Chapter 1:

Target Spotted

Heartless Overclock


 A black limousine rolls up along the sidewalk to a doorway. Inside the vehicle, the driver speaks to their passenger. “It all leads up to this. Remember your mission, agent. Recon your target.”


“Understood, sir.” A 16-year-old boy dressed in finely-sewn school uniform nods while looking at the mirror.


The driver steps out of the car to serve the door open for the young master, “Master Hachiko, please enjoy your studies.” 


Hachiko only responds with a nod and carries his school-issued bag over his left shoulder and walks gallantly, yet a bit mechanically. The limousine leaves to make way for another, and their driver serves the door likewise. This time, however, the students who have arrived earlier looks on with expectation.

“It’s Denji!” A girl says excitedly.


“So cool!” Says another before getting mixed among the voices whispering their admiration.


The boy observed steps out in style and walks professionally with smooth movements showing how many times he has done this before. A girl meets the boy’s route and stretches out her hand. “I’ll carry this, master,” the girl says.


“No need for that, Nana,” the boy, in turn, smiles and waves his hand dismissively, “I can take care of this myself.”


Nana and Denji walk together side by side showing their close relationship.


“Is he taken?”


“It can’t be…”


“Will I have a chance?”


“They are not even holding hands. It can’t be the case,” a girl states.


“That’s true. You have sharp eyes, Misaki!”


“Hmph, such a simple observation never escapes my eye. I have done this many times before,” Misaki boasts.


“How many boyfriends did you have?”


“19, not including elementary.”


“What!?”


“No way!”


Meanwhile, Juusaki stands by near a vending machine in the school’s majestic lobby. This lobby could have been mistaken as a hotel, but the fact that it is a school is unsettling though it is a private school. The extravagance is shown in the details of the walls, the walls themselves, the tables, and comfy sofas. It is also well maintained with staff in butler uniforms, even with the janitors. Everyone looks rich, but they aren’t, perhaps even some students. Yet, there is a vending machine that looks out of place but is provided anyway. However, Juusaki doesn’t have a drink in hand, nor is he getting any. Instead, what he has in his hand is an eyeglass. He wears it silently while looking at a certain person in mind. “Target spotted,” says Juusaki as he holds the right handle of the eyeglass, “Zoom vision.”


Something vibrates inside Juusaki’s pockets as he brings out his phone. “Act normally. Don’t stand out.” And the notification promptly disappears from the screen.


A synthetic class bell rings through the school’s PA system, and a voice speaks. “All students of class A, please proceed to the elevator.” The prompt repeats three times as the assigned students line up to three elevators. The numbers quickly rise from “1” to “40,” and back down. Juusaki, Denji, Nana, and Misaki are in the line for their classroom located on the 40th floor. There are 50 floors in this school skyscraper. Some people nicknamed it the “School of the Sky,” but its true name is Yutashiki Senior Highschool. Once in every three years, this school enrolls students for only one class split into four sections, A, B, C, and D. Their grades in their entrance exams don’t matter that much, but their influence and wealth do. Once the enrolling examination ends, the school does not accept anyone more until the next year. There are no seniors or juniors in the school, but in a way, there are still superior and inferior students. Juusaki takes his seat at the rightmost front row, which is nearest to the door. Denji, with his four groups of friends, takes up an entire row beside each other while Nana seats behind him, and Misaki seats beside her.


“We are so lucky that we got in the same senior high school,” Misaki says to Nana.


“I know right,” Nana faces her, “let’s make the most of it together.”


“Yes!”


Juusaki takes out his general mathematics textbook and opens it to the first page. He takes a pen from his bag and starts answering his book. In a minute, he completes the first page that includes the exercises and proceeds to another.


“Yo, dude, look at that,” a friend of Denji points to Juusaki who is answering his third page of exercises, “he is already answering his book, and class hasn’t even started!”


“He is crazy!” Another buddy of his comments.


“Now, now,” Denji looks at his friends, “that is not a good way to start the first day of school.” “Surely, it isn’t!”


“What I mean is criticizing others. You shouldn’t bully him.”


“I wasn’t though…”


“Well, he is doing his part as a student, isn’t he?”


The friends, with no rebuttals, nod in agreement and discontinues the topic.


“Excuse me,” Misaki stands up from her table and walks towards Juusaki’s seat.


“Okay,” Nana responds.


Misaki walks in front of Juusaki and leans on his table which slightly exposes her cleavage, “Hey, want to have lunch with us?”


