ã€ŠWe Don&#x27;t Want to be Main Characters!ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Death God

    *rap, rap, rap*

    A pale and bony hand tapped steadily on a wooden door. The hand¡¯s owner sprouted a vile grin as the door began to open. A young man with short blue hair poked his head out of the threshold. Before him stood a tall grey-skinned man in a black leather outfit. However, the stranger¡¯s unusual complexion and odd fashion sense were completely overshadowed by another feature. Wings. Massive black feathered wings rested on the stranger¡¯s back. When the young man¡¯s eyes locked onto them, the stranger unfurled his wings in a show of strength. Black feathers longer than a human hand fell around them like cherry blossoms. With his first impression complete, the stranger began to speak.

    ¡°Human-¡±

    ¡°-Whatever it is, I¡¯m not interested. Good day.¡± The blue-haired boy cut him off in a droning tone.

    Without waiting for a reply, the boy began to shut the door.

    ¡°W-Wait!¡± The stranger yelled. He quickly wrapped his thin fingers around the door, preventing it from being closed. ¡°You can¡¯t believe your eyes, right? But I will not be ignored.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore you.¡± The boy replied in the same dull tone. ¡°I clearly told you that I¡¯m not interested. Bye.¡±

    The boy attempted to slam the door, but the stranger stopped him effortlessly. No matter how much strength the boy used, the door would not move an inch.

    ¡°Do not panic, human.¡± The stranger hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to hurt you or your family. No one else can see me, so would you please let me inside?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°We can¡¯t talk out here?¡± The boy released the door, but he did not step back.

    ¡°It is quite a sensitive subject.¡± The stranger¡¯s face, which had twisted into a frown, curled back into another wicked grin. ¡°I believe you picked up something that I dropped. A supernatural notebook known as the¡­¡±

    ¡°-Oh yea, that thing.¡± The boy scratched his head listlessly. ¡°I threw it away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were too afraid to use its power and so you¡­¡± The stranger suddenly stiffened. ¡°You¡­uh¡­threw it away?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s trash bin on my way to school.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­um.¡± The stranger¡¯s wings fluttered nervously. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I can sense it near you. You read the rules inside, right? No human would throw that kind of power away.¡±

    The stranger noticed that the boy had stopped looking at him. He followed the boy¡¯s gaze and turned around to see a garbage truck zoom by.

    ¡°Well, if they had their bin out like that, then it must be garbage day.¡± The boy muttered.

    ¡°HUeeeeH!?¡± The stranger let out something between a cry of frustration and a childish squeal.

    The boy tried to surreptitiously close the door while the stranger was having an episode. However, a pale hand was thrust in his way once more.

    ¡°WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?¡± The stranger yelled, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. ¡°WHAT KIND OF HUMAN WOULD THROW MY NOTEBOOK IN THE GARBAGE!?¡±

    ¡°A normal one.¡± The boy blinked. ¡°I¡¯m a normal human.¡±

    ¡°Then you can stay that way for the rest of your life!¡± The stranger wailed as he took off into the sky.

    The boy passively watched a black speck move towards the city dump at a frightening speed. Once it was out of sight, he closed the door with a sigh.

    ¡°I intend to.¡±

 Chapter 2 - Classroom Summoning (1)

    A faint breeze swept across the grassy plains of Agathor. Drakes crowed overhead as they lazily floated through the sky. Patches of tall grass would periodically stir as horned rabbits searched for food along the ground. At the center of this serene landscape, there was a certain group that was less than calm.

    ¡°Um. We were in French class, right?¡± A young woman spoke timidly. She flinched as a patch of grass rustled, only to reveal another disinterested hare. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy, right?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure we were.¡± Another girl reassured her in a quavering voice.

    Four girls huddled together in the middle of the plains. They all wore the same navy blue school vest and skirt combo. Four sets of eyes frantically searched in every direction, and they all came to the same set of conclusions. One, they were no longer at their high school. Two, they weren¡¯t even on Earth. Three, they were the only humans around.

    ¡°May, I¡¯m scared.¡± The jumpy girl whispered. She clung to her friend¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I am too, Lia.¡± May admitted.

    ¡°This must be, like, some sort of prank.¡± A tan girl roughly patted both Lia and May¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, someone¡¯ll jump out of those bushes any minute now with, like, a camera or something.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. You¡¯re always the optimist, Tammy.¡± May managed a weak smile.

    The two of them approached Lia, whose trembling had only gotten worse, and simultaneously embraced her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but we¡¯ll get through this.¡± May promised. ¡°And we¡¯ll do it together.¡±

    Time seemed to stand still as the three of them shared their warmth. For an instant, the girls felt as though they could overcome any challenge this strange world threw at them.

    It was only for an instant, though.

    ¡°Hey, did any of you bring a pocket knife?¡± May, Lia and Tammy leapt back in unison as the fourth girl burst through a pocket of tall grass. The girl¡¯s long pink hair stood out even more than usual against the dark yellow grass.

    ¡°Um, you¡¯re Belle, right?¡± May recovered first. ¡°Why would we have-¡±

    ¡°-Wait, I can just use the horn.¡± Belle exclaimed. She nodded and the other girls cocked their heads.

    Belle reached back into the grass and produced the corpse of a horned rabbit.

    ¡°Ta-daa~, or whatever.¡± Belle rolled her eyes while the other girls stared on in horror.

    ¡°W-When did you¡­?¡± Lia trailed off while pointing a limp and trembling finger at the rabbit.

    ¡°While you three were hugging it out.¡± Belle answered flatly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be stuck here, but I don¡¯t plan on starving to death.¡±

    Belle proceeded to snap off the horn, which sounded about as pleasant as one would expect. The trio continued to squeal and flinch as Belle stripped off the remaining flesh and cleaned the horn with clumps of grass.

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s a decent weapon.¡± Belle muttered as she held the horn up to the sunlight.

    ¡°Like, what is wrong with you!¡± Tammy shrieked. ¡°You¡¯re way too calm!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used it.¡± Belle answered without looking up from her horn.

    ~      ~      ~

    Evening fell and the trio found themselves huddled together at their makeshift campsite. Every rustle of grass brought a fresh wave of terror to the group. Yes, they were worried about what sorts of monsters would appear at night. However, there was a very real threat that took precedent over those invisible fears.

    ¡°Like, when is she coming back?¡± Tammy whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lia replied. ¡°Hopefully never.¡±

    Tammy nodded emphatically.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± May scolded them. ¡°Belle fed us and found a decent place to build camp. I don¡¯t know why Belle¡¯s acting like this, but I¡¯m glad that she¡¯s with us.¡±

    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Lia shot back. ¡°Belle killed those rabbits like they were nothing, and she even knew how to clean and skin them. We live in the city! Where did she learn something like that?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Yea and, like, her expression never changes. I always thought she was kind of creepy.¡± Tammy leaned in and lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°You two, like, don¡¯t think she¡¯d try and use that dagger on us, do you?¡±

    Lia and May shivered. The dagger that Tammy mentioned was a rabbit¡¯s horn that Belle had sharpened.

    ¡°T-There¡¯s no way she would.¡± May stammered. ¡°Rabbits are one thing, but I don¡¯t think Belle would kill a person.¡±

    *thud*

    The three girls slowly turned their heads towards the noise. Belle had returned. She was standing at the edge of camp with a sour expression. Laying at her feet was a human corpse.

    Too scared to even scream, the trio stumbled backwards while clinging to one another. As Belle stepped forward, they noticed a glint of steel beside her. Her makeshift dagger was gone. It had been replaced by a short sword.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Belle looked at each of her classmates in turn. ¡°Why¡¯d you all jump? I¡¯m not going to cook him into our next meal.¡±

    ¡°W-W-What are you saying!?¡± May shrieked. ¡°You¡¯ve killed someone!¡±

    ¡°Look again.¡± Belle ordered, shaking her head.

    Tammy and Lia cowered behind May as she leaned forward to examine the corpse. It was difficult to see in the evening light, but the victim¡¯s skin was green and bumpy. It wore a ragged cloak and had razor sharp claws. Belle pulled its hood back to reveal a bald head with a hooked nose and pointed ears.

    ¡°See, it¡¯s just a hobgoblin.¡± Belle reassured them.

    ¡°O-Oh.¡± May sighed in relief but her shaking didn¡¯t subside. ¡°Why is there a hobgoblin here? Actually, more importantly, how did you kill a monster like that!¡±

    Belle held up her sword, without giving a verbal reply.

    ¡°And where did you get that?¡± May asked. Her eyebrows began to twitch.

    ¡°Found it in a treasure chest.¡±

    ¡°In the middle of a field?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s a cave nearby that leads to a dungeon and¡­¡±

    ¡°-Can you please stop jerking us around!¡± Lia yelled, cutting Belle off. ¡°You told us to stay put and so we¡¯ve been huddling together in this campsite all day. We¡¯re tired and scared, but you don¡¯t seem to care at all. How the hell did we get here and when can we go home!? You know something, but you¡¯ve been avoiding us this whole time!¡±

    After finishing her rant, Lia bent over and put her hands on her knees. She began gulping in air and Tammy patted her back in support.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Belle¡¯s reply was barely a whisper.

    ¡°I was scared to ask¡­¡± May stepped forward. ¡°¡­But please, Belle. Tell us what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± Belle nodded in resignation.

    Belle walked past the girls, lit the campfire and then sat down on a nearby log. The other three quickly found their own seats.

    ¡°Well, to start¡­¡± Belle drummed her fingers on her knee. ¡°You¡¯re all extras. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°HUH!?¡± The three girls yelled in unison.

    ¡°What I mean is, you three were brought here because you sit near me in class.¡± The space between Belle¡¯s eyebrows creased as she put on a complex expression. ¡°That¡¯s why I apologized.¡±

    ¡°Then, like, what about you?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re extras, then I¡¯m the main character.¡± Belle¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this place before in my life, but I¡¯ve had similar experiences in other worlds. Summoning, monsters, the kind of stuff that happens in books and games¡­I¡¯m like a lightning rod for weird events.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t panic¡­¡± May muttered.

    ¡°A lightning rod, huh?¡± Lia huffed. ¡°It sounds ridiculous, but I don¡¯t know what else to believe.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re, like, also trapped here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was minding my own business in French like the rest of you. I don¡¯t know who summoned us here or why.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re, like, all in the dark together.¡± Tammy grinned. ¡°And those fantasy worlds may be for gross nerds¡­¡±

    Belle¡¯s brow twitched sharply, but May was the only one who noticed.

    ¡°¡­But if it¡¯s a matter of life and death, then you shouldn¡¯t have to do everything by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yea. I want to help too.¡± Lia stammered. ¡°But I can¡¯t kill cute things like those rabbits.¡±

    ¡°So you could kill, like, a hobgoblin?¡± Tammy snickered. She wrapped her arms around Lia, who tried to push her away.

    ¡°My brother likes fantasy games, so I¡¯ve seen these kinds of monsters before.¡± May announced. ¡°It might take a long time for us to reach your level, but I¡¯m willing to learn. At the very least, I want to be able to protect myself and these two.¡±

    ¡°Yea!¡± Tammy raised her fist. ¡°My family owns a karate dojo. You¡¯ll be able to take me into dungeons in no time.¡±

    ¡°D-Do you know if there¡¯s magic in this world?¡± Lia raised her voice and her eyes were shining. ¡°I always thought it would be fun to be a mage.¡±

    The trio crawled over to Belle¡¯s seat and were practically clinging to her lap. Belle suddenly stood up, pushing them back.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that stuff.¡± Belle waved one hand dismissively. ¡°If everything goes well, then we¡¯ll be home by tomorrow afternoon.¡±

    ¡°¡­huh?¡± The trio exclaimed again, but with much less energy than before.

    ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯m tired so I¡¯ll explain later.¡±

    Belle stepped over her log and curled up on a makeshift bed of grass.

    ¡°I spread that hobgoblin¡¯s blood around the edge of camp. Monsters living in the plains won¡¯t come near us.¡±

    May opened her mouth but she was interrupted by light snoring. The three girls stared at Belle in stunned silence. She¡¯d already fallen asleep.

 Chapter 3 - Classroom Summoning (2)

    When May, Lia and Tammy awoke, Belle had already left camp. Searching for her was out of the question, and so they waited.

    ¡°The sun¡¯s halfway through the sky¡­¡± Lia muttered while lying on her grass bed. ¡°I thought Belle said we¡¯d be home by noon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, like, only the first sun.¡± Tammy pointed at a smaller sun that had only just risen.

    ¡°Jeez, Belle¡¯s fighting goblins and we can¡¯t even tell time.¡± May sighed. ¡°Will we really be going home like this?¡±

    A vague feeling of dissatisfaction had spread through the group. Ever since Belle rejected their offer to help, the trio had begun to resent their position as bystanders. At first, they had been terrified of this unknown world. Now that they¡¯d survived for a day, that fear had begun to morph into curiosity.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± May was the first to cave. ¡°Maybe we should go looking for Belle?¡±

    ¡°J-Just for a little bit.¡± Lia followed suit. ¡°We won¡¯t go too far or anything.¡±

    ¡°Yea, like, what if she¡¯s hurt?¡± Tammy added.

    The trio stood up and gathered the supplies that Belle had left behind. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, May also took the rabbit horn dagger. The girls walked to the edge of camp and then looked at each other. They nodded in unison and took their first step outside of the safe zone.

    *thud*

    All three of them froze. The trio hadn¡¯t forgotten that sound. How could they? It was the first time they had genuinely feared for their lives. May, Lia and Tammy slowly turned around to see Belle standing at the other edge of camp. Once again, she had another body in tow. This time, however, it really was a human.

    ¡°Where were you three going?¡± Belle asked. With her casual tone, she could have just as easily been asking what brand of clothes they wore on the weekends.

    ¡°Nowhere!¡± The trio replied in unison.

    ¡°Well, come over here. I found our way home.¡± She pointed to the aging man lying at her feet.

    The man had dry white skin and a long grey beard. The top of his head was bald, but he had a crescent of long spindly grey hair growing below it. Despite his age, the man¡¯s eyes were burning with defiance. His white and gold clergy robe had been warped by the ropes that bound his arms and legs.

    ¡°Untie me this instant!¡± The man yelled while writhing on the ground. ¡°Do you bandits know who you¡¯re dealing with?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Bandits?¡± May placed a hand over her mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Belle turned around and began to walk away. She tugged on the man¡¯s rope, dragging him behind her. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Lia looked like she wanted to say something, but Tammy patted her back. The trio followed Belle and her captive in silence. Belle stopped at a seemingly random area in the plains. The girls were confused, but after a few seconds they understood its significance.

    ¡°This is, like, where we were summoned!¡± Tammy exclaimed.

    Belle nodded. She drew her sword and began clearing away grass from a small section of the area. When she was done, the trio could see golden lines drawn onto the ground.

    ¡°I-Is that what I think it is?¡± Lia stammered.

    ¡°HEY!¡± The five of them turned their heads towards a new voice. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing to our party member!?¡±

    A group of four burst out of the tall grass. One of the boys was equipped with chainmail and a short sword while the two girls each carried a robe and staff. The boy at the center of the group stepped forward and thrust his sword out towards Belle¡¯s party. Clearly different from the others, he wore plate armor and carried a longsword that radiated light.

    ¡°This is as far as you go, bandits.¡± The boy wore a grin that was neither conceited nor malicious. ¡°Your luck ran out the second you messed with the Hero¡¯s party!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯d say we were exceptionally lucky.¡± Belle muttered as she cut the ropes binding the old man.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The hero and his friends lowered their weapons in surprise.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you were still exploring the nearby dungeon. Searching the rest of this world would have been a pain.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait, I¡¯m a bit lost here.¡± May raised her hand timidly. ¡°Where did you get this old man? And did this guy just call himself the Hero?¡±

    ¡°This girl is insane!¡± The old man yelled. ¡°She kidnapped me while my party was taking a breather in the dungeon. I told her my name and title at swordpoint and then she dragged me here without another word.¡±

    The man stumbled towards the Hero, but he froze when Belle pointed a sword at his back. The Hero tensed up, but Belle raised her other hand.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t free you so that you could run away.¡± Belle released a vexed sigh. ¡°Now I¡¯ll tell you my side of the story. Yesterday, I suddenly found myself in this field along with my three classmates. I found a magic circle on the ground that was clearly used to transport us, but there was no sorcerer in sight. After investigating the surrounding area, I noticed a group of five enter a dungeon. I tailed them and learned that four of them had been summoned here.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°¡­Then you¡¯re also from another world?¡± The Hero asked. His sword was still raised and he hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off his aging companion.

    ¡°Yes, by the same man who summoned you.¡±

    ¡°Melchior summoned us because this world is in peril. There¡¯s a monster threatening humanity that can only be killed by this legendary blade. But it can only be wielded by¡­¡±

    ¡°-Yes, yes, I don¡¯t care.¡± Belle waved her sword back and forth. ¡°You can do all of that after Melchior here sends my classmates and me back home.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you have the wrong person!¡± The Hero snarled. ¡°We were summoned as chosen ones. Even a great sorcerer like Melchior can¡¯t just bring people here by accident.¡±

    ¡°-Oh!¡±

    Everyone stopped to stare at Melchior, who had bent over to examine the magic circle. After a few tense seconds, the sorcerer raised his head. His cheeks were beet red.

    ¡°Whoops. I left this circle running.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The Hero dropped his legendary sword in surprise.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this, girls.¡± Melchior stood up and brushed himself off. He smiled warmly. It was a complete one-eighty from the irate scowl that he¡¯d worn earlier. ¡°This is so embarrassing. Give me a minute, and I¡¯ll send you back.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I thought he couldn¡¯t do that?¡± Someone in the Hero¡¯s party whispered.

    ¡°So, this was just a misunderstanding.¡± May said with a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Like, I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡± Tammy muttered.

    ¡°C-Could you at least teach me some magic?¡± Lia tried to ask, but she couldn¡¯t speak up.

    ¡°Get on with it.¡± Belle ordered.

    Melchior nodded hurriedly while Lia hung her head. The sorcerer uttered a short chant and then clapped his hands together. The surrounding grass waved furiously as the magic circle lit up. The girls were bathed in a golden light, and then everything went black.

    ~      ~      ~

    ¡°Bonjour, mes filles. Aviez-vous une bonne petite somme?¡±

    May, Lia and Tammy jolted up from their seats. The entire class stared at them as they frantically swung their heads left and right like chickens searching for grain. Belle watched as well, while resting her head on one hand.

    ¡°Huh?¡± May exclaimed. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°EN FRANCAIS, mademoiselle!¡± Their teacher shrieked.

    ¡°O¨² SOMMES-NOUS!¡± May yelled in a panic.

    After an awkward pause, the trio sat back down. Then, the rest of the class burst out laughing.

    May, Lia and Tammy spent the rest of the day in a daze. Miraculously, even though they had spent over twenty-four hours in the other world, no time had passed on Earth. There was no dirt on their clothes from sleeping on grass, and the uncomfortable sensation of digesting horned rabbit meat had vanished.

    ¡°W-Was it all a dream?¡± Lia asked her friends after their final class ended.

    ¡°No way.¡± Tammy shook her head. ¡°Dreaming about, like, the exact same thing is impossible.¡±

    ¡°Plus, I found this in my pocket.¡± May produced the sharpened rabbit¡¯s horn that she¡¯d brought from camp. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why this was the only thing that travelled with us, but it¡¯s undeniable proof.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find Belle.¡± Tammy said.

    The other two nodded in unison.

    They waited at the school¡¯s entrance, but Belle didn¡¯t show up. The trio decided to search the school and that¡¯s when they noticed her enter a classroom. The girls slowly crept their way to the door and peered inside. Aside from Belle, the only person there was a boy sitting at his desk. The boy¡¯s looks were above average and his emotions were hidden behind a deadpan stare. However, the first thing the trio noticed about him was his bright blue hair.

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s dyed?¡± Tammy whispered.

    ¡°I always thought Belle¡¯s was, but now I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was natural.¡± May whispered back.

    ¡°So, what do you want, Sis?¡± The blue-haired boy glared up at Belle as she casually planted herself atop a desk.

    ¡°I got summoned to another world today.¡± Belle announced with a grin. ¡°And this time you weren¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That sounds terrible. Do you need a shoulder to cry on?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking you¡­¡± Belle¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Little brother.¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± The boy suddenly stood up, pushing his desk out. ¡°I was born first and you know it!¡±

    ¡°I was trapped in that world for one and a half days. You were born fifteen minutes before me.¡± Belle held up her hands in an exaggerated shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t think math is on your side.¡±

    The little brother slumped back into his chair. ¡°If I¡¯d known this would happen, then I wouldn¡¯t have refused that offer to train in the chamber of time¡­¡±

    ¡°Sucks for you, Kazama~¡±

    ¡°By the way, were you actually alone?¡± Kazama looked up. ¡°I heard something weird happened in your French class today.¡±

    ¡°Ah, three other girls got caught up in it.¡± Belle scratched her head.

    Belle¡¯s back was away from the door and the trio couldn¡¯t see her expression.

    ¡°Were they ok?¡±

    ¡°None of them were injured.¡±

    ¡°You protected them? That¡¯s good. Maybe they¡¯ll become your friends?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely. They were scared out of their wits.¡±

    ¡°By the foreign world or the monsters?¡±

    ¡°I think they were mostly afraid of me¡­¡±

    Kazama snickered and then Belle smacked him. The sound that rang out did not resemble a girl¡¯s slap in the slightest.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t underestimate the suspension bridge effect.¡± Kazama pulled his face out of his desk. ¡°At least now they know you exist. I keep telling you to talk more, but you never listen.¡±

    ¡°The more we talk to people, the higher chance they¡¯ll get caught up in some weird event. No one wants to deal with that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm~ I don¡¯t know.¡± Kazama raised one eyebrow and glanced at the door.

    The trio quickly ducked.

    ¡°-Anyways, I¡¯m going downtown today, so you¡¯ll have to walk home by yourself.¡±

    Kazama stretched lazily and then got up. He walked over to the door, paused, and then turned the handle. After he left, Belle opened the door to find three people waiting for her.

    ¡°Um, we still don¡¯t really understand what happened to us.¡± Lia muttered, making and breaking eye contact every second she spoke.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯d like to hear more about you.¡± May followed up.

    ¡°Plus, we, like, owe you for feeding us.¡± Tammy smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for anywhere you want to go...so long as it¡¯s an actual restaurant.¡±

    Belle blinked slowly.

    ¡°Uh, sure. That¡¯s fine, since you owe me.¡± Belle fumbled for words as she closed the door behind her.

 Chapter 4 - Second-to-Last Row, Right by the Window

    Kazama Noh, age 16, blue hair, Caucasian, slightly above average height, slightly above average looks.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a foreigner, my parents just really like Japan.¡± Is his most frequently uttered phrase.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not dyed.¡± Is his second.

    Every day, for every class he¡¯s ever taken, Kazama walks into the room and sits in the second-to-last row¡¯s leftmost seat. No matter what sort of classroom it is, there is always a window by his seat. Upon learning these facts, most people would assume that¡¯s Kazama¡¯s favorite seat. However, Kazama despises it.

    ¡°Would you please switch seats with me?¡± He asks at every opportunity.

    Whenever he convinces a student, the teacher always forbids it. Whenever he finds a lax teacher, the students become obstinate. When he leaves early to secure a different seat, he discovers that the class has pre-assigned seating. Every class has different circumstances but every circumstance forces him to sit beside the window in the second-to-last row.

    ¡°It¡¯s part of being a protagonist.¡± His mother explained. ¡°Protagonists in anime and manga always sit by the window in the second-to-last row.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± A young Kazama scoffed. ¡°Why do they sit there?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess it just makes them stand out?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to stand out. I want to be normal.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d sleep a little easier if you and you sister were normal children.¡± Kazama¡¯s mother patted his head. ¡°But I love you both regardless. Life is the one who deals the cards, but you¡¯re the one who plays them.¡±

    ¡°Hehe~¡± Kazama broke into a rare smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to say something cool.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! Phantom Thief Toto-chan said that in chapter 47 of High School Detective Versus Thief. Oh, that¡¯s episode 11 of the anime, by the way. I¡¯ll lend you the first volume later.¡±

    ¡°N-No thank you, Mother¡­¡±

    ~ ~ ~

    Pritchard¡¯s High is a normal high school. From classes, to clubs, to sports teams, everything that comes out of Pritchard¡¯s is exceedingly average. It may not have been a first-choice school for many, but Pritchard¡¯s was a godsend for Kazama and Belle. The Noh siblings do all they can to live as normal students despite their circumstances. However, that diligence is rarely rewarded.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Kazama announced as he hurried into his classroom. ¡°There¡­uh, really isn¡¯t an excuse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you just barely made it.¡± A young man standing at the teacher¡¯s desk told him.

    Kazama took a second to collect himself and then looked at the man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who are you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Faust.¡± The man smiled warmly. ¡°Mr. Glenn is feeling sick today, and he asked me to be his replacement. I don¡¯t know where you normally sit, but please get ready for class.¡±

    Kazama nodded and walked towards his desk while watching Faust out of the corner of his eye. Abnormal events like transfer students and substitute teachers had caused him trouble in the past, and so he was on his guard.

    ¡°Kazama.¡±

    As Kazama approached his desk, he felt a tug on his shirt. Kazama looked down to see a familiarly plump hand. Its owner sat at the desk neighboring his.

    ¡°Bert¡¯s seat is open. I think he¡¯s also out sick.¡± His neighbor whispered with an encouraging wink.

    ¡°Thanks, Daniel.¡± Kazama whispered back.

    Kazama continued walking until he reached the very back row. Hesitant, he looked up at Faust. The sub had already forgotten Kazama, and was now leafing through the class textbook. Kazama put his hand on Bert¡¯s desk, savoring the moment with a sigh. Then, he pulled the chair out and finally took a seat in a new part of the classroom.

