Hound of the Dead Chapter 5: Meeting (Patreon)

Not beta read yet.

Have a surprise for y'all, not the extra Toloveru chapter/continuation of the latest chapter that I already talked about.

But another one that will be posted in a few minutes.

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-Tokonosu, Fujimi High School-


The atmosphere within the school ground was rather lively, the hoard of old faces coming to attend their second or third year with a new batch of new faces for the first year classes. Smiles and awe on some of their faces at the blooming Sakura trees perfectly planted all across the yard. 


Some of the teachers called for everyone to make their way to the gymnasium —where the entrance ceremony was about to start soon. 


Two of the teachers, notably being a black pinstripe suit young man. Having a white dress shirt inside his suit along with a yellow tie, along with black-framed glasses and brown dress shoes. Despite having the outward appearance of a fragile man, his outward looks attracted the attention of some of the female population. 


“This way please! Make sure you keep an orderly line and do not cause a ruckus!” Next to him stood Kyokou, attracting a similar kind of attention like her colleague from the male population instead, though her stern voice and glare quickly breaking them out of their daydreaming. 


All of this being watched from above by a pair of annoyed eyes gazing downwards, especially at the bespectacled man who had been a major source of all of her recent problems. The longer she looked, the more the frustration and disgust in her rose, especially at the googly eyes he kept from the new girls who had no idea the kind of snake hid beneath that mask of his. 


"Keep smiling, you slimy bastard, sooner or later you'll suffer because of your actions.” A death threat may sound to some, but it was more of a wish on her part. She doubted anything would happen to the son of a politician, unless one of his father's opposition got desperate and aimed for him. 


Best to put such thoughts at the back of her mind, “Just where the hell is he?" A few minutes had passed since she arrived and decided to make her way inside the empty building’s rooftops where everything was quiet. The stream of students was entering, but among the horde, she failed to identify a certain blue-haired Irishman. "He better not have decided to skip school on the first day! The entrance ceremony is just about to begin, I swear I'll drag him out of his room myself!” 


She knew his address, nothing was stopping her from breaking down his door if he intentionally didn't attend school without reason!


“Tch, not even picking up your phone, he probably forgot about it.” The girl growled while looking at the screen where the call continued to ring, the background image of a grinning Cu having both his hands wrapped around her and Igo. She recalled this being taken very recently, a day or two before the school started. 


“...” 


She found herself staring at the image for longer than she anticipated, noting every detail without even realizing. Whether it be out of boredom or curiosity she couldn't tell. “He definitely won't have any problem making friends here with that personality of his, probably end up ignoring me because of the rumors.” 


A doubt, a worry that continued to live rent free within her consciousness for a while, growing by the day and being far more obvious today for obvious reasons. This being a major reason why she wanted to be nearby, to avoid him misunderstanding something…


“Would he believe those rumors in the first place?” He did give the impression to not be a character who judged someone based on word of mouth from other strangers, or at least that was what she hoped without any assurance. 


There was still a high likelihood for him to keep his distance from her to avoid any problems.


“Just where the hell are you…” she whispered, sighing with her head resting against her palm. The lack of sleep having its effect on her mind due to stress, amongst other things.


"Is something bothering you, Rei?" .


“—!?” 


An unknown second voice spoke to her, surprising Rei as she quickly turned around and took a step back in sheer surprise at the presence of the woman she didn't expect to see here of all places, believing to be an empty spot. 


She was pretty sure there was no one here at first, so perhaps she just arrived? Strange, there was no sound of footsteps nor the door opening, yet here the girl stood holding her school bag in one hand and another bag the same length as a sword. 


"Busuji—?" 


“You can call me Saeko, Rei. Busujima sounds a bit too formal between us, don't you think?” Though she said with a friendly smile on her face, yet it was hard to acknowledge those words without feeling a tad bit awkward. 


“S-Saeko…-san?” 


“It's a start.” 


The purple-haired swordswoman now dressed in the school's traditional white and green uniform — with a pair of black pantyhose that gave her an allure even she grew jealous of like many others. The chances that the other party possibly heard her mumbling was not lost on her, making it even more embarrassing given who it was in the first place!


"A-Ah! Was I being too loud? Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll just leave." Quickly grabbing her bag, she tried to walk but only to have her path blocked by Saeko. “Eh?”


"Wait, it's fine, I just came here to get some fresh air. It was getting a bit stuffy down there with all those students and media. I'm glad to see you here as well to talk with."


Right, she nearly forgot about the presence of the media, journalists, and news reporters on school grounds. To many, it would have seemed odd, given this was a school. However, considering the type of students who attended this place and their parents, it made sense that these people would be interested in them. Especially when many among them were the children of politicians and wealthy business owners.


Case in point, the woman standing before her, as the Busujima clan held great fame and power for a long time and were a major presence in the city, having been around for centuries.


No wonder why these people would be very interested in her. 


“I completely forgot about them, but they'll leave in a few minutes. My guess is the principal will give a small speech, the same one he gives every year about how the school will strive to prosper and reach new heights. It's the same kind of bullshit made to satisfy these people before sending them away. There's no chance he'll let them hang around for long unless he doesn't want the parents to come knocking at his door." Given how much of a coward he was to even face Shido, despite being the principal he bowed down to the bastard's father like any other teacher here. 


