In fact they just continued talking as their mind was wandering around.
“Heh, sometimes Hanamura helps without being asked to. After all, he shows up everytime I feel very uneasy talking to a customer.” They continued, thinking aloud at this point. Their mind was literally just wandering at this point. “Or helping out carrying the boxes, even if I tell him that it’s fine. And I guess it isn’t too bad that he checks up sometimes. Even if he doesn’t really need to. If he keeps that up I’ll feel bad. He has his moments but—”
Yet then they noticed, their tone changing. Enough for them to suddenly shut their mouth, especially when noticing how Victor was staring at them, eyes very wide. He didn’t say a word which made this even more embarrassing, their cheeks turning red and heating up slowly. They had talked too much, didn’t they? And due to that they were just staring and staring, blinking even. Their body was literally just heating up at that point.
And thus they suddenly turned their head away, not wanting to look at him any longer. This was just embarrassing. They had just gone on and on about this and it was just… A lot… “Th… That’s all! Yeah, that is everything! I know nothing more than that!” They just didn’t want to continue talking now.
Ah, but why did their heart have to beat like crazy in the end?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
What Strange had witnessed that day was something he had not expected. Yet it just wouldn't leave his mind once it had entered. It kept him up, funnily enough, excited. He wanted to jump, bite into something. Ah, he could also just run into traffic! Then again, in this town there was barely any. Maybe the rails could work!What he had seen was probably something which was just amazing, hot even. Oh how he wished that he had been this guy. Being grabbed by the arm and thrown onto the ground upside down, having a cold, deadly gaze bear into his very soul. “Try something like this next time and I will kill you”. Why was life so unfair!? Why couldn't it be him!? Ah fuck! He needs this man to cut him open! Right now!Ahem, let's go a little bit back in time first…Just shortly after Strange had bumped into that massive, muscular dude he had heard a sudden scream. It was loud enough to distract him from his game as he was walking. He would have usually ignored it and moved on with his life. However, when his eyes were witnessing what was going on he couldn't help but look. It all happened so quickly, only a few moments worth yet these moments were so impactful in the end… The first surprise was seeing that guy from the other day here, the one who had visited Strange’s store. It was hard to forget someone who had come there to learn how to charge a phone after all. Honestly, wasn't that self explanatory? How old was he? Very old maybe, even though he didn't look like it. He came off as aloof, or at least kind of behind the times. Didn't even know how a flip phone worked after all. No, worse, didn't even know that he had to charge it. And that was especially annoying. Anyone should be able to understand at least this much in regards to a phone, right?But that aside, here was the second surprise – The old man had just grabbed a guy by the wrist and had slammed him right into the ground, face flat onto the cement of the streets. And then even a foot right onto the back, making sure that this guy was staying still. And the old man? He seemed like a totally different person. An ice cold glare, almost devoid of any life. There was no remorse nor mercy in this glare, only death. Who was that? No, seriously, who was that!? Being able to just smash someone without hesitation and with such precision. The guy himself was injured quite a bit. Then again, that was just an assumption, given that Strange only saw this dude's head facing the ground. He was groaning in pain though, quite a bit. Though the last bit, that was what gave the witness the rest here. When the old guy leaned down a little, against this guy's ear and whispered with this ice cold voice. A threat, there was no other way to describe it. No, not even describe. It was clearly a threat! “Try something like this next time and I will kill you.” Oh the shivers it must send through someone's spine. Oh he could only imagine! But the thing is… For Strange at least, this was something he wouldn't be complaining about! If he said something like that then he would have an easy time ripping anyone open, right? Right!? Oh it was just too much! But so exciting all the same! What he would give for just one chance!But all things are eventually cut short, even those thoughts. Because the man removed his foot from the back of that (lucky) bastard and picked up something next to that lying body – A wallet. He eyed it for a moment and even opened it, taking a good look inside of it before putting it into one of his pockets of that massive, white coat.It was there where their gazes nearly met. Usually Strange would have probably run up, his brain functioning even less than usual. However, just as that was the case he heard his phone ringing over and over. It was uncalled for right now, a little annoying even, yet he couldn't ignore it once he saw who was calling – Vic. And that guy only called if it was work related.“I gotta pick up.” He grumbled, knowing that this little fantasy was over. Though he did take a quick glance at the man, him bowing politely before turning away and walking off.He had never considered it possible but maybe this guy will be worthwhile to remember. Who knew that he could be like this? Certainly something Strange wasn't going to complain about.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
He was the equivalent of a guard dog sometimes. Having a rather deadly glare while talking to someone was… An experience. But Xenovia was more than used to it when it came to her own twin brother. After all, he had been like this since she can think.
Whenever she was talking to some guy Xenon would always be close by somehow, may it be either right behind her or somewhere ‘well’ hidden, he would always be there to just stare down whoever would approach her. She would always have to pretend to not see him, try to not become tense herself. Not because she was scared or anything like that but rather to keep the flow of the conversation going. She didn’t want to suddenly dash over to her own brother and give him an earful or something like that. That would turn things even more awkward than they probably were. Especially right now.
All she did was walk up towards the door and open it. And right then and there was the delivery man with a package, an order she had placed. Nothing special, just some cleaning supplies she would have to use around the house. Unfortunately for the delivery man Xenon was right in the house as well. And he took a peek from behind the wall. And he may as well have been throwing daggers. Anyone could feel the shiver going down their spine without needing to turn around. Probably one of those gazes which would kill if they could.
It reached the point where the delivery man himself was just a shivering and stuttering mess while he was talking to Xenovia. They didn’t exchange many words, they never did. It was usually just a ‘Hello’, followed by a quick update if anything had happened and then a ‘ Thank you! Have a nice day!’ – In a small town this was nothing unusual, especially since everyone knows everyone pretty much. Or almost everyone at least. Then again, there was a guarantee that you knew someone just by seeing them. So being polite and handling some small talk was nothing out of the ordinary.
But Xenon always had to make it so difficult. No guy would want to be even at the door and whoever had to deliver the package was probably praying that they would survive or something like that. Even the delivery man right now was in a hurry so he had handed her the box pretty much quickly and said his goodbyes in a flash before running for the hills. It was always like that. It was even worse than when the twins’ father was here and kept an eye out on his daughter. It wasn’t even comparable to that.