    *crack*

    Kazama wasn¡¯t able to feel even a half-second of satisfaction before Bert¡¯s chair gave way. All four legs snapped at once, leaving Kazama sitting on the floor.

    ¡°Hmm, it looks like that chair was on its last legs.¡± Faust muttered.

    The classroom was silent, save for Faust¡¯s muffled chuckling.

    ¡°W-What I meant to say is¡ªare you hurt?¡±

    Kazama slowly shook his head. His eyes were wide open in a thousand-yard stare.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad. There¡¯s another open desk, so please change seats.¡±

    With his face frozen in an expression of shock and disappointment, Kazama picked himself up, trudged over to his desk and slumped down in defeat.

    ~ ~ ~

    ¡°Ahaha~ That was some bad luck.¡± Daniel chuckled after class ended. ¡°Then again, it¡¯s never luck with you, is it?¡±

    Kazama¡¯s only response was a weary sigh. He sat with his head resting on one hand. With a twist of his arm, Kazama faced his head towards the window.

    ¡°Why do you hate that seat so much?¡± Daniel pried.

    Kazama swiveled his head back towards his neighbor. As usual, his stony expression told Daniel nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a constant reminder of my condition.¡± Kazama explained. ¡°Every day, every class, for my entire life. I sit there and remember that I can¡¯t go against fate. Plus¡­apparently, that seat makes me stand out.¡±

    ¡°Kazama, I¡¯ve been thinking this for a while¡­¡± Daniel folded his arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stand out, the first thing you should do is dye your hair.¡±

    ¡°Dyes don¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Shave it off?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Mom threatened to cry.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, what about growing it out?¡±

    ¡°If my hair gets any longer, it¡¯ll become spiky.¡±

    ¡°That sounds awesome! Grow it out.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Now it was Daniel¡¯s turn to sigh. He reached for Kazama¡¯s hair and began to play with it. Even with short hair, Kazama¡¯s head began to resemble someone who hunts magical wishing balls. Kazama tolerated Daniel for a few seconds before slapping his hand away.

    ¡°If you can put up with your hair, then you can put up with that seat.¡± Daniel said, grinning. ¡°To be honest, I think those powers are wasted on you. You¡¯re living a life that an anime fan like me can only dream of.¡±

    One of Kazama¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The blue-haired youth stopped supporting his head with his arm and leaned towards Daniel.

    ¡°You say that because you don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like.¡± Kazama narrowed his eyes, and Daniel flinched under his glare. ¡°Getting your life uprooted by forces beyond your control.¡±

    Daniel raised a shaking hand to adjust his circular glasses. He continued the motion, smoothing his greasy black hair that fell just below his ears. Daniel¡¯s lips, which were awkwardly wide for a boy, pursed into a frown. His school vest clung uncomfortably to his torso. It was clearly not made to accommodate a youth of his size. An uncertain look in his eyes completed the image of an awkward, less-than-social teen.

    ¡°I-Is it really that bad?¡± He muttered. ¡°Being so important all the time?¡±

    Kazama leaned back, cooling off. He absentmindedlytouched his hair.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a story¡­This happened in my first year of middle school. It was when I learned just how obnoxious my condition could be.¡±

    ~ ~ ~

    ¡°His hair is blue! Isn¡¯t that weird?¡±

    ¡°Yea, so weird!¡±

    ¡°I bet he really wants attention.¡±

    ¡°Hey Blue, how¡¯z it goin?¡±

    ¡°Blue, do you think you¡¯re a TV character or something?¡±

    Kazama closed his eyes, refusing to respond. He had learned to tune out such comments. Reacting only gave his tormentors traction. The teasing would disappear after few weeks, just like it had in every other grade.

    ¡°I actually think it looks cool.¡±

    Kazama¡¯s eyes shot open. It was a comment he couldn¡¯t ignore. Kazama scanned his classroom to find the source of the voice. The culprit was a tall blonde girl with clear blue eyes. He stared at her without realizing it and when the girl noticed, she smiled and pointed at her eyes.

    ¡°Because we match~¡±

    Ever since then, Kazama was smitten. He found himself staring at the blue-eyed girl in class. He would doodle pictures of her in his notebooks. When she spoke, he clammed up. When his parents recommended anime with similar-looking heroines, he watched them enthusiastically. Awkwardly and timidly, he fell in love for the first time.

    One morning, Kazama¡¯s heart nearly stopped as he opened his locker. An envelope had been neatly placed atop his belongings. He opened it with trembling hands and the note inside read;

    If you have time after school, please meet me on the roof.

    In place of a signature, a blue heart sticker sat at the bottom of the note. With his mind addled by love, Kazama¡¯s expectations soared. He spent the day imagining confession scenarios.

    When the last bell rang, Kazama flittered between hurrying and ambling towards the roof. His heart was pounding so loudly that he worried others would follow him. After psyching himself up, he finally opened the door to the roof. Allie, the blue-eyed girl, was waiting for him.

    ¡°I like you.¡± Were the first words out of her mouth.

    ¡°I-I like you too.¡± Was Kazama¡¯s semi-immediate reply.

    Blue light erupted from the school¡¯s roof. Kazama closed his eyes and was nearly flung back into the door by a gust of wind. When the dust settled, Kazama opened his eyes to see a changed Allie.

    Her white skin had become pale as moonlight. A deep blue line snaked its way across her back. Her body glistened through a thin sheet of mucous. Allie looked down on him from a half-meter difference, if you counted eyestalks. Her limbs were nowhere to be seen.

    Kazama¡¯s eyes opened wide and his mouth unhinged in a silent scream. He looked every bit like a boy who¡¯d just learned that his crush is a giant slug.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Allie slithered forward. Somehow, her voice had not changed. ¡°You can undo your transformation.¡±

    Kazama managed to lift his shaking legs enough to step back.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­human.¡± He breathed. Even as a middle schooler, he had already been part of many misunderstandings. It was a knee-jerk response.

    Allie stopped her advance, freezing like a deer in the headlights.

    ¡°But your hair¡­and this aura¡­¡±

    Allie flicked her tail end forward and a pulsing blue light enveloped Kazama. After a few seconds, the light suddenly cut out.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Allie was the one backing away now. ¡°So you are¡­¡±

    The two stood a meter apart. The silence was deafening.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± Allie finally spoke. ¡°Unlike humans, my people choose our mates based on aura. So, when I said like¡­it wasn¡¯t like that. Ok?¡±

    Kazama nodded stiffly like a marionette.

    Allie whistled sharply, despite being a slug, and a low thrumming sound filled the air. A vehicle that could only be described as a flying saucer appeared out of nowhere. Allie slithered inside and then it shot up into the sky.

    Kazama never saw her again.

    ~ ~ ~

    ¡°So, your first love was a giant slug.¡± Daniel spoke while hunched over. His shoulders trembled and he held his arms close to his belly.

    ¡°A giant space slug.¡± Kazama confirmed ¡°Who, was apparently a bit of a tsundere.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s entire body began to shake. Much like his uniform, he was about to burst at the seams.

    ¡°WAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± Kazama¡¯s friend pushed his forehead into his desk while slapping the wood with his hand. ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­AHahahaha¡­That¡¯s very unfortunate, Kazama. I guess even someone attractive like you has love troubles.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Kazama said, ignoring Daniel¡¯s hysteric state. ¡°Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t mind sitting in the same seat every day if it wasn¡¯t by the window.¡±

    ¡°Wh-Hahaha!¡± Daniel interrupted himself with another brief laughing fit. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Kazama pointed to his window and Daniel leaned forward to look outside. Two stories down, Daniel noticed movement in a hedge that marked the edge of school grounds. With some effort, he picked out two girls hiding in the foliage. In each of their hands he saw the flash of a glass lens. Daniel swallowed loudly once he realized they were holding binoculars.

    ¡°The one on the left is from an alternate dimension. She got stuck here one day and, apparently, I resemble someone she knew in the other world. The girl on the right was, apparently, my lover in a past life.¡±

    Daniel replied with a gaunt nod. The way Kazama said ¡®apparently¡¯ suggested no small amount of frustration.

    ¡°Sometimes I feel eyes on me even when we¡¯re moving between classrooms.¡± Kazama muttered with a sigh.

    Daniel quickly turned around and a few girls suddenly buried their heads in their textbooks.

    ¡°H-Harem¡­¡± Daniel breathed. Partially due to his surprise, Daniel used the Japanese pronunciation H¨¢remu.

    ¡°So, yea, I don¡¯t agree when you said this power is wasted on me.¡± Kazama furrowed his brow. ¡°My condition is not enviable in the slightest.¡±

    Daniel put a hand on Kazama¡¯s shoulder. Kazama¡¯s friend smiled a wide, close-mouthed grin.

    ¡°Allow me to offer a counter argument.¡±

    Kazama met Daniel¡¯s gaze. The husky boy¡¯s veins bulged and the skin around his forehead and mouth creased. His amiable smile had been distorted by a righteous fury.

    ¡°To quote many dissatisfied manga characters¡­GO EXPLODE YOU FUCKING NORMIE!!!¡±

    The argument that followed was violent enough to send them both to the principal¡¯s office. However, Kazama felt strangely happy after the whole affair. After some reflection, he realized that it was the first time anyone had called him normal.

    ¡°Being happy about it only proves that you¡¯re abnormal.¡± His sister would later say.

 Short - Kazama and Daniel (1)

    ¡°Did you see that freshman with blue hair?¡±

    ¡°What a weirdo.¡±

    ¡°Weeb alert!¡±

    One week into his first semester and Kazama had already received every insult he¡¯d heard in middle school and more. The final bell rang and Kazama sank into his desk. He could only wait until the rumors blew over.

    Just before everyone finished packing up, a portly boy burst into the classroom. The bespectacled kid stomped his way to Kazama¡¯s desk. He retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it and laid it out on the desk. Above some extremely crude drawings, were the words;

    Come join the anime club!

    Kazama stared at the flier, then at Daniel, then at the smug grin plastered on Daniel¡¯s face.

    ¡°I bet you thought this school didn¡¯t have an anime club¡­¡± Daniel spoke loudly so that everyone could hear. ¡°¡­And you¡¯re right! That¡¯s why I¡¯m gathering members.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Kazama maintained his blank stare, and so Daniel kept going.

    ¡°I want someone like you to help me recruit members. Honestly, even I¡¯d be a little embarrassed to cosplay during the middle of the day, but you pull it off well.¡±

    Kazama¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he continued to listen in silence.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Daniel, by the way. I¡¯m a freshman like you¡­and the only member of the club so far. BUT, if you join right now, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving you the president¡¯s chair. So, will you help me hand out these fliers?¡±

    Kazama blinked. Between asking with an audience present, assuming he¡¯d already agreed to join and using the president¡¯s position to sweeten the deal¡­Kazama had never seen such a mix of desperation and arrogance.

    ¡°There are two things I need you to understand.¡± Kazama said as he gently raised two fingers.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°One, I hate anime.¡±

    Kazama gathered his things while everyone in the room did a double-take.

    If you don¡¯t like anime, then what¡¯s with that hair? He could feel the silent question burning in everybody¡¯s minds.

    ¡°Two, this isn¡¯t dyed and it¡¯s not cosplay either.¡±

    Kazama slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom.

    Looking on the bright side, Kazama assumed this would end the rumors about him and his hair. Unfortunately, it did.

    ¡°Did you hear about that blue-haired kid?¡±

    ¡°The cosplayer? I heard he¡¯s president of the anime club.¡±

    ¡°Ew, there¡¯s an anime club?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? I heard about it from a friend of a friend.¡±

    Pritchard¡¯s is quite a large school, and its rumors only carry what the students want to hear.

 Short - Kazama and Daniel (2)

    A couple weeks passed after his first encounter with Daniel, and Kazama¡¯s reputation had not improved. It was during that desperate time when a stranger approached Kazama. With his purple hood and robes, Kazama guessed that he wasn¡¯t a real student. Nevertheless, Kazama accepted the stranger¡¯s invitation while he was sitting alone during lunch. The sight of him being led away by a robed stranger turned a few heads, including Daniel¡¯s.

    The stranger stopped before one of the school¡¯s greatest mysteries: a stairwell that lead to a dead-end. They both passed through the dead-end wall without any resistance. After they left, Daniel stepped out from his hiding spot and adjusted his glasses with shaking hands. Placing curiosity before reason, he followed them through the wall.

    On the other side was¡­the same empty stairwell. Daniel was about to write everything off as a dream when he noticed one major difference. The dim lightbulb above the stairs had been replaced by a floating ball of light. Daniel stared at it, as if the glowing orb would suddenly make sense on its own. The longer he stared, the more certain he was. It was just as unexplainable as the wall that brought him here.

    Daniel descended the stairs and made his way back to the cafeteria. The moment he crossed the threshold, his jaw dropped. Finely carved wooden tables, dishes he¡¯d never heard of, glowing orbs that danced across the ceiling, it was like something out of a fantasy novel. The colorful scene nearly made him fall to his knees.

    Just like his cafeteria, there were students at every table. Unlike his cafeteria, these students wore robes of various colors. Daniel spied Kazama at one corner of the room. He stood out like a sore thumb in his uniform. Daniel moved in closer, painfully aware that he didn¡¯t belong here either.     Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°You¡¯re a wizard, Kazama!¡± The purple robed student exclaimed.

    ¡°No, no I am not.¡±

    ¡°You have the potential.¡± The student shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just here to extend an invitation. If you want to enroll, we¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    Kazama turned around to leave when he spotted Daniel hiding behind a banner.

    ¡°Daniel? Did you follow me in here?¡±

    Daniel looked at the ground and nodded.

    ¡°So, I guess you¡¯re going to wizard school from now on?¡± Daniel chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°No.¡± Kazama replied flatly. ¡°We¡¯re both leaving. Now.¡±

    ¡°What!? WHY?¡±

    ¡°Because, I don¡¯t want to be a wizard.¡±

    ¡°Well, we could at least look around. How can you not be moved, seeing something surreal like this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather be back in our cafeteria.¡± Kazama retorted. He began to walk away.

    ¡°Who are you trying to impress?¡± Daniel shot back.

    Kazama stopped and turned around.

    ¡°You¡¯d rather go back and finish your lunch alone? Fine. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me, and I won¡¯t toss it aside.¡±

    Daniel stomped over to one end of the cafeteria and filled a gilded tray to the brim with exotic foods. Then, he sat down at an empty table and began wolfing it down. Kazama hesitated for a while, and then filled his own tray.

    ¡°Mmm, what is this meat? Is it chicken or snake?¡±

    ¡°It tastes like cockatrice.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­Wait, how do you know what that tastes like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡± Kazama looked away.

    ¡°Spill it.¡± Daniel ordered.

    Visiting the wizard¡¯s cafeteria became a daily ritual for the two. At least, until the school found out that Kazama had no intention of becoming a wizard. After that, the dead-end wall started living up to its name, and Kazama and Daniel were relegated to a lonely table in their standard cafeteria. However, while he listened to Daniel complain about stingy wizards, Kazama felt like this food tasted better than he remembered.

 Chapter 5 - Psychic Powers (1)

    ¡°Wakey-wakey, Kazama¡± Shelly, Kazama¡¯s mother, whispered as she put an ear to his door.

    Hearing no movement inside, Shelly broke into a mischievous grin. She¡¯d woken him up every day during middle school, but now Kazama insisted on using an alarm. Shelly carefully turned the knob and opened his door. This was the first time Kazama had failed to set his clock and Shelly intended to make good use of it.

    However, her plans to spook Kazama fell apart the instant she peered into his bedroom. Kazama¡¯s room was fairly bland. The two largest objects were his wooden dresser and a desk where he did homework. Empty wall space was filled with posters of the latest video games and, oddly enough, infographics on fish and fishing lures. The most interesting object in the room was a black chest hidden under Kazama¡¯s bed. It contained miscellaneous artifacts that Shelly knew were better left locked away.

    When she saw that chest out in the open, Shelly realized something was wrong. However, it took a few seconds for her mind to process why. The chest was under the bed, like it had always been. Meanwhile, Kazama¡¯s bed was one meter off the ground. Shelly gazed around the room and realized that everything was floating.

    ¡°KAZAMA!¡± Shelly¡¯s distressed cry woke Kazama up with a jolt.

    As if a spell had been broken, everything suddenly fell back down. A familiar ringing sound grew louder until it abruptly stopped. Shelly peered outside Kazama¡¯s window to see the remains of his alarm clock.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Kazama mumbled while rubbing his eyes. ¡°It looks like a tornado went through here.¡±

    Shelly dove into his chest and hugged him tightly. ¡°Everything was floating, Kazama! It¡­It¡­¡±

    Kazama awkwardly returned the hug.

    ¡°Sorry, did I scare you?¡±

    ¡°It¡­was SO COOL!¡± Shelly yelled. She jumped up and nearly flung Kazama off his bed. ¡°I think that was telekinesis! You¡¯re like Psy Key from High School Psychic, or that alien who threw rocks at the protagonist of One Kick Man!¡±

    Kazama pushed himself away from a ranting Shelly and then lifted one hand. His desk flew into the ceiling, crushing his homework.

    ¡°¡­Great.¡±

    ¡°Your father is going to FREAK OUT when I tell him about this!¡± Shelly announced as she dashed out of the room.

    On her way downstairs, Shelly ran into her husband, Adam, just as he was leaving Belle¡¯s room.

    ¡°Adam!¡± She squealed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe this! Kazama woke up with telekinetic powers!¡±

    Shelly¡¯s excited run broke down into a slow trot as she got a better look at Adam. His dress shirt was now sleeveless and a thin trail of smoke wafted up from the rips. Her husband¡¯s long pants were now shorts and his tan shoes had been charred black. Worst of all, his thinning brown hair had gained a couple of new bald spots. Adam¡¯s eyebrows, or what was left of them, lay flat above his eyes. His lips mirrored them, painting an ambivalent expression.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll believe it.¡± He replied.

    ~ ~ ~

    ¡°Telekinesis and pyrokinesis!¡± Adam laughed heartily at the family table.

    Kazama and Belle ate quietly while Adam drummed out his excitement figuratively and literally.

    ¡°I¡¯m freaking out! This is amazing!¡±

    ¡°Sorry about your clothes, and¡­hair.¡± Belle muttered.

    ¡°Water under the bridge, sweetie.¡± Adam patted her head.

    ¡°Kazama, can you help me reach these plates?¡± Shelly asked, grinning from ear-to-ear. ¡°I can¡¯t reach the top shelf.¡±

    Kazama watched his mother¡¯s terrible acting for a few seconds before standing up with a sigh. He lifted one hand and then slowly dragged it forward. Every plate on the top shelf suddenly flung itself across the kitchen. The Noh family winced as the plates shattered.

    ¡°Woah.¡± Kazama exclaimed. ¡°Sorry, this is pretty hard to control.¡±

    ¡°Growing pains.¡± Adam reassured him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the hang of it s-¡±

    *Poff*

    The man of the house sprung out of his chair the instant the toaster went off. He threw the toast on a plate and carried it over to Belle.

    ¡°Belle, I think I accidentally under-toasted these.¡± Adam winked and the twins cringed. ¡°Could you help me out?¡±

    Belle extended a hand and then closed her eyes. A jet of orange flames reduced the toast to dust in under a second. The plate holding them melted like butter and began to fuse with the table. As for the table itself, a vigorous pat-down was enough to save most of it from going up in flames. Though, the oak-brown wood had been charred to a dirty black.

    ¡°Ok, family meeting time.¡± Adam clapped twice. ¡°Now, I know it may be tempting to test these powers, but you need to have restraint. If you can do something normally, then hold back. Don¡¯t use your powers frivolously.¡±

    ¡°You two are the ones making us use them frivolously!¡± Kazama and Belle retorted in unison.

    Their parents simply shrugged.

    ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t make us go to school like this.¡± Belle pleaded.

    ¡°Call sick and let us wait this out.¡± Kazama followed up. ¡°Superpowers are like colds with us, you know that. Every time we get powers like these, they fade away after a week or so.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you miss a week of school.¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°Are you going to hide in your rooms every time you develop super strength or laser-eyes? What about when you¡¯re adults? That excuse won¡¯t fly in the real world.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°-But nothing. There¡¯s a time when all of us have to take a stand. It doesn¡¯t matter who you are or what you believe in, life isn¡¯t easy enough to let you hide forever.¡±

    Kazama and Belle opened their mouths and then closed them. They had nothing to say to that. Their mother however¡­

    ¡°Nice! Episode twelve of Space Mec and Larger Space Mec.¡±

    Adam snapped his fingers and pointed at Shelly.

    ~ ~ ~

    ¡°Guess wh-!¡±

    Tammy had almost finished wrapping her hands around Belle¡¯s eyes before the pink-haired girl dropped to her knees and dove away. Belle hit the ground in a perfect roll that would make any martial arts instructor cry. In one fluid motion, she spun around, rose to a standing position and raised her arms defensively.

    ¡°-who¡­¡± Tammy let her hands fall by her side.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Belle lowered her hands as well.

    ¡°No, I should, like, apologize.¡± Tammy said, raising a wary smile. ¡°Some people just don¡¯t like being touched.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± Belle stepped forward and then paused, choosing her words carefully. ¡°Normally I¡¯d be happy. But sometimes¡­like this week¡­I can¡¯t really handle it.¡±

    Tammy put a hand to her chin.

    ¡°This week?¡±

    Belle wouldn¡¯t meet her eyes.

    ¡°Ah, I get it. Like, I get it.¡± Tammy nodded seriously. ¡°Us girls have it rough, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Belle raised an eyebrow, but decided to let the topic die. The pair started walking together in silence.

    ¡°Is your brother, like, in a club or something? I figured you two would walk to school together.¡±

    ¡°Normally we walk together. He¡¯s taking a different route today. We¡¯re both feeling under the weather and there are some people he wants to avoid.¡±

    ¡°Avoid? Like bullies?¡± Worry flashed across Tammy¡¯s face for an instant. ¡°Then again, if he¡¯s anything like you¡­¡±

    As they passed by an alley, Belle noticed a pair of feminine silhouettes duck behind a trash bin.

    ¡°I guess you could call them bullies.¡±

    ¡°Yikes.¡±

    After they passed a few more blocks, Belle began to slow down. Eventually, she stopped completely. Tammy watched with concern as her friend panted heavily while resting her hands on her knees. A few drops of sweat slid off Belle¡¯s forehead and fell onto the sidewalk.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Tammy asked, putting a hand on Belle¡¯s shoulder. Instinct took over and Tammy immediately removed her hand. It was like touching a pot of boiling water.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ok.¡± Belle spoke between heavy breaths.

    ¡°No way, you¡¯re burning up!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hot. I¡¯m just overheating.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s January. You shouldn¡¯t-¡± Tammy paused and looked around. ¡°Huh, did it suddenly get hotter? Like, a LOT hotter?¡±

    Belle brought a hand to her forehead and slowly curled it into a fist. She closed her eyes and quietly breathed in and out. With every breath, she regained some control over her powers.

    Meanwhile, Tammy rubbed her hands on her shirt and then checked the air again.

    ¡°No, now it feels normal.¡± Tammy said, glancing at Belle. She noticed something was off and then quickly looked away. ¡°Maybe we passed by a store with crazy heating or something?¡±

    ¡°Yea, I feel cooler as well.¡± Belle nodded. She started walking away before Tammy could make another comment.

    Tammy looked at the concrete that Belle had been standing on. There were two thin depressions, each the size of a shoe. It was as if someone had stepped in the concrete while it was still drying.

    ¡°Geez, and I thought cramps were bad.¡± Tammy muttered.

    ~ ~ ~

    Sometime after Belle and Tammy made it to school, Kazama found himself stuck at the gates. He¡¯d wasted a considerable amount of time taking detours, but it had all been a waste. Amidst the students flowing into Pritchard¡¯s, there was a pair standing off to the side. They seemed to be in no hurry to cross through the school¡¯s only entrance. If anyone had bothered to look closely, they would have noticed that the pair lacked the Pritchard¡¯s uniform. A pair of high school girls waiting by the gates of a different school would normally turn some heads. Fortunately, the remaining students were only worried about being late for class. Unfortunately, Kazama would have the same worries if he didn¡¯t step out soon.

    With a heavy sigh, the blue-haired boy rounded a corner and walked towards the gates.

    ¡°Kazama~¡± A lofty voice made Kazama freeze in place. Some would describe the voice as heavenly, but to Kazama, it was like the whisper of a demon.

    One of the loitering girls stepped forward. She stood straight as a pin with her hands clasped together at her waist. A radiant, yet reserved, smile touched her lips. The young woman¡¯s eyes narrowed like a cat before it pounces.

    ¡°What a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yea.¡± Kazama returned her smile with a deadpan stare. ¡°Coincidence.¡±

    The young woman chuckled, brushing strands of her silky golden hair aside. This gesture revealed a face that could have been painted onto a porcelain doll.

    ¡°This may be a trifling coincidence for you¡­¡± The young woman gracefully retrieved a slip of paper from her purse. ¡°But if you would consider my offer, I¡¯d be very pleased.¡±

    Kazama took the paper and unfolded it. It was a brochure for a haunted house. Besides being set inside an antiquated dungeon, it seemed like an average date spot. Although, it was a bit out of season.

    ¡°Remira, I assume you don¡¯t want to go during business hours.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d let us use the equipment willingly, no.¡±

    ¡°Then you have your answer.¡±

    ¡°But just think about it!¡± Remira raised her voice as she stepped forward. Her breathing became ragged and her cheeks flushed. ¡°Imagine hoisting me onto one of those racks, tearing my clothes away and -mgh!¡±

    ¡°-That¡¯s enough for now.¡± The second girl stepped in to put a hand over Remira¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Lin! Unhand me this instant!¡± Remira raised a muffled cry.

