The sky was a cold, steel-like blue-gray, vaguely reflected on the glass wall of the station.
Suddenly, a patch of white shadows drifted and moved, subconsciously making one feel that it was clouds floating in the streets, or flocks of pigeons passing by.
The "rumbling" sound of an aluminum-magnesium alloy suitcase rolling on the stone road with its universal wheels, then a linen-colored trench coat fluttered by, a black pleated skirt and a white puff-sleeve shirt; the quiet and cute girl slowly stopped her steps beside the glass wall.
Awa Subaru looked at the exquisite face close at hand, which was not inferior to any celebrity idol in TV programs, and her gloomy mood brightened slightly.
She took a deep breath, then dragged her suitcase and hailed a taxi on the side of the road.
"Hello, I want to go to Yongen-Jaya in Setagaya Ward."
"Hmm... Yongen-Jaya, that's a place with a lot of history. But as far as I know, there doesn't seem to be any very famous idol agency around there."
"I am not a debut artist."
"Oh, sorry, sorry, after all, young lady, you look very much like an idol." The driver looked like a very talkative man, probably in his early thirties. He turned on the meter. "It's quite a distance from here to Yongen-Jaya, the fare might be a bit high."
"I can afford it." Forget about the fare; if she could, Awa Subaru really wanted to see Kurusu Akira immediately.
Having received a positive reply, the taxi moved slowly along the road in front of the station, following the congested traffic.
Awa Subaru leaned her head against the car window; the scenery outside the window squirmed under the iron-curtain-like sky, connecting with the rolling green mountains in the distance, combined with the intermittent car horns around, creating a stuffy and chaotic atmosphere that made one feel annoyed.
It was like the noisy chatter of girls in the school building.
"Oh, it's that Awa… How does she still have the nerve to come to school?"
"I heard she's already been taken care of by a big shot…"
"Shhh! If she complains to her 'boss', you won't be able to get any roles later!"
"She's just relying on a pretty face, what's there to be so proud of…"
It was such undisguised mockery and sarcasm.
The minds of high school students are mostly like this, far more complex than those of elementary and middle school students. During their free time, they gradually come into contact with the atmosphere of society, and then, at this most unpredictable age, various clumsy and naive aspects of themselves hatch.
Diligent students may become lazy or even doubtful about perseverance. Wayward individuals will rebel against rules and bully others to gain the experience of a "successful person" in their minds, and become obsessed with the pleasure this experience brings. They will start forming cliques, rebelling against parents and teachers, and causing countless absurdities over the theme of love… Influenced by various over-secreted hormones during puberty, they begin to stage a series of comical or even foolish dramas on this stage called the campus.
To give an example using a popular phrase currently in high schools, "You really don't know how to read the atmosphere."
The demand to "read the atmosphere" is subtly caught between the Japanese cultural environment of "not bothering others" and the widespread workplace need to "integrate into the collective." When used in campus social settings, it is undoubtedly a form of coercion and threat. If orchestrated by popular individuals, it can even stir up a powerful trend, making most students believe and comply—the most common form of campus bullying breeds and thrives in such an atmosphere.
Awa Subaru carried her schoolbag, meeting the undisguised malicious gazes around her, feeling increasingly embarrassed.
After the time rewind, she finally understood her current situation.
She was suffering even worse treatment than "campus bullying orchestrated by popular individuals"—
The school's teachers and management were secretly manipulating student public opinion and deliberately inciting their emotions.
Because of this, the relationships with her usually close friends deteriorated in just a few days. Even people with normal values and upright beliefs could not help but gradually change their views under the pressure of such a large environment.
"Sharing Awa Subaru's scandals inside and outside of school" was such a trend, rampant in the art school due to the dirty and despicable methods of adults.
No wonder no matter how she reported the unrealistic rumors to teachers and discipline committee members, nothing was resolved. Even the teachers and student council members began to believe these rumors…
Even when her parents took time off work to visit the school, they only left with much sorrow and anger on their faces.
Awa Subaru took out her phone, opened the recording app, and prepared to call the police. Only then did she summon the courage to walk to the top floor of the school building and knock on the principal's office door.
Shinba Takakiyo had called her early in the morning, asking her to come to school.
If Kurusu Akira hadn't explained to Awa Subaru in the Palace that this principal was just an ordinary person in reality, and that there were no Persona users capable of wielding extraordinary powers in Shin Kawasaki Art School… she would never have dared to return to this school.
In the brightly lit office, the principal, dressed in a suit, got straight to the point, "Awa, regarding the rumors that have been bothering you recently, the school's investigation has made new progress."
Hearing this, Awa Subaru forced herself to remain calm, because this was a development she had not experienced before the time rewind.
Thinking of the advice from the black-haired, purple-eyed girl who also had the special ability of "time rewind," her eyes became increasingly nervous and cautious.
"Please explain in detail."
"It's like this… several students involved in the source of the rumors have powerful family backgrounds. It would be very troublesome for both the school and your family to deal with them. So, after communicating with your parents, we decided to offer you sufficient compensation and a suitable solution."
Shinba Takakiyo pulled open a drawer and took out two transfer application forms, placing them on the table.
"I also operate another high school in Tokyo where you can complete your remaining studies—as compensation, if you wish to pursue higher education, the school will help you secure a recommendation slot for the corresponding university. Of course, if you still insist on joining the entertainment industry according to your family's wishes, I will also contact major agencies on behalf of the school to help you apply for opportunities to visit and learn."
"Considering that you might face many inconveniences studying alone in Tokyo… we will waive all your tuition and miscellaneous fees for the next two years, and issue a 'student incentive grant' of 200,000 yen each semester."
