I-1b

Fuya Middle School.

Like any other school on Arahi, it was a fortified facility with boundary walls twice as tall as the average person. Down the road, Miki saw students turning to pass through the security station and enter through the main gate, which was adorned with massive, round, white columns.

The major buildings of the complex were made of older materials, as shown by the faded white color of the main four-story school structure and the darker colors of the adjoining buildings. Their muted colors made the brighter colors of the new additions stand out more; the greenhouse and various trees on the rooftop of the main building were particularly vibrant, and a massive, sandy-brown, domed building with the Tenjou Empire logo applied on top stood adjacent to the school.

“It’s nice to know you and Athena are getting along well. I remember when you first introduced me to her,” Miki said as she and Aya approached the east side of the school, walking along the adjacent sidewalk. Miki heard her friend sigh, her grip on her bag tightening as she stared at the bandages on her arm. “What’s wrong, Aya?”

“I knew Athena was strong, but…she’s never had to defend her home like that.”

“Well, they were both birds,” Miki insisted. “Birds of prey, like you suggested. They would not attack each other for no reason.”

“Maybe they were fighting over her nest?” Aya sounded unsure.

“Her nest?” Miki furrowed her brow and turned to her friend.

“Great black hawks are not used to migration like Athena is, and the temple is her nesting place. Though Falcons don’t make nests as most birds do. She only used whatever she could find, and that was one she’s been using for years.”

“You’re saying that the hawk intruded on Athena’s nest without knowing it?”

Aya nodded. Miki looked to the side before turning to her close friend in concern.

“If she’s that important to you, you could always take her in,” Miki suggested.

“I don’t think—” Aya shook her head. “No, Mother will never approve. And Athena migrates from here. When she returns, she always returns to that same nest. She wouldn’t be happy.”

“I see.” Miki looked down in disappointment. “It would be nice if we could have her over, even at our place.”

“Excuse me, Miki.” Aya switched the subject. “Why did you…”

“Walk from home today?” Miki finished the question. “Let’s just say…I had a gut feeling that you’d be with Athena before coming to school. It’s about this time of year when Athena returns from migration, right? You said it yourself the last time I asked.”

“What about Miss Chika?”

Miki groaned. “Akeno’s been busy today, so I figured I’d use the opportunity to go out alone. She can’t always watch me, yet lately she’s been so insistent that I get constant protection with everything that’s been going on.”

“But…Miss Chika isn’t that bad of a person.”

“Of course, she isn’t! The problem is, if I don’t go out, I’ll never be able to meet people! Staying sheltered in a cage is pointless if you want to seek power and allies…I mean, friends. Besides.” Miki walked a little faster before spinning around to Aya. She put her hands behind her, stretching them along with her back. “I prefer accompanying you to school, starting when we meet at the shrine. Just like old times.”

Aya stuttered, making Miki chuckle.

“What?” Miki raised an eyebrow. “Do you prefer to walk alone? Or is it still your mother?”

“No.” Aya shook her head. “Thank you, Miki.”

The echo of a slamming door startled both of them from their moment together.

“What are you doing!?” a voice shouted from down the side street of the T-intersection on their left. They saw a military gray armored van owned by Arahi Public Security parked in front of a house. However, only four of the men were actual members of Public Security: a Lieutenant and three soldiers. The others collaborating with them, who were either standing nearby or working with the soldiers, were members of the Volunteer Corps. Even without badges or emblems, their bland gray shirts were uniform in displaying their affiliation.

Two members of the Volunteer Corps dragged a young woman in cuffs towards the van. The other cuffed civilians next to her were likely relatives or friends of hers.

“What the hell are you guys thinking!?” one of the men shouted. “We didn’t do anything! You can’t do this!”

“A captured demonstrator lives at this address,” the Lieutenant said. “We discovered several objects and hobbies demonstrating their support of the Justices and Pro-Magic forces. That alone puts you all under suspicion for collaborating with anti-government organizations.”

“That has nothing to do with us!” another woman shouted. “Just because he did something doesn’t mean you must arrest us, too!”

“You’re all being taken into custody,” the Lieutenant announced. “Grab them all for interrogation.”

On cue, the Volunteer Corps grabbed the house’s other inhabitants and dragged them toward the armored van. Aya paled and tightened her grip on her bag, even double-checking the strap.

