Chapter 2: Lateness, Applause, and a Seat in the Corner: The Beginning of the First Day (1)
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Shoyo and Itsuki moved through the crowded school corridors. The scene was lively; the students' voices intermingled with their quick footsteps, and the walls decorated with colorful advertisements gave the place a familiar feel.
"We have to start looking for him now before he escapes!"
Itsuki said with obvious anger, and his usual expression of agitation appeared on him. He was not good at controlling his nerves.
Shoyu replied calmly as he walked through the students, skillfully avoiding bumping into them.
"Anger won't help us now, Itsuki . Also, why is he running away? I don't think he even knows we're looking for him. We'll have to think like Ryu if we want to find him."
The two of them reached a crossroads in the corridor. Itsuki raised his hand nervously, ruffling his hair as he tried to calm his thoughts.
"Okay, but shouldn't we look everywhere to find him?"
Shoyo looked at Itsuki with a look that carried a mixture of mockery.
Itsuki quickly retracted his words.
Shoyo clapped his hands, which caught the attention of the students in the corridor. Shoyo continued speaking.
"Well, let's think about it. When we saw Rio this morning in front of his house, what did he say?"
"We have to come up with a solid plan. Think with me. When we met Rio this morning in front of his house, what did he say?"
Itsuki took a piece of paper and a pen out of his pocket, looking around cautiously like a detective trying to solve a mystery.
"He said he was sorry he was late because he needed to use the bathroom. But what does that have to do with us looking for him now?"
Shoyo laughed lightly.
"You really won't understand easily. But let's think like him; we have to think like Ryu if we want to understand where he could be right now."
Itsuki stopped writing for a moment, then raised his pen and pointed as if he had come up with an answer:
"He bought water, juice, and some cookies."
Shoyo nodded slowly, as if he expected the answer.
"Excellent. Now, did you notice that he hasn't been to the bathroom since he arrived?"
Itsuki's eyes lit up as he remembered, and he said excitedly.
"That's right! So, he went to the bathroom...!"
But Shoyo cut him off.
"Wrong. If he had gone into the bathroom, we wouldn't be looking for him now. Of course he was dragged to a secluded place. A place not visited by many. The only place that fits that description is the library."
Shoyo ran towards the library, but Itsuki Grab him by the shirt.
"Enough with your imagination! Let's go somewhere more logical... the school cafeteria."
Shoyu suddenly smiled and said with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Are you a genius?! How did I not think of that? Let's go!"
Itsuki whispered to himself sarcastically, "You should just admit that you were hungry."
Minutes later, as they walked through the hallways, the two felt a strange feeling. It was as if they were being watched. They exchanged worried glances without speaking.
"Do you feel what I feel?" Itsuki asked in a whisper.
Shoyu nodded without saying a word, and their steps quickened.
With each step, they began to hear the sound of other feet behind them, and the further they went, the fewer students were in the hallways.
Think a little Worriedly . "Why are we scared? I'll just look back."
Boom... Boom...
The lights suddenly exploded, and darkness enveloped the corridor.
Shoyo screamed internally, "Damn me and look back!"
Their bodies shivered , sweat pouring down their faces as they looked at each other in the dark.
Shoyo whispered, "We'll run when we reach a window."
Itsuki nodded , understanding the plan without needing to speak.
They quickly walked towards the only window, through which the sunlight was dimly streaming in. With every step they took, the footsteps behind them quickened.
As they approached the window, Itsuki felt a cold hand grab his wrist, suddenly pulling him back.
While Shoyo ran quickly, ignoring his surroundings.
Itsuki fell to the ground.
He stopped moving, his eyes widening in the dark.
"Is this the end?" he wondered inside his mind.
He closed his eyes, waiting for his fate. Instead, he felt warm air touch his face.
When he slowly opened his eyes, he found a girl kneeling in front of him, her face shining in the sunlight streaming in through the window. Her red hair was glowing a unique color, and her eyes were a mixture of red and yellow.
The girl sat on her knees, panting as if she had been running for a long time.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you !" she said in a broken voice, trying to catch her breath.
Itsuki internally scoffed at his previous attitude and said, "Damn… this is embarrassing."
He stood up slowly, a slight smile on his face, then asked, "Why were you following us ?"
The girl was a little confused and looked around before replying.
"Well... I was trying to ask you through the school cafeteria."
Itsuki shook his head in surprise and said.
"But why did you run after us?"
The girl's face turned red and she spoke hesitantly.
"I was scared, so I ran after you."
Itsuki burst out laughing, trying to hold back his laughter, but he couldn't.
The girl puffed out her cheeks, still crouching on the ground, and said.
"Stop laughing!"
Itsuki extended his hand to the girl with a smile: "Sorry… pfft… okay, let's go to the school cafeteria."
The girl took his hand, her face slightly red as she said.
"Can you stop laughing at me?"
Itsuki pulled her gently, then smiled, saying.
"Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you."
The girl stood up and started cleaning the dust off her clothes, ignoring his words and said.
"Well, where is the school cafeteria?"
