I shut myself in for the rest of the day. Didn't really feel like doing anything --Save for preparing Pony's Japanese lesson plan-- but I still decided to crack open another book --Something educational this time-- to spend the afternoon. When Dusk began to fall, I forgone dinner to tuck myself to sleep.
As per usual, I woke up around the time when others are just beginning to sleep. I freshened up, went down to eat whatever was left over. After washing the dishes, I found myself sitting back on at the table.
In a few more hours, the first day of class would begin. The start of the plot, or it should have been. All for One is dead, the centuries long feud has ended with his death and now his brother's legacy can grow unimpeded.
Now that I have time to stop and think, I couldn't help but let the reality of the situation sink in.
The boogeyman is dead.
I had my revenge after what he did to Gensokyo.
But...
What now?
Don't get me wrong, the revenge felt amazing and it was satisfying to see the thorn on my side gone. And yet, killing him didn't really open up Gensokyo. It's still closed with who knows what's happening. And even with all my strength, I'm too powerless to change that.
Magic... Might help. But depending on the attribute of the spell, it can take me anywhere between a few weeks to a few decades just learning the right formula.
I wonder how everyone over there is doing right now...
And if Gensokyo did open, I couldn't just abandon everything on this side. I have friends, my commitments, my responsibilities...
Kuroko.
I suppose that I don't really have to pick one over the other.
My home is just inaccessible, not missing. It wouldn't disappear under the protection of the council members. If it opens up again, there isn't any rules that say I couldn't visit whenever.
But that still begs the question: what do I do now?
"Can't sleep?" A voice disrupts my thoughts. From the shadows, a tall boy with fluffy white hair came out. His silhouette was hidden, his pitch-black skin and similarly black clothes blending seamlessly in the darkness. It was the boy that Manga got along with. "Has the grace of the Sandman eluded you on this night?" He asked.
"No." I shook my head. "I already rested enough. You should probably go back to bed, though. Big day tomorrow."
"Indeed it is." He nodded, taking a seat across from me. "Tomorrow is the day our fates turn for something greater, the first glorious step among many. And yet, you sit here, alone and lost in thought. Your eyes speak of inner turmoil. If you so wish, I can lend you my ear. You may think of it as my thanks for yesternight's spread."
.
..
..
..
...
Whatever.
Doesn't seem bad to have someone to bounce questions off of. "I was just thinking... Of what comes after." I stroked my ribbon. "Now that I have some time to sit down and think, I can't help but think about what the future has in store for me."
"Hm." He nodded. "Such as?"
"Like... Like what do I next? What comes afterwards?" It's a bit frustrating. "There are... Certain circumstances that will happen eventually. I just... Don't know."
"I think that you, my friend, are stumbling." He had a deadpan expression on his face... Or maybe that's just his resting face? "I believe that you are looking too far ahead far too early, so much so that you trip over your own two feet."
That's... Huh?
He stood up and flashed a smile at me. "In my personal experience, the closer you look, the less you see. Why not place a stopper at those questions and put them aside for now? You were simply too hasty to reach an answer. The answer you seek will come to you in due time, I'm sure." He began walking back to the elevator while flipping his hair. "Remember to not let anxiety cloud your judgement, for that is the killer of potential."
His words hung in the air as I was watching his retreating figure, a few thoughts popped into my mind. 'That sounded like he was quoting someone...'
"Although, it was a bit weird." I muttered under my breath. "Who even does that to people you barely even met? I don't even know his name..."
'Oh well. I suppose there is a bit of merit to his words.' I thought. '...Too hasty, huh?
~~~~~~~
Exploring a school that was empty has a different feeling to being the first to arrive in a quiet classroom. Sure, a diligent student might have arrived about twenty to thirty minutes early, but I already got here a whole hour in advance.
It was quiet, almost solemn, about how a place of learning can be so empty. There was also a dash of an uncanny feeling from hearing distant voices of people in other parts of the building- but in a good way.
With nothing better to do last night, I simply prepared to leave earlier than usual. I didn't bother making breakfast today because as Kendo has mentioned, the list of chores were already made and today isn't my day to be in the kitchen.
That didn't stop me from treating myself with a french toast in the morning. You snooze, you lose.
Although, listening to the distant voices growing more numerous, I feel like I was forgetting something...
I suppose it wasn't that important, then.
Being seated at the very back corner, right next to the door, was a nice little coincidence. During the entrance exams, I seated myself at the very front right next to the door and now I find that my seat is at the very back.
Not only does this give easy access to an exit that doesn't involve throwing myself out a window, but this also means that my seat is fairly hidden from view of the front. It makes me think of pulling out a cup ramen omand eating it in the middle of class just to make a reference to a classic anime scene from my previous life.
Unfortunately, being close to the door also meant that I'm the closest person to be affected by the loud noise whenever someone decides to go through the back door rather than the front.
Case on point, the door slammed open violently. "Heya Red! You're here early. But I guess that makes sense since you already have a map of this place!" Tokage enters the room.
'Right. Forgot about that part...'
