Living Situation: Complicated

Hinako opened her eyes and looked directly into a pair of green ones, behind glasses.

“How are you feeling?”, asked Yukiko.

“Like someone dropped a mountain on my chest…”, answered Hinako and tried to get up, but she felt a sharp pain in her chest stopping her.

“Stay down! I have not finished patching all your ribs back together yet. Give me a sec…”

Hinako felt a warm sensation running through her body and the pain subsided. Hinako turned her head sideways and noticed that she was still in the sparring hall. Shinoha, Yamada and Kuro stood a bit farther away talking to each other.

“So, I lost…”, said Hinako bitter.

“Jup, spectacularly… But you managed to make Kuro take the fight seriously. Only a handful of mages in the MDF ever achieved that, so you can be proud of that!”

“Who is that guy?”

“Kuro? Well… he is … Kuro… most know him only as The Otaku Mage.”

“Isn’t a mage’s moniker supposed to describe their abilities?”

“Hm… yeah true in most cases… but only few people really know about his abilities and when he transferred here from Europe twelve years ago, he told everybody the reason was, because he loves Anime, Manga and all of the Japanese Pop-Culture.”

“Fucking great… I came here because I wanted to prove myself and learn from the best combat mage our country has to offer… and I get a stinky Otaku instead…”

“Should have won the match then!”

Yukiko poked the young woman on one of the healing ribs. Hinako breathed in sharply.

“Why do only a few people know about his abilities? If he is that strong, shouldn’t more people know about it?”, she asked confused.

“Hm… most of the time he goes on solo missions coming directly from the grandmaster, and he does not talk about them, nor does he boast about his abilities. He… hm… isn’t the sociable type, he keeps to himself most of the time… he… is an Otaku after all.”, explained Yukiko.

“Sounds like he is gonna be a great partner and instructor…”

“Don’t make the same mistake as everyone else and focus on him being an awkward Otaku… There is more to him, if you’re willing to look, trust me.”

“You seem to know a lot about him… “

“Well, I do have the… privilege… of stitching him back up together from time to time, so I’ve gotten to know him a bit over the past twelve years he’s been here.”

“Are you two…”

“Friends? Yes, I like to think so.”

Hinako turned her head again to the side and looked at Kuro.

“He held back, didn’t he?” she asked bitterly.

“Oh, yes, he did… I doubt that there would be anything left of you for me to heal, if Kuro didn’t hold back. I once witnessed a sparring match between him and the grandmaster, which was more of a fight between two monsters, if you ask me… and that was only a sparring match… I can’t even imagine what he is like, if he is in a real fight and truly goes all out...”, clarified Yukiko.

“Who won in that sparring match?”

“They called it a Draw, because the building, where the old sparring hall was in collapsed.”

Hinako fell silent. Yukiko finished healing the young women’s ribs and helped her stand up afterwards. Shinoha, Kuro and Yamada noticed them and came over.

“All in one piece again?”, asked the Grandmaster.

“I think so…”, Hinako replied.

“Well, then… you lost the duel and as agreed you will start as a simple mage adept. Kuro will be your assigned partner and, since he is the senior Mage, he will also function as an instructor. Your mission assignments will be handled by Mage Yamada. Any questions?”

Hinka shook her head.

“Okay… then, welcome in the MDF! I look forward to only hear positive things from you two!”, Shinoha continued and gave Kuro a stern look.

Then she suddenly started coughing. Yukiko rushed to her and put her hand on Shinoha’s back.

“It’s time for your treatment, Grandmaster.”, she said softly.

Shinoha nodded.

“You’re all dismissed. Try to enjoy the rest of Golden Week a little if you can… and lastly… Kuro!”, she said and looked at Kuro with furrowed brows.

“Yes… Grandmaster?”, he replied.

“Please get a haircut and shave… you look like a bum…”

Then she left with a snickering Yukiko. Kuro just mumbled something unintelligible.

“Don’t fuck anything else up, stupid Otaku bum! If I have to come into the office again during Golden Week because of you, I’ll kill you!”, Yamada said with disdain to Kuro and then left too.

Kuro and Hinako were alone now in the big hall. He looked at her for a moment.

“You alright?”, Kuro asked.

“Yeah… except for my pride, which took the biggest hit, everything else healed…”, Hinako replied with a forced smile.