Even worse when Xenon always added one sentence in particular. It was always the same, or at least across those lines. “That bastard knows his fucking place at least.” – It always earned him an eyeroll. Even now when she was turning around to carry the package inside, spotting her brother right behind the wall, still staring as if he was threatening someone. Even if this delivery man was long gone.
“He wasn’t going to do anything outside of delivering a package.” She sighed. They say that it’s the thought that counts but…
“That’s what they all see. And before you know it this pervert has his damn claws on you.”
“You’re overthinking it.” She said while walking past him to put the package down, then walking back to close the door finally. Yeah, she was pretty sure that he was. “Not every guy is out for blood.”
Xenon only scoffed. “You say that yet there’s some freak runnin’ around killing people.”
“W.. Well… I can’t disagree with that but that doesn’t mean everyone—”
“You’re too naive sometimes. Let your guard down and it’s you next. Not like I’ll allow that to happen…”
Xenovia didn’t want to turn around. Facing Xenon now was honestly not the best idea. She could already imagine his face. Annoyance but also ready to break the wall with his mere fist again. Whatever thought he was putting into his mind, it put him at clear unease, distress even. “I… Can take care of myself.” Yet why was she saying that with a stutter between her words, as if she wasn’t completely certain either? … No, she was probably imagining it.
“Not sayin’ that you can’t. But better safe than sorry. You never know who’s runnin’ around.”
“I promised you that I’ll be careful, didn’t I?”
“Yeah but–” Though then a moment of silence. The two knew that they were having the same conversation yet again and it would always end the same. What was the point in having it at that rate? And her twin brother knew it pretty well. “Nevermind. I gotta get ready to head to the dojo anyways.”
She heard his steps. He left to his room. The conversation was abrupt, it always was. All because the two would run in circles in that regard. It was unlike them but… Each pair of siblings has their own set of problems, don’t they?
She knew that he only meant well at least but… Ah no, she can’t think too much about it. The apartment won’t clean itself after all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When he entered this world he was looking like a tiny creature. Nothing more than a cat looking individual. Maybe that was fitting since he got by with recalling and following scents and noises, not by looking at his surroundings. It was hard to see with only black and white tones after all. Everything looked the same. The same dull color… All just the very same.He was limited in his ways here, in the real world. The other side he had not even considered living in. A place different from what one would dub the ‘TV World’. A place inhabited by beings a group would call ‘Shadows’. Honestly, if you were not in the know–how you would not even question the existence of this world. He didn't at least, seeing it as a way to escape once and for all, hiding within its depths. Why would he do that? That's no one’s business, only his.Truth to be told this old timer was aware of the other side thanks to a mysterious tip he had received. A voice had invited him in, coming from a small television within that dorm itself. He didn't remember the exact words yet it was something to lure him in, two years ago in spring. It was shortly after they had vanished into thin air too, the location unknown. Not to mention what happened to them, it was all unknown. And it was eating him up.But he had to shove that aside for the time being. Ole could not dwell on something like this. No, not when he had their lives in his paws, them being his responsibility. Both of them, no exceptions, the young ones. The boy and the girl. They had no clue why they had appeared, let alone where they were. But that was fine. They didn't need to know. It was best if they didn't know. If it kept them safe then they shall live their lives to the fullest here.From what he was observing in his corners they didn't do too bad. The boy, Strange, had opened up his shop within the small town as the electrician. Running a shop, fixing people’s devices whenever asked to. Of course for a price. Yet it was nothing more than that. Yet he seemed content, always playing games or taking care of the two dogs he brought home a few weeks ago. There were times where he was smiling and that was all what mattered. He didn't mind living here… Right?As for Annika, she seemed to be just as reserved as Strange, even barely exchanging a word with him. Yet she was always out during the week, attending her curriculum. Though she helped out by tackling her own part time job. Yet if not for that she was spending her time at home, all by herself. There wasn't more to her day than that. Not going out with friends or anything like that. It was just that. Nothing more and nothing less.No matter how you look at it, there was no connection one could sense. Not even right now, at dinner. Strange may be sitting across Annika at the small table yet he didn't say a word. Instead he was just focused on that handheld console in his hands, pushing buttons as he was staring at the upper screen of that thing. Sometimes his face would lighten up from the screen yet only for a few seconds. His expression was pretty blank however, almost stoic. There was little life in his eyes and nothing else seemed to matter at this point in time.As for Annika, she was just slurping on the cup ramen she opened not too long ago. She poked in it sometimes with that fork thingy and that was all there was to it. She didn't say anything either. All she did was just letting out one slurp after the other.The two were odd. Truly odd. They were claiming to be siblings yet they really couldn't act that part. Not in public nor in private. Then again, the two never truly faced each other in public spaces either. They exchanged a few more words thanks to the dogs but not by much. They were in their own world, cages in their own thoughts, trapped in their own desires. Or perhaps worries? After all, there was something off about the two as well… Something Ole couldn't put his paw on. No matter how long he observed the two it just wouldn't come together. There was nothing. Nothing at all. They were pretty stagnant and never showed what was going on deep within them. They kept to themselves and that made it hard to help them. He feels helpless… But that was not the old man’s job. He had to make sure that they stayed safe at all costs. Even in such a stagnant stage in their life it was what he had to accept. Not like he was any good himself to begin with. Yeah, not as if– Though his ears plopped up when hearing the fork drop, Annika looking at Strange with wide eyes all of a sudden. What was going through her mind now? The cat couldn't tell..And he wouldn't be… Until she spoke up all of a sudden, turning this almost dull evening completely around… “What crossed your mind so suddenly!?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Annika dropped the fork, their eyes in a frozen stare. They were looking at Strange at this point instead of eating their dinner as intended. They couldn’t believe it, believe what just went through his mind, Strange’s mind. Now, they were used to him not having exactly the most ‘appropriate’ thoughts, to put it mildly. The things they had seen in his mind were on another level sometimes and would freak just about anyone out. Either by making them scream or making them pass out, whichever came first. Honestly, the images haunting Annika themself resulted in sleepless nights, them being nothing but terrified at first as well.