Miki, by contrast, tsked and clenched her fists. She marched towards the intersecting street, ready to speak up.

Just as Miki stepped off the sidewalk, Aya called out to her friend, “M-Miki, wait.”

“What?” Miki spun around and scowled. Before Aya could answer, Miki was distracted by a strong force of wind that blew behind her.

She turned to find a black car that had pulled over to block her way. The windows were mostly reflective glass, but one who stood close enough could see that they were reinforced on the inside to make them bulletproof. It wasn’t hard to guess that it was designed specifically for VIP Transport. Miki glared at the car.

“It's a good thing we arrived on time,” a young adult woman with brown hair tied in a large bun said as she exited the driver’s seat. She turned her green eyes towards Miki, who immediately recognized her.

“Tsubasa?” Miki also spotted a young adult man with short black hair and blue eyes exiting from the passenger side. “You, too, Haruki?”

“Sorry, but we figured you would be around here,” Haruki apologized. “Lady Akeno was worried about you when you left suddenly.”

“I can take care of myself,” Miki said with irritation.

“E-excuse me,” Aya meekly raised her voice to get their attention. “It’s my fault. I wanted Miki to see me at the shrine.”

“A-Aya.” Miki went to defend her friend. “Look, she had a bad fall on her way to school, so I came to help her.”

“And you were about to intervene against those thugs.” Tsubasa glanced at the Volunteer and Public Security units as they tossed their captives into the van. “Come on, Miki. You have a meeting at the PAA CG within the next hour. We need to get you changed and at General Circle by then.”

“But—”

“Hasn’t Lady Akeno told you this many times already?” Tsubasa scowled at Miki while the Public Security van drove away. “Do you want to risk everything just to save a few people? You’ve already made too much noise with Japan and Cytra. May I also remind you of your special involvement with the Red Wings? Save your anger for another time.”

Miki clenched her fists but then looked at Aya, who had remained silent the entire time.

“I’ll come by after school.” Miki sighed while her family’s chaperones came to guide her into the car.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I will,” Miki said, giving her a thumbs-up with a sincere grin. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Aya nodded lightly. The school bell chimed as Miki got settled into the back seat. She sighed again and watched out the window as Aya startled and ran towards the school.

————

Aya gazed out the window of classroom 2-3. Five minutes had passed since the morning bell. Any normal teacher would have called out those who arrived late. In that regard, Aya was lucky to have someone more nonchalant. In fact, the teacher wasn’t even here yet.

Aya was sitting next to the window, second from the back, in a room of four rows of six desks. The two seats in front of her were empty, as there were only 22 students in the class. She sighed involuntarily as she tapped the touchscreen in the middle of her desk, which had headphone ports and modern storage devices beneath it. It had become standard for all students to mark their attendance by turning on their screens and logging in to their accounts.

“Is something wrong, Aya?” asked a voice on her left.

She turned to Chou Bo, who sat right next to her. Chou had a plump physique, black eyes, and indigo hair that went well past her shoulders.

“I-I…” Aya tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“I can tell that something is wrong,” Chou said, reaching inside her desk and grabbing a round plastic container, discreetly holding it towards her. “Here.”

“Chou?” Aya glanced at the container, then looked back up at her friend. On occasion, Chou would hand her something underneath the desk. Often, she would have extra pencils, erasers, papers, or a backup stylus for the tablet. However, on rare occasions, she would hide a container of pears to share under the teachers' noses, assuming a certain person wouldn’t rat them out.

“You look upset about something. If you’re feeling down, I’ll let you have the last slice.”

Aya was left with her mouth open, but faced with her friend’s kindness, she returned a smile. Even if Chou didn’t know what was wrong, she would still offer something like this to her.

“T-Thank you, Chou.” Aya reached out her hand to grab the last slice. However, she quickly retracted her hand as she heard an adult voice call out to the class.