    ¡°I could, Princess.¡± Lin replied, mimicking her haughty tone. ¡°But then the only memorable part of your character introduction would be vulgarities.¡±

    Remira stopped struggling, but Lin did not remove her hand. The second girl¡¯s unblemished face strained as she continued to stand on her toes. Even though the three of them shared an age, Lin could barely hold her balance as she covered Remira¡¯s mouth.

    If Daniel had been there, Kazama was sure that he¡¯d call her a loli. Kazama was also sure that he¡¯d receive a kick in the balls for his trouble.

    ¡°I have a much easier request for you.¡± Lin announced with a taut grin.

    ¡°All requests are easy when you reject them.¡±

    ¡°I need some of your hair.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± Kazama said, walking past the duo.

    ¡°If I keep recycling DNA, then the clones won¡¯t come out right!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡±

    ¡°Saliva, sweat¡­pretty much anything would work!¡± Lin called out as Kazama passed the threshold. ¡°Of course, my preferred material would be your-!¡±

    Kazama extended his index finger and twirled it in a circular motion. A gust of wind spun Lin and Remira around until they could no longer stand. It was a successful use of his powers, if the surrounding area was ignored. Shutters clamored, trash flew like bullets and nearby animals received the scare of their lives. Kazama grimaced as he saw his wind rip the shingles off a nearby house.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long week.¡± Kazama muttered as he stepped into the school building.

 Short - Kazamas Wonderful Chest

    ¡°Kazama! Kazama!¡±

    Kazama grimaced as Adam burst into his room.

    ¡°One of my bookshelves broke.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ok?¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything that can fix it.¡± Adam pointed at Kazama¡¯s bed. ¡°Anything magic?¡±

    ¡°Be a proper role model and fix it yourself.¡±

    ¡°What, you want a role model?¡± Adam snorted. ¡°Find the best tool for the job. That¡¯s what a real adult does.¡±

    Adam stepped past Kazama and retrieved the black chest hidden under the boy¡¯s bed.

    ¡°I know you and Belle have been hoarding magic items. Lend me one that can fix my shelf.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Kazama huffed. ¡°You won¡¯t leave until I give you something, right?¡±

    Adam¡¯s son wrestled the chest away from his father and unlocked it. After rooting around for a few seconds, Kazama produced an intimidating pair of gloves. The blood red leather seemed to glow ominously. Six deflated fingers squirmed lightly under Kazama¡¯s tight grip.

    ¡°These are called devil¡¯s fingers.¡± Kazama explained. ¡°Wearing them will give you superhuman dexterity and precision. You could build a dozen bookshelves in the time it takes to buy a new one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°-But if you ever take them off, or wear them for over 24 hours, you¡¯ll have an aneurism and die.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m dying either way? Don¡¯t recommend something so dangerous.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°They¡¯re all like that.¡± Kazama retorted as he pulled out another item. ¡°This is a magic top hat. If you put it on your bookshelf, the wood will repair itself.¡±

    ¡°But¡­?¡±

    ¡°It will also gain sentience.¡±

    ¡°That seems unethical.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to hurt anyone else, then you can just wish for it to be fixed.¡± Kazama said as he retrieved a severed monkey¡¯s paw.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard of that! It grants your wish, but there¡¯s always a terrible catch.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Rejected.¡±

    Adam began looking through the chest while Kazama paused to think.

    ¡°You have two monkey¡¯s paws?¡± Adam asked, holding up a slightly larger paw.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t touch that without gloves.¡±

    Adam noticed a tag tied to the pinky finger. It read;

    Bonobo¡¯s paw. Speak to have your wish granted.

    Wish side effects: None.

    Grantable Wishes: Hand jobs.

    Adam flung it back into the chest and shuddered. ¡°Why do you have something like that?¡±

    ¡°Belle tried wishing for a better monkey¡¯s paw. Obviously we haven¡¯t used it, but who knows where the original conjured it from.¡±

    Adam stood up. ¡°Ok, I think I¡¯ve had enough. I¡¯ll just fix it myself.¡±

    ¡°Actually, wait.¡± Kazama raised one hand and dug through his chest with the other. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been trying to get rid of. Use this reset dust.¡±

    Kazama pulled out a blue hand-sized sack. The silk fabric had a pair of backwards arrows embroidered on its front and back. Kazama loosened the neck to reveal fine baby blue crystals. Without the fancy packaging, Adam might have mistaken it as gimmicky table salt.

    ¡°Take a pinch of this and throw it at the bookshelf.¡±

    ¡°O-Ok¡­¡± Adam reluctantly held out his hand.

    At that moment, the rug in Kazama¡¯s room suddenly reared up like a horse. Kazama had forgotten to put the top hat back in his chest, but that mistake was far from his most pressing concern. The carpet¡¯s movement knocked him over, spilling the dust.

    ¡°NO!¡± Kazama yelled.

    Then, everything went white.

    ¡°Kazama! Kazama!¡±

    Kazama grimaced as Adam burst into his room. They continued to repeat this exchange until Shelly called them down for dinner.

 Chapter 6 - Psychic Powers (2)

    As Kazama left his stalkers behind, a siren blared on the other side of the United States. Throngs of buff men in jet black suits and sunglasses hustled to their stations. One-by-one, screens flickered on, each displaying their own cryptic statistics and locations. Amidst the uproar, the distinctive clang of steel-toed boots could be heard. The men raised their hands in a rough salute as their commander approached.

    *clang, clang, clang*

    The noise stopped as the Commander reached his station. His men looked to him for guidance, their faces a mix of admiration, respect and fear. The Commander ran a hand over his blonde flattop. His black clothes and nearly-tanned skin strained as his muscles surged. The Commander¡¯s lips broke into a ferocious grin. His cigar trembled between his powerful jaws.

    ¡°Seven times in under four hours¡­¡± There was a certain electricity in his voice, like a man who¡¯d suddenly found a fish on his line. ¡°So, this is the real-deal, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± One of the suits spoke. ¡°With these unusual spikes in psi-energy, there can be no doubt about it. A new psychic has awakened.¡±

    ¡°Have you narrowed down the location? Where does our new friend live?¡±

    ¡°W-We haven¡¯t pinpointed their location yet.¡±

    The Commander lowered his sunglasses to reveal a displeased glare. His subordinates shuddered.

    ¡°The search area has been narrowed down to Washington State, sir!¡± Another suit jumped in. ¡°Every time they use their power, we¡¯re getting closer to an exact location.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The Commander nodded. ¡°Look alive boys! I want this psychic found A.S.A.P!¡±

    The suits quickly turned back to their stations. The Commander¡¯s grin strained even further. He bit off his cigar and let both pieces fall into his outstretched palm.

    ¡°Once we do, I¡¯ll make them an offer they can¡¯t refuse. Or my name isn¡¯t Dirk Action.¡±

    Dirk balled his hand into a fist, crushing the cigar bits.

    In the deepest part of the pentagon, there exists a special team. Unknown to the media, and even most presidents, these patriots work to handle what science cannot explain. Psychics, sorcerers, and even aliens are studied, controlled and sometimes recruited. The U.S Central Unknown Neutralization Taskforce, or C.U.N.T, is such a group.

    ~ ~ ~

    First Period

    Belle scribbled furiously as she tried to keep up with her teacher¡¯s lecture. Their history sub, Faust, initially came off as an amiable, yet stiff, man. But once he got comfortable, the pace of his lectures began to rise drastically. Faust spat out names and dates like a machine gun while his students hurried to record what they could.

    Belle glanced at the board, but she couldn¡¯t see a thing. Her vision was blocked by a trail of smoke. She stared down at her pencil, which had been reduced to a smoldering nub, and scowled. Tossing it aside, Belle retrieved another pencil and kept writing. She had resorted to using pens by second period.

    Second Period

    Students and teachers alike looked out the windows in panic. The hedges at the edge of school grounds had begun to move. Leaves flew in every direction as the hedges thrashed like raging bulls. After a few minutes, they settled down just as suddenly.

    With no wind, the animated hedges became a popular mystery among the student body. Two girls had been seen fleeing the scene, and so the teachers labelled it as a prank.

    Third Period

    Beads of sweat dribbled onto Belle¡¯s desk for the umpteenth time. The adolescent girl might have felt very self-conscious about her perspiration, if the entire class wasn¡¯t sharing in her woes. On her way to school, Belle realized something unpleasant:Her powers activate naturally when she loses focus. If she wasn¡¯t careful, emotions like stress and anger could trigger a very literal meltdown.

    To make matters worse, third period started off with a pop quiz. This sudden and unexpected event was the catalyst for the heat-wave that was now afflicting her class. The feverish temperature caused students to lose focus, prolonging the test. The longer the test went on, the more frustrated Belle became. The more frustration she felt, the hotter things got.

    This hellish cycle ended with two students passing out from heatstroke and several more crawling out of the classroom in a dehydrated stupor.

    Fourth Period

    While Kazama was destined to either be loved or hated by everyone he met, Belle usually spent her days in anonymity. The only time people took note of her was during P.E.

    ¡°Orya!¡± Belle let out a battle cry as she spiked a flaming ball over the net.

    Her opponents cowered at the edges of the court. No one dared block her. As her scrimmage partners examined the newly formed scorch marks on the court, they reaffirmed their cowardly instincts.

    After that day, a new legend began spreading through the high school volley ball community. It would be months before a fool appeared who could answer Belle¡¯s spikes. But that¡¯s a story for another day.

    Meanwhile, Kazama was experiencing a similar feeling of untouchability. Although, in his case, the cause was much more literal.

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± A student cursed, raising the class total to fifteen bullshits and four fuck you-s.

    As the boy¡¯s dodgeball game progressed, it had devolved into a one-sided assault against Kazama. This had nothing to do with his unpopularity. For once, their animosity had a perfectly reasonable cause.

    Another ball sped towards Kazama, and he didn¡¯t even bother to move. The ball simply curved around him and continued its flight. Kazama retaliated with his own throw, and another victim was laid out before he could even react.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a man so loved by the balls.¡± Coach Muller mused while nodding in approval. ¡°This kid could take us to nationals.¡±

    Just like Belle, Kazama¡¯s powers were activating on their own. His fear of getting hit translated into a shield that deflected any attack. His fleeting desire to hit a target was enough to turn a ball into a guided missile. Ultimately, the resentful glares from his peers damaged Kazama more than any ball ever could.

    Please, someone, just get me out! Kazama screamed silently.

    Fifth Period

    Lunch consisted of mystery meat and bruised fruits. Reviews were mixed.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Sixth Period

    Physics class suddenly ground to a halt as desks and books began to float through the air. Panicked screams wrenched Kazama from his afternoon nap. As he roused, everything immediately fell back down. Students continued to eye their desks warily, but they remained inanimate.

    The remaining lecture was forgotten in favor of a heated discussion on the theory of gravity.

    Seventh Period

    The entire class was on edge. No one paid attention to the material. Instead, they furtively discussed the strange happenings that had taken the school by storm. To Kazama¡¯s right, a group raved about living hedges. Behind him, a couple muttered about zombies crawling out of a math test. In front of him was his teacher, who met Kazama¡¯s gaze before he could pull away.

    ¡°Kazama, can you answer this question on the board?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kazama droned as he pushed out his chair.

    The fledgling telekinetic had nearly reached the board when his foot hooked around a desk leg. Kazama quickly thrust out his arms to block his fall.

    *KSSHHHHHH*

    Every window in the classroom shattered. Fortunately, no one connected the event to Kazama¡¯s fall. They mistook cause for effect, and assumed Kazama had dove down to protect himself.

    When news of broken windows combined with rumors of floating objects, a new mystery was born. Now the school was reportedly infested with monstrous hedges, zombies and poltergeists.

    Eighth Period

    ¡°Belle, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I-If the school was suddenly cursed, you¡¯d tell us. Right?¡±

    May and Lia caught Belle in the hallway before their final class. The pink-haired girl stayed silent as they bombarded her with questions. Eventually, Tammy stepped in.

    ¡°Girls, like, chill. Even if something weird is going on, Belle and her brother can handle it.¡± Tammy turned to Belle and smiled. ¡°Right?¡±

    Belle slowly stepped back. She wouldn¡¯t meet her friend¡¯s eyes. This gesture only confirmed what the trio had already noticed. Belle wasn¡¯t exuding her usual confidence. While Belle¡¯s expressions were still too nuanced for the girls to decipher, they could clearly sense her unease.

    ¡°Listen, Belle¡­¡± May suddenly took a more formal tone. ¡°If something dangerous is happening in the school, then it¡¯s our responsibility to let people know. Even if you can¡¯t explain it with logic, there¡¯s got to be some way we can help.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything that dangerous.¡± Tammy shrugged.

    ¡°But two people are already in the infirmary.¡± Lia muttered. ¡°They passed out during that math test.¡±

    Belle winced.

    ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of rumors going around, but everyone¡¯s overreacting.¡± The pyrokinetic spoke in a low tone. She still refused to look up at her friends. ¡°Nothing supernatural is happening.¡±

    She could have told them. She could have explained that every rumor was about her and her brother. But what would be her reward? In Belle¡¯s experience, it would be fear. Rejection. The supernatural always seems interesting, fantastical even. Belle knew that sense of wonder would disappear the instant things went out of control.

    With her lie complete, Belle chanced a glance upwards and was met with expressions of relief.

    ¡°Thank goodness!¡± Lia let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I get wrapped up in rumors and gossip all the time. Now I¡¯m kind of embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°See, I told you!¡± Tammy grinned.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad nothing dangerous is inside the school.¡± May nodded happily. ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to hear that from you.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yea.¡± Belle replied, mimicking their smiles as best she could.

    The trio suddenly remembered the time and ran off to class. Belle stayed rooted in place, her expression downcast.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing dangerous in the school¡­¡± She mumbled. ¡°Besides me.¡±

    A pang of guilt hit her like a spark above gasoline. Negative emotions flared up and, though it was only for an instant, Belle lost control.

    School closed early that day. Worried parents who came to pick their kids up were muscled out by fire trucks arriving on the scene. Firemen and police searched every inch of the building for evidence of a bomb, but nothing came of it. Absolutely no one could explain the pillar of flame that was seen towering over Pritchard¡¯s in the late afternoon. They could only be thankful that there were no injuries among the student body.

    ~ ~ ~

    When Kazama and Belle returned home, they went straight to their rooms and locked the doors. Adam and Shelly waited patiently, but they didn¡¯t come down for dinner. Morning came and the twins still refused to leave their rooms. Arguing could only accomplish so much, and eventually their parents left for work. After their societal responsibilities were taken care of, the adults of the Noh family returned with a vengeance.

    ¡°KAZAMA! Open the goddamn door!¡± Adam yelled, slamming his fists against the door with all his might. ¡°I didn¡¯t raise a pair of hikikomoris!¡±

    When it became clear that Adam wouldn¡¯t yield any time soon, Kazama cracked open his door.

    ¡°Please just say shut-in, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Please stop hiding in your room and tell us what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Kazama looked away. His glowering face was the definition of defeat. ¡°Belle and I talked it over. We just want to wait this whole psychic thing out.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Adam folded his arms. ¡°School¡¯s closed anyways. They¡¯re taking a few days to investigate this whole bomb thing.¡±

    Kazama nodded and began to shut his door. Adam¡¯s foot shot out to block him.

    ¡°In the meantime, I want you and Belle to come downstairs. If you aren¡¯t comfortable using your powers at school, then I¡¯m going to make sure you learn to control them.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± Kazama¡¯s voice ran thick with skepticism.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate how many training montages I¡¯ve watched.¡±

    Adam moved his foot out of the way just before Kazama slammed the door.

    ¡°Fine!¡± Adam yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t need to convince you anyway. You¡¯ll open your door the instant Belle agrees.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that!¡± Kazama yelled back.

    Meanwhile, Shelly had been having a similar talk with Belle.

    ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± Belle yelled from behind her locked door.

    The results were similar as well.

    ¡°Shelly, step back a bit.¡± Adam ordered.

    ¡°Yea¡­I guess we need to give them some space.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean literally step back.¡± Adam explained, holding up an axe. ¡°Those two have dealt with so many unreasonable things, and I¡¯ll be damned if this is what breaks them.

    Adam took a batter¡¯s stance and raised the axe behind his head. Once he was steady, Belle¡¯s father swung without hesitation. He certainly didn¡¯t have his daughter¡¯s strength, but the axe tore a sizeable hole in her door.

    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK!?¡± Belle¡¯s startled cry was followed by a three-degree temperature shift.

    Adam placed his head over the hole and grinned. ¡°Yea, I can make non-Japanese references.¡±

    A hand plunged through the splintered wood and unlocked Belle¡¯s door from the outside. Adam stepped into the room. He wasn¡¯t smiling anymore.

    ¡°On a more serious note, I¡¯m dragging you out of here. You¡¯re going to learn how to use that power.¡±

    ¡°WHY!?¡± Belle¡¯s voice cracked as she shouted. ¡°This is all going to blow over soon. Why can¡¯t you just let us ignore this?¡±

    Belle sat at one end of her bed. She drew her legs close to her body while leering at Adam.

    ¡°Have you considered that ignoring your powers is making them more difficult to control?¡± Adam spoke in a level tone. ¡°Do you know why the two of you are so amazing? No matter how strange a situation is, you two accept it instantly. You accept it and find solutions no one else can think of. Don¡¯t get tripped up by this because you can ignore it. Is letting these powers walk all over you really your style?¡±

    Belle slowly let her legs droop over her bed as Adam caught his breath. Even after he could speak, Adam waited patiently while Belle placed her feet on solid ground. The fledgling pyrokinetic stood up and glared at him. There was a familiar sharpness in her eyes.

    ¡°That had better not be a quote.¡±

    ¡°There are plenty of quotes about people wrestling with special powers.¡± Adam grinned. ¡°But I went with an original.¡±

 Short - The Sword in the Stone

    ¡°HA HA HA! Who will be the next challenger?¡± An oddly metallic voice called out.

    Belle, May, Lia and Tammy stopped on their way back from school to investigate the noise. They found a crowd gathered in a nearby park. Most of them were staring intently at something, while others knelt in defeat. In the center the commotion was a single sword. With a glittering gold handle and a brilliant white blade, the weapon lay embedded in a concrete walkway that ran through the park.

    As the quartet joined the crowd, a musclebound construction worker stepped forward.

    ¡°So¡¯z if I can pullz ya¡¯ out, I¡¯ll be loaded?¡± He asked while cracking his knuckles.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± The metallic voice replied. ¡°The owner of a holy sword is entitled to wealth and power beyond the dreams of mortal men.¡±

    May, Lia and Tammy leaned forward in awe while Belle crossed her arms.

    ¡°There¡­There¡¯s a microphone attached to that sword.¡± May breathed. ¡°Right Belle?¡±

    Belle merely shook her head as the construction worker placed his hands on the sword. Within one second, the blade was already almost out of the concrete.

    ¡°HA, you¡¯re barely wedged in there!¡± The burly man taunted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what these pansies are standin'' around for. Anyone could lift this guy!¡±

    ¡°Samuel Hermanos, huh?¡± The sword mused. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go with your top five most embarrassing internet searches.¡±

    ¡°Say what?¡±

    ¡°Number five! Am I gay if I like to stick things up my butt?¡±

    The construction worker stopped pulling. ¡°W-Wait how-?¡±

    ¡°Number four! Cheap plastic dil-¡±

    The man suddenly dropped the sword. It fell back into the ground and returned to its original depth.

    ¡°Ooh, too bad.¡± The sword tutted. ¡°Well, I saw a pack of girls join the crowd. Do you ladies want to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Belle cautioned. ¡°A holy sword can read its wielder¡¯s mind. So long as you¡¯re touching it, that sword will shout out your most embarrassing secrets.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Hey, hey! That¡¯s slander, little lady. I would never reveal my owner¡¯s secrets.¡±

    A dark aura seemed to envelop the sword. If a blade could sneer, the crowd was sure that¡¯s what it would have done.

    ¡°But a challenger isn¡¯t my owner until they pull me out. You get it?¡±

    May took a deep breath in, and then released it. ¡°So, only a pure person can wield you? Try me.¡±

    The reliable brunette wrapped her hands around the hilt and pulled. Just as it started to become loose, the sword spoke.

    ¡°May Lindell. This is cute~. You think the worst thing I¡¯ll reveal is that you have an overdue library book. What about the time when you went camping and got sprayed by a skunk? An attractive guy asked what was wrong and you tried to play it off as perfume. HA! His eyes were watering the whole time!¡±

    May released the sword and buried her head in her hands. ¡°UUuuu¡­I¡¯d completely blocked that from my memory.¡±

    Lia pat her shoulder. ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry May. No one thinks less of you for it. We can split the money.¡±

    The skittish raven-haired girl gripped the sword.

    ¡°Lia Ross. When you were seven, you would dress up and pretend to be a magical princess warrior. Complete with gloves dusted in glitter, a toilet roll wand, and a dollar-store tiara.¡±

    ¡°S-So what?¡± Lia retorted as she strained to lift the sword. ¡°Everyone does silly stuff when they¡¯re kids.¡±

    ¡°-Is what you tell people. But in reality, you stopped playing magical princess warrior after your thirteenth birthday party.¡±

    Lia¡¯s hands slipped off the sword as she knelt on the ground. Silently, she crawled out of the crowd and joined a group that was sitting off to the side. All of them seemed to be quietly contemplating their lives.

    ¡°Grr, I¡¯ll avenge you guys.¡± Tammy stepped forward with fire in her eyes.

    ¡°Tammy McLaren. History: D+, Math: D, English: C, Science: D.¡± The sword recited gleefully. ¡°That was your report card last semester. Rather than dredge up your past, I think you¡¯ll be more distraught if I predict your future~!¡±

    The usually-peppy blonde slunk over to where Lia sat. May wordlessly joined her while Belle shook her head and sighed. The pink-haired introvert finally approached the sword.

    ¡°Hey, Mrs. Easy-to-spot-in-a-crowd. You seem a bit riled up.¡±

    Belle placed her shoe on the sword¡¯s pommel.

    ¡°Belle Noh. You act like a cool girl, but you¡¯re actually quite the maiden. Last week you stayed up all night trying to complete Tomoya¡¯s route in Doki-Doki High School-¡±

    *Bang Bang Bang SHHHnnkkK*

    Belle stomped the sword until it slid beneath the concrete. Like a hammered in nail, the sword¡¯s pommel was now level with the ground.

    ¡°W-Wait a minute!¡±

    *BANG*

    Belle delivered a final earth-shattering stomp that drove the holy sword underground. The crowd watched in stunned silence as she filled a bucket from the park¡¯s sandbox.

    ¡°Um, hold on now¡­¡±

    Belle filled the crack with sand, completely burying the holy sword. As she began to walk away, a slow clap started by May turned into a thunderous applause. Men and women cheered while wiping away tears. The trio pounced on her for an impromptu four-person hug.

    ¡°Why is everyone acting like she just vanquished a demon!?¡± The sword¡¯s muffled cry went unheard.

 Chapter 7 - Psychic Powers (3)

    ¡°Braino, Scanner-Man, Rasputin and, uh¡­Charlotte. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come.¡±

    Christ, why do psychics have such strange names? Dirk Action, the commander of C.U.N.T wondered.

    ¡°You need our help to capture a new psychic.¡± Rasputin declared.

    The man stepped forward slowly to avoid tripping over his long grey beard. He wore sandals and a ragged brown robe. While others might have looked at his disheveled state and sneered, Dirk understood that it was a sign of his power. The clairvoyant could stroll into the world¡¯s most lavish palaces in those same ratty robes. That was how desperate countries were for his advice.

    ¡°I predicted such a mission long ago.¡±

    ¡°And what are our odds of success?¡± Dirk raised an eyebrow.

    Rasputin wore a wicked grin as he rubbed his thumb across his middle and index fingers. ¡°I doubt you can afford to ask.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need predictions.¡± Scanner-Man announced. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to do a thing once I¡¯m in range.¡±

    Dirk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he sized up the confident man. Scanner-Man wore a two-piece brown suit with shoes and a tie to match. He looked like a hotshot lawyer, right down to his sickeningly smug face. However, his ability to disrupt a person¡¯s mind was unrivaled. There were rumors that he could even make his target¡¯s head explode.

    ¡°Those aren¡¯t rumors.¡± Braino muttered, reading the commander¡¯s thoughts. ¡°In fact, he¡¯s about to make my head explode right now.¡±

    ¡°Please, it¡¯s a catchy song~¡± Scanner-Man chirped. He quietly hummed along to the song stuck in his head.

    ¡°FRIDAY HAS NEVER BEEN CATCHY!¡± Braino shouted.

    Dirk winced at the screech of bending steel as Braino raised his arms. Massive metal chunks were torn out of the surrounding walls. Scanner-Man raised his hands in surrender as Braino let them hover over his target. After a few tense seconds, Braino finally put his makeshift weapons aside.

    Dirk didn¡¯t let his shoulders fall though, as the dwarf was still glaring up at Scanner-Man. Braino could have easily been mistaken for a child from the neck down. His blue superhero jumpsuit didn¡¯t help either. However, his grizzled features and enormous cranium made it impossible to guess his true age.

    ¡°A-Anyways¡­¡± Scanner-Man deflected. ¡°I wonder what kind of power this newbie has?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the power to believe in themselves?¡± Charlotte jumped in. ¡°Or courage! Wait, what about hope!¡±

    ¡°Those aren¡¯t psychic powers.¡± Scanner-Man chided. ¡°What kind of ability is courage? That¡¯s completely asinine.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s pink flushed cheeks expanded as she pouted. Her long silver hair extended even further. It spread out and then arched back, like a snake ready to bite. Unlike Braino, who shared her height, Charlotte was an actual child. Her hands dug into her frilly white dress as she glared at Scanner-Man.