They honestly didn’t want to recall those first few times. When something was going through his mind it was usually bloody or flatout brutal. And the most concerning thing of all? It was him being subjected to this treatment. One could theorize what any of this meant. They did the same if they were completely honest yet they knew that it would result in basically nothing. So what was the point? Sure, they could ask too, yet they didn’t have the necessary guts to that. Maybe a part of them didn’t really want to know what was going on deep in his mind. Not because they didn’t care, that would be a lie, but because they just were too scared to know the truth. And even if they asked, they could already think of Strange’s answer in their head.
“
I don’t have to tell you shit.
”
Something like that, at least how they met him. But now? This was another story entirely! At least in their mind it was. Especially considering who was involved in all of this.
Usually the ones inflicting the acts of… ‘Pain’ onto him were silhouettes. Not really anyone, just some shadowy figures getting the job done. But this shadowy figure had started to morph slowly but surely into someone Annika was familiar with. More than familiar with actually…
The long, purple hair tied into a ponytail… The one blue eye covered… The pale skin… The long, white coat… Though the coat wasn’t so white in Strange’s fantasies. In fact, there were always red stains on that tall figure. Not just that but the gaze… Cold, icey cold, as if he was looking in utter disgust. And that was not necessarily a face they had ever seen Yamguchi-Sensei make. Yes, the figure in their roomate’s fantasies was none other than him, Yamaguchi–Sensei. And that was what had set them off.
It was why they had dropped the fork, only being able to look in utter shock. Literally. And it wouldn’t let them go. It was in the back of their mind. Even once the fantasy stopped, where the teacher had a knife on his hand and… And… Ugh, they didn’t even want to think about it. Strange’s expression at least had suggested that he didn’t hate this treatment though, far from it. It was just… They had never expected something so extreme with someone they knew. Not personally but still! That’s not the point!
They had just barely registered the guy staring at them, up from his game. He raised an eyebrow. ‘What are you looking at?’ He didn’t say it but that was what he was thinking without a doubt, wasn’t it? Yeah, probably. And he followed it up with a verbal question. “Hey, if you don’t wanna eat that, I’ll just—”
“WHY ARE YOU IMAGING MY HOMEROOM TEACHER IN BLOODSTAINS!?” It slipped out of Annika’s mouth. They were loud, at least loud enough to probably startle the cat behind them who looked into the direction of the two at that point. Yet it had been said by then, their stomach turning as they thought back on it. Damn it! They didn’t mean to say it like that! But here they were! Or something…
It only earned them another confused stare for a moment, though also visible annoyance. “What are you talking about?” Strange scoffed.
They wanted to drop it, they really did. Yet it wouldn’t leave their mind either. He would figure it out anyways, they couldn’t exactly lie to him. So they continued by responding: “Wh… What crossed your mind just now! That!”
“What crossed my— Oooh! That.” He suddenly said nonchalantly, as if it was nothing. “What about it?” He then shrugged.
“J… Just… Yamaguchi–Sensei… In there…”
“Yamawho?”
“The guy… With the icey cold glare… The tall one. You know…”
“That doesn’t–” Yet then he stopped, realizing something. It resulted in the brunette being stared at for a good few moments. And the next reaction was a rather sudden one… One they had never expected to see from Strange. His eyes suddenly… Sparkled!? Yeah, and they were at their widest they had ever been. In fact, now one could easily mistake him for a kid here. No, seriously. He was suddenly looking at them like some curious kid, excited even. He then pushed the handheld console aside and leaned over the small table, towards them. It made them reel backwards, nearly fall over, yet they just kept their balance. “You said homeroom teacher!?”
“Y… Yeah. I did. That—”
“So you know him!?” He suddenly asked, almost whining like a dog even. “You know him and you didn’t tell me!?”
“It… Didn’t come up until–”
“You get to spend time with him!?” What? “He’s one of your teachers!”
They nodded slowly, a little confused at that reaction. “Y… Yeah.”
“And he teaches in your class!?”
“P… Pretty much…”
“No fair! No fair no fair no–” Yet that suddenly came to a halt, having them blink in place once Strange backed away, in thought all of a sudden. “Actually… That might work out then.”
“Work out? I… Really have no idea what you’re–”
“Shush, I’m thinking here! There’s gotta be a way…”
“I really have no clue what you’re heading at all of a sudden.”
“Hmm… You go to Yasogami High, right?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I know what to do then.”
That evening Strange only left Annika a little puzzled. This was not something they were used to or ever thought of hearing. But what’s done is done. And they didn’t expect much from it if they were completely honest… Until a few more days would pass.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Was it nearly obsessive? The way Vic constantly focused on that guy, or rather that creep constantly talking to Val… And it only got worse the more days passed. More and more he would come across it. And each time would leave him more livid than the last. There was just something about that guy which wasn’t exactly trustworthy. Not to mention…
“He’s a little weird sometimes.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah. Then again, commenting on how cute a girl is… Maybe it’s not that unusual?”
“Aha… So he just throws it around. That bastard…”
That alone was enough to make this guy’s blood boil. Especially with a sister as vulnerable as Valerie would be. Vic knew her better than anyone after all! Tell her some sob story and she would buy it! And before knowing it she would get herself into deep trouble! And all because some creep came around and—
Ah! He hated thinking about that! The possibility alone was scary! Even more when considering that there was something else going on – The murders within Inaba itself. And the police hadn’t caught the culprit yet, so it could be anyone! Literally anyone! And creeps were the most likely ones! He should know…
The twins had moved to this town a year or two before any of the murders took place. Nothing would happen here after all. Or so had been the thought process but of course they were both proven wrong. There was more than enough reason to be on high alert these days. In a town so small no one would suspect the other, given how friendly and familiar people were with each other. Anyone could abuse that built trust at any point. Too cautious? Maybe someone would say that. But honestly, you could never be cautious enough these days. Especially with literal creeps lurking in every corner! And one of them shows up a little too often…
Could it literally be that Val was going to become the next target of a crime scene? If so he has to act quickly! But how do you get rid of someone you barely have any information on? That was the biggest question here. Vic had a name and a face but that was as much as he had. Not even the intel was the most hopeful.
Maybe that’s why he was sitting there at the counter of the shop he was working at, hands in front of his face and leaning right against it. He was just staring at the space in front of him for no reason other than having nowhere else to look at. He caught himself grumbling pretty much gibberish at this point, right under his breath. Honestly, it was just to let his frustration out. He had hit a wall, no other way to look at it. And that was frustrating him beyond belief. Disposing of someone was never an easy task.
