The whole Sunday long everyone could have thought to have entered the Antarctic, once they entered a room with both, Haruto and Taro, present.
The air around them was so cold, that you could easily freeze water in it, a complete contrast to the burning heat of late summer outside.
The mood was as one could imagine in this situation.
The servants went around on theier tip-toes, with all nerves laying bare.
Even one false word could cause an escalation.
Haruto could feel how everyone held theier breath then they came near one of the children.
Only after Yoko and Taro had left to go to the beach and Haruto was on his way back to his room, did they breath a sigh of relief.
Haruto to let out a sigh as well back in his room, thought for a different reason.
Taro had tried to anger him since yesterday, wanting the freezing mood to turn into a fight, but he had just ignored his tries.
In his eyes, his cousin was just being childish.
Also, after yesterday's incident, he had given up trying to be friends with his cousin.
It won't work out in this life as well, he thought.
It didn't matter.
They had been at odds during all of his lifes so he didn't even try anymore.
He went to his bookshelf, pulled out a random book and started to read.
Befor he had noticed it not only lunch, but the whole day had went by and around him was a tower of books he had read.
…
Monday came and it was still almost the same.
Just that Taro had changed his strategy to ignoring Haruto completely instead of trying to provoke him.
In school Haruto pulled out a book he had taken with him befor anyone could try to talk to him.
Taro and his friends were talking, all gathered around Yokos seat.
But the atmosphere was strained, as Haruto quickly noticed.
Naomi and Yoko kept glancing at him with worried eyes and Yoshi even stared at him without hiding it.
Only Taro kept on ignoring him.
Then lunch break came, Haruto quickly slipped outside the classroom together with some others once the bell rang.
He took his book and his bento with him and went towards the North wing.
Unlike the south wing there the towers were located, or the east and west wings that contained classrooms, the north wing only had the big school library and some club rooms inside.
Besides that, some other rooms had been emptyed but most still contained the original furniture and decorations.
Sometimes then the teachers wanted to show the children something about the western architectural style at the end of the 19. and the beginning of the 20. century they went there.
Sadly, only three original rooms could be shown, since the others there locked and no one had the keys for them.
But Haruto had found a way to enter one of the locked rooms.
Without anyone noticing he entered the second one of the original rooms, which was a bedroom.
Then he closed the door and turned towards the bed.
He let his fingers wander around the headboard until he heard a faint click.
A small hidden shelf unclamped from the headboard.
A smile appeared on Harutos lips.
He didn't know how many others knew, why the bead wasn't standing completely at the wall, or if he was the only one right now.
But because it was to heavy to move and the school didn't want to change the interior of the room no one had pushed it to the wall.
Thanks to that the hidde shelf could still be opened without any problems.
Haruto took out the cold metal object that was inside the shelf.
It was a doorknob made of bronze without any decoration.
Still smiling he went back to the wall next to the door, the one that was hidden as long as the door was open.
The wall didn't look any different from the others with green wall papers decorated with printed pastel pink roses.
He passed over it with his hand until he found a small, hidden hole.
It was put at a place there it was not only in the shadows but looked like a part of the rose that was just a bit darker in color.
Haruto put the doorknob, that fit perfectly, inside the hole and turned it around.
With a click and a creaking sound the door to the hidden passage opend.
He entered it and followed the dusty and dark passage, after having pulled out the doorknob, having put it inside from this side of the door, turning it around and closing the door behind him again.
Then he went forward one step at a time.
Normally a passage like this would not only be extremely dusty but also full of spider webs but there was nothing like that here.
A bit of dust had set down on the floor but it wasn't that much.
That, and the fact that both the door and the hidden shelf could still be opened quiet easily was what leaded Haruto to the conclusion that over the years at least some students had come to regularly use it.
But since, as far as he knew, there never were any reports or rumors about it they must had also done it quietly and without wanting others to find out.
For peopel who wanted to be left alone and were looking for a quiet spot it was perfect.
After less then five minutes Haruto had reached the other end of the corridor.
Again he searched for the hole and once he had found it he put the doorknob inside.
Once he pushed open the door light shone inside his face.
He stepped outside and was standing in the middle of a tearoom or something like that.
On the walls a chest of drawers stood next to a shelf within an old tea set stood.
In the middle stood a wooden table, around wich sofas with yellow velvet upholstery's decorated with a golden pattern were arranged.
On the right side a armchair with the same upholstery stood infront of an old chimney decorated with a wooden carving of a standing horse that seemed to look out of the carving and right at the person sitting on the armchair.
But that wasn't the place that interested Haruto right now.
He turned left towards a big window.
Just that the window wasn't actually a window but a glass door leading outside on a balcony.
He pushed open the door and stepped out.
From there, he had a perfect view over the whole backyard of the academy.
On the left side were the stables and the riding arena.
