~ Tokyo, Japan. 8:37 AM GMT+9
Kuroi Hana High School.
The classroom had a simple design common for most private schools. The long rows of seats and tables arranged in manner similar to theaters or lecture halls. Each row lower by a step as it led to the front of the class.
The noisy classroom filled with students whispering, chattering and bantering, and a few sleeping even before classes started, went silent as they watched the unfamiliar boy that trailed behind their homeroom teacher after sliding open the door.
"Settle down students," Their homeroom teacher, Mr. Kanzaki sighed, using the student rollcall book to tap his shoulders as he took his spot behind the teacher's podium. He was clearly tired- he always was, but today he came earlier to welcome the new student and look over his documents. "We have a new student with us today. It's a sudden transfer but welcome him well."
Whispers broke out amongst the students, each with their own opinions of their new classmate.
"Whoa! Look at his hair,"
"Not just his hair, look at his eyes too,"
"Is he a foreigner?"
"He looks weird,"
"He looks cute,"
"Right?! He's so good looking,"
"So handsome,"
"No! He looks more like a freak than handsome,"
"You're just jealous,"
"Quiet down!" Mr. Kanzaki exclaimed as the chattering increased. "Please, introduce yourself to the class."
"Yes," He began, turning to face the crowd with his regular blank expression. He didn't care how they perceived him, all that mattered was finishing his assignment quickly and leaving. "My name is Hinote Lily, nice to meet you."
It had been a long time since he spoke his native tongue, and didn't bother taking it along with the eight other languages he had been required to learn in order to work for the organization, so he was a bit rusty, especially with honorifics. To add to the accent filled pronunciations he was spouting, he had to introduce himself with the ridiculous name Lucien had put on his fake national ID and seal.
The class erupted in a fit of laughter and giggles. Some attempted to hide their laughter while others, most among the male students of the classroom, openly chortled at him intending to mock him.
"What's with his name?"
"Is that really his name or an alias?"
"Maybe he accidentally said the name he uses in the host bar he secretly works at?
"What does Lily mean? It sounds like a girl's name,"
"Cause it is!" 'Lily' thought as he stopped himself from clicking his tongue in frustration.
"I think it means Yuri in English,"
"Then it isn't so bad is it?"
"That's enough students!" Their teacher called them back to silence. Gesturing to an empty spot in the back row he continues, "You can take a seat beside Inuoue."
"Yes," He sighed as he made his way to the seat beside the kid that was sleeping until his name was called, and was currently yawning while stretching out his arms but pulled it back as he passed.
As the school day went by, he was constantly stared at. Students from other classes even came by or stayed at the window just to watch him during their break periods as if he was an animal in a zoo.
"The new foreign student in class 3-C,"
"So he's the new student?"
"Who transfers to a school in their 3rd year of high school?"
"Maybe he couldn't help it?"
His seatmate however, couldn't be bothered and went on sleeping. This gave him a little bit of comfort. The classes stretched on and on, as his classmates kept gawking at him. He'd hoped that his buzz would die down by the next day. He was surprisingly serious with school work as he took down notes as soon as the words came out of the teacher's mouth.
With the sound of the last bell still going off, he packed his stuff and placed them in his bag, ready to leave the slightly uncomfortable atmosphere. He didn't mind being gawked at, and wasn't phased by the constant whispers as he passed, but he found it a bit annoying when they approached him to comment on his looks or asked him questions he'd already answered before. "Is that really you're natural hair color?" "Are you wearing contacts?" "Are you a foreigner?" "Where are you from?". His answers constantly stayed, "Yes," "No," "Yes," and "I was born here but lived in Italy for a while."
He stopped at the school's private monorail, where all the students gathered as they waited for the train, since it was currently the main exit from the school, and under it rested a river that stretched out to the lake which was circled by the rest of the city.
Please stand behind the yellow line
The automated voice from the intercom spoke as the train approached.
"He's still sleeping?" 'Lily' thought to himself as he glanced at his seatmate who was snoring away on the train.
The throng of students emptied from the train once it had reached its stop. Although a bunch of students all walked together as they left the station, soon 'Lily' was by himself as he turned the corner leading to the apartment he just rented. The throve of kids had dispersed as they took their respective turns or went straight ahead.
"Akira," The voice on the com-device he wore in his ear sang as he climbed up the stairs to his apartment. He preferred not to run into anyone in the elevator.
"Yes," He responded, opening up his apartment door. A bit ecstatic that someone had called him by his real name and not the ridiculous name Lucien had picked for him. "What is it, Oliver?"
"Go to the bedroom," Oliver said. "Place your hand on the wall next to the closet, you should see a slight depression there."
Akira did as he said, placing his hand on the depression in the wall.
Beep! Handprint of... Akira Ketsuki confirmed.
As he did, the wall at the side slide open revealing a row of shelves containing his work tools.
"All your equipment is in there," Oliver stated in a low voice. "You have a new assignment."