"They certainly aren't the most well-liked people to have around."


"Did they try to interview you as well?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.


"They were. Remember, I just won the tournament a few days ago and I didn't exactly have the time to answer any questions back then." She said, walking near, her hands leaning against the metal rail as she looked downwards at the few remaining students walking inside the gymnasium. "Every day, they ask the same question and I give them the same answer. It tends to get tedious and repetitive. Lately, they keep asking for more and more personal questions, which is why it's better for me to avoid them from now on."


"Must be hard living like a true celebrity," Rei said with a small grin on her face, though she did feel a bit sorry for the woman.


"I wouldn't call myself a celebrity; these people just have too much time on their hands," Saeko  replied, which earned a light scoff, Rei rolled her eyes immediately upon hearing those words.


"You say that, but you truly are quite popular among the students. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a secret fan club dedicated to worshiping you like an idol." For a brief moment, Rei suspected she might have gotten a bit too rude with the girl. Just as she was about to apologize for her behavior, Saeko chuckled, surprising her. She wasn't sure if it was because Saeko found her joke funny or if she was simply being polite.


"You're not wrong about that, and I believe that club is called the Kendo Club. At least, that's what it turned into in the end."


"Seriously?"


Saeko shrugged without much of an expression. "Well, not all of them, but certainly the newcomers who only come there to do the bare minimum before quitting by the end of the semester. They stay through all of my practice matches just to watch and don't put in the effort in the slightest. Though it's a bit surprising you're asking me this question. Isn't it the same case for you?"


"Me?" Now it was Rei's turn to be a bit taken aback by her words, confused about what she meant and how to interpret that phrase. "Why would it be the same case for me?"


"Well, you certainly are quite popular yourself as well. It does help that you're one of the best sojutsu practitioners I know," she remarked, causing Rei's eyes to widen as she quickly shook her head. “You don't fall any short on the looks department either.” 


"No, that's not the case at all! You're thinking too highly of me," Rei responded hastily, wanting to dispel that idea before any misunderstandings arose. While it would have been nice if it were true, her current reputation was, at most, infamous due to Shido’s meddling. Many of the current students viewed her as a troublemaker, a slacker even, resulting in her repeating a year — certain it was going to get worse this year. Multiple condescending gazes were directed straight at her, and many others looked with fear.


Even those familiar with Shido's personality couldn't say or do anything to come to her aid. It's just that unfair, and it seems that perhaps Saeko wasn't completely in the loop about what happened yet. Though she knew it was just a matter of time.


"Perhaps in the past I was a bit popular, but it's nowhere near your level, and I'm definitely not the best when it comes to my spearmanship," she chuckled awkwardly. The last part hit closer to her heart due to recent events where, for the first time, she truly believed those words after being completely dominated by someone her age. 


Before meeting him, the young girl believed she had the talent to stand among the best spear practitioners in her age group. Not exactly the best, but definitely up there. However, meeting Cu threw that train of thoughts straight to the gutters, his actions had reminded her of the phrase that there was always someone better. 


‘Calling him better is an understatement, I haven't landed a single hit on him this entire time and he's not even taking me seriously, I can tell even if he tries to say otherwise.’ The boy always lied with a smile on his face about how she nearly got him at certain moments during their spars, clapping and cheering at her progress with genuine joy. 


Yet she wasn't dumb enough to not miss the amount of times he hesitated or lowered his speed to match hers. 


"I believe you're being humble, though I won't push the matter anymore," the person next to her said gently, and she didn't bother stating that it was not out of humbleness in the least. 


After that, both continued to stand near the metal rail and look down until they watched the group of journalists leave the school premises, escorted outside by both the gym teacher who held an annoyed face. His tall and muscular frame stood imposingly in front of the crowd who kept insisting on staying for a bit longer but ultimately failing. 


"Finally, they're gone. I think we should go to the gymnasium now, it's almost time..” 


“Of course, though before that. I have something to ask you, Rei. You were present amongst the spectators during the kendo tournament, right?”


Saeko’s words initially caused a sense of surprise to show on Rei's face, having not been aware that the former had spotted her amongst the boisterous crowd, especially when she was wearing a helmet the entire time. Though there was something in her tone that sounded odd, it almost felt like a sudden interrogation… those blue eyes staring back with a bit more fervor. 


No, she was just imagining things.


"Ah, you actually saw me back then? Hehehe, yeah, I came over with a friend to watch the tournament. It was great and you performed amazingly!* 


"That's very kind of you, perhaps he's already inside, it's not easy for newcomers to get lost with so many teachers and signs around." Saeko pointed out, to which Rei took a few seconds to answer before nodding her head.


"You're right. I'm still a bit surprised that you actually noticed me among the crowd of hundreds, if not thousands of people back then. Didn't think I was wearing any bright outfit," she remarked, trying to make light of the situation, eliciting a small chuckle from Saeko, who shook her head.


"It was your hair, actually, but that's beside the point. Thank you for your support. It's nice to know you were there to watch my match.” 


Rei now felt even weirder than usual. She and Saeko had barely talked in the past, maybe engaging in a conversation or two whenever they crossed paths, but nothing beyond that. Calling themselves friends would be a stretch in her opinion. Therefore, the overly friendly and polite way Saeko was currently speaking with her felt very foreign and suspicious to some degree, and she didn't know how to interpret without being a jerk.