“Good morning, everyone.” Their homeroom teacher, Fumito Araga, stepped into the classroom. He always kept his hair cut short, though he had let his facial hair grow out for some time. His slim body leaned against the doorway, carrying a cigarette burned down to the butt in his left hand and a few books wrapped under his right arm. He leaned down to the nearby fire extinguisher next to the trash can. He observed the can's charred surface while lightly pressing the extinguisher’s handle, ensuring it still worked at least a little. Upon hearing the small wheeze, he let go of the extinguisher and squashed the butt on the can’s side before dropping it. “It looks like everyone is here. Sorry for the delay. Our computer servers crashed early this morning. Then one of the teachers forgot his key, and we were forced to help him get into his office. It’s just one of those days, I guess.”

The class chuckled, knowing a specific teacher who often did that. Aya and Chou remained silent as Fumito took a seat, placed his books on the desk, and opened his screen.

“Now, if you are all seated, I shall take everyone’s attendance. Make sure that you are logged in so we can get started.”

After his desk’s screen popped up, Fumito opened an application that revealed a list of students, their ID numbers in the school’s registry, and the status of their accounts. He scrolled through the screen, viewing the list of students in his class. His finger stopped when he discovered something amiss.

“Miss Masayoshi, you haven’t logged onto your computer yet. Is there a problem?”

“I-I…”

Aya froze for a second before snapping to the touch screen. Her stress mounted as she rushed to wake it from sleep mode, further adding to her embarrassment. As she went to log in, another voice called out.

“Teacher Fumito, Aya came in a few minutes after the bell.”

A girl with long blonde hair stood up from the middle desk in the front row. Her black skirt with gray frills, the green pendant on her chest, and her long leggings made her stand out from the other girls in the class, who were all dressed uniformly in brown plaid skirts and calf-high socks. She turned her green eyes to a shaken Aya as she continued to speak arrogantly.

“As you know, all students are supposed to be here in time for class before the bell rings. If they are ever late, they have to take over for whoever is assigned to cleaning duty. Isn’t that right, Teacher Fumito?”

“Miss Masayoshi, is this true?” Fumito ignored Ashley’s taunt and asked Aya directly.

“I-I apologize, teacher.” Aya gently rose from her desk. She showed the bandage on her arm, which made Ashley narrow her eyes. “I injured myself on my way to school, and Mi…I mean, a friend of mine patched up my arm. Regardless, I take full responsibility.”

Aya looked down at the ground. There was some mumbling from the students, but Fumito ignored them. He merely sighed, seemingly understanding her situation.

“I appreciate the honesty, Masayoshi. While it is against school rules to be late for class, we can make this an exception. Just remember that you do not need to hide your delay if you suffer an injury. You can always report this to the nurse as well.”

“T-Thank you.”

Aya bowed before she returned to her seat. Ashley clicked her tongue as she sat down as well. The teacher fiddled with his screen as he spoke.

“Also, as a reminder, the first draft of your class reports is due by the end of next week. Now that you have selected a topic and written a thesis statement, you should already have an outline for your report. Please meet with your assigned partners to discuss how you will split your responsibilities. Your final draft and complete report will be due by the start of June, near the end of the tri-semester, so make sure you don’t delay.”

That made Aya cringe in her seat. There was nothing wrong with her partner. When Aya proposed her idea for the history report to Chou, she had no objections. However, while her topic had been vague enough not to be an issue, Aya was concerned about the upper faculty’s reaction to the contents of her report. Fumito was a rather lax teacher, which might explain why he hadn’t commented on her thesis. Her topic was something she wrote passionately about, but that didn’t mean the rest of the school would approve.

Proof of that was the subject of today’s lesson. Fumito pointed a remote at the sensor on top of the wall. After a few tries, the red light came on, and a large black screen flashed, duplicating the contents of his desk screen. A slide presentation displayed an image of a ruined coastal city, now a flooded wreck—one that Aya easily recognized.

“Now, to finish our lesson from yesterday, we will discuss the aftermath of the Great Waves. Miss Masayoshi, could you please read the text for us?”

As the teacher cycled the images of the destroyed cities, the students opened the accompanying text files on their desk screens. Aya hesitated to open hers, which got Fumito’s attention.

“Are you okay, Miss Masayoshi?”

Aya merely shook her head and complied immediately.

“Even though the first Great Waves occurred over 44 years ago, with the equally devastating Second Great Waves 30 years later, the effects of both catastrophes continue to last even today. Such devastation remains in multiple cities off the coasts of mainland Asia with no reconstruction efforts in sight.”

