#cutiepie1187

Seventh Period

The final bell had yet to ring.

Unfortunately for Rurouni...

There was still a very dangerous period left. Science.

Monika clapped her hands once.

"Everyone. Open your science textbooks."

Rurouni immediately dropped his forehead onto his desk.

"Not again."

Kara glanced sideways at him.

"Yo. Do you hate science?"

Rurouni lifted his head slightly.

"No... It hates me."

Kara blinked as if he had just understood something.

"Ohh... So you got rejected."

Rurouni closed his eyes and started thinking.

Rejected?

Well... In a way, he's right.

"I got forty-six percent."

Kara winced dramatically.

"...Ouch. Poor kid."

Rurouni glanced at him curiously.

"What about you?"

Kara leaned back in his chair and casually swung one leg beneath the desk.

"...Let's just say..."

He lowered his voice.

"Science and I have a peace treaty compared to you."

Rurouni raised an eyebrow.

"Compared to me?"

"Yeah."

Rurouni thought for a moment.

"Does that mean you got forty-seven?"

Kara burst out laughing.

"Do you honestly think I'm as weak as you?"

Rurouni became even more curious.

"Then what did you get?"

Kara smiled confidently.

"Forty-eight."

Rurouni stared at him, wondering how he could possibly flex about something like that.

"But that's not something to be proud of."

Kara's smile froze.

"...Don't ruin my great achievement."

Rurouni let out a quiet chuckle.

Kara pointed dramatically at him.

"You're under arrest for smiling during the class."

Kara leaned closer, squinting at him suspiciously.

"The minimum punishment is gonna be hanging execution"

Rurouni rolled his eyes.

"...Shut the hell up."

Kara became normal again.

"Yeah yeah."

He lightly kicked his feet beneath the desk.

"But I think we're gonna get along."

Rurouni didn't reply.

But...

For the first time since waking up that morning...

The image of the blue-haired girl disappeared from his thoughts.

Only for a few seconds.

He didn't even notice that.

Because Rurouni was simply...

Enjoying the moment.

Then—

Someone placed a hand on both boys’ shoulders.

They froze, goosebumps running down their spines.

Slowly... they turned around.

Monika stood behind them.

She was smiling... a little too pleasantly.

"Would you two like to continue your conversation outside?"

Neither boy answered.

Monika's smile remained.

"For the sake of the entire class?"

Kara swallowed. Rurouni’s devastation returned.

They both slowly looked toward each other...

...and understood.

They were in trouble again.

A few moments later—

Both boys were standing outside the classroom.

The door slid shut behind them.

Inside, Monika calmly returned to the front of the classroom and continued teaching.

Outside...

They automatically looked at each other.

But neither said anything.

Then Kara sighed.

"She's scary, dude. She literally reminded me of my mom's angry version there."

Rurouni couldn't help wondering...

Does he involves her mother in conversations on purpose or is this how he talks naturally?

And for some reason...

They both started laughing.

Time: 2:48 P.M.
Student: Kara Shirugae

Observation:

Attempted to hide a red locket beneath his shirt.

Tells ridiculous stories as though they were completely normal.

Most likely spoiled by his mother, considering how he accidentally called me "Mom" instead of "Ma'am."

Became friends with Rurouni within a remarkably short period of time.

Conclusion:
The transfer student's unusual behaviour may have a positive influence on Rurouni's behaviour.

Action:
Continue observation.

The final bell echoed throughout the school.

"Class dismissed."

Students immediately began packing their bags, relieved that the school survival was finally over.

Rurouni slung his bag over his shoulder.

His mind was still crowded with questions.

The sky-blue-haired girl, his nightmare.

Monika Kagenou, his bully.

And now...

Forever Single Kara Shirugae.

Three mysteries he'd rather not deal with.

Unfortunately... One of them had already decided to follow him home.

Kara didn't even ask whether he could come along.

Apparently, in the mind of great scientists like Kara who managed to achieve forty-eight percent in science.

This is the universal law of friendship.

The two walked together until they reached the intersection where they would have to split up.

Then—

Kara suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.

A green parrot was perched nearby, casually scratching its wing.

Something changed in Kara's expression.

His eyes began to sparkle with excitement.

"Olelele..."

He slowly approached the bird.

"Come here, #cutiepie1187."

"I'll only give you 250 pats. I promise."

Rurouni placed a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"It's not gonna work, bro. It’s nearly impossible for you to even get close to that parrot.”

Kara nodded seriously.

"Yeah... You may be right."

He stared at the parrot with unwavering determination.

"But still... I refuse to give up."

Rurouni starting thinking.

"Why do I feel like I've heard that somewhere before?"

Kara began stretching his arms.

"You heard it just now, dude."

Then glanced at Rurouni with pity.

"Looks like you have some memory issues."