"Don't mention it. I was just glad to be there," Rei responded, trying to keep the tone casual.


"And if I remember correctly, you weren't alone that time." 


There it was again, if the entire conversation they had before felt similar to light greeting, then the question now felt more like she was inside an interrogation room with the light being aimed straight at her face. All of this happening despite the person talking had the same gentle smile and tone, a strange sensation she was having a hard time making sense of.


"I didn't recognize that boy from our school. Is he from another one? I didn't know you were in a relationship, color me surprised.”


Instantly, Rei wanted to vehemently shake her head but calmed down at the last second. "No, no, no, no, no! That's not the case, haha. He's just a friend I made recently. We were supposed to be three in our group, but the third member canceled at the last minute because he fell sick. We didn't want to miss the tournament, so we came nonetheless — he's really not my boyfriend.” 


Why did everyone keep misunderstanding her relationship with him!? She dreaded imagining the headache her mom and dad would experience if they reached a similar conclusion just by seeing them hang out once! 


“But yes, he's a new student here and just came from Ireland. As you might expect, he's not familiar with the Japanese school system. So, I decided to help him and guide him around the place to make sure he doesn't get lost. I can't believe I couldn't find him. That boy better not have stayed home and skipped his first day.”


“You seemed to get along well enough. And from Ireland huh, he's probably the only foreigner in this school.” 


“For someone who grew up in Ireland his entire life, he certainly speaks perfect Japanese without even an accent — at least most of the time. I found him… no, he found me a few days ago near the river shore and decided to be a bit of a jerk. It was a bit chaotic.” 


She couldn't help but smile when she thought about their first meeting. For someone so loud and brash, he was a surprisingly good teacher. Able to make her realize that she had made more progress with her spearmanship under his guidance than she had in months at the dojo. Their practice sessions were going so well that Rei started to question why she still had plans to join an extracurricular club in the first place. 


The fact that it would prove to be nothing but a waste of time under the teachings of a teacher who most likely followed Shido's orders as well, hoping to make her life miserable. She doubted anyone else could challenge her or teach her something she didn't already know from his instruction.


On the other hand, Saeko carefully observed Rei's expression without saying anything, before humming thoughtfully. "Is that so? From the looks of it, you two seem to be quite good friends. Not something you would expect from someone you've only known for a few days."


"You're not the only one to say that," Rei sighed. Even Igo commented on their closeness recently, they hung out a couple of times and nearly the same words Saeko spoke came out of his mouth. "He's just a super friendly guy. It's hard to treat him like a stranger, and I don't know, you tend to forget that you just met him recently. He's very stubborn and loud, too… behaving like that with nearly everyone as if he knew them for a while. I had to stop him from visiting my parents twice just because he wanted to say hi for no reason at all." 


The same even applied to Igo. From what she heard, the blue-haired Irishman had already met that boy's mother and even helped her with grocery shopping, all without Igo even knowing. Cu initially came over to his house early due to some arrangements they had, but ended up meeting his parents instead who took a liking to him. 


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This was taking too long.


Finding Rei took a while, thankfully she managed to have some of the students help out about the girl's location. She hadn't expected it to be the rooftop, though it made sense as it gave a clear view of the ground below without anyone present to cause unnecessary amounts of noise. 


Quiet and peaceful.


The conversation started light, nothing but an exchange of pleasantries which started to become a bit too much with how little time remained. She'd hoped the girl would be accompanied by the foreigner boy, it would have been a good chance to introduce herself with Rei vouching for her. Oh well, nothing to cry about, there were bound to be more opportunities later. 


Regardless, best to hurry it up.


"That is quite an interesting character. But aside from all that, he seems to be rather interested in my match. Is he perhaps interested in kendo?" Saeko finally asked the question that had been on her mind for a while. 


The scene of the ‘spar’ between these two replayed in her mind. Someone like him certainly had plenty of experience and was an ideal candidate to join the Kendo Club.


"That's an understatement," Rei answered with a soft sigh. "Remember when I told you about how our first meeting went? Well, a couple of days ago, I got kicked out…" 


Bit by bit, she retold the entire story of the day she got kicked out of her dojo, meeting him by pure chance, and the interaction that followed. A strange light flashed in Saeko's eyes as she continued to listen, watching Rei recount her experiences with the boy up until very recently. "Interesting, very interesting. Do you think he would be interested in kendo?"


"Kendo? I'm not sure. He's kind of a monster with the spear, so I wouldn't bet much on him being familiar with the sword — I don't think he has much time to practice with it. But he's a freak of nature as far as I know, and a complete meathead. I wouldn't be surprised if he either knew a bit of swordplay or was willing to learn more." 


That was good enough, even if he never practiced with the blade, Saeko was willing to potentially have him try it out and see how it goes from there. Then again, she didn't care whether he held a sword or a spear, only wanting to have a singular spar once and see if what she'd seen back then was either a fluke or he truly had something to show.


"He is a bit eccentric, but he has a good heart."


"Perhaps we should meet."


“Eh?” 


{Break}


(On the other side of school grounds)


"And get this, this man, without any care for his own safety, actually jumped off the bridge into the river with little to no hesitation just because he lost something stupid!"


A singular voice spoke out loud on the rooftop of the building adjacent to where Saeko and Rei were, three boys casually sitting on the ground with an empty bag of chips and discarded wrappers. 


