Part 1

“Hero, the Ephemeral Plane is all but gone! You must lead the people away from here, away from this wretched place!”

“I can not.”

“You can! You are the Shepard, the hero Twelve Beginnings! If it’s you, then our people can survive in the mortal realm from whence you came.”

She gently caressed his face as the world around them fell apart. Galaxies of stars swirled around them, merging with the darkness that began swallowing the planets of the Ephemeral Plane.

“You misunderstand,” he said, removing her touch from his chiseled cheek. “I mean to say that you must lead them, Yume. For you have, and since, walked alongside me ever since the First Beginning. You must keep them all safe should I fail to return. I trust you will.”

He rose to his feet. The vast amounts of energy swirling beneath his feet strengthened his body, filling him with the valor needed to do what’s right.

“Hero,” she said, grasping at his arm. He turned to meet her gaze— blue, knee length hair swirled around her body, emphasizing shimmering pink eyes that radiated the comfort he’d depended on so many times during his journey. “Please, come with me! You did what you could, you have given it everything you have!”

“Not everything.” he said. “Not yet.”

He grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace. The Plane was quickly fading, but he would never get another chance to tell her how he felt. Not with words, no, but with his strong, sculpted body. He found it a bit odd how, even in a world where color distorted into meaningless blurs, he could still make out the distinct blush of her cheeks that complimented her brilliantly pink eyes.

As the world began to shatter, he felt the closeness of her breath and the heat of her body. They approached each other, mere millimeters apart, until—

*DIIIIIIIH DO DO DO ——— DIIIIIIIH DO DO DO ——— DIIIIIIIH DO DO DO*

His eyes shot open as the alarm under his pillow rang out. He slowly reached out, turning it off while staring at the ceiling. After finishing, with equally calm movements, he grabbed the pillow from underneath his head and put it to his face.

“I CAN’T EVEN GET KISSED IN MY DREEEEAAAAMMMSSAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!”

Had the pillow not been there, he likely would have woken up his new neighbors. Venting his palpable anger into the pillow and ungracefully kicking away the blankets helped him clear his mind, and with clarity, he wasted no time putting on his glasses, grabbing his phone, and immediately writing down everything he could remember.

Opening the “Dreams” folder on his phone, he wrote in the forty-third entry aptly titled “Twelve Beginnings and the End of the Ephemeral Plane (The Yume Sad Route?).”

“Worry not, Yume.” he said, closing the entry. “I will never forget you, I promise.”

As he rose to prepare for school, he couldn’t help but think about how Yume was the entire reason he started keeping a dream journal; in fact, if the dream didn’t include her, he rarely bothered writing it down. She was one of the many recurring characters he dreamt of, and being his favorite, he lovingly gave her the name “Yume,” after finding out the meaning of the word.

It wasn’t very creative, but he felt it appropriate.

Those thoughts, however, came to a crashing halt as the real world shook him out of his fantasy. “No…” he said, struggling to button his pants. “But… these are new…”

It must’ve been a mistake, but the mirror across the room showed him the truth— that his pants wouldn’t go past his thighs. “Of course……Yume wouldn’t…no one would……”

He stood out enough with blonde hair and ice blue eyes, but those features…

He hurriedly searched for a replacement pair while eating his breakfast of eggs and plain toast; eventually finding one suitable to wear, he hurried out the door with his gaze downcast.

“This wouldn’t happen if………” he violently shook his head, attempting to laugh while pushing his hair back.

“Ha! Such is my fate as the Dark Shepherd!” he said out loud. “Fate conspires against me, but this is Luka Schafer’s new beginning!”

He closed the door behind him as a thought crossed his mind, which he shouted with revered hope. “This is my First Beginning!”

His feet carried him to class, already knowing the path since he took the liberty of exploring the campus before classes started. The boarding school was enormous, so much so that he still had trouble finding the dormitories, more so when it came to his own room. They were all similar on the outside, with every room on every story being organized in rows. When it came to the inside, Luka couldn’t help but feel it looked like a tiny apartment complex. Despite the size, most students shared a room with one other person, he simply lucked out and got one of the few available single rooms.

Hmph, as expected of the Dark Hero. He must be isolated for the sake of others, for his knowledge is too great!

“………………………”

But still, if I hadn't gotten that scholarship there’s no way I’d be here.

A smug smile stretched across his face.

Hahaha! As expected of the Dark Hero of the Ephemeral Plane! He does the impossible!

Finding the building for first years was relatively simple since part of its structure was painted blue, the color of the trim on every first year’s blazer. Unlike the dorms, the classrooms were all equally simple to find due to the meticulous organization of the school.

