Chapter 1: Welcome to Moonlight Academy [part 1]

The consistent clicking of a turn signal was the only sound that echoed throughout the interior of the taxi cab. A few minutes passed at the red light until the cab driver pressed on the gas petal. Various large buildings towered above the street-level and were different shades of colours. Some were pristine red brick buildings that sold clothing and other types wears while some had been around for many years, showing the obvious signs of ageing. Many signs also hung outside the buildings that clearly labelled them for citizens and tourist alike.

“So, I take it you’re a school teacher,” the cab driver finally said.

“You would be right. I guess the Moonlight Academy destination gave it away.”

“I hear it’s a high-end school for geniuses.”

“Yeah, I’ll be teaching mathematics and physics. I just hope I don’t mess up on my first day.”

The cab driver laughed as she turned onto another street passing a mecha of maid cafes that lined the streets. All of them were different in their themes from the standard classic maid cafe to ones that focused on cosplay from well-known manga and anime.

“Probably best not to worry about it. Just got to make the lessons interesting,” the cab driver said.

“No pressure.”

“The academy is coming up at the next traffic light.”

As the cab continued to drive to its destination, the woman in the back pulled out a compact mirror from her small purse. It was a simple grey colour in a rectangular shape with slightly rounded corners. Opening up the compact mirror revealed a small compartment with two slots at the bottom and the mirror on the other half of the compact. In the bottom compartment was a powder of light blush to help fill out the cheeks alongside a small brush on the other side. The woman looked over how her hair and make-up looked as she desperately tried to straighten out the small curls of her medium-length autumn brown hair. Before long, the woman began to question her appearance and looked herself over at what she had chosen to wear. She had taken the time to pick out a professional looking outfit consisting of a white buttoned-up dress shirt and a black overcoat that was meant for formal wear around an office. Complementing the business coat was a matching miniskirt that was a bit shorter than what the woman was used too. Covering her pale slender legs were a black pair of nylon silk stockings giving her the appearance that she was a bit more mature than she let on to be. Her shoes were a simple pair of black high-heels that gave off an elegant nature despite them being cheap from a local shoe shop.

After picking off a stray bit of lent on her stockings, the woman stared into the mirror – her hazel brown eyes locking onto her reflection. She breathed for a moment before she smiled. You got this, Miku Ichigya. You will not mess up and embarrass yourself, she thought as she closed the compact mirror and placed it back in her purse. Miku continued to stare out the window of the cab as she watched the buildings past her by. A few minutes passed before she noticed the buildings disappeared and changed into an open field with perfectly manicured grass. In the distance was a large structure surrounded by various other structures and a brick wall enclosing them all. Miku felt the cab come to a stop as she continued to stare at the academy where she would be teaching.

The taxi cab sped up once the light it was stopped at turned green. Continuing on for a bit until it slowed down to make a turn onto a road that lead up to the academy. Upon getting closer to the outer wall, Miku could see a large wrought iron gate that stood well over twenty metres in height. Drawing closer to front entrance, the road branched out to a parking lot that held a few cars – most of which were black like those seen in movies featuring secret agents and intelligence agencies. The cab driver pulled off to the side and looked back to Miku with a smile.

“Here we are. Moonlight Academy. Comes out to 6,969 yen.”

“The odds of that were a one in sixty-nine chance,” Miku joked as she pulled out some money.

After handing the driver the money, Miku exited the cab and looked over to the iron gate that seemed to impose itself like a knight in full plate armour. Making her way over to it, she could see there was a smaller door off to the left side. The door acted as a quick way for people to enter or exit the premises without the need for the gate to be constantly opened and closed. As she drew even closer to the gate, it dawned on her just how high the walls actually were and the fact that the two guard towers at the sides of the gate made academy feel more as if it was a prison – rather than a place of learning. Miku pulled out her cell phone and took note of the time. It was just hitting 07:00 hours, yet there was no one at the gate, nor could she see any form of life from beyond the gate. Am I early? Did I screw up and come on a Sunday? Maybe this isn’t the right school, Miku thought as she looked around the area.

