Orphanage Arc - Chapter 2: First Steps of a New Beginning

After hearing Aren's past, Teacher Erika finally understood why he had always been so reserved and avoided every activity. He had been at the orphanage for a full three years, yet he didn't have a single friend. He didn't study for his classes and never smiled. Before listening to his past, Erika-sensei had always been very worried about him.

At the sound of a knock on the door, the principal, who had been sleeping with his feet propped up on the desk, two buttons of his shirt undone, and watching a documentary on TV, dropped his remote control. He suddenly scrambled back into position, re-buttoned his shirt, pulled his tie upward, wiggled it from side to side to straighten it, adjusted his glasses, picked up the remote from the floor, and placed it back on his desk. Then, bringing his clenched fist to his mouth, he cleared his throat, rested his elbows on the desk, clasped his hands together, and said:

'Come in.'

As the door opened, Erika-sensei stepped inside and glanced sideways at the principal's office. Taking a few steps forward, she sat down in the chair across from the principal's desk. To herself, she thought:

He still hasn't changed his office; it's still so gloomy and looks like a courtroom. Is this man incapable of even opening a window?

'I'm sorry to bother you about such a matter, Kataoka-sensei. But I am very worried about Aren Asano in Class 4-1. He has experienced very dark memories in his past and has a quite reserved personality because of them. Even in the three years he has spent with us, he hasn't had a single friend. He doesn't participate in social activities. If we don't help him now, he will continue to live isolated from people in the future. That's why I'm asking you: let's transfer Aren to Section 2. The students in Class 4-2 get along very well with each other. Aren needs such an environment too. And not just that. If he can get into this class, I promise that he will participate in all social activities. Kataoka-sensei, I realize that you value your students very much...'

The expression on Kataoka-sensei's face shifted from happiness to slight curiosity and surprise. With the index finger of one hand, he pushed his glasses up a bit higher. Then, he smiled broadly once again.

'Very well, I'll have him transferred to Class 4-2. The rest is up to you, Erika-sensei...'"

Erika-sensei gave the principal a slight smile, stood up, and started walking toward the door. She put her hand on the doorknob, turned back to the principal with a cold and terrifying facial expression, and said:

'Kataoka-sensei, please don't smoke in your room without opening a window...'

Kataoka-sensei leaned back in his chair, raised both hands, and said with a cowardly expression:

'I'm sorry...'

Then Erika-sensei smiled again and said:

'Alright, then...'

Erika-sensei turned the doorknob, went outside, and closed the door. She squatted down, placed her hands on Aren's shoulders, and smiled:

'The time has come...'

Aren looked at Erika-sensei with a face sweating from fear and asked:

'What time?'

'Socialization...'

Socialization? What is that? I don't even know what social means, damn it...

Erika-sensei stood up and started walking, holding Aren's hand. Aren was still feeling anxious about something he didn't even know. He could feel his hand slipping out of Erika-sensei's grip. Even his hand was sweating. After a long walk, Erika-sensei brought Aren to his own classroom, keeping the smile on her face without fading, and smiled right there too:

'Come on, pack your things. You're changing classes, Aren-kun...'

Am I changing classes, or...?

Aren stopped where he was and began to shout loudly:

'WHY THOUGH, ARGH!'

Erika-sensei covered her ears with both hands and tightly closed her eyes as well. She waited a few seconds after Aren finished shouting, first opened her eyes, and then, after making sure it was over, opened her ears too. Then, with a deadpan expression on her face:

'Aren-kun, please don't shout again...'

Aren quickly bowed his upper body forward with regret and said:

'I'm sorry...'

Then, as if running at the speed of light, he quickly rushed into his classroom and began packing all his belongings at a very fast pace. By the time Erika-sensei walked over to him, Aren had packed everything, even put his backpack on, turned back to Erika-sensei, bowed his upper body forward once more, and said:

'I'm sorry, Sensei...'

Erika-sensei closed her eyes, smiled, and clasped her hands behind her back:

'No problem, no problem. By the way, your new class is 4-2.'

When Erika-sensei opened her eyes, she couldn't see Aren in front of her.

What's with all this rushing in this kid?

Aren was just standing in front of the door of his new classroom. There was a lot of noise coming from inside, and classes hadn't started yet. Aren lowered his head and paused right in front of the door. While he was standing like this, he was startled by a voice coming from his left side:

'Hellloooo!'

The person who arrived was a girl with long, pink hair. She walked right up to Aren, who was standing in front of the door. At that moment, Aren was sweating, and his face had turned red. The girl leaned down to look at Aren's face, then stood back up with a surprised facial expression and said:

'So, a newcomer? I can't wait to meet you! My name is Hoshino Mika.'

Hoshino Mika? Nice to meet you. But even if I say this to myself, it feels like nothing is going to change...

Aren turned his head toward Mika and, with a red face and shyness:

'I- I'm Asano Aren. Nice to meet you...'

'Aaah! Asano-kun, aren't you going to enter the classroom?'

'I am, of course...'

Aren turned back to the front and tried to shake off his nervousness by shaking his head from side to side. Then he placed his hand on the door handle; his other hand was gripping the strap of his backpack tightly. When he put his hand on the door handle, his hand was sweating so much that it kept slipping off the handle. Closing his eyes, he suddenly opened the door and stepped into the classroom, opening his eyes the moment he stepped inside. The moment he opened them, he was shocked by what he saw. There were clouds almost right at his feet and a liquid-like texture waving on the ground like water. However, it wasn't water because they weren't falling. And the strangest part of all was that everything was completely empty. It was as if they were up in the sky. And everyone else had seen the exact same thing.