"Don't call it stupid! That lunch box was made by your Ma for ya! It would have been a tragedy to let such a wonderful gift go to waste just because you didn't pay attention and tripped. Good thing the food didn't get wet."


"Stop bringing that up, dude. Why did she even make food for you as well in the first place? She insisted I bring a bento box for you as well today… the hell did happen between you two?”


“Eh? Ah! Hahaha! Sorry about that, I just told her that her cooking reminded me of my own Ma and it tasted better than most things I had here. Guess she liked the compliments.” 


Igo, rather than believing the blue haired individual just stared at him with a suspicious look. “Now that I think about it, you look a lot like an actor she likes to watch a lot. She better not start asking me to bring you home frequently… dad won't like it one bit.” 


“Nah, you're overthinking it.” 


The students were talking amongst themselves, one with a giant smile on his face, one with a blank expression who was unsure how to participate in the conversation while the last one continued to glare at the first. Throwing the same gaze at his newly made friend, full of suspicion. "You better not be trying to do something that will force me to put you six feet under. I'd like you to know that my mom is happily married and is not searching for a fling with a high school kid. And I'm not trying to get a new father-in-law," 


A chain of coughing coming from Cu and Takashi at the same time, both nearly choking from those words that came out of nowhere. The two boys looking back at their friend who just finished the bag of chips before dusting away the crumbs on his shirt. Picking the weird atmosphere, he looked back at the two who kept staring at him with blank stares.


“What?” 


“You certainly have quite the imagination, kid.” 


“You're my age, Cu.” 


Their conversation had started a couple of minutes ago after Igo brought him to the rooftop to meet a certain boy he had encountered a while ago. It was immediately clear to Cu that something didn’t sit well with the young boy as they exchanged glances. Even in just a few minutes of interaction, this point was obvious along with the constant hanging silence that filled the air as topics about hanging out with Rei kept popping up. But he didn’t comment on them once and just let Igo speak. Takashi did the same, continuing listening to the conversation as normal without much of a change on his face.


Sometimes chiming in with a word or two.


Something that even Igo sensed and then scratched his head awkwardly.


"I didn’t know you two were that close," Takashi commented finally, speaking a full sentence for the first time with a curious tone as he looked between both boys. "You just met him, didn’t you?"


"Yep, just a few days ago, and it seems that you’re familiar with him as well," Igo noted, having not missed the occasional tension between the two.


“We sure did. Loved boy here was practically treating me as compe—" Cu didn’t even get the time to finish his sentence before a hand covered his mouth. The black haired teen looked at him with a deep frown and quickly said,


"We crossed paths at the local convenience store, I was just a bit wary of him since he wasn't wearing a shirt." The eyes conveyed clear intent to just go with the story, a sentiment Cu decided to just follow along without any issue. If the boy didn't want him to mention the details then so be it.


“Before you ask why I didn't have any shirt on, I gave it to a friend who fell into a river and make sure she doesn't catch a cold. As for seeing this lad over here, unfortunately we didn’t get much of an opportunity to make friends with him," he said, purposely avoiding any mention of Rei’s name given the kind of reaction she had provoked previously. “But this will change now that we are attending the same school. Treat me well kid!” 


“Why are you even calling me a kid as well?” 


Igo rolled his eyes, “At least I'm not the only one he keeps calling that. Anyways, Takashi is a great friend of mine, so if you need any help or assistance of any kind, you can ask either of us.” With that said, their conversation was interrupted by the school bell ringing. Seeing how it was nearly time to attend the entrance ceremony, the boys had to leave sooner than later. 


"Would you look at that, I guess we should hurry downstairs before the teachers catch us here and give us detention on the first day," Igo said before running out the door, leaving behind Takashi and Cu. The former attempted to walk out before being stopped by a hand pressing against his shoulder.


"Huh?" He looked back, a clear sense of apprehension in his movements that was not missed by the former Servant of the Lance, these traits making his expression show up as one that was neither smiling nor showing any signs of anger—just an emotionless face with an intense stare that made the person before him uncomfortable.


"You know, unlike other people who might enjoy long-winded drama or to play with one's emotions, I’m not a fan of such things and prefer there to be none between us." Cu said clearly, taking his hands off of Takashi and stuffing them inside his pockets. His words took Takashi by surprise, as he wasn’t expecting such a sudden change in his behavior. “I can understand the wariness, but you'll need to drop that soon enough as it's just a waste of time.”


"I-I don’t know what you mean," Takashi said defensively, but his attitude failed to fool anyone in the least. 


"In our previous conversation, I believe I made it clear that I’m not after the young lass. I’ve said this to you and your friend over there… multiple times even for that guy. I really hope both of you got the message and don’t keep assuming that I’m trying to get into her pants or something." Once again, his straightforward words caught Takashi off guard, the latter part especially making him blush slightly before frowning.


"What the hell are you saying!? I don't understand what you're trying to—" Before he could finish, the blue haired Irishman extended his palm over his face to shut him up, rolling his eyes already knowing the kind of answer the boy would give.


"I’m really not interested in her, lad. Not trying to be together with Rei; that’s not what I’m after and neither is she clearly. Listen, I’m not your enemy, quite the opposite, I’d like us to be friends, you know. So rest assured, go after her, pursue that lass all you want, and use whatever tricks you have up your sleeve! You already are in a race against your friend Igo over there, so don’t waste your time with uncertainties, young man, you'll just end up regretting them years down the line." 


