"Hey, did you hear?" one boy whispered to another.
"Yeah," said the other boy. "There was another fire the other day."
"Another one!?" exclaimed a third.
The first boy nodded his head and said, "Uh-huh. It was on the news this morning. They're starting to think that we've got a serial arsonist running around the neighborhood."
The second boy groaned in disgust. "Ugh! First we got the Piper roaming around our doorstep. Now we have an arsonist lighting up our houses?"
"Well, technically, no one's house got lighted up," said the first boy.
"It's just a matter of time, though," said the second boy. "I mean, it's always the same with these kinds of things. First it's garbage. Next, it'll be a surprise on the street. And then finally, someone's house gets burnt down."
Right in front of me, my partner trembled in aggravation. He couldn't take the whispering anymore and snapped at the three boys, "Hey! If you got time to flap those lips of yours, use it to spar! We've only got a couple of days before the tournament!"
That's right. It's only a few days before the big Kendo tournament, which our school's Kendo club will be a part of. That's why the leader of the Kendo club asked the Community Service Club to help with training, and Mirai accepted, which is why I'm here in the gymnasium, dressed in black armor, holding a bamboo sword in front of me as another boy in the same kind of armor, with the same kind of sword, attacked me with gusto.
Being an amateur of the sword, I don't believe I could ever be a good training partner for someone aiming for gold at a tournament, but Mirai was adamant about making me take part. I'd like to think I improved over time, but I was nowhere near the level of the Kendo club members. If I used my Psy-Armor, I could probably beat them all.
I had learned from Mirai and the others that my Psy-Armor enhances both my strength and reflexes, so I can react in an instant. And after a little bit of experimenting, we discovered that my Psy-Armor also let me move however I want. I could use fancy fighting moves like in blockbuster action movies, and even mimic professional parkour moves to perfection. But that would be cheating so I never used the Psy-Armor during sparring or contests.
"Sorry, Watanabe," one of the gossiping boys said.
As the boys scrambled to practice, my partner, Watanabe, the vice-captain of the Kendo club shook his head and muttered, "Honestly! Anyway Oota, let's get started."
"Whenever you're ready, Watanabe," I said, standing ready.
I held my sword unsteady in my hand while Watanabe stood perfectly still. We stayed in place, neither of us attacking. I was on the defense, bracing for Watanabe’s attack.
I took deep breaths while waiting, my eyes rolled from Watanabe to his sword, and back to Watanabe again while I felt beads of nervous sweat roll down a side of my face. We both made our moves and then . . .
Bam! Bam! Bam!
I was crushed badly. No matter how many rounds we did, I couldn't land a single hit. And then after a while, we stopped to take a break.
I dropped to the floor, sat there, and threw off my helmet to gulp down some water as Watanabe looked down at me with one hand on his hip. He had his helmet tucked beneath his armpit.
"Well," he said, "you still haven't managed to land a hit on me, or anyone. But I can tell you're steadily improving."
"Really?" I said after gulping down some water as I sat on the floor.
Watanabe nodded his head and replied, "Yeah. It's taking longer to beat you."
I scowled and said, "Couldn't you phrase that a better way?"
But Watanabe just shrugged and said, "It's a compliment. Take it or leave it."
I sighed and decided to just take it since it was true.
As I put the water bottle to my lips again to take another drink, I happened to face the doorway and noticed a familiar face peeking in from outside. It was Akira, Mr. and Mrs. Sakamoto’s grandkid. I wondered what he could be doing here.
Suddenly, Watanabe asked me, “What’s wrong? Is that someone you know?”
“Huh?” I went. I was a bit confused at the question, but then realized he must have noticed me staring at Akira. I quickly stammered, “Y-yeah. You could say that. Sorry, Watanabe. I’m going to go see what’s up with him.”
“It’s fine,” Watanabe said. “It’s almost time for us to end practice for the day anyway.”
I thanked Watanabe and hurried over to Akira. He saw me coming and half-turned to walk away, but hesitated and stayed where he was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mirai also headed for Akira. He must have spotted him too and had the same thought to greet Akira like I did.