    ¡°Never mind. Courage is great.¡± The brown-suited man quickly backpedaled. ¡°Heck, I could even see it being used in a season finale. That¡¯s just how great it is.¡±

    ¡°-We¡¯ve detected two separate psi-signatures.¡± Dirk cut in. ¡°So, our targets are a pair of psychics. As for the rest, I¡¯ll brief you on the flight over.¡±

    Charlotte saluted, Braino gave a curt nod, Scanner-Man grinned and Rasputin let out a quiet snicker. Dirk sighed, realizing that his cool-guy persona had been completely overshadowed by these freaks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±

    ~ ~ ~

    *Dun *

    *Dun dun dun*

    *Dun dun dun*

    *Dun dun dunnnn*

    Adam and Shelly became parents in their early twenties. While they¡¯d always wanted kids, the young pair had their doubts. By settling down early, were they throwing away the best years of their lives? They could have travelled the world, learned new skills or thrown themselves into their careers. Would building a family be anywhere near as exciting?

    Adam held his boom box high as it continued to blare Eye of the Tiger at full blast. He tapped to the beat atop a metal train car. Shelly clapped along as Kazama slowly raised his arms. Adam¡¯s ride shivered for a moment, and then the rusty hunk of metal began to fly. Kazama allowed it to rise a few meters before he carefully set it back down.

    *It¡¯s the eye of the taigahh*

    If they had been anywhere else, that boom box would have already raised some noise complaints. Kazama began to suspect that Adam had an ulterior motive for choosing an abandoned trainyard as his training location.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Kazama!¡± Shelly praised him with a wide smile. ¡°Can I ride next?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Kazama replied sternly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just ignore that implication.¡± Adam called out as he climbed off the car. ¡°And I was right! Your telekinesis has a weight limit. You always use one-hundred percent of your power, which sends light objects skyrocketing. Keep lifting these train cars until you get a sense for controlling your strength. Then we can move on to lighter things.¡±

    Kazama nodded. Then he quickly lifted another car before Shelly could climb onto it.

    Adam fished an almond colored crystal out of his pocket. The palm-sized gem had been cut in the shape of a cube. A pulsating white light enveloped Adam¡¯s hand as he squeezed it. In the next instant, Adam vanished from the trainyard. He reappeared in a blank room whose milky brown walls matched the color of the gem.

    ¡°Get out.¡± Belle muttered venomously. ¡°How am I supposed to concentrate with that in here.¡±

    *With the EEeeeeeeyee*

    Adam quickly turned off his boom box. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Belle sat cross-legged on an empty white floor. The cubic room¡¯s walls, floor and ceiling were mirrors of one another. They had the same sterile color, the same unnatural smoothness, and the same number of doors: zero.

    ¡°You¡¯re about to switch, right?¡±

    Belle glanced at the flames spewing from her right hand. She had been holding her arm out and releasing fire for just under five minutes. The pyrokinetic curled her hand into a fist and the stream of fire dissipated.

    ¡°Yea.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Ok, next you¡¯re going to release ambient heat. Don¡¯t create any fire, just imagine this place getting warmer.¡±

    Belle nodded. She placed her hands on her knees and closed her eyes. Adam felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck as the temperature began to rise.

    Belle¡¯s training was, in essence, the same as Kazama¡¯s. Find a sustainable way to use your power, and then repeat that until it becomes natural. After going over the countless stories he¡¯d consumed, Adam settled on this simple strategy.

    ¡°Belle, you aren¡¯t too hot in here?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°I realized that I can direct heat away from my body. I could stay here all day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great, sweetie.¡±

    Adam wiped a copious amount of sweat from his brow.

    ¡°Hey Belle, I¡¯m glad that you had this, uh, pocket dimension thingy¡­¡±

    ¡°The boundary crystal? Yea, it¡¯s pretty useful.¡±

    There was a barely audible sizzling sound as Adam¡¯s sweat began to pool at his feet.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier to hide your power with this¡­but¡­there¡¯s a problem¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Adam breathed heavily as he struggled to speak. Steam curled around his heaving body.

    ¡°S-Sauna.¡± Adam¡¯s voice was barely a whisper as he collapsed.

    ~ ~ ~

    Pritchard¡¯s closed for the week to investigate the bomb threat, and the Noh family used that time well. Under Adam¡¯s instruction, Kazama and Belle finally reached a state where they could control their powers. And so, the twins quietly finished another chapter in their lives. For once, it seemed like they¡¯d avoided any unexpected twists.

    *Ding-dong*

    ¡°Yes?¡± Adam asked as he opened the front door.

    Standing at the threshold was a large man in a black suit. The man pushed his sunglasses up to the edge of his blonde flattop and revealed a paralyzing glare. Adam stiffened as the stranger pushed his way into the house. He swung his meaty head left and right until his eyes settled on a pair sitting in the living room.

    ¡°Who-¡± Kazama started to speak, but then Belle grabbed his shoulder.

    Before she could react any further, the man opened his palm to reveal a smoky black crystal. Then he squeezed it. An ebon light filled the room, and suddenly the three members of the Noh family found themselves in an entirely different space.

    Dark grey walls surrounded an area roughly the size of a football field. Adam looked around frantically, feeling a disturbing sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The six surfaces were mirrors of one another. They had the same dusky color, the same unnatural smoothness and the same number of doors: zero.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the sudden change in location.¡± Dirk said, lowering his sunglasses. ¡°It¡¯s just a convenient way to make sure things stay private.¡±

    The Noh family moved closer together as Dirk stepped forward. Three sets of eyes glared at the government agent, but each of them held their tongues. Adam was still dazed by the transfer. Kazama wanted to wait until he had more information. Belle never had anything to say from the start. Instead, she was considering how to pin him down and steal the boundary crystal.

    ¡°Now, I know who all of you are, but you don¡¯t know me.¡± Dirk smirked. ¡°My name is Dirk Action, and I¡¯m-¡±

    ¡°-From a secret government agency that wants to take Kazama and Belle away for research!¡± Adam cut him off while pointing in a manner that resembled a certain spiky-haired lawyer.

    Dirk blinked slowly. After a short second, he recovered his taut grin.

    ¡°You¡¯re well informed for a civilian.¡±

    ¡°No he¡¯s not, you idiot.¡± A nasally voice barked.

    The Noh family turned around to see four people standing behind them. The odd gang consisted of a little girl, a slick man in a suit, a spindly bearded monk and a big-headed dwarf in a jumpsuit.

    ¡°He just shouted out a wild guess.¡± Braino, the dwarf, explained. ¡°A guess which you confirmed.¡±

    Dirk scowled but Braino didn¡¯t falter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to stare down a telepath. It never works.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a telepath?¡± Kazama asked, stepping forward.

    ¡°Yes, among other things.¡± Braino nodded. ¡°Since you already guessed it, I¡¯ll explain this situation¡­¡±

    ¡°-Actually Braino, I told you to leave the talking to me.¡± Dirk cut in.

    ¡°-Maybe I should do it.¡± Scanner-Man added hastily. ¡°No offense, boss, but you aren¡¯t the best at talking to civilians.¡±

    ¡°-Wait! I want to talk!¡± Charlotte raised her hand while jumping up and down.

    ¡°After examining all possible outcomes, I believe it would be best to let the girl explain.¡± Rasputin announced. Then, he muttered to himself. ¡°Or, at least, it will lead to the most interesting result.¡±

    Dirk, Scanner-Man and Braino lowered their heads in deference.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Charlotte pumped her tiny fists.

    The young psychic skipped forward and held out one arm. She curled her hand into a fist and then extended her thumb and index finger. Charlotte pointed the gun-shaped gesture at Kazama. Then she lowered her thumb to release the trigger.

    A spear of silvery hair shot toward the young telekinetic. In the next instant, Kazama raised his hands and the spear was blocked by an invisible force. Before anyone could take a breath, a blossom of flames burst out from the point of impact. Charlotte quickly pulled away before her hair could get burnt.

    ¡°Wow~!¡± Charlotte brought a hand to her mouth in a genuine expression of shock and delight. ¡°You¡¯re a telekinetic and you¡¯re a pyrokinetic! Just like the commander said!¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you want with us!?¡± Kazama shouted.

    Charlotte smiled, painting a picture of pure innocence.

    ¡°The commander wants to bring you to his lab.¡± She pointed at Dirk, and then swept her hand towards the other psychics. ¡°And the rest of us are here to make sure you go.¡±

    ¡°Well, what if we don-¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Scanner-Man yelled as he began a deafening series of claps. The unnaturally high-pitched sound continued to ring in everyone¡¯s ears long after he¡¯d finished. ¡°Rasputin, in what possible way was her explanation better than mine!?¡±

    Rasputin smirked, but the edges of his mouth twitched. The disruptive psychic might not have noticed, but his ability had put everyone on edge.

    ¡°Scanner-Man, I gave you specific instructions about when and where you can use your power¡­¡± Dirk growled. ¡°That was not one of them.¡±

    ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to mention it¡­¡± Braino muttered. ¡°But since you already destroyed the mood. WHY THE FUCK IS FRIDAY STILL STUCK IN YOUR HEAD!? YOU¡¯RE DRIVING ME CRAZY!¡±

    ¡°Guys! Stop fighting!¡± Charlotte turned her back on the Noh family and ran over to the volatile pair.

    ¡°Could you two be any less professional!?¡± Dirk yelled as he stomped towards the trio.

    Rasputin quietly took a large step back.

    While the four members of C.U.N.T were squabbling, Kazama and Belle looked at one another and nodded. A ring of fire shot up around the agents. They were struck blind by the sudden light and struggled to breathe as their oxygen was sucked away by the greedy flames. Despite the heated situation, Dirk felt a chill as he looked up. The smoky black ceiling was hidden from view. A massive chunk of crystalline ground hovered above them.

    ¡°Above!¡± Dirk¡¯s oxygen-deprived voice barely carried, but it reached the person it needed to.

    Everyone get serious!

    A familiar nasally voice rang out in each agent¡¯s head.

    The crystal boulder began to shake violently, and then it was torn apart by an invisible force. At the same time, a swarm of silver tentacles swept away the fire. A painful ringing noise made Kazama and Belle step back and clutch their ears. This time, it didn¡¯t seem to affect the other agents.

    Kazama wrenched his hands away from his ears and gathered more chunks of crystal. Belle wreathed herself in flames. Braino stepped forward and the other psychics fell into formation at his side. Adam and Dirk scrambled as far away from the action as they could.

    ¡°Ok.¡± Braino said, grimacing. ¡°Hard way it is.¡±

    *Thud Thud Thud*

    Kazama¡¯s ammunition suddenly fell to the ground. Belle¡¯s flames vanished in the same instant. The pair looked around wildly while their opponents stood dumbfounded.

    ¡°Did one of you do that?¡± Charlotte whispered.

    Scanner-Man and Braino both shook their heads.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re cured.¡± Belle observed.

    ¡°Well, it has been about a week.¡± Kazama muttered. ¡°At least this won¡¯t be like the time when I could see ghosts for a month.¡±

    Adam rushed over when he noticed something was off. ¡°Did you two lose your powers?¡±

    The twins nodded and Adam sighed. Whether it was a sigh of relief or disappointment is better left unsaid.

    ¡°Did¡­Did they actually lose their powers?¡± Dirk asked Braino from a safe distance.

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be lying.¡± Braino replied, shrugging hesitantly.

    Dirk pulled out a barometer-like device and pointed it at the twins. After glaring at it for over a minute, the commander released a heavy sigh. Finally, he waved at his subordinates.

    ¡°We¡¯re done here. I don¡¯t know how they did it, but I¡¯m not reading any psi-energy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡± Scanner-Man shook his head in disbelief. ¡°We can¡¯t just let them go.¡±

    ¡°Yea! I wanted to fight more!¡± Charlotte huffed.

    ¡°Leaving them like this would be absurd.¡± Braino added. The dwarf rubbed his rubbed his temples while Rasputin failed to muffle his laughter.

    ¡°You guys are forgetting something important¡­¡± Dirk pocketed his sunglasses as he stepped towards the psychics.

    Dirk placed his right hand on Braino and his left on Charlotte. He had to kneel to do so. The commander¡¯s stern expression vanished, and for a moment, he looked like a parent pulling his kids aside.

    ¡°Kidnapping children is illegal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Braino and Charlotte stared up at him with flat brows and paraboloid mouths.

    ¡°Psychics are one thing, but kidnapping normal children is bad.¡± Dirk continued, shaking his head.

    Braino opened his mouth, and then closed it. Dirk patted them twice and then stood up. Once he put his sunglasses back on, the devious commander returned.

    ¡°Ok.¡± He barked, turning towards the twins. ¡°You three have a LOT of NDAs to sign.¡±

    Kazama, Belle and Adam slowly nodded.

    Pritchard¡¯s closed for the week to investigate the bomb threat, and the Noh family used that time well. Under Adam¡¯s instruction, Kazama and Belle finally reached a state where they could control their powers. Then, as expected, those abilities vanished at the end of the week. And so, the twins quietly finished another chapter in their lives.

    And that was all that happened.

 Short - Intimidation

    Faust knew very well that substitute teachers tend to get bullied. With less experience and less authority, they¡¯re easy targets that students use to vent their frustrations. However, Faust was anything but easy.

    ¡°Tammy!¡± Faust barked. He swiftly turned away from the board and pointed his chalk at the problem student. ¡°Read the next paragraph.¡±

    The instant the words left his mouth, Tammy sprung up from her chair and began reading.

    Faust nodded after she finished with no mistakes. Whether it was teaching or his true calling, Faust knew that the key was intimidation.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Belle! Read the next one.¡± Faust spun again and pointed his chalk towards the loner sitting in the back.

    ¡°-Ah!¡± Faust exclaimed as the chalk flew out of his hand.

    Most of the students couldn¡¯t follow the tiny cylinder with their eyes, but Belle caught it between her middle and index fingers. Faust flinched as Belle fixed her eyes on him. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was a glare, or her resting expression.

    Belle flicked the chalk back to Faust at an incomparable speed. Faust moved to catch it, but the projectile slipped past his fingers. A loud thunk echoed through the classroom as the chalk embedded itself in the black board. Like an arrow in a target, the chalk stuck out at a ninety-degree angle and showed no signs of falling.

    Belle stood up and began reading as if nothing had happened. No one raised any complaints, including Faust who had been struck silent. Suddenly, Faust realized why Belle was never bullied, despite being a loner.

 Chapter 8 - Magical Girls (1)

    ¡°Do you want to become a magical girl?¡±

    A set of beady red eyes stared innocently at the question¡¯s recipient. The creature was built like two marbles resting atop a waft of smoke. White fur flowed seamlessly from tip to tail. A set of golden rings hanging from pink tufts of ear hair were the only inorganic things on its body. The creature¡¯s tail waved playfully. The rhythmic motion was almost hypnotic, as if the being knew it could coax a response through cuteness alone.

    The silence that followed was lifted by the quiet droning of cars driving through the suburb. The weekend¡¯s heat wave had already hit, and passersby were scarce. Even if someone had decided to peer over the Noh¡¯s fence, they would likely miss the tiny creature sitting in front of their door. The fox-like being fearlessly cocked its head, indicating that it was ready to hear an answer.

    ¡°No.¡± Kazama replied while slamming the door.

    Kazama turned away from the entrance and shuddered. The blue-haired boy was so distracted that he nearly ran into his father, Adam. Although, it might have been the other way around.

    ¡°Sorry, Kazama, didn¡¯t see you there.¡± Adam craned his neck to look at Kazama from behind a pile of books. ¡°Hey, could you take some of these to the basement?¡±

    Kazama looked around their living room. He couldn¡¯t see a single wall without at least one bookshelf beside it. Most of them were full to the brim with manga or light novels.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s still some room on the second floor.¡±

    ¡°Not for these books there isn¡¯t.¡± Adam explained, shoving the stack into Kazama¡¯s hands. ¡°These ones are trash novels. The basement is good enough for them. I¡¯m never going to reread ¡®em anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why not just throw them out?¡±

    ¡°-At least not until I finish rereading all the good novels. Then I¡¯ll come crawling back to these rejects. Unless something new comes out in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why our basement is overflowing with old books¡­¡± Kazama argued with all the enthusiasm of a sloth at a 5K. He knew what Adam would say next.

    ¡°My house, my rules.¡± Adam patted Kazama on the head and left with a smirk.

    A dim light flickered on as Kazama navigated the maze of books that littered their basement. With the lack of light and a fresh stack of rejects blocking his view, a crash was inevitable. Countless books tumbled down over Kazama¡¯s head. He shrugged them off, but one fallen book caught his eye.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a light novel.¡±

    In fact, it didn¡¯t look like any book that Kazama knew. The book¡¯s thickness put it on the level of encyclopedias and phonebooks. Thin discolored leather bound the pages. Age had worn down the engraved cover, making it unintelligible. A frail rusted lock kept it bound tightly. Or at least, it had, until Kazama knocked it over.

    The book suddenly burst open and thin slips of paper flew everywhere. At first Kazama assumed they were pages, but on closer inspection they appeared to be cards. The cards dashed around as if they were alive. Walls couldn¡¯t stop them. The glowing paper slips passed through any surface they touched. Kazama didn¡¯t even bother trying to stop them. When the book finally calmed down, every single card had vanished.

    ¡°HEY KID!¡± A high-pitched voice nearly ruptured Kazama¡¯s eardrums.

    Kazama whipped around to see a new set of beady eyes staring at him. This time, the creature was floating at head level. Round bear-like ears and a sewn button nose were the only other visible features on its golf ball sized head. It had four legs and a thin, bushy-ended, lion¡¯s tail. Glowing golden wings were affixed to the creature¡¯s back, but they didn¡¯t move as it flew.

    It¡¯s just as marketable as the other one. Kazama thought idly.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°YOU!¡± It wailed. ¡°You released all the cards!¡±

    ¡°If a rusty lock was the only thing holding them back, then I think it was inevitable.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to twist things around!¡± The creature crossed its tiny forelegs. ¡°Those cards are dangerous! We need to hunt them down!¡±

    ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡± Kazama replied while he restacked the fallen books. ¡°I¡¯m going to fix these books and then leave you down here forever.¡±

    ¡°No chance, kid! I need your help to capture those cards! You¡¯re going to become Cardcaptor Kazama!¡±

    Kazama looked up from his books. Very few people had seen Kazama when he was truly angry. Even fewer had seen him wear a genuine expression of disgust. The expression that the creature witnessed was a marriage of the two. Trembling eyebrows at sixty degree angles pointed down to two smoldering eyes. Kazama¡¯s mouth twisted into a tooth-filled sneer that was dripping with contempt.

    ¡°Never call me that again.¡±

    ¡°Ok, kid. You got it.¡± The creature backed away. Its thin brown fur stood on end.

    Kazama wordlessly finished his cleaning and then stomped back upstairs. The lion-esque creature dutifully followed, albeit at a much slower pace. Kazama had kicked the unsealed book into a corner before he left and its guardian seemed determined to bring it along. After a grueling journey up the basement stairs, the creature¡¯s tiny eyes opened wide in surprise.

    The door had been locked.

    ¡°Y-You were joking about leaving me here forever, right?¡± The creature called out meekly.

    Kazama neither heard nor cared about the winged creature. He was busy glaring through the pinhole in his front door. Sitting on his family¡¯s welcome mat without a care in the world was the white-furred creature. It abruptly paused its idling and stared up at the pinhole. Kazama slid the secondary lock into place and swore. Then he turned around and swore again.

    ¡°What the hell were you thinking!?¡± A familiar high-pitched wail rang through the entryway. ¡°You were just going to leave me there!?¡±

    ¡°How did you get out of the basement?¡± Kazama grumbled while massaging the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°You opened the book, so it¡¯s bound to you.¡± The creature explained, staring down at its hefty luggage. ¡°And I¡¯m the book¡¯s guardian, so I go where it goes. You can¡¯t lose it and you can¡¯t lose me.¡±

    Kazama¡¯s frown deepened as the creature narrowed its eyes and raised its chin. The smug expression was about as close as the guardian could get to a smirk with its simplistic features.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Kazama growled.

    He opened the door and glared at the fox-like creature loitering on his front porch. The strange being uncurled its tail in acknowledgment.

    ¡°Are you ready to become a magical girl?¡± It asked hopefully.

    ¡°What do I get in return?¡±

    ¡°Hey! Hey! Back off pal!¡± The brown-furred creature flew over to its snowy counterpart. ¡°We already have a thing going.¡±

    ¡°You can make one wish as payment.¡± The white one replied without missing a beat. ¡°It can be anything.¡±

    Kazama moved a hand to his chin as he considered the offer. ¡°Alright, I wish for this guy¡¯s book to be returned to its original condition¡­with an extra strong lock.¡±

    ¡°Then the contract is sealed.¡±

    The fox-like creature¡¯s eyes gleamed. With a swish of its bushy white tail, cards began flying into the book from every direction.

    ¡°No, wait! I-¡± The guardian was sucked into the book as well.

    A glittering silver lock manifested and then magical tome was sealed for good.

    ¡°You know¡­¡± The fox-like being suddenly took a more conversational tone. ¡°You could have wished away your¡­unusual magnetism.¡±

    ¡°But then I would have been stuck with that guy for the rest of my life.¡± Kazama replied. ¡°Sometimes you need to fight strange with strange.¡±

    ¡°True enough, now about our contr-¡±

    *Slam*

    Kazama slammed the door in the creature¡¯s face. It swished its tail angrily as the door¡¯s lock clicked into place.

    - - -

    Belle woke up with a crick in her neck. She groaned, rolled over, and then grunted in pain as her head hit a hard surface. The pink-haired girl¡¯s eyes shot open. In seconds, she was up with her hands raised defensively. Belle¡¯s gaze darted from one place to the next. There was so much wrong with her current situation that she couldn¡¯t pick a point to focus on.

    Her eyes settled on the hot pink dress that had replaced her pajamas. White frills lined every edge, from the open-shouldered top to the short skirt below. The fabric clung tightly to her body, as if it had been made with a disturbingly intimate knowledge of her figure. Black diamond patterned knee socks lead into a pair of ruby red shoes. The shimmering footwear looked like it could take Belle home with a click of her heels. Normally, the introverted girl would cringe at the sight of such a flashy outfit. Realizing that she was wearing it herself made Belle want to puke.

    Belle tore her eyes away from the gaudy mess and surveyed the area. If she had to describe the landscape in one word, it would be vague. The dark purple ground she stood on seemed to shift and coil like smoke. Hills and valleys were birthed and unmade as the unstable space constantly redefined itself. If the floor had been melted down and then converted into steam, the sky would be the result. Thunderous purple clouds lumbered above her. Somehow it reminded Belle of the room in her boundary crystal. However, this palace was more¡­alive.

    Belle would have continued to stare at the mesmerizing landscape, but a sleepy groan caused her to refocus. The pink-haired girl noticed that she was not alone. Another girl had been sleeping beside her for who knows how long.

    ¡°Ugh, my head¡­¡± The new girl groaned as she sat up. ¡°And I think I have a crick in my neck.¡±

    Belle blinked. Then she rubbed her eyes. Then she blinked a couple more times.

    The sitting girl stared up at her. ¡°Belle? Where are we? And what¡¯s with that dress?¡±

    Belle brought a hand to her thigh and furtively pinched herself. It hurt.

    ¡°¡­Come on, say something.¡±

    The blue-haired girl cocked her head in an impatient manner. She wore a duplicate of Belle''s flashy dress, the only difference was its color. The sky-blue pallet fit perfectly with her unusual hair. The girl herself was a slender beauty. Fair white skin served as a canvas for her cerulean lips and luminous blue eyes. Long shapely legs were crossed and then uncrossed as she waited for an answer. The girl¡¯s hair, the centerpiece of her look, just barely reached her shoulders. She gazed up at Belle¡¯s horrified expression with concern.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Kazama asked.

 Short - Say Noh (1)

    A series of bright flashes erupted from an alleyway. Then a coughing man in a tattered blue jumpsuit stumbled around the corner and onto the street. He quickly patted himself down, as his clothes and hair were peppered with tiny fires. Once he¡¯d protected what little hair he had left, the man turned towards a pair of onlookers.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you!¡± The jumpsuit man exclaimed with glee.

    The onlookers, who¡¯d stopped for the umpteenth time that day, looked at him with skepticism. One of them was especially wary.

    ¡°You have the wrong person.¡± Kazama replied flatly.

    ¡°N-No, that¡¯s impossible.¡± The man insisted, stepping forward. ¡°Listen, you may not believe me, but I¡¯m a time-traveler! I need you to come with me and-¡±

    ¡°-Trust me, this happens more often than you¡¯d think.¡± Kazama shook his head. ¡°Look around. Are you really in the right place?¡±

    The flammable man looked around at the bustling downtown scene. Then he scratched his head.

    ¡°Well, it does look a little¡­primitive.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Kazama nodded as he placed his hands on a console attached to the man¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Wait! What are you doing!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have an acquaintance who time travels. She built something similar.¡±

    ¡°How is that fine!? Hey! Don¡¯t press that button!¡±

    There was another blinding flash of light and then the man disappeared. Kazama continued on his way and, after composing himself, Daniel quietly followed. The pair was only three blocks away from The Nood, Daniel¡¯s favorite Asian takeout place. As usual, their trip was fraught with strange encounters.