She threw her back onto to her seat and turned back to me. "I would've gotten lost if I didn't scout head with an eye." She demonstrated this by having her eye and socket detach from the rest of her head and moving it around. Surprisingly, the place where it detached was completely blacked out, like a shadow covering it. "Still a bit woozy from having different perspectives at the same time but I figured it'd be a worthwhile skill to have anyway."
"A wise decision." I agreed with her. "Being able to see what lies ahead in advance is a pretty good skill. I lost track of how many times it has helped me by now." Some bases sure have the most complicated corridors and some are so old and neglected a single step would send you to the floor below.
"You get it?" She puzzled before recognition flashed through her eyes. "Oh, yeah! You have those heads of yours, of course you get it! While we're on topic, how do those even work, anyway?"
I explained to her those specific mechanics of my 'quirk' with how the memories would flood back to me once they pop. Meanwhile, she told me about how she sometimes loses track of her own prices every now and then as more students trickle in with some joining the discussion.
Everyone already had an initial understanding of other people in class, as they have already created preliminary cliques --At least in my eyes-- that would become their primary circle.
Minutes passed by as more and more people arrived. With each new addition compounding further in whatever discussion or arguments have arises with only a few being content to stay by their lonesome and observe the rest of the class intermingle.
Only for the door for the class to slam open.
All of the students looked to the doorway, seeing a giant of a man with snow white hair and blood red eyes with an underbite. The man shifted his gaze to the podium where he saw the blonde. "Take a seat." He bit out and the boy laughed.
"Of course!" The boy said.
The man moved as he stood in front of the podium, his gaze moving across the sea of students, his eyes landing on me for a second before he shifted his view to the entire class.
I raised a brow at that action as the man grunted. "Welcome to your first day at Yuuei. My name is Sekijiro Kan, otherwise known as the Blood Hero: Vlad King." The man said. Some of the students gained eyes of recognition though most didn't. "If you have any questions, save them for later, understand?"
"Yes sensei!" The man nodded at the quick response from some students.
"Good, with that out of the way, form up in line of your row, starting from the first. We have an orientation to get to." He told them as he looked towards the person who sat in the first seat of the first row, in this case, it was the headband-wearing boy who quickly got up, followed by the one behind him till they were all out.
Though it was orderly, it didn't really stop the hushed discussions. Because of my seating placement, I was at the very back of the line, which was nice because it was relatively quiet at the back with the few Infront of me being reserved or the gentlemanly type.
We made our way out towards the auditorium and saw the other classes, who are also first years according to the button placement on their shoulders.
I also noticed that class 1-A is missing. There were empty seats in front of where they were sitting, and by the time the orientation was just about to begin, no class have arrived to occupy them. One the boys in my class asked Kan-sensei about it and his response was only an "It's normal." And he refused to elaborate further. Only, amidst the inquisitive murmuring of my classmates, I already know where they are. After all, the quirk assessment test was a well-recognised scene in the anime.
"Psst. Hey, Red." There, on my shoulder, was a disembodied mouth and an ear, whispering. "What about you? You know where our sister class is? There's a bet going on and loser does the winner's chores for a day."
"Who knows." I whispered back. "Not like I can send out a head when orientation is about to start." I pointed over to the stage where Nedzu is climbing up a few steps to the podium. However, just as he was about to speak, and explosion was heard in the distance which caused various first years to jolt in suprise, while the second years a bit more collected and the third years were as jaded as the staff who didn't so much as flinch or look at the direction of the sound.
"Perhaps that is where they are." Muttered Yanagi under her breath who was sitting next to me.
About half an hour's worth of Nedzu's speech later, other stepped down from the podium and allowed other staff to come up and introduce themselves.
Midnight, in a surprising amount of seriousness, had explained that she was in charge of the clubs. And while hero and supports students are not encouraged to join, they can do so as long as they don't allow their grades to fall.
Up next was Hound Dog who, despite growling at parts, explained that he was the school guidance counselor so if any of them, regardless of who they are or what circumstances they're in, had anything they wished to consult to him about, they are free to do so. He said that his door are always open and that whatever they would speak about would remain between them.
After that was Granny. She took the stage and explained that while she was the school nurse, this doesn't mean that they are allowed to forgo safety measures and common sense. So if she suspects that they were just cooling around, they'll regret ever ending up in her office as neither she nor the school would tolerate such foolishness.
And finally, there was an announcement about a mystery teacher --Note: All Might-- who would be teacher their hero course studies but they'd have to wait until their first heroics class that.
This was then that the students were allowed to leave, headed by their homeroom teachers. Although this time, Kan-sensei is leading us through a different direction than the one we came from.
"Sensei?" One of my classmates raised their arm. I couldn't see who it was since I'm one of the shortest in class and also at the literal back of the line. "Where are we going?"
Kan-sensei stopped Infront of the next corner. "We will be having a quirk assessment test in the P.E. field." He motioned towards further down the hall. "On the left is the boy's and on the right are the girl's changing rooms. Your gym uniforms are are inside your lockers, with the same number as your seats in class. Change into them and meet me back outside. Don't be late." And he walked away.
We all splintered off the line and entered our respective rooms.