Chapter Two: Prepare
Tensai Academy was located on the outskirts of the city of Osaka. From where Miyako had woken up, it was around a three hour drive. She'd spent the entirety of the car ride slouched in the passenger seat of the car, one leg rested over the other as she stared straight ahead. In one morning, she had been thrust into the waking world, granted, with all systems operational, and expected to act normal. So far, she'd pulled it off. But how long before she let something slip?
Osaka was a bustling city, much busier than where she'd been. As N drove them into city limits, he had to slow as a long line of cars appeared before them.
"Great," he muttered with grit teeth. Miyako turned her head to him.
"Something the matter?"
"Traffic jam."
She looked to the long line of cars before them, sat up in her seat, then shrugged. "And that's an issue... why? We have all the time in the world, N." She smoothed out the front of her skirt, fighting hard to suppress her grin when N scowled.
Pretty soon, Miyako was eating her words. As the line of cars grew, her anger blossomed, its thorns digging into her heart.
"Sir, can we not do something to... be rid of them?" She asked, one fist clenched in her lap.
N chuckled. "Unfortunately, no. What happened to your 'all the time in the world' speech?"
"It wasn't a speech, sir. It was a misinformed assumption."
"Oh?"
Her anger spiked higher. "Yes, sir." She spat the words out like they were venom. "For I find staring at the same God-forsaken spot for minutes on end to be tedious." She rolled down her window and thrust her hand out, feeling the breeze move around her hands. "I could take care of this issue rather quick," she insisted.
"Yes, I know, Akane-san. But you are fresh from the lab and there are some lives the Doctor wants spared."
"It's highly doubtful they're here, sir."
"As if you'd know."
She looked out the window, her temper flaring. She drew her arm back and sighed.
"How much farther to Tensai Academy?"
N looked to the GPS that sat in the space between them. "About fifteen minutes, in this traffic."
"Wonderful." Miyako slid in her seat, her knees resting against the dashboard, and closed her eyes. She focused on the ever-present scent of exhaust and leather that wreathed around her, of how her thighs were sticking to the seat beneath her, as the sun shone down on her face.
Indeed, She thought bitterly, this isn't such a pleasant car ride, after all. The thought repeated itself as the sound of the engine slowly lulled her to sleep.
When she next awoke, the car was stopped in front of the gates leading to a large building. There was a concrete path that wound across the ground, flanked on either side by trees that provided shade on the walkway.
Miyako sat up, allowing her eyes to wander for only a few moments before asking, "Is this Tensai Academy?"
"It is." N opened his car door and stepped out, motioning for Miyako to do the same. The wind stirred her hair as she emerged from the vehicle and stepped onto the sidewalk. She walked to the gate, followed closely behind by N.
Tensai Academy, Osaka's school for the Elite
Miyako regarded the sign with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "How highly is this school ranked?"
N stuffed his hands in his pants pockets. "High enough."
She grit her teeth, unhappy with his vague answer. "Think they can keep up?"
He snorted. "They can try."
She rolled her head from side to side, sighing at the satisfactory popping sound that produced. Her hand rested on the gate. "Let's get this over with."
Tensai Academy was impressive enough, Miyako decided as she and N roamed the campus. It only had two buildings, but they had been fashioned so intricately that, while serving as Osaka's staple for education, the buildings of the Academy also managed to be architectural masterpieces in their own right. Right away, Miyako knew that N and the Doctor had chosen a good place for her to study and observe.
Her shoes made dull flopping sounds as she walked. N had his hand at the small of her back, signaling to anyone who happened to see them that he was her guardian.
"You must be feeling pleased, Sir," she said, her voice laced with mild contempt. "After all, this will be one of the only days you get to act as my bodyguard."
"Even still." His tone was even. "You are an important asset to the Doctor... And the Doctor controls a lot here in Japan. You could say, essentially, that you are an important asset to Japan in that right."
She dipped her head. "Perhaps."
They continued to walk on, surveying both buildings with heavy interest. She couldn't stop the excitement in her nerves, the kind that made her hands tremble.
"Do you like the campus, Akane-san?"
"I do, Sir."
There was something in how he spoke to her that made her hands shake even more, though it wasn't from excitement.
Of course. He regards me as some fragile trinket. She looked up to him, staring into the eyes behind his sunglasses. Rest assured, N. I am NOT something delicate. You'll see.