Even though they didn't have much of an interaction in the past, he still believed the boy to be one with a good heart. Jealousy existed in any person's heart, especially the young ones. So he didn't have much of a bad impression or any problems with the boy in the least. “Cheer up!” Cu said with a grin on his face, gently slapping Takashi on the back. 


“Wah!” 


Though he didn’t put much strength behind the action, it still stung, causing the young man to let out a small cry of pain and quickly back away while glaring at him. 


“That hurts!” 


"Hehehehe, sorry about that! It’s just a small back slap; you're a man enough to take it. Anyways, you can see me as her training partner. We’re friends who just share a hobby and love for spearmanship, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t see me like that in the first place, or else I would have known." Her feisty attitude did remind him of some of the girls in his old life, but unlike his past self — he wasn't trying to drop her on his bed anytime soon.


This time, Takashi started to growl, his hands clenched into a fist. Though he looked and felt as threatening as a puppy, "I told you already, that’s not what I’m after! You’re misunderstanding things! And it doesn't even matter, Rei herself isn't interested in me anymore, she even forgot our promis—" 


At the very last moment, he went quiet, not even finishing his phrase as something seemed to have dawned upon him. Frustration grew within his eyes as his head lowered into a myriad of emotions. “It's nothing, forget about it.” 


There certainly was some part history between the two, Cu was not the least bit convinced by Takashi’s words, even the Emiya boy was a better liar… not that he ever bothered to do so. He looked at him dryly, resisting the urge to sigh. “Look, I won't pry nor am I interested in any of your history with Rei. But as a gesture of goodwill because I know you are most likely unaware of it, but the gal has more than one pursuer that is totally not just you. Your friend has some feelings, and if you are truly not interested in her then you better wish him the best.”


"Wait, Igo is after Rei?"


“Is it that big of a surprise?” He asked back, stretching his back hearing a couple of cracks popping in his joints. “You two are best friends from the looks of it, and you never had an inkling?” 


“...” 


His silence was quite telling, giving him all the answers he needed. Massaging his temples, Cu reminded himself that he was dealing with a rather dense-headed individual who was either in denial or just plain clueless. But he had to give him a break, without much information about what happened between them in the past he couldn't say much.


"I mean, the signs are all there. You've known him longer than me, and you seriously didn't expect a girl with her looks wouldn't attract some attention? That's why I'm telling you to shoot your shot before it's too late. Take this as advice from someone who wants to be friends. I'm wishing you good luck!" He tapped the boy on the back, but Takashi quickly dodged, still feeling the pain from the last one. 


His action made Cu laugh out loud, giving him a big thumbs up. "I like you, kid. You may seem like the quiet sort, but I can tell you have that fire in your eyes. Even your friend Igo said the same thing about you. We might have started off on the wrong foot, but I genuinely hope to become friends with you and everyone else. If you need any more advice or help related to combat, let me know."


His ears twitched as the sound of the bell ringing swept across the schoolyard, a sign that the ceremony was about to start in a matter of minutes. "Right, I'll leave first then," he said, waving his hands at Takashi, who hadn't said a thing and instead looked down at the ground, swimming in his thoughts. It didn’t take much to figure out what was occupying his mind; he was a love-struck boy just like his best friend, both going after Rei, though Takashi seemed to have some conflict within his heart. 


"Tch, I've lived a long life, but it's best I don't get involved much with these puppy loves — they tend to be far more troublesome than anything I dealt with on the battlefield. It's the season after all, and things will sort themselves out eventually. Hopefully, I don't need to intervene," he thought. Having lived long enough to know that some matters just didn't require much of his attention despite how dire or stressful they might seem to others. So he was content to sit by the sidelines. "Alright, I should have told him to just ask Rei why she was acting differently with him and such. Oh well, nothing to be done about that."


He swept those thoughts to the back of his mind and continued to walk down the hallway, his eyes passing by the windows, making him peek inside the empty classrooms. "Kyokou was correct, these Japanese schools have ridiculously well-maintained and clean classrooms," he mused. Not that the establishments in his hometown weren't good, but this was different and brought a sense of nostalgia as he recalled his previous summoning. "Hopefully, I hope to not find myself fighting other Servants here. Who am I kidding? Wouldn't be half bad going against one in my current state, it's more fun." 


Did he have a chance to face an average Servant with his current human body… Of course not, he wasn't that ignorant of his own current limitations and the power he wielded as a Lancer. Then again, when did that ever make him fear the outcome of a battle? But honestly, such a fight, regardless of how short it might be, promised to be a wonderful time. 


He just didn’t know if it would ever happen anytime soon, not like he could recreate the Holy Grail War in this world. 


And he wasn't so desperate and twisted to even contemplate trying.


"Hm?" Just as he was about to step down the stairs, his ears perked up at the sound of mumbling, laughing and someone kicking a door loudly. 


“Come on, let's leave quickly before the teacher spots us!” Two students rushed past him, not even paying any attention to his presence and storming out of the building before he could even ask what happened. Yet the sound of someone kicking the door did not stop, only growing in volume. Wondering what it was, he followed the sound until its source, approaching the end of the hallway in a matter of seconds. Walking until he found himself standing in front of a. No, it was not an office but rather a closet at the very end of the hallway. The sound grew louder and louder until he found himself facing a door. 