The cab had already made its way out onto the main road. Turning back to the gate before her, she heard the sound of the side door opening. Standing in the doorway with a cheerful smile was a woman dressed in a maid outfit. For a moment, Miku was confused by what she was seeing. As the woman approached, Miku could see that alongside the odd maid outfit, was the fact that the woman’s ears were pointed and resembled those of an elf. Another oddity was a small studded piercing that could easily be seen on the left side of her nose.

“You must be Miku Ichigya. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kanami Hirose, the principal of this school.”

“Right…”

Miku was at a lost for words. When she had spoken to the principal over the phone, she believed her to be a serious woman who would appear professional and strict but this was far from the image that she had conjured up in her mind. Her mind had thoughts of a young woman who wore a business suit with a short miniskirt complete with nylon stockings and high-heels.

“You’re probably taken aback by my appearance,” Kanami said giggling like a playful school girl.

“Just a bit,” Miku said with a forced smile.

“Don’t worry, you will get used to it. Anyway, we can talk more in my office.”

“Does it happen to look like a cafe?” Miku joked.

Kanami raised an eyebrow in a puzzled expression.

“No, it’s a normal office. Why would it resemble a cafe? Anyway, let’s go!”

With a cheerful expression and pep in her step, Kanami skipped merrily over to the doorway as Miku followed behind her. I can’t believe this lady is my boss, Miku thought as she crossed the threshold of the side door and stepped into the walled academy. For a moment, she felt as if she had entered into a new world. Although the sky remained the same, the land around her seemed to change. The ground beneath her feet was a pristine sandstone paving that had a hint of a gold shine to it, blending in well with the nearby clusters of pine trees.

“So, where is the academy?” Miku asked.

“This is the academy. Now, let’s get to the train station before it leaves,” Kanami said with a smile.

“Train?”

“Yeah, we have a train here that the students and teachers use to commute to the main school building.”

“Something tells me this academy is bigger than I thought it would be.”

In total, the area of the whole enclosure was 950,000 hectares and contained various areas including the main school building, a library and dorms – alongside other different buildings.

As she continued down the paved stone pathway, Miku noticed a fountain with the paths branching out into separate directions. Off to the side was a deep dark green sign with an arrow pointing to the east stating clearing by the words that it led to a train station as well as a library. Turning off to another small pathway began to slope in elevation until a train station came into view. A nearby stairwell allowed teachers and students onto the platform where they could wait for a train to take them to their destination.

For a moment, Miku and Kanami stood their on the platform in silence until the sound of a train could be heard in the distance. The train soon came into view as it smoothly glided into station with prefect precision. Unlike the trains of the city, it was nearly silent with no teeth grinding scrapping of metal against metal. Even the doors barely made a sound as they opened. Only a small ding followed by an automated voice asking for passengers to stand clear of the doors could be heard. While the train appeared simple in it’s white and blue colour scheme, stepping inside, Miku was at a loss for words.

Inside, the train was beyond anything she had ever seen. The interior appeared luxurious with a soft white carpet and ceiling that had light fixtures spaced evenly throughout the passenger car. Seats were similar to a small love seat and placed against the walls of the car. Windows appeared more like the home of a mansion, draped with velvet navy blue curtains that matched the seats.

“You look surprised. First time on a train?” Kanami asked with a smile as she sat down in one of the seats.

“No, it’s just my first time seeing a train that is so… fancy.”

Miku sat down in the seat across from Kanami. She could not help but notice that the seats were soft, so much so that she could ride the train for hours.

“This is nice. I’m actually amazed the school can pay for a train like this.”

“Yeah, it was a solid investment for our students and staff. In total, the train can hold all 300 students in the twelve other cars, which each one holding twenty-five students in each of them.”

Miku looked out the window only to be surprised by the fact that the train was moving without her even noticing or feeling anything.