"Should we head inside the school building?"
She shook her head. "No, I think not."
She could smell the scent of adolescents in the air, of sweat and perfume, as well as the soft undertones of cherry blossoms. She took a heavy inhale, saving the odor in back of her mind.
Home. This is what I shall classify as "Home"... which reminds me, I need to see my apartment...
She turned on her heel, coming face to face with N.
"Sir, I want to see my apartment now."
"Now?"
She nodded. "I'll get to explore tomorrow, when I'm a student. I want to see my apartment now and settle in." She held her head up high, unfazed by the fact that he was her superior. Her hands were pressed flat against her sides, her chest pushed out slightly. As an afterthought, she added, "please."
She could feel his eyes rest on her for several moments before he nodded. "Alright."
They headed back to the car, she with her fists clenched in her skirts and him with his hand at the small of her back, guiding her like a lost child. All the while, her anger flared inside her chest like a small flame.
________________________________________
Agitation and rage were not pretty colors on her, Miyako decided as N drove them both to her apartment. The car moved along the road at a brisk pace, the vehicle one with every bump, dip, and rise in the road. Miyako found an odd sense of comfort in how the car moved beneath her, and this made it easy for calm to wash over her. Every time she looked to N, however, her anger returned inside her gut, even though it was only in small inklings.
Her fingers tapped against her thighs as she let out slow, steady breaths. Her chest felt heavy and full, as if there were rocks in her chest cavity.
Anxiety, her mind told her. You're feeling caged in. It's normal.
No. It was because she was sitting still. She was programmed to be active. In her sixteen years in the lab, the only real "down time" she had was when she'd slept or ate. But, if her bed sheets were anything to go by, she'd never been a still sleeper, either.
You're incorrect, she told her mental synapse. It's not anxiety. Record this for future reference.
She leaned back in her seat and let out a shaky breath.
"You alright?"
"Yeah."
He looked straight ahead and then so did she, and she kept her eyes ahead even as he stopped them at a large building with many doors, the apartment complex.
The complex was two stories high, with an indiscernible amount of doors and twice as many windows. Most of the windows were covered with thick crème curtains, most likely courtesy of the complex owner, but in a few the windows were open to allow the air in here and there.
"This is it?"
He walked on ahead, his arms at his sides as he headed for one of the rooms on the first floor. She followed and as he unlocked the door, he said, "It's inconspicuous enough."
"But who would look for me?"
He stiffened for just a moment, then went back to unlocking the door. Once open, he turned to her.
"While not many know you exist, we can never take too many precautions." He turned back and headed into the apartment, leaving Miyako to follow him inside.
The interior was small and barely furnished. The walls were devoid of colors or pictures, instead covered in places by spots of dust. There was a small TV in the middle of the room and a couch pushed back against the far wall. There was a sliding door to the left of the couch and another on the left wall.
N pointed to the door on the left wall. "Bedroom," he said. He pointed to the door by the couch. "Kitchen... And the back yard, I think. Or maybe you don't have access to it. I'm not sure. You've been stocked with food and necessary items... am I forgetting something..."
Miyako nodded, looking around the room with mild disinterest. She headed for the kitchen first.
The sink, counters, and stove were against the left wall, with a fridge wedged in the corner between a countertop and the back wall. Everything about the space screamed ordinary, just like N and the Doctor had wanted it to.
"Oh yes."
Miyako spun around, her heart skipping a beat when she heard his voice, and found him leaning against the door frame.
"Two things," he said, ignoring the look of shock on Miyako's face. "Actually, three. One." He slipped a card into her hand. "This is your student ID for Tensai Academy. Keep it on you at all times."
He walked past her and set something down on the table pushed against the right wall. "Two. This here is your key to this place. Again, keep it on your person at all times."
N waited for her to pick up the key before he took her by the hand and guided her into the living room. He opened the sliding door into her room.
"Three." He pulled something from his pocket, which upon further inspection looked like a laptop with the top half missing. Miyako regarded it with caution, her eyes narrowed at it.
"Three?" She pressed.
"This is a gift from the Doctor. It's... Well, it doesn't have a name yet. But it's basically a computer. It's programmed to work for you and only you... we've run this by the school. You can have it in class. You should know how to make it work. And it comes with your software. It syncs with your collar and you can program commands that way." He handed it to her and she held it in both her hands, staring at it with one eyebrow raised.
