Katon Ashford

The first three classes passed peacefully.

The reason was simple.

Science wasn't one of them.

Mathematics.

Monika filled the blackboard with equations.

One formula became another.

Then another.

By the third one...

Half the classroom had already given up.

Rurouni's fear started increasing while looking at the board.

Why are you giving such a difficult question? 

Don't tell me... Are you gonna ask me this?

Just who takes such ruthless revenge?

At least tell me what wrong did I do to you.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure the numbers multiply whenever the teacher isn't looking."

"Hey, wait... How did it get even worse?" 

A few students nearby chuckled.

Monika continued writing as if she hadn't heard him.

Rurouni soul practically left his body.

"Is this the end for me?" 

Beside him...

Kara was still thinking about who would win the cuteness competition.

But because of what Rurouni had said earlier, he was also quietly watching the blackboard with his left eye.

He neither wrote anything.

Nor looking at his notebook.

After a few seconds...

Kara leaned slightly toward Rurouni.

"Son, you're reading line five."

Rurouni gave a little nod.

"...Uh, yeah?"

Hey, wait... Why did you changed my name again?

"The demon queen is still explaining line two."

Rurouni looked back at the board.

Hey, aren't you supposed to say demon king?

The nickname should be far worse than this for her.

"...Oh."

He slowly retraced each calculation.

One line.

Then the next.

His eyes widened in happiness.

"Yes, I get it now."

Kara prepared himself to give a legendary speech.

"...My mom once told me, 'Most problems aren't actually that difficult.'"

"People just start from the wrong place."

The respect Kara had created just now, burned into ashes.

"...I think you're the one who's addicted to drugs, not me."

Before Kara could respond—

The classroom door opened.

Mr. Rowan, the incharge of the parallel class, stepped inside.

He walked directly toward Monika and quietly said something to her.

Monika listened carefully.

Mr. Rowan nodded once, then left the classroom and returned to his office.

Monika turned toward the class.

"Everyone, I have an announcement."

The classroom gradually became quiet.

"We'll be having a new student joining our class."

A few students immediately started whispering.

"His name is Katon Ashford."

"He'll be arriving after recess."

"Make sure you treat him kindly and help him get accustomed to our school."

Kara's eyes immediately lit up.

"...I wonder if this new student will become one of our friends."

Rurouni tilted his head.

"It's difficult."

Kara nodded sadly.

"Yeah. I thought so."

Ding—Dong—Dang—Dong!

The lunch bell echoed throughout the school.

Almost instantly...

The classroom filled with the sounds of lunch boxes opening and students chatting.

Today was the 13th—the day of the month when students were allowed to eat outside the school building.

Rurouni reached into his bag.

This time...

He carefully took out a neatly wrapped lunch box.

Kara glanced over curiously.

"Wow. Homemade?"

Rurouni nodded proudly.

"Yep."

Kara smiled from the outside.

"Man, you're lucky."

In his mind...

Mom, I truly miss you.

He's flexing his mama in front of me.

Then he looked at Rurouni with dedication.

My mom is the best.

I'll prove it to you.

Rurouni asked while closing his bag.

"...What about you?"

Kara quietly pulled a small convenience-store bag from his desk.

Inside...

A dozen bananas.

A sandwich.

A carton of milk.

And a chocolate bar.

Rurouni felt pity towards him.

"Bro, that's not really lunch."

"It counts because I have bananas."

"Are you a monkey or something?"

Kara immediately went on guard.

What?!

Did he somehow figure out I'm a Monking?!

Then he watched him for a moment without saying anything.

Huff...

Looks like I'm worrying too much.

The two walked toward the large peepal tree.

The breeze gently rustled the leaves overhead, while warm sunlight filtered through the branches.

Rurouni sat down first.

Kara followed.

As they began eating...

Rurouni noticed Kara smiling at his phone.

"...What now?"

Kara turned the screen toward him.

A tiny white-and-orange kitten kept trying to jump onto a couch and missed every single time.

Rurouni couldn't help laughing.

"You seriously spend your breaks watching this too?"

"If anyone needs a cuteness competition, it's you."

"Huh? Why me?"

"You're the one watching cat videos before school and following your mother's advice."

Kara nodded after thinking.

"Well, fair enough."