“Hey, Akira,” I said. “What’s up?”
Akira hesitated again and softly replied, “It’s nothing. I was just here to take a look around. This place is going to be my school in a couple of weeks, after all.”
“Cool,” said Mirai. “Let us give you a tour of the place.”
“It’s fine,” said Akira. “I can make my way around here on my own.”
“Not in that punk outfit, you’re not,” Mirai pointed out. “You’re lucky nobody’s called for security yet. This school’s a bit on the conservative side, it’d be easy to mistake you for a trespasser up to no good.”
Akira made a face that spelled out how much he really did not appreciate Mirai’s comments about his appearance. But even he had to admit that his choice of clothes probably wasn’t a good one to wear here of all places.
“But what about those guys?” he asked, nodding to the Kendo club. “Is it okay for you to skip practice like that?”
Mirai glanced back and then replied off-handedly, “It’s fine, it’s fine. We’re just helping out, and it’s almost time for them to wrap up, anyway. Just let us go change real quick.”
After Mirai explained to the Kendo club captain about Akira, he and I both changed out of our borrowed Kendo gear and hurried back to meet up with Akira out of the gym. Once we did, Mirai suddenly went, “Ah! I forgot I had something to do. Sorry, Oota, but can you take care of the tour on your own?”
“Huh?” I went. “H-hey!”
Before I could get a word in, Mirai rushed off, leaving me and Akira alone.
“You don’t have to show me around if you don’t want me to,” Akira said.
But I shook my head and said frantically, “No, no! It’s fine. It’s fine. Let me show you around.”
"Sorry, Watanabe," one of the gossiping boys said.
As the boys scrambled to practice, my partner, Watanabe, the vice-captain of the Kendo club shook his head and muttered, "Honestly! Anyway Oota, let's get started."
"Whenever you're ready, Watanabe," I said, standing ready.
I held my sword unsteady in my hand while Watanabe stood perfectly still. We stayed in place, neither of us attacking. I was on the defense, bracing for Watanabe’s attack.
I took deep breaths while waiting, my eyes rolled from Watanabe to his sword, and back to Watanabe again while I felt beads of nervous sweat roll down a side of my face. We both made our moves and then . . .
Bam! Bam! Bam!
I was crushed badly. No matter how many rounds we did, I couldn't land a single hit. And then after a while, we stopped to take a break.
I dropped to the floor, sat there, and threw off my helmet to gulp down some water as Watanabe looked down at me with one hand on his hip. He had his helmet tucked beneath his armpit.
"Well," he said, "you still haven't managed to land a hit on me, or anyone. But I can tell you're steadily improving."
"Really?" I said after gulping down some water as I sat on the floor.
Watanabe nodded his head and replied, "Yeah. It's taking longer to beat you."
I scowled and said, "Couldn't you phrase that a better way?"
But Watanabe just shrugged and said, "It's a compliment. Take it or leave it."
I sighed and decided to just take it since it was true.
As I put the water bottle to my lips again to take another drink, I happened to face the doorway and noticed a familiar face peeking in from outside. It was Akira, Mr. and Mrs. Sakamoto’s grandkid. I wondered what he could be doing here.
Suddenly, Watanabe asked me, “What’s wrong? Is that someone you know?”
“Huh?” I went. I was a bit confused at the question, but then realized he must have noticed me staring at Akira. I quickly stammered, “Y-yeah. You could say that. Sorry, Watanabe. I’m going to go see what’s up with him.”
“It’s fine,” Watanabe said. “It’s almost time for us to end practice for the day anyway.”
I thanked Watanabe and hurried over to Akira. He saw me coming and half-turned to walk away, but hesitated and stayed where he was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mirai also headed for Akira. He must have spotted him too and had the same thought to greet Akira like I did.
“Hey, Akira,” I said. “What’s up?”
Akira hesitated again and softly replied, “It’s nothing. I was just here to take a look around. This place is going to be my school in a couple of weeks, after all.”
“Cool,” said Mirai. “Let us give you a tour of the place.”