“How is it the acceleration is so smooth? Even the most high-end trains have some force when leaving the station.”

“You’ve never been on this train,” Kanami said giggling.

A minutes passed by until Miku could see a large building in the distance. The building was clear of any trees and stood out like a mansion on a hilltop. Without any resistance, the train stopped and the only thing that clued Miku into the fact they had stopped moving was the single ding and automated voice. Exiting the train, Miku followed Kanami down the stairwell of the platform and made their way to the main school building. For moment, Miku was taken aback by the size of the building as well as the architecture of its grand appearance.

Kanami stopped and twirled on the ball of her foot as she turned to Miku. With a cheerful expression, she held out her arms as if she was asking for a hug.

“Welcome to my school, Mikuri.”

Why did she tact on ‘ri’ to my name? Actually, why is she calling me by my first name already? I barely know her, Miku thought. Entering into the academy, Miku was greeted by the familiar layout of a standard Japanese school. The main lobby held shoe lockers where students could remove their shoes and exchange them for the slippers. Near the back was a grand staircase that appeared as if it was yanked from a lavish mansion, complete with decorated ornaments. Looking around the area, Miku could see hallways that lead to different sections of the school such as the nurse’s office, staff lounge and other classrooms.

“My office is on the third floor,” Kanami said as she made her way to the staircase.

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to remove your shoes?”

Kanami giggled as she turned to Miku with a smug expression on her face.

“Oh Mikuri, I didn’t know you were into feet.”

Miku tilted her head to the side with a puzzled expression.

“I’m not. Isn’t this a Japanese style school?”

“Nope, it’s a mixed school. Since it’s international, the rules are different here. Students can remove their shoes if they wish. We have the shoe lockers here to make them feel more at home, if you will. You will find that this school is different than what you may be used to to. For instance, there is no school on Saturdays or Sundays.”

Miku made her way over to the stairwell and stopped as she looked down at the floor. It had been ingrained in her mind throughout school that she was not to enter any sort of residence without removing her shoes and wearing the customary slippers provided. Is it truly okay for me to enter this school without removing my shoes and wearing slippers? It feels like I’d be breaking some sort of law, Miku thought as she struggled with the conflict before her.

“I can get you a pair of slippers if you need them or you can just do what some students do and just don’t wear shoes,” Kanami said with a smile.

“That can’t be safe or sanitary.”

“It’s fine. Our floors are so clean you can eat off of them. Even the bathrooms are nice enough to clean the toilet seats with your tongue.”

Miku could feel her stomach start to hurl.

“That’s disgusting…”

“Yeah. Still, it’s true. Now, you want me to get you a pair of slippers or you want to be a rebel?” Kanami giggled.

Taking a second to gain her barrings, Miku sighed and took one step forward onto the stairwell. Nothing happened. There was no one there to tell her to remove her shoes and put on slippers, just silence.

“See? It’s okay. Now, let’s head to my office, shall we?”

Making her way to the third floor, Miku noticed the hallways were simple and modern in their design. White walls with a small hint of a blue-ish hue and floors made of elegant marble tiling. Unlike the windows on the train, the school windows were big and allowed for sunlight to beam into the building giving it a pleasurable atmosphere.

“As you can see, the school has a pleasant layout that is simple in its design. It’s also pretty straightforward with first-year classes on the first floor, second-years on the second—”

“And third-years on the third floor, right?”

“Exactly,” Kanami said with a smile as she made her way up to the third floor.

Reaching the top of the third floor took Miku by surprise. Unlike the simple white walls and marble flooring of the first and second floors, the third floor felt like royalty. The white walls had been transformed into a deep crimson wallpaper with dark ebony wood trimming. In contrast to the marble flooring, a deep red carpet took its place. For a moment, Miku felt as if she had stepped into a rich person’s mansion.

“What illegal deeds have you done to acquire this kind of money to fund such a school?” Miku asked, still awestruck by what she was seeing.

Kanami could only giggle at the statement.