Finally arriving at his class, he reached for the handle of the door before stopping. Entering while panting like he’d just run a marathon would leave a bad first impression, but he couldn’t help it— the elevator was off limits to students and the stairs had left him sweating worse than a pig.

He pulled his hand back and reluctantly took a few steps back. Other students were also roaming the halls, looking for their classroom, and he could feel their eyes burn into him as they walked. In the corner of his eye, a pair of girls whispered and laughed suspiciously in his direction before turning around and leaving.

I’m…biding! Yes! I am biding my time, since this is the start of the First Beginning! The normals know not that this Dark Hero must be isolated and rested; if his power is unleashed due to fatigue, catastrophe would surely arrive!

He smiled to himself, a satisfying explanation.

After a few minutes, he took a deep breath. Swiftly removing his glasses, he opened the door with all his might, entering the class with his hand covering his eye right.

“Hearken! Thy normals whom bask in the morning li—”

He immediately stopped talking upon realizing there were only a handful of other students in the classroom, each pausing their conversations to stare at him.

“A—Ahaha! It appears there is not yet a majority, heed my warning whence the time comes for all to listen!” he finished his announcement by pushing his hand above his eye, lifting his blonde hair while taking a stance that looked uncomfortably deliberate.

“Umm…do you….need direct—” Luka raised his hand to stop him.

“All shall be revealed in due time; until then, heed the warnings of the Shepherd!”

The student who had asked him a question returned to talking with another two students, and the rest seemed to give him an odd glance before resuming their own activities.

It’s fine.

Putting on his glasses again, he found a seat in the middle section of the classroom. He prefered to sit at the very back, either by the window or the door, but they were already occupied. A window seat in the middle row was simply the next best choice.

Things will definitely change this time!

* * * * *

He’d forgotten about the mandatory orientation the school had on its first day, now it made sense as to why there were so few students inside the classroom in the morning. Compared to then, the class now was brimming with students, though still managing to be a reasonably normal sized class. As students returned to their seats, the bell signalling the first homeroom class of the new semester rang out, and their teacher walked in.

She’s…truly, her ancestors must have had great blessings bestowed upon them.

It was mostly the male students that made cheers of excitement and audible gasps— he was no exception. Their teacher was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, early thirties at the very latest.

“Hello everyone!” she said, winking and saluting with her fingers. “Last name Wakako, first name Miyami! I’ll be your homeroom teacher this year— looking forward to teaching you all!”

The woman in front of them was absolutely beautiful. Light brown hair hung loose, reaching her mid-back, emphasizing her expressive yet soft facial features. A small mole next to her left eye seemed to bring out the fact they were dark grey in color.

The students, understandably, got riled up. Luka was sure he heard someone ask if he could marry her, to which she promptly made an “x” symbol with her fingers replying, “Sorry, I don’t date high school brats.” Needless to say, there was audible disappointment from the male students.

Hmph. Though you are blessed, Yume is infinitely better than you— mortal woman!

Settling everyone down, Miss Wakako began roll call.

“Let’s start things right! When I call your name, stand up and tell the class something about yourself!” A mixture of panic and excitement spread through Luka as she began. “Let’s see, first is……ohhh what a pretty name! Is Miss ‘Yuuko Asahino’ here?”

Silence filled the classroom, and like the other students, he began looking around when an answer failed to arrive. He noticed two empty seats— one in the middle column near the front of the chalkboard, and one to the far right end of the class, exactly on the opposite side of him.

“Absent on the first day?” she said, clicking her tongue.

She continued reading despite her disappointment, but Luka paid no attention.

This is the First Beginning, I need to show everyone— but no! Wait, wait, what if instead……ahhh that’s no good either!

“Ohh we have a student of foreign heritage! Mr…Sha-Sche……Scha—um, T-Theo—”

Now! Now’s my chance!

“Finish not that name, woman!” he said, standing up. The desk and chair made a horrible screeching sound as they peeled across the tile, twisting the students’ faces into dissatisfied gramces. His teacher, however, gave an uncomfortable smile as she continued.

“Right, sorry about that,” she laughed. “Pronunciation always trips me up, and it’s been a while since I’ve practiced English.”

“Worry not, for I, the Dark Hero, forgive you for your mistake!”

“The…the dark…what?”

Students around the classroom contorted their faces, as if physically pained by the phrase he just said.

“What did you just do!?”

I introduced myself!

“Idiot! You absolute retard! Hurry and salvage the situation!”

“So..so your name is—”

“Indeed madam! I have gone by many titles in my life— The Dark Hero of the Ephemeral Plane, He Who Dwells in the Horizon Beyond, The Dark Shepherd! Yes, all of these are names for the one who stands before you! However I implore you, as well as all others in this abode, call me by my sealed name— ‘Luka’!”