"Interesting..."
"And... I think that's everything... that can be used for everyday purposes as well. Just don't download useless crap. Anyway." N took a step back and nodded his head. "My work here is done, Akane-san, so I think I'll be going. I'll be back next week to check in on you, alright?"
She nodded, bowing low to him. "Goodbye, N. Thank you." Her tone was tense, her words holding a threat beneath them. N didn't notice, having already left the room. The front door slammed shut.
Well... time to get to work.
The first thing Miyako did that night was run a diagnostic on her prototype computer. Of course, she knew that there was nothing wrong with the device. But that didn't mean that N, or even worse, the Doctor, had bugged it before giving it to her.
Sixteen years of surveillance, guys. No more of it.
She lay back against the wall, her feet under her blankets as she scrolled through the anti-malware software. All the while, she ticked a list off on her fingers of all the physical bugs she'd have to look for.
Miyako had all the time in the world, and she was prepared to use it.
She set the computer to the side, rising to her feet and looking around her room. There was a desk by her futon, a white plastic spin chair before it. Another one of N's folders was on top, the only object to decorate the surface. Her backpack was hanging off the back of the chair, a type meant to hang from one shoulder and rest on the opposite hip. On the left wall was a sliding door to the bathroom.
Miyako inhaled and got the scent of disinfectant.
This won't do at all.
Disinfectants reminded her of the lab, of all the glass tubes and fighting scenarios and...
Needles.
She shivered at the memory and huffed. "Looks like some candles or... something is in order here." She turned back to the computer. There were still no results. With a hand running through her hair, Miyako sighed, then looked to the folder on her desk.
Schedule... ID... Aha!
Miyako pulled a card from the folder and grinned to herself. A credit card. She headed back to her futon and set the computer back on her lap. The diagnostic still hadn't had any results.
After a long time spent searching the internet, Miyako found a store within walking distance of her, but one glance at her clock stopped her from getting up and leaving. It was too late for her to go out, she realized.
She leaned back, smacking her head against the wall, and sighed. Stars swam in her vision for just a moment.
Eight-thirty PM. What was there to do at such an hour?
Her stomach gave her the answer she needed. She grunted, pushing her computer to the side and getting to her feet. Her stomach rumbled again and she bit her lip.
Her options for an impromptu dinner were between a bento box, a jar of pickles, or a twelve pack of Coca Cola. Miyako narrowed her eyes at the options, gave a disdainful sniff, then took a can of cola from the box. The fizzing sensation made her throat feel odd.
Just as she was about to close the fridge, she thought better of it and pulled the pickle jar out as well. She set the cola can down on the counter and wrenched the jar lid open, retrieving two pickles from the jar before closing the jar and setting it back in the fridge. She waddled back to her room, pickles in one hand and the soda can in the other.
The diagnostic was done with when she sat back down, half a pickle in her mouth and both hands full. She set down her can, letting out a muffled "here we go..." before pulling the prototype onto her lap. A couple taps on the mouse pad later, her fist flew into the blankets as she swallowed a large lump of food down her throat.
"Bullshit!" She hissed. "There's something in you, I know it..."
Her chest heaved as her anger flared through her body. She narrowed her eyes at the machine. "Impossible..."
With a heavy sigh, she picked up the device and held it up to eye level. "Or maybe..."
She opened the control panel and went into the installed programs on the computer, scrolling through the list with her bottom lip between her teeth. One of the programs caught her attention almost immediately.
"Got you, you little sh-"
The page closed, all on its own. Miyako groaned and shut the glass window over the keys, setting it beside her bed. She finished her makeshift meal in silence.
Minutes later, Miyako decided that she'd stayed up for long enough.
________________________________________
Tensai Academy, much like any other school in Japan, had a set uniform that every student had to wear. Miyako found five sets of the summer attire waiting for her in her closet when she woke up. On the other side of the small space were the five sets of the winter clothes, for when the time came.
She exhaled, blowing a strand of black hair out of her face. Then she pulled one of the sets from its spot in her drawer. A note was attached to the shirt.
Try not to get these dirty but don't worry too much about cleaning them. N will worry about that when he checks in on you.
Make us proud.
