[Chapter 17: I'm just an "assassin"]
You might be curious, how did I ended up running out of the bush you may ask?
You see, it was from an idea I had last night.
Last night, I was researching various ways on how I can improve my hiding amongst the crowds, as a real Shadow Hero.
During the research, I came across a role that I had forgotten who's perfect for hiding.
And that role was "an Assassin."
Assassin, a job that focuses on concealing their presence despite being near by.
Using them as reference, wouldn't they be the perfect role model to become a real shadow?
"I see, an assassin huh. Let's try it."
That lead me to what happened right now.
Coming out of the house, I left the premise with a hooded mantle on hand.
When no one was looking, I wore the assassin's hood over my head, proceeding on my way to school, while honing my stealth skills, hiding from people's sights as I made my way to school.
The hooded mantle isn't really necessary. However, just by wearing it over my head. I can indulge and embrace being an assassin in hiding more, just like how I embrace my shadow hero roleplay with my Phantom attire.
Plus... hoods are stylishly edgy as heck, just the way I like it.
"I am a shadow and the shadow is myself. I am one with the shadows."
While making my way to school, I continuously tried to stay clear out of sight as much as I could. I hid among the bushes, the trees, and the back of vending machines, etch. Somewhere that has a blind spot large enough to prevent even a passing glimpse of my body.
I was too absorbed with the assassin roleplay that I forgotten to keep track of the time.
"Oh crap. Look at the time. I'm gonna be late!"
I frantically ran as quickly I could after realizing how late it was already.
Desperate, I gone off tract and follow the route I mapped from previews experience as a shadow hero. [Basically, saying he knows the area like the back of his hand.]
'I messed up. A normal student shouldn't be late!'
'Being an assassin spends more time on finding hiding spots than I initially thought. I guess hiding amongst the crowds was the more efficient option after all.'
Running the fastest I could, I dashed through an off-track route that wasn't even on the road anymore.
The path I'm taking is not really a real path. It was a series of houses/backyards that I'm passing through right now.
As I said earlier, I know this route like the back of my hand so I was already acquainted with the house owners so I don't think they'll get angry too much.
'I'll apologize later.'
As I hurried through the series of houses, passing through the final yard that would reconnect me back to the main road, which would lead me straight to school.
I dashed through the final obstacle, which was a tall bush fence, a girl with pink hair and a slice of bread on her mouth was right behind the said fence made out of bush. But I wasn't aware of that.
The moment I passed through the fence made of bush, it was already too late.
*Crash*
Before we knew it, we had already fallen on the ground after colliding with one another.
Her bread was knocked off of her mouth, and my hooded mantel, which got slightly caught up in the bushy fence, were now both already on the floor.
"-ch, what was that? It felt like I hit someone." feeling the experience of bumping into something, I thought to myseld that, 'Was my [Presence Detection] off?'
When I came to, I saw a girl with pink hair and a large ribbon tied at back of her head. Judging by the way she was sitting on the ground, she was most likely the person I ran into.
'I did hit someone!'
Still confused, the girl question as to what had happened just now.
'Ouch, that hurt. What in the world was that?'
I offered her my hand to help her stand up. Since it was my fault and all.
"Sorry. Are you alright?" I inquired to the pink-haired girl sitting on the ground if she was okay.
'A prince...?'
And that is how things came to be.
...
Going back to the present timeline.
"Are you alright?"
I said while reaching out my hand trying to help her stand.
'A prince...?' the girl thought to herself as she got stuck staring at my appearance.
I asked the question but I wasn't getting much of a response.
She just stared at me without saying a word, as if in disbelief of what's happening in front of her right now.
"Uhm... excuse me Ms., are you alright?"
I repeated the same question again cause maybe she didn't hear me well the first time.
Her hand slowly raises to the level of her cheek, then pinch it as if trying to get a sense of reality.
"Ah- Y, yes! I-I'm, fine" she nervously replied, stuttering on her words.
