May 4th, 2018 — 12:45 p.m.Takayama, Japan
I was biting the eraser of my pencil, waiting for the bell that would grant me a brief moment of freedom.
Unlike the way I'd been taught to study, the atmosphere in that classroom was calm, almost too calm. A sort of violent quitness spreading through de walls. The sound of pencils scratching, the faint scent of books, the occasional soft laugh between muttered chatter. Everything was perfectly serene.
It made me uneasy. That kind of peace always came before the storm.
Or maybe it was just me, someone who had lived too long in a state of alert, unable to swallow tranquility now that it was finally within reach.
Then, the bell rang. Lunch break.
My stomach twisted in anticipation. I pressed my hands against it in a useless attempt to silence the growl I was sure the entire class had heard.
"There's a cafeteria, but we have to hurry."
Kiera shot up from her seat and, before I could react, grabbed my arm and pulled me through the crowded hallways. We ran until we reached the small campus shop already swarming with students practically fighting each other for food. We shoved and squeezed our way through the chaos until, somehow, we made it to the counter.
At that point, I had no idea what was happening anymore, Kiera took money from my wallet and just ordered an absurd amount of bread rolls, both sweet and savory, seasonal and random.
Once the shopping spree was done, we finally found a couple of seats near the sports field, trying not to drop anything as we balanced our armful of bread.
"I'd heard about this," I said between breaths, still recovering from our sprint. "But I didn't think lunch break in Japan would be this intense."
Kiera smiled softly, tearing open a chocolate-filled bun before taking a bite.
"Is it different in your country?"
I nodded. The bread probably wouldn't fill me up, but I was so hungry I started stuffing them one after another into my mouth until talking became impossible. Kiera giggled at the sight.
"You look like a hamster hoarding food in its cheeks."
I let out a muffled laugh, trying not to choke. After finally swallowing, I covered my face with one hand.
"If I could, I would store food in my cheeks for later," I said, grabbing another bun. "But this is really something. In Korea, lunch is just a regular meal in a dining hall."
"Oh, you're from Korea?"
"Don't I look like it?"
Kiera hesitated, shrugging lightly.
"My mother's from Mongolia."
She snapped her fingers and made a long sound of surprise, something like 'Yabai'. A Japanese word whose meaning changed entirely depending on tone. One I still hadn't manage to use correctly.
We fell silent for a moment, quietly eating.
Out on the field, some students were playing soccer while others chased each other around. The girls on the bleachers sat chatting and laughing over their food. Watching them felt oddly comforting, like I'd stumbled into one of those cliché school romance anime scenes.
"Oh— I left my brother's bento in the classroom."
That's when I noticed the small insulated bag she carried. She'd taken her own neatly decorated lunchbox from it earlier, every detail arranged with precision. She paused, then gave me a sheepish smile.
"I could go get it while you finish eating."
"No, if you go alone, everyone in class will start bombarding you with questions."
I held the last bun in my hands, glancing between it and Kiera. She wasn't wrong, the first day of school was always socially chaotic, or so I'd heard. Still, earning the twins' trust early on might be useful in the long run.
Kaiser had been playing on the field for a while. He wasn't hard to spot, chasing the ball across the court with relentless energy. It was like watching a machine, or a bear on the loose. Eventually he'd stop to eat, and maybe it'd be better if I were the one to bring him the food. That could be an excuse to get to know each other, or however youth nowdays made frinds.
To be honest, I had no idea what kind of reaction to expect. Human relationships were far more complicated than any mission briefing.
"You're going to lose your appetite if you keep glaring at that bun like you hate it."
I finally looked at her and let out a strangled laugh. I tore into the bread and raised my arms in mock triumph.
"No way that's happening," I said after swallowing the last bite. "Anyway, I should at least tell your brother his lunch is waiting in our classroom, right? I'll go. I doubt anyone will bother me on the field."
"Are you sure?"
"Just eat, I'll be fine."
With that, I headed toward the field. It wasn't far, a marble path separated the garden area from where we'd been sitting. The closer I got, the louder everything became: the shouting from the players, the cheers from the bleachers, the chatter between friends.
It was energetic. Overwhelming, but in a strangely alive way.
I stopped under the shade of a tree, waiting for the right moment to get Kaiser's attention. There was no fence dividing the bleachers from the field, just enough distance to keep them out of the way.
Some people on the benches were staring, but I ignored them and focused on the game.
From here, Kaiser didn't look like any normal seventeen-year-old. He was the talles among his teammates, lean beneath the loose uniform, but his arms betrayed a quiet strength. His hair was pitch black, unlike his sister's chestnut tone, and under the sun his skin had a faint caramel hue still paler than mine. His face was flushed from the heat and effort.
Then, our eyes met.
That same lifeless gaze again, neither threatening nor kind, just empty. I tilted my head slightly, signaling him to come over.
Before I could see if he'd noticed, the ball that had been at his feet flew straight toward me.
Even though I saw it coming, my body didn't react in time. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground with a heavy thud.
At first there was no pain, just a hot sting spreading from my nose across my face.Then came the blood.
The crowd swarmed closer, voices overlapping in a blur I couldn't make out. My ears were ringing, my vision smeared, faces bending and shifting until I felt nauseous. I covered my mouth, smearing blood over my hands.
Kaiser finally reached me, kneeling beside me to check my face. He apologized over and over, though it sounded more like he was talking to the onlookers than to me. He offered to take me to the infirmary, claiming he felt horribly guilty and didn't want to cause trouble.
I pushed myself up once the dizziness passed. I spat the blood pooling in my mouth and wiped my nose with the hem of my shirt.
"I'm fine. I can go by myself," I said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
I could've sworn he'd kicked that ball on purpose, so why did he look so miserable for?
He was still on his knees, staring up at me, bewildered.
"Your sister left your lunch in our classroom," I told him flatly. "Now move."
Kaiser raised an eyebrow, not in surprise, but in an odd amusement. He stood, extending a hand toward me with that unreadable expression I didn't care to analyze.
I didn't need to be friends with both of them. Hell, I didn't need to be friends with either, I could've just pretend to be a housekeeper for christ sake.
Before he could touch me, I smacked his hand away.
"I said move."
He froze for a moment, then to my surprise stepped aside.
The whispers started immediately.
"What's his problem? Treating Ryokkaku-san like that— so rude."
"Ugh, gaijins always think they're above everyone."
"How could he be so disgusting?"