Itsuki put his hands in his pockets and said.
"Come with me, I was going there anyway."
The girl hesitated a little, then smiled lightly and said.
"Well, lead the way."
The two started walking and chatting, and smiles were clear on their faces .
As they walked together towards the cafeteria, the girl suddenly turned to Itsuki and said in a low voice. "By the way… I apologize for acting strangely a while ago."
Itsuki looked at her in surprise.
"No problem, I understand why you acted like this?"
She smiled shyly and added.
"I think I forgot to introduce myself because of the nervousness. I'm Aoki Mitsui. I was a little hasty, but I was scared because of the explosion of the lights."
Itsuki smiled and said, "Ayuki , so? I'm Itsuki Kanazawa, just call me Itsuki. It's okay, everyone gets scared sometimes."
Ayuki felt a bit relieved and said with a gentle smile. "Thank you for understanding, Itsuki ."
Itsuki and Ayuki arrived at the cafeteria, and looked around in admiration. The design of the cafeteria was distinctive, with various decorations on the ceiling, circular pillars, and rectangular tables spread throughout the place.
Each table had six chairs arranged around it, and large windows ran the length of the hall, overlooking the school garden.
But that wasn't what caught their attention specifically.
After they exchanged silent glances, Itsuki broke the silence.
"Why is the place empty? I thought it would be full by now!"
Ayuki agreed with him, and they each took a plate of the delicious food that looked delicious. They discovered that the food was free that day, so they took as much as they could eat, hoping to make up for their efforts from running earlier.
As they sat down to eat, Itsuki's attention was caught by a white-haired boy sitting alone in the corner of the table, silently eating his food.
Itsuki approached him and put his hand on his shoulder, saying.
"Isn't this my loyal friend, Shoyo?"
Shoyu stopped eating, looked up and said with a small smile.
"Sorry... I was really going to come back for you."
Itsuki laughed and said sarcastically.
"Hahaha... after eating, right?"
Shoyo smiled and said.
"You know me well."
Aiuki piece this interaction with a faint cough-like sound.
"Ahem... ahem..."
They both stopped and looked at her, and Itsuki said apologetically:
"Oh, I forgot! Shoyo, this is Aiyuki Mitsui. Aiyuki, this is my friend Shoyo. Nomoro .
Shoyo replied coldly as he continued eating.
"Hey, you."
Ayuki sat next to Itsuki hesitantly, then asked him in a low voice.
"Why is the place empty?"
Itsuki replied .
"I'm not sure."
Shoyo interrupted them with a sarcastic smile:
"It's clear. Everyone is in the classroom now. Are you part of the group of class skippers?"
His words shocked everyone in Itsuki. And Aiyuki , and the signs of confusion were drawn on their faces.
Aiuki said in a troubled voice.
"Does that mean I missed my first class at school?"
A frown appeared on her face, while Itsuki tried to comfort her, saying with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, we can go back now. I think the teachers will understand if we explain the situation to them."
But before he could finish speaking, the sound of the end of school was heard. Students suddenly streamed into the cafeteria, and the place gradually began to fill up.
A loud laughter erupted from one of the tables, as Itsuki looked around with some embarrassment.
Shoyo commented sarcastically.
"So, all your hopes are cut short. Just enjoy the food and leave your dreams aside!"
Ayuki laughed shyly, while Itsuki looked at Shoyo with an exasperated expression, then joined them in laughing.
"Did you forget that we are looking for Rio?" Shoyo asked.
Ayouki looked at him, "You mean the black-haired boy?"
Itsuki and Shoyo both responded simultaneously, "Yes."
She tried to collect her thoughts and remember before she said.
"Yes, I saw him enter the library."
Shoyo shouted excitedly, "You were right, I knew that... uhm, I mean I expected that."
"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Itsuki shouted , surprised.
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An atmosphere of calm and tension prevailed in the library, as Ryo stood waiting for Vice President Miko's response with a mixture of patience and suspicion.
"Sorry..." Miko said hesitantly, trying to get her words together.
Ryo quickly interrupted her, raising his hand casually: "Sorry, Senpai, I already have someone I like."
Miko was confused for a moment, then looked embarrassed. She waved her hands randomly, trying to explain.
"No, no! You got it wrong. I didn't bring you here for that."
A question mark appeared on Rio's face, and suddenly he took a sudden step back.
"Sorry Senpai, I misunderstood you… So, what did you want from me?"
Miko's smile didn't disappear, but she tried to maintain her composure, though her voice showed some annoyance.
"Why did you suddenly move away?"
Ryo turned his face and replied evasively, "Nothing, senpai."
While Miko was staring at him with a face dissatisfied with his answer, someone opened the door to the library. A tall young man with green hair walked in.
"Sorry for the delay, Miko."
Miku's expression changed as she said in an angry voice, "How many times do I have to tell you, just call me Miku, Kenzaki-kun!"
Kenzaki laughed a little at her funny reaction.
"Well, Miko... am I late?"
"Don't think I'll forgive you that easily," Miko replied annoyedly, her arms crossed.