“It’s fine,” said Akira. “I can make my way around here on my own.”
“Not in that punk outfit, you’re not,” Mirai pointed out. “You’re lucky nobody’s called for security yet. This school’s a bit on the conservative side, it’d be easy to mistake you for a trespasser up to no good.”
Akira made a face that spelled out how much he really did not appreciate Mirai’s comments about his appearance. But even he had to admit that his choice of clothes probably wasn’t a good one to wear here of all places.
“But what about those guys?” he asked, nodding to the Kendo club. “Is it okay for you to skip practice like that?”
Mirai glanced back and then replied off-handedly, “It’s fine, it’s fine. We’re just helping out, and it’s almost time for them to wrap up, anyway. Just let us go change real quick.”
After Mirai explained to the Kendo club captain about Akira, he and I both changed out of our borrowed Kendo gear and hurried back to meet up with Akira out of the gym. Once we did, Mirai suddenly went, “Ah! I forgot I had something to do. Sorry, Oota, but can you take care of the tour on your own?”
“Huh?” I went. “H-hey!”
Before I could get a word in, Mirai rushed off, leaving me and Akira alone.
“You don’t have to show me around if you don’t want me to,” Akira said.
But I shook my head and said frantically, “No, no! It’s fine. It’s fine. Let me show you around.”
I was glad for any excuse to get out of exercise.
The tour of the school was mostly uneventful and peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that if this were a TV show, our tour would be shown as a still montage, flashing from one scene to another while soft cheery guitar or flute music played in the background. Slow, sleepy piano music that could lull the most turbulent hearts would work too. I showed Akira to the cafeteria, and then to the library, and after that, we walked through the main hallways where the classrooms were held.
The first year students like me, Yuna and Isaneko have their classes on the first floor, while second years like Mirai and Omoyo had their lessons on the second floor. I don’t have to tell you where the third year students had their classes. Each floor had its own computer lab, sometimes called the audio-visual center, and a Home Economics room where students learn to cook and stuff for Home Economics lessons.
After explaining all that to him, I took Akira over to the first floor again, to show him the faculty room where the teachers had their workstations. Right next to that was the nurse’s office. And with that, the tour ended.
I wasn't sure if the tour was fun for Akira or not. Frankly, I sounded a bit unenthusiastic and dull when I introduced a place to him. But we got along well enough as fellow players of the same gacha games. We talked more heavily about the games we both played than about the places we toured through. We compared the progress we made in those games and expressed envy for the character units and items we each possessed that the other failed to get.
It looked like the day was going to end uneventfully, but little did I realize much tension had risen in town, and in our school. And I along with Akira were about to see that tension reach a breaking point.
It happened as we headed for the clubroom. As we walked down the hall, we heard an angry shout come from behind the corner in front of us.
“Admit it! Your people are responsible for the recent string of fires!”
That was Shikouyama. I could recognize his aggressive voice anywhere.
Another recognizable aggressive voice snapped back, “Hell no! I won’t admit it, because there’s nothing to admit to! No one on my side did anything!”
That voice belonged to Yamimura, a guy who had the same psychokinesis power I had, and the son of a very important psychic family. I think I mentioned before that his family and the Soushu family are on bad terms, so a meeting between him and Shikouyama, who was an extremely loyal follower of Soushu’s, could only lead to all kinds of bad.
“Hey,” Akira said. “Sounds like someone’s fighting over there. Think we should get a teacher?”
“Huh?” I went. “Uh . . .” I hesitated a bit. “Y-yeah! Good idea! You go get a teacher. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things. Hurry!”
“Okay! Got it!”
I watched Akira turn around at his heels and run away to find a teacher. As soon as he disappeared out of the building, I turned around myself and rushed to the scene of the fight. Things were already pretty bad between Yamimura and Shikouyama. They both had their fists raised to start brawling right here in public.
“Don’t lie!” Shikouyama shouted. Sparks danced wildly around. “There are rumors going around that a person in cahoots with the Yamimura’s making these fires.”
