After School.
Luna was packing up her things as Mae and Kaoru approached her.
"Luna, want to go for a tea?" Kaoru asked
"Sure... But why?"
"Well, Mae said she wanted to continue the talk earlier before we got interrupted"
"AHH! KAORU! I told you to not mention it!!"
The trio moved on, as they got off the bus on the Central District, Mae was the first to notice and pointed it out.
"Isn't that..."
Coming out from the alleyway in a beaten up state was a young boy with his eyes squinted, around their age, wearing a blue hooded jacket, and a pair goggles hang on his neck.
"That's Blitz!" Luna said
"This can't be good..." for some compelling reason, Kaoru had firmly believed that their supposed tea time isn't going to happen any time soon.
Mae grabbed both Luna and Kaoru, with unrivalled enthusiasm.
"Let's follow him"
"Eh?"
"Wait, Mae!!"
Being forced into a stalking spree wasn't part of the plan, and yet, Kaoru and Luna were only forced to agree to it.
They had a considerable amount of distance on their target who was clutching his stomach while slowly walking.
From the series of his actions, Mae had already wanted to go by his side and try to tend to his bruises, but she was afraid that it might freak him out.
In the first place, the boy never talks to her for extended periods of time, not only that but he's always in a rush to end their conversation.
In-between their process of stalking, Luna decided to point it out and try to stop her "Mae, isn't this stalking?"
"What are you talking about Luna? This is just observing! Stalking is about harassing the person"
"Well, yeah, but..."
"He's getting farther away! Come on!"
Even though the Central District is a dangerous place, it's still a busy place, a lot of people still goes by through this district as the commerce and most businesses of the people are centered around this district, so Mae had to maintain a relative distance to Tristan in order to not lose him.
Tristan soon turned to a corner and entered a diner.
"He went inside! Let's go!"
"Wait! Mae, if he notices us, what then?"
"We can just write it off as coincidence, right?" Mae proudly said, she insistent, this was a chance for her to talk with Tristan outside school.
Upon entering the diner, there wasn't much people inside, The design of the diner gave off a rustic look of a normal diner you'd see everywhere, and yet in a city of supernatural, such a diner was one of a kind, therefore it gave off a different nostalgic vibe of when things were still normal.
Tristan sat on the counter table while talking to the waitress on the counter.
He didn't seem to notice them, so they snuck behind him and sat on the booth not so far from Tristan.
Mae strained her ears as she looked at Tristan's back.
"What's with all the bruise, Tristan?"
"Ah..." Tristan rubbed his cheek "this was just the usual harassment, it's normal in the Central District"
"You got mugged again? getting used to that is bad, you know, you need to learn how to fight"
"It's better this way, to avoid any more trouble, just let them do as they pleased"
"You... I don't know what to do with you..." the waitress had a resigned look as she sighed "so, what's your order?"
"A cup of coffee..."
"Is that all?"
Tristan smiled as he scratched his head "They left me penniless, so that's all I can afford for now"
"Learn to split up your money, or you'll always loose every penny you have in this city"
Mae turned back to Luna and Kaoru with a saddened look.
"I guess, that's why he's always eating a cheap bread at lunch" Luna concluded
"He's always asleep right, maybe that's how he copes up with his hunger?" Kaoru said
"Poor Blitz..." Mae gripped the hem of her skirt, and with a determined look she said "Alright, starting tomorrow, I'll bring lunch for the both of us!"
"Ah, wouldn't that creep him out?" Luna asked
"Probably, he'd plot his escape the moment Mae mentions it"
"What are you two talking about, it's a chance for me to get close to him"
"Do you really like him that much?" Luna asked
Mae suddenly blushed and waved her arms in the air "What are you talking about, Luna?! I'm just worried for Blitz!!"
"You try to deny it, but your actions speaks for itself, Mae" Kaoru said.
While of chatting while Mae was closely keeping an eye on Tristan. A middle-aged woman approached Tristan, she had a short brown hair and clear blue eyes, she wore a long leather coat over a formal suit, and gave off an aura of a cool woman who would do some badass stuff.
The moment, Mae, Kaoru and Luna laid their eyes on her, it was an instant admiration, something inside them yearned to be someone like her in the future.
