Kibe and Brandon just stared at each other. Both of them staring at one another, searching and analyzing, reading or attempting to read the other.
"What brings you here? Or better, what brought you to wanting to enroll here? In my school nonetheless?" Kibe asked as he closed his book. Brandon sucked on his teeth before he then put his finger to his lip. He was sitting as he usually does. Crouched on the seat, then criss cross.
"I figured that the best way to analyze the killers of Japan, or the way to the through how they see it. Is to live it. So I've enrolled here. I hope that doesn't mean we still can't braid each other's hair." Brandon smirked as bit his thumb. Kibe just stared at him. He was curious as to how Brandon even got into this school. His best assumption was that he was forcefully enrolled. As Kibe's mind couldn't belive that Brandon was smart enough to pass the entrance exams, seeing how the new principle was now someone from the pale palace.
That then sparked Kibe into thinking about the transfer students. He started thinking of-
"Yo." Brandon said, Kibe then left his thoughts and looked at Brandon again. "You lose yourself in thought a lot huh? Very calculated. Always thinking. What you thinking about? Wet panties or dry mangoes?" Brandon asked. Kibe looked away and got up.
"Neither." Kibe said as he got his book and bag, he then proceeded to walk away, Brandon snickered as he then jumped out of his seat and walked with Kibe. It was easy to underestimate him, Brandon. Yet at the same time Kibe couldn't help but underestimate him. Brandon showed qualities of being a fool, but also knew how to play it well if he wasn't. Brandon was quite literally an anomaly to Kibe's reasoning and thinking process. The most that Kibe could do. Is answer careful and act even more carefully.
"So, whats your hypothesis on the White Rabbit? Yaknow since they found that egg in the car of that doctor. Dr.Tomomasa, and your mother's body.
I'd assume that you would be more...I don't know. Impacted." Brandon asked
"I have to keep my personal life and feelings out of my daily routine and actions. If I break down or do anything reckless. It would get in the way of our investigation or any other issues we may face in the future." Kibe answered as he stopped in the hallway looking back to Brandon who stopped too. His hands in his pockets.
"So analytical, you ever shut that off? Or do you always think without thinking?" Brandon asked
"An interesting observation. Makes me wonder if you can turn yours off too." Kibe said
"Oh I think you know the answer to that." Brandon said as he folded his arms. Kibe put his arms behind his back. The two once again caught in a staring contest.
"Who is it your analytical about? Or do you only think about the drenched undergarments of others?" Kibe asked
"Mmm sometimes. But when I'm not, I'm thinking about the White Rabbit. On just what an anomaly that man is. The White Rabbit is premeditated, he is someone who can think without thinking.
He seems to be aware of the opposition that faces him. Knows how to play his moves carefully and can swoop in unexpectedly. No motive or pattern. A killer like him must be very deranged, or maybe too sane." Brandon said, Kibe looked at him and nodded.
"Yes, I would assume so. Someone like the White Rabbit has a fascination with death, perhaps he feels that introducing to others will make his that much more fantastical." Kibe said. "No, there's nothing fascinating about dying. Its just, POOF, then lights out." Brandon said as he looked outside. There he saw other students chatting and walking around in the courtyard. Kibe's eyes moved to the outside too, but only for a moment. While Brandon's stare lingered.
"Mr.Nakayama was pissed that Mr.Otsuka didn't give us the name behind the white rabbit." Brandon said
"How can you tell it wasn't the name of him? The White Rabbit could be anyone." Kibe said. Thats when Brandon wagged his finger and smirk came along his face.
"No, not just anyone. The White Rabbit is articulate, hes dodgy and most of all. Likes to be left out of sight." Brandon said, Kibe was amazed by Brandon's observation skills. Although he was also cautious. He need to make a move on Brandon, something to get him off of his case. The only question was what? At that moment the school bell would ring. Brandon and Kibe looked to each other and walked away.
"Brandon had obviously been placed here by Mr.Nakayama in order to uncover the white rabbit's identity. Hes looking for a profile that fits him. I could choose to act differently, but that would only draw attention to me more.