“We’re totally a government facility that assassinates terrorists,” Kanami said with a wink.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Guess I can see why this academy is ranked number one in the whole world. The entrance exams must be near impossible to complete.”

“It can be tough but hey, it’s one of the best schools and we can only take the best.”

Kanami continued on down one of the hallways until she came to a large wooden double door. It was decorated with an ornate design and accented with a black and gold trimmed nameplate that indicated it was the principal's office. Inside, the room felt like an anachronistic cafe out of the nineteenth century. Dark rosewood flooring and walls gave the room a grand appearance alongside the bookshelves, which were filled with various old books. Each spine of the books were decorated with immaculate ornaments and bound in a fine leather not commonly seen in the modern mass produced book. Off to the side was a large fireplace accented with more ornate design and filled with various objects – most of which were figurines from well-known animation that brought a huge contrast to the room with their cute and colourful nature. Near the back of the room was a wooden desk that blended in with the rest of the atmosphere. Behind that was window that nearly filled the whole wall, allowing for a full view of the school grounds.

Kanami made her way over to her desk and sat down in the chair behind it. She gestured for Miku to sit down in one of the empty chairs in front of her desk. They were unlike the normal chairs that she had been used to seeing in a normal school, yet by now she was starting to understand that the school she was in, was far from normal. Sitting down in one of the chairs, she noticed Kanami pulling out a pack of cigarettes from inside the bosom of her top. Its red packaging was unmistakable to most in Japan. Lycoris Radiata was known for its controversial slogan of, ‘Killing you slower than a bullet’, which was not too far from the truth.

Opening up the pack, Kanami placed one of the cigarettes into her mouth and looked around her for her lighter. Being unable to find it, she decide to open one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a dagger. The hilt of the dagger opened up revealing a hidden lighter. Flicking the switch downward, Kanami lit the end of her cigarette and blew a calming puff of smoke before removing the top straps that held her shoes in place. Slipping her feet from her shoes, she placed her feet on her desk as she leaned back in her comfortable chair, showcasing her white stockings – her petite toes peaking through the material slightly.

“Sorry, did you want one?” Kanami asked as she held up the pack of cigarettes.

“No… I only tried them once in high-school. You know those things will kill you, right?”

Kanami blew another puff of smoke.

“So can a bullet, water or time. Life can kill you at any second, best to make the most of it.”

“Point taken but shouldn’t a principal of one the top ranking school be a bit more concern at how others will see you?”

“When you produce results that people care about, it doesn’t matter how you look or act.”

“Okay, I can’t argue with you there.”

“Any who, let’s get you up to speed with your students and what we expect from you, Mikuri.”

Kanami opened another drawer and pulled out a black binder, handing it over to Miku. Inside the binder was a small stack of papers with a list of names and a classroom number.

“You will be in charge of overseeing the small group of students of class 3B as well as monitoring them in the dorm. Alongside them, you will be teaching maths and physics in classroom 3C and 3E. If you want to oversee a club that is your call.”

Miku looked over what was outlined in the stack of paper’s but only had a multitude of questions to ask.

“Okay, so… I have a few questions. Why does class B have only six students and where is the course requirements?”

“Class B is special. As for course requirements, you’re free to teach classes however you want so long as students past their final exams.”

“You don’t have mid-terms?”

“Nope. Just finals. I believe students shouldn’t have to take two types of exams when one is more than enough.”

“I see. Anything else that I should know about?” Miku asked.

“Don’t have sex with a minor, that would be bad,” Kanami joked as she blew another puff of smoke.

“That should be obvious,” Miku said with a half-moon stare.

“Right then, everything you need is in that binder. So you’re free to go now.”

Miku looked through the binder once more and noticed there was a detailed map of the whole school, including smaller maps that detailed the layout of each of the buildings on the campus grounds. Pulling out the map from the binder, Miku closed the binder and stood to her feet.