Rurouni took another bite.

Kara proudly placed a hand beneath his chin.

"Either way, I've been cute since childhood."

Rurouni laughed in his mind.

Yup, there's no way I can something like that.

"And it's relaxing watching them."

Kara looked at his phone again.

"Wait."

"What?"

"The kitten finally made the jump."

Kara stared at the screen seriously.

Rurouni continued eating.

"You're still thinking about that?"

"Nooo."

Kara watched sadly as the kitten failed again.

"It deserved a happy ending."

Rurouni shook his head by his behaviour.

"First you bring your mom into every conversation, and now this."

"And you expect someone like you to be my friend?"

Rurouni selects words carefully to roast him.

"Talk about pathetic."

Kara immediately replied,

"My mama says that if you say something bad to someone who did nothing wrong..."

"He'll hear that same bad thing so many times that he'll lose count."

Rurouni got irritated by a word that came from his mouth.

"Okay."

"Deal."

"Let's see your mom's words in action from now on."

Nearby...

Someone arrived before lunch ended.

He closed the psycho-killer manga he'd been reading and adjusted his glasses.

Then glanced toward the clock.

After that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his favorite coin.

And thought for a second.

"Heads, I ask."

"Tails, I eat alone."

He flipped it.

The coin spun through the air.

Then—

Clink.

It landed on the ground.

He looked down.

Heads.

Then picked it up.

His eyes swept across the courtyard once.

Every bench was occupied.

Every table was full.

Only one spot still had room.

His eyes stopped beneath the large peepal tree.

Rurouni.

Kara.

His eyes moved between them.

"...Interesting."

Then he started walking and stopped beside the tree.

After observing the two boys, then at the empty space beside them.

"Mind if I join you?"

Rurouni looked up.

The someone continued.

"I flipped a coin to decide."

Rurouni blinked.

"A coin?"

"Heads, I ask."

"Tails, I eat alone."

"I got heads."

"I think it's more efficient since it's my first day."

Kara nodded.

"Okay. The more, the better."

The someone sat beside them.

For a few moments...

The three quietly ate.

The someone didn't say much.

He simply observed.

Then his eyes settled on Kara's phone.

"What's that?"

Kara showed him the screen.

The kitten had finally managed to jump onto the couch...

Only to immediately fall off the other side.

The someone watched silently.

Then held out his hand.

"Move."

Kara handed him the phone.

The someone replayed the clip.

Once.

Then again.

His expression barely changed.

"I'd catch it."

Rurouni blinked in confusion.

"...Uh? What?"

"I'd catch the kitten before it hit the floor."

Kara nodded seriously.

"Okay."

The someone handed the phone back.

"This kitten has skill issues."

Rurouni barely controlled his laugh.

"You're judging a kitten."

The someone nods a little.

"Someone has to."

"Improvement starts with honest feedback."

Rurouni looked between the two of them.

For some reason...

He felt like he'd finally found someone who could match Kara's strange way of thinking.

The someone opened his lunch box.

Inside...

Neatly cut slices of apple.

Orange.

And watermelon.

Without saying anything...

He placed the container between them.

"Wanna trade?"

Kara immediately broke his chocolate bar into three equal pieces and divided the bananas.

"Everything gets shared."

"...Except my last bite."

Rurouni put a hand on his head.

"...You literally just shared the chocolate."

"...No. That wasn't the last bite."

Rurouni asked curiously.

"...Even bananas?"

"Especially bananas."

The someone nodded approvingly.

"Good rule."

Soon...

Rice balls.

Fruit.

Sandwiches.

Chocolate.

Everything had become communal.

The someone continued eating.

But his eyes quietly observed them.

Kara always finished last, quietly dividing everything into equal portions.

Rurouni unconsciously moved his lunch closer whenever someone joined them.

Small things.

Things most people wouldn't notice.

He noticed them while eating.

The bell was about to ring.

The someone stood up first, stretched slightly.

"I'm going. I have something to do."

Rurouni's curiosity immediately kicked in.

"What is it? Tell us."

The someone took a few steps in the direction he'd come from.

"It's more efficient if you don't know."

Then he walked towards the school building.

After he disappeared...

A strange question suddenly occurred to both Kara and Rurouni.

Wait a minute... What was his name?