I need to keep acting as I do. Anything differently could result in his attention to me growing." Kibe thought as he entered his class. Everyone was there besides the teacher. Everyone was chatting and talking to one another. Before he could go to his seat his arm was pulled by someone he looked to see it was Jun.
"Jun." Kibe said
"Hey, can we talk?" She asked. Kibe nodded and the two would go to the stairway nearby. Once there she would immediately hug him. Kibe of course hugged her back. The two held they're embrace for a long while. "I'm so sorry about your mom. That must be devastating to hear about." Jun said. Kibe began to tear up a bit, wiping his face.
"Ye-Yeah. Its not...I can't believe that monster would go after her. I guess she just...when she didn't come home I-...god." Kibe said, his voice was shaken and sorrowful. Jun nodded to him as she rubbed his arm.
"Hey, how about we go out after school. We can hit up my place. Focus on something else and maybe get some school work done too." Jun said.
"...Yea, that sounds good." Kibe said. He knew that he needed to get closer to Mr.Nakayama. Kibe knew that if he was going to erase Mr.Nakayama from the problem permanently than he needed to use what was closest aginst him. The only question was.
Is Mr.Nakayama using the same thing.
"Thanks Jun. This means a lot to me that you'd go out of the way to...help me." Kibe said
"Of course. I don't want you to feel like you're going through this alone." Jun said, she rubbed his shoulder one last time before they walked walked back to the classroom. Once they got there they would see Shinjō Mizuki in they're teacher's place.
"Nori and Nakayama, glad you could make it. Please take a seat. I was just going around to classes announcing the same thing I'm about to tell you all." Mizuki said. Kibe and Jun nodded as they went to their seats. Kibe sat down and looked Mizuki. Mizuki didn't even looked directly at Kibe. Mizuki was nothing like Dr.Tomomasa. Kibe couldn't get a single bit of physical or visual information from him. Mizuki was clearly a lot more held together, more of a profound had wearing a excellent poker face and person suit.
Kibe's observation skills would do nothing to help him aginst Shinjō Mizuki.
"Students of 1-S. I am Shinjō Mizuki, the new principle here at Sawa High. I'm here to tell you that this school will be partnering with the international puzzles of the world, or also known as the IPOW. We are doing this as a means of studying and learning which of our students may be of a certain quality.
The event will take place in the coming week.
Now, there's no need to pressure yourself with entering in. It very much is a...unique taste. But I do encourage it, if you are looking to improve yourself. By any means. I have been informed that these test will involve more than just our school. Schools all over the world will be putting in their best. So if you yourself think you may the next shining beacon of intellectual prowess, than by all means..." Mizuki's eyes then briefly focused on Kibe who was looking at him as well.
"Shine to your utmost best." Mizuki said. Everyone clapped at his speech. With him nodding and giving everyone a smile. "Now, I won't waste anymore of your time. Your teacher is outside. Have a wonderful day everyone." Mizuki said as he left and they're teacher entered the room. Kibe watched Mizuki leave and then focused on the lessons of the day. Today they were doing studies on number theory, probability and topology. Which Kibe as much as any subject, found to be ultimately useless. Due to his previous teaching at the pale palace.
He remembered during class, test orbiting these such things. One of the test surrounding probability was a game called doors. As Kibe relived the moment. He remembers the time when he was a young child. The same teachers as before when he faced off aginst the AI Chester. Mizuki was there, along with two others who seemed to be watching. They were twins, but they didn't seem to be involved in the test.
No.
They were...watching. like they were seeing a rat run a maze, but Kibe couldn't make out their faces at the time. The other teacher was there too. The woman with brown hair and dark green eyes. The room they were in had two doors. Both of them were brown, there was no difference between them. They were perfectly identical.
"Très bien 2-14-17-1-4-13, nous allons aujourd'hui évaluer votre compréhension des probabilités. Le dernier rapport du docteur Jeanne Gagnier a montré que vous étiez capable de prédire des guerres mondiales et des fléaux à partir de plusieurs dizaines de scénarios et de récits différents.