Nana looks up in shock mouthing the words “What? Are you crazy?” but Misaki pays no heed.


“Hey, hey, it’s pretty boring to answer your textbook now.” Misaki forcefully takes Juusaki’s pen from his hand forcing Juusaki to pay attention to her.


“It’s rude to stare, you know?” Misaki snaps.


Juusaki calmly closes his book and sets it in the corner of his table. “You are not my target.”


“What?” Misaki asks in confusion. “Wouldn’t you be so kind to lunch with a pretty girl especially when she is the one inviting you?”


“I respectfully decline for you have no connections with the target,” Juusaki says with his face showing no expression.


“What nonsense are you speaking?” Misaki giggles. “I have a favor to ask of you, but first what is your name?”


“It is Juusaki Hachiko.”


“Nice to meet you, Hachiko-kun,” Misaki says with a smile.


“Likewise,” says Juusaki with a face yet unchanging.


The PA system rings signaling the start of the lunch break, and several people rush to the elevators to go to the cafeteria floor which is at level 48, but Juusaki doesn’t move an inch from his seat and stares blankly at the board. Misaki nudges him from behind. “Hey now, aren’t you forgetting something?” Misaki pouts. Juusaki promptly stands up and faces her.


“Where is your lunch bag?” Misaki asks.


“I don’t need one.”


“You will order from the cafeteria? You should go now. The best menus will disappear.”


“I don’t have any worries about eating. Anyway, shall we get going?”


“Sure!”


The two of them ride an empty elevator for all the students have already settled one their destinations. An awkward silence descends upon them, and Misaki is the one to break it. “So, where are you from?”


“Room 89, Floor 36, Kingdom Tower A, Shibazaki Boulevard, Ao—”


“No-no-no, that’s not what I meant,” Misaki sighs, “what I mean, what company is your family engaged in?”


“Weapon systems.”


“What is the name?”


“I can’t tell you.”


“Oh, I see, a secretive organization eh?”


Juusaki doesn’t respond but stands still like a statue.


“Geez, why do you act like a robot?” Misaki sighs.


“Far from it.”


“You are acting like one right now. Your word choices, how you walk, speak. Is this your upbringing?”


“Perhaps.” “Boring, vague, and rude too.”


They arrive on the cafeteria's floor and Misaki having spotted Nana's table leads Juusaki to it.


“You guys are slow,” Nana complains.


“Sorry, sorry! Just had to pick up a heavy object,” Misaki glances at Juusaki.


“I’m sorry for my imprudence. I will carry your lunch bag next time.” Juusaki slightly bows.


“That’s not what I meant. Are you that dumb?” Misaki sighs, “Geez, let’s eat.”


The three eat together while the two girls talked together leaving Juusaki out of their conversations, but Juusaki doesn’t think any of it. Currently, he is looking intently at Denji. “Target on sight,” a voice in his brain states. This voice is heard by no one else but him. “Mission objective: reconnaissance. Progress: 0% Formulating plans, setting goals to gather information about his routine. Performing simulations.”


“Hey! Hey!” Misaki peers into Juusaki’s eyes. “You are spacing out there all this time?”


Juusaki refocuses his eyes on Misaki who is quite close to him. “Identifying perfume brand…” the voice in him states.


“Since Nana has left, I can now talk about the favor I going to ask of you,” Misaki sits back down.


“What of it?” Juusaki says nonchalantly.


“Geez, show a little interest in your voice, will you?” Misaki sighs for the third time, “anyway, I noticed that Denji took quite an interest in you so…”


“The tar—” Juusaki stops himself as the voice in him interrupts him, “Warning, information threatened to be disclosed.” “I mean, Kurosaki?”


“Oh? You knew his surname? It can’t be helped. He is that famous because he is the heir to the Black Sky Company,” Misaki sighs, but her sighs were slightly different from the previous ones. “I want you to make me get closer to him because… you know…”


Juusaki scans Misaki’s face and notices a slight blush. “Face is turning red. Cause: Increased Heart Rate. Fatality: 0.0000000000000001%”


“I have a crush on him so…” Misaki glances at Denji. “Anyway! I want you to make him notice me and get me closer to me, you hear?”


“Copy that,” Juusaki says promptly. “Connection established. Misaki Point to Denji is weak. Probability of contact with target: 1%. Simulating situations…”


“Anyway, I have to go!” Misaki quickly leaves towards the elevators.


Denji having noticed Juusaki's intense gaze thinks to himself, “I will talk to him soon.”