    Two blocks away, Kazama stopped as a notebook suddenly fell from the sky. He picked up the ominous item and tossed it at the roof of an adjacent building. The resulting pang scattered a horde of crows along with a leather-bound man sporting black wings.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    With only one block to go, another disheveled man approached the pair. His wrinkled face and a crescent of spindly grey hair at the edge of his otherwise bald head were telling of his age. He wore a robe that might have once been white and gold but was now brown and bronze from dirt and mud. The aged man shook violently as he stepped towards Kazama. Both the man and his clothes looked like they could fall apart at any second.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for someone like you!¡± The man announced. ¡°Child, I may not look it, but I¡¯m actually a powerful sorcerer. I¡¯ve been trapped in this world for -¡±

    ¡°-I don¡¯t need to hear your spiel.¡± Kazama cut in. He pushed a five-dollar bill into the man¡¯s quivering hands. ¡°This should be enough to get you something to eat. There¡¯s a homeless shelter about five blocks down that way. They might be able to help you out.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. I¡¯m¡­¡± The old man trailed off when he realized Kazama had already crossed the street.

    After some speed walking, Kazama and Daniel finally made it to The Nood. They ordered some food and then fell into their chairs with simultaneous sighs. At first, Daniel had been amazed by the sheer variety of weirdos who accosted Kazama on a daily basis. Now that the two had been acquainted for a full semester, the unpopular boy realized just how tiring those situations could be.

    ¡°I¡¯m always amazed¡­¡± Daniel trailed off as he slurped some udon through a standard Asian takeout box.

    ¡°By what?¡±

    ¡°By the way you¡¯re able to blow people off.¡±

    Kazama raised an eyebrow and Daniel threw out a hand, gesturing for him to wait. After downing another mouthful of udon, Daniel continued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that in a bad way. You deal with so many encounters that it would be crazy to hear everyone out. But the way you turn people away¡­It¡¯s like an art.¡±

    ¡°Practice makes perfect.¡± Kazama replied with a shrug. Then he put a hand to his chin. ¡°Although there is a trick to it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°90% of those encounters are scams. If you know that, then it¡¯s easy to avoid them. For example, I noticed that homeless man sleeping in an alleyway earlier this week. He probably fabricated some elaborate excuse that would end in me giving him money. So, I handed him some charity and left.¡±

    ¡°Then, he wasn¡¯t a sorcerer from another world?¡±

    ¡°Common sense would say no.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the last person I want to hear talk about common sense.¡±

    Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was a third person sitting at their table. The pair stared wide-eyed at the stranger who promptly opened a $5 box of noodles and began slurping them down.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing¡­slurp¡­that you have such an impressive¡­slurp¡­magical aura.¡± The elderly homeless man spoke while eating voraciously ¡°Otherwise I don¡¯t know how I would have tracked you down.¡±

 Chapter 9 - Magical Girls (2)

    ¡°Long ago, two alien races discovered a powerful weapon¡­¡±

    The ever-shifting landscape began to shake. Kazama and Belle fell to their knees to avoid stumbling. A horrific shriek erupted from a tear in the mauve ground. The twins clutched their ears. It was as if every molecule in that space was quaking in fear.

    ¡°One was a peaceful race that wanted to safeguard the weapon. The other was a race of warmongers who coveted power by any means necessary. If they had their way, this entire galaxy could be destroyed. My virtuous race was left with one option.¡±

    A jet-black hand shot out of the crack. Fingers the size of anchors dug into the earth. The monstrosity¡¯s head slowly escaped the fissure. Black swirling mist was pierced by two gleaming golden orbs. The horror¡¯s body was just as vague as the space that birthed it.

    ¡°You said it yourself, Kazama. Sometimes you need to fight strange with strange. My people began using this new weapon to fight back. Although, our methods are complete opposites. This weapon-¡±

    Kazama, Bell, and even their kidnapper cringed as the monstrosity let out another rancorous howl.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The fox-like creature swished its tail in annoyance. ¡°This weapon is unlike guns, spears or anything else you might imagine. It is-¡±

    ¡°WHO CARES WHAT IT IS!?¡± Kazama¡¯s shrill voice may not have been as loud as the monster¡¯s, but it carried a similar sentiment. ¡°When I asked ¡®what the hell is going on?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t asking for alien history 101! I was asking why am I here, in this place, in these clothes, in this body!?¡±

    ¡°I was getting to that.¡± The creature snapped. ¡°The weapon we discovered is emotions. Human emotion is a powerful catalyst and the optimal form is a female-¡±

    ¡°-So, how am I involved?¡± Belle cut in with a droning tone. ¡°Because I¡¯ve never met either of you.¡±

    ¡°Belle, we went over this.¡± The blue-haired beauty shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s me, Kazama. Your brother.¡±

    ¡°I refuse to believe that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get all defensive just because I¡¯m prettier than you.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Meanwhile, the vaguely humanoid monstrosity finally freed itself from the pit. It let out another earth-shaking roar and then began its rampage. Claws, teeth, fists and talons assaulted every surface within reach. The monstrosity hadn¡¯t noticed the three other beings in its space, but soon there wouldn¡¯t be anywhere for them to hide.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just saying, I was always the better-looking twin. It makes sense that-¡±

    ¡°-Please! We do not have time for this petty argument!¡± The fox-like creature raised its voice, but the siblings continued to glare at each other.

    ¡°Ok, fuck this.¡± Belle spun away with her hands raised in mocking surrender. ¡°White thing, do we have to beat that monster to get out of here?¡±

    The white thing bristled its fur. ¡°Yes. Defeating nightmares is your mission as magical girls. Killing it will allow you to escape this-¡±

    Belle slammed a fist into her open palm. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll kill it, and then we never speak of this again.¡±

    ¡°Please stop interrupting me! I haven¡¯t even explained how a magical girl should fight!¡±

    Belle ignored the creature and began striding towards the monstrosity.

    ¡°Well, if I had to guess¡­¡± Kazama muttered.

    The blue-haired girl extended her hand and then a sapphire rod materialized in a flash of light. The wand¡¯s length was comparable to Kazama¡¯s arm, and it was tipped by a pulsating crystal heart. Kazama pointed it at a random mound and a blue laser shot towards her target. Unfazed by the subsequent explosion, Kazama twirled the wand with practiced ease.

    ¡°Hey Belle! That guy looks pretty strong. Your brother¡¯s worried, so he¡¯ll back you up.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Belle waved without looking back. ¡°Let me know if you see him.¡±

    ¡°To manifest a heart-weapon so easily¡­¡± The fox-like creature breathed. ¡°And it¡¯s so powerful. That kind of talent only comes once every hundred years.¡±

    The monstrosity turned its smoke-covered head towards the explosion. Then its gleaming eyes settled on the nearest target: Belle. The magical girl in question calmly held out her hand. The horror recoiled as light erupted from Belle¡¯s palm. In a frenzy, it swung one massive hand towards the source of the light. Belle sidestepped effortlessly and then raised her weapon.

    It was the sun incarnate. Powerful flames licked every inch of the metal surface. Hiding underneath the inferno was a hefty steel blade. Belle¡¯s sword was three times the length of Kazama¡¯s staff and twice as thick.

    Somewhere in her heart of hearts, Kazama felt a deep jealousy. Though, it was lessened in her current form, that didn¡¯t stop the young boy-turned-girl from crying out.

    ¡°Bullshit!¡±

    Belle swung the sword like it was a paper roll. She sliced through the monstrosity¡¯s arm without any resistance. The horror groaned in pain and lowered its head. An upward slash carved a one meter gash into its swirling visage. The horror reared up and released another quaking bellow.

    ¡°O-Once every thousand years¡­¡± Belle¡¯s kidnapper whispered in awe. ¡°No, once every ten thousand.¡±

    A blue laser pierced the howling monstrosity¡¯s chest. The horror pawed at the hole with its remaining hand. Dark smoke rose up from the wound. It was already beginning to close. Meanwhile, the horror¡¯s injured arm hung limp at its side. The miasmic skin seemed to have been cauterized by Belle¡¯s flames.

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re still the pretty twin.¡± Belle called out.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Kazama grunted before firing off a volley of lasers.

    The sheer number of attacks overwhelmed the horror¡¯s healing. It fell on its back with a cry.

    ¡°Watch it!¡± Belle yelled as she raised her sword to block a stray shot. ¡°You did that on purpose!¡±

    ¡°Did not.¡±

    ¡°Hey Kazama¡­¡± The edges of Belle¡¯s lips rose. A warm and inviting smile appeared on her face. With the makeup from her transformation, she looked quite elegant.

    Kazama flinched on instinct. It was the same face that Remira made before she asked for something obscene.

    ¡°It seems like either of us can kill this guy without any trouble. So, maybe we should settle our own issues first.¡±

    ¡°Having a catfight over something so trivial¡­¡± Kazama shook her head and sighed. ¡°Girls are really such-¡±

    ¡°-I don¡¯t want to hear that from the person who started it!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one swinging that huge thing around right after I lost mine!¡± Kazama¡¯s shout rang out a little louder than she intended.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Belle blinked. ¡°What are you even talking about?¡±

    ¡°Forget it¡­¡± Kazama sighed again and then raised her wand. ¡°Guys are stupid too, let¡¯s just fight.¡±

    The fox-like creature jumped in between them and screamed something about how magical girls shouldn¡¯t fight one another, but its pleas went unheard. Kazama opened up with another barrage of lasers while Belle charged forward fearlessly. She sliced every projectile in her path and then swung her sword towards Kazama. A magical shield cracked as it collided with the torrid weapon. Belle was forced to retreat as Kazama readied another volley behind her failing defense.

    Ten minutes later, the ground in that vague space had been reduced to ash. The monstrosity was only responsible for a quarter of it. The mauve surface continued to shift and pulse, but its movements were like a heart under duress. Those short spasms continued to rock Belle as she stood above her sister. Kazama lay on the floor, alive, unconscious and thoroughly beaten.

    ¡°31 to 17.¡± Belle muttered as she stepped over her incapacitated sibling.

    The pink magical girl plunged her sword into the groaning horror. The monstrosity couldn¡¯t even fight back, it was another casualty of the twin¡¯s collateral damage. After the horror finished its death-throes, Belle woke up.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The pink-haired girl exclaimed. ¡°It was a dream?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not your dream.¡± A calm void replied.

    Belle noticed a ball of white fur resting by her feet. She poked it, prompting her kidnapper to raise its head.

    ¡°By the way, thanks for leaving your window unlocked.¡± The being swished its tail in a smug flourish. ¡°I dragged you into this on a whim, but your results were beyond anything I could have imagined. So, how did it feel having that much power?¡±

    ¡°Pass.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s too bad.¡± The creature¡¯s tail continued to glide back and forth. ¡°Well, I still haven¡¯t paid you for your services. Normally, a magical girl makes a wish before I transform her. You could always wish to return to normal¡­¡±

    Belle opened her mouth and a white tail shot out to interrupt her.

    ¡°But then you would be abandoning your brother. He¡¯s already used his wish, you see.¡± The creature¡¯s eyes gleamed with malicious intent. ¡°Of course, you could always save him with your own wish. It would be a sacrifice worthy of a true magical girl.¡±

    ¡°Screw that.¡± Belle folded her arms. ¡°Why should I-¡±

    ¡°-Your own brother will be trapped in a foreign body for the rest of his life. He¡¯ll be forced to fight difficult battles with a strength that¡¯s dwarfed by your own.¡±

    Belle glared at the creature, but it simply returned her gaze.

    ¡°You could also just wish for both of us to return to normal.¡± A feminine voice spoke from behind the bedside wall. ¡°My wish was essentially a twofer.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Belle¡¯s lips rose in a slight grin. ¡°Then I wish Kazama and I weren¡¯t magical girls.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡± The fox-like creature let its tail lay flat. ¡°I hate to abandon such a gem, but rules are rules.¡±

    After a brief flash of light, Belle felt her connection to the snowy being vanish. When she opened her eyes, the creature was sitting on her windowsill.

    ¡°Haah, this has been an enlightening experience to say the least.¡± It sighed. ¡°Goodbye Belle. You and your sister won¡¯t be seeing me again.¡±

    And with that final strange statement, the creature jumped through Belle¡¯s window and disappeared into the night.

    ¡°So, Kazama. Can you explain what just happened?¡± Belle called out.

    There was no response.

    Belle left her room and quietly knocked on Kazama¡¯s door.

    Once again, there was no response.

    Belle opened the door and crept inside. Kazama was kneeling in the center of the room. Her sibling¡¯s head hung low to the point where Kazama¡¯s silky blue hair touched the carpet. Kazama parted her hair to reveal an expressionless face. Of course, as a master of deadpan stares, Belle knew it wasn¡¯t Kazama¡¯s default glare. She was just trying to look composed.

    ¡°M-Maybe you should have been a little more careful with your words¡­heh heh haah¡± Kazama trailed off into a strange mix between a sigh and a chuckle. ¡°It seems that, instead of a magical girl, now I¡¯m just a girl.¡±

    ¡°Um, sorry.¡± Belle found herself looking away from Kazama¡¯s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that would happen.¡±

    ¡°Well, what if it¡¯s a good thing?¡± Kazama spoke with a desperate gleam in her eyes. ¡°Remira and Lin probably won¡¯t bother me anymore. A-And, uh, I¡¯ll probably become more popular in school.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to look on the bright side.¡± Belle spoke mechanically as she forced a smile.

    ¡°Then again, Remira will probably say something like ¡®I don¡¯t care about gender so long as you abuse me¡¯ and I don¡¯t understand what Lin wants from me in the first place. Also, how would I even explain something like this to the school¡­¡±

    Kazama¡¯s head lowered even further as she considered her situation. The blue-haired girl¡¯s tone dropped and she began mumbling about the consequences of her new body.

    ¡°Daniel seems uncomfortable around women¡­Mom would probably call me Kazama-chan¡­If there¡¯s a difference in physical strength then fishing will be¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Belle shout-whispered. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know how we got into this situation, but you¡¯re usually the one who fixes things like this. I might have been stuck as a magical girl forever if you didn¡¯t tell me what to do back there. So, pull yourself together. Can you think of anything that could turn you back to normal?¡±

    Of course, it had been on Belle¡¯s mind since she first saw Kazama like this. While her sister rationalized, Belle had been wracking her brain trying to think of any otherworldly thing that could help. As much as she hated to admit it, the pink-haired girl had a lot more faith in Kazama¡¯s deductions than her own.

    Belle¡¯s brother-cum-sister stopped mumbling. She brought a hand to her chin and began staring off into space. Belle waited patiently. Several minutes later, Kazama opened her mouth.

    ¡°I definitely haven¡¯t seen anything that could fix my body.¡± She concluded.

    Belle¡¯s shoulders slumped.

    ¡°But, there is one place I could look.¡±

    Belle¡¯s expression lit up until she noticed that Kazama was glowering.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You finally found a lead.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I just thought I was done with him.¡± Kazama shook her head.

    The pair quietly snuck into the basement. Kazama retrieved a book from the nearest bookshelf and held it up to the light. The tome¡¯s unwieldy size and glittering lock were all the confirmation she needed, but the blue-haired girl found herself stalling.

    ¡°What kind of light novel is that? Or is it a manga anthology?¡± Belle asked, listing the only two kinds of literature that could be found in the Noh family basement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare compare me to the garbage lying around here!¡± A muffled voice yelled. ¡°I read some of those books while I was resting here, and my god! Do you have any idea what it¡¯s like to read the same terrible rejects for over a decade!?¡±

    Kazama and Belle stared at the book in stunned silence.

    ¡°Er, sorry.¡± The book apologized, taking a more civil tone. ¡°Ever since I got a taste of freedom I¡¯ve been going stir-crazy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Kazama replied. ¡°Play your cards right, no pun intended, and I might let you out of here.¡±

    ¡°B-But I can¡¯t just leave! Who will guard the cards?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got that shiny new lock. Plus, I have a chest that¡¯s specially made for safeguarding magic items.¡±

    There was a pause, then a tiny winged creature emerged from the cover. The beady-eyed being crossed its arms and sat on the book with a ponderous expression.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m listeni-¡±

    The creature froze as it stared up at the siblings. Its lion tail began to quiver and the being¡¯s wings flapped madly. Finally, it couldn¡¯t hold itself back any longer.

    ¡°WAHAHAHA! Is that you Kazama!? I thought your voice sounded weird. Looking good, kid!¡±

    Kazama promptly slapped the creature back into the book. Its head resurfaced moments later, like a seal bobbing in water.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°All of those cards have magic effects, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup. There¡¯s a whole plethora of spells that can be cast from this book.¡±

    ¡°Can any of them undo magical transformations.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get you.¡±

    The creature dove back into the book and came out with a glowing white card. There was a lighthouse drawn on its front that seemed to actually be producing light.

    ¡°Shine this baby on something and any magic affecting it will be nullified. It can reverse curses as well.¡±

    Kazama reached for the card but the creature pulled away.

    ¡°But you need to free me from this book first, ok? Cutting a guardian away from his magical treasure is an impossible feat for a layman. Only a master sorcerer could accomplish it. This might take years, but I¡¯m willing to train you if-¡±

    Kazama muttered a short phrase and then grabbed the creature. Purple sparks jumped harmlessly along its body as the blue-haired girl pulled the guardian free. The lion-esque being floated above the book in silence.

    ¡°H-How in the world?¡±

    ¡°I may not be a magical girl, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t use magic.¡± Kazama replied with a wide grin.

    She plucked the card out of the trembling creature¡¯s hands and let its light wash over her. Belle breathed a sigh of relief as she sat next to her twin brother.

    ¡°Like I said. Sometimes you have to fight strange with strange.¡±

 Short - Say Noh (2)

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­Mmh¡­It¡¯s, uh.¡± The self-proclaimed sorcerer paused to munch another mouthful of noodles. ¡°It¡¯s been weeks since I came here, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone like me. Until you showed up, that is.¡±

    Kazama and Daniel exchanged a confused glance.

    ¡°And how, exactly, am I like you?¡± Kazama asked.

    The man grinned. ¡°We¡¯re both mages.¡±

    Kazama stiffened. Then, he smiled and shook his head in a condescending manner. The gesture was so effective that it almost looked practiced. In truth, it was.

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Maybe you¡¯re going senile, old man?¡±

    ¡°My name is Melchior, and you will address me as such.¡± The old man growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care what world this is. A child can¡¯t be allowed to talk like that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on Earth. What other worlds are there?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re a sorcerer, then you must have heard of¡­¡± Melchior trailed off as he noticed Kazama¡¯s blank expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I really have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    A bluff. After being pulled around all his life, Kazama had developed a number of strategies for rebuffing encounters. If assuming offers to be scams was lesson one, then Kazama had just demonstrated lesson two.

    ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s how you want to play it¡­¡±

    Melchior stood up from his seat and breathed deeply. As he exhaled, every customer at The Nood began to feel a chill. For Kazama¡¯s table, this chill rapidly evolved into a heavy pressure that would make a normal person struggle to breathe. After a few excruciating seconds, the pressure vanished. Daniel fell onto the table and gasped like a dying fish while Kazama sat unaffected.

    ¡°Daniel, are you ok?¡± Kazama asked while shaking his friend.

    ¡°Ko¡­Kono reiatsu¡­!¡± Daniel mumbled. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Kazama let him go, deciding that a few brain cells weren¡¯t much of a loss. The blue-haired boy turned to the sorcerer with a stern look.

    ¡°So, what do you want?¡±

    Melchior released a hollow chuckle. ¡°A way to return home. For you see¡­¡±

    The old man spun a tale of honest effort versus heartless backstabbing. He raved about a kingdom that threw him out and the party members that turned on him. When Melchior finished, one of his listeners rolled his eyes while the other mumbled something about an enemy stand. Daniel still hadn¡¯t recovered from the sensation of Melchior¡¯s mana.

    ¡°So, in short, you created a monster. It went berserk. You created a weapon to kill said monster. Then you scammed a group of idiots to hunt it for you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it¡­yes.¡± Melchior conceded. ¡°I was banished from my world as punishment, but you¡¯re going to help me get back there!¡±

    Kazama laced his fingers. ¡°And how would I do that?¡±

    ¡°With sorcery, of course. I¡¯ll prepare the circle but I need you to procure some ingredients.¡±

    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t test me, boy. If your mana is a lake, then mine is an ocean. Now, how many dragon scales can you get within the week?¡±

    Kazama blinked. ¡°There aren¡¯t any dragons in this world.¡±

    ¡°Sea serpents?¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    ¡°Lizard people?¡±

    Kazama shook his head.

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ll even take iguanas if I must.¡±

    ¡°What are those?¡± Kazama asked innocently.

    Melchior sunk his head into his hands. ¡°What kind of world is this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you.¡± Kazama shrugged.

    ¡°You should be telling me how to get out of this magic-forsaken world!¡± Melchior shouted as he rose from his seat. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll give up that easily! I will find a way to-¡±

    The supposed sorcerer froze mid-rant. Melchior gazed forward in a thousand-yard stare. Suddenly, he bolted. Kazama had never seen an old man move so quickly. However, that wasn¡¯t the escape tactic of a powerful sorcerer. It was simply a desperate scramble from a terrified man.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Lia cried out in surprise more than anything as the homeless man bumped her on his way out.

    ¡°Like, what an ass.¡± Tammy muttered. ¡°Plus, that old man reeked.¡±

    May and Belle nodded emphatically.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, I feel like I¡¯ve seen him before.¡± Lia said, raising a hand to her chin.

    Well, he¡¯ll probably do his best to avoid you from here on out. Belle thought.

    Lesson three: If someone does manage to pull you into a strange situation, make sure they won''t want to do it again.

 Chapter 10 - Dating Sim (1)

    ¡°T-Tomiya-kun¡­¡±

    ¡°Sakura-san¡­¡±

    The teenage lovers gazed into each other¡¯s eyes. Sakura placed a trembling hand on Tomiya¡¯s bare chest. Tomiya moved his hand over hers. The two closed their eyes and shared a moment of indescribable closeness. Finally, Tomiya couldn¡¯t hold back. He moved forward and pushed Sakura down onto his bed.

    ¡°Hyaan!¡±

    Her cute cry only served to embolden him. Tomiya lunged into a passionate kiss. Their heated embrace continued to escalate as Tomiya¡¯s hands slid under his lover¡¯s blouse. After countless sloppy kisses, Sakura finally pulled back. She fluttered her eyelids and glanced away. Her face was beet red. When she looked back into Tomiya¡¯s eyes, her desire was laid bare.

    ¡°Tomiya, I want to be yours.¡±

    Tomiya stiffened. Those words eroded what little reason he had left.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Just before Tomiya could reach home plate, the door opened.

    ¡°Hey Belle, I need to borrow your¡­uh¡­¡± Kazama trailed off as he observed the scene.

    The lovers froze, or to be more accurate, they were waiting. Waiting for a dialogue input that never occurred. Kazama had about two seconds to view their passionate exchange through a computer screen before Belle slammed Alt-F4. The love scene was instantly replaced with a stock desktop background. All that was left was a pair of siblings and an awkward mood.

    ¡°W-Was that a visual novel?¡± Kazama finally broke the silence.

    ¡°No.¡± Belle replied gruffly. She wouldn¡¯t meet his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just didn¡¯t know you liked those kinds of games.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Belle¡¯s eyes darted around as her brain desperately searched for an excuse. ¡°I was¡­I was just¡­Um.¡±

    Belle stood up and pointed at her laptop.

    ¡°I was just watching hentai!¡± She announced confidently.

    The desperate proclamation brought a different kind of silence to the room. Kazama slowly stepped back as he reached for the door handle. The blue-haired boy muttered a short apology before slinking away.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll, uh, knock next time.¡±

    Belle fell back down into her chair. Her obvious lie had caught him off guard, and that was enough for now. She¡¯d have time to come up with a real explanation later. The pink-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief. Then her eyes shot open as she realized something important.

    ¡°Ah. I forgot to save.¡±

    - - -

    ¡°Thanks for letting me borrow your game.¡± Belle expressed her gratitude the next day at lunch.

    The pink-haired girl pulled a plastic disc cover out of her backpack. May swiped it out of her friend¡¯s hand and slid it under her lunch tray.

    ¡°It¡¯s not really mine¡­¡± The brunette replied in a diplomatic tone. ¡°My older brother is obsessed with these kinds of games. He practically forced me to play this one.¡±

    ¡°I can see why.¡± Belle nodded knowingly. ¡°The artwork, the storyline¡­everything was high-quality.¡±

    ¡°And you aren¡¯t embarrassed to say that?¡± May¡¯s voice dropped to a half-whisper. ¡°Games like these have a bad reputation. Especially among high schoolers.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want anyone to find out about this hobby.¡± A faint smile touched Belle¡¯s lips. ¡°But this is the first time I¡¯ve met someone who played the same game as me. I want to discuss it with you.¡±

    May sighed to cover up an awkward grin. Belle wasn¡¯t the most expressive person, which made it difficult for the trio to tell where they stood with her. Seeing Belle open up like that gave May a strange feeling of satisfaction.

    ¡°Plus¡­¡± Belle clasped her hands together. ¡°You finished it too, right? Then you can understand why I want to talk about it!¡±

    May nodded fiercely. ¡°That scene at the end where Sakura left Kimura at the altar was so sad!¡±

    ¡°And Tomiya¡¯s confession was amazing! And the time when Haruhi saved her from those thugs!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± May waved her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any of that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, did you only play Kimura¡¯s route?¡±

    ¡°Route?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you got the bad ending too.¡±

    ¡°There was a good ending!?¡±

    Belle folded her arms. ¡°What did you think those dialogue choices were for?¡±

    ¡°I-I thought they were just to help you role play!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll explain how these games work.¡± Belle¡®s sighed. Her excited pitch fell to a comfortable monotone. ¡°Visual novels are, as the name implies, mostly just stories delivered through the mixed-media format of games. However, what you played was also a dating sim. Which means that the story progresses based on how you interact with the dateable characters.¡±

    ¡°Then Sakura could have ended up with guys other than Kimura?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Yup. You¡¯ll have ¡®fateful encounters¡¯ with a number of different characters. During scenes like that, dialogue choices appear on the screen and you can choose what your character says or does. If you pick the right option, then the other person will start to like you.¡±

    ¡°Ok, that sounds simple enough.¡± May replied, scratching her head. ¡°But what are fateful encounters?¡±

    ¡°They are chance meetings that usually force two characters to get acquainted. There are a lot of tropes, like a guy saving a girl from some thugs or a pair getting locked in a room together. Of course, the biggest trope is¡­never mind, with my luck I shouldn¡¯t even mention it. You could say our first meeting was also a kind of fateful encounter.¡±

    May smiled weakly, remembering that cold roofless night and the first time she feared for her life. There were also feelings of exhilaration and curiosity tied to those memories, but May wasn¡¯t ready to admit that yet.

