Shikari High

Shikari High's campus, located in the heart of the capital, combines modern architecture and rich greenery. The towering structures seem to touch the sky, their sleek lines cutting through the sunlight. Complex designs adorn the buildings, and well-tended gardens surround the pathways, a tribute to the school's prestigious status. 

Though this school appears like any ordinary school, there's a particular purpose behind the scenes. It serves as a training ground for students to harness their potential power. Think of it like a special military academy for young kids.

It also serves as the Noye Agency Headquarters. Rather than earning diplomas, students earn their license, a certification for their mastery of their potential abilities. Some might consider it "lucky" to get accepted into such a school. While entry for this school is primarily by invitation, Surata manages to enroll through… unconventional means.

The morning after the kidnapping, Surata arrives at his school. Walking towards the entrance, sculpted water fountains centering the tremendous pathway, the noisy courtyard is filled with lively students idling. 

The boys wear black cropped trousers and buttoned-up slim jackets, while the girls wear black pleaded skirts that blend into their jackets, displaying the school's combative environment. 

He looks up at the multiple buildings on campus and sees the main building. The main building acts as a central hub for his school. This hub is where the students go to take their classes.

Surata shuffles his way into his homeroom class, his steps slow and weighed down. Bruises clouding his skin and bandages, standing out like badges for his fight. He stands at the doorway, lost, trying to find a path through the cluster of students. 

His eyes bear the weight of exhaustion, and he helps himself into his chair, wincing as his sore body meets the seat. Cramping his way through the students, he stumbles upon the friends he had found when first enrolled.

The class doesn't start for a couple of minutes. With that in mind, one of his friends, Daiki, brings Surata into their conversation, asking him, "Dude, are you ok? I mean, I heard a rumor that has been going around saying you were kidnapped."

"Yeah, but I showed those guys they messed with the wrong person," Surata's words stumble, his voice cracking like fragile glass.

His friends exchange swift glances, raising their eyebrows. "Um…What are you talking about? You didn't do anything. Someone else saved you and took those guys down alone."

"Well, great! How did they find out about Koroki?" His efforts to gain part of his dignity back slowly vanished away.

The weight of his exhaustion sits deep into his body. Not knowing this, he didn't realize the gaze from everyone's eyes. The gossip spread like wildfire. He feels his face almost suffocating from embarrassment as the bell rings, saving him from further attention. 

Their homeroom teacher, Ms. Shirai, enters the classroom as the students sit down for class to start. Before Ms. Shirai starts her lesson, she has something to announce. "Alright, class, we have a new student coming in."

The students' faces light up with excitement, beginning to gossip again, wondering who the new student is. Is it a boy? A girl? Are they cute? Still recovering from his attack, Surata can barely find the enthusiasm to care about this student. He sits in his chair, hiding his face in his arms on his desk.

As she introduces the new student, they walk into the room. Surata's ears can hear the door open and hear slight footsteps. Whispers ripple through the classroom, heads turning in unison towards the door. 

The reaction of the students couldn't help him identify them. The new student looks up at the class, whose tired eyes scan the room while one hand gently massages their neck. Their jacket is unbuttoned and has a sloppy appearance. Their lack of energy is palpable and noticeable to those around them.

The last person in Surata's mind would probably be...

“My name is Koroki Aoi. It's nice to meet you."

"Huh?" Surata, puzzled, slowly lifts his head, his tiredness fading away. After Koroki introduces himself, he looks around the classroom and notices Surata lifting his head. Surata wipes his eyes, thinking that he might be hallucinating. Getting a clearer view, he realizes he didn't see things. Their eyes lock at each other, and surprise overturns their expression.

"What's he doing here?" both wonders.

Ms. Shirai tells Koroki that there happens to be an empty seat next to Surata. Koroki casually walks to his seat as Surata's eyes stay locked on him.

"What are you doing here?" probes Surata.