Then again, he wasn’t even going to dispose of that guy. Not really at least. He just needed to make sure that he would stay away from Val, nothing else. But how would one achieve that? How could he even—
“Uhm… Excuse me?” A person would make him snap out of it, his gaze shooting up in an instant. Vic had not really paid attention to the face and it didn’t matter to him in the first place. Just some customer he was asked to deal with while his boss was out doing other stuff.
What other stuff? He didn’t know and he hadn’t paid too much attention. He had just left a sticky note that morning and that was as much explanation as the employee had gotten, ‘
I’ve applied for another part time job. Good luck!
’ Maybe that’s what contributed to the glare he had given, not knowing where that kid had suddenly left and leaving his responsibility on the one he hired all morning.
Though before Vic could respond to the customer’s concerns they suddenly backed away. “Ah… Uhm… Sorry! I’ll come back later!” They said in a rush before running for the door from one moment to the next, leaving him puzzled.
But a quick look into the reflection of the window next to the entrance and he noticed the glare he had. It was not just cold but also unpleasant, not even he liked to look at it. He could just barely squint out the details yet it was enough to know that it was on the darker end, the colder one. He looked at it for a moment, not moving away from his seat. All he did was let out a sigh in the end. Honestly, he wasn’t even surprised.
After all, it takes one creep to know another one. And Victor himself was of course a fellow creep. No wonder the customer ran off in a flash. He would too. And maybe that’s also why the boss left, even if only for some amount of time.
‘
Anywhere is better than close to me… Sis knows it too.
’
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Annika was still a bit in disbelief this morning. The last thing they had expected out of nowhere to see
him
at school! And that ‘him’ was not referring to their co–worker for once. After all, they already knew that he was visiting the same school as them. That was honestly the last thing on their mind right now anyways. Especially with this sudden revelation. And honestly? This was not something they had expected to happen, let alone what Strange had said a few days ago at the table would be a result of… Well, that.
“Hmm… You go to Yasogami High, right?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I know what to do then.”
Because apparently the meaning of that was the following…
Shortly after the rather interesting revelation of Strange constantly fantasizing about Yamaguchi–Sensei gutting him like a fish, a horrifying image in itself Annika didn’t know where it had even come from, a lot had happened in the week leading up to it. At least enough to suddenly have homeroom class start with an announcement all of a sudden.
“Alright class. Before we start, I would like to introduce you to someone new.” Yamaguchi–Sensei had suddenly started off the lesson. He was as calm as ever so nothing seemed off. Not really at least. Though the whispering had gotten intense shortly after.
“Someone new?” Annika had overheard one of their classmates nearby.
“Maybe a student.” Another responded. “But I haven’t heard about anyone new coming here…”
And the mumbling would just proceed to occur. It took a quick cough from the homeroom teacher to get everyone silent yet again. “Please, quiet down.” He asked them and just like that the entire class went silent pretty much in an instant. All while facing him directly, staring most likely in anticipation. Then again, someone new was kind of a big deal. It always would be. And yet, it was only the start of a very, very rude awakening… “Due to the shortage of teachers the principal decided to hire someone new to this school.”
A new teacher? At first their attention was on that. ‘
Finally! It was about time!
’ They thought in their head. It quickly went through their head and was about to be forgotten. However, before Yamaguchi–Sensei could even finish his short speech in the morning they already knew what dreaded them. They froze in their seat and noticed that it had gotten a little colder now. Wait no, probably not that. It wasn’t exactly colder, their body just froze on the spot. So their skin probably went pale as well. All because of one sound they heard right within their head.
Laughter. But not just any laughter. Not from the back nor the front. No, it wasn’t one of the fellow students, far from it. This echoed right in their head, several times. The laugh was akin to a cackle, one which would probably be associated with nothing but some weirdo, a creep even. Well, if someone heard it for the very first time at least. It was the type of perverted laughter which would haunt you and keep you up at night. And with the pitch and given that they heard it in their head it was literally none other than him…
‘Strange!? What are you doing here!?’ Annika screamed, though more in their head than anything.
The laughter stopped for a moment. ‘Hm? Oh, I kinda forgot that you’d be here.’
‘I thought that you didn’t want to go to school.’
‘I mean yeah. I’m not gonna do the boring stuff like studying or getting up early.’
‘Then why are you here!?’
‘Didn’t ya listen? I’m a teacher’s assistant now.’
A what!? ‘How? You don’t even have the qualification to be a—’
‘I dunno. And honestly, who cares?’
‘What about your shop!?’
‘Vic’s problem until later today.’
Annika couldn’t believe it, especially with the conversation in their head they were having. They hadn’t even paid attention to their teacher’s words, let alone their surroundings. All they saw was Strange enter in his usual get up of a black jacket and trousers, with only faint red accents, his entire body covered. His hair was also still a mess and he didn’t hide the scar on the left either.
Though in contrast to how he was communicating with Annika in their mind… Or his mind… Both minds! Anyways! It was a jarring difference. On the outside, in front of the students, he seemed unbothered if not indifferent. Almost cold even. When he was introduced he even only scoffed and didn’t say much. His hands were in the pockets of his jacket even and he only looked around, as if somewhat bored. It couldn’t even send another signal, at least none other than ‘I don’t really care being here.’
However, if one just had any idea what was going on in his head right now… How he was cackling like the biggest pervert on earth. And it wasn’t even over indecent imagery, no. He was fantasizing about… Blood, lots of it. And also Yamaguchi–Sensei holding a sharp object in one of his hands. And the constant cold, glare. A glare so cold that it almost seemed uncharacteristic. He was more on the stoic end, yes, but not on the end of looking so cold that he was disgusted! Or something like that… It was hard to put into words.
And all of that combined made Annika shift in their seat. This was going on just now but what would happen as time went on? They didn’t even want to imagine. Not just that but Strange in the same class as them sometimes? That couldn’t be the best outcome, at least in their mind. The two communicated in their minds! So whatever one would think about the other would get easily distracted! Also there were some things which Strange probably didn’t need to know about! But it was too late now, all too late. They brought this upon themself.
