Fateful Encounter Pt. 1

My head slowly lifted off the table. A few seconds later, I let a heavy sigh and forced my eyes open. Slowly, they began adjusting to the bright sunlight piercing through the window next to me. Outside, birds were chirping nonstop, but it wasn't nearly as loud as the other students scattered around the lecture hall.

It's so early in the morning... How do they find the energy to be so loud? I wonder if it's because I tend to be so quiet that I'm not friends with any of them. Nah, it's more so the fact that none of them have ever succeeded in remember my name after the first introductions. Classic.

I pushed my elbow down upon the surface of the table, leaning my head on my hand as I peered out onto the campus courtyard beneath. Empty, as it always is whenever class sessions are going on.

Suddenly, a trio of girls appeared from an underpass to the left, steadily making their way toward the building. I've never seen them before. Then again, I don't really pay attention to the people around me.

Students, huh? And here I was thinking it was about to get interesting with some intruders... is not actually what I was hoping would happen. I was just making a joke. Spare me, O' great gods above.

"Alright, kids, sit down," the mathematics professor said as he entered the door.

The chatter began to die down as everyone rushed back to their seats. Finally, complete silence.

"Everyone," he spoke again. "We've got some new exchange students who came here from overseas just this week. Eyes forward and listen. I don't want anyone showing any disrespect, got it?"

The entire class agreed in unison, albeit not with much enthusiasm. Great, new students to add to the already chaotic classroom. Can't wait to see how this will turn out.

One by one, the exchange students walked in and lined up at the front. My eyes immediately widened, as I'm sure it was for pretty much everyone here.

Three of them, girls, all with their own unique characteristics. As far as I've seen, there isn't a single other person in the entire campus who shares any commonality with them. If I could venture a guess, I'd say there isn't anyone in the entire city of Tokyo who comes close.

"Hello," said the girl on the left, bowing her head just enough to seem polite without overdoing it. Her voice was soft, almost too soft for a room like this, but it somehow pulled my attention anyway. "I'm Chloe. It's truly a pleasure to meet all of you. Please, treat me well."

Something about the way she said those few words made my brain feel like it was shorting out. That's not normal, is it?

Chloe's hair was short, stopping at her shoulders, but what stood out most was the color—bright salmon, like it was glowing. And yet, it didn't look dyed. Her bangs were split into three sections across her forehead, the middle one thicker than the rest, and the strands on either side of her face hung longer than the rest of her hair.

Then there were her eyes. Big, round, and a shade of blue so light it was almost silver. They looked like they had this faint pattern in them, like ripples in water. If I stared too long, I might convince myself they were actually glowing.

"Hi, hi!" the middle girl greeted us with a wide and carefree grin, flashing a peace sign like she was in the middle of a photo shoot. "I'm Lana. Nice to meet you! Please, treat me well!"

At least half the guys in the lecture hall looked like they'd forgotten how to breathe. I couldn't blame them.

Lana's wavy cyan hair was pulled into a ponytail that tilted to the right side of her head, giving her this playful, messy look. A few longer strands framed her face perfectly, and her uneven bangs only added to the charm, flawless without effort.

Her eyes, though—they were massive, bright golden, and had the same strange, jewel-like pattern as Chloe's. It was hard not to stare, even if it felt like they were staring back at me twice as hard.

The girl on the right didn't say a word. Instead, she gave a slight bow, her movements calm and deliberate, like she didn't need to try to make an impression.

Her sharp emerald eyes squinted just enough to match the subtle smirk on her lips. It wasn't a smile—it was something more knowing, more confident, like she already understood how this would play out.

I glance around the lecture hall. Yep. Jaws to the floor, and not a single eye looking elsewhere.

Alice's long, silvery-gray hair cascaded past her back, perfectly straight except for a small braid woven neatly behind her head. A single strand slipped past her right cheek, and as she bowed, the locks framing her face fell over her shoulders like they'd been waiting for the perfect moment.

"Oh! This here is Alice," Lana suddenly stepped in to say. "She's still learning Japanese, but I hope you'll treat her as you would anyone else!"

"I have a question," one of the guys in the back said. "Are you three friends?"

"Friends? Nah! We're sisters!"

"S-sisters?!" pretty much the entire class exclaimed.

"Yup! Sisters!"

I would've never expected that considering the massive difference between each of them.

"Alright, go have a seat in those empty chairs back there," the professor said. "We're about to begin."

"Yes, sir!" Lana cheered as she rushed towards the back.

"Thank you, professor," Chloe bowed her head and said.

The next ninety minutes were filled with some of the most boring things a calculus professor could teach us. In fact, it's on par with sitting down and listening to one of the headmaster's hour-long speeches about how proud he is of us and the school.

The class, which was Japanese language, wasn't all that great either, because those exchange students were also in my class. No shortage of watchful eyes gazed upon the new students during the entirety of class. I guess I wasn't any different.

Finally, it was time for lunch. After the teacher left, almost everybody in the room crowded around the girls, asking them so many questions. Despite their best efforts, I could tell they had a hard time answering even one of them. I stood up and left. Like always, It's way too noisy in here.

As I stepped out of the building and onto the campus grounds, many students were passing by with their friends. As for me, I was alone, and honestly, I wouldn't prefer it any other way. I can't handle having to talk to someone for the duration of a walk. Losing interest easily is one of my greatest weaknesses.

A short walk later, and I made it to the library, where even the hallway outside was empty. The inside was no different. Not many students come to the library, making it the perfect place for some peace and quiet.

I sat down on a table in between two large bookshelves, perfectly hidden. My hands reached into my schoolbag and pulled out three onigiris. There's a nice little shop on the way to school that sells these for pretty cheap. For the last couple of years, I've stopped by that shop without fail at least once every two days.

I lifted my arm with an onigiri in my hands, ready to feast. Right as I was about to take the first bite, a pair of footsteps faded in.

That's new. Students in the library during lunchtime? Most of them either go to the commons or off campus to buy food. Oh well. Again, I opened my mouth for a bite until a familiar voice stopped me.

"Empty?" asked a girl.

"Very," said another. "So it's true that mortals rarely vacate the library. Kinda ironic. Anyway, where's Alice?"

"On her way. Should be just a couple of minutes."

I carefully made my way to the bookshelf and peeked through a small gap between some books. My heart began racing with each passing second. It's Chloe and Lana, two of the three sisters from earlier!