“Regarding what happened on that day—”

“No one will ever know aside from me and anyone that you wish to tell. I paid your bail and now you work for me, Mikuri. Just be yourself and produce results and we won’t have any sort of trouble.”

“Got it.”

Without another word, Miku exited the room and made her way through the empty school. Okay, so I’ll be staying in a designated staff room while in the dorms. There doesn’t seem to be much information on the six students I will be spending my time with. Guess I’ll get to know them as time goes on. Hopefully, they aren’t too crazy like my boss, Miku thought as she looked over the map of the school. After boarding the train and getting off at the station closest to the dorms, she made her way down the pathway until she came to tall wrought iron gate similar to the one she saw at the front entrance.

Looking around, she noticed there was no one to open the gate for her. Wait, how am I supposed to open this gate? That boss of mine didn’t tell me about this, Miku thought as she sighed heavily. Off to the left side of the gate, she could see a device. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it allowed students and teachers to open the gate by inserting their identification card into the slot. Opening up the binder, Miku looked through it in hopes of finding a card of some sort, yet as searched through the various pockets and laminated sheet protectors, she noticed there was no card to speak of.

“Fantastic… That damn principal didn’t give me a card.”

“Need some help?”

Miku jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. Turning around to see who was behind her, she could see a woman with a cheerful expression on her face. Her long raven black hair and twilight hazel eyes made her appear mysterious while her outfit gave her the appearance of a teacher. Her black thick-rimmed square glasses and white lab coat made Miku wonder if she was apart of a science class though the odd spiked choker around her neck felt out of place for a teacher, until Miku remembered that her boss was the eccentric type to hire on staff regardless of appearance – only results mattered.

“Wait, haven’t I’ve seen you somewhere before?” Miku asked as she looked closer at the woman in front of her.

“If you believe me to be doctor Elvira Alexandria Vesquita Qualidea then you would be correct.”

Miku was at a loss for words. She had never been a fan of mathematics or physics until she learned of doctor Qualidea’s breakthrough in the field of science.

“You okay?” Elvira asked.

“Sorry, I’m just shocked to see you working at this school. I looked up to you back in middle school and you became a big influence in my path towards studying maths and science.”

Elvira smiled.

“Well, I’m glad I could have an impact on you. Anyway, are you by chance a new teacher here?”

“Oh, yeah, I just started today. My name is Miku Ichigya but please, call me Miku.”

Elvira adjusted her glasses.

“Nice to meet you, Miku. You can just call me Elvira.”

Pulling out a card from her coat pocket, Elvira inserted it into the the card shot at the gate.

“I’m guessing our wonderful boss forgot to give you your card,” Elvira said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I didn’t know we needed one otherwise I would have made sure I had one in this binder.”

Elvira smiled and placed her card back in her pocket.

“She does tend to forget things at times. Still, you can just ask her to bring it to you when you head out tomorrow.”

Miku walked beside Elvira and took notice of the rows of dorms. They all appeared the same with each of them having either a giant letter A or B on them followed by a number. The dorms were geometrically square-shaped with simple off-white paint and was two-stories tall – along with access to the roof. Each of the lawns were trimmed and properly manicured like the rest of the property on the academy grounds.

“Is there a reason for the different letters? The numbers I get what do the letters mean?”

“Buildings labelled A are for the girls while B is for the guys. Of course, that doesn’t exactly stop students from seeing each other at night.”

“That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. How is this academy is ranked number one?”

“Simply put, freedom. At this school students are free to act as they see fit, within reason. Every consequence that befalls them of their own actions is by their own hand. That being said, nearly all the students here are well behaved enough. You just have to watch out for that one or two that decides to make trouble. As for the lawsuit, students and parents aren’t allowed to sue due to the contract that every student and parent signs. It states clearly in…”

Before long, Miku found herself listening to Elvira quote various rules and paragraphs regarding legal action of the school to the point that she could feel her head start to spin.