“The storage room huh.”


"Let me out! I'm going to be late! Is anyone there?" The voice of a young boy howled, desperately trying to open the door, which was blocked by a chair placed under its handle. With each push and bang, it made little difference. "Come on, guys, it's not funny! You said it was just a small prank, so let me out now! It was funny at first, but now it isn't! Guys?" he asked again, yet it was clear that no one was on the other side to answer him except him. 


The latter looked at the broom placed right between the door handle and the corner and it was nearly impossible to open without breaking something with a head tilt, fairly certain he had an idea of what happened here, or at least he thought he did. 


"You okay there?" Cu decided it would be best to make his presence known, knocking on the door a couple of times. The boy inside stopped trying to open or break its door, most likely overjoyed that he wasn't alone.


"Someone's there!" The boy on the other side exclaimed, pure joy evident in his tone. “I'm so glad, I thought I'd have to wait here for hours until one of the teachers arrives and helps me!” Taking away the broom, Cu opened the door to find a rather distressed young man, doused in water with his uniform in complete disorder. Short and overweight, dark brown hair color along with a visible shirt of an anime character beneath his undone uniform. The latter cleaned his glasses with a piece of fabric before putting them on and finally meeting his savior's gaze. 


“You’re the one who helped me?” 


“Sorry to crush your dreams buddy, I'm no prince charming riding in his perfect white horse.” 


“A-Ah, that's not what I meant! Thanks a lot. I thought I would need to wait for a teacher to come and help me.” 


No signs of any wounds other than a few minor bruises on his face, most likely got punched by the two students who ran past him.


"You know, the last thing I expected to see in a place described to be a prestigious school was someone getting bullied on their first day and getting locked inside a storage room for no particular reason. You sure became a target fast." He did not know how else to phrase it, but it was clear the boy was not saddened or distraught by what happened to him. Instead, he looked back with an easygoing smile. "Here, get up on your feet if ya still can." 


“Hehe, won't worry, my body can withstand a lot the way it is. It's its own natural tactical armor of grease!” 


“Hahahaha! Fair enough, though it makes you an easier target.” 


He extended his hand, and the boy took it before being swiftly pulled up. "You sure are quite heavy," Cu said jokingly, to which the boy laughed a bit. "What kind of mess did you get yourself into to get bullied on your first day? Don't tell me it's because of your weight. That would be rather sad if it were the case, it'd expect more from the students here after all the praising Kyokou kept doing for the past few months. But before that, the name is Cu."


“K-Kohta Hirano, nice to meet you… Cu. Also, it's not that, or at least partially not that. They were students from my old middle school. We transferred to the same high school, and they wanted to play a prank on me since I kept ignoring them. Though they tend to lose interest quickly, so I doubt they'll do it again." 


In this scenario, Cu couldn't exactly offer his own uniform to the boy. One reason being it would perhaps be too small to fit, and another being the chances of him getting into trouble wandering around topless again could cause Kyoko to suffer another burst of headaches and he promised to stay under the radar. “Is that so… then I hope you're right. If not then come to me and I'll give em a word. I'm not much of a fan of these kinds of people in the first place, not in the least.” 


Though it was a long time ago, his distaste for the Matou boy hadn't subsided completely. Such students making his mind recall how the boy himself behaved rather similarly for the little time he interacted with him. 


“But something tells me you're not so defenseless yourself.” He commented, still gripping Kohta’s hands before turning it around to expose a number of calluses. “A rather raw blister in the middle of your thumb and index, what kind of weapon have you started using?” 


This being just one of the interesting traits he noticed upon contact, “A strong grip, and you're packing some muscles in his forearm. If I were to make a guess I'd say Judo? Though I think I'm probably wrong, not a detective.” 


“Woah, you got that from just a handshake!? That's cool bro! And yeah, I just returned from training how to handle guns in a military camp in the United States! You like guns?” 


“Eh, guns? Never tried it, I'm more of a spear guy myself. But that's amazing nonetheless! Tell me more about these guns! Wait, we don't have much time. How about this, tell me about them while on our way to the gymnasium. Also if the other brats try to do anything again then they'll have to deal with me first." 


He was genuinely curious about these types of modern weapons. Though they paled in comparison to his runes and magecraft in general, it was still he found himself interested to know about. 


"You really mean it? I can, but of course!” 


.


.


.


The entrance ceremony was rather bland. After escorting Kohta to where everyone was, Cu just sat down in an open seat at the back and listened to the entire speech given by the principal. The longer it went on, the harder it become to pay much attention with the same thing being repeated again and again. Afterwards becoming too lazy to pay anymore attention he kep quiet and let his thoughts wander, to some who believed he'd dosed off did not bother to disrupt hi—


“—You! Have some respect and don't fall asleep in the middle of the principal's speech!” A harsh voice whispered right next to him, the annoyance in the girl's voice being something he was not prepared to hear. 


A pink haired gal, having a twin-tailed hairstyle, glasses and a figure that even surpassed even Kyouko’s. 


His confused face only making her scoff, looking away with her hands folded. “This school's standard really went down the drain with people like you being allowed to attend.” 