- H
How cute. He felt the need to remind me. She tossed the card to the side with a grunt and carried the uniform into the bathroom.
The bathroom consisted of a toilet and a sink, with a door that led into the showers. The area was cramped and as Miyako set her change of clothes on the sink, she subconsciously pressed her shoulders towards each other and lowered her head. Her blouse came off first, letting her flat stomach show. She caught sight of herself in the mirror as she dropped her skirt around her ankles.
She pressed a finger into her stomach, studying how the skin over her ribs grew taut.
I'm just the slightest bit too thin, she observed with pursed lips. I'll have to remedy that.
After a few moments, she had changed her undergarments and was slipping her new skirt up her legs, letting it rest at her hips. Then her new blouse was on.
It didn't take long for her to brush out her black hair into two pigtails, and when she studied herself in the mirror, she grinned. Her eyes flashed red in the reflective glass.
"Ah yes, I should fix that."
She closed her eyes and inhaled, her entire body shuddering as her muscles shifted. When Miyako's eyes opened again, they were bright blue. She chuckled, flipped both pigtails so that they ran down her front, then turned and walked out of the room, humming to herself.
She continued to hum the entire walk to school, switching from tune to tune as she walked with her head up high. Her student ID was stuffed inside one of her knee-length socks, her bag bumped against her hip... The only thing that was missing was having someone walk alongside her.
She discarded the thought after a moment's pause. Then she continued on her way, an extra spring to her step.

Chapter Three: Interrogate
Class 2-C had thirty-five students in total, counting Miyako, and had a span of windows across the far wall. Their class representative was a girl named Ayame who, as Miyako took a closer look at her, the new student recognized from the bus. She was leaning behind the teacher podium and calling out names, her honey-brown hair cascading down her back. Miyako approached her.
Ayame looked up and, when she caught sight of Miyako, widened her eyes.
"Can I help you?" The class representative asked. Her voice was weak and barely audible.
Miyako bowed quickly. "Yes. My name is Miyako Akane... I'm new."
"Okay..." Ayame shook her head so that her hair could fall around her face. "And what do you want?"
Has the nature of a mouse. Acts brave at times, but it makes her look pathetic. She'll never survive.
"I asked what you wanted."
"Yes, right." Miyako looked to the side and bit her lip, hoping she came across as naive. "I'm... supposed to be in this class."
Ayame's eyes widened even further. "Oh! Right, one second." She reached behind her and came back with a sheet of paper. "Akane... Akane... Oh, here you are! Yep, you're here..." She pointed to the row of desks by the window. "You sit in the second seat from the front. Nice to meet you!"
"Likewise." Miyako turned on her heel and headed for her assigned seat, her head up high. Her skin crawled as the eyes of the other students landed on her.
You'd think they hadn't seen a new kid before, she thought bitterly. She sat down and set her bag on the table.
A set of feet landed on the desk next to hers with a clop. Miyako sighed.
"How's it going?" Asked a masculine voice. Miyako caught the hints of soap in the air as she continued to set up her items. The prototype computer was set in the corner.
"My name's Yoshiki," the voice continued. "What's yours?"
Just ignore him, he'll get the hint and go away.
"You a shy one?"
Miyako grinned to herself. That's an even better idea.
"Oh... hi..." She shook her hair around her face and bit her lip, keeping her eyes on her desk.
"Ahh, such a pretty voice! I'll bet there's a name to match, eh?"
"M..Miyako." Her cheeks grew hot out of humiliation, the sick feeling gnawing at her gut.
"Such a nice name. Well, Miyako, tell you what. You need anything, you come to me, okay?"
What am I doing?! She seethed. Reducing myself to a giggling fool! Her nails dug into the wooden desk she sat at as she fought to keep the smile on her face.
"Yeah... Will do."
She looked out the window to her left for a moment, just long enough to see birds fly past, then opened her computer up and started typing away.
A middle-aged woman walked into the room not too long afterwards, her brown hair caught in a ponytail. She looked around the room for a moment, then approached Ayame. They whispered to each other before Ayame nodded and headed for her desk. She sat in front of Miyako.
"Good morning, students!" Greeted the woman as she set herself up behind the teaching podium. Miyako's eyes narrowed as she studied the woman carefully.
"Good morning, Ms. Yoshi!" The other students chorused. Miyako cast a wary eye in their direction.