She hesitantly took my hand that I offered, assist her to stand up.
'Ah- my hand is sweaty!' She quickly retracted her hand, as she noticed her palms are sweaty due to nervousness.
'Is this reality...? I spaced out there for a moment from doubt something like this would really happen in real life. I even though this was a dream...'
'Plus... He's freaking handsome! He's so bright I think I'm being blinded. He totally looks like a male lead straight out of a shoujo manga! ...Do you really expect me to believe this right away?!'
Just being aware how silly the concept of bumping into someone with a slice of bread on her mouth, made her skeptical if the world she was living on was the right one and not just make believe.
That is why she tried pinching her cheek earlier to get a sense of reality that's actually unfolding right before her eyes.
"Look at the time! Sorry again. I can't be late for some personal reasons so I'll go ahead." I told the girl, excusing myself.
[Personal reason: To blend in with the crowds by not being late.]
"Wait!"
Just about when I tried to leave, she grabbed me by the sleeves, making me stop from feeling someone's tugging.
"Will we meet again?" she timidly inquired with all her courage.
I looked back at her, the same time she let go of my sleeve.
The word that came out of my mouth on that moment was...
"All that exists are connected by fate. If this world shall allow us to meet once again, wouldn't you say that it's fate that brought us together?"
[Translation: Maybe?]
'It's not a bad quote if I do say so myself.' I thought to myself delivering that quote.
After saying those words, I continued on running cause it's now getting late, and a normal student should always be on time for school.
'Fate...' she blushed for a moment, 'No, wait! ...that would be too much to ask. Just by bumping into someone as handsome as him is like my whole life's worth of luck ...I shouldn't expect too much.'
She pessimistically told herself so she wouldn't get her hopes up and feel disappointed.
Although she likes shoujo manga, she's aware of the reality she's in that continuously hits her face, hopelessly waiting for a shoujo manga like event that never happened. So she doesn't want to place her expectation too high.
'But... It's not to the point that I couldn't hope for something more, right?'
She pumped herself up, talking to herself. "Alright, let's do this! Onwards to my Shoujo Heroine Highschool debut!"
She looked even more determined, declaring to fulfill the goal that she made and look forward to.
Just by thinking of how grate it would be for that to really happen, her cheeks started to turn red again.
[At this moment, Mocha Tsukiyo has entered into a state of adrenaline, after a certain unexpected meeting, that would feul her courage through the majority of the day.]
Growl~
Her stomach started rumbling.
Oh, yeah... Forgot about that.
She just remembered she hadn't had breakfast yet. And now, looking at the ground, her breakfast is laying flat on the floor, jelly side down.
Such a waste of bread. (T-T)
She wallows in sorrow and hunger, as she looks at it thinking 'it's such a waste of bread.'
Just then, she noticed there's something else laying on the floor beside her toast.
'A piece of cloth... No, a hood?'
'Could this possibly belong to that guy just now?'
She picked up what she thought was just a simple cloth, but is actually my hooded mantle, with her relating it to me, the person she bumped into just now.
She picked it up, thinking that this could be "a possible flag".
...
As I was running.
'I said a line not befitting from a side character just now.' I thought to myself, running at a phase.
'Well, I gusse it's fine. Because right now, I'm an assassin. It wouldn't matter as long as I have this hood over my head. She wouldn't notice it was me...'
Just about when I thought my identity was completely hidden, when I tried to get a feel of my assassin's hood over my head, nothing seems to be there anymore.
'Wait, where's the hood?! Don't tell me, my identity was exposed...!?'
'Should I head back...? No, it's already too late to turn back now. Let's just hope we don't run to each other in school.'
I wish I could return, however, making it to class is what's important right now.
While I do regret my identity was exposed, that part where I gave out the speech about fate I don't regret.
It was too good of an opportunity not to say those lines as if, there was really such a thing called fate.