Yamimura looked stunned. He was a pretty big guy who looked more like a hardened thug than a high school student. But he was definitely a high school student last I checked.
“You come here and get all up in my face over some rumors?” he said. “Are you stupid? That’s not even proof anyone on my side did anything!”
“I don’t need proof,” said Shikouyama. “When it comes to trouble in this town, it’s obvious that the culprit’s someone connected to the Yamimuras.”
“Oh, now that does it,” Yamimura said. The air around him rippled intensely like crackling fire. “I don’t care if you are the vice-president of the student council. That doesn’t give you the right to play pretend detective and throw baseless accusations at whoever you don’t like. It’s high time someone got you off your high horse!”
“I’d like to see you try!”
With their psychic powers manifested as armor, they attacked one another with their fists. In a heated fight like this, if psychic powers get mixed up in it, things were bound to end badly no matter who won or lost. I could easily picture the two of them lying on the ground in a bloody mess.
Without thinking, I leaped out of the corner and rushed between them, throwing up a dome of psychic energy around me. Their fists connected with the dome and a loud bang followed. The dome I made popped like a water balloon. At Shikouyama’s side, lightning flashed from the impact while over at Yamimura’s side, his psychic energy popped much like how my dome did.
Both boys were surprised by my sudden appearance, and even I was surprised by my actions. But I couldn’t just stop there, I thought. I had to say something. And so, allowing myself to be swept by the momentum of my adrenaline, I shouted, “Cut it out, you two! This is a school. What do you think’s going to happen if people see you two use your powers and fight? Do you guys really want to find that out?”
Shikouyama and Yamimura said nothing and I turned my angry gaze to give each of them a stare down. It was really tense, and my heart couldn’t beat any faster than it did. And then, the two boys turned away. My intervention seemed to have calmed them down enough to think clearly again.
Finally, Shikouyama said, “This isn’t over. When I find proof of wrongdoing, I’ll see you all pay for your crimes!”
And then he left.
Yamimura clicked his tongue. “Tch! That should be my line, you zealot Soushu lackey.”
And then he also left, leaving me by myself in the middle of the hallway.
As soon as they were both gone, all the adrenaline left my body and I stumbled, hitting my back against the wall. I sank down to the floor and yelled out, “Oh my god, I can’t believe I just did that!”
I’ve always been the sort of person who try to stay out of trouble. But it seems I had become impulsive, jumping into conflicts without thinking.
Well, I thought to myself, at least this conflict didn't explode into a fight.
But that was the least of my problems.
I happened to turn my head and there, standing out in the open was Akira. His mouth hung open and he stared at me with bulged-out eyes.
Realization quickly dawned on me and I uttered, “Oh, crap.”
The tour of the school was mostly uneventful and peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that if this were a TV show, our tour would be shown as a still montage, flashing from one scene to another while soft cheery guitar or flute music played in the background. Slow, sleepy piano music that could lull the most turbulent hearts would work too. I showed Akira to the cafeteria, and then to the library, and after that, we walked through the main hallways where the classrooms were held.
The first year students like me, Yuna and Isaneko have their classes on the first floor, while second years like Mirai and Omoyo had their lessons on the second floor. I don’t have to tell you where the third year students had their classes. Each floor had its own computer lab, sometimes called the audio-visual center, and a Home Economics room where students learn to cook and stuff for Home Economics lessons.
After explaining all that to him, I took Akira over to the first floor again, to show him the faculty room where the teachers had their workstations. Right next to that was the nurse’s office. And with that, the tour ended.
I wasn't sure if the tour was fun for Akira or not. Frankly, I sounded a bit unenthusiastic and dull when I introduced a place to him. But we got along well enough as fellow players of the same gacha games. We talked more heavily about the games we both played than about the places we toured through. We compared the progress we made in those games and expressed envy for the character units and items we each possessed that the other failed to get.
It looked like the day was going to end uneventfully, but little did I realize much tension had risen in town, and in our school. And I along with Akira were about to see that tension reach a breaking point.