She certainly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Yet just for a second, the familiar face of a certain annoying Archer’s Master appeared before his eyes. “Well would you look at that, all that is missing is a red-headed brat and we have a pair.” He whispered silently enough that she wouldn't hear it, yet somehow the smile on his face seemed to have somehow offended the girl who now sent him a gaze filled with scorn before ignoring him completely. 


Shrugging at the random interaction, he went back to closing his eyes. 


“Why you…!” 


For the next hour, he stayed in that state while the principal and other teachers gave their speeches. Having only listen attentively when it was Kyokou's turn to speak to the student population. A grin etching on her face at the stern and strict tone she showed up there. ‘She spend the past few days writing and tossing so many speeches that it filled the entire trashcan, stressing about not sounding good enough yet here she is killing it.’ 


Comments about how stunning she looked were passed around from the boys around him, Kohta himself not so secretly staring at her chest where the fabric struggled to not tear apart. After everything was said and done, they were tasked to find their classroom to be introduced to the curriculum. 


All of which made the day go by in a flash.


"You ghosted me.”


Just as he was about to choose a perfect spot at the back of the classroom for some privacy, he was confronted by a calm Rei… or rather that tried to hide her anger but failed with that scary look in her eyes. "Where the hell were you this whole time!? I was searching for you everywhere, and you weren't even picking up my calls!"


So much for a calm approach. 


He raised his hands in mock defeat, knowing that whatever he said would only fuel her anger. With an awkward smile, he tried to calm her down. "Hey, hey, no need for all that anger, Rei. I was just catching up with Igo and Takashi, it's been a while since I talked to the latter. We had some catching up to do, and Igo really wanted me to introduce him for a while. We were just chilling on the rooftop, and even had a few snacks while at it."


Unfortunately, his words were met with a red face trying to hold in her anger. "You were up there the entire time? I should have known! I should have known when Igo wasn't answering my calls either. I thought both of you decided to stay home…” 


“Now you found me, looking forward to studying with you, Rei-sensei. Time for you to become my teacher and show me the ropes with such things. Japanese History already looks like a pain to memorize.” The moment he said that, the girl froze for a second, a sense of incredulity filling her body at what he said most likely and he honestly had a hard time holding back his laugh. 


“Y-You… w-what—”


“I'm fine with most of the other subjects, I may not look like it but I have a knack for learning if I actually try. But I'm no genius, so I still need some help.” 


His teacher would have looked at him with pure disbelief if she saw him actually trying to study like this rather than getting drunk in a pub or just looking for a new challenge. Not like he didn't miss those moments, he certainly did and got some amount of enjoyment with their little spars… though she still had a rather long way to go. But it was peaceful, that was what mattered to the Hound of Ulster, no crazy infatuated queen after him, no neverending armies to defend again until his dying breath and finally none of that convoluted Holy Grail War. 


A small break as he liked to think, that Archer would have also enjoyed having such a life. Though knowing him, the man would have found some way to get on his nerves with his lies and secrets. 


“So, you're up for the challenge? I can always ask Igo. Though there also Momo and—” 


“—I’ll help!” Her hands came down on his table hard, the noise causing a small commotion which drew a few gazes towards them. Rei, going completely red from embarrassment, looked away and focused on him while he shrugged. 


“Not my fault. Still, rather enthusiastic for such a small thing.” 


With his eyebrows raised, the man waited for an answer to which she silently whispered while her eyes remained hidden behind her hair briefly. 


“I think it's fair for me to give you back something for your help with my practices. That's it.” 


Oh, the rare shy side of hers managed to peak its head for a brief moment. Such a shame he forgot his phone, or else he could have taken a picture just to rub it to her face later as entertainment. 


“You're a strange firecracker aren't ya.” 


{Break}


(Evening)


"It's almost time."


With the sky now bathed in an orange hue, Kyoko placed her bag inside her car while checking the time on her watch. It had been a long day, and with the new school year starting, it was nearly evening due to all the work that had to be done. Some of the students, both new and old, were becoming more unruly each passing year in her opinion, no longer afraid of the authority figures — including the principal himself. Their background most likely played a large role with this, to the point she had boys in her class openly leer at her body without fear. 


The woman hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with any incidents or cases of extreme violence within students so early in the year. If the media ever found out, it would be a nightmare for her mental state and involve countless hours of work to cover it up.


Hopefully, Seth wouldn’t associate himself with those kids. He might seem rough and give the wrong impression, but she had quickly learned that he had a kind soul… somehow. Just as his mother had told her, he might act easy going most of the time, but he was surprisingly mature when it mattered. 


“Did he perhaps get lost?” she wondered aloud, having been waiting for the boy for the last ten minutes. Her stomach pleaded with her to get some food as she hadn’t eaten much the day before due to stress. Now that some of the stress had subsided, her hunger returned with a vengeance.


“Ah, Kyoko-san!”


“Oh, Shido-san.” It was an unexpected turn of events. The bespectacled teacher wasn't prepared to be approached by one of her colleagues right now. Looking towards the youngest teacher at the school, who had most likely finished his duties of the day as well. “I hope your day went well. It was rather chaotic today.”


“Indeed, the new students are certainly quite energetic and have a lot to prove if they want to succeed in this school. I wish them the best, and I know we will both try our best to teach them as much as we can,” he spoke politely, the same simple smile on his face. “You must be hungry. It’s already nearly evening, and I know a good place nearby. I’m inviting my fellow colleagues to a celebration, and I was hoping you would join us as well. I'm certain you have heard of the Green Jade.”