Aya paused, sighing deeply. Others probably assumed she just needed to scroll down, but in reality, the content of the lesson was bothering her. She was already familiar with the images on the screen, but these weren’t Asian cities. Rather, they were cities in the Americas.

Fumito switched the slides to various construction sites. Some showed food and humanitarian aid being delivered, though there were no symbols on any of the vehicles or the personnel’s uniforms. Most of the images had false captions, falsely attributing construction efforts to the Americas when Asian countries actually carried them out. The only image with accurate information was the colored image of the UNA Embassy under construction, with the finished building visible from the school.

“The United North Americas, on the other hand, started conducting reconstruction efforts almost immediately after the war. Furthermore, they have expanded their efforts to nearby affected nations, including the northern regions of South America, Hawaii, and even our home nation of Arahi Island. One of their greatest landmarks in Arahi was the large UNA Embassy near the main city’s ports, a testament to their accomplishments. As for…”

Aya’s stuttering worsened as she read, and she eventually stopped reading altogether.

“Is there something you’d also want to say, Miss Masayoshi?” the teacher asked, noticing the distressed look on her face. The stares from her fellow students made her reluctant to speak; she felt shaken by the sudden attention. She desperately tried to get her thoughts in order as she felt her pulse race.

“Excuse me.” Chou stood up in place of Aya. “But I think Aya finds something wrong with her textbook. Perhaps I could read for her instead?”

“I appreciate your concern, Miss Bo,” Fumito said with sympathy. “But there’s more to the problem than just the desk screens. Isn’t there, Aya?”

“Y-Yes, Teacher Fumito.” Aya stood up. “F-Forgive me, but…there are some things that I would like to…correct.”

“I understand these books aren’t the best, but the government issues these to all state schools nationwide. Even schools like ours, with all the support given to us by the Tenjou Empire, cannot go against their decision.”

“I-It’s just something that came up while looking through some old texts,” Aya offered. “If possible, I’d like to share what I found, including where these images are really from.”

“We don’t need to listen to her,” Ashley said. “Why don’t you let me read the text, and we can proceed like usual?”

“You’re not in the position to talk, Miss Haylon,” Fumito objected. “Besides, you still haven’t completed your thesis statement for the report. In fact, I don’t believe you’ve even chosen a topic yet. Continue like this, and you will have to repeat a grade.”

The students chuckled at her, and she silently fumed.

“Please do not interrupt the class unless called upon. That goes for all of you—I don’t want any chuckles either.” Fumito sighed. “In any case, Miss Masayoshi, can you tell us your concerns regarding the lesson?”

Aya took a deep breath to regain her composure. It wasn’t ideal, but she could, at the very least, share what she knew. After all, she knew the material very well, having thoroughly read the old books that covered the same topic. And there was no point in relearning something she already knew, especially when the school’s books were so inaccurate.

————

A young girl stood behind a pine tree on top of a cliff. She wore a black raincoat pulled as tightly as possible around her sides and a black mask shaped like an owl’s face. Only a few cars and trucks drove on the paved road halfway down the cliff. This was no coincidence; to avoid being seen, she had carefully chosen this spot to start the operation, predicting that only a few people would be in the area at this time of day. Her height was a problem, as it was a telltale sign of her age, and some strands of her short purple hair always seemed to stick out of her hood. In other words, she stood out a lot, and it would be hard to sneak inside if she got spotted.

Shizuko took a deep breath. Her mask was more than just a decoration. The lenses had a powerful optical zoom and could display a HUD for the user. Additionally, it had a long-range directional microphone above the nose bridge. She directed her attention to a fuel storage facility built on a flat plain at the base of the cliff, noting the four blocks of massive fuel silos stationed around a central distribution center for fuel trucks. From a distance, the chaotic arrangement of pipes, paths, and staircases within the blocks looked like mini-labyrinths.

As predicted, there was little security within the facility itself, save for the tall barbed-wire fences along the perimeter. However, there was an unexpected problem just past the gate at the front of the facility. Twelve police cars were parked nearby, while two more blocked the road. A large police truck was also parked on the right, with several men operating a portable console.