    ¡°Incidentally¡­¡± Belle lowered her tone.

    May looked up at Belle and shivered. The pink-haired girl had an evil gleam in her eye.

    ¡°If you convince Kimura to quit street fighting, he¡¯ll show up at graduation with a ¡­¡±

    ¡°Noo! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± May lunged forward and plugged Belle¡¯s mouth with her hands.

    The flustered brunette froze as she registered the curious stares of countless onlookers. May sat down with a huff and muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll finish it later, so don¡¯t spoil anything.¡±

    Belle nodded with a satisfied grin.

    - - -

    Belle shook her head dismissively. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­¡± Shelly replied. She placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head in a gesture dripping with motherly concern. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Kazama at all this morning. Maybe he¡¯s still in bed?¡±

    ¡°No, he left at the crack of dawn.¡± Adam said, poking his head into the living room. ¡°Said there was something urgent he needed to take care of.¡±

    Belle briefly wondered if that was just an excuse. Two days had passed since the visual novel incident, but Kazama was still acting strangely around her. Ultimately, she decided that there was no point in guessing. ¡®Something urgent¡¯ could be anything from forgotten classwork to an alien invasion.

    ¡°By the way, Belle.¡± Adam stuck his head out of the kitchen again. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be leaving for school?¡±

    Belle glanced at the clock, then she opened her phone to confirm the time. After staring at it for a few seconds, the pink-haired girl bolted for the door. For better or worse, the Belle¡¯s morning routine usually revolved around her brother¡¯s.

    ¡°Belle, catch!¡± Adam called out as he flung something across the living room.

    Belle caught it in her teeth while putting on her backpack. The pink-haired girl dashed outside, munching on some fresh toast as she ran.

    This is harder than it looks on TV. Belle thought as she strained to keep her meal from falling out of her mouth.

    Belle cleared six blocks before the inevitable happened. Her toast flopped up into her face and in that split-second of sightlessness, she collided with someone.

    ¡°Waah!¡± The other party groaned as Belle¡¯s momentum dragged them both down.

    ¡°So-Sorry!¡± Belle threw out a hasty apology.

    The pink-haired girl sprang up without a scratch and prepared to make a hasty exit.

    ¡°Ow¡­Are you ok, miss?¡±

    Belle froze mid sprint as she got her first look at the victim of her carelessness. He was a boy who looked to be around her age. The boy brushed his golden locks aside to reveal a flawlessly beautiful face. When their eyes met, he showed her a dazzling smile. Belle turned away, but she felt his gaze remain on her person. She turned back, remembering that he had asked her a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Belle replied quietly. She held a hand over her face as if she was shielding herself from a bright light.

    And in some way, she was. This boy¡¯s beauty could not simply be described as attractive. He was a work of art. Tall, but not bulky. Broad-shouldered, but not rugged. A perfectly angled chin sat below slim, almost feminine lips. His nose could inspire sculptors while his piercing blue eyes seemed to tug at a person¡¯s very soul.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± A melodious and sincere voice answered her. ¡°It would be terrible if¡­um, miss?¡±

    Belle was half a block away before the boy could even finish his sentence. Of course, the pink-haired girl wasn¡¯t running away because she felt flustered. At least, that wasn¡¯t the main reason.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td width="623">

    You have run into a handsome stranger! What will you say?

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="623">1. "I''m so sorry, sir!"</td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="623">2. "Watch where you''re going, punk."</td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="623">3. "How did that compare to your fall from heaven? My angel~"</td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    When Belle opened her eyes after the collision, the first thing she saw was a blue dialogue box. The floating rectangle followed her as she stood up, and it continued to do so as she ran. Belle swatted at it, but her arm passed through without any resistance. She glanced around but one else seemed to notice the strange blue rectangle.

    Ugh, I don¡¯t have time for this. Belle thought, remembering why she was running in the first place. I¡¯ll just have to ignore it.

    - - -

    ¡°So¡­¡± Faust, the history sub, droned as he squinted at the sheet of paper in his hands. ¡°Since I¡¯m teaching your first period class, the teachers asked me to introduce our new transfer student.¡±

    Belle felt a sudden chill.

    Faust took another glance around and then sighed. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t seem to be here yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY!¡± A familiarly sonorous voice cried out.

    The door swung open and standing in the threshold was a blond Adonis. He rushed inside and immediately bowed to the teacher.

    ¡°Please forgive me for being late, sir!¡± He begged with military-like sincerity.

    ¡°I-Its fine.¡± Faust replied hastily. ¡°Class hasn¡¯t even started yet. You must not be used to your new route.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was a large part of it.¡± Was the transfer student¡¯s cryptic reply.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡± Faust started as he looked back to his paper. ¡°How do you pronounce your last name?¡±

    ¡°Senpai.¡± The new student replied without a hint of sarcasm. ¡°My name is David Senpai.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh, that¡¯s an interesting name. I think it suits you, somehow. Not that other names wouldn¡¯t but, er, um, maybe I¡¯m talking too much.¡±

    Faust seemed to have trouble looking David in the eye.

    The history sub wasn¡¯t the only one feeling flustered. Almost everyone in the class was either staring at the transfer student or averting their gaze while blushing. Even the boys found it difficult to pry their eyes away from someone like that. However, there was one exception. While everyone else was moonstruck, Belle slowly and quietly lowered her face into her desk. This strange reaction was noticed by the worst possible person.

    ¡°You!¡± David yelled as he stepped towards the source of his morning¡¯s troubles. ¡°You¡¯re that rude girl who-!¡±

    David¡¯s rant was cut short as his foot caught on a chair leg. The blonde-haired boy closed his eyes, fully expecting to faceplant in front of his new classmates. Seconds passed but he didn¡¯t reach the ground. David opened his eyes and realized that someone had caught him by his shoulders. That person was now looking into his eyes with a playful, yet predatory glare.

    ¡°How did that compare to your fall from heaven? My angel~¡±

    The entire class froze in shock as those honeyed words left the speaker¡¯s mouth. The speaker in question was also frozen. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she was embarrassed. At least, that wasn¡¯t the main reason.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td width="623">

    Time has expired! Option three was randomly selected.

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

 Chapter 11 - Dating Sim (2)

    ¡°Senpai, I made too much food. Do you want some of my lunch?¡±

    ¡°Senpai, how did you do on that test? I¡­I could tutor you if you want.¡±

    ¡°Senpai, your hair is getting long. Maybe I could cut it for you?¡±

    ¡°Senpai, you seem tense. Do you need a massage?¡±

    David Senpai was a beautiful man. There wasn¡¯t a woman alive, or man for that matter, who could resist his charms. However, there can always be too much of a good thing. This was something David learned during his high school debut. The child who had lived behind his bangs suddenly got a makeover and became the most popular boy in school. He enjoyed the attention for a while, but then his admirers got more serious. Fights broke out daily over who would walk with him between classes or sit next to him at lunch. These disturbances ultimately lead to his sudden transfer to a new high school.

    At this point, any normal person would have hidden their face and returned to obscurity. But David refused to do this. His conviction wasn¡¯t the result of courage or a desire to change. Like everyone else, David was simply enamored by his appearance. He couldn¡¯t bear to hide it.

    What he needed was a foil. Someone who, through popularity or quirkiness, attracted so much attention that he could safely stand by their side. David had serious doubts about finding such a person, but if they existed, then he resolved to stick to them like glue.

    ¡°How did that compare to your fall from heaven? My angel~¡±

    Upon hearing those words, David felt something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. The countless eyes that were normally focused on him suddenly changed targets. Meanwhile, David¡¯s own eyes were locked in place. He stared upwards at the girl who caught his fall. Like a newborn duckling, David began to burn that face into his memory. He immediately regretted this decision as Belle¡¯s playboy smile suddenly vanished. A terrifying snarl was etched into his memory instead. Belle pulled David closer and spoke in a low tone that didn¡¯t carry past his ears.

    ¡°Play along or you¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°-That¡¯s what he said to me this morning.¡± Belle announced in a dull monotone. ¡°He randomly grabbed my hand and said a cringey line like that.¡±

    The pink-haired girl released David¡¯s shoulders and let him fall to his knees. For a moment, David simply knelt there in shock. Then he raised his head and observed his classmate¡¯s reactions. The blonde-haired boy found over a dozen blank stares that mirrored his own. It seemed that no one knew what to think of Belle¡¯s accusation. David shot a furtive glance at the cause of this scene, but she wouldn¡¯t meet his eyes. Belle wasn¡¯t prompting him to corroborate her story, so maybe he could just deny it?

    ¡°I¡­I did say something like that.¡± David admitted sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it offended you.¡±

    If her deadly expression hadn¡¯t been burned into his psyche, David might have considered rebelling. But it was, and so he couldn¡¯t. David closed his eyes and sighed. He¡¯d been saved from being seen as a klutz, but being a playboy was arguably a lot worse.

    David brought a hand to his chin.

    However, he reflected, making a bad impression might actually be a good thing. If he could dampen his classmate¡¯s expectations, then it might help offset his good looks.

    The entire class silently watched him brood. No one dared utter a world to break his concentration. Fifteen minutes into the first period and class was all but forgotten. Everyone waited patiently as David gracefully stroked his chin.

    ¡°After hearing this¡­¡± David eagerly addressed the class. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    The female response was unanimous, save for one.

    ¡°We¡¯re jealous!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± David slumped his shoulders.

    ¡°Say something like that to us too, Senpai!¡±

    ¡°B-But I¡­¡±

    The girls rushed out of their desks and formed a line. Their puppy-dog faces melted the boy¡¯s resistance. Thirty minutes after the bell, David wished he would never hear the word angel again.

    ¡°Are you jealous, Belle?¡± A random student asked.

    David perked up as he noticed the pink-haired girl turn to respond.

    Belle opened her mouth and then immediately closed it. She glanced away, the worry clearly written on her furrowed brow. After some internal debate, Belle finally turned back.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not like I¡¯m jealous, or anything. Senpai can talk to whoever he wants.¡± Came her blushing reply.

    Is this girl bipolar or something!? David screamed internally.

    - - -

    After first period ended, David resolved to learn more about Belle. Even if she was crazy, that girl was the only one to ever tear a crowd¡¯s focus away from him. Belle might even be the foil that he¡¯d hoped to find during his transfer. It was hard to believe that anyone had enough charisma to smother his own, but David was all but convinced that Belle could fill the role.

    Fortunately for him, Belle wasn¡¯t difficult to find. In fact, it was almost impossible to get away from her.

    ¡°Waah!¡± David screamed for the second time that day.

    Belle had missed a step while everyone was moving up to the second floor. This small mistake somehow caused her to tumble back into David. After releasing their respective screams, the pair was safely delivered to the bottom of the stairs in a tangled heap. Belle was the first to get up and her response was nowhere near an apology.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°D-Did you see up my skirt?¡± The speaker¡¯s voice quavered with sincere concern. It was as if Belle truly believed that her underwear¡¯s sanctity took priority over anything else.

    ¡°Um, no I-¡±

    *Slam*

    David barely had a chance to respond before Belle threw her face into the nearest wall. The pink-haired girl slammed into the wall a couple extra times for good measure. Then, she stood up and began to climb the stairs without another word.

    David quickly decided that asking Belle about herself would be pointless.

    ¡°Can anyone tell me about the pink-haired girl in our grade?¡± David asked his posse at lunch.

    The crowd of eager girls tilted their heads in unison. None of them could offer much information beyond she¡¯s quiet or Belle¡¯s hard to talk to.

    ¡°You, like, want to learn about Belle?¡± A tan girl spoke up as she muscled her way to the front of the pack.

    ¡°You¡¯re her friend?¡±

    ¡°Yea, I¡¯d like to think so.¡± She nodded. ¡°My name is Tammy, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m David, but most people call me Senpai.¡±

    David extended his hand and Tammy blushed.

    ¡°Like, I already know. You¡¯re the talk of the school.¡±

    Tammy shook his hand. David did not miss the deluge of jealous glares that fell on her as she did so. He resolved to triple his efforts towards finding a foil.

    ¡°So, what is she like normally?¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡± Tammy reported. ¡°She, like, usually tries to avoid attention.¡±

    ¡°Is that it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­I don¡¯t really know how to put it, but there¡¯s more to Belle than meets the eye. And recently I think she¡¯s been opening up more. Like, she¡¯s coming out of her shell.¡±

    That last phrase made David pause. As a former ghost of his class, the blond Adonis certainly understood the feeling of coming out of one¡¯s shell. Belle was, he concluded, someone with the potential to take the spotlight. Now he just had to bring that side of her out into the open.

    ¡°Behind that deadpan glare¡­¡± Tammy continued happily. ¡°Lies a very calm and confident person.¡±

    David blinked. Confident, maybe, but calm? Belle had seemed agitated from the moment he met her. David shook his head. That didn¡¯t mean Tammy was wrong. His appearance certainly had the power to make people act abnormally.

    David lowered his chin and let it rest on his knuckles. The entire lunchroom sat in silent reverence as he thought.

    If, he reasoned, Belle was acting strangely, then he was definitely the cause. As for why, David only knew one possible answer. Belle had fallen in love with him. It was so obvious now that he thought about it. If he needed her to stay by his side, then there was only one thing to do.

    David stood up with a resolute expression. The lunchroom was filled with a thunderous applause as people cheered for his unknown epiphany.

    - - -

    David approached Belle after their final class ended. To David¡¯s surprise, the pink-haired girl ran away the moment he stepped towards her. He chased her into an empty classroom and froze when he heard the door click behind him. David jiggled the handle but it wouldn¡¯t budge. He considered calling for a teacher, but decided against it. Getting locked in here might have been a stroke of luck. Now they could talk in private.

    Belle turned towards him. It seemed that she had come to the same conclusion. Slowly and delicately, David approached her like a naturist to a fawn. Belle backed into a wall and David leaned forward, placing one hand beside her head. The pink-haired girl¡¯s cheeks turned red as she looked away. David waited patiently while she slowly raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

    ¡°S-Senpai¡­I¡­I¡­¡±

    David flashed a charming smile. ¡°Say whatever you want. I¡¯ll listen.¡±

    *Slam*

    In a series of fluid movements that were too fast for David to follow, Belle suddenly reversed their positions. David found himself pressed against the wall while Belle held his arms like a policeman making an arrest. He could have sworn Belle had said something while throwing him into the wall, but it was inaudible.

    ¡°Ok¡­¡± Came a chilling voice that he¡¯d only heard once before. ¡°Got that out of the way.¡±

    David craned his neck back and shuddered as he saw Belle¡¯s face. A calm and confident glare forced him to avert his eyes. The blond boy tried to struggle but Belle¡¯s hands held him like a vice.

    ¡°So, David. What do you know about these blue boxes?¡±

    David felt her glare burning into the back of his skull.

    ¡°W-What are you talking about!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about lying.¡±

    Belle grabbed David by the neck and pulled him backwards. After some futile resistance, David had no choice but to look into her eyes. He froze under the pressure like a mouse in the jaws of a snake.

    ¡°When did you become popular? Did anything strange happen around that time?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I really don¡¯t know what you mean. A-All I did was cut my hair!¡±

    Belle stared him down, but David could only cower under her grip.

    ¡°Ok, listen. There¡¯s something on your person that¡¯s exhibiting a form of mind control. I need you to¡­¡±

    Belle¡¯s eyes glazed over as she trailed off. Her grip relaxed and David fell to the floor in a heap. By the time he collected himself, Belle was already at the door. She turned back with a blank expression.

    ¡°School¡¯s over. I need to go home, Senpai.¡±

    Then she opened the door as if it had never been locked and stepped outside. David left soon after that. He didn¡¯t spend much time pondering his strange encounter. In fact, he forgot about it as soon as he left the room.

    *Crash*

    While David was wandering around in a daze, a loud noise snapped him back to reality. He traced its source back to a different classroom. The door was unlocked, and so David decided to investigate.

    ¡°Is everything ok? I heard a¡­¡± David trailed off as he observed the scene before him.

    There were four people in what should have been an empty classroom. The source of the crashing noise was obvious as they lay piled on top of one another. How or why they¡¯d fallen over was far from the first question in David¡¯s mind. He was much more concerned with their appearances.

    At the bottom of the pile lay a well-endowed blonde girl. She seemed to be panting happily, even under the weight of three others. Sandwiched above her was a handsome boy with striking blue hair. A short brunette squirmed in vain under the weight of the fourth member of the pile. The queen of the hill shared the boy¡¯s unnatural blue hair and panted just as heavily as the blonde. However, the first thing David noticed about her was the copious amount of sweat clinging to her body.

    ¡°Look, I promise this isn¡¯t what it looks like.¡± The blue-haired boy whispered. ¡°So, can you just turn around and forget you saw this?¡±

    David managed a light nod before he walked out of the room and shut the door.

    Once again, David wiped a strange encounter from his memory. But this time, it was of his own volition.

 Chapter 12 - Dating Sim (3)

    Belle received the usual amount of stares as she made her way home. Seeing people gawk at her unusual hair color normally put her in a bad mood, but today she was beaming. The pink-haired school girl travelled with light steps, practically skipping as she went. Anyone that knew Belle would have been put off by her abnormally chipper attitude, but there was no one to comment on it. Belle¡¯s usual walking partner was currently indisposed, and so she gaily travelled alone. When Belle reached her front door, she paused. Her giddy expression fell into a familiar deadpan glare. Belle slowly curled and uncurled her fists. Once she was sure that her motor functions had returned, Belle raised her head and tested her voice.

    ¡°FUUUUUUCK!¡±

    After enduring embarrassment after embarrassment, Belle had finally gotten a chance to deal with the source of her problems. But she failed. Whatever was controlling her had broken its own rules in order to protect itself. Belle had been forced to watch herself walk and talk while living as a prisoner in her own mind. However, even that experience was not what truly bothered her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong!?¡± Shelly yelled.

    Belle stepped back just in time to avoid the front door as her mother raced onto the scene.

    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m fine.¡± Belle didn¡¯t even bother trying to hide her sour tone.

    Shelly raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°But I need to check something. So, can I borrow some of your games?¡±

    Belle¡¯s mother grabbed her by the shoulders and practically threw her inside. Shelly¡¯s vice grip didn¡¯t yield until they made it to the attic. While her father had an impressive collection of books underneath the house, Belle¡¯s mother balanced it out with her own library of digital media. Wooden bookshelves had been packed into every nook and cranny of the cramped space. The situation within each shelf was a microcosm of the room itself. Belle awkwardly shuffled sideways to fit within the lacquered maze while Shelly seemed to teleport from shelf to shelf.

    ¡°So, what do you need?¡± Shelly asked without stopping to hear an answer. ¡°I¡¯ve got one about a guy who befriends a sickly girl. One where everyone is already dead and they¡¯re trapped in a high school that¡¯s also limbo. Ooh, there¡¯s a sequel where the sickly girl dies and the husband¡­whoops spoilers. Actually, how about this one? Everyone except the main girl is an armadillo. What a classic!¡±

    ¡°Mom, I already know what I¡¯m looking for.¡±

    Shelly pulled out a game with an armadillo in sexy lingerie on the cover.

    ¡°-And it isn¡¯t any of those.¡±

    Shelly reluctantly shelved her recommendation. Belle¡¯s mother slunk away while whispering ¡°It¡¯ll be there if you need it.¡±

    Belle quickly retrieved a handful of games and then retreated to her room. After playing out a few choice scenarios from each, Belle was sure of it.

    ¡°How did that compare to your fall from heaven? My Angel~¡±

    Belle cringed as a character recited the same painful line that she¡¯d used earlier that day. In fact, every game in her pile contained at least one familiar dialogue choice. It wasn¡¯t particularly difficult for Belle to find these lines, since these were games she¡¯d already played to completion. With every spoken clich¨¦, Belle¡¯s heart sank. It was possible that the entity controlling her and Senpai was a fan of these games, but it seemed unlikely. Belle wasn¡¯t the only one under David¡¯s spell, but she was clearly the only one acting like this was a dating sim.

    ¡°Everyone else is just normally falling in love with him. Which means that¡­¡±

    Belle slumped forward in her chair and let her face hit the keyboard.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±

    Everyone who looked at David fell in love with him. The only difference between Belle and the others was their romantic experience. While Belle certainly understood the concept of a normal romance, that knowledge was a mere drop in the bucket compared to her years of gaming knowledge. The painfully embarrassing outbursts that she¡¯d been forced to make were the product of her own skewed experiences. Belle only had herself to blame.

    ¡°Goddammit mom.¡±

    And Shelly. Shelly was also certainly at fault.

    After taking some time to question her life choices, Belle¡¯s thoughts returned to the problem at hand. What was really controlling her? And how? Belle released a frustrated sigh. If it was some kind of magical item, then Kazama might know how to deal with it. Belle pulled out her phone and shot him a text.

    Belle >> Where are you? We need to talk.

    Ten minutes passed without a reply.

    Belle >> I didn¡¯t see you at school today. Still alive?

    This time there was a near immediate reply.

    Kazama >> 322

    Belle >> ??? What does that mean?

    Kazama seemed to be typing for a few minutes before his next message.

    Kazama >> 6969 ????

    Belle stared blankly at her phone until Kazama followed up.

    Kazama >> Sorry! Lin and Remira stole my phone 0w0. I¡¯m really busy so we¡¯ll talk later, kay?

    Belle >> You aren¡¯t Kazama, either.

    Kazama >> =0

    Kazama >> What¡¯s that? Twin ESP? =/

    Kazama >> I just didn¡¯t want you to worry. Kazama¡¯s fine, but he¡¯ll be busy with the three of us for a while.

    Belle >> And you are¡­?

    Kazama >> Your potential sister-in-law!

    Belle >> Ok¡­?

    Kazama >> =S

    Belle >> Well, tell him I said ¡®good luck¡¯

    Kazama >> Yes, ma¡¯am! O7

    Belle set her phone down and leaned back in her chair. That strange conversation had reminded her of something important. No matter how bad things seem, someone always has it worse.

    - - -

    Exactly one day after the Noh sibling¡¯s ¡®visual novel walk-in¡¯ incident.

    ¡°Sorry, Belle. I promised Daniel that I¡¯d get food with him, so, uh, bye.¡±

    Kazama told a lie to avoid walking home with Belle. As expected, he still felt awkward around his sister who¡¯d confidently declared that she watched hentai. This lead to him eating with Daniel at their favorite Asian takeout place, The Nood. It also created an opportunity that two stalkers would follow up on.

    ¡°My, what a coincidence.¡± Remira announced as she entered The Nood. ¡°My good friend Kazama is also eating here. How lovely~¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that every time¡­¡± Lin retorted, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Kazama believes in coincidences anymore.¡±

    Kazama would later look back on this moment and realize that he had already passed a turning point. Nothing he could say or do would save him from the headache that would devour the rest of his week. Two-thirds of said headache had already arrived, and the third¡¯s appearance was all but inevitable.

    Remira gracefully took a seat beside Kazama. A radiant smile appeared on her cherry red lips. The blonde beauty brushed her long hair aside, giving the boy on her left a better view of her face. She puffed out her chest at the same time, dragging Kazama¡¯s gaze down below her neck. Remira wore a simple tan vest with a white collared shirt underneath. It was the standard uniform for her school. But no matter how proper the outfit, Remira always managed to give off an aura of indecency. This was partially due to her figure, which had already developed to the limit of what could be considered high school level. But when Kazama wrenched his eyes back up to an acceptable height, he remembered that her body had nothing to do with it. Remira¡¯s eyes carried a certain intensity that betrayed her ladylike appearance. At a glance, anyone could tell that she had experience far beyond her years.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Lin begrudgingly sat beside Daniel. He was about to utter a word beginning with ¡®Lo¡¯, but a sharp glare from the raven-haired girl shut him up. Lin observed Remira¡¯s vaguely subtle attempt to draw Kazama¡¯s attention with an austere expression. After losing a mental battle, Kazama found himself looking away in Lin¡¯s direction. She flashed him a knowing smile that sent a chill down his spine. Physically, Lin and Remira were polar opposites. One could potentially pass for a college student while the other had trouble convincing people that she was in high school. The only thing that they shared was a certain look in their eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Kazama¡­¡± Daniel broke the silence. ¡°Even if you flaunt your harem in public, I won¡¯t be disgusted. This is simply the price I pay for having a normie friend. I¡¯ve already come to terms with it.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t come to terms with my harem before I do.¡±

    ¡°Harem¡­It sounds so servile.¡± Remira shuddered. ¡°I love it~¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it either.¡± Lin nodded. ¡°But it makes me worry that I¡¯ll have more rivals in the future.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my line, Lin. I was here first after all. Just thinking about other girls going after Kazama sends a shiver down my spine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­my line.¡± Kazama muttered as he placed his head in his hands. ¡°Actually, you two going after me is also disturbing. How about you give up and find a different guy to stalk?¡±

    ¡°I refuse~¡± Remira chirped happily.

    ¡°For various reasons, that is impossible.¡± Lin explained.