In a last ditch effort they opened the textbook and placed it in front of themself, then lowering their head on the table,right beneath the book. However, when they took a small peek, they noticed that it was no use. Strange had quickly looked into their direction, a shit eating grin on his face. And it was wide, directed towards them without a doubt.
Hah, this was only the start of a new way of torture, wasn’t it? Goddamnit…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Even past his graduation days it was not unusual for Xenon to show up at Yasogami High School. Most told him that it was not necessary yet honestly? It felt wrong not to visit at least once a week, especially when having been in charge of a club he brought to life to begin with – The Martial Arts Club.
Oh he recalled the hoops he had to go through to make it a reality. From finding members to getting the necessary signatures to threa– Ahem, convincing the student council as well as the teachers. He pushed through in the end and the Martial Arts Club had become a thing… Or one may rather call it a karate club, given all of its members were eager to improve on that alone. Then again, it was best to focus on one thing at a time.
Xenon still recalled his own time during the club. He felt less tense in his mind after each session. One would expect that it was because he threw punches and kicks without aim or reason. That or he looked ‘cool while doing it’, girls especially complimenting him on that. Then again, such a thinking only got his blood boiling if anything. It was an insult to martial arts as a whole. He wasn't just ‘kicking and punching’, no flavor of martial arts works like that. Each move was reactionary yet in the heat of a battle calculated. You won't get anywhere if you just throw things around. And especially not if you didn't stick with your training regimen. So guys (and gals sometimes too) especially who had walked in and expecting it to be a cakewalk pissed him off the most as his time as club president. Even now when they visit the dojo… Oh for fuck’s sake.
Maybe that's also why he wanted to pay the club a visit frequently. It became his livelihood, his ‘baby’ if you will… And if slouches poisoned it he was more than willing to teach them a lesson. A few timed foot sweeps and jumping kicks alongside some uppercut and roundhouse punches. Of course use some blocks when necessary, like a rising, middle level or downward block. The most important thing was to time it, not attack like a brute and show such idiots how it's really done. If you won't take your training seriously, you have no place in this club! Maybe that’s why it was hard to let go.
Xenon always managed to sneak onto school grounds. He always did. And there was nothing anyone could do, really. Or was willing to do rather. Then again, as an ex–student here some of the teachers still knew him. Maybe that was why.
So while he was walking to the designated room for the club activity he was in so much of a hurry that he didn’t watch where he was going. And that led to yet another accident. Or rather him feeling something or someone bump into his chest upon impact, then falling right down. He wasn’t oblivious to that, hence why he stopped and looked down. He wanted to apologize, say sorry yet before he could even get out a word his mouth just stopped.
At first he was just looking, almost like a deer in headlights. He was cursing in his mind. ‘Fucking hell!?’ Something like that. But why would he? Well, that was an easy one. It was because there was a certain face he bumped into, or rather bumped into him. A face he didn’t expect to see here. This town was small so maybe avoiding people wasn’t exactly that simple. However, it would be here of all places… It was the guy who bumped into not too long ago. The punk who had played his game stuff right while walking and then nearly walking off! This was the worst timing… Literally.
“Ow… Watch it.” The guy groaned all annoyed while getting up. Though he mumbled something about… Moobies? Wait what? Ah no, Xenon was probably imagining that part. In any case, that guy looked up at the taller one who was just glaring down at him, yet it didn’t seem to have any effect whatsoever. Actually, upon closer inspection that guy wasn’t even wearing the uniform of Yasogami High. The fuck? “What’s your problem?”
“That’s my line!” Xenon caught himself hissing, uncontrollably so. “What the fuck are you doing here!?”
“That’s none of your business, is it?” The guy threw right back, rolling his eyes. “I’m gonna go now.”
“The hell you are! Not until you tell me what your fucking business is here!”
“Again, I don’t have to tell you anything. Actually, what are you doing here? You don’t look like a student.”
“What’s it to you punk?”
“What’s your deal anyways? Do I know you?”
That was where Xenon suddenly fell silent, looking at the guy in somewhat of a shock. He didn’t remember? At all? Not the incident where both bumped into another out in the open? Not even the face!? “You little…”
“I don’t know what your deal is, yikes. Creep.”
“Who the fuck are you calling a—”
“That’s enough you two.” A familiar voice would interrupt the two guys from throwing sentences at each other, sentences which only made the tension rise more and more with the passing time. Both of them turned to the voice, only to see a tall man with a long ponytail and a white coat walking up to them. Not to mention the usual stoic, almost unemotional stare. No one would forget this face, not at this school. And Xenon knew him too – Yamguchi–Sensei.
The shift in that small guy’s mood was almost sudden, perhaps a little too sudden. He swore that he saw this punk grin like some freak for a moment, a smile wider than his face could reach. Not to mention the hint of drool coming from his mouth. ‘The hell is his problem?’ Something Xenon thought yet left unsaid. Especially when seeing the guy’s face morph back to normal shortly after.
The teacher then looked at the both of them, back and forth while throwing them glances. He then shook his head. “You’re setting a bad example for the students.”
“He started it.” The small brunette responded instantly while pointing his finger at the taller one.
“The fuck you mean I started it!?” Xenon hissed right back. “Your stupid ass didn’t—”
“It doesn’t matter who started it.” Yamaguchi–Sensei interrupted this conversation right away, sternly. He then shifted his gaze back to the brunette. “Especially you as a teacher in training. You can’t just start fights left and right.”
“Sorry…” But that sorry only came out half assed. No, seriously. That guy didn’t even mean it! He meant shit with it!
“Hah… At least it didn’t escalate to biting this time.”
“B… Biting?” Xenon repeated, not believing what he was hearing here. That’s a first. What’s wrong with this idiot? No, really. The fuck?
The teacher turned to the former student for a moment, nodding yet then saying: “Please, don’t concern yourself with this. I will take the necessary disciplinary action since the boy is under my care.”
“B… But I didn’t do anything.” That tiny guy whined, almost sounding like a puppy. Or trying to, there was a hint of a grin for a split second. Actually, the longer this went on, the freakier that guy became. “No fair.”