More concerning than the police were the vehicles operated by none other than Arahi Public Security. Three armored half-track trucks were parked on the left of the gate, their elongated tires inflated to traverse the asphalt roads. Known as Hunter Light Tactical Vehicles, they had several hardpoints that could be configured with a wide range of equipment. Two of the half-tracks were transport trucks, while the third had a towering, rotating antenna with two sets of four dishes. Shizuko gritted her teeth as she recognized the Anti-Magic Wave Emitter. Additionally, there was a huge semi-truck with the APS sigil on the sides.

Shizuko zoomed in on the Public Security forces and activated the microphone. She focused on their leader, who had the name “J. Cage” embroidered on his breast pocket and the decorations of a Captain on his officer's uniform. He walked back and forth in front of several rows consisting of APS soldiers and the accompanying police units, all standing at attention. Walking beside the Captain was a man who had a rounder chin, black skin, and was a little chubbier than his superior. He had ribbons of a Lieutenant on his shoulder and sleeves, and his nametape listed him as “C. Hilt.”

“Listen up! The suspect’s target is in this facility,” the Captain began his brief. “We don’t know what the Chick is after, but Central HQ has ordered us to apprehend her. She may arrive soon. She could have already left. She could be here right now as we speak.”

Lieutenant Hilt activated a device on his wrist, projecting a holographic map showing the facility's layout and their locations.

“We will deploy the Police units throughout the facility,” Cage went on as the map blinked at various sections. “Units 1 through 5 will search Silos A to D. Units 6 through 10 are in charge of Silos E to H. Units 11 through 15 go to Silos J to M. Units 16 through 20 have Silos N through R. All Public Security members will remain at the Distribution Center and provide active support with Spectators and an AM Wave Emitter. Once you locate her, inform us immediately. My team will take care of everything from there. Remember, even if Chicks are the lowest rank among the Justices, that does not mean they are harmless. You are working as scouts. You are not equipped to handle her. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” the police officers responded.

“And get this through your freaking skulls.” Cage walked very close to the crew in front of the Hunter equipped with the Emitter, showing a gruffness that intimidated them. “Keep the Suppressor at low power until I give the order. The last thing we need is you blockheads to run the battery out before we even catch the Chick.”

“Yes, sir!” the Public Security personnel answered without hesitation.

“Also.” The captain returned to the troops. “Most importantly, no explosives are allowed here, or you will be held responsible for whatever FUBAR disaster comes out. As for the suspect, do not kill her. And no civilians other than the suspect are to come to harm either! Our orders are to bring her and her affiliates alive. Failure to comply will result in an immediate demotion, a pay cut, or perhaps even a permanent removal from the force. Have I made myself clear!?”

“YES, SIR!” they shouted forcefully. Cage smiled.

“Now, then.” Cage grabbed his baton and tapped the side of the semi’s trailer. “Deploy drones in the area and begin the search.”

Shizuko counted sixteen twin-rotor drones that left the trailer in waves of four. She recognized them as Spectators, small aircraft that served as flying eyes for police and military forces. It was fortunate that they did not have any of the more dangerous models; Spectators were relatively harmless.

But they knew that a Justice was about to enter. Whether they were referring to someone else or they thought she was a Chick—in which case, they were seriously underestimating her—it didn’t matter. She had to see it through, no matter what obstacles were in the way.

After one last quick look around for witnesses, she positioned herself behind the tree and reached under her raincoat to unzip the pouch at the back of her skirt, then grabbed her Heart Crystal.

As she activated it, the Heart Crystal flashed brightly, enveloping her in a white aura of magical energy that slowly turned into various shades of purple. A feathered cloak, black with purple spots, manifested in place of her raincoat, its attached purple and teal hood settling over her head. A metallic, dark purple clasp with an amethyst gem secured the cloak. Her pants became a skort with a longer back skirt, held by a black belt with a metallic purple winged buckle. Her shoes were now short black boots. Each boot had three short black talons in the front and one in the back, with the front talons currently retracted over the purple toe guards and the rear talons angled up off the ground. The patterns of her outfit were based on a pigeon, if she recalled. Outside of the bird aesthetic, she additionally wore short black gloves and a sleeveless purple vest with black stripes and pockets on the front and back. It only took a few seconds for her to don her full Justice outfit, her Avdris.