She tapped a small, steady beat into her desk, suddenly feeling very out of her element. To her right was a dark-haired boy who swung his legs back and forth. In front of her, Ayame hummed to herself.
This is nothing like the lab...
With trembling hands, Miyako lowered her head, her eyes darting back and forth. She focused on Ayame's slippers to steady herself.
Something shined on her desk, catching her eye. A message had appeared on her screen.
First-day jitters? - Y
Miyako stared at her holographic screen, one eyebrow arched.
Who did... And how?..
Below the message were two buttons, Reply and Ignore. Just as she'd brought her cursor over Reply, the screen flashed again. Another message.
Did ya know? The school has... something in its system that is only available on campus. I guess you could say it's like a messaging system. - Y
And another.
This is Yoshiki, by the by. - Y
She stared in befuddlement at her keyboard, unsure of what to do. Another message appeared.
Yosh, you dumbass! That was a PUBLIC message you just sent! PM her if you're tryna flirt! - R
Miyako could hear the giggles from the other side of the room that started up as soon as the message was sent. Her cheeks turned warm and she gripped the edge of her desk as her anger coursed through her.
Shove it, Rose. Say hi to the new kid! - Y
I think I'll pass. - R
You're no fun! - Y
One after the other, messages appeared on Miyako's computer with a small chime. With a heavy sigh, she closed the lid.
This isn't going so well...
It only got worse when, without a word, Ayame rose from her seat and left the room. Ms. Yoshi watched her leave and shook her head.
"Anyhow... today we will be studying..."
________________________________________
The classes leading to lunch were a blur of different teachers and unprocessed words that bounced around in Miyako's brain. The only real thing that stuck was Ayame returning, but even there, the scene had been a blur.
Now she sat alone, her bento box open before her and chopsticks in hand. Lunch, however, had sounded none too appeasing in the past two hours she sat there.
Miyako nibbled on her sliced carrots without really tasting them, boredom sitting like a lump in her chest. Beneath that, though, ran the undercurrents of fear in her bloodstream.
She looked around the room. In one corner, Yoshiki was laughing with his friends. By him was Ayame and...
Her heart skipped a beat.
So my suspicions were correct, then... She mused. She sat another slice of carrot on her tongue as she studied them all.
Yoshiki has a lot of friends. He's got an easily approachable aura. Ayame, on the other hand, is shy. She watched the class representative give the other students wary eyes before returning to her lunch. Miyako's gaze turned to Rose.
Rose and Ayame are polar opposites, almost. So why would someone like her hang out with someone so shy...
She looked away when Rose started to turn her head towards her, busying herself in opening her computer up. On the desk in front of her, a message flared to life.
Do me a favor and talk to that newbie when you read this. - R
Then, on Miyako's screen,
I saw you looking. - R
Stay away from me. - R
Miyako couldn't help it. She laughed. Just a chuckle at first, until eventually she found herself sprawled out on the ground, her arms wrapped around her waist and tears in her eyes as she fought to control herself. She heard approaching footsteps as she got herself back under control and sat up.
"You alright?"
Her laughs had subsided into giggles as she said "yeah, fine."
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing." Her giggles turned to hiccups. "Nothing at all." She looked up to Yoshiki and grinned.
"Your... your eyes..."
S***.
"Um... contacts. They're contacts."
"Oh, cool." He extended an arm for her and Miyako took it, rising to her feet.
"Yeah. Thanks!"
Miyako returned to her seat and inhaled deeply, her eyes closed. The muscles in her body shifted and she twitched, her hands clawing at the desk. As the sensation faded away, she exhaled. Once again, her eyes would be a vibrant blue.
I need to keep my emotions in check.
A message flared to life on her screen but she ignored it, closing it without bothering to read the contents. She surfed through her programs and opened her message box, the one the Doctor had installed. There was an unread notification waiting for her.
Let's not start snooping in places you don't belong. Remember, Subject Zero-Zero-One, that I have eyes EVERYWHERE.
Also, I will be giving you the first target sometime this week... check your messages frequently.
Stay out of the list of installed programs, girl. Keep your nose out of trouble.
-H
"How great," she whispered out loud. "So that was him..."
She closed the laptop and sat back, running a hand through her hair until she was tugging at her pigtails. Resigned, she pushed the computer aside and popped a carrot from her lunch into her mouth. It tasted of saw dust and boredom.