“I will not tolerate this behavior. As for you, Xenon–Kun…” Yamaguchi–Sensei continued, throwing an icy glare. So icy in fact that even the one in question froze on the spot. He forgot how scary the teacher could be if he wanted to… “You need to watch yourself as well. You may not be a student anymore yet you can be banished from school grounds.”
“Y… Yes teach.” That was all he could get out honestly. Best to not argue with this teacher in particular.
“Now then, if you excuse us now.”
It was there where Xenon would be left alone in a moment’s notice, only watching the two walking away. For some reason he couldn’t stop looking after the tinier one, next to Yamguchi–Sensei. Damn, that guy was just that small, not even hitting average height. And despite his dismissive if not annoyed expression from before now he seemed full of life. If this was a good or bad thing was anyone’s guess. There was a grin there, but not the good type of grin. No, it was the freaky one, as if he was resisting some type of urge building up. It made him look like a creep to be honest.
And yet, for some bizarre reason, Xenon didn’t bother looking away. Something about this sight bothered him… The way this guy was looking at Yamaguchi–Sensei just rubbed him the wrong way. No, there are several wrong ways. He watched them until they were out of sight, though finding himself looking into the direction a little longer…
Until shrugging to himself and dismissing it. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. It’s probably nothing anyways.
After all, that dwarf was just some piece of shit. Yeah. Some shitface he may have to keep up with more than thought. God fucking damn it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was always after class, on Annika’s way to work. There was always a path they would follow, one which arguably would take longer than the one they would usually take. They didn’t know why at first. It was so unclear to them. They didn’t know what to make of it. There was no reason for them to take the longer path and it was very unusual for them. After all, they took work more than seriously. Besides, who else would take them for a part time job? Even if it only paid barely above average, better than nothing.
Though there was always one spot they looked at, one which would make them stare for a good few minutes. They had the time to spare since they would always arrive a little early at work. Even though they were probably a weirdo to most people when just watching from afar in plain sight. Unlike Victor they never made the attempt to hide themself after all. Then again, it wasn’t as if they were of any importance to begin with so it should be fine.
In any case, the place they would always watch from afar was the flower shop, in particular when the shop owner was always showing her face. Annika couldn’t help but watch her a little, how she was talking to people. Laughing, smiling and just keeping the conversation going. It was admirable, how she was able to handle herself like this with seemingly ease. The total opposite of a person like them who would just dismiss anyone coldly. All because it was difficult for them to hold a conversation properly. The thought of talking to anyone they weren’t at least somewhat familiar with always made them freeze up after all.
Though that didn’t exactly answer why they were always making a stop here in particular. There could be many reasons yet none would come to them right away. They would always watch the owner. And the more they watched her the more they started to think in such moments. Lots of thoughts would come rushing through their mind at that point.
The memory would always fade back to the times where they had seen Yosuke around this place for one reason or another. And he was often talking to her as well, for long periods of time even. It was a little odd yet Annika liked to dismiss it at first. There was nothing about this which should interest them. But there was always that nagging feeling deep within. Something told them several ‘What ifs’.
‘What if he is interested in her?’
‘What if he is using it as an excuse to constantly talk to her?’
‘What if he thinks she is cute?’
‘What if he is going to ask her out someday?’
At first they just wanted to shove it aside. What nonsense is that? Victor’s nonsense from days ago was getting to them, they were convinced of that. There was no way this was true! There was no way in hell that this could have been the entire story. They were reading too deep into these things! They didn’t even hear what Yosuke and the florist were constantly talking about!
And yet… It never left them alone. It was eating them up, deep inside. Seeing them together hurt, at least a little bit. Annika wanted to panic, repeating all of these ‘what ifs’ in their mind. Because for all they know, this could be true. This could be happening at any point, with the day only approaching closer and closer as time passed on. Something made them think and act a little…Not revolted but they were… Scared, for the lack of a better word.
Their mind was constantly racing at that point. They wanted to scream no way but the more time passed, the more convinced they became. Or rather, they were becoming more cautious. What if that was actually a possibility? Then they wouldn’t know what to do themself here! They wouldn’t know what—
Yet then they paused, noticing the grip on their school bag tightening. They let out a sudden gasp, the realization hitting them. If they thought about it closely, they were sounding more and more like some jealous idiot. Yeah, that was the only way they could explain their own behavior. Jealousy, nothing else but pure jealousy. It came crashing onto them and they were just standing there, still watching the florist. Could it be–
“Ah, uhm… Do you need something!?” Her voice woke them up, making them jump in place. Ah, she looked at them! She actually looked at them! This was bad, very bad! They felt their heart rate increasing, or something like that. And they couldn’t think straight.
They looked around, no one in sight. Only them. They were in the sight. Thus a quick headshake. The words didn’t want to leave their dry throat. And before knowing it they turned away and ran into the direction of Junes, needing to hurry to get to their part time job.
Ah yeesh, this is the worst time to have a crush on someone, isn’t it!? How didn’t they notice!?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’m sorry but I can’t let them in.”
“So you’re being mean to them. Is that it?”
“Wha– N.. No! It’s just the rules! They have to wait outside.”
“Is that how you treat my babies? Seriously? You’re mean to them!”
“I get that you care about them a lot since bringing them home but—”
“I gave birth to them! How dare you say that!?”
“Strange please… They’re dogs.”
“And?”
“They really can’t come in here. Sorry.”
“This is unacceptable! Really, just unacceptable! You’re heartless!”
“Don’t pull that card on me Mister.”
“Monster!”
“I’m not!?”
“Are!”
“Rules are rules! Now please—”
“Alright, what is going on here?” Yosuke had listened and watched this going down for long enough. Though it was a bit of a surprising sight. After all, he was used to seeing Annika stutter whenever she was talking to customers in any way. And overall her voice was on the quieter end. She was never so talkative and holding a conversation seems to be a little problematic on her part. After all, seeing her stutter around was not a rarity. There was probably a reason she was mostly doing the heavy lifting in the background. But this was the total opposite of that.
The entire time she was standing in front of a guy… A guy who was a bit smaller than her actually. It was noticeable at the very least. And at first she looked at him a little annoyed if not exhausted, trying to tell him off. But he pouted and whined, making demands, even if she told him ‘no’ several times. She even used a… Name? Was that his name? Strange? Seriously?