    Kazama let out a resigned sigh.

    ¡°Anyways¡­¡± Lin turned to Daniel. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you hanging around Kazama but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve properly met.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yea.¡± Daniel replied. His eyes darted around to avoid making eye contact with the girl sitting beside him. ¡°Kazama told me that one of you is from an alternate dimension while the other was reincarnated¡­apparently?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Remira raised her hand. ¡°I have memories from my past life.¡±

    ¡°An alternate dimension¡­that¡¯s an interesting way to phrase it.¡± Lin put a hand on her chin. ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong.¡±

    ¡°Daniel, can you guess who I was in my previous life?¡±

    Daniel eyed Remira warily. Her way of speaking couldn¡¯t be called normal, but it didn¡¯t reveal her nationality. Saying ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ would have been difficult, and so the portly boy simply guessed.

    ¡°Were you a¡­uh¡­princess? Maybe?¡±

    It was a safe choice. Even if he was wrong, Remira would still appreciate the compliment. Daniel silently praised himself for thinking clearly under pressure. Eating with two beautiful girls had put him on edge, but his mental faculties were still holding strong.

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s correct!¡± Remira reported, grinning from ear to ear.

    ¡°Wait? Seriously!?¡± The disbelief in Daniel¡¯s voice rang true.

    An awkward pause followed Daniel¡¯s outburst.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Remira replied, crestfallen. ¡°I may not really give off a royal vibe, but that¡¯s what I was. Long ago I lived in a castle and fell in love with a commoner working there. That man was Kazama.¡±

    ¡°He was similar to Kazama.¡± Kazama retorted.

    ¡°You¡¯re exactly the same!¡±

    Daniel could sense that they were taking a well-trodden path towards an argument.

    ¡°You, uh, said he was a commoner right? What did Kazama do?¡±

    Remira¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°You want to know what he did to me? Well¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m talking about his occupation!¡±

    Lin grinned. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess that as well?¡±

    Daniel glanced at Kazama who was busy eyeing the door. He seemed to be considering his escape strategy.

    ¡°Um, some kind of servant?¡±

    ¡°Wrong~¡± Remira¡¯s melodious voice denied him.

    ¡°An advisor?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Lin said, maintaining her wry grin.

    ¡°Maybe a scribe? Castles had those right?¡±

    Both girls shook their heads. Meanwhile, Kazama buried his head in his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint.¡± Remira¡¯s face turned even redder. ¡°He did all sorts of things in a dark room below the castle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to fool me with innuendos.¡± Daniel announced smugly. ¡°He was a warden, right?¡±

    Daniel turned to his friend, who was fiercely trying to avoid eye contact.

    ¡°I guess you could call him a warden.¡± Remira started. ¡°Although, the standard title would be torturer. Of course, punishing the king¡¯s enemies was merely his job. He didn¡¯t enjoy it one bit. I was interested in this gloomy man who seemed to take no pleasure in his work. So, I asked him why he chose to live in the dungeon.¡±

    Remira¡¯s scarlet cheeks began to glisten with sweat. In any other situation, Daniel would have assumed that she was suffering from heatstroke.

    ¡°Then he picked up a pile of oiled rope and asked me; ¡®do you want to find out?¡¯ As a princess, it was easily the most intense thing I¡¯d ever experienced.¡±

    Daniel blinked. ¡°Are you sure that was Kazama?¡±

    ¡°It fits with my image of him.¡± Lin replied, nodding knowingly. ¡°If anything, this version of Kazama is a little too subdued. It must be this repressed society.¡±

    ¡°Just remember that nothing they say can be proven.¡± Kazama muttered. Though, his words were more for himself than anyone else.

    ¡°W-Well, that was an interesting story. Ahaha¡­¡± Daniel laughed weakly as he desperately searched for a way out of this conversation. ¡°What about you Lin? How did you and Kazama meet?¡±

    ¡°Unlike Remira, I don¡¯t really want to go into the details.¡±

    ¡°Ok, great.¡± Daniel replied hastily. ¡°Then let¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°-But I¡¯ll tell you two things.¡± Lin cut in. ¡°First, I¡¯m a time-traveler from the future. Second, my goal is this¡­¡±

    Lin plunged her right index finger into a hole created by her left index finger and thumb.

    ¡°But personally, I¡¯m hoping it will be more like this¡­¡±

    Lin tightened the hole and added two more fingers.

    ¡°The two aren¡¯t really related.¡± Lin added while she continued her obscene gesture.

    ¡°She just showed up one day out of the blue.¡± Kazama explained wearily. ¡°Nearly burned up my lawn when she did. Lin was incoherent at the time, and so my family took her in. Living with her ended up being too¡­frustrating¡­and in the end Remira¡¯s family adopted her.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m hoping absence will make the heart grow fonder.¡± Lin conceded with a slightly guilty look. ¡°Although, I couldn¡¯t ask for a better sister.¡±

    ¡°Aww.¡± Remira laid a hand on her chest.

    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering why I was kicked out, it¡¯s actually quite a funny story. Kazama here¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t really care about that!¡± Daniel stammered. ¡°You said you¡¯re from the future, right? How could I ignore something so huge!? How far back did you travel? What happens to the world in your future? Does something happen to Kazama? Does world war three ever start? Do I ever get a girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°How many countries has the Canadian Empire annexed?¡± Lin asked as if it was a perfectly normal response.

    ¡°Um¡­None?¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ve still got a long way to go before my historical knowledge becomes relevant.¡± Lin shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a means of getting back to the future. Even if I could, I don¡¯t plan on leaving this time period. So, you can forget about that part of my introduction.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just forget about something like that! And if you¡¯re from the future, then how do you know Ka-¡±

    *BAAANG*

    A sudden quake brought Daniel¡¯s interrogation to a grinding halt. The lights in The Nood flickered on and off rapidly before finally settling into a dim glow. The instant the shaking stopped, most of the customers ran outside like headless chickens. When Daniel emerged from under his table, his gaze fell on three people who had remained seated. Kazama hadn¡¯t moved an inch. He sat stoically with a slight frown, but Kazama¡¯s nerves likely had nothing to do with his immobility. Remira had taken the opportunity to grab onto him as tightly as she could. Meanwhile, Lin had followed Daniel under the table, but she didn¡¯t stay there. Not wanting to be outdone by Remira, Lin had lunged at Kazama from below.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m standing¡­that looks really wrong.¡± Daniel muttered. He pointed to Lin¡¯s head, which was barely peeking out from beneath the table.

    ¡°It is wrong.¡± Kazama replied through gritted teeth. ¡°This could be serious, so please get off me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already getting off~¡± Remira practically sang her retort.

    After enjoying Kazama¡¯s disgusted glare, she released his arm of her own volition. Lin crawled out from under the table and turned her back to the others.

    ¡°S-Sorry¡­I got over-excited.¡± Lin¡¯s voice was barely a whisper.

    Daniel noticed a hint of red on her cheeks as she hurried out of the building.

    Kazama, Daniel and Remira followed her out, only to stop dead in their tracks. The source of the quake was right in the middle of the street. Lying there in a smoking heap was the wreckage of a flying saucer. The quartet joined a crowd that had formed around it. Suddenly, a pulse of static noise flew out and everyone stiffened. Then they began to go about their business as if nothing had happened. Almost everyone on the street refused to acknowledge the alien crash site. Kazama¡¯s group, the only exception to this phenomenon, continued to stare at the smoldering hunk of metal. A hatch swung open and the figure that crawled out was silhouetted by smoke.

    ¡°Wow, Kazama! I found you so quickly!¡± A girl¡¯s voice called out.

    Kazama stiffened. His cautious stare gave way to an expression of pure shock. He continued to stand, slack-jawed, while the figure climbed down from its spaceship and rushed to meet him. But what emerged from the smoke was not, as the voice indicated, a beautiful young girl. A slimy mass of rubbery flesh hurtled towards Kazama. He was too stunned to dodge and was knocked to the ground.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m a bit too large like this, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    As the dust from their fall cleared, the white blob-like being began to shrink. When Daniel got a clear view of the scene, the creature was nowhere to be found. Instead, Kazama was lying on the ground underneath a slender blue-haired girl.

    ¡°A-Allie?¡± Kazama breathed.

    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again, Kazama~¡±

 Chapter 13 - Dating Sim (4)

    Smoke continued to rise from the wreckage of Allie¡¯s UFO. The writhing black line could already be seen for miles, and yet no one seemed to care. Office workers gave it a moment¡¯s glance before returning to their desks, assuming it was already being dealt with. Meanwhile, anyone nearby seemed to be willfully ignorant of the raging inferno. Even at the brink of destruction, the ship¡¯s AD (Attention Diverter) field was running at full blast. It was a technological miracle that slug engineers could have told legends about. Unfortunately, the UFO¡¯s heroic last stand went unnoticed by not only humans but also its own pilot. The slug in question was busy fawning over a handsome boy. The ship would have shed tears if it could.

    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again, Kazama~¡± Allie¡¯s lofty inflection suggested that it was actually more than ¡®great¡¯.

    ¡°Y-Yea.¡± Kazama stammered as he pried his eyes away from Allie¡¯s smiling face.

    The blue-haired boy glanced over at his peanut gallery. Daniel¡¯s mouth hung open, probably because he¡¯d just watched his best friend get tackled by a space slug. Lin wore the same austere expression she¡¯d made when Remira was showing off her chest. As for Remira herself, she seemed to be in the process of learning how to shoot lasers with her eyes.

    ¡°Allie, I¡¯m really glad to see you and all, but can you get up?¡±

    After pinning Kazama to the ground with her greeting, Allie seemed content to lay on top of him. As a response, Allie folded her arms and placed her entire weight on his chest. It was at this point Kazama learned that Allie¡¯s transformation didn¡¯t reduce her mass.

    ¡°Too heavy¡­¡± Kazama¡¯s strangled words died in his throat.

    ¡°Kazama, I need to ask you something¡­¡± Allie trailed off as she fluttered her eyelashes.

    Kazama made a gesture that could be interpreted as either a nod or a desperate struggle for breath.

    ¡°How would you feel about marrying me?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± The last bit of air fell out of Kazama¡¯s mouth.

    After Allie disappeared from his class, Kazama had decided to treat the alien as another strange entity and forget about her. But it wasn¡¯t that easy. After all, the bulk of those memories were with Allie the normal school girl. No matter how strangely their relationship ended, Kazama couldn¡¯t bring himself to see her as some random event. After all, she was his first love.

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Kazama strained to speak. He didn¡¯t know what to say, but felt the need to say something regardless.

    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m against it.¡± Allie said with a huff.

    Kazama opened his mouth but nothing came out. Physically, he was already beginning to look like a dried-up corpse. Now his mental attitude fit the part as well.

    ¡°But there¡¯s no way around it. So, I need you to come back with me and perform the rite of bonding. There¡¯s-¡±

    Allie stopped as she felt a tap on her shoulder. The slug girl looked up to see a pair of narrowed eyes attached to a petite body.

    ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Lin by the way. I want to bring two things to your attention¡­¡±

    Allie stiffened at Lin¡¯s terse tone. ¡°Ok, what is it?¡±

    ¡°First, unless you want to marry a corpse, you should probably move.¡±

    Lin pointed down to a corpse-like Kazama.

    ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m so sorry Kazama!¡± Allie exclaimed while jumping away from him.

    ¡°Second, were you planning on taking him home in that?¡±

    Lin swung her finger towards the smoldering UFO. Having run out of parts to burn, the fire had died out naturally. Now the pitch-black hunk of metal stood embedded in the street like a foreboding artifact.

    ¡°Oh¡­OH!¡± Allie exclaimed as she performed a genuine double-take.

    ¡°Yea.¡± Lin added.

    Allie took a tentative step towards her now useless ship before she was pulled aside by another girl.

    ¡°Allie, was it? I demand that you tell me exactly what you plan on doing with Kazama.¡±

    Allie struggled under Remira¡¯s vice grip, but the blonde girl¡¯s tenacity won out.

    ¡°I plan to marry him.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t actually want to? You don¡¯t love him?¡± Remira spoke quickly, pressing herself into Allie¡¯s personal space.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Allie looked away. A telling red appeared on her pale cheeks. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like I want to marry him or anything. I don¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    Remira released her grip. Her lifeless face mirrored a certain corpse on the ground.

    ¡°I theorized that it was possible, but this is beyond my wildest dreams¡­¡± Daniel muttered to himself. ¡°She doesn¡¯t mind close contact or acts of affection, but still denies her feelings. A flirty tsundere? Plus, she seems to be a clumsy character as well. Aliens truly are the next frontier in moe¡­¡±

    Fortunately, no one else heard or acknowledged him.

    - - -

    A tall and thin girl slumped forward in her seat. She nervously ran a hand through her bright blue hair, brushing it back behind her shoulders. Unsatisfied, she began to fidget with the sleeves on her black skin-tight suit. The girl¡¯s fair white skin seemed to glow even in the midday light. Her unusual, almost otherworldly features would normally make her the center of attention. However, the regulars in The Nood were used to strange sights.

    Oh, she¡¯s with those weirdos. They thought, brushing off her appearance without a second glance.

    Seeing their dismissive stares, Kazama silently resolved to visit The Nood more often. Then, he turned back to Allie and nearly stood up out of shock. Her pilot¡¯s suit was gone. The clingy black fabric had been replaced with a soothing yellow sundress. Kazama looked her up and down, searching for any trace her speedy change, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Allie met his gaze and he flinched.

    ¡°This form is something of an illusion anyway.¡± She smirked. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to see me wear, just ask.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Ugh, she¡¯s already threating my position as the group¡¯s pervert¡­¡± Remira muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll always hold that crown.¡± Lin and Kazama retorted in unison. Though, Lin was the only one to add princess after it.

    After Allie¡¯s botched landing, Kazama¡¯s group had decided to return to The Nood and talk things over. Remira and Lin introduced themselves aggressively, but Allie simply smiled and said;

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll be taking him back with me~¡±

    ¡°Do I get a say in this?¡± Kazama asked weakly.

    ¡°No.¡± Allie replied with a smile.

    ¡°Do I get a say in this?¡± Daniel asked. Mainly because he felt left out.

    ¡°This is bigger than both of us.¡± Allie ignored him. ¡°Have any of you heard about The Legend of the Moon King?¡±

    Everyone shook their heads, except for Daniel who hung his.

    ¡°There¡¯s a legend among my race that speaks of a blue-haired warrior.¡± Allie lowered her voice to a theatrical tone. ¡°His aura will be beyond anything my people have ever seen. This warrior shall vanquish our centuries-long enemy and take his place on our throne, along with a wife chosen by the people.¡±

    Kazama raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, he¡¯ll kill your enemies in exchange for power and a wife? That seems kind of barbaric for a race that builds UFOs.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an old legend.¡± Allie shrugged. ¡°But it has evolved over time. Apparently, the warrior used to have blonde hair, until they realized that blue was way stronger.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about that. Why is your hair blue now? Can you change it just like your clothes?¡±

    Allie raised an enthusiastic fist. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m stronger now.¡±

    The other members of the table tilted their heads.

    ¡°The length and color of your hair is determined by power level.¡± Allie tilted her head to match them. ¡°Isn¡¯t that common sense?¡±

    ¡°Only on planet V-¡± Daniel started to speak but Kazama quickly cut him off.

    ¡°-So, you think I¡¯m this warrior, right? Well, whether I am or not, I have no intention of travelling to your planet, slaying another race, or becoming your king.¡±

    After feeling some intense glares from Lin and Remira, he added; ¡°-Or marrying you.¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not like I want to marry you either!¡± Allie shot back.

    The desire behind that statement was plain to see. For everyone other than Kazama, that is. The blue-haired boy received her message like a ship receiving a cannonball.

    ¡°Yea¡­It looks like we¡¯re on the same page.¡± He mumbled in a tired voice.

    ¡°But it took a lot of work, er, I mean luck.¡± Allie waved her hands emphatically. ¡°It took a lot of luck to be selected for this role, so I intend to see it through.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to do that without a ship?¡± Remira¡¯s chilling voice brought Allie out of her flustered state.

    ¡°I can have someone pick me up within the week.¡± Allie nodded. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll convince Kazama to come with me.¡±

    ¡°And when he doesn¡¯t?¡± Remira narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t¡­¡± Allie matched her gaze. ¡°Then it will be because he chose you or Lin. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°And if it is?¡±

    ¡°Then bring it on.¡±

    Allie stood up and a wave of pressure surged through the room. The alien¡¯s hair and skin seemed to glow with a blueish light as she stared down her competition.

    ¡°Gladly~¡± Remira replied, donning a terrifying smile.

    Remira stood up, followed by Lin. The two boys watched invisible sparks fly from their seats. Daniel was silently wishing that he had more of a presence, meanwhile Kazama was cursing god for the opposite reason.

    - - -

    ¡°Where are you going so early?¡± Kazama¡¯s father, Adam, asked him sleepily.

    Kazama froze, his hand reaching towards the front door.

    ¡°Ah, um, it¡¯s really urgent business.¡±

    Adam narrowed his tired eyes as he studied Kazama curiously. After what felt like an eternity for Kazama, Adam relented.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± He said with a sigh. ¡°But if you need help, don¡¯t hesitate to give me a call.¡±

    ¡°Got it, thanks¡± Kazama nodded as he hurried out the door.

    The day after Allie¡¯s crash landing, Kazama woke up and left his house at an ungodly hour. He walked through the silent streets until Pritchard¡¯s, his high school, came into view. Kazama used a suspiciously well-trodden path through some hedges and entered the building from an unlocked window. He made his way to an empty classroom, took a deep breath, and then opened the door.

    ¡°Welcome, burdened one.¡± A deep and wizened voice greeted him, or at least that¡¯s what its owner was going for. ¡°Today is the trial that will decide your fate.¡±

    ¡°Morning¡¯ Daniel.¡± Kazama replied nonchalantly. ¡°The others aren¡¯t here yet?¡±

    Daniel sat behind a desk in the middle of the classroom. There were three other sets of desks and chairs facing him. Those desks, and a single chair that sat between them, were the only objects of note in the room. The entire setup gave off a ¡®trial-like¡¯ vibe, which was only intensified by Daniel¡¯s interlocking fingers and stern expression.

    ¡°They must still be preparing their arguments.¡± Daniel reported, shaking his head.

    Kazama sighed. ¡°Remind me how this became a trial, again? I¡¯m pretty sure I just asked to have a civil discussion. Which was a lot better than the ideas that those three came up with.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­A martial arts tournament and, I quote, settling it in bed, were both ideas with potential.¡± Daniel ignored Kazama¡¯s glowering face and continued. ¡°But why did Lin want to do something called a quiz bowl?¡±

    ¡°Her IQ is over 200. She just wanted a rigged competition.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all shameless in their own way, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Kazama nodded solemnly.

    ¡°But if you want a fair discussion, then there¡¯s no better format than a trial.¡±

    ¡°That¡­that does make sense.¡±

    ¡°Plus, becoming a judge is the only way I¡¯m going to stay relevant here.¡± Daniel raised his tone. ¡°This is the closest I¡¯ll ever get to a harem, so don¡¯t ruin this for me!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty shameless as well¡­¡±

    Kazama turned around as the classroom door opened. Remira and Allie entered together while glaring at each other like a pair of alley cats. Lin stumbled in behind them with baggy eyes.

    ¡°They¡¯ve been like this all night.¡± She lamented. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave them alone together, but¡­ugh, forget it.¡±

    Lin swung her tired gaze towards Kazama.

    ¡°Oh yea, the head of the Fae household had a message for you.¡±

    Kazama stiffened at the mention of Remira¡¯s father.

    ¡°You can send us as many cute daughters as you want, but it won¡¯t make up for ruining our first one.¡±

    ¡°I keep telling him, I never touched Remira¡­¡±

    ¡°That really sounds like the argument a scumbag would make.¡± Lin smirked. ¡°But at least he agreed to house Allie.¡±

    ¡°Lin, get over here!¡± Remira barked. ¡°Are we doing this or what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re taking this way too seriously.¡± Kazama muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Am I?¡± The heated blonde retorted. ¡°We¡¯ve been stuck in a stalemate for ages. I¡¯ll say something and you¡¯ll dismiss me or run away. Now you¡¯re finally going to sit here and listen to three girls who are seriously vying for your affection. Maybe you¡¯re not taking this seriously enough.¡±

    Kazama stood there, unable to reply, as Allie, Lin and Remira took their seats. With a nervous sigh, Kazama strode between them and took the empty seat at the center of the room.

    ¡°All rise.¡± Daniel¡¯s serious voice drifted across the courtroom.

    The three girls stood up, followed by Kazama.

    ¡°We will begin with your opening statements.¡±

    The girls each pulled out a stack of notes. Kazama blinked.

    Wait, this was an actual trial!? He screamed in his head. The mood was too heavy for him to retort out loud.

 Chapter 14 - Dating Sim (5)

    Class was over, but a single student remained seated. There had been a myriad of people who wanted to wait for him, but the boy waved them all away. He sat patiently in the empty classroom, waiting for the one who called him out to arrive.

    ¡°Hey, thanks for sticking around.¡± A cold voice greeted him. Its owner closed the door behind her.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. What do you need, Belle?¡±

    ¡°I need you to drop the act, David.¡±

    David cocked his head. ¡°What act? And I¡¯d rather you call me Senpai. Most people do.¡±

    ¡°David, it¡¯s not working.¡± Belle smirked.

    The pink-haired girl raised one hand. Trapped between her middle and index fingers was a glowing slip of paper. David raised an eyebrow and a wary smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it. Why are you showing me that thing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Stop talking like that.¡±

    ¡°Like what? I¡¯m sorry, but I really don¡¯t¡­¡± David trailed off as his eyelids fluttered. He leaned forward, as if he was about to fall asleep, but then his body stiffened.

    ¡°So, you think a little talisman like that is going to work?¡± A deeper voice crept out from his throat.

    David raised his head and glared at Belle. The pink-haired girl stepped back as she noticed his gleaming red eyes.

    ¡°Are you a demon or something?¡±

    ¡°Heh, heh, heh. Let¡¯s just say there¡¯s a greater being controlling this body.¡± David burst into a wide grin. ¡°Now, I believe I asked you to call me Senpai.¡±

    ¡°Senpai, I told you that wouldn¡¯t work.¡±

    Belle quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

    ¡°Well, you wanted a showdown, didn¡¯t you?¡± David cackled. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    - - -

    32 Hours Until Showdown

    ¡°So¡­¡± Daniel laced his fingers. ¡°Your goal is to make a compelling argument to answer the following question¡­¡±

    Remira, Lin and Allie leaned forward. Daniel paused, silently enjoying his brief time in the spotlight.

    ¡°Why should you be the main heroine?¡±

    ¡°Main heroine?¡± Allie repeated while tilting her head. ¡°What¡¯s that? I thought we were trying to convince Kazama to marry one of us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s na?ve, Allie.¡± Daniel dramatically adjusted his glasses. ¡°It¡¯s Kazama¡¯s fate to be caught up in tropes from anime and novels. What you need to be accepted by isn¡¯t Kazama, but fate itself!¡±

    ¡°I feel like I still have some say over this¡­¡± Kazama grumbled.

    ¡°Then just say that you¡¯ll marry me and leave this planet.¡± Allie replied eagerly.

    ¡°Your offer is very flattering, but I have to decline.¡± Kazama¡¯s flat tone and deadpan stare left Allie no room for doubt.

    ¡°Then just say that you¡¯ll make me your slave!¡± Remira cut in enthusiastically.

    ¡°Your offer is very shameless, but I have to decline.¡±

    Kazama and the others turned towards Lin, expecting another selfish demand. However, the raven-haired girl did not deliver. She stood with a hand on her chin and her eyes to the floor, pondering. It didn¡¯t seem like Lin would join the conversation any time soon.

    ¡°A-Anyways¡­¡± Allie folded her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going to happen if my race¡¯s legend marries someone else. I can¡¯t just back down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still in high school, so I don¡¯t plan on marrying anyone. Plus, I can¡¯t just drop my current life and travel to another world.¡± Kazama¡¯s gaze suddenly fell. ¡°Although it does happen pretty frequently.¡±

    Allie shuffled through her stack of prepared documents until she found a worn scroll. The dark tan parchment gave off a sinister aura which seemed to multiply as she unrolled it. Below a wall of unrecognizable characters was space for two signatures. He couldn¡¯t be sure, but Kazama was ready to bet anything that the signature had to be written in blood.

    ¡°My grandfather told me to have you sign this.¡± Allie held it at arm¡¯s length, clearly bothered by its aura. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be now, but if you promise to marry me sometime in the future, then the legend will still be fulfilled.¡±

    ¡°Is your society high-tech or low-tech¡­?¡± Kazama asked, and then shook his head. ¡°No, never mind. The point is, I can¡¯t make that promise right now.¡±

    Allie looked into Kazama¡¯s eyes, but he turned away. She opened her mouth and then closed it, placing the scroll on her desk.

    ¡°Fine, then I just have to convince fate, right?¡±

    A wave of pressure engulfed the room, just like it had in The Nood. This time, however, Allie¡¯s hair was not shining.

    ¡°I would like to call my first witness to the stand.¡±

    Everyone held their breath as Allie swung her finger towards¡­

    ¡°Kazama.¡±

    Daniel sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡±

    In a room with five chairs and four desks, there was no stand. Kazama turned towards Allie and opened his palms, gesturing that he was ready to listen.

    ¡°Back in middle school, when I c-confessed to you¡­¡± Allie looked down. Her pupils swam nervously as she collected her thoughts.

    ¡°W-What about it?¡± Kazama stammered, mirroring Allie¡¯s embarrassed expression.