________________________________________
That night, Miyako's dreams were full of white rooms and glass tubes, and of needles as well. The smell of disinfectant was thick in the air and Miyako choked on it as she stumbled through room after room, her eyes half-open. A voice kept whispering in her ears, you'll never escape us...
She fell to her knees inside of a room with a lone metal table, weakened by the scents and the memories around her. A lump formed in her throat. Her ears rang.
Someone grabbed her by the arms and hauled her to her feet, setting her on the table. They pushed her until she was laying down on her back, then they strapped her to it.
No... No...
The scene dissolved before her eyes and then she was free, lost in the darkness. She curled into herself and howled, her eyes squeezed shut as she rocked back and forth...
Her eyes opened and she was before the Doctor. The edges of her vision were fuzzy.
Memory...
"What does Daddy want me to do?" She heard herself ask.
I was seven here...
"Daddy wants you to..."
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. The shadows hid his more important features in just the right way. His eyes were covered by sunglasses.
"Daddy?"
She heard a grunt as he stared down at her. Something flashed in his hands and then...
She bolted upright, her hand over her hammering heart as she fought to regain her breath.
What was that... he never...
She looked down at herself, her blanket falling away from her bare chest as she held her breath. Her arms fell to her sides.
It was just a dream. That's all it was.
She threw her blanket away from her and got to her feet. Her bare feet made a thick slapping sound against the wooden floor as she headed towards the bathroom. With the lights in the bathroom on, she gave herself a once-over...
And gasped at what she saw.
On her ribcage was a thin silver scar, placed just below the swell of her breasts. Her fingers ran over the mark, her heart in her throat.
I've never...
She blinked once, then again, hoping the mark would go away. Yet as she opened her eyes opened again, Miyako could still see the mark.
But I've never... he didn't... did he?
She sighed, her entire body trembling as she left the bathroom and walked back inside her room. The smell of disinfectant was strong, just like it had been in her dreams. The clock on the floor beside her futon read four in the morning.
"Great," she mumbled out loud. She lay down amongst her blankets and closed her eyes.
Two hours later, she still hadn't managed to fall asleep. She lay there in the darkness, her arms over her head as she stared at the ceiling. Clips of her dreams spun around and around her brain, making it all the harder to close her eyes.
I don't want to sleep...
She picked each clip apart piece by piece, taking in every detail of her old home and making mental notes for herself. She stopped at one, deep inside her head. It was of a room with glass tubes, much like the one she'd had to consider "home" not too long ago. But upon further inspection, she saw a shadow in one of the containers.
Another prototype?
She shook her head. Impossible. I was the only one in the labs.
She discarded the vision and got to her feet, her arms wrapped tight around her body as she headed for her closet. Moments later, her uniform under her arm, she was heading for the bathroom.
Her scar was still prominent on her ribcage when she looked in the mirror. The small, shiny mark seemed to mock her as she stared it, as if to say to her, you are no longer perfect.
There was a lump in her throat that refused to go away as she dressed herself for school. Once her skirt was around her hips and her blouse over her torso, she gave herself a long, hard look in the mirror.
It's an illusion, she told herself. I'm still what the Doctor wanted... And I'm still his only project.
She didn't believe a word of it as she left the apartment, backpack on her shoulders and her heart heavy in her chest.
________________________________________
She bought a newspaper on her way to Tensai Academy and as she entered the campus, she kept it tucked under her arm. She nodded to the odd student that happened to look her way as she passed them by.
Inside the building, there were already several students who were taking off their shoes and slipping on their uwabaki, putting their uniform shoes into boxes that were labelled with their names. Miyako headed for hers, instantly finding herself being jostled about by the other students as they moved around.
Something pressed into her back and she almost fell forward, stopping herself at the last second with both arms flailing. Her newspaper fell from under her arm.
"S***... I'm so sorry!" Someone said from behind her. She bent over wordlessly and grabbed her paper before heading to her box. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of sweat and perfume that was around her as she opened her box.
"Hey! New kid!"
Miyako huffed as the voice registered in her brain. Yoshiki... She forced herself to smile and turned to greet him.
"Hey!" Yoshiki called again, this time closer. Her smile widened. He stopped just inches in front of her, his chest heaving as he breathed. "Miyako. Hey."