In any case there was also a set of dogs, two to be exact. One was looking up while wagging its tail while the other was just lying there, looking up with somewhat of an annoyed look. They weren’t on a leash though, not even close. One could only wonder what was up with that but it ain’t Yosuke’s business.
Though he could only handle the argument between Annika and that guy for so long. He interfered as soon as he was able to, hoping to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. After all, this was only going to be something which would not end otherwise. Or so it looked like at the very least.
Both of them turned to him. He noticed Annika nearly flinched on the spot. However, the guy was… Well… “She won’t let my babies in!” He whined and then pointed at the girl right then and there, like a little child.
This one turned her head to him, looking even more peeved than before. “For the last time, they can’t come in!”
Internally Yosuke only sighed. So this was what this seriously was about… He has dealt with a variety of customers before so this wasn’t exactly new to him. Well, better than dealing with some old woman chasing a man around with her parasol once. But he tried to stay calm. Maybe this can be resolved in a different way, a different approach compared to whatever Annika had been trying.
“It’s about the dogs, isn’t it?” He decided to ask while looking down at the two, The one lying down was still looking as annoyed as ever while the other one was tilting its head all of a sudden, as if curiously eyeing him. No, it got up and suddenly circled him and sniffed him. But he had to ignore that for now.
“Hah… Sorry about this Hanamura–San.” Annika suddenly brought up, though sighing with annoyance. “Go back to work, I’ll deal with my brother here.”
“Brother? We—” The guy wanted to protest yet then paused, falling silent for a moment before then saying: “Oh, right. We are. Yeah yeah.”
“You have a brother?” Yosuke had to ask, a bit surprised. She never really talked about herself to begin with so this came out of nowhere.
“Yeah, kind of.” Annika responded, last part almost in a mumble. Yet she shook her head shortly after and then continued. “Anyways, I’ll try to manage. Don’t worry about it and—”
Yet before she could get everything out something else happened. A sudden tackle, right then and there, one not even Yosuke himself had seen coming. Out of nowhere the dog who had sniffed and circled him jumped up with a few loud barks before literally tackling him into the ground. With that it was right in his face, licking his face over and over. He didn’t know how to react outside of finding himself chuckling a little. That was sudden but a little endearing. “Woha! Hey, that tickles! Easy there!”
“Hanamura–San!? Are you alright!?” He heard his co–worker asking. Though her brother… He seemed to stay silent for a moment before suddenly throwing in something.
“Luna really likes him. And you wish that you were her right now Annika, don’t ya?” The last part was said with an audible grin, some type of mischief. You didn’t even need to see to know it.
“Wha– No!?” Annika countered quickly, though sounding oddly defensive. “It was just sudden! You can’t just let Luna run around like that!”
“Yeah, right. That’s totally it. You’re not thinking ‘Oh I wish that was me instead of her’ right now.”
“Why would I even think that!?”
“Hmm, I dunno. You like the guy?”
“Hah!? No!”
“Right. And yet you were thinking–”
“Stop right there!” Annika seemed to cut her brother off by holding his mouth or something, given that Yosuke was only hearing a ‘hmph’ shortly after. “Ugh just… Gimme the list of supplies! I’ll get them for you after work!”
It was sure a sight, to say the least. A lot was happening in such a short period of time. But what was that even about? Her liking someone? Huh… Well, he was a little curious but he wouldn’t press on the matter. It wasn’t exactly his business anyways. And besides… There was one other thing Yosuke was worried about.
“Erm… If you two are done… Could you please help me get the dog off?” He asked, the constant licks not stopping. He didn’t say it out loud but this was getting heavier by the second. He was almost suffocating.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Though on the same day, just shortly after, he was reminded of the stark contrast of his co–worker and upperclassman. And it came in a way where he least expected it…
Annika is a curious case, to say the least. She managed to catch his interest rather quickly, he had to admit that much. And no, Yosuke was not just saying that because she just happened to be a cute girl or something like that! Or her being an upperclassman! It really wasn't like that!
She had started shortly before the school year had begun, first stuck in an interview for one of the part time slots available at Junes. Apparently her answers were straightforward yet she also was a little nervous. But she got the job regardless and it seemed to be a good choice… For the most part.
So far she had a flawless attendance, working whenever on schedule and even taking on extra shifts should someone be sick or just not show up. Even during exam week she made space to show up and work the designated hours. Even when she was told that she could head home and study her response was: “
It’s only part time but I don't want to slack off either.
”
Do you need some shelves sorted or boxes carried? Annika is literally the worker you can expect to help without hesitation. She sure pulled her own weight around the place. Though there is one thing she is bad at and it was jarring to see. At least when being used to the cold, straightforward Senpai…
That was her skill when it came to interacting with customers and right now it was showing. She stood there in her working apron, body stiff and tensing up, arms both in front of her as she was clutching onto said apron. Her gaze went all over the place within the grocery ile and she didn't seem to get out a word. In fact one may worry that she was going to collapse. Her face was pale too, very pale. And she was visibly sweating. Was she perhaps under the weather or something? It was possible. Even for her that was a bit of an extreme reaction.
Even the guy she was talking to seemed to be a little confused. Some older dude, with shirt, unkempt hair. A black suit, white dress shirt and a red tie. He looked like the average working adult honestly, no one special in particu– Wait, hold up. That was the guy Yosuke had seen at the police station before. That detective who is working with his partner’s uncle! Huh…
Needless to say, the detective guy was soon asking what had been a question the boy had as well. “Uhm… Are you alright?”
He didn't get an answer, only more stuttering, nonsensical mumbling. Annika really was pulling herself together here yet she was in obvious peril. Her breath also seemed a little more hitched than usual, coming out quicker. She didn't respond, as if unable to do so. Crap! This really wasn't good!
“I was wondering where the cabbages–”
“Oh, just a little further in the back!” The perfect chance to interfere! And Yosuke took it by walking over to the two, standing right next to his co–worker and pointing in the direction, of course keeping a polite smile on his face.
He noticed how she had flinched and tilted her head slightly backwards, gaze shooting up. She only looked up surprised yet still didn't get a word out.
As for Mister Detective over here, he only nodded. “Finally an answer! Thanks!” The conversation was short and Yosuke wasn't sure if the guy even recognized his face yet he seemed to be in a hurry. He quickly moved on, walking into the pointed direction and leaving the two be.