Koroki sits down, replying, annoyed. "Blame your dad. He forced me to come here."

___

The day before, following the kidnapping... 

Koroki and Surata return home. Once they arrive, they remove their shoes near the entrance and are confronted by Surata's father, Ishio. "Welcome back."

"We're home," Surata replies.

Koroki responds with a simple "Thanks."

Ishio notices Surata's injuries, staring at him with a concerned expression. "Surata, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Despite the bruises and dry blood on his body, Surata feels relieved knowing he is safe. Though the pain is exhausting, he is able to brush it off and continue with his day.

Realizing how much time has passed, Surata quickly runs to the kitchen to cook dinner. Meanwhile, Koroki slumps on the couch, ready to watch more T.V. Just as he's about to relax, a voice distracts his relaxation.

"Hey Koroki, I have some good news for you," Ishio exclaims, beaming with a smile that reaches his eyes.

"Huh? What is it?"

Ishio reveals a white envelope from his pocket. With a stamp on the top-right corner, it looks like ordinary mail. It could be free money, or it could be a bill! Koroki never really gets any mail at all. 

For all his time living here, he hasn't received a single letter from anyone. Confused, Koroki grabs the envelope and inspects it. He looks at the back of the envelope and turns it around. The logo of an organization is printed on the front. It reads:

Shikari High

To: Koroki Aoi

"Shikari High? What is this?" Koroki asks. He doesn't even go to school, let alone this one. So why is he receiving this letter? It's probably meant for Surata, and they put the wrong first name.

Ishio hands Koroki a letter that came with the mail. Koroki slowly reads the letter. "You'll be going to school with Surata now!" Ishio implies, his voice chiming with excitement. Hoping his "excitement" would transfer to Koroki, Koroki is surprisedly stunned.

"School? Seriously?"

For someone who enjoys the lazy lifestyle, going to school would completely ruin that for him. The idea of waking up early and spending time attending school bothers him even more. He almost feels like throwing a tantrum, like a baby with his toy taken away.

"Ugh...Why do I have to go to school?" Koroki complains, whining like a brat.

"What do you mean? You have to get an education."

"…School really isn't my thing."

Ishio sighs. "All you do is sit on the couch and be lazy. You can learn and practice your Noye there and become stronger."

"I can just practice here, tho'," Koroki suggests.

This wasn't going anywhere. These two begin to argue for a while. Ishio excitement fades away as he becomes more annoyed. Seeing Koroki's adverse reaction, Ishio gives Koroki a hard punch to the head.

Ishio sighs again. "Look, Koroki, I know you can fight, but you have to go to school. Because you need to… get out and do something."

Ishio hesitates for a moment. He tries to convince Koroki in any way he can think of. The two of them continue to argue back and forth, and it isn't long until Koroki finally gives in. Before ending their conversation, Koroki asks, "By the way, why Aoi?"

"Well... because you're my son. You should have our family's last name."

"Alright, whatever." Koroki quickly replies, not giving it a second thought. He didn't tell Ishio how unhappy he was, but Ishio could tell by his sluggish facial expression.

"Try to make the most out of this Koroki. It will be fun!" Ishio encourages.

Koroki decides not to respond to that, smacking his lips. Ishio ends their conversation as he leaves the room. Koroki's day is ruined thanks to the constant thinking about how horrible tomorrow will be. He tries to return to his relaxation, dreading that tomorrow will never come.

___

Back to the present day...

Right after Koroki's introduction, Ms. Shirai starts her lesson. Since this is a school, the students are still required to get a standard education. Unfortunately, the boys' first class is math. As it is the first week of the new year, she decides to warm up to the students a little before she begins her first lesson.

"Alright, class, let's learn about Noye. Everyone here tends to get emotional. Whether you're sad one day or happy the next, we sometimes let our emotions get the best of us. Noye is the power to control our emotions and convert them to strength. To be more precise, our Noye specializes in focusing on one type of emotion."