“In short, it is impossible for students and parents to win any sort of lawsuit due to the terms of the contract which is exactly why no one around here will try to screw up their education. But anyway, enough of the legal talk. What dorm are you staying at?”

“Oh… uh…”

Miku opened her binder and looked for the dorm number she was meant to be watching over during her time as a teacher.

“Looks like dorm A6 which is…”

“Right there,” Elvira said as she pointed to the building.

“I just hope the girls aren’t too crazy,” Miku joked as she scratched the back of head nervously.

“No need to worry. I think you’ll be good for those kids. I’m in dorm A5 actually so if you ever need anything just come over,” Elvira said with a smile.

After waving good-bye, Miku made her way over to the dorm building and realised there was another problem. The door required a key, one that she did not have. Looking through her binder once again, Miku soon realised that she could not enter the building. This binder is useless. This thing doesn’t contain anything useful that I need. Should I just knock on the door. Would that be weird for a teacher to knock on a student dorm at this hour without any warning? I could always wait outside but that would be even more odd, Miku thought as she tried to figure out what to do. Before she could come up with a plan of action, she could hear the sound of the door unlocking from the other side.

As the door opened up, she was greeted by the sight of a beautiful student that stood out like a model at an event. The had pink hair that was like the colour of the sakura blossoms and tied in a long braid that fell down just below her thighs and tied off at the end with a black ribbon. In her mouth was a lollipop that she continued to shift back and forth from one side of her mouth to the other as she stared back at Miku with her rose-coloured eyes. She was dressed in a simple white tank-top with pair of black shorts. Around her wrist were various multi-coloured jelly bracelets and two watches – one on each wrist – while her toenails were painted a soft roseate colour.

“Are you the uchitel’ that will be staying here?”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I meant teacher.”

“Y-Yes, I am.”

What was that language she spoke just now? I guess with an international school kids come from different backgrounds but can speak multiple languages, Miku thought.

“I’m Hanami Rusaka but most call me Sakura. Feel free to do the same,” Sakura said with a cheerful smile.

“My name is Miku Ichigya. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sakura.”

Entering into the dorm, Miku looked around the room. It was sleek and modern in its design. White walls with hints of a deep shade of red and wooden laminate floors contrasted beautifully with the overall modern furniture seen throughout the main room. In the living area was a unique couch that could seat three people. The couch was shadowy black colour that stood out from the rest of the room. Sitting in the corner was a large television seen throughout mansions and other rich peoples homes. In truth, it was the first time Miku had seen a television of that size with her own eyes.

Near the entrance against the wall was a small wooden shelf, originally used for books but now held shoes and slippers that students could use when inside the dorms. Other various objects could be seen throughout the room from a small Rubik’s cube to books scattered on the end tables.

“Are the other students here? I’d like to introduce myself to them.”

“Well, Tsuki, Sora and Nerina are here – including me. Saya doesn’t leave her room too often.”

Who are these students? I don’t know those names, Miku thought as she pulled out her binder and quickly looked over the list of students.

“Uh… Sorry but… I’m not sure who is who. The list I have only gives me the first and last name of all of you.”

Miku suddenly noticed three other students standing by the stairwell to the second floor. She could not help but wonder just how long they had been there without her even noticing them. One student had long white hair that was tied into a pair of unmistakeable twin-tails and heterochromia made her stand out from crowd – even with how short and petite she was.

“So, who is this seemingly waste of space?” the twin-tailed girl asked.

Her voice was cold and blunt, piercing Miku’s heart like a dagger and twisted for good measure.

“Tsuki, don’t be rude. This is our teacher,” Sakura said as she placed her hands on her hips in a stern manner.

Tsuki turned away and began heading back up the stairs.

“Whatever.”

Once Tsuki was up stairs, Sakura turned and smiled at Miku.

“I’m sorry about her. She tends to be… difficult to get along with at times. Don’t take what she says at face value.”