The Heart Crystal itself transformed into a long, feather-like throwing kunai, which she grabbed afterward. She then crouched, scooping up a handful of dirt in her other hand. Focusing her magical energy on her hand, the dirt glowed and reformed into an identical kunai. Using the remaining material, she created two wires, one tethered to the handle of each blade.

Extending the talons on her boots with a flick of her feet, she used them and her kunai to quickly scale the tree in a nearly animalistic manner, stopping on a large branch halfway up. She pushed aside some branches to check whether Public Security had noticed her presence. No alerts, at least not yet. They were probably busy covering the entire area without making a scene and causing too much panic among the workers.

It was time to begin the operation. Taking a deep breath, she leaped forward.

————

Across from the classrooms was the cafeteria, sandwiched between the main hallway and the recently built swimming pool, completed about a year ago. The other students were getting their meal tickets ready or sitting down to eat.

Chou brought her own food from home, but she grabbed two trays for her friends. She was mostly concerned about Aya. Her friend seemed off ever since their home period History class, and it lasted all the way through English and Math. Then she had suddenly disappeared during recess, not even showing up for gym after that. When the lunch break started, Chou did the first thing that came to mind, a natural gift that she swore would make any person happy.

She had been able to grab what she thought Aya’s favorites were, though Chou swore all her friends' preferred choices had become less common. While companies from overseas had been there since she started attending, burgers and pizzas had slowly come to dominate the menu. The meals provided by local places sponsored by the Tenjou Empire were almost free, but only a few people worried about paying for the overseas food.

Now, she just needed to look for her friend.

“Aya, where are you? Aya?” Chou called out at the gate, holding a tray of salmon, rice, and broccoli in each hand. “I got a plate for you! It’s your favorite!”

“What’s the little piggy doing here?” a voice hissed from the side. Chou spotted Ashley with two other girls beside her. One had hair equally as long and blonde as Ashley’s and blue eyes, whom she recognized as Elaina Circus. The other had dark blonde hair tied in a ponytail, whom she believed was named Kayla Zaya.

“A-Ashley.” Chou tried to retain a friendly smile. “Shouldn’t you be getting in line? It’s almost fifteen minutes already. And have you seen Aya anywhere?”

“Oh, we’re not so concerned about that,” Ashley said. “What about you? Shouldn’t you be eating those plates of yours right now? I bet you're starving to have both of them for yourself.”

“These aren’t for me. I was saving one of these for Aya.” Chou retracted her meals. Didn’t she already know that she was grabbing food for her friends? Did she even care how offensive she was?

“Only to have one right in front of her,” Ashley mocked, leaning towards the trays to the point of almost spitting on them. “Oh, I bet you want to make her suffer even more with all the food you already eat.”

“Leave Aya alone.” Chou defended her missing friend as she stepped back. “I don’t know why you got so angry at her this morning. She was just saying her side of the story! I know that she was speaking the truth!”

“That’s not what the Headmaster says,” Ashley smugly said. “The government always decides what is right, and she’s guilty of getting funny ideas about thinking otherwise.”

“Hey, I know your father is part of the government, but that doesn’t mean you get to hurt whoever you want. That way of thinking is wrong!”

“You!” Ashley raised a fist.

Chou winced and raised her shoulders to block the blow, but instead of feeling any pain, she heard a thud. She opened her eyes to find a black violin case protecting her. It was held by a third-year male student with short, back-combed dark green hair and brown eyes. The boy moved his case away, knocking Ashley’s hand to the side.

“This isn’t the time to start making a scene.” The boy stared calmly at Ashley’s glare. Once again, Chou had been saved by Kyou Liu, whose timely intervention had attracted a crowd.

“Shut up! What does a third-year student have to do with her? And how dare you stand against me! Even if you're a popular violinist, you’re part of a poor, half-yellow family. Stay out of this!”

“Hey, don’t insult Kyou like that!” A student from the side called out to her as Chou moved to stand beside Kyou. Even if he had taken the punch for her with her case, it felt wrong for her to hide behind him. The mutters from the crowd seemed to be in his favor as well.