"This can be represented by the colors you are giving. Different colors mean you can gain strength by controlling that specific emotion. The longer you stay in that emotion and convert it to Noye, the stronger you may be. In other words, gaining more Noye can increase your maximum and minimal threshold, allowing you to gain more." 

She begins to dwell further as she teaches her students. Surata is focused throughout the lesson, while Koroki falls asleep through it.

In the middle of her lesson, the class was interrupted. The entrance door slides open, revealing a feminine figure. Her presence seems calm, almost reassuring. With her navy-blue scrub, a stethoscope hanging from her neck, and a blonde ponytail, this stunning figure appears to be some medical staff.

"Apologies for the intrusion, Ms. Shirai."

"It's alright, Nurse Hapi. Do you need something?"

"Nurse Hapi?"  Surata's interest begins to pique. "She probably wants to see me after what happened to me."

Nurse Hapi begins to scan the class. "Yes, I need Koro-"

Before she finishes speaking, she sees a sleepy Koroki napping on his desk, making a beeline to him. She approaches him, her steps light and meaningful, and starts to stare, looking at his overall appearance. Drool starts to slip from Koroki's lips into his desk as he snores loudly.

She attempts to wake him up from his slumber. Usually, people tap or shake the sleepy person a little, trying not to startle them as much as possible. However, Nurse Hapi grabs a heavy textbook from another student's desk and slams Koroki through his desk.

"What the hell?" Surata shouts internally, trying to process what he witnessed.

Everyone in the class, including Surata, is stunned like they just witnessed a live murder. A sense of energy suddenly sparks into the students, almost like adrenaline. Some start to feel a little threatened, wondering if they would be on the receiving end of that.

Not only is Koroki still unresponsive, but he is also unconscious of the impact. Waking him up normally would have been easier. He could have gotten up and walked to where he had to go, but now he's still not responsive. All the students can see he isn't moving and wonder if he is alive. Nurse Hapi's expression doesn't change, as she knows Koroki is still alive.

"I need Koroki to come to the nurse's office," grins Nurse Hapi. 

Keeping her twisted smile, she firmly grabs Koroki from his legs. She drags Koroki's unconscious body out of the class like a dead body, leaving the class in awe.

___

Time flies by as Koroki slowly opens his eyes several minutes later, regaining consciousness.

"Where the hell am I?"

He finds himself lying down, with a blinding light illuminating him. His mind is in complete disarray as he tries to piece together the events that might have led him to this bewildering situation. Before he was knocked unconscious, he had woken up from his nap because of the slam. 

Remembering that slam, he sits up, rubbing his head from the bruised area. Upon scouting the room, he sees heart monitors behind him. Looking ahead at the cabinets and counter, he notices a clipboard with a stethoscope on top of it. Next to that, he sees Nurse Hapi enter the room. So, this must be the nurse's room.

"Does everyone hit kids in this city?" Koroki asks, rubbing his bruised head.

"Ishio told me you're not one to listen to others." Nurse Hapi responds, walking around the room and searching through the cabinets.

"So, you resorted to simply hitting me."

Nurse Hapi approaches Koroki. "He says you have a hard head, so I wanted to test it myself," she explains.

"And you are…?"

She stops in her tracks, "Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I am Nurse Hapi. I am the school's doctor."

This doesn't make any sense. How is she the school's doctor, yet she calls herself a nurse? Maybe she prefers the "Nurse" title instead. Koroki sits there uninterested in thinking about it and ignores it.

She gradually lifts herself from her tippy toes as she inspects where she hit Koroki. "Wow. Looks like he's right since your skull isn't broken."

"Stupid old man."  The only thing Koroki can think about is Ishio's stupid grin.

"Koroki, the real reason you are here is so I can check your Noye. You probably already know your Noye, so think of it like a physical."

Koroki looks confused. "Why do I have to be in the nurse's office for my Noye?"