Some students sat in silence, others began speaking to the person next to them in confusion. Miss Wakako was no exception as she, in a loss for words, looked to Luka, then her clipboard, and back again.

“Umm….you’d like to be called ‘Luka’?”

“Preference is unimportant, instructor! For what actually matters is—”

“Hey hero!” a voice barked. “I think you’re lost, the middle school is in the next town over!”

It was a familiar voice that made the joke, but the students that immediately burst into rambunctious laughter kept him from identifying it. It didn’t help that a few of the more well-behaved ones tried to keep themselves from doing the same.

“Mayhaps my ears deceive me? Who said that jus—”

“Me,” said a student taking a relaxed pose. Luka turned his eyes and froze, though he looked different, there was no mistaking that person.

His uniform was disheveled, as though he forgot school was today and threw it on last minute; his hair didn’t look much better. Half his bed head was tied in a small but lazy ponytail, while the other half hung lazily in front of his eyes.

His eyes.

Sharp. Piercing. Intimidating………locked right onto Luka.

He genuinely hoped to never see that look again.

“R-Ry—”

“Do everyone a favor— sit down and shut up for the rest of the year. Actually, don’t sit by the window. You may like it dark, but the rest of us don’t!”

It got progressively more difficult for the students to stop laughing, but Luka wasn’t paying attention to them.

How…

He thought.

How...did I miss him? Why didn’t I see him- why is he here— how is he here in this school and in this class?!

“Wait a second, you there,” Miss Wakako said to the student speaking out. “I won’t tolerate disruptions in my classroom, this is the first and final time I’ll tell you.”

“Tch, you should be thanking me— I shut that sack of lard up for you”

“And you are?”

“Ryu Hideki,” he said, not bothering to stand up from the relaxed pose he’d been maintaining. “As for something about me, I’m here on a sports scholarship.”

Small gasps of admiration and silent clapping were the only things that could be heard from the classroom, though it quickly died as Miss Wakako began speaking.

“While I commend you on receiving that, I’ll reiterate my point. I will not tolerate disruptions, and I expect everyone to show respect in this classroom.”

“I thought that was the ‘first and final time’ you were going to tell me?”

“Hmmm,” she said, clutching her clipboard while narrowing her eyes. “You’re one of those types huh? If that’s the case, I’m sure you’re aware that scholarships can be rescinded.”

Ryu’s confident grin turned sour as he fixed his posture, making another *tch* sound and looking away.

Miyami Wakako sighed as she addressed the rest of the class.

“Since most of you are here on some form of a scholarship, let this be a warning. Stepping severely out of line will cost you your place at this school, so think carefully about what you do and what you say—” she added a final sentence while staring at Luka and Ryu. “—as well as who you say it to.”

Part 2

For such a rough beginning, the rest of the day went surprisingly well. All the other student introductions were made, class proceeded as normal, and the bell signalling the end of the day arrived. Luka remained in his seat, eyeing Ryu from the other end of the room until he left, which thankfully didn’t take long.

I thought it would finally be over by now….

“Haaaah,” he sighed, regaining his composure. “I shall alleviate myself of these feelings by partaking in ritual consumption. Today, it shall be udon.”

Grabbing his school bag, he made his way through the front doors of the building. The Spring afternoon was neither too hot nor too cold; he considered removing his blazer, but the slight wind chill suggested otherwise.

Now that I think about it, I don’t even know what restaurants are around here.

He smiled.

Does my heart deceive me? A venture into the concrete jungle, yonder this academy, in search of sustenance? Truly this is a joyous task I shall gladly underta—

He stopped when he saw the person in front of him. Or rather, when he saw the group in front of him, led by the person he’d least hope to see.

“R-Ryu…” he said, eyeing the various stones on the ground. “W-What brings you before—”

“Shut up.” he said, indifferent. The two boys on either side of him snickered, and both looked equally sinister doing so. Though he was eyeing the ground, Luka caught a brief glimpse of them; one had a slight droop to his mouth, while the other was tall with an extremely sharp jawline.

He was probably popular back in middle school, like Ryu…

“Come with me,” said the boy in question. With those words, he turned around and began walking down an isolated path on the school grounds, a little ways from the dormitories. As they walked, Luka noticed Ryu didn’t bother turning around to check if he was actually following, though he didn’t need to. Both his friends had taken up position behind Luka, silently dissuading any attempts to escape.

And escape was the only thing on his mind.

Calm down, calm down! You’re in high school now, this is your First Beginning! There has to be something…something—! Cameras! There are probably cameras around!