Another girl stepped forward. She appeared more timid than Tsuki and like Sakura, had her long blond hair tied into a braid but also similar to Tsuki tied them into two twin-braids that fell down to her waist. While her appearance was fairly plain and did not stand out that much, there were unique piercings seen on her left ear. A silver bomb shaped piercing with a fuse looping around was something not seen everyday – alongside three smaller black studded earrings that were in the shape of bombs.

“H-Hello… My name is… Ashihime Arikawa b-but… you can call me… Sora,” the girl said as she blushed and turned her head.

“Nice to meet you, Sora. Please, don’t be afraid to come to me if you need anything,” Miku said with a gentle and calm smile.

The final girl jumped forward and twirled on the ball of foot before striking a pose like a character from an anime. Unlike the other two girls, she had hair that fell just past her waist and it tied off with a ribbon on the right side. What made her stand out was the multitude of colours that she had used to dye her hair like a rainbow. Yet, what stood out the most to Miku was that around her left arm was a long winding thread of multi-coloured stitches, alongside red stitches around the bottom left side of the lip and eyebrow. On the opposite side of their lip were two nails that had been pierced through the bottom lip and wrapped around into rings while the right ear had an industrial style nail through the top of the ear with three nails through the lobe and wrapped into rings.

I guess kids will pierce themselves with anything nowadays. When did I get so old that I lost touch with the young generation? My mother was right, I should have kept up with the times, Miku thought as she continued to stare at the girl.

“And I’m Reina Kurogame! But you can call me Nerina, fiu fiu~” Nerina said with a wink.

“Fiu fiu?” Miku questioned as she tilted her head in confusion.

“Fiu fiu~”

“Is that like Spanish for something?”

“Si, fiu fiu~”

“But… what does it mean?” Miku asked again.

“Fiu fiu~”

“I— You know what, never mind. It’s nice to meet you, Nerina. I’m Miku Ichigya.”

Nerina smiled and sprung forward as she wrapped her arms around Miku, embracing her in a loving hug like she had known her all her life.

“I’m happy to meet you too, Mikuchi, fiu fiu~”

And now I have another odd nickname. This school is so different from any other I’ve been too, Miku thought as she sighed with a smile.

“Isn’t there supposed to be two more students? Renji Kurogame and Sayari Garuisa?”

“Saya stays in her room almost all the time, fiu fiu~” Nerina said.

“And what about Renji Kurogame? I take it he is your brother?”

Nerina giggled and began to twirl on the ball of her barefoot like a happy nymph.

“My brother won’t be out for a while so until then, you have me, fiu fiu~”

I guess her brother is the shy type, Miku thought as she looked over the list of students one final time. She had made sure to write down the names each of the students went by on the paper next to their real names.

“Well, this has been informative. Thank you all for being patience with me.”

“It’s not a problem at all, teach,” Sakura said with a smile.

Once the other students had headed back up to the second floor, Miku changed out her shoes for the slippers and made her way to the bedroom that would be hers for the whole school year. Inside, the room was minimal in its design and furnishing. A few boxes had been placed at the back wall next to the large double glass plane window. Pushed up against the southeastern corner was a twin-sized bed with cotton navy blue bedsheets. A few metres from the bed was a wooden desk with a single desk lamp. On the north wall was a small counter space with a refrigerator and a sliding door that contained a small closet.

It’s a small but quaint little room. I like it, Miku thought as she placed her binder down on the desk. Taking a moment to stretch, she laid down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She thought about the students she had meet and how all of them were unique and different in not just their appearance but also how their personalities varied greatly from one another. After taking a moment to relax her body, she sat up and looked over at the binder on her desk.

Okay, I have to get a lesson plan for tomorrow classes. Hopefully, I can make it fun for the students and make them interested in the fields of study, Miku thought as she sat down at her desk and opened up her binder. She thought about what Kanami had said and how there was no requirement for their courses, only results. Hours passed by until she had a lesson plan made up for both her classes. Looking over at the clock on the wall, she noticed that it was starting to get late. With a loud yawn, Miku laid down on her bed and drifted off to sleep.