Kuro nodded and then just left. Hinako hesitated for a moment before following him. A few minutes later they left the MDF Headquarters building. Kuro went down the street in the direction of the next metro station. Half of the way he stopped and turned around. Hinako nearly bumped into him.

“Uhm… you need something?”, he inquired confused.

“Aren’t we partners now? When are we starting?”, Hinako replied back even more confused.

“We are… but it’s Golden Week… so we probably don’t get any assignments ‘til it’s over…”

“What about training?”

Kuro saw in her eyes that she was serious about it. He sighed and scratched his bearded face.

“Okay… I’ll pick you up tomorrow and we can do some training… Where do you live?”, asked Kuro.

“Ah… that’s… uhm… a bit complicated right now…”, answered Hinako hesitantly.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Well… I used to live in the Dorms of the Academy.”

“And now that you graduated, you had to move out?”

“Uhm… yeah, that… and the building burned down in an unfortunate and totally unavoidable accident.”

Kuro furrowed his brow. Hinako averted her eyes.

“Huh… why am I not that surprised?... And now you plan to do what?”, continued Kuro.

“My grandfather told me stories of his time in the Novice Dorms of the MDF, so I thought I could go there, but they told me that they are no more…”, said Hinako hesitantly.

“Ah… yeah… they collapsed a few years ago in an unfortunate and totally unavoidable accident…”

This time Hinako furrowed her brows, and Kuro averted his eyes. An awkward silence followed.

“So… uhm… now, I am in a bit of a pickle, you could say…”, admitted Hinako, after a few moments.

“No Family, you could stay at?”, suggested Kuro.

“None here in Tokyo…”

“Friends?”

“No.”

“Hotel?”

“I… uhm… are a bit strapped for money right now, since I had to pay part of the damages to the Academy… apparently the insurance does not cover magical… accidents… fully…”

“No, they don’t… not anymore…”

“I asked the MDF if they could give me my paycheck in advance, but they told me, that due to unforeseen expenditures, they are currently unable to do so…”

“Ah…”

Kuro scratched the back of his head nervously. He visibly struggled with himself.

“Ah, but don’t worry… I’ll get by somehow… I have a bit of money left! Aren’t those Net-Cafes really cheap to stay at? Or I’ll just sleep outside, the nights are warm currently anyways…”, went Hinako on and forced a smile.

Kuro sighed.

“If you want… you can stay at my place until you figure your stuff out…”, he offered without looking at her.

“That would be better than sleeping in a park or something, but…”, Hinako hesitated.

“I’m just offering… it’s up to you. I don’t really care…”

Kuro turned around and started walking again. Hinako looked a bit confused for a second but then followed and caught up to him.

“I’ll take you up on that offer… Thanks.”, she said as they went down into the Metro station.

“Okay.”, Kuro replied curtly and went through the turnstile gate.

Hinako checked her phone standing in front of the gate.

“Uhm… how far are we going? I could do a quick run maybe? I haven’t done my cardio this week anyway…”, she asked a bit flustered.

Kuro turned around and reached over, paying for her fare without saying anything. Hinako hesitated again for a moment but then went through the open gates. They went down to the Hibiya platform.

“Ah… I think I have not properly introduced myself, have I? My name is Homura Hinako, but most people just call me Hinako. It’s… uhm… a pleasure to work with you…”, introduced Hinako herself and bowed slightly. Kuro turned and looked at her for a brief moment.

“Kuro. Same here…”, he introduced himself very curtly and nodded more than he bowed.

Hinako looked unsatisfied with his introduction.

“So…Just Kuro…san?”, she asked a bit irritated.

“Just Kuro.”, Kuro replied in his curt manner.

Hinako furrowed her brow and gave him an annoyed look.

“Is that your given or your family name?”, she tried again to get more out of him.

“It’s the Japanese word for my actual Family name.”, Kuro explained.

“Black?”

“Schwarz.”

“Oh, you’re from Germany?”

“No.”

The Metro arrived before Hinako could continue. They rode the Hibiya line in silence until they reached Akihabara station, where Kuro got off.

“Really?”, asked Hinako following him.

Kuro did not answer and just went up the stairs to the exit. They went out of the Station then down the Chuo-Dori a few blocks, past the countless women in maid costumes. After a while Kuro took a right turn and went down a smaller side street. A few blocks and turns down the alleys they stopped in front of a big apartment building. Kuro swept a key card at the entrance and the automatic gates opened. In the elevator he pressed the ninth floor, and they both went up.