He looked around, and sure enough, was relieved upon seeing small black spheres protruding from the sides of the building they approached. It was short lived, however, when he noticed Ryu waiting under what looked like a giant concrete shelf sticking out of the middle of the building…. a balcony of some kind?

What architect designs buildings so strangely!

Of course, it wasn’t a completely hidden spot. It was true that the cameras above them couldn’t spot them under the balcony, but there was still the possibility someone could see them.

……someone from outside the boundary…

A few meters next to them was a waist-high concrete wall marking the end of school property. That is its only function, and yet being neither hazardous nor particularly intimidating, the school remains a haven. The reason why is simple— the school’s reputation is what safeguards it, and anyone that isn’t a student attempting to cross it would be caught by the cameras and hunted like a dog afterward.

“See, it doesn't matter if someone out there sees us. Do you want to know why?”

Ryu spoke those words, as if reading his thoughts. He tried answering, but the only thing that left his throat was a mix of a low-pitched squeal and garbled words.

Ryu’s frown worsened. “Because this school is ours, this campus belongs to the students and no one but the students. Anyone comes here— they get torn to shreds!” he said, shoving Luka into the wall. The crash made him lose balance, causing him to trip over his own feet.

Ryu stared in disgust as Luka struggled to stand up again, panting as he used the wall for support.

“Why the hell are you here?”

“He—heheh, of course you…are confused about seeing me. However let us refrain from using violence, otherwise my seals will surely—”

“Enough!” Ryu lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him against the wall. “Enough of your disgusting chuunibyou talk, and enough of your backwards logic! None of us ever talked about where we’d go to high school, so I want to know why you’re here!”

As he spoke, Luka grabbed the cuffs of his blazer in an attempt to loosen the force, but it was no use. The sharpness of his eyes became more detailed as he tried to focus on saying something.

“We haven’t……talked…since then…why are you….after me?”

“Because,” Ryu said in an ever increasing shout. “I thought I’d finally seen the last of you, yet here you are infecting everyone with your disgusting personality!”

Yanking him from the wall, he used all his strength to shove him away— not with the grip he had on his collar, but through a punch delivered right to the middle of his chest.

Luka felt his glasses fly away from his face as his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets after being sent to the ground.

“You’re a fat, disgusting slob and a sorry excuse for a human being,” he seethed through clenched teeth. “You speak like a child, are a nuisance to the people around you, and I can smell you from halfway across class— of course I want you gone!”

On the floor, he did his best to crawl away from the approaching threat, but it was no use. The adrenaline coursing through his veins only made everything more blurry as he focused in on everything around him. The snickers of the two boys, the boy with spiky hair in a ponytail approaching him, and strangest of all—

“Excuse me.”

—the soothing voice of a female.

Quickly searching the ground, he managed to feel the tips of plastic frames and hurriedly put them to his face. He, along with the three others, were staring at a young girl looking in their direction. A teal colored ribbon flowed down the left side of her ebony, waist-length hair; it complimented the pale tone of her skin, but what Luka thought was most astounding were her eyes.

He’d never seen a green as bright, vivid, and iridescent as the one coloring them.

Ryu was the first to snap out of his trance. “You’re wearing our uniform— what do you want?”

“Well, I happened to be walking by and—”

“—noticed me and wanted my number?” said the boy with a slightly crooked mouth. The girl’s expression went from neutral to………a smile.

Still neutral but……there was a different shade to it.

The boy apparently didn’t notice as he approached her with confident strides as Ryu scoffed and his friend began laughing.

“It’s only natural, so I don’t blame you.” he walked around her as he spoke, while she continued staring straight ahead. “You want me to give you a tour of campus? You’re wearing blue trim, so you must be a first year too, and we all gotta stick together right?”

He moved to put his arm around her, and Luka immediately noticed the smile that grew on her face. The screams of pain emanating from the boy only registered after.

“Please don’t touch me with that filthy hand of yours.” she smiled with closed eyes. Following her arm with his eyes, Luka saw a crooked finger in her grip, and his face contorted in pain at seeing the angle at which it was bent. The boy collapsed onto the ground as she let go, sobbing in pain. Yet she paid him no mind— instead, focusing on wiping her hand against the hem of her skirt.

“What the hell!?”

“What did you just do to him?!”

Both Ryu and his friend marched towards the girl who began wagging her finger in a “no” motion.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” She said, pointing to the black spheres on the side of the building. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not underneath your balcony nor do I have the intention of moving closer.”

Ryu froze in his tracks as he twisted his body to look up. He’d been in such a rush that he didn’t consider the fact he was in full view of the cameras.

