Commanding Reflection

Our eyes met, and for a brief moment, I saw the uncertainty in Cloey’s expression melt away. Confidence flickered in her gaze as she understood what I was trying to do.

I repeated myself with a bow, trying to maintain a calm demeanor despite the tension in the air. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. My name’s Anon Kadekaru.”

Please back me up, Cloey!

There was an unspoken familiarity between us as our eyes briefly met before we turned our attention forward. The atmosphere wasn’t exactly quiet, teachers milled about, conversing softly, and papers rustled in preparation for the class to start. Still, the moment felt undeniably early, especially in the presence of her father. Perhaps it was the man standing before us, or perhaps it was the sheer weight of the situation, but his presence seemed to still the world around us.

I couldn’t help but feel the pressure of his gaze. His eyes were locked onto me, sharp and unblinking. It made everything feel so much more intense. I was just a student trying to get through a single day at a school I didn’t belong to, but his stare had a way of making it feel like I was in way over my head. This could go so wrong, I thought, my every movement feeling like it would tip the scale one way or another.

“Anon Kadekaru?”

His voice calling my name pulled me back to the present, and I straightened up. Our eyes met, and I swallowed hard, doing my best to keep my voice steady.

“Yes sir?”

"Humor me for a moment," he said, crossing his arms. "Why should I allow potential trouble into my school?"

Fair enough. I'm not terribly well-versed in school laws, but allowing a random student in ‘just because’ probably its own set of issues. Accepting a potential problem with no benefit in return would only lead to trouble down the imaginary road. That meant I had to think through everything to find the best-worst-case scenario.

“I only intend to find something to do while I have nowhere else to be,” I replied. “Cloey was the one who suggested I visit school for the day before I take my leave later today. I have no intention of causing any trouble for either the school or myself.”

Maybe it was a bit cheeky, but I said everything that needed to be said.

“Am I correct to assume you don't plan to explain any details?”

“...Apologies, but that's something only Cloey and I can understand for now.”

His gaze narrowed as his eyes flicked between the two of us. He sighed before pointing at me, his index finger turned upside down.

“Let’s say I trust you. What happens if you cause trouble, whether by accident or not? You can see why I can’t just give you free rein in the school.” His gaze shifted to Cloey.

“I'll keep an eye on him,” she said. “He can stay with me during my classes, and there won't be any problems.”

“As much as I want to trust you, sweetie, I’ve never met him before, and you’ve never mentioned him. Your relationship is unfamiliar, which makes it hard to trust.”

I could have imagined it, but I sensed something behind his words. Maybe he was implying something about the two of us. From a parent's perspective, ’Your daughter hides a boy and asks for help only when it benefits him’ does sound suspicious.

“We're just friends!” Cloey retorted, her cheeks flushed and her lips pouting in frustration.

“If I may suggest something,” I said, his gaze turning to me. “Why not get a third party to mediate? Someone with no connections to us, and who’s also a good student.”

It might have been a little too bold, but I saw an opportunity to suggest an ultimatum.

“Aren’t you a cheeky kid?”

“I just want to make a good impression for Cloey's father.”

“Let’s hope it’s the last time,” he joked, then laid out the details. “How about this? I’ll bring a student over, and if they approve, you can stay for the day with no further questions.”

“But…?”

“But if they decide they'd rather not entertain a complete stranger, you’ll have to leave. Sounds fair?”

“That’s not fair, da–”

“That’s fine with me.”

I smiled in response. Our eyes locked, while Cloey looked between the two of us, bewildered.

I had proposed an ultimatum, and he responded with his own set of rules. The fact that he didn’t decline it meant he was at least considering it. Why? Because of his daughter. A father who had been personally approached by his daughter took the situation seriously enough to hear us out. In the end, it wasn’t my rules to dictate, it was his game, and we were bound to play it fairly.

“I think I’m starting to like you, kid.”

“Likewise, sir.”

He turned to a teacher and asked them to bring a student. The noise made it hard to catch the name, but I was sure I’d meet them soon enough.

A minute-ish later, a voice called out from behind the teacher's lounge door.

“Yo, Teach, I’m here like you asked.”

The door swung open to reveal a rather eccentric-looking girl. Her black hair had red highlights, and tiny heart-shaped stickers adorned her cheeks. She actually looked more drowsy than eccentric as she approached us.