Above all, the person seemed to know Tristan.
As Tristan sat on the counter sipping his third cup of coffee to fill his empty stomach, which was probably bad, but he didn't have a choice as he got mugged penniless, his salary wouldn't be until next week, so he'd have to withdraw some later.
He had already noticed three people following him all this time, and yet they have no awareness that he was aware of it, and the girl's are so loud.
They failed as an someone doing a shadow work, but then again, they were just normal students.
Tristan had to meet up with someone today, as the person said that she found a nice looking apartment with a good amount of rent.
"Yo, Tristan" soon enough the person in question finally arrived.
Still badass as ever, a mother of two children, and a master of the Raigeki Blood Arts, as well as his own teacher, Clarissa Briarwood.
"Ah, Miss Clarissa, hello"
"What are you doing drinking a coffee?"
As soon as she asked the question, Tristan's stomach growled. "Ah... Hahaha..." Tristan was only forced to laugh awkwardly at his situation.
"You got mugged again? Tell me how they look, I'll tear them a new one"
"Wait, Wait! There's no need for that! They only got a small amount from me, more importantly, about that apartment"
Once more his stomach growled, Tristan clutched his empty stomach out of embarrassment.
Seeing the pathetic action Tristan took, Clarissa ruffled his hair and ordered a large burger for him.
"For now, we need to do something about that stomach of yours, it's my treat"
"Ah... Thanks... Also... sorry..."
"Goodness, I taught you some techniques, and yet you don't even use them to protect yourself, why did you even bother to learn it?"
"Ahaha... Well, I'm only using it when needed to, besides, I don't want to use it for myself..."
"You could at least confuse them using your eyes, then run, right"
"Ahaha..."
Clarissa flicked his forehead to reprimand his attitude. "Really... You're too kind for this city. Have you send out money to your family?"
"Eh? Ah, yes, I sent out two months worth"
After receiving the burger, Tristan tearfully ate it as he repeatedly gave thanks to Clarissa who was smiling wryly on the boy.
Once he finished, Clarissa and Tristan had talked about to and would show her to the apartment she mentioned.
Of course, she had offered him a ride on her Motor bike, in which Tristan gratefully accepted.
Clearly, they'd have to give up now, right? I mean I'm riding a bike Tristan thought.
After a few minutes, they went to the West District to a high rise building, no matter how you look at it, it seemed like a condominium.
"Um, Ms. Clarissa, are we in the wrong building?"
"No, we're in the right place, come on"
They got on the elevator and off on the second floor. Clarissa had explained to him that her friend is the one who owns this apartment building, the apartment rooms are good and has a reasonable price.
"Yes, but... I don't have much money to pay for this"
"What are you talking about? Charles told me you got a salary rise"
"Eh?!"
They stopped on the room 204, Clarissa took out a key and opened the room, what he saw was a luxurious and spacious room, with a second mezzanine floor, the glass window was paned and overlooking towards the central district.
From the front door, the foyer, next to that the bathroom and toilet, just a bit farther inside the room was a kitchen with a table counter and complete with a stove and oven, then the living room was still empty and had a large space.
No matter how much Tristan thinks through it, this apartment is too much for one person to live in, especially a high school kid like him with only a scarce amount of allowance.
"no, no, no" Tristan quickly denied and turned to Clarissa who was smiling "this is too much!! I can't afford a nice apartment like this!"
"What are you saying, I already told you, Charles gave you a raise, your eyes are precious to DESTINY, and now you can use Blood Arts, surely that doesn't count as special treatment"
"But...!"
Clarissa ruffled his hair with a warm smile "It just means your value rose up at DESTINY. Just shut up and take it. Okay?"
Even so, he was reluctant about taking up the extra raise of his salary, but Tristan felt that if he refuses this, he'd just be denying the kindness of others that tries to help him.
"Plus, if your salary rose, you can send more money at home, right?"
"Yes..."
"You should also call your family, let them know you're okay"
After agreeing to Clarissa, they went to the landlord to confirm the details and signed the contract of his residence. A few hours passed, they finally finished all the necessary paperwork, so he could start moving in tomorrow, for now, he'd gone back to the office and settle there for one more night.