He opened his mouth, but she spoke before he could form words. “If you wish to fight me, go ahead. I doubt the administration will find your reason for hitting me as justifiable as a boy placing his hands on a girl he doesn't know.”

Ryu looked at the sphere once more as his friend with a strong jaw bent down to pick up the sobbing boy.

“Ryu, what are you waiting for!? Let’s go!”

Gritting his teeth, he reluctantly followed behind his friends before turning around.

“I won’t forget this, Luka. Watch yourself.” Emphasizing the venom in the name, he retreated. And just like that, Luka and the unknown girl were left to themselves.

Both watched the group until they were no longer in sight, but Luka wasn’t calm in the slightest. Anxious breathing filled his lungs as the girl approached him.

“Are you okay Luka?”

He had an extremely difficult time responding, and tried to distract himself by focusing on her face since he could get a better look at her now. It was true that her eyes were a startling shade of turquoise green that matched her ribbon, but he never noticed the small braid on the back of her hair, going from one ear to the other. It was barely noticeable, but he managed to spot it as she looked towards the group, before she approached.

Her nose was small, but sharp— similar to her cheeks. That wasn’t to mention the pale skin that somehow glowed under the midday sun, nor her voice that was light as velvet, yet somehow managing to carry a deeper weight. A motherly one?

Sh—She’s way too pretty! She needs to be nerfed!

“Um…Luka?”

She bent her upper body to look at the face he’d hidden away.

W-When did I stop looking her in the eye?! Did I even look her in the eye in the first place!?

“I’m sorry if I got your name wrong, I heard him call you that so I figured…”

“hAh-hAHAHA! Indeed, you heard correctly! T-The name is Luka!”

“Ahh, so it is.” she politely smiled. “At any rate, are you hurt? That guy didn’t seem like he held back.”

“I understand your concern madam, but fret not! I am uninjured!” he held up his arm toward her for emphasis, doing his best to hide the pain as he continued forming various poses. “I would have fought back— but alas! If I ever lose control, death would befall all who stood in my way!”

“Ohhhh, death huh?”

“Indeed! See, I’m actually quite the fighter! I could have taken on all three of them had the situation been truly desperate!”

“I see I see.” She said, putting a finger to her lip. “You must’ve been in a lot of fights in the past in that case; probably something like a decade’s worth of practice.”

“You have quite the insight madam, but nay! I, The Dark Shepherd, attained this level in a mere…mere……ah! Two years!”

“Dark Shepherd?……Two years…” she spoke, though he suspected it wasn’t directed at him. He couldn’t help but wonder about what she was thinking, standing there, looking at the clouds. He didn’t ponder for long, however, as she offered another polite smile while bringing her fingers together. “Luka, would you like to come with me? There’s someone I think you would enjoy speaking with.”

“G-Go with you!?”

The statement caught him completely off guard.

“Wait, like, back to y-your dorm room? Is…that allowed?”

“Of sorts, and in a way,” she smiled.

“I-I would—I mean I wouldn’t really, with the talking I guess but if you— not that you’re insisting, or no! I mean me insisting it was you, you know just that—!”

Puffs of air like small laughs escaped the girl’s throat.

“I understand. I won’t force you, but if you’d like to accept then follow me.”

She didn’t wait for a response before heading in the direction of the main gate. He stood there for a few long seconds, contemplating what had just happened.

None of it seemed real.

One second he was being attacked by a person he thought he’d never see again, and the next, a beautiful girl saved him and was now inviting him— him— HIM, back to her dorm room. He felt like it was some kind of…false reality.

And a small voice in the back of his conscious spoke.

Remember— First. Beginning.

He followed her through the gates of the school’s campus, encouraged by those words.

Unbeknownst to them both, however, the scenery they left behind rustled with quiet activity. The culprit crawled away from the bushes that hid her, nervously looking at her camera before fading into the background once more.

* * * * *

As Luka and the girl walked around the city, he couldn’t help but marvel at how everything felt so modern— thanks in large part to the school.

Prestige brings reputation, and reputation must be upheld at any cost— mainly money. Unlike other provinces that built their schools in accordance to the region, the school had such influence on the city around them that it was remodeled to reflect the modern and cutting edge reputation it commanded.

Luka had read about its background before applying; after the school was established some thirty years ago, whole blocks were demolished and built again to reflect an environment worthy of the school. Even now, office buildings were constantly remodeled by the school’s alumni, so other alumni working in those offices could feel the luxury of steel, glass, ceramic, and other materials the alumni architects found worthy to use.