Kara slowly began walking toward the parrot.

One step.

Then another.

He moved as quietly as possible.

The parrot noticed him. Their eyes met.

For one brief moment... neither moved.

Then—

"Screech! Screech!"

The parrot flew away.

Kara froze. His hand remained stretched toward the empty spot.

His entire body seemed to deflate.

Then Rurouni placed a hand on Kara's shoulder.

Memory issues? Me? 

What kind of bullshit was that?

"Looks like it's the other way around."

Kara lowered his head with extra drama.

So, is this how it feels to be rejected?

After a few seconds, he suddenly pulled out the same notebook he'd used earlier.

He opened it to a fresh page and began writing.

Hunting Quest — Green Parrot

Target: #cutiepie1187
Reward: 15 sets of 250 pats
Deadline: 3 months

Rurouni leaned closer with curiosity.

"Hey. Didn't you just tell her you'd only give her 250 pats?"

He pointed toward the notebook.

"What's with the fifteen sets?"

Kara continued staring in the direction the parrot had flown.

His expression became unusually serious.

"#cutiepie1187... I'll make you pay for this."

Rurouni don't know how to react towards his behaviour.

"You're basically planning to do the complete opposite of what you promised."

Kara ignored him. Then, as if nothing had happened, he stretched dramatically.

He nearly bumped into Ren walking past.

"Oops."

Ren gave him an annoyed look.

Kara didn't noticed that.

He turned toward Rurouni.

"Anyway... See you tomorrow."

He pointed dramatically into the distance.

"And tell me if you find that S-rank ruthless monster."

Rurouni was surprised by his naming sense.

"...S-rank ruthless monster?"

He glanced in the direction the parrot had escaped.

"She ran away because she's scared of you."

Kara nodded as he thought so too.

"...Yeah."

He paused.

"But those are minor details."

Rurouni stared at him.

Those are minor details? How?

Kara waved his hand.

"Anyway, don't die from your science homework."

Rurouni nodded even though he knows the result.

"Don't worry. I'll try."

Kara gave a sudden dramatic expression.

"My mom will beat me up if she finds out I made friends with a failure in any subject."

Rurouni's expression twitched.

"...I can't believe it. Out of all my classmates, I had to hear that from someone on his first day."

Kara laughed.

"Yup. Truth hurts sometimes."

Then waved.

"Okay, bye!"

Rurouni raised a hand.

"...Yeah. Bye."

Kara walked away.

Rurouni watched him disappear down the road.

For a few seconds...

He simply stood there, then sighed.

"...What a weird guy."

But despite everything...

He couldn't help smiling.

For the first time in a while...

Going home didn't feel quite as lonely.

The afternoon sun bathed the streets in a warm orange glow.

Children played in a nearby park.

A bicycle rolled past.

Everything looked... Normal.

Rurouni walked home alone, his hands buried in his pockets.

Then he dropped the wrapper of the orange toffee Kara had given him from his pocket.

Maybe meeting Kara.

Laughing for the first time all day.

Maybe his mind had finally settled down.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Then—

Sky-blue.

His footsteps stopped on the spot. 

"No..."

He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Not again..."

Slowly... he opened them.

The image was still there.

Not in front of his eyes. Inside his mind.

Those eyes. That silent gaze.

That impossible beauty.

Rurouni took a slow breath.

"...Why? I've never even met you..."

He ran a hand through his hair.

"...So why can't I stop thinking about you?"

He looked up at the sky.

"...Am I seriously..."

"...falling for a girl I don't even know?"

He laughed weakly.

"...That's impossible."

He took a few more steps.

Then— 

The thought returned.

Stronger this time.

His composure cracked.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

Several pedestrians turned toward him.

"DOES MY BODY HAVE A CRUSH ON HER?!"

He pointed accusingly at his own chest.

"STUPID BODY!"

"CAN'T YOU GO ONE DAY WITHOUT HUMILIATING ME?!"

A nearby dog started barking.

Two high school students exchanged confused looks.

"...Is that guy okay?"

"I...don't know."

Rurouni suddenly realized...

Everyone was staring at him.

...

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"...Excuse me."

Then—

He calmly continued walking.

As though absolutely nothing had happened.

Behind him, the onlookers continued staring until he disappeared around the corner.

At last...

Rurouni stood in front of his home.

"...This isn't normal. Something's wrong with me"

Slowly, he raised his right hand.

The bite marks had begun to fade.

But they still hadn't disappeared completely.

Proof that the dream had happened.

Proof that something had changed.

He stared at the marks for several seconds.

Then, barely above a whisper, he asked—

"Just who are you?"

Silence. No answer came.

Only the reflection of a sixteen-year-old boy...

...staring back at him.

A boy who still believed his life was ordinary.

Even though...

There's absolutely no one...

...who has an ordinary life.