The sigh right after was audible and heavy. And before knowing it he saw Annika drop to her knees, clutching onto her own chest as she had her eyes wide open. She didn't seem to notice anything around her for a little bit at least.
Needless to say it was concerning. Hence why he kneeled down pretty much right away. “Hey! What’s wrong!?” He asked, trying to keep calm yet it was impossible when looking at her state.
There was no response for a good while, only more breathing before she got herself to calm down. “It’s… It’s nothing.” She responded, though stating an obvious lie. And she would continue lying. “Just… A sudden moment of… Tiredness.”
“A… Are you sure it's just that?” This can't be right. “You know if you're sick then–”
“I said that I’m fine!” She interrupted, insisting even. “I can continue working!”
All he could do was take her word for it, even if that didn't feel quite right. After all, they weren't that close so he felt as if he didn't have a choice or he would be pushing it. “Alright. But let me help you up at least.”
“F… Fine…” She seemed to agree, though a little begrudgingly. It was then where he wrapped an arm around her back to keep her steady, helping her to lift herself off the ground. And he would keep that pose until he knew that she could stand steady on her own two feet again. “Thanks… But you didn't need to bother.”
“Hey! Don't just say stuff like that!” Yosuke protested however. “Are we working together or not?”
“That doesn't mean–”
“Don't worry about it. Of course I’d help you out Senpai.” He was reassuring her even, getting himself to grin as he usually would. Just to give her a sense of security.
Though all he saw was her suddenly having a faint… Blush on her face? Yeah, blushing, there was no mistaking it. Though she turned her head quickly away, trying to hide it most likely. “A… Aha…” She began, though a little stuttering. “And for the last time don’t call me Senpai. It’s embarrassing.”
“Ah– Sorry, force of habit now! Heh…”
“Hah… No, it's fine.” She sighed. “Anyways, let's just get back to work already. We’ve still got a lot to finish.”
“Right! But if this happens again, say something. It’s not good if you overwork yourself, y’know?”
“Yes yes. I will. Yeesh.”
Yeah, Annika is something else. All because she’s so stubborn. But that’s also part of her charm.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Paying attention to the lesson became more and more of a hassle. Annika couldn’t believe it honestly. And just when they thought that they may have been through the worst there was, it got only worse as time went on.
The new teaching assistant being Strange was already one thing. However, knowing that he would be stuck in some of the lessons truly made concentration fall apart in all of itself. They could only handle so much in a row. So many internal growls, so many menacing laughters, so many dog–like pants and howls. And it was all accompanied by the most… Interesting imagery they would ever get to see.
It was honestly bizarre, a mystery of its own why the both of them could even see what the other was thinking at that moment. At least whenever they were in close proximity from one another. It was a hassle to navigate yet that it would become eventually a distraction like this… At least on Annika’s end.
Whenever a lesson with Yamaguchi–Sensei was on they were not safe from all these thoughts, only becoming worse by each day. What was first merely a thought on getting cut like a fish became even more explicit. That was usually the first step but the other step… Uh… How would they put this without their own stomach twisting and turning? Well… There was honestly no pleasant way to put it but they were certainly trying.
The fish analogy might still work best. If it’s a freshly caught one, you make it stop moving. Then, when putting it on the chopping block, you cut it open carefully. Of course you usually don’t cook it with all its bones in there so you slowly remove them bit by bit… And any other insides. Annika wasn’t too knowledgeable yet they knew that you needed to take some steps first to properly prepare a fish and taking bones was a part of it.
And that was basically what Strange’s thoughts could be boiled down to… With him being the fish and taking joy in it too. It was honestly a sight of its own and Annika had to witness every single thought of it. They would usually get pale at a certain point now, having to witness it frame by frame. They were trying to not run out of the classroom or collapse in the middle of the lecture. But they were so damn close, several times. That’s why it was so hard to focus. Hah, and the subject Yamaguchi–Sensei was teaching wasn’t exactly their strong suit either. So they couldn’t afford to get distracted like that. And yet, they were a little too easily distracted by all of this. They just didn’t know what to make of it.
A quick glance to the side, looking at Strange himself. It was a surprise to see him sit still without any gaming device in his hands. No, he was just sitting there, looking at the homeroom teacher with the usual indifferent gaze. Though his aura may be the equivalent of a happy puppy. If he had a tail that would be wagging non stop, no doubt about it. All while taking joy in the thoughts which turned more and more brutal as time went on, more unhinged if you will.
For Annika however it was a bit of a headache to deal with. Then again, this is their punishment for prying into someone else’s mind, isn’t it? Well, maybe but they didn’t do that on purpose! Just like Strange wasn’t peeping into their mind on purpose! Then again, he probably became a genius at just ignoring it, giving what type of film he was playing in his—
“Ahem, Annika–Kun?” A voice suddenly called out to them and they flinched. They looked up from their textbook, even if only a little… And things quickly turned embarrassing.
Their gaze soon met Yamaguchi–Sensei’s rather stiff and cold one, a strictness only they would get and they knew it. But to top it all off it was not just him looking at them but a few more in this class. They heard the mumbling from all sides yet in the moment of panic they ignored it. There was so much on their mind, literally, this was only making it worse. Their legs may as well turn into pudding while at it. They were getting all wobbly. Their breath hitched, stopping sharply in between and their mind felt all woozy. And they couldn’t exactly pinpoint from what, to make it worse. Their mind was a blurr at that point. Maybe also because more people are looking at them right now… Damn it!
“Y… Yes, Sensei?” They asked, though more quietly than their usual tone would be. Their mind was just all over the place.
The homeroom teacher sighed, disapproval written all over his face. “You’re not listening, are you?”
“Eh!? Well, I—” They wanted to protest yet they knew what would dawn on them. So they need to play it safe instead. “N… No… Sorry…”
He looked at them, gaze nearly squinting yet that was quickly forgotten, somewhat. “Then focus from now on, will you?”
They nodded meekly, not getting out another word. The teacher then turned his attention away from them, making them only sink back behind the text book. Ugh… They had expected that finishing school would be a pain but like this? This was even worse than what they had imagined…
Life has just taken a drastic turn, at least somewhat. There was barely a safe space at this point…