Alumni managed the restaurants around town, the hotels, nearly every facet of every business had some connection to the school. Of course, “normal” residents were far, far more in number than the graduates of the school. Truth be told, other than the prominent positions being held by alumni, and the modern architecture and aesthetic, it was a relatively normal city.

And that was all thanks to the establishing company; how ironic that a school had been its very first business venture.

“Fable sure is amazing.”

“Hmm? The company?”

“Ahhh…… forgive me. I spoke my thoughts aloud.” he turned his attention back to the intersection displaying the white “walk” symbol. Passing through the heart of the city, it was hard not to lose track of the girl, but every time he fell behind, she’d wait patiently for him to catch up.

She looks and acts like a model; this girl seriously needs to be nerfed.

What felt suspicious to him through the entirety of their walk was how the girl claimed her dorm was ahead. As far as Luka knew, all students resided on campus, dormage anywhere else wasn’t allowed.

“So Luka, when did you arrive in Japan?”

“When…when hath….?”

“It’s not often you see a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. And, while they call it a boarding school, there aren’t many foreigners.” she curled a finger over her mouth. “I think I read it was something like ninety-eight percent of the student body is native Japanese, the last two percent come from Asia or Europe.”

“Ahh…that’s true.” He considered it only at surface level, but the girl had green eyes. He straightened himself, finally looking at the girl walking alongside the street. “From where…is your pedigree? Northern, mayhaps?”

“My mom is Scandinavian, but my dad is Japanese.” she replied.

“I……see.”

“Luka are you okay? You’ve been breathing kind of……heavy……for a while now. ”

“This form…can only contain so much….aaahh…are we close?”

“As a matter of fact, we’ve just arrived.”

Rounding one final intersection, Luka could see what she was talking about up ahead. It was a two-story apartment—a small, quaint residence.

“Come on, we’ll go inside.”

With those words, the dream-like situation broke, and reality hit him like a punch to the face.

Oh no.

And every vein in his body filled with adrenaline.

No no no no, I’m not ready yet! I-I don’t know how to please a woman!

“Idiot!” replied a different voice in his head. “You’re so beneath her it can’t even be considered a joke. Relax, she doesn't want anything with you.”

We are LITERALLY at the doorstep of her apartment! How does a student even get an apartment?!

“I don’t know, but it’s an APARTMENT, not a hotel.”

The same thing happens at either location!

“Yeah, and what? Are you going to take off your shirt? Maybe show her all those folds you’ve worked hard on? Go ahead, I’m sure that’ll arouse her.”

……I………

“For the love of— just shut up for once! We both know I’m right, remember this morning?”

The sudden thought snapped him back to the present.

“You didn’t need to be that harsh……”

“Hmm? Aah, I’m terribly sorry Luka, I didn’t hear you. Please give me a moment to find the key…”

“Yeah………yeah go ahead.”

It was difficult to hide the quiver in his voice.

Producing a silver key from her school bag, she walked in front of the middle door on the ground floor and inserted it, swiftly swinging it open.

Before the door opened, Luka thought her a kind-hearted, polite, somewhat reserved girl. That impression still held true after opening it, but he felt the air around her change. It became… charged. Like everything about her got amplified by three.

“Honey~! I’m home!”

Or rather, it was like she was finally showing her true self.

“You’re back already? That was fast.”

“Ohh, no need to be shy—if you missed me so much just go ahead and say so~!”

She was teasing, but the palms on the sides of her smiling face gave off a different impression. And her body— could girls really move their bodies in squiggles like that?

He followed her lead, removing his shoes as the person she spoke to came into view.

“You were gone for ten minutes,” he sighed. “I didn’t even have time to—oh. Hello.”

A guy. It’s a guy.

“I told you didn’t I? She wasn’t interested.”

……I knew that before you did.

“Apparently not.”

The boy in front of them scratched the back of his head. “You should’ve told me you were bringing someone, I only made enough for two.”

“You say that as if we can’t share!”

“I don’t think it’s an issue of sharing.” he said defeatedly.

“U-Umm…I’ll……it’s no problem I’ll go—”

“No need,” the boy smiled. “I brought extra ingredients. Why don’t you come in and wait a bit, it shouldn't take long to ready an extra plate.”

“Besides,” said the girl, walking to the boy’s side. “You never answered my question about how long you’ve been in the country for.”

I…I just want to leave……

“Then leave.”

How?

“By saying excusing yourself politely, retard.”

He scoffed at the internal conversation.

“Umm……Thank you, but I—”

*GRRRRWWWWWLLL*

“………………………”

“…………………………”

“……………………………”

—the smell of cooking hit his nose.

“Wow. You can’t even turn down an invitation properly.”

IN MY DEFENSE I WAS GOING TO GET UDON BEFORE BEING ASSAULTED, REMEMBER?

