Panic at the academy - Part 2

The tension could be felt in the air; it was so dense it could easily be cut with a knife.

Both men, Yu and the other guy, stared at each other for just a few seconds that felt eternal while I watched, unsure of what was going to happen.

Suddenly, both of them raised one of their arms, preparing a fist that shot toward the other with speed. I closed my eyes, expecting a strong impact, but nothing happened. Instead, when I opened them again, I saw how their fists had met as if it were a greeting. Their faces, previously serious and threatening, now showed a charismatic and relaxed smile.

The situation, once tense, changed completely.

“Daisuke!”

“Yu!”

Both shouted the other’s name and, after that, performed an elaborate and agile handshake, the kind of greeting one can only do with someone you’ve known for years.

I was confused. I still didn’t understand how the atmosphere could shift so drastically, but there they were, both men happy to see each other like a couple of kids.

Yu seemed to notice my doubtful expression, so he approached me along with the guy, who was apparently named Daisuke.

“It’s true, you don’t know him yet,” he said in a much more relaxed tone than before. “This is Daisuke Kurogane! He’s an old friend I worked with years ago at his agency.”

“Thank you, thank you! I give autographs and photos with no problem,” Daisuke replied in a joking tone.

Damn… They were equally carefree and problematic.

If I already have trouble trying to understand Yu, having two people like that sounded incredibly exhausting.

Did they really work together at an agency? That must have been quite the spectacle.

“And Daisuke, she’s Touka, a student doing her internship at my agency.”

“Internship with you? God! She must be having a terrible time.”

“What are you talking about?! I’m a charming mentor! Right, Touka?”

“Please kill me…” I replied, discouraged, confusing Yu and making Daisuke laugh in the process.

They hadn’t even been reunited for long, and I already had a headache… And we haven’t even entered the academy yet.

“So how have you been? I haven’t heard anything about your agency. How’s it going?”

“Well, about that…”

“DAISUKE KUROGANE!” a voice yelled, interrupting Daisuke’s answer.

We all turned toward the source of the shout. A blonde girl with formal attire and a threatening aura approached us with firm steps, accompanied by a girl I quickly recognized, since she was one of my classmates.

“Why the hell did you leave your intern alone on a day like this?!”

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just that I saw an old friend and—”

“And nothing!” the blonde girl snapped.

“I see you’ve got it hard too, huh?” I asked my classmate.

Her name was Miyu Hoshino, one of the few friends I had in the academy.

“It’s not that bad… I think,” she answered with her usual soft and gentle voice, though slightly irritated.

It seemed like I was right— even someone as calm as Miyu could be pushed to her limits by problematic mentors.

I understand you!

“Seriously, you’re such a nuisance…” the blonde girl added.

The argument seemed to be over. Daisuke looked pale from the scolding, but strangely, he still wore that carefree smile, very similar to Yu’s. This guy was definitely odd.

The girl, on the other hand, ended up with her hair slightly messy due to her anger, taking a few seconds to fix it. Her face, previously irritated, now seemed more relaxed, and her eyes had lost some of their sharpness. It looked like yelling calmed her down a little.

However, once I noticed her eyes in more detail, my mind went blank.

“Wait a second… Red eyes?!” I exclaimed.

Within the Japanese hunter community, there is a wide variety of people with unique appearances. However, red eyes were a very particular case. Only one hunter was known to have that eye color: Katsuro Aizawa, leader of the first guild ever formed in the country, and one of the most powerful hunters alongside Dead Eye—Red Thunder.

That this girl had the same eye color as such an important hunter could only mean one thing…

“A-anyway, let me introduce her,” Daisuke said. “She’s Usagi Aizawa, daughter of the leader of Red Thunder, and the one who will take his place in the future.”

Yep, it was exactly what I had imagined.

“Red Thunder? So you work for them now?” Yu asked.

“Yes. They recruited me not long after we went our separate ways. I’m in the big leagues now! Yes, sir!”

“Although he’s more of a nuisance than anything…” Miss Usagi added.

It wasn’t enough that he was the leader of Dead Eye—Yu also knew people inside the Red Thunder guild. He had connections to the two most important guilds in the entire country, and he didn’t seem to care in the slightest… What is wrong with this guy?!

“You’re Mr. Takahiro, right? Daisuke has spoken very highly of you,” Usagi commented, taking out a business card. “I’m interested in your potential. Would you like to work with us?”

Hearing such a proposal is something every hunter dreams of, and even if they ever received it, I’m sure they would panic from getting such an important offer.

“Work for one of the most important guilds, huh? Tempting, tempting… but no. My agency is still new, and I’m quite comfortable with it. Still, I appreciate the offer.”

“I see. Even so, the offer will remain open. Just come to our facilities and ask for me. I will personally assist you.”

The aura around Miss Usagi changed drastically. It was no longer threatening, but formal and professional. The fact that she could shift like that so abruptly was impressive.

Even though she had been rejected, her look was still determined, as if she intended to recruit him no matter the cost. It seemed Daisuke had spoken very highly of him.

After that exchange, Miss Usagi left along with Miyu—who gave me a nervous smile as she waved goodbye—and Daisuke, who was being dragged away by the ear.

“Why did you turn down such a good offer?” I asked.

“It’s just like I said earlier. I still want to keep working as an independent hunter while helping people. Belonging to a bigger guild makes everything more complicated.”

“It seems you don’t know how valuable that offer is…”

Since the time for the presentation was approaching, Yu and I finally entered the academy. Even though it wasn’t long ago since I was last here, a few minor changes had been made, but what caught my attention the most was the large number of students—first years wearing uniforms with blue details, second years with purple details, and third years with red details, which was my case.

Unlike the usual monochromatic clothing I used when hunting, my uniform was black with red borders indicating my academic year. It consisted of a long-sleeved jacket, a skirt, and black boots. It was a style I was already used to, but I certainly missed my usual attire.

“Everyone is staring at me… They must be seeing me as such an impressive hunter!”

“No, it’s your homeless-guy appearance that stands out…”

Yu, on the other hand, wore his usual old coat. Everyone here—students and even some hunters walking by—had a neat, presentable appearance, the complete opposite of the guy I had as a mentor.

“I’m embarrassed to walk with you…”

“So you finally showed up, huh?!” a voice shouted behind us.

My body tensed immediately when I heard him. But, unlike Yu with Daisuke, I had no friendly relationship with that person.

With footsteps that echoed down the hallway, the voice came closer, forcing me to turn. His name was Takeshi Tachibana, one of the academy’s best-performing students, but also one of the people who made my life in the academy the most difficult.