Osaka, Japan
Kaminari Academy
April 3rd, 2023
"I heard some of you were involved in the incident at the arcade last night. Are you all alright?" Teacher Shimada asked her class after taking roll call. She closed her clipboard and faced her students.
It appeared that news of what happened at the arcade had reached the ears of the school faculty. June was the first to respond, standing up and addressing her.
"Good morning, teacher. We're fine now. Thank you for your concern," he replied.
Michael remained silent as usual, not engaging in the conversation. The teacher dismissed the topic and continued with the lesson. The day progressed smoothly, and classes ended abruptly.
During their last morning class, Teacher Kobayashi entered the classroom and greeted the students. He was holding a box and a brown envelope.
"Group yourselves into groups of five, and we'll begin the class," he said.
The students then hurriedly went to find their respective groups, as Mike was just sitting there looking at them. Luckily, June and Shino was there to put him out of his misery.
"So, that puts us two members short," June said, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah, man. But I bet we're going to ace whatever Teacher Kobayashi gives us. Mike's so smart, man," Shino replied, tapping Mike's shoulders.
Mike rolled his eyes and awkwardly smiled at them. As everyone was nearly done picking their groups, two girls walked up to them.
The first girl was a tall, long-haired ginger with sparkling golden eyes. The second girl was slightly shorter, with medium-length black hair and deep hazelnut eyes.
"I'm Rinka Suzuki," the tall girl introduced herself, reaching out her hand to Shino. "Can I join your group?"
"I-I... I want to join your group too. I mean, if you're fine with it," the other girl said, facing Mike. "I-I'm Karin, by the way. Karin Kubo."
"Totally! Now we have a group!" Shino replied and shook Rinka's hand in response.
"Now that everyone has finally found a group, put your chairs together and settle. We'll begin the class shortly," Teacher Kobayashi instructed.
The class followed his command and dragged their chairs adjacent to each other. Each group formed a small circle with their respective members, facing one another.
"Now, in light of the recent incident that occurred at the arcade, I want you to pick an object from this box and create a report on how it relates to fire. The deadline will be tomorrow," he announced. "The teachers will have a meeting this afternoon, so you have the entire afternoon to work on this with your group. Now, I need representatives from each group to come forward, select an object from the front, and once you have chosen, return to your group to strategize."
Rinka volunteered to pick an item, and the others agreed. Mike, still maintaining his indifferent nature due to the presence of new people, remained silent.
Rinka went to the front and selected something from the box. She returned to the group and revealed a golden laurel leaf headwear.
"Oh, you chose something fancy," June commented, reaching out to take the headwear from Rinka's hands.
"Hey, give that back!" Rinka retorted, quickly grabbing the headwear back from June.
Shino and Karin laughed at their playful exchange, while Mike, focused on the task at hand, reminded them of their assignment.
"So, how are we going to work on the report?" Mike asked, looking at the group.
"Let's go to Shino's house!" Rinka quickly suggested, grabbing Shino's arms.
"Well, my parents are there, but I'll manage," Shino replied.
"How about... Mike's house?" Karin raised her hand and suggested hesitantly.
"No," Mike replied bluntly.
"Oh," Karin said, surprised. She lowered her head and slightly frowned in response.
"Well, Shino's house it is!" June said, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"After you finish strategizing, go have your lunch. I'll be leaving early as I still have some tasks to complete before the meeting," Teacher Kobayashi informed them before leaving the room.
Mike also stood up and grabbed his backpack.
"I'll be leaving too. I'll see you all this afternoon," Mike stated, then left the room.
"Be at the house by 1! See you, buddy!" Shino called out, waving goodbye to Mike.
Mike went straight to his apartment and changed into more comfortable clothes. He grabbed something from the fridge and enjoyed his improvised brunch.
"Why did you leave school early?" Baldur asked.
"I'm planning to train with the flaming sword. It's better to be prepared,"
"You're working on a class report, not fighting damned,"
"You can't be so sure that there won't be any damned appearing there, right?"
Baldur simply shrugged in response, acknowledging Mike's determination. Mike made his way to the deserted lot at the back of his apartment and summoned his mystical sword. He activated his pyromancy ability, enveloping the sword in flames.
For the next few minutes, Mike trained diligently, practicing various sword techniques. He executed slashes, stabs, and swirling movements through the air, gradually growing accustomed to his newfound power.
Sweat streamed down his face as Mike continued to hone his swordsmanship. Baldur provided constant guidance, offering pointers on how to wield the sword more efficiently.
With a few tweaks and adjustments, Mike started to improve. He trained to adapt to unforeseen circumstances, not only focusing on swordplay but also on utilizing the sword effectively.
"Think of it as an extension of your own arm. Use it as naturally as you use your own hands," Baldur advised as Mike continued his training.
At times, Mike threw his sword, practicing his aim, or spun it around, testing his dexterity. With Baldur's guidance, he made significant progress in his training.
As the afternoon arrived, it was time for Mike to transition back into being a student. He concluded his training session, causing the sword to vanish. He returned to his apartment and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
Mike made his way directly to Shino's house. It had been a while since he had visited. They had both lived in an orphanage as children, and although Shino was the newcomer, he was adopted first.
Shino had moved to a cozy house just a few blocks away from the orphanage. Whenever they passed by, Shino would invite Mike to his home.
Shino's foster parents were incredibly kind to Mike. They always welcomed him with open arms and provided him with food and toys. There was a time when Mike even wished that Shino's parents could adopt him as well, but unfortunately, they couldn't afford it.
As Mike grew older, he moved out of the orphanage and found a cheap apartment a few streets away. He lived there, receiving monthly allowances and gifts from the orphanage, supposedly from his biological parents.
However, Mike didn't believe these stories. He believed that it was merely the orphanage's way of providing for him out of pity, as he felt he was leeching off their resources.
Determined to change his situation, Mike made a promise to himself. Someday, when he started working, he would return to the orphanage and do everything within his power to help them. Despite his often indifferent demeanor, Mike possessed a caring and compassionate nature towards his peers.
As Mike arrived at Shino's house, he couldn't help but feel a mix of familiarity and a cold emptiness. While Shino's family had always been kind to him, it reminded him of the difficult truth he carried within. He had lived his whole life alone, without anyone to share his memories or experiences with.
As a child, he had envied Shino for having a family. Now, as a young adult, he couldn't help but feel a deep sadness. He questioned whether having a family was truly the right fit for him, considering the isolation he had grown accustomed to. Perhaps it was better for him to continue living independently.
Mike approached the gate of Shino's house and rang the doorbell. Moments later, Shino emerged from the front door, his face lighting up with a wide smile as he greeted Mike.
"Mike! Wait there, buddy! Glad you could make it!" Shino exclaimed as he opened the gate.
"Yo!" June also appeared shortly after and waved at both Mike and Shino before fist-bumping Shino.
Shino gestured for them to enter, leading the way. June followed suit, while Mike stood there for a moment, gazing at the front of the house.
"It has been a while, huh?" he thought, his eyes drifting towards the front yard where the old swing still stood.
"We used to play by that swing when we were young," Mike reminisced, recalling his childhood memories with Shino.
Fond memories flooded Mike's mind as he slowly approached the door of Shino's house.
"I guess I'll get to meet Mr. Mitsuya and his wife again after a very long time," he muttered to himself and reached for the door.
Just as he was about to open it, an energetic voice exclaimed, "Mike! Wait for us! The Rinkarin duo is here!"