The two began exchanging words as if in a normal conversation, and little by little the conversation turned into light flirting.
Rio sat watching the scene in front of him, staring at them with a sharp gaze as his presence was completely ignored. Finally, he stood up and said in a loud tone:
"Sorry Senpai! But I've reached my limits."
Both Miku and Kenzaki stopped talking, feeling Ryu's intense stare. Kenzaki looked at Ryu and said with a slight smile:
"Well, forget about it. I'll tell you why I brought you here."
Rio turned his body around without caring: "As if I care now."
Miko spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Is he a child?!"
Kenzaki folded his arms across his chest as he thought. "Do you want to play?"
Ryu turned around with sudden excitement before Kenzaki could finish his words.
"Let's play a game, the loser does one thing for the winner."
Although he felt like he was being manipulated, Kenzaki immediately agreed, saying, "Okay, what's the game?"
Ryo smiled broadly and said sarcastically, "You seem very confident, Student Council President."
Kenzaki replied with a calm smile, with a strange gleam in his eyes: "Why wouldn't I be?"
Ryu pointed towards a table on which a medium-sized chess set was placed.
"Chess. To make it more interesting, we'll make some extra rules."
Miko tried to intervene to warn Kenzaki: "Hey, hey. Kenzaki, shouldn't you think before you agree to his rules?"
Kenzaki smiled confidently, saying, "You don't understand. He's trying to make fun of us, the student council members. We can't ignore this."
Miko sighed deeply and said with a serious face, "Stop playing along, just play fair."
Rio replied in a provocative tone, "There's no need to argue. We can always find solutions... for cowards."
Both Miku and Kenzaki's expressions changed noticeably. The two sat in front of Ryu, their gazes filled with defiance and anger.
"Well, what are your rules?" Kenzaki said.
Rio began explaining the rules:
"The rules are simple: at each move, your opponent can ask a question. If you take a piece from your opponent, he must answer your question, or he loses immediately. Of course, the loser carries out one request of the winner."
He looked at their faces and added with a smile, "Any questions?"
Miko was the first to move. With eyes full of excitement, she picked out the black pieces.
The game began, and Ryo quickly noticed that Miku seemed very confident, but he was ready to quickly drop her.
After several moves, Ryu excitedly announced, "Checkmate."
Miko was shocked to realize that she had lost so quickly, and her face turned red when she remembered Ryo asking her out on a date.
"Okay, senpai," he said with a smile. "I look forward to our next date."
Her face turned redder, as she began to think about his true motives.
"It's my turn now. Get ready," Kenzaki said in a calm tone.
Rio, surprised, wondered inwardly. "Is he serious now? Yes, come on, ask me to cancel the appointment now so I can lose. Yes, this will all be part of my plan."
Kenzaki smiled and said, "I won't ask you to cancel the date with Miku, but I will ask you to join the student council."
The second game began, and the library was surrounded by an atmosphere of challenge.
The moment the match between Rio and Kenzaki began, the atmosphere in the library completely changed. Emotions between excitement and anger filled the air, while Miku watched the situation trying to calm down after her loss.
Ryu carefully grabbed his first piece, then moved the soldier to e4 , smiling confidently.
Kenzaki smiled wryly, and took his soldier to match his move at e5 , saying, "Boring move, Ryu. Is this your best?"
Rio calmly replied, "I won't need my best to defeat you."
The pieces began to move rapidly across the board, each move followed by words full of provocation or challenge.
"Ryu-kun, do you have any other plans besides manipulating this board?" Kenzaki said as he moved the knight to f6 .
Rio laughed as he moved the elephant to c4 saying:
"My plan is...and do you think I'm stupid enough to tell you about it?"
Miko could feel the amount of excitement flowing between them, but she couldn't ignore the feeling that Ryo seemed to be hiding something.
The game moved quickly. The tension rose, and with each piece taken, increasingly intense questions were asked.
Rio: "Kenzaki, why did you really invite me here?"
Kenzaki: "Maybe to find someone smarter than you."
Rio smiled coldly, then moved the queen to f3 , saying, "You're very sure, aren't you?"
But at an unexpected moment, Kenzaki made a bold move, sending the horse swooping around the queen.
Rio paused for a moment, then smiled.
"I'm not done yet."
The two exchanged looks filled with determination. The match became more of a war of words and a clash of wits than a mere game of chess.
Before Rio could make his final move, as the game reached its climax, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
Kenzaki stood up with a smile and said, "Well, it seems you got lucky today. We have to go."
Rio shouted angrily: "Wait! You can't leave now. Come on, finish the match!"
Kenzaki smiled coldly and grabbed Miku's wrist, saying.
"The day is over, and you know the strict school rules. Look at yourself how lucky you are that you are not a member of the student council now."
The two left the library, leaving Ryu behind, feeling upset.
Rio talked to himself as he was left alone in the library.
"Damn... he beat me to this."
He raised his eyes to the window, taking in the view outside.
"Anyway, today was fun. Speaking of fun, I wonder where Shouyou and Itsuki are? It's strange that they haven't looked for me yet."
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