Nurse Hapi answers Koroki. "As our emotions affect our Noye, Noye also affects our blood flow. Our blood flow can change speed depending on our emotions. Because of this, we must look at your blood flow."

"This is a waste of time," sighs Koroki, refusing to get checked up. "I already know my Noye."

"Yes, Koroki, you probably do. However, I need to scan your Noye to put it in our system." explained the nurse. As she finds her equipment for the scan, she continues her explanation. "Alright, keep in mind that this will not hurt.

"Wait, how are you going to check? Where are your tools?" Koroki wonders.

He begins to worry a little bit. Doctor's office. The mentioning of blood. Tools that are designed for blood use. Only one tool that comes to mind can do that... needles. With that in mind, Koroki begins to sweat a little. Nervousness begins to form in him. The thought of needles for him is more terrifying than death.

"Oh, my tool is right there," she replies, smiling at her left palm.

Koroki slowly looks at her left palm and sees no tool in her hand. He begins to calm down since it isn't anything pointy. However, he notices a marking on her palm.

The marking carves out the kanji symbol:

"助"

Hapi explains, "I have a special type of Noye that doesn't have any offensive or defensive abilities; it just has supporting abilities that allow me to become a Noye doctor. My Noye's marking means to help. Noye isn't just about protecting yourself; it's about helping others. I thought they taught you that already, but you did fall asleep through that lesson."

Suddenly, the marking glows into a lemon-yellow color. Patterns of lines, shaped like motherboard traces, spread from her marking to her fingertips. Hapi adds, "Oh, by the way, since I need to scan your body, I need you to take off your clothes."

"What?! I need to take off my clothes in front of you?"

"My ability allows me to scan a person's Noye from the surface. I can collect some of your Noye; whatever my body detects will be your result. It works like a scanner. My ability can't detect my own Noye. Besides, your clothes probably have some residue from someone's Noye. So, for that reason, I need a clean scan. Don't worry; no one is watching beside me."

“…”

"Relax, I won't do anything weird to you. You can use one of these towels with my Noye residue to cover up." Immediately after saying that, Nurse Hapi grabs the curtains from the side and pulls them to the other side.

"That's not the problem!" says Koroki in his head.

Sweat starts to form around his body as he feels his hands getting clammy. A young boy and a young woman are alone in a room. This boy is being told to strip off his clothes in the same room as this woman. 

What's worse is that the nurse looks like she's been into adulthood recently. If he was her age, she could be his type. Any perverted boy in this situation would think the exact thing Koroki is thinking.

After a while of overthinking, Koroki complies.

Koroki hesitates for a moment. Then, he slowly removes his clothes and lays on the bed, using a small towel to cover up as much as possible.

"Alright, let's start." As Nurse Hapi prepares to make contact with Koroki's body, her gaze falls upon something unexpected and catches her attention. "Well, that's a common spot for blood flow."

Koroki displays a sense of shame as he shields his face with his forearm in an attempt to conceal his emotions.

"I shouldn't have come here." Koroki mumbles. He receives his scan.

"Surprising enough, this isn't the first time one of the students did this."

"Mhmm? The scan seemed to have an error. Let's try it again."

His scan was complete. Koroki quickly starts to redress. She stares at his results with a concerned look, her expression completely changing.

"Is everything alright, nurse?" Koroki curiously asks, hoping that this can end.

She hesitates momentarily and confidently says, "Yes, everything looks good." Without giving it a second thought, he trusts her words.

After completing his change of clothes, Koroki shifted his gaze toward the wall clock to check the time. The clock displays the current time: 11:13 a.m.

"Shit."

He's been in the infirmary for a while. The first period ended a while ago. Koroki quickly gathers his belongings and begins to head out. So, after Koroki says goodbye and leaves the nurse's room, Nurse Hapi says something. "You've got an interesting kid there, Ishio. I wonder how he'll do in the future."

___