“What does social status have to do with this?” Though Kyou’s face remained bland, he couldn’t hide the glare in his eyes. “If you have time to fight, save it for later. You know I can block whatever you throw at me, and you’ll just cause a scene. Your dad’s favoritism only goes so far. Do you really want to see what he’ll do to you if you push him too far?” His every word was laced with venom.

“Kyou,” Chou muttered the boy’s name, sensing the heightened stress from her friend. He had been well-tempered when he stepped in, but it seemed like Ashley’s comment had gotten a rise from him.

Ashley’s eyes widened for a second in shock, or maybe fear, before she managed to regain control of her expression. “Fine, do what you like!” Ashley spun around, stomping her way towards the gathering crowd. “It’s not like I'm going to your stupid concerts anyway!”

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” one female student from the crowd stood in her way.

“To leave this place for a while.” Ashley’s posse pushed the girl aside. “Come on, girls, we’re heading out to get our lunches elsewhere!”

Ashley and her friends exited the cafeteria doors, and the crowd of students gathered around Kyou.

Chou sighed. At least no fight broke out. No one had to suffer any bruises or blood, and that’s what mattered.

“Thanks, Kyou,” Chou said.

“That was awesome of you,” another schoolgirl remarked. “Hardly anyone could stand against an heir of an Oligarch like that.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I hate those who think social status and money mean everything,” Kyou said before turning to Chou. “What about you? Shouldn’t you be eating yourself?”

“I was saving these trays for you and Aya.” Chou looked at the plates. Thankfully, nothing had fallen during that incident. She held one out. “Want one?”

“I already have my lunch.” Kyou grabbed a container from his bag. “No offense, Chou.”

“It’s alright.” Chou retained her positive cheer. “I can just give them both to Aya when she arrives.”

“Aya?” Another student in the crowd spoke up. “The girl who was sent to the Headmaster’s office earlier? I think she’s been there for a while now.”

“I see,” Chou lamented. “Well, could any of you tell Aya I’m looking for her? I just want to give something to her.”

“You want to give something to me?” Aya asked, as if on cue. Chou turned around and immediately noticed something was different about her. After disappearing for over an hour, here she was with a bruise on her forehead and another around her eyes, partially obscured by the bandages on her face.

“Aya, what happened to you?” Chou walked closer to her friend to observe her injuries. They were probably from an accident, but the fact that Aya hadn’t been seen all day worried her. “I didn’t see you in gym class. The coach was worried about you, too.”

“I-It’s fine.” Aya brushed a hand through her hair and then felt the bandage on her cheek. “Madam Pediax tended my injuries, so I’m fine now.”

“It was the Headmaster again, wasn’t it?” Kyou assumed. Aya’s gasp and expression of shame confirmed it. “I heard about what happened in your class this morning. Aya, you always know what happens when you say things like that.”

“Kyou,” Chou shot back. Even though Kyou had always been friendlier towards her than Aya, that didn’t mean he could be so rude—Aya was a friend, too.

“I’m just stating reality here,” Kyou replied. “The school doesn’t accept such things. If she wants to keep getting into trouble with the headmaster, that’s not my problem.”

“I—” Chou paused. She didn’t know much about Headmaster Shingoi. However, it was almost as if he had an aura of anger that he projected towards the students, one she could sense even if she wasn’t in his line of sight. He felt like the type who would mete out excessive wrath to his students just because he could, even when they did nothing wrong.

“W-Why don’t we eat lunch together?” Chou gestured towards a table in the corner, switching the subject.

“Hey, what about us, Kyou?” a nearby classmate asked. “Perhaps you can tell us how you play your violin so well?”

“Next time, everyone,” Kyou said, in response to their dismay. “Right now, I need some time alone with them.”

Chou led them to the table where she had set her bag and homemade meal earlier. That may not have been necessary, as it wasn’t a popular seat. And while Chou did feel that, on principle, it was a little wrong to reserve a table like that, she really wanted to cheer Aya up, and she didn’t want to waste time looking for a spot.

“Here you go, Aya. I saw they had salmon this time.” Chou placed both trays in front of Aya as she sat down, much to her friend’s surprise. However, Chou’s joyful smile slumped into confusion when she saw that Aya’s mood didn’t change. “What’s wrong? I thought that you liked salmon. Or maybe I gave you too much? I wanted to get something for both of you, but since Kyou already had something, I thought I’d give both trays to you.”