That was a surprise. She didn’t know whether to feel flattered or uncertain about the invitation. “The Green Jade? Isn't that place near the red light district…”


“Hahaha, you are more clever than I thought, Kyouko-san. That place no longer is related to that side of town and has been bought by my my father, who came to own it rather recently and plans to turn it into a respectable establishment. So he told me I could invite a few of my colleagues to celebrate. What better moment than this?”


That made it trickier to answer. His father, Ichirou Shido, was currently running for cabinet minister if she recalled, doing plenty of different campaigns to acquire votes while maintaining a constant public image. “I’m not so sure. I believe it may not be appropriate for us teachers to be seen alongside your father during such a time. It may cause misunderstandings that are best avoided.”


“Oh, but I insist, Kyoko-san.” He opened his arms with a welcoming gesture. “You are one of the most hardworking teachers I know, and both my father and I are really impressed by your dedication. Especially recently, I heard you even helped a rather gifted foreign student attend our school.”


“—!” 


Kyoko felt her palms start to sweat, clenching unconsciously due to nervousness. The fact that she had helped Seth get accepted into the school despite his lacking grades and funds should have only been known by the principal and his secretary. The fact that Shido knew this information so early was rather worrying, but he didn’t seem angered or displeased by her actions.


“Oh, please do not worry. I believe you have done something excellent as it bolsters our school’s reputation further. Having more students from outside willing to try their hardest to gain a spot is something that will earn a lot of attention from the media. This, along with your name and fame as a teacher, will be known across the town. It’s only a matter of time before you get a promotion. I’m sure my father can put in a good word with the mayor to expedite the process.”


“I-I’m not sure what to say.” She was tired, famished, and wanted to sleep badly. Not exactly in the best state to deal with politics of all things. But now that she thought about it, saying no might not be a good idea. ‘He is the politician's son at the end of the day. If I decline him, it may come off as rude and cause trouble between me and him.”


What a conundrum. “How many people will be attending this party again?” she asked weakly, hoping to find some reasonable excuse to decline his invitation.


Instead the man’s smile grew. “Please do not worry about such things. We can go there right now and be the first to arrive. My father and his sponsors are waiting there for us. We can join them and wait for the others to come later. Among the guests is the minister of education’s secretary. It is quite rare to approach him in any circumstances, and maybe you can use this opportunity to strike up a conversation.”


He walked closer, extended his hand towards her, his smile contentiously growing bigger and now resembled a smirk when seeing her hesitating. Kyoko knew that saying no in any way now would sound very rude regardless of what excuse she came up with. ‘Maybe I can stop by for an hour, share a few drinks, and return before it gets too late. It will just be a small courtesy exchange of greetings and nothing more,’ she thought, convincing herself that perhaps she was overthinking the entire scenario.


Just as her hand was about to agree to his proposal, a high-pitched sound reached their ears and then was instantly followed by a loud crash behind Shido, with the windshield of a black sedan showing a pebble sized hole in the middle with spiderwebs cracks all over with another similar hole on the rear window glass. 


“My car!” his face changed from that of a joyful smile to one of horror. He ran away from his previous position towards his car to inspect the damage. “What the hell happened!? Who did this? Which one of you fucking brats did this? State your name now!” he roared with anger, glaring at the passing students who were making their way towards the gate. All of them were taken aback by his shouts, and none said a word, which only made Shido’s face grow redder. 


Wanting to calm the man down, Kyouko was about to head over. “A-Ah, Shid—” Until another hand came and rested upon her shoulder, jolting her for a brief moment, but the woman managed to calm down when a lock of blue hair came into her vision. Cu stood casually behind her with his bag slung over his back. “When did you get here?” she asked, clear shock written on her face. She hadn’t seen the boy walk over to them at any point!


“We should get going. The food I made this morning will probably turn bad if we don't hurry and heat it up. I can tell by your face that you could probably eat an entire horse right now,” the man said casually, opening the door to her car and helping her put her bag inside and dangling a pair of keys before her face. “Mind if I drive? It's been a while since I've been behind the wheel, and I can assure you that you won’t find a better driver in this entire town than me.”


Snapping back to reality, she instantly snatched the keys away from his hand before getting inside the car, making the boy chuckle at her rather cute and horrified reaction. Walking to the other side, he opened the passenger door and got inside. “...” Though for a singular moment, his amused eyes turned into a serene crimson, observing the still shouting male teacher, who was on his phone. 


With the engine coming to life, both he and Kyoko left the school premises while his eyes stayed locked onto Shido. “Remind me, what kind of person is this Shido?” he asked calmly along the way back, remembering everything Rei had said to him thus far. Details he never dismissed.


“Shido-sensei? Don’t get into any trouble with him now, Seth. He is a highly acclaimed teacher with connections to politicians. Despite his status, he is still a sincere and hardworking teacher.” She warned him, her focus on the road the entire time.


“Hardworking, huh?” he repeated her words with a whisper, his eyes now looking down at the road before him. “Those definitely weren't the intention of a sincere man.”


Perhaps it'd be better to keep an eye on that man, too bad he didn't have class with him today to get a better look at his personality.