Shinba Takakiyo made this explanation with a sincere expression.
Of course, he wasn't worried about the school's accounts being unable to explain the whereabouts of these funds… As the saying goes, just make those students who were supposed to receive scholarships suffer a bit.
Those who can study at Shujin are generally not struggling financially.
If scholarships aren't enough to balance the books, couldn't they just take another slice from the club funds?
Giving so much money to the twenty-odd clubs in the school every month was precisely to deal with emergencies like this.
Shinba Takakiyo, who prided himself as a businessman, was most skilled in the workplace technique of "making a big deal small, and a small deal disappear."
Awa Subaru looked at the transfer application form on the table, "Shujin Academy High School?"
Shinba Takakiyo added, "It's a private high school located near Shibuya Ward. The school has already communicated with your parents, and they have both agreed to this compensation plan. Now it's up to your personal thoughts."
"I also agree." Awa Subaru answered quickly, afraid the other party would change his mind.
If conditions allowed, she truly wished she had a "space teleportation" ability in addition to "time rewind," so she could immediately travel to Tokyo and seek refuge with that omnipotent Phantom Thief.
...
She passed through the bustling downtown area.
Outside the car window, a fine drizzle suddenly began to fall, quickly turning into a torrential downpour. The curtain of water separated heaven and earth, washing away the leaden clamor of the city.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
Large raindrops hammered down on the car roof, creating a dense, crisp sound.
After paying the fare to the driver, who wore white gloves and square-rimmed glasses, Awa Subaru pulled up the hood of her coat and, carrying her suitcase, began to run quickly down the street ahead.
Her tall boots splashed on the wet asphalt, and the omnidirectional wheels of her suitcase rumbled as they rolled.
Running alone down the winding paths of Yongen-Jaya, with the vast city sky as a backdrop, and the rain pouring down, she felt a surge of excitement and ambition, like leading an army across unfamiliar territory to conquer cities.
Having escaped the art school that held so many bad memories for her, and having fled Kawasaki, which was shrouded in the threat of death—Awa Subaru felt an unprecedented lightness, which made her steps light and swift.
A pale white light suddenly appeared in the sky, followed by a series of deafening thunderclaps.
The rain intensified instantly.
The flame of passion was extinguished in an instant, as a waterfall-like curtain of rain poured down, drenching the girl thoroughly.
Awa Subaru covered her forehead with one hand to shield herself from the rain, fleeing in utter disarray to the eaves of a nearby residence.
Her carefully styled hair and light makeup were a bit messy, her coat was soaked, crystal-clear water droplets clung to her skirt hem, dark water stains dotted her black pantyhose, and rain had seeped into her boots, making them uncomfortably damp.
She sighed heavily, then, holding up her skirt with one hand, she sat down irritatedly on the steps behind her. She took out her phone, which had water stains on the screen, from her pocket and found the user with the nickname "The great cosmic being is so scary" on Line.
Her exquisitely crafted suitcase was left to be drenched by the rain, testing its waterproof and sealing performance, like a product review for a blogger.
The eaves were too narrow, and rain kept blowing in, leaving dark water spots in front of her tall boots.
Her expensive pantyhose were soaked, and her boots felt damp inside, making the stockings cling tightly to her feet, creating a slippery, itchy, and greasy sensation that was uncomfortable.
Awa Subaru kept wiping the raindrops falling on her phone screen with her sleeve, her slender fingers tapping incessantly on the digital keyboard.
[Pleia: Phantom Thief, where are you?!]
[The great cosmic being is so scary: Just say what you need.]
[Pleia: It's raining heavily in Yongen-Jaya!]
[The great cosmic being is so scary: I know.]
[Pleia: I mean, can you please hurry and save me? My umbrella is in my suitcase.]
This message was immediately marked as "read," but no new reply came for a long time.
"You won't even look up at me."
Kurusu Akira's voice sounded above her head.
Awa Subaru instinctively looked up and saw a young man in white clothes, holding a large black umbrella, standing in front of her, leaning slightly forward, shielding her from the falling rain.
The young man was wearing a coffee shop uniform, a white shirt, and a black tie. His usually messy hair was carefully styled, and his thick, reflective glasses were removed, tied with a string, and hung around his collar. His posture was upright, and his back was perfectly straight. His unobstructed face, in the dimness of the downpour, elongated the shadows of his features, occasionally catching the lightning in the sky, revealing a breathtaking handsomeness.
His deep gray eyes were as clean and bright as a mirror, without the bold and flamboyant desires of a teenage boy his age, nor the greed fermented by alcohol that adult men often have, where even the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes seem to carry a hint of covetousness when they smile. Instead, they simply mirrored Awa Subaru's own eyes, allowing her to clearly see her current embarrassment, shyness, timidity, and an awkward sense of helplessness.
The young man stepped back, holding the umbrella, and the terrifyingly clean mirror moved away.
At this moment, accompanied by a rumbling thunder in the sky, lightning flashed, illuminating his figure in a stark white.
It was like a famous sword, painstakingly forged by a craftsman, plunged straight into the pouring rain. The snow-white, gleaming blade illuminated the shyness hidden deep in the girl's heart, making her heart pound like never before, a dull thumping sound like a drumbeat.
Kurusu Akira extended his hand to her, "Let's go together. I'll take you to the shop to sit for a bit. At least dry your hair, right? Otherwise, you'll get sick tomorrow."
Awa Subaru couldn't utter any words of refusal... To be precise, she had forgotten how to speak at that moment, and simply obediently placed her left hand in Kurusu Akira's palm.
Kurusu Akira subtly released her hand, instead gripping her slender wrist. "This rain is truly heavy."
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