The stables were quiet old since they had served theier purpose since the building of the castle, thought they were renovated and restaurated together with the rest of the castle once, after it had been turned into an academy.
On the right side was a newer building which was the sports hall with the sports field behind it.
Straight from Harutos position was the dorm for the students who lived in the academy since they didn't came frome the island.
It was away the futherest and only the roof made up of black metal plates could be seen, since the rest was hidden behind some trees.
The rest of the backyard were meadows cut through by gravel paths with benches, both wooden ones and ones made frome stone, standing around.
Some fountains and flowers decorated it.
Two terraces leaded from the ground floor of the north wing outside.
Then one looked over the backyard of the academy like this they could easily feel that it was originally a castle garden, thought today students were going and sitting around in it.
After letting his gaze wander around the whole backyard Haeuto sat down and started eating his bento, while reading his book.
He sat there until only ten minutes of the break remaind.
Then, he stood up and made his way back.
He arrieved at the classroom five minutes befor lunch break ended and sat down on his chair.
The rest of the day passed by just like this.
…
Three days later Taro suddenly stepped next to Harutos chair during breakfast and looked at him.
He took a deep breath.
Will he try to pick a fight with me again?, Haruto wonderd.
„I'm sorry.", Taro said.
Bewildered Haruto looked at his cousin who hastily continued speaking: „I was really mean to you the last few days and I shouldn't have insulted or pushed you last Saturday. Also, I'm sorry for ignoring you."
Haruto looked at him, not sure if he was really hearing this or if it was just in his mind.
Then he nodded and replied: „Apologies accepted. But it really wasn't anything you need to look so depressed because of. I also was mean to you so I'm also sorry."
„No, you didn't do anything wrong. I just wented my anger on you and tried to pick a fight with you.", Taro said while shaking his head.
Haruto looked at him.
He seemed really depressed about it and it seemed like he was also ashamed of his behavior the past few days.
He really is kind, Haruto thought.
Taro instead sat down and also started eating.
I don't really know how it came to this but somehow it feels nice to receive an apology then someone has wronged you, Haruto thought.
How long had it been since something like this had happend?
He didn't know.
He shook his head to make the unnecessary thoughts disappear and focused on his day again.
After that morning his routine changed again.
Thought the others let him read during the short breaks they gathered around him during lunch again.
They were glad that they weren't standing between the chairs anymore.
Especially Yoko and Naomi had suffered because of that.
Still Haruto mostly listened to theier conversation only rarely saying something.
But in a way just listening was nice.
He wasn't a person who love being around others all the time but listening to theier conversations made him feel as if he was part of theier group.
But the uncomfortable feeling that had formed inside his stomach since the day at the cliff still didn't go away completely.
As if it was telling him that this happiness was only limited, that he wasn't actually included in this group of friends.
Still he tried to ignore the feeling, trying to focuse on the here and now.
Even if it was only for a bit.
…
That Friday he sat at the edge of his uncles grounds there the grass almost turned into sand and looked over the beach.
The sun already stood quiet low but still wasn't setting yet.
Suddenly he saw something white coming closer.
Soon the white point turned into a beautiful white horse galloping closer.
It was galloping on the edge between beach and sea, there the end of the waves just reached.
Water splatted upwards under its hooves.
It was a breathtaking sight.
Behind the white horse a whole herd of horses galloped forward.
Brown ones, black ones, red ones, spotted ones, big ones, small ones, Haflinger, ponies, Arab horses, shire horses, all kind of horses were present.
But the one that captured Harutos gaze the most was the white one.
It had mixed in with the other horses who slowed down and stopped in the end and started running and playing at the beach.
„Those are the wild horses living on the island. Most of these are escaped horses and the descendants of escaped ones.", a voice suddenly said next to him.
Then he turned sideways Maya just sat down next to him.
He nodded but then his gaze was drawn to the white horse again.
„That's one of the original wild horses that lived on this island befor us humans came.", Maya said after having followed his gaze, „They are called Sutahosu, star horses. They are divine beings, strong and beautiful. They serve the god of the island, but sometimes they chose a equestrian whom they think is worthy of it. Towards theier equestrian they are loyal. The legend says, that a Sutahosu and it's equestrian once saved the island through a miracle. There are many who say that the equestrian also has special powers which are given to him by the god of the island as long as equestrian and Sutahosu are a team."
Haruto already knew about those legends since he had been told them in his past life too.
Still,he somehow liked them.
In that moment the wild horses started moving again, turned around and the whole herd galloped away.
The white horse disappeared in the mass of moving horses.
„We should go back in. It's already late and it's getting chilly now.", Maya said and stood up.
Haruto nodded and followed her inside the house.
But right befor entering he turned around one last time to look over the beach.
But the beach was empty.
Only the traces in the sand showed, that the wild horses had really just been here.