A gyaru is one of the trusted students?

He had briefed her on everything before asking the crucial question.

“So, how does it sound? Would you be okay with this?”

“Hmm…sounds like a hassle,” she said, eyeing me up and down before glancing at Cloey. “But if it’s only for a day, then I guess it’s whatever.”

Cloey’s face lit up at the response, and her father just smiled, leaning back against his desk.

"Then it’s settled. I’ll give the teachers an excuse that they’ll pass on to the students. 'You're a visiting transfer student looking to find a place to settle.' That’s what we’ll say, got it?"

“Yes, sir.”

“But one wrong move, and you know what’ll happen. This school is the best in the area, and I plan to keep it that way.”

You won’t hear a thing from me,” I said, zipping my lips and pretending to lock them.

He escorted us out of the room, and I trailed behind Cloey and the gyaru as we made our way toward their homeroom.

My first and last day of school in a parallel universe…how different could it really be?

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“Weren’t you a bit too lax with them?” a neighboring teacher, who had overheard the conversation, asked.

“Maybe," I replied, "but didn’t you take note of those two?”

“Anon and your daughter?”

“Yeah. They were both nervous messes.” I lowered my voice to a mutter. “She was clutching her clothing like she always does when she gets nervous.”

“Is that why you were playing defensively? You’ve come down on us teachers for way less.”

“Just doing my job, making sure everyone’s at their best,” I said, brushing off his comment.

“A secretive kid who just appears and disappears. These youngins are all over the place,” he remarked, taking a sip from his mug.

“I’m more concerned about their relationship.”

“Don’t tell me you’re the type of parent who gets super protective when she brings a boy around?” he joked, tapping my arm with his elbow.

“You better not spill that,” I warned him. “But that’s not the issue for me. I trust her to make good decisions, which includes finding her own partner.”

I paused, staring at a family photo on my desk.

“My concern lies in how she described him,” I said. “She called him her ‘friend.’”

I sank into a chair, my mind drifting back to the conversation.

“She’s never talked about friends before, so it got me a little worried. She isn’t being bullied or anything, but she called a random boy, outside of her school who she’s never made any note of, a friend.”

I exhaled, returning to my work, though the thoughts still lingered, a smile tugging at my lips.

“Still, I’m just happy she has someone she wanted to help…even if she only backed him up on some parts,” I joked, a small smile forming.

“So you’d be okay if she ended up dating him?”

“...”

“Hmmm?”

“He’s still a bit suspicious, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt,” I mumbled. “He’s not a bad kid.”

“Here’s hoping she finds herself a true friend.”

“Since when did you start getting involved in other people’s business, Mr. Stigandr?”

“When I saw a father letting his daughter get away with whatever she wanted, Mr. Sebastiane,” he teased.

I chuckled at the thought. “You’ll understand when you have a family.”

“Only when all the interesting stuff starts to disappear.”

“You drama-seeking man,” I joked.

Still, Anon doesn’t seem like a bad kid at first glance. To go out of her way and ask something as bold as letting him pose as a student…Just who is he? What’s his connection to Cloey?

I shook my head, dismissing the thoughts.

“No…it doesn’t matter,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

As long as Cloey trusts him, I’ll choose to do the same.

Especially since he's the friend she’s relying on right now.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“Hey, Cloeyyy!”

A high-pitched voice rang out, revealing three girls standing outside her homeroom. The one who had called out approached first, with the second walking beside her. The third stood a little further away, her head lowered in silence.

“Stop hanging out with Kira and come join us,” the first girl called, adding a touch of sass to Kira's name as she swaggered over like she was trying to pull off some tough-girl act. Kira, in contrast, kept her gaze fixed on the floor, her face clouded with a sullen expression.

“Who are they?” I asked, sensing the palpable tension between everyone.

“She’s–”

“I’m the Man-Killer herself, Viveka Amajiki,” the girl interrupted with a smirk, her friend confidently slinging her arm around Viveka’s shoulder.

“Cloey and I go way back,” Viveka continued, stepping closer to me. She was just a bit taller than I was. “But I didn’t know this was your type, though.”

“We’re not dating,” Cloey said, her voice dismissive, much colder than when she had talked to her father earlier.

“Does that mean it's okay if I claim him for myself?” She suddenly cupped my face in her hands, playfully squishing my cheeks. “After all, we're besties, right?”