Votre prédiction sur la quatrième guerre mondiale a dépassé les attentes. Le fait que non seulement Martin King était en vie, mais aussi JFK. Hiroshima n'avait pas encore eu lieu non plus. Pourtant, vous étiez capable de prédire la quatrième guerre mondiale et toutes les voies qu'elle pourrait emprunter.
Aujourd'hui, vous allez voir quelle est la porte la plus probable par laquelle la plupart des gens vont passer." Said Mizuki as he wrote on his clipboard. Kibe looked at the two doors. His brain working through which one it could possibly be. Thats when the women looked at Kibe, though he didn't look at her. Her gaze was one him for a while. Mizuki noticed and looked at her.
"Mme Caron. Votre attention". Said Mizuki, Caron then nodded as she was refocused. Kibe then pointed to the door on the right. Mizuki looked at the door and then to Kibe.
"Vous êtes sûr ?" Mizuki asked, Kibe nodded. Mizuki nodded as he wrote something down on his clipboard.
"Bien." Mizuki said.
Kibe opened his eyes, being returned back to the present day. He was sitting in the library. Sitting infront of a book. His eyes looking down at a book on trigonometry. One he had already read and perfectly memorized. His fingers trailed his mouth and face.
"I wonder...did they make me who I am? Or did I do this to myself?" Kibe thought. At that moment, another voice within him spoke, with his knowledge and yet somehow without it too.
"Nothing happened to me." Said a voice. Kibe nodded in response to it. Like as if he already knew the truth. He needed just one more piece of himself to truly understand that part. To see if what they pale palace had taught him, made him into. Were merely just amplifications of what he already was.
A machine.
Elsewhere, high above the skies. A cruse jet was making its way to Ushin Japan. Inside, were the students. The transfer students from the pale palace. One of them was watching a camera feed on a laptop. It was showing footage of Kibe from when he was in the pale palace. The video was on loop. Showing Kibe pointing to the objectively correct door from the probability test. The man watching took a sip of his champagne glass. Thats when a girl wearing a white and black suit walked in through a door were a few others could be heard behind her. She had long bleached blonde hair and her eyes were that of a burning hazel.
"We're nearly there. We'll be landing in about 3 hours." Said the girl.
"Good. Thank you Piko." Said the man. His voice was stern, yet it had a smoothness that felt like melting ice cream on the tongue or a marshmallow on a stick. Piko looked outside the jet and to the cities below. She then looked back to the man.
"Are you sure about this Bato? Even if you succeed, there's no telling if they'll put you into the senior program. They already have decided for to put him in there. Theres no telling if-"
"They will. They have a place for him because of what he can do. Did I not guarantee them connections with Iraq for the next decade?
Did I not give them the rights to the black markets of some of the most powerful men in the world?
Do not worry about what they won't and will give me. They will give me this. Especially after I do what no other can do.
Kill the machine." Said Bato.
"Well, I just hope that you'll give me a chance to play with him too. Mweheheh!" Piko giggled with Bato smirking as he looked back at the recording.
Later that day in Ushin, at Jun's house. Tokyo was cooking lunch while Kibe and Jun were sitting in the living room working on school work. Both of them were sitting down on the couch, going over homework involving what they learned.
"UGHHHHH! FUCK!" Jun shouted as she stretched. Kibe looked at her and then back to his work.
"Language." Tokyo said from the kitchen. Kibe snickered as he then grabbed a potato chip from the bag they opened. He ate as he leaned back. Jun put her hair into a pony tail. Wearing a black hoodie and shorts. Kibe in a white turtleneck. She floofed her hair behind her back as she got to writting, Kibe stared at her for a moment.
"...She's Cute with her hair like that." Kibe said. Jun looked at him, her face red. Kibe then noticed what he did. "Uh-"
Kibe and Jun just looked at each other.
"...I said that out loud." Kibe thought. Jun's face got flustered as she didn't know what to say. She put her hands on her cheeks and looked away nervously.
"Sorry for-"
"Did you know that Australia is wider than the moon!" Jun blurted out. It was quiet for a seconds.
