Suspicion

Sweeping the hallways was far from what JDG had anticipated for his experiences at such an academy thus far. However, he moved the broom with great focus and great determination. He placed a lot of effort into maximizing the efficiency of the way he swept and even the janitor took notice to such a thing. Looking over to JDG, the Janitor, Marley, cocks an eyebrow at the stroking of the broom along the glossy wooden floors of the upper stories.

"You sweep with intention." The janitor opens up.

JDG continues to sweep without exchanging a look up to the janitor, "I just want to get this job over with."

The janitor then looks away from JDG to wipe one of the door knobs of a classroom door with a cloth. The two haven't shared many words in the while they have spent cleaning together, mainly just instruction for JDG, not much more.

"I haven't had a student do janitorial duties with me in what feels like years now," the janitor looks toward JDG once again, "I wonder what you did."

JDG then slows down his sweeping and glances toward the janitor, "I got into a fight," JDG shrugged, "the issue is that it isn't my first time getting in trouble," JDG sighs as he picks up his intense sweeping again, "it isn't my first time trying to fight either." JDG muttered as he stroked the broom back and fourth across the floor.

"I see." the janitor said to himself as he turns away to wipe down some of the sheet metal lockers with a bottle of some chemical and a few large cloths.

Masami had been searching the school for the past few minutes to enact the mission that the headmaster assigned. Choosing her for such a mission is a double-edged sword; a girl on campus is an unusual sight already, so acts of espionage may not be so discreet, though, Masami is known for extraordinary reliability and dedication to keeping a high status with someone such as the headmaster to guarantee her attendance at such a school.

Masami had peaked into the hallway which JDG and the janitor were sweeping, and she began to watch him from there. She takes mental notes on JDG as a while; to her she sees his below average stature in height–he barely compares to the old janitor, she notices his dark black hair which is worn at medium length–he wears it more casually than usually seen with boys in this school,  and she notices his wide grin that he begins to wear as he sweeps.

'Why did he just grin like that?' She asked herself in thought.

JDG notices nothing about suspicion in the world around him. He is busy creating a large pile of dust with his broom that he plans to remove in one pickup of the dust pan. JDG wastes little time observing. He grins as his pile grows bigger knowing he is getting closer and closer to clocking out of this menial task.

JDG then removes his grin as he thinks, 'I hope Merlyce doesn't leave to see his father without me.' JDG slows down with the broom as he begins to look upward instead of focusing intently at the floor below, 'He usually gets off of his shift at five, if I only do this for an hour then I can meet him just as he gets off of his shift.' JDG has completely stopped sweeping as this point.

The janitor stops his wiping down of the lockers and looks at JDG's pause, "What's the matter?" The janitor asked perking his head toward JDG.

JDG takes a minute to process and then shakes his head and looks at the janitor, "Nothing." JDG looks away and then back to the floor.

The janitor shrugs and then returns back to wiping down the lockers. JDG slowly regains his efficiency with sweeping. However, he starts to grow a little fearful that he won't make it to Merlyce in time. Though JDG tries not to let these thoughts bother him, he continues sweeping.

Masami watches the ordeal and questions herself how strange JDG is as a person. She has never seen someone like that on this campus, it's almost as if he is a foreigner just as well. She then decides to leave the area for a while as not to raise suspicion. She turns to walk down the hallways as if she has somewhere to go.

As the hour ticked by, five o'clock eventually had come. JDG barely notices the time until he witnessed a clock in one of the classrooms. JDG then became nervous.

JDG walks up to the janitor, "What time will you allow me to clock out?" JDG asked with his right hand playing with his hair.

"Usually you only need an hour or two with me. Judging by how much effort you put in, I can let you go now." The janitor turned to face JDG completely for the first time since they met at the very beginning. 

JDG hastily returned his broom to the janitor, "Thank you." JDG had said while turning away and waving. 

JDG then walked quickly down the hallway on his way to the library. Masami returned to her observation post just as JDG was leaving and she witnessed him clocking out from janitorial duty and heading to the library.

'Where is he going?' she thought to herself, 'The boys dormitory is the other way.'

Masami waited for JDG to be out of sight and then walked down the hallway that JDG was cleaning in. She walked past the janitor and gave him a friendly wave and smile, he took little notice to her as he was working but she passed him by without much suspicion. 

She turned the corner to see JDG walking down another hallway, he was at the very end as she peaked in, and she watched him make a right turn at an intersecting hallway.