It happened as we headed for the clubroom. As we walked down the hall, we heard an angry shout come from behind the corner in front of us.
“Admit it! Your people are responsible for the recent string of fires!”
That was Shikouyama. I could recognize his aggressive voice anywhere.
Another recognizable aggressive voice snapped back, “Hell no! I won’t admit it, because there’s nothing to admit to! No one on my side did anything!”
That voice belonged to Yamimura, a guy who had the same psychokinesis power I had, and the son of a very important psychic family. I think I mentioned before that his family and the Soushu family are on bad terms, so a meeting between him and Shikouyama, who was an extremely loyal follower of Soushu’s, could only lead to all kinds of bad.
“Hey,” Akira said. “Sounds like someone’s fighting over there. Think we should get a teacher?”
“Huh?” I went. “Uh . . .” I hesitated a bit. “Y-yeah! Good idea! You go get a teacher. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things. Hurry!”
“Okay! Got it!”
I watched Akira turn around at his heels and run away to find a teacher. As soon as he disappeared out of the building, I turned around myself and rushed to the scene of the fight. Things were already pretty bad between Yamimura and Shikouyama. They both had their fists raised to start brawling right here in public.
“Don’t lie!” Shikouyama shouted. Sparks danced wildly around. “There are rumors going around that a person in cahoots with the Yamimura’s making these fires.”
Yamimura looked stunned. He was a pretty big guy who looked more like a hardened thug than a high school student. But he was definitely a high school student last I checked.
“You come here and get all up in my face over some rumors?” he said. “Are you stupid? That’s not even proof anyone on my side did anything!”
“I don’t need proof,” said Shikouyama. “When it comes to trouble in this town, it’s obvious that the culprit’s someone connected to the Yamimuras.”
“Oh, now that does it,” Yamimura said. The air around him rippled intensely like crackling fire. “I don’t care if you are the vice-president of the student council. That doesn’t give you the right to play pretend detective and throw baseless accusations at whoever you don’t like. It’s high time someone got you off your high horse!”
“I’d like to see you try!”
With their psychic powers manifested as armor, they attacked one another with their fists. In a heated fight like this, if psychic powers get mixed up in it, things were bound to end badly no matter who won or lost. I could easily picture the two of them lying on the ground in a bloody mess.
Without thinking, I leaped out of the corner and rushed between them, throwing up a dome of psychic energy around me. Their fists connected with the dome and a loud bang followed. The dome I made popped like a water balloon. At Shikouyama’s side, lightning flashed from the impact while over at Yamimura’s side, his psychic energy popped much like how my dome did.
Both boys were surprised by my sudden appearance, and even I was surprised by my actions. But I couldn’t just stop there, I thought. I had to say something. And so, allowing myself to be swept by the momentum of my adrenaline, I shouted, “Cut it out, you two! This is a school. What do you think’s going to happen if people see you two use your powers and fight? Do you guys really want to find that out?”
Shikouyama and Yamimura said nothing and I turned my angry gaze to give each of them a stare down. It was really tense, and my heart couldn’t beat any faster than it did. And then, the two boys turned away. My intervention seemed to have calmed them down enough to think clearly again.
Finally, Shikouyama said, “This isn’t over. When I find proof of wrongdoing, I’ll see you all pay for your crimes!”
And then he left.
Yamimura clicked his tongue. “Tch! That should be my line, you zealot Soushu lackey.”
And then he also left, leaving me by myself in the middle of the hallway.
As soon as they were both gone, all the adrenaline left my body and I stumbled, hitting my back against the wall. I sank down to the floor and yelled out, “Oh my god, I can’t believe I just did that!”
I’ve always been the sort of person who try to stay out of trouble. But it seems I had become impulsive, jumping into conflicts without thinking.
Well, I thought to myself, at least this conflict didn't explode into a fight.
But that was the least of my problems.
I happened to turn my head and there, standing out in the open was Akira. His mouth hung open and he stared at me with bulged-out eyes.
Realization quickly dawned on me and I uttered, “Oh, crap.”
Akira had seen the whole thing.
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