"...That was random." Kibe thought. "I-I I'm sorry! I'm just so use to working with computers and engineering. I don't normally have a response for those sorts of things!" Jun said with a nervous tone.
"Its ok. I said it impulsively. Forgive me." Kibe said bowing his head. Jun looked at him wjtha even more nervous face. Tokyo was watching them around the corner of the kitchen. Her face had a smile on it. Jun waved her hands at Kibe.
"No no no no, don't apologize. It's ok. I accept the compliment! You uhh..." Jun stared at him. In her eyes Kibe was the perfect boy. He didn't speak unless he wanted to, he was clean and well put together and he was already pretty handsome. She just didn't know how to confess that to him.
"You're cute too." Jun said. It silent for even longer this time.
"Thank you." Kibe said. Jun's face was a beating red hot pink.
"She's bad at this." Kibe thought
"DAMNIT I'M TERRIBLE AT THIS!" Jun thought as she wacked her head. "Hey Jun." Kibe said, she looked at him.
"After the IPOW, there's going to be the winter festival. I was wonder if-"
"Yes." Jun said, Kibe and her looked at each other.
"She didn't even let me finish." Kibe said
"DAMNIT I DIDN'T EVEN LET HIM FINISH!!!" Jun thought as she wacked her head again.
"Um, do you prefer a kimono? Or would it be better if we went in our regular clothes?" Kibe asked, Jun shook her head to get calm herself.
"I don't really go for the whole tradition stuff. Its too old fashioned for me." Jun said
"I see." Kibe said as he looked up at the ceiling. Jun continued to work as Kibe was just thinking. She looked at him for a moment before she then stopped.
"Are you alright?" She asked
"Yea. Just thinking about the IPOW. What interesting event, something that judges the smartest in the world." Kibe said
"You plan on entering?" She asked. "...At first I wasn't, but now. I do. I just feel I should try." Kibe said.
"Well if you believe you should then I say go for it. Nothing starts until take action." She said
"Don't be afraid of stepping out of the shadows, there's nothing wrong with being a little popular." Jun said. Kibe leaned his head on his palm.
"Hmp, yea. To be honest, for a long time I didn't want anything to do with being anything more than just a background object.
But now, I know I have to be more than that." Kibe said. Jun smiled at him as she saw Kibe's determination. She blushed a little as she got back to work. Scooting a little closer to Kibe who also did the same.
The next day, Kibe would arrive at school checking his phone. "Seems Himmy isn't answering my phone calls or text. I'm guessing she's still broken up over seeing Juo.
...Ah, but I should eventually talk to her. In a week. Maybe more.
I'll come to terms with it once I think about it." Kibe said, thats when he'd take notice. All the other students in the courtyard and even some slightly inside the school were all looking in his direction. Kibe looked at all of them before he then turned around. With just once glance he already knew.
They were here.
Four students wearing white and black uniforms were standing at the entrance of the school. Kibe just stared at them. The one on the far left was a young man, short brown hair and icey blue eyes. He was bit more scrawny than the others. The girl on the far right, she had long bleached blonde hair with burning hazel eyes. Finally the middle two.
Another boy, Kibe could just tell it was Bato. Short black hair and cyan eyes, he was also slightly taller than Kibe. His posture was perfectly straight. Hands behind his back. The last one was a girl. Her hair was a amber red. Her eyes dark with black lipstick. She had a prosthetic hand on the right. It had a skin sleeve over it, Kibe could tell it was a fake hand. Though the engineering and work on it was way more than anything Kibe had seen done. Clearly advanced technology.
"Ah! I see you made it! Welcome students. To Sawa high!" Said Mizuki, Kibe turned his head back to see him walking out from the building and then past him. Kiko was watching from one of the windows of the school. Mizuki walked to Bato and shook his hand.
"Its a pleasure to be here. Thank you for accepting our applications. I'm sure you'll find our backgrounds more than acceptable." Bato smiled, Mizuki nodded as he looked to the other students and then back to the rest of the school.
"Everyone! I would like to introduce to you our latest students!