“Honest,” encouraged the boy. “It won’t take long.”

Part 3

Are they dating?

“Oh, they’re totally dating.”

But he’s not…… acting like it…

“No, that’s just what you’re HOPING for; deep down you know they are. That’s why you have me tell you.”

Under normal circumstances, Luka would agree—but the situation he found himself in was anything but normal. True, he felt disappointed in learning that a guy was joining them, but part of him couldn’t hold that resentment even if he wanted to.

And for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why.

“Here you go,” he said, passing him a bowl of oyakodon. “Sorry it’s missing a few ingredients, I really thought I had everything.”

“N-No, this is!……adequate! You, ummm……have my thanks…”

He took a seat by the girl who raised her head while unclasping her hands. A finished prayer?

“So Luka,” said the boy, passing him a cup of tea. “You’re a first year too?”

The hot beverage caught in his throat at those words. It was nothing strange to ask in and of itself, but—

“—w-what a coincidence! I was going to ask you the same question……!”

The boy gave a simple nod while the girl next to him replied. “The school assigns uniforms based on year, right? First year blazers have blue trim, second year’s have red, and third green.”

She motioned to the blue trim they all shared and smiled. “It looks like we’re all new!”

“Aah, that’s true!” he said excitedly. “Then, what rooms are you both assigned to? I’m in Class One-Four!”

“Hah! It’s a good thing I checked before arriving at the school, otherwise I wouldn’t have the slightest idea!”

Luka looked at her with a puzzled expression. “You mean……you weren’t in class today, or…?”

“We……got sidetracked.” responded the boy.

“Side…tracked?”

I don’t like where this is going! Is this going where I think it’s going? It is— isn’t it!?

“You should’ve seen it, Luka!” the girl exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her body. “We failed to arrive on our first day because this man just couldn’t contain himself!”

I KNEW IT!

“Yui,” the boy said, calmly drinking his tea. “You’re going to cause misunderstandings.”

“Oh, but it’s true, isn’t it?!” she said, beginning to squirm. “You were so forceful, pushing me down, being on top of me— even though a child was watching!”

“A child!?”

“A little girl.” clarified the boy, still drinking tea.

“That doesn't make it better!”

“Aah, but, truth be told,” she said, putting a hand to her scarlet red cheek. “I didn’t dislike it…”

His head was spinning and he was fairly certain the lightheadedness was the result of shock.

“T-Then…are……does that mean…umm, are ah, are you two…d-da-”

He froze mid-sentence for a very simple reason.

“Yui……is that your name?”

The girl, too, stopped her squirming mid-wiggle. Her blush slowly disappeared, becoming replaced with a serious, but friendly, smile.

“It’s a bit informal, but please feel free to call me that!”

“I see……I’m sorry I never asked…”

“Aah not at all, please don’t feel bad about something like that!”

“Speaking of,” the boy inquired. “What’s your surname, Luka?”

The boy’s expression seemed to turn somewhat more positive given the girl’s forgiveness and the change of topic.

“Schafer! Ah, but, feel free to call me Luka!”

“Schafer…Schafer………that means ‘shepherd’ doesn't it? And Luka means ‘light,’?”

“Giyh—!”

I know she’s half foreign, but how does she know?!

“Er, y-yes it does…”

“So shouldn’t you be the ‘Light Shepherd’ instead of the ‘Dark Shepherd’ you said earlier?”

“What? No no, that’s…I—!”

No no no no! Just when everything was going so well! I need to come up with something!

Something to make it normal!

Anything!

“Oh, ‘Dark Shepherd.’ Is that a nickname?”

He looked up from his panic driven state, quickly composing himself. “Ah-Ahaha! I-It is, of sorts!”

“Did the students in One-Four give it to you?” asked the boy. “Maybe someone else understood the meaning of your name.”

“Hah, I……doubt that.”

Luka began speaking to the wooden boards beneath him.

“Fate is…unkind. I am looking forward to the year, but the scales of fate balanced by pitting me against many adversaries.”

The silence in the room wasn’t uncomfortable, so much as heavy. Yui, however, had no trouble adding to the weight.

“Is that delinquent in Class One-Four?”

“Huh? A delinquent?”

Luka jerked his head up, quick to rebuttal their comments.

“N-Nonsense, I’m fine, totally fine! Even then, as you saw yourself madam, I can totally take care of myself! If those guys were really asking for it, it’s nothing I’m not able to hand—”

“—ah!” A sudden outburst escaped Yui’s lips, interrupting his speech.

“Are you okay?” he asked the girl. Confirming she was uninjured, he continued. “Thankfully it’s not much; head to the bathroom before that tea leaves a stain.”