'That's the library.' Masami concluded to herself in thought. She then placed her thumb and index finger on her chin, 'Why does he need to go to the library at this time? He might be studying, but if he is such a trouble maker why would he go through so much effort to study?'

JDG had reached the library, he walked through the same routine spot, checking to make sure nobody sees him enter the staircase to meet Merlyce. However, what he didn't realize was that Masami had caught up and was watching him from outside of the library's entrance where a little spot at the very corner of the entrance reveals the door to the second floor.

JDG walked up the stairs with haste after he made his way through the door. Upon reaching the second floor he makes an attempt to open the doorknob to see if Merlyce would react. Sure enough, Merlyce was there in anticipation for JDG.

JDG places his hand behind his hand, "My apologies for being late, I forgot to tell you that I have janitorial duties this week." JDG grins at Merlyce.

Merlyce puts his left hand up and smiles with closed eyes, "No need to apologize," JDG removes his hand from his neck, "I was only waiting about seven minutes for you, it's no worry." Merlyce lowers his hand, "Let's head out."

Masami chose not to follow JDG through the door to the stairwell, she already knew what was up there and knew only a select few could only enter. However, she was caught by surprise when the door opened to reveal JDG and the Keeper of the Second Level of the Library.

She placed her hand on her mouth and tightened her eyebrows, "What are they doing together?" She questioned to herself with a whisper.

The two walk out of the near vacant library without anyone noticing the fact that a student and a Keeper are walking together. It's the perfect time of day when people rather be relaxing in their dorms than studying at the library or walking around campus. It's a time when people are doing homework by themselves rather than observing the school grounds.

Masami keeps herself from view as she watches the two head toward the front entrance of the main building of the school. As soon as they are far enough, Masami begins to follow the two to see where they go.

As Merlyce and JDG were walking, Merlyce initiated conversation, "How has your lessons been with my father so far?" Merlyce looked at JDG.

JDG turned in response to look up to Merlyce, "Well he started off by teaching me to unlock and open my soul, then he taught me how to caste barriers, and yesterday was just a review. He had me casting barriers all day. However, today he said he was going to show me how to do something special."

Merlyce grinned wide, "I know what he's talking about." Merlyce chuckled, "That's good that you learned to caste barriers so fast. It took me a year to perfect my own barrier and at least a few months to even caste the damn thing."

JDG grinned back, "It's probably because you were so young."

Merlyce looks away and nods his head, "Yeah, that is true. It's harder to learn things when you are young." Merlyce commented, he then looks back at JDG, "Say, what kind of barrier can you caste?" Merlyce perks his head.

JDG looks at him with a grin, "Heat barriers." JDG stated in reply.

Merlyce looks up, "Heat barriers huh?" He then looks back down at JDG, "That's quite a powerful type of barrier." The two grin.

Masami watches from a distance as the two exchange conversation, 'What on Earth could they be talking about.' She keeps thinking to herself the many questions she has about the anomaly which is JDG.

Reaching the front entrance of the main building, Masami watches as the two actually exit through the front entrance. She perks her head at such a thing. She slowly walks up to the entrance herself and sees the two boys walk to the front gate which is open at the moment. 

Students are allowed to leave campus at certain hours of the day, right now a student is allowed to leave and head anywhere. However, it's still uncommon for a student to leave. Most are caught up in studies or rather not risk being late and getting in major trouble for being out past curfew. 

Masami takes notice to the single open top black car that sits parked across the road from the main gate. She then pours many thoughts into her own head, 'Is he going to drive somewhere with that Keeper.'

The two boys are quite far ahead, and Masami chooses to stay further back to see if they head toward the car. If she witnesses JDG getting into that car, then she will immediately let the headmaster know about the situation since it is so strange that it has to mean something. No student has been seen spending time with a Keeper before, and not many students go to the library at this time, nor do many students exit campus at this time.

'There is definitely something weird going on.' Masami speculated to herself in thought as she watched the boys leave the front gate and watch for cars on both sides of the street, "They are going to cross." She says to herself.

The two boys do cross the street, and they eye themselves directly toward the car in which Masami had assumed they would enter. Masami leans her head forward as she watches the ordeal. She sees them open the car doors and she watches them as they chat to each other and soon drive off.

Masami then turns around and heads back into the main building of the school. She wastes little time entering the main building and she sets her sights for the grand staircase to the headmaster's study.

She ascends the staircase with great determination. She almost bears a grin on her face as she saw so much in just the very first day of her task.

She is determined to figure out what is going on with that other student.