Ojima Bato." Mizuki said as he gestured to him, the students all clapped and applauded. The girls looked at Bato with lust in they're eyes, seeing him as desirable. Kibe looked at those girls's eyes and saw they recognized him as built like the perfect man.
"Eiji Kawasumi." Mizuki said as he gestured to the boy with the brown hair and ice blue eyes.
"Hiroe Piko." Mizuki said as he gestured to the girl with bleached blonde hair and burning hazel eyes.
"And finally, Junna Katsurada." Mizuki said as he lastly gestured to the amber haired girl, with the dark eyes. Hideaki and Rin walked out of the school and stopped a few paces out to see the new students.
"I want you to treat these new students no different than you'd treat a friend or another fellow student.
So, Lets welcome our newcomers with open arms!" Mizuki said as everyone applauded. Mizuki then gestured for everyone to get back to their routines as he shook Bato's hand one last time before walking away past Kibe. Once again he didn't make eye contact with Kibe, still not giving him anything to read or get a beat on. Kibe then watched as the four students walked over to him.
"Please Bato, just let me-"
"Silence." Bato said, hashing Piko. That's when they'd stop infront of Kibe. Kibe and Bato stared at one another.
"Well, what a chance encounter. I'm glad you were here for my coming. I wanted to see you.
See what all the chatter and talk has been about." Bato said
"Likewise." Kibe said
"This is the fabled heir to the pale palace, I'm sorry to say. Your reputation is much bigger than you." Said Kawasumi. Kibe didn't bother looking at him, he knew what his focus was.
"So what are you here for? I can't imagine it has anything to do with sightseeing." Kibe said
"You'd be correct. I'm actually here for some education. You see I heard you were good at what you do. I didn't get to see a lot of when I was young.
Seeing how you were kicked out of the system so abruptly. However now I see an opportunity to see just what you're all about." Bato said
"To test me?" Kibe asked
"To surpass you. You see I can't move further up the chain if you're still in the way and on the minds of those who expect, more from you.
Its time they realized just who they should be putting their efforts into." Bato said
"You ever think on why that is." Kibe said. Bato snickered before he then put his hand in Kibe's shoulder and leaned close.
"Let me give you a word of advice." Bato said, he then leaned into Kibe's ear.
"If you believe that me planting Ouchi Mi into your life was the extend of what I can do, then you're in for hell on earth Nori. Because that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Do me and the rest of WOI a favor and slip away. Don't resurface again, and I won't have to damage you anymore. Refuse and you'll have wished that you had died in that hospital, with Mrs.Mihara." Bato said, Kibe's eyes grew in shock for a moment before his face relaxed again. Bato then backed up and dusted off Kibe's shoulder.
"I expect to hear by tomorrow that you've either left the country or decided to elope somewhere with the detective's daughter. Either way. If your still here. Then your more foolish than I gave you credit for.
Nice talk." Bato said as he then walked past Kibe, with the other 3 students following behind him. Kibe's mind began to spiral, he had killed Dr.Tomomasa because of the fact he had come to the conclusion that the pale palace was behind it. Soemone close to him, but now that was more true than ever. Because now, he was right with the person who had orchestrated so much of his life.
The only question though. Was why?
Kibe would get the answers he wanted though. Soon. He knew he would. Even if Bato intended to kill him, he wouldn't let that stop him.
Nothing was going to stop him.
"That was quite the show, you think he'll take the bait?" Piko asked
"Absolutely. If there's one thing I know about anyone. Is that they hate being lied to. He did what he did to good doctor because he figured he did it. Which he wasn't wrong about.
However, it was rash. A decision done with no follow-up. Hes slipping I can tell.
Mi is still doing her part in all this just as Dr.Tomomasa said. Now her loyalty will fall to me. Which I plan to use with great care." Bato said
"Are you all done talking boring talk, or can we get to the part where we kill this guy?" Asked Katsurada as she chewed on some black berry bubblegum.
"This isn't a light matter Junna. If we're to get Bato to succeed. We must be vigilant." Said Kawasumi.
"Enough, no matter what he chooses. I never intended to come here with the machine still alive.
Before the IPOW commences this coming week. The machine will die." Bato said.