Punctual as always, Miyu and Saito had blended into the packs of students filing into Kobayari Private School, conscious but not worried of the bell.
The building, school to many rich and foreign exchange students, was extravagant, to say the least. Locals rumored that the gold trim running the side of the building was made of pure gold. Students often carried name brand bags and accessories with them as they entered through security. It was known that few expenses were spared in its creation and even less for parents seeking to pay the hefty tuition.
Miyu, once out of place on the streets of her hometown, no longer seemed to be so displaced. In contrast, one could even describe her as plain when compared to many of the faces that passed on their route. The usual side-eye she received was nowhere to be found. Saito, being in the same grade and only a year older, had transferred with her to the same academy.
Despite their age similarity, they had been enrolled at two different schools in Okinawa and the feeling of walking to class together was almost too strange for either to comprehend.
Thinking of it, Miyu knew little about Saito's school life. She wondered about any academic success he might've had. Was he well-read? He had to at least be athletic right? Did he ever skip classes? Who did he eat lunch with? Did he have any friends?
"Is there something on my face, Ojou?" The question notified her of the excessive staring she'd been aiming at the male strolling next to her. He hadn't even spared her a glance as he spoke. Moments like these made Miyu question whether she was truly a superior addressing her servant. Her lips thinned as she thought about maybe asking him one of the many questions she'd posed in her mind only moments before. But as her lips parted, she couldn't find the words, nor was she given a supple amount of time before an unfamiliar voice cut in.
"Hello! I'm Hideyoshi Kanagawa, Class President-in-Training but you can call me Hide! Are you both new students to Kobayari?!" Miyu and Saito stood stunned at the forward introduction, exchanging glances as they stared oddly at the stranger in front of them. The boy with an interesting combination of neatly disheveled amber hair grinned at them. Peering at her behind frameless glasses sat bright green eyes holding an intensity that made Miyu squirm any moment she glanced into them.
"Ah, yeah. Saito Hiroaki." Saito was the first to speak up between the two, a smile stretched upon his face that Miyu had never seen before. Is this what he was like when he wasn't at her side? He gestured a hand toward her. "This is Miyu...Hidekazu." Her name came out carefully slow. Unbeknownst to the other, they both wondered when was the last time he'd uttered the name in her presence. To both, she was always Ojou.
Saito scanned the stranger for a change in expression as she bowed next to him. Hide made no move to disguise the amazement on his face as he stared at Miyu with wide eyes.
"H-Hidekazu? As in, KazuCorps Hidekazu?!? Like daughter?!?!?!" She gave an uncomfortable nod, unsure what to expect. Though she was unfamiliar with the emotion Hide emanated, she could find no malice in his body language. Instead, he still seemed to be processing the news as he turned, calling out. "Eliza! Anri! Y-you won't believe this! She's the heir to KazuCorps!!"
Panic ensured Miyu as he shouted this. She wasn't quite sure how to react, and white knuckles clutched her bag as her eyes turned to meet the ground. She had expected people to find out sooner or later, as she wasn't hiding the information but she had hoped to at least have stepped inside the classroom for a proper introduction first.
Unexpected, she noticed that though there were a few glances thrown in her direction, few people seemed to stop and stare like she was used to. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Most students around her continued on as if they hadn't even heard the statement. A comfort settled throughout her mind. She was able to calm herself and put on a crooked smile. She wasn't sure how authentic she seemed at that moment, but she was relieved.
Two girls bounded toward them, one the spitting image of some of the foreign girls she'd seen near the military base in Okinawa. Her short hair was a soft shade of pale blonde with large, lavender eyes that, unlike Saito's guarded ones, seemed kind and inviting. A shy smile graced her lips as she bowed softly.
"Hello, I'm Eliza. I hope we can be good friends." There was a slight accent to her Japanese, confirming Miyu's suspicions about her origin. At her introduction, another girl stepped forward, placing an arm around Eliza as a grin larger than Hide's spread across her tanned, freckled cheeks.
"I'm Anri! Welcome to Kobayari!" She gave a peace sign, and Miyu found herself unable to tear her eyes away. She was beautiful, with eyes as green as a summer meadow. Her crimson strands were pulled neatly into two braids that hung much longer than Miyu's, nearly reaching her waist. Pearl earrings adorned her lobes, bringing a kind of shine Miyu had only wished to emanate. Boys passing by seemed to blush as she smiled, some passing quickly while others took their time awaiting cupid's arrow to strike.
"Thank you." Miyu's voice was small compared to the ones that had just sounded, but she hoped it carried the same warmth.
"Ah, class is starting soon. Let's not be late!" They each gave an awkward wave as each parted going their own way. Miyu found herself chewing a smile from her lips as a new world had already seemed to open itself before her.
Saito, however, stared at the girl before him, unsure if she'd exchanged places with his boss. He had never known Miyu to be shy or miscalculating. The daughter of a Yakuza boss even his father feared, she matured at such a fast pace he could only recall struggling to keep up with.
When they were younger, he remembered wanting to speak to her, hoping to build some sort of platonic relationship, but Miyu was always as icy as ever. Any time he'd approached her or started a conversation, her responses were always brief and disinterested. Eventually, he'd learned to stop trying and simply keep the stagnant employee-employer relationship around her.
Unbeknownst to the three students they'd just met, Miyu was no stranger to danger. He'd seen her train, almost stuck to her father's side for years. He'd seen few people shoot a gun with such precision as Miyu and even fewer use a knife as efficiently. She was always passionate about her father's work in her own way. It was a surprise to him that she'd ever desired to leave their home island.
And though it was his responsibility to accompany her--to the ends of the earth if she chose--he joined out of his own curiosity. To anyone, it would be a mystery how one could spend days, months, years at a person's side and know absolutely nothing about them. He thought he'd given up long ago, but now moreso than ever, he was aware of the invisible wall that existed between them. Unsure who placed it, he wondered if such a drastic change of setting would one day shatter it. He hoped.