"Oh... hi, Yoshiki." She shifted from foot to foot, shifting into her "shy girl" ploy. Yoshiki grinned.
"How are you?"
"I'm doing alright, I guess. How about you?"
He c***ed his head to the side. "Just alright?"
"Yeah." She lowered herself to the ground and unlaced her shoes, placing them inside the box and grabbing her indoor slippers.
Yoshiki waited until her uwabaki were on her feet before asking "can I take you to class?"
Miyako froze. "Umm..."
His face turned a bright shade of red as his words registered to him. "I mean... I mean, i-if you want me to..."
He's so pathetic! Miyako thought, repressing a grimace. But what choice do I have...
"Sure... I'd love to."
His eyes widened, but before he could say anything, she'd taken him by the hand and was pulling him out of the hall, towards the staircase.
"So, what do you like to do?" She asked him.
He fidgeted. "Video games, I guess. And sometimes reading."
There was an edge in his tone as he spoke that Miyako caught, something that told her that he was lying. Her grip on his hand tightened ever so slightly.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm a bit of a weirdo."
"No you're not."
He stopped in his tracks, making Miyako stumble on the stairs. He caught her as she fell forward.
"You... You really think that?"
Miyako took in his shimmering eyes and his taut stance through a curtain of hair. As she righted herself, she nodded.
"Yeah."
"Oh..."
He tugged her along after that. They both headed up the remaining steps and walked into the second floor hallway, where all the eleventh graders of Tensai had class. A couple of the classrooms already had their doors open, and as Miyako walked past them, she could see the students inside. Suddenly, she felt sick holding onto Yoshiki's hand.
He let her go as they neared their classroom.
"Well," he said, bowing before her. "Here we are."
"Thanks."
She swept past him into the room, ignoring the glances a couple of the students shot her as she stepped in. The AC hummed above her head as she approached her desk, the machine sending a blast of cold air down the back of her shirt. She shivered with the chill that crawled up her spine. Whispers followed her steps.
The instant her computer was open, a message appeared on her desktop, blinking on and off. She clicked it, her bottom lip between her teeth.
Miyako,
I told you that you'd receive your first assignment, didn't I? Well, this is it.
Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes skimmed the rest of the message, over the attached documents and background info, until her eyes rested on the name at the bottom. A lump in her throat, she glanced to the other end of the room.
This will be interesting...
Her fingers rested on the keys for only a second before she typed back, It shall be done. She hit send before she could erase it.
Miyako knew the many complications that had the chance of rising from the situation, but as she cracked her knuckles, she disregarded every single one of them. The Doctor had given her a job and she had to fulfill it, no matter the cost.
Ms. Yoshi walked into the room then, followed by Ayame. The class representative sat herself in front of Miyako, just like she had the day before.
Suddenly, Miyako had an idea.
"Hey, class rep!"
Ayame jumped in her seat with a yelp, warranting a worried glance from Ms. Yoshi, before she turned in her seat.
"Uh... hi..." Ayame said, her eyes widened.
Miyako looked down at the girl's hands, taking note of how she wrung them under her desk as she spoke to her.
"How's it going?"
"Uh... good? Why are you talking to me?"
"Because I want to, obviously. Why else?" Miyako chuckled as she spoke, her eyes going back to Ayame's. "You don't have many people who talk to you, and I'm new. Testing my boundaries, I suppose you could say."
"Oh."
"Yep!" Miyako titled her head to the side. "So... how are you?"
"I'm... Okay."
Ayame wouldn't meet Miyako's eyes as she spoke, which Miyako picked up on.
You think you're a good liar? And yet you can't even meet my eyes? Hmm...
"That's good! Do you like being class rep?"
"I guess so."
"And as such, you know all the good places of this school to visit, huh?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
Miyako leaned forward in her seat, her eyebrows arched in mock interest. "You should show me at lunch, perhaps."
"Maybe."
Miyako frowned as Ayame turned back around in her seat, barely managing to repress a sigh.
Analysis: Newbies to a social ladder are commonly frowned upon and shunned. It takes extra effort to be noticed...
She looked over to Yoshiki, catching him just as he was turning his head away.
However, with proper connections, popularity will come easily. More research is needed.
She filed the thought away - for later reference, she told herself - and kept her eyes on Yoshiki, a new plan forming in the back of her mind.