“I-It’s nothing.” Aya shook her head and smiled back at Chou. “T-Thanks again, Chou.”

Chou opened her lunch box and took out a massive Pork Chop Bun sandwich, a bottle of orange juice, and a container of smashed cucumber salad. She removed the plastic wrapping, careful not to tear it, and took a bite that was almost too tall for her mouth while hovering over her empty tray.

“Excuse me, Chou,” Aya said suddenly. “Do you still have some more pears?”

Chou nodded before bringing out three nearly empty containers from her bag, each holding one slice of pear, and removing their lids.

“I saved the last one for each of us,” she said, placing one in front of each of them. “Please, it’s my treat.”

“Thank you again, Chou.” Aya smiled again. She saw Kyou glance all over his slice before eating it.

Chou always made sure that she had one for everyone: a promise she made to herself whenever she made a friend. That had always been her philosophy, something that her mom taught her.

“Mother says that three is the magic number.” Chou placed her water bottle next to her piece of bread. “Just like how it goes with life, it also goes with food. Take these right here. One cannot survive on bread alone. That’s why you need a drink with it. But even then, simple bread and water wouldn’t be enough, would it? That’s why you need a third food to go with it. A vegetable, a meat, or a fruit. Only then will you have a complete meal. That’s why it’s important to know how to make all three of them.”

“That’s very philosophical,” Aya complimented. “And…your mother has always been a very talented cook.”

“Mother used to take cooking classes here when she was young.” Chou nodded as she swallowed her food. She took a big gulp of her orange juice and pounded her stomach before she continued speaking. “That way, she could eat the lunches she made instead of getting everything from the cafeterias all the time. I wonder why people don’t do that anymore?”

“Perhaps it’s what they call Americanization,” Aya noted. “While it had always been an intermediary state, Arahi leaned towards Japan and Britain until the end of the Great War over a century ago. Approximately 139 years, to be exact. Entranced by American technology and influence, most Arahi businesses invested more in UNA companies and their subsidiaries, both domestically and abroad. In return, the UNA has brought many of its businesses to Arahi, becoming the dominant foreign influence in the nation. Because of their long and deep influence—”

“Aya,” Kyou cut her off. “You’re doing it again.”

“Kyou,” Chou chided.

“S-Sorry.” Aya shook her head. “I apologize for rambling.”

“You didn’t need to do that, Kyou,” Chou said with pain. “Aya, it’s not bad at all. I may have trouble keeping up sometimes, but it’s still wonderful! No wonder you did so much work on our history report!”

“It’s…just something I read about,” Aya took another bite. “I think Kyou was right, earlier, about the topic getting me into trouble. I could ask Miki or Finch if they have…something else we can do our report on.”

“Why don’t you choose something else for your report? Until the next time that you just can’t help but speak up, and you get in trouble, again, and I have to bail you out, again. When will it end, Aya? You know I’m graduating this year, right? What do you plan to do when I’m gone?” Kyou pressed.

“What—Kyou?” Chou was shocked by her friend’s outburst.

“No matter what I say, no matter how much trouble they get in, Aya and Miki will always keep delving back into politics sooner or later. If that's what they want to go into, that's fine. But me? I'm out, and you should be, too.”

“Don’t think like that! Just because it’s her passion doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“It’s what’s to be expected. That’s just a world not suited for us.”

“A world not suited for…” Aya stalled, reclining back in her seat.

“Listen, Aya. We’ll always be your friends. I’ll always be your friend. Miki’s as well. It doesn’t matter what happens to you or me, I’ll be grateful no matter what.” Chou immediately went to comfort her friend.

“T-Thank you, Chou,” Aya softly replied. But there was a sense of meekness in her voice.

Chou’s mind wandered. Politics really did feel like a whole other world. Just history itself was an unfathomably huge world on its own from Chou’s perspective, even as she did her best to engage herself in Aya’s lectures.

Even the thought of being a soldier never suited Chou. Her dream was merely to take over the restaurant she and her mother had run for the past few years.

Perhaps Kyou was right. The world Aya and Miki were immersed in wasn’t suited for her. But that doesn’t mean she would give up. They were still here. Reaching out to them was something a friend would do. If only she had some other way...

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