“Fuaah,” she sighed. “How unfortunate. If you’ll both please excuse me.”

With that, the girl rose and excused herself. She was out of sight soon enough, but the conversation didn’t immediately begin again. He wasn’t sure why, but Luka felt like a burden all of a sudden.

Maybe…she just wanted to leave.

“Can’t think of many people that’d enjoy a conversation with you.”

“You were saying it was nothing you can’t handle?”

He raised his head in response.

Then why……does he seem interested in continuing?

He opened his mouth to respond, but the words weren’t right. His speech was stuck in his head, and instead, words he didn’t mean to say escaped.

“Sorry, I should go.”

That’s a shame, I was actually beginning to feel…

“Comfortable?”

Maybe. Either way, I—

“—Luka, you don’t need to.”

Those words shocked him back into the present, forcing him to pay attention to the boy sitting across from him.

“I can tell you’ve got a lot on your mind, and if you don’t mind someone like me, you can tell me what’s going on with this delinquent. Is he giving you trouble?”

He’d already readied his bag to leave, and was nearly standing but…

“Still comfortable?”

He sighed as he sat back down. He didn’t know why he started talking, or better put, why he could speak so clearly all of a sudden.

“Ryu……was my only friend until last year…until he started messing with me. He said this wasn’t a video game or manga; that I should take a good look at myself. I thought by going here I’d be able to get a fresh start, a sort of ‘first beginning’ but……”

His sudden ability to speak his mind clearly faded. And though he never looked the boy across the room in the eye, he swore he could listen to the sound of his mind looking for a response.

“Have you?”

“Have I what?”

“Taken a good look at yourself. What do you think?”

He touched the inside of his palms as she spoke.

“Of course I have……and he’s right. I mean, look. Nobody…nobody would……”

“Yourself included?”

“Myself?……I…I’m not sure I follow.”

He raised his head, and was surprised by the look of the boy. Those eyes were just as bright as the girl’s. In a way, they reminded him of—

“Tomorrow morning.”

“What..?”

“Hmm, no you’re right— tomorrow is a bit of an abrupt start. Let’s just talk about it tomorrow then, and we’ll see if you’re up for it.”

And with those words he began picking up the dishes on the table, carrying them to the sink and washing them.

“Umm, h-hey I’m not sure if I understand what you just said.”

“We’ll talk more about it tomorrow. You seem like you’ve more to say, but don’t know how to say it.”

“That’s—!”

Completely accurate.

“R-Right then……I, umm………thanks. I appreciate you listening to me.”

“Anytime.”

“So, uh, I never asked for your name.”

He briefly glanced over from washing dishes, flashing a small smile.

“You can ask now.”

Luka couldn’t help but give a small laugh, it was a clever response.

“I’m Luka, so what should I call you?”

“My name’s—”

“—I managed to get the stain out!” said the girl, showing them a small dark circle on the edge of her sleeve cuff.

“You always do.” he smiled.

“Hey! Why are you washing the dishes? You made the meal, at least let me handle this much!”

“Yui, it’s really no big deal.”

“Nonsense, that’s—! H-Hey, don’t hold it so high, I can’t reach!”

“That’s kind of the point.”

“Yuu, stop teasing me when others are watching! Do it when we’re alone so I can enjoy myself properly!”

“Weren’t you the one who brought up a misunderstanding?” he sighed.

“Fine,” she huffed. Grabbing a towel, she stood to his side. “In that case I’ll dry them and put them away.”

“You really don’t need t—”

“ Luka, sorry but could you wait for just a few minutes? I need to finish this.”

“Y-Yeah…I don’t mind.”

What’s this sudden feeling I have of lacking accountability?

He said that while tugging at his chest, but more importantly he focused on the important piece of information he heard.

“Yuu…and Yui.” he whispered.

Part 4

Luka sat by the window, counting the clouds in the sky. He didn’t actually enjoy doing so, since he thought it incredibly boring, but it’s always what the main characters who sit by windows do, so he thought he’d try it as well.

His concentration was broken by the sound of homeroom starting.

“I’m glad to see no one’s run away yet,” Miss Wakako said, taking attendance. “That means we’ll have a full house today.”

“Sensei, what do you mean?”

“I mean this,” she gestured to the door. “The two of you, come on inside.”

Luka’s eyes went wide for a reason very different from that of his classmates.

Two students, a boy and a girl, entered the room— the same two he met yesterday.

“As you both failed to arrive yesterday, tell us your name and one thing about yourself. Of course, ladies first,” she said, gesturing towards the girl. “Miss Asahino, you can start anytime.”