    ¡°It seemed like you were going to give a positive response¡­before we realized our misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°A-Assuming that was the case, then I have a question.¡± Allie closed her eyes and exhaled. After a brief pause, she opened her eyes to reveal a resolute expression. ¡°What about the other girls? Who are they to you? If they¡¯re just chasing after you one-sidedly then I don¡¯t see how this is even a competition.¡±

    Allie¡¯s gaze pierced Kazama as he struggled to come up with an answer. Her brow raised as she noticed a strange emotion flash across his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± He muttered.

    Daniel blinked. In the brief time that he¡¯d known Kazama, the blue-haired boy had never shown any sign of it before. This was only natural, as Kazama was usually playing the role of the victim. That is why the portly boy doubted his eyes when he saw an expression of guilt flash across his friend¡¯s face.

    *Slam*

    ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know.¡± Remira announced as she raised a reddened fist off of her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone else to explain why I¡¯m in this trial. That¡¯s what we¡¯ve prepared for, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lin nodded, although her mind still seemed far away.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been underestimating me.¡± Remira continued. ¡°If we¡¯re talking about tropes, you¡¯re just an old flame. Meanwhile, Kazama and I are connected by one of the strongest and most resilient relationships there is.¡±

    ¡°Reincarnation¡­?¡± Daniel muttered, tilting his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­Wait! You can¡¯t possibly mean¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re childhood friends.¡±

    The courtroom erupted in a sea of murmurs. Everyone seemed to have something to say about this surprising development. Though, ¡®surprising development¡¯ was a relative term, since more than half of the people in court already knew about it. Of the two who did not, one of them seemed to be mildly confused by the phrase, while the other was busy playing a soundbite from Space Attorney on their phone.

    ¡°Daniel!¡± Kazama barked.

    Daniel quickly pocketed his phone. The ¡®crowd¡¯ quieted down.

    ¡°¡­As I was saying.¡± Remira continued. ¡°Our parents have known each other since they were kids. We grew up together like siblings. Plus, there¡¯s my memories of living with Kazama in another time. I fully agree with you. If fate is the deciding factor, then this really isn¡¯t a competition.¡±

    ¡°Memories, huh?¡± Allie said, bringing a hand to her chin. ¡°You told me about it last night, but it¡¯s hard to believe. You two really have such a supernatural connection?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~¡± A smug smile blossomed on Remira¡¯s face. ¡°So, you may as well give up now. Both Kazama and fate don¡¯t seem very interested in you.¡±

    ¡°B-But I have a prophecy that¡¯s been around for centuries. If that isn¡¯t fate, then what is?¡±

    ¡°What kind of ass-pull is that? This random prophecy means that you can appear out of nowhere and suddenly steal Kazama away? A twist like that isn¡¯t even worthy of being called a trope!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone who makes dirty jokes with every other line! Is it supposed to be funny to just reference S&M? I don¡¯t feel like such a half-assed character could ever be a main heroine!¡±

    ¡°How dare you!? And don¡¯t even get me started on your¡­¡±

    The two girls continued to relentlessly assassinate each other¡¯s characters. Kazama and Daniel sat restlessly, waiting for a chance to break them up. Ultimately, no chance came, and the girls eventually ran out of steam. For a moment, the courtroom was completely silent.

    ¡°Well, it took you a while, but I think we¡¯re all finally on the same page.¡± Lin said, raising her head.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Allie hissed. ¡°We haven¡¯t agreed on anything.¡±

    ¡°Even if the other hasn¡¯t acknowledged it, your arguments prove something important. Neither of you is worthy of being the main heroine.¡±

    The pair glared at Lin, but she didn¡¯t falter. The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes in a gaze that showed neither condescension nor elation. Her clinical expression made them hesitate to refute her.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that I deserve the role either. I think we¡¯ve been trying to answer the wrong question.¡±

    ¡°Who is the main heroine¡­?¡± Daniel muttered, tilting his head in a familiar manner. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­Wait! You can¡¯t possibly mean¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to advocate for a harem ending.¡±

    Once again, a cacophony of murmurs filled the courtroom. However, this time it wasn¡¯t just Daniel¡¯s phone.

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. That¡¯s illegal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kazama stammered.

    ¡°Not on my planet.¡±

    ¡°Not in the future.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to share, but¡­If you satisfy all of us, then I can¡¯t really complain~¡±

    ¡°You should definitely complain.¡± Desperation began to creep into Kazama¡¯s voice.

    Everyone turned towards the desk furthest from the door. Daniel was out of his seat and breathing heavily after his outburst.

    ¡°Sorry¡­huff¡­I don¡¯t have anything¡­huff¡­to add.¡± The portly boy scratched his head. ¡°I was just worried that the trial would end before anyone said that.¡±

    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s just end it now.¡± Lin offered. ¡°I think we¡¯ve determined what fate has in store for Kazama.¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    All eyes fell on Kazama. A heavy pressure that dwarfed even Allie¡¯s filled the room. The blue-haired boy rose from his seat and met them with a smoldering gaze.

    ¡°No one gets to decide my future. Especially not fate.¡±

    It was a line that would normally be said by Kazama¡¯s father, along with a manga title and volume number. But not a single person in that room who could laugh it off as a joke.

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re right.¡± Daniel admitted. ¡°Ultimately, this is about you. We can¡¯t¡­um¡­¡±

    Daniel trailed off as he looked around the room. The girls were also standing, despite the immense amount of pressure.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to live a normal life here.¡± Kazama continued. ¡°A harem with a slug, a reincarnator and a time-traveler? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to accept that.¡±

    Despite Kazama¡¯s harsh words, the girls continued to glare at him. Daniel stepped back, suddenly wishing to be forgotten again. What followed was a two-sided argument where neither side backed down. The original setting and goal were forgotten. Their trial devolved into a mudslinging match. Eventually, two sides became four, as the trio reconfirmed their differences. Daniel managed to sneak out in the confusion, giving an excuse about heading to class. In reality, class had already started hours ago, but the remaining four were too stubborn to abandon their argument. By the time the final bell rang, Remira and Allie were at each other¡¯s throats. Kazama and Lin tried to pull them apart, but ended up stumbling. The four of them collapsed on the ground, tired, frustrated and no closer to resolving their issues.

    ¡°Is everything ok? I heard a¡­¡± A voice that could only be described as handsome called out from the doorway.

    The quartet raised their heads to see a blonde boy gazing down on them. Handsome was certainly not the only word that could describe him, but it was the first one that popped into each of their heads.

    The boy stepped back, disgusted by the sight before him.

    ¡°Look.¡± Kazama hastily whispered. ¡°I promise this isn¡¯t what it looks like. So, can you just turn around and forget you saw us?¡±

    The perfect specimen nodded slightly and then shut the door.

    After breathing a sigh of relief, Allie rolled off of Lin and the pile quickly disbanded.

    ¡°Christ!¡± Lin hissed at Allie. ¡°Why are you so sweaty!?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s not sweat¡­¡± The blue-haired girl wheezed. ¡°I need to change back to my original form soon.¡±

    ¡°Can it wait until you get home?¡± Kazama asked.

    ¡°Yea, it¡¯s just been a long day.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here¡­¡± Kazama paused as he glanced around the room that had weathered their argument. ¡°¡­After I clean things up.¡±

    - - -

    23 Hours Until Showdown

    ¡°Ok.¡± Kazama announced with a sigh. ¡°Everything¡¯s back where it should be. For the most part.¡±

    The blue-haired boy surveyed the empty room once more and then moved towards the door.

    ¡°No thanks to those three.¡± He grumbled under his breath.

    As he crossed the threshold, Kazama noticed the girls struggling over something. They didn¡¯t seem to be angry, though. A slight smile appeared on Kazama¡¯s face as he realized that the three of them had bonded over this experience. That smile immediately vanished once he saw what they were fighting over.

    ¡°Why the hell do you have my phone!?¡±

    The trio suddenly froze. After a few seconds, Allie stepped forward.

    ¡°Lin took it when we all fell.¡± She reported while returning it.

    ¡°Why would you even¡­¡± Kazama glared disparagingly at Lin.

    Lin¡¯s only response was a high shrug.

    ¡°Anyways, if you guys are finished cleaning yourselves up, then let¡¯s go.¡±

    Kazama lead the way out with the trio following close behind.

    ¡°By the way, who was that guy?¡± Allie asked. ¡°The one who walked in on us.¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡± Kazama shook his head. ¡°Never seen him before.¡±

    ¡°He sure was handsome, though.¡± Remira muttered. ¡°I hope we run into him again.¡±

    Kazama nearly stopped in his tracks. Ever since he¡¯d known Remira, she had never shown even the slightest interest in another male. Kazama strongly suspected that she didn¡¯t even know Daniel¡¯s name. He looked to Lin, expecting her to have a similar reaction.

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    But she seemed to be in sync with Remira rather than him.

    ¡°Thinking back on it, he was pretty attractive¡­¡± Allie agreed. ¡°Yea, the more I picture him, the more I want to see him again.¡±

    ¡°Personally, he looked pretty average to me.¡± Kazama cut in. ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t know what makes guys attractive.¡±

    The three girls stopped walking.

    ¡°I would have to agree.¡± Lin replied coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re saying that the man we just saw was anything less than enthralling.¡±

    ¡°Really, Kazama, he was incredible.¡± Remira added passionately. ¡°How can you not see it?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see his power level, and yet I don¡¯t even care.¡± Allie muttered. ¡°That¡¯s how powerful his looks were.¡±

    ¡°Oookay then?¡±

    Until they parted ways, the girls continued to sing David¡¯s praises. Kazama was thoroughly confused by their change in attitude, but it wasn¡¯t entirely unwelcome. After a stressful day, he was just glad to not be the center of attention.

    - - -

    22 Hours Until Showdown

    ¡°Mind control?¡± Kazama repeated skeptically.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s doing it, but yes, it¡¯s definitely mind control.¡±

    After Kazama returned home, Belle had pulled him into her room. She gave him a brief rundown on the new transfer student and his effect on the school. Despite her urgent tone, Kazama was far too tired to listen properly. His eyes wandered to Belle¡¯s desk, where he noticed a pile of games with questionable covers.

    ¡°Hey Belle, I don¡¯t want to tell you what games to play...But those ones might be dangerous for people like us.¡±

    Belle glanced at the myriad of yandere dating sims by her computer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those. That¡¯s plan B.¡±

    Kazama blinked.

    ¡°Ok. If you¡¯re really that worried, I¡¯ll give you something useful.¡±

    After a brief trip to his room, Kazama returned with a slip of paper.

    ¡°This is a talisman that protects its user from magical effects. I filled it with my energy, so all you have to do is hold onto it.¡±

    ¡°So, his mind control won¡¯t work on me?¡±

    ¡°Not if it¡¯s magically-based.¡±

    Belle¡¯s lips parted in a toothy grin. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡±

    - - -

    7 Hours Until Showdown

    Kazama noticed a distinct lack of eyes on him as he walked to school. His gaze drifted over all their usual hiding spots and found nothing. It seemed that Lin and Remira were busy with something else. Allie hadn¡¯t contacted him either. Kazama released a short sigh.

    ¡°What a relief. After yesterday, I¡¯m sick of those three.¡± He muttered to no one in particular.

    Just like his morning walk, Kazama¡¯s classes finished without incident. There was no one hiding in the hedges, and no one waiting for him at the gates. In fact, with David drawing everyone¡¯s eye, it was one of the least eventful days Kazama had ever experienced.

    Belle told him that she¡¯d stay after school, and so Kazama began to walk home alone. He didn¡¯t even make it one block, though, before noticing a trio of girls hiding behind a telephone pole.

    ¡°What are you three doing?¡±

    Allie, Lin and Remira jumped in unison. They apparently hadn¡¯t noticed him pass by.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t left yet, right?¡± Allie asked.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The guy we saw yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I heard someone call him David Senpai.¡± Lin added.

    ¡°Yea, him!¡± Allie nodded.

    ¡°Um, I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in your grade, right? Can you introduce us sometime?¡±

    ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Pleeease?¡± The three of them begged, pressing into Kazama¡¯s personal space.

    Kazama paused, realizing that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow.¡±

    The girls stepped back, satisfied, and Kazama began to walk away. A sharp tug on his sleeve stopped him in his tracks. Kazama¡¯s eyes followed the slender white arm until he was gazing into Remira¡¯s eyes. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The blonde girl suddenly turned away and scratched her head.

    ¡°Huh? Sorry, I¡¯m not really sure why I did that.¡± Remira spoke stiffly. She didn¡¯t turn around, keeping her back to Kazama. ¡°Just forget it.¡±

    This time, Remira was the one to walk away, only to be stopped by Kazama¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Wait right here.¡± Kazama¡¯s voice fell one octave as it passed through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to go have a chat with Senpai.¡±

    - - -

    0 Hours Until Showdown

    ¡°Well, that was quick.¡± David observed.

    Belle fell to her knees. Her body broke out in a cold sweat. Despite her monstrous strength, she couldn¡¯t manage to stand.

    ¡°As expected, even with a talisman and your high natural resistance, it was only a matter of time. I have to say though, you¡¯re quite interesting. I¡¯ve never met someone who manifested my control in such an¡­entertaining way.¡±

    Belle grunted as she made another attempt to rise, only to fail again.

    ¡°I can manipulate most people with just my appearance, so I¡¯m actually happy to find a challenge.¡±

    David sprung up from his seat. He sauntered over to Belle, grinning like a madman.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to make you forget about this incident and become a little more obedient¡­How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°F-Fuck you, Senpai.¡±

    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s the spirit~¡±

    David knelt down and lifted his hand over Belle¡¯s face. In the same instant, the classroom door swung open. Belle looked up and glowered at her visitor.

    ¡°Fuck you too, Kazama!¡± She spat. ¡°This talisman thing didn¡¯t do shit.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I was tired, and I half-assed it.¡± Came his unapologetic reply.

    David blinked. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that pervert who was having a foursome after school.¡±

    Belle¡¯s glower quickly evolved into a look of pure disgust.

    ¡°-Once again, that wasn¡¯t what it looked like.¡± Kazama hastily replied.

    David rolled his eyes as Kazama stepped forward. When there was less than an arm¡¯s length between them, David took his hand away from Belle and stood up. The blonde boy could feel an intense pressure, but Kazama had yet to make a move.

    ¡°Ok?¡± David shrugged. ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t introduced myself to you. My name is David Senpai. Most people call me Senpai.¡±

    ¡°I know who you are, David.¡±

    ¡°-Senpai.¡±

    ¡°-David.¡± The blue-haired boy shot back. ¡°And my name is Kazama.¡±

    The pressure surrounding Kazama suddenly tripled. David fell to his knees and clutched his head. His entire body was shaking, but one part seemed to be having a particularly rough time.

    ¡°So, is that a wig? Or¡­?¡±

    David¡¯s hair had begun writhing madly. The blonde mass changed to a sickly green as it detached from his head. Kazama scooped it up and it cowered under his grip. As he inspected it, there was really only one creature that came to mind. With two tiny eyestalks and a slimy formless body, it was undoubtedly a brain slug.

    ¡°T-Then the legends were true.¡± A deep and sinister voice stammered.

    Kazama looked around, but it obviously belonged to the slug.

    ¡°A blue-haired boy with an unimaginable aura¡­I must warn my people.¡±

    The green blob sprung out of Kazama¡¯s hand and slithered over to the windows.

    *Sschlorp*

    With a sickening sound, the creature managed to squeeze through a tiny opening and escape.

    ¡°G-Get back here!¡± Belle yelled as she stumbled towards the window. ¡°I was going to squash you!¡±

    ¡°It was a bad matchup.¡± Kazama said, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°I think you need to wash up. I¡¯ll be waiting at the gates.¡±

    - - -

    0 Hours After Showdown

    ¡°Kazama!¡±

    ¡°Kazama!¡±

    ¡°Kazama!¡±

    Three girls pounced on him the instant he left the building.

    ¡°We saw the whole thing from the window!¡± Lin reported with a smile.

    ¡°You looked so cool!¡± Remira added. ¡°I fell in love all over again.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the legendary warrior.¡± Allie nodded proudly. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about that guy¡­¡±

    The blue-haired girl produced a small glass jar with a high-tech lid. Inside, furiously undulating, was the brain slug.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it home with me in a few days.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving, then?¡± Kazama asked cautiously.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to come back as soon as I can!¡± Allie retorted. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t want to marry you at all, I still need to complete the legend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really happy about it¡­But my dad said that you can stay as long as you like.¡± Remira said, stepping between them. ¡°So, we¡¯ll keep your room open.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Kazama sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve said all I can to stop you. Do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°If you insist~¡±

    Allie jumped forward to hug Kazama but Lin and Remira blocked her way. Kazama retreated to a safe distance and let them fight it out. He sat down by the gate and closed his eyes. Resisting that mind control had been more exhausting than he¡¯d expected. After a few minutes, a slightly battered Remira joined him. She leaned in, pushing against his shoulder.

    ¡°Kazama¡­I know you still feel guilty about it.¡± She whispered, her voice barely reaching his ears. ¡°You think that Lin and I would be more normal if we hadn¡¯t met you.¡±

    Kazama stiffened, but Remira continued.

    ¡°But we chose to be like this. You don¡¯t have to take responsibility. If you really want us to leave you alone, then we¡¯ll accept that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like I said with Allie, you can do whatever you want. A-And it¡¯s hard for me to say it, but I¡­I don¡¯t hate-¡± Kazama quickly closed his mouth as he noticed Belle staring at the two of them.

    ¡°Hey, brother who skipped school to have a foursome, are you ready to go?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a foursome!¡± Kazama and Remira replied together. Though, one of them sounded very disappointed about it.

    ¡°Whatever. Are you coming or not?¡±

    ¡°Yea.¡± Kazama said. He stood up and dusted himself off. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re forgetting something¡­But it probably isn¡¯t important.¡±

    - - -

    8 Hours After Showdown

    David awoke in a dark classroom. The sun had already set, and the silence was deafening.

    ¡°H-Hello?¡± He called out.

    There was no answer.

    As David felt around, his hand gradually made its way to his head. He patted it, paused, and then clutched it with both hands.

    ¡°Huh?¡± David felt himself breaking into a cold sweat. ¡°Where¡¯s my hair?¡±

 Short - Goal Keeper

    A quiet sigh escaped the lips of a weary figure. She stumbled along through the morning haze, thoroughly unprepared for the coming day. Her chestnut brown hair felt thick and heavy. Combing it had been an ordeal, just one sleepless night had turned it into an unruly beast. Her skin was in a similar state. She would frequently brag about never using makeup, but today it would have come in handy. The exhausted brunette eyed her uniform. Normally a point of pride, now the wrinkled vest was just another worry in the back of her mind.

    She could only pray that others wouldn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Hey, May.¡± A monotone voice greeted her from behind.

    May tensed for a moment, and then turned around.

    ¡°Ah~¡± Her friend¡¯s voice rose to a more comfortable pitch, something that was happening more often recently. ¡°You just finished that game, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± May laughed weakly. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±

    Belle blinked, realizing her mistake. ¡°No, no, you look fine.¡±

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, really, you¡¯re fine.¡± Belle repeated, this time with confidence. ¡°Anyways, how was it?¡±

    May straightened up, only noticing her slouch as she corrected it. Once she opened her mouth, May was unable to stop. Scenes and emotions sprung into her memory and then rushed out of her mouth. May continued to gush about everything she¡¯d experienced within the past night while Belle listened with a slight grin.

    ¡°¡­I-I never thought I¡¯d get so immersed in something other than a book.¡± May added hastily. An excuse appending her stream of consciousness. ¡°After you told me how dating sims have multiple routes, I got so curious about how every romance would end that¡­Well, this happened.¡±

    May turned her palms upward, gesturing to her disheveled appearance.

    Belle¡¯s only reply was a smug grin and a short nod. May frowned.

    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t look so proud of yourself. When I gave the game back to my brother, he had that exact same expression. Then he said ¡®huhuhu, another convert¡¯. What a creep. Please tell me you have some other games lying around so that I don¡¯t have to borrow from him.¡±

    ¡°I have a few.¡± Belle replied.

    She actually had an entire attic¡¯s worth, but May didn¡¯t need to know about that. At least, not until Belle moved some of the more questionable games into a separate room.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± May said with a smile.

    The pair continued their conversation while walking to school. May¡¯s exhaustion was forgotten as they discussed the different romances in the game. Then, the subject inevitably turned towards real-life.

    ¡°Never.¡± Belle¡¯s curt reply was followed by a frown. ¡°And considering what happened to my brother, that¡¯s probably for the best.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Wait, what happened to-¡± May cut off as she felt an arm snake across her shoulder.

    ¡°Moorning!¡± Tammy practically sang her greeting as she pulled the pair in for a hug. ¡°What were you two, like, chatting about?¡±

    May glanced at Belle who was busy squirming under Tammy¡¯s embrace, fighting against her abnormally honed instincts.

    ¡°Belle just told me that she¡¯s never fallen in love.¡±

    ¡°R-Really?¡± Lia spoke up, poking her head out from behind Tammy. ¡°I was kind of hoping you¡¯d have a story about a prince in some fantasy world.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it romantic¡­¡± Belle said, ducking out of Tammy¡¯s arms. ¡°But I was¡­courted¡­by a prince once.¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡± The trio responded in unison.

    Belle stepped back as they pushed further into her personal space.

    ¡°Y-Yea. The first time Kazama and I were thrown into a fantasy world, we were forced to travel through a few different kingdoms. We met a really annoying prince in one of them. He practically forced us to invite him into our party.¡±

    ¡°And this guy joined your party to, like, get with you?¡± Tammy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did he at least look like a prince?¡±

    ¡°He was objectively attractive.¡± Belle conceded. ¡°But he was also really arrogant about it.¡±

    ¡°A haughty pretty-boy type¡­¡± Lia nodded in understanding. ¡°How annoying.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, he left almost as quickly as he came.¡±

    ¡°The sheltered prince couldn¡¯t handle travelling?¡± May theorized. The brunette¡¯s expression darkened as she looked into Belle¡¯s eyes. ¡°Or did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to. Apparently, he ran into a demon during a simple scouting mission. The Prince was barely injured, but the experience traumatized him. He left the instant we reached a new town.¡±

    ''¡°T-That¡¯s understandable¡­¡± Lia muttered. ¡°Anyone would think twice about adventuring after that.¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Belle replied flatly. ¡°Fighting demons is par for the course in that world. Plus, Kazama was his scouting partner. We were pretty strong in that world, so there wasn¡¯t any chance of him getting¡­¡±

    Belle trailed off as she looked at the trio¡¯s incredulous faces. ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Your brother was with this guy? When they were attacked?¡± May questioned.

    ¡°Yea?¡±

    ''¡°And no one else saw the demon?¡±

    ¡°It was a long time ago, but I think it was just them.¡±

    ¡°And this guy totally changed his attitude afterwards?¡±

    ¡°Before, I couldn¡¯t get away from him. After that¡­he seemed to be avoiding me.¡±

    Belle cocked her head, expecting more questions or an explanation. Instead, the three girls patted her shoulder in turn.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way it should be.¡± Lia nodded seriously.

    ¡°As an only child, I¡¯m jealous.¡± Tammy matched her friend¡¯s tone.

    ¡°My brother¡¯s useless, so I¡¯m also jealous.¡± May added with a sigh.

    Belle blinked in confusion, but the trio was already walking ahead. The pink-haired girl decided to ignore their strange reactions as she hurried to catch up. From there, the conversation shifted away from the prince. By the time they reached the gates, May, Lia and Tammy were listening in awe to the tale of an unwilling pair of heroes and a bungling Demon Lord.

    May found herself smiling at the absurdity of it all. Her morning¡¯s exhaustion and anxiety was already in the past. Being Belle¡¯s friend was nothing if not novel.

 Hiatus Announcement

    It''s hard to say this after I promised to give this story a conclusion, but I won''t be able to continue writing for an unknown amount of time. I have a lot of things planned out, but no time to write them. Right now I''m at an important crossroads in my life and, as much as I love it, my writing hobby is something that I can cut off. At this point, I''m not sure if I''ll come back to this story in the future or just leave it as it is. Either way, I want to thank everyone who read up to this point.

    Seriously, thank you. I''m sorry to betray any expectations, but I hope that I''ll be able to write here again someday.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I felt like adding a larger version of the cover, since it''s hard to tell what''s going on in the main page. All of the characters are heavily modified traces of characters from various mangas. All except for Adam (the shouting one), who was lazily ripped straight from a panel in Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan. Sorry Adam.

 Hiatus Update

    Hey, it''s been a while.

    Ok, a long while.

    Anyways, I have some news that''s worth sharing and I decided to split it into a short version and a long version.

    Short Version:

    This story is still in hiatus for the forseeable future. However, I am still writing on this site. My First Party Member is a Slime (link below) updates at least twice a week and I don''t plan on dropping it under any circumstances, real-life issues or otherwise.

    Long Version:

    Regarding that thing I was really vague about in my hiatus announcement, things have not gone well. On one hand, I''m very disappointed in myself, but on the other hand, I''m enjoying my life right now and I''m still optimistic about the future. Heavy stuff aside, I really regretted not writing more during the past year. I wrote a short story for the January resolution contest (link below) which ended up winning, and that helped reinvigorate my writing side. After that, I tried writing more of We Don''t Want to be Main Characters, but after two weeks I only had ~7k words and I wasn''t very happy with them. Writing a story centered around comedy is tough, at least for me, and that''s partially why I couldn''t keep up with updates before.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    I decided that I wanted to write a more linear story with an actual beginning, middle and end. The story I chose is My First Party Member is a Slime. The title and summary should give you a good idea of what its about, so check it out if it interests you. After rereading this story, I think that my writing quality has improved since then...probably.

    And that''s it. Thank you to everyone who kept following this story. Including the people who just forgot that it was in your bookmarks.