(Dazai Crowley's POV)
Cerulean Academy, Present Day
Upon returning home about an hour later, I took a quick shower and got started on making breakfast.
—And by breakfast, I mean eggs, toast and some of the leftover curry we had from last night.
It was simple, sure, but I made it work. Somehow.
Once I was finished, I set the plates down and called out to my roommate who was by the bathroom.
"Hey, Emmel. Breakfast's ready."
"Sweeet! I was just about getting hungry too."
As he said that, Emmel enters the front room while adjusting his tie and ponytail a little.
"I didn't have time to make us any lunch though."
"Eh, that's fine. I'm sure we'll be able to buy some in the cafeteria or something."
"Ah, true."
I hear the cafeterias in Cerulean are supposedly on another level than most high end restaurants in today's society. If that's truly the case, then I suppose preparing lunches will be unnecessary.
"Anywho, thank you for the food~"
Emmel clasps his hands together in gratitude.
While he helped himself, I went back into our room to get dressed for our second day at school.
Once I returned, we then finished our breakfast and got ready to head out.
"You ready?"
Emmel asked, while getting his shoes on.
"Yeah, just about."
I checked myself in the mirror one last time.
So as long as my gloves were good, I should be fine.
I grab my bag and then we head out.
First my race with Ryoku, and now I'm walking to school with a guy like it's an ordinary day. Hmm, today is already shaping out to be quite interesting.
Naturally, since we were walking to school at a leisurely pace, it took us almost twice as long as it did when I first ran here. But eventually, we arrived.
"Looks like we're here."
"Seems like it."
"Maan, that certainly was a refreshing walk~"
Emmel stretched himself out with a smile. Meanwhile, I checked the time on my phone.
It was almost a quarter to eight.
"Well then, we've better get going before Mrs. Gwein chews you out again", I said, hastily.
"Ahaha, fair point."
While he may have gotten off lucky yesterday, a repeat offense could land him into some trouble.
But that was his problem, not mine.
In any case, since our classroom was located on the second floor, we had to take the stairs. So we did.
However, once we climbed up to the second floor and rounded the corner, I bumped into another person who happened to be walking by at the time.
"—Woah!"
The boy stumbled back a little, the stack of papers he was carrying slightly juggled from the sway.
"Oh, sorry."
Noticing him, I immediately apologized.
"A—ah, no, you're okay! I should've been more mindful of where I was walking", he replied timidly.
The person I bumped into was a young boy, who appeared to be our age. He was a little shorter than me, and was accompanied by an even shorter girl.
Not only that, he was carrying a large stack of papers at the time, which obstructed his view. So naturally, he wouldn't have been able to see me.
Regardless though, we paid no mind to what transpired and continued going our separate ways.
That's usually how it goes.
If you bump into someone, you apologize, and then you go about your business. It's as simple as that.
While me and Emmel continued walking to our class, the boy and the girl walked in the other direction, perhaps to deliver the papers from before.
At the same time though, two other girls, who took a different staircase, ascended to the second floor.
One of them was none other than Esmes Montoya.
"—Good morning, Esmes."
"Ah, good morning, Dazai. Emmel."
"Morning."
Since we were all heading in the same direction I thought it'd be polite to call out to her.
It was a simple greeting. Nothing more, nothing less.
That's what it was supposed to be atleast.
—However, something unexpected happened.
"Hmm?"
For some reason, Esmes stopped for a moment and turned her head towards the other side of the hall.
"What's wrong?"
The girl, who I assumed was her friend, asked.
"That boy just now…."
Esmes mumbled to herself.
However, instead of properly finishing her thought, Esmes began walking in the opposite direction. I furrowed my brow. What exactly is that girl doing?
Curious, the three of us watched from afar as she approached the young boy and girl from earlier.
The two of them, completely unaware of her presence, continued to converse happily with each other as they walked along the hallway. Something that apparently helped confirm Esmes's suspicions.
"That voice…—I knew it."
Esmes clenches her hand into a fist.
"Huh?"
Finally noticing her, the boy glances behind him.
"Oh, hey, if it isn't Esme—"
WHAM!
Before any of us had a chance to realize it, a dry and heavy sound echoed loudly inside the hallway.
The cause of it?
An unexpected right hook to the face.
"—Gufu!?"
Too slow to react, the boy's face received the full brunt of Esmes's direct attack. The strength of the impact was enough to knock him off his feet and crash into a wall on his left like a flying ragdoll.
The nearly stacked papers he carried previously, flew into a disorderly mess like a flock of birds.
"URIEL!!"
Surprised, the young girl rushed to his aid.
For a second, the boy didn't respond. His consciousness was hanging on by merely a thread.
—Or was that truly the case?
"....Mgh."
The boy grunts a little from the pain, drops of blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. Bruised lips.
"Hey, what the hell is your problem!!?"
The girl accompanying naturally turns her attention towards Esmes with a furious expression. However, Esmes does not even acknowledge her existence.
Her eyes were focused solely on the boy himself.
"....Ugh…—hell, of a punch you got there…"
The boy replies as if attempting a mild joke.
"That should settle the score between us, no?"
Without saying another word, Esmes flips her hair and walks back over to us as if nothing happened.
Emmel suddenly grabs her arm.
"Wait just a second. What was that all about?"
"I'm afraid that's none of your business."
Refusing to elaborate, Esmes pulls her arm away and continues walking on towards the classroom.
Her friend, who, although, I assume is just as confused, also follows behind shortly after.
"—Tch, whatever."
Ignoring her behavior, Emmel then rushes back over to the boy from earlier. I decided to walk with him.
"Hey, you're alright?"
"Ugh….—yeah, never better."
I can't tell whether he's joking or being sarcastic.
"No, you're clearly not!!"
"....That looks pretty bad. We should probably go take him to the nurse's office or something."
Either way, they weren't joking. Despite only being hit a moment ago, a dark and nasty bruise had already appeared on one side of the boy's face.
Sigh.
I should probably clean this mess up.
"—That's perfectly fine. We were already heading down there anyway", the girl says.
That's probably what the papers were for then.
"You know the way then?"
"Mhm!"
"Good, then I'll leave him to you."
"Right. C'mon Uriel."
"Mggh…—I'm fine, I'm fine! I can walk on my own."
It's true. Aside from some massive jaw pain, the rest of his body should be perfectly normal.
—In that case….
"Here you go."
After getting it together, I handed them the stack of papers that had flown everywhere earlier.
"...Oh, thank you! We appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. C'mon Emmel. We're almost late."
"Ah, crap! Well, see you guys later!"
Afraid of being late again, he rushed to his feet and bid them a quick goodbye before leaving.
I followed right after him. At the very last second though, I threw one last glance at the two of them.
"—Uriel, huh."
Mumbling a little to myself, I head off to class.