Chapter 2: Vol.1 Ch.2: Confused Memories

-Chapter 2-

 

            “Wait, you blacked out last night?!”

            Chisa Ando’s concerned voice echoed throughout the noisy cafeteria. Thankfully, only a few students turned their heads, as the large noisy room had already masked the outburst from reaching more ears.

            “Not so loud!” an embarrassed Yuko exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her. She then looked around nervously, waving away the handful of people glancing their way, assuring them that things were fine.

            “Sorry, sorry… But still though, seriously? Are you okay?”

            “Yes, I’m fine. I was in a panic this morning, but I’ve calmed down…” Yuko replied, before taking a bite out of the rolled omelet from her lunch tray.

            “I swear, I’ve been worrying about you ever since we met, but that sounds like a whole new level of weird. At least you seem to be fine now…”

            Rumors of the girl who’d come to the gate that morning in a ripped uniform had already started to spread. Chisa was a bit annoyed at something like that involving her close friend becoming such a hot topic so quickly, but she chose to keep out of it, despite usually being the type to at least listen in on recent rumors.

            Yuko had already told Chisa the basics between classes, but hadn’t been able to give her the whole story until lunchtime. Of course, with her own memory of the events so hazy, all she could really tell was the story of how she’d fallen asleep on a bench before waking up in her bed the next morning in a daze, plus the resulting aftermath of trying to go to school in that state.

            “So you met the student council prez, Kawagoe?” Chisa inquired.

            “Oh, yeah… It was pretty awkward. I didn’t really understand what happened myself, so I wasn’t able to tell her anything of note… She said she’d get in touch with me again later.”

            “Whoa. You know, she’s pretty popular. The famous ‘ice queen of the student council’ is the current nickname making the rounds, I think. It’s amazing that you got to chat with her one-on-one.”

            “Is it really that big of a deal?” Yuko asked, scratching her head. “I mean, the student council hosts all kinds of events throughout the year. They must interact with regular students all the time. Plus, her term only just started… Can she really be that famous already?”

            “Yeah, that’s true I suppose.” Chisa nodded. “But I dunno what it is. It’s only barely been a month, but something feels different this year. Maybe it’s just the difference in things here in high school compared to the middle school…”

            “Maybe so…” Yuko tilted her head in response. She didn’t regard Kanna Kawagoe as anyone particularly impressive, though she was aware of the status that came with being the president of the student council.

            As the girls continued to eat lunch, they eventually changed the subject to their usual idle chatter, and before long it was time to return to class.

            “Ugh… We’ve got math next.” grumbled Chisa. “Going into such a brain-melting subject right after chowing down at lunch is some major emotional whiplash…”

            “Yeah, I get it.” Yuko replied, patting Chisa on the shoulder as they walked back to the classroom.

            Soon, the two arrived back at classroom 1-B, and as the students began flooding in, Yuko took her seat in the back by the window. Just as the last few students hurried in, the bell tolled, and it was time for class to start. After a few moments, Karuto Taniguchi, the 1^st year math teacher, entered the room with his usual stern expression and refined posture.

            “Good day, class.” said the teacher, adjusting his tie. “Today we’ll be getting started on the next chapter of the textbook. Your tests from yesterday are still being graded, but should be done by the end of the week.”

            Several students groaned, nervous of what kind of score they could’ve ended up with. Paying them no mind, the teacher turned and began writing on the board.

            “Please open your textbooks to the page written here, and I’ll begin to explain the new formula…” he instructed, turning back to the class.

            Yuko did as instructed, just as the other students did. Mr. Taniguchi was a teacher quick to jump to the point, and he’d often enter the room just like this, ready to kick off his lessons with little buildup. However, as Yuko finished opening the textbook, she noticed that an odd silence filled the room. It’s not that such a pause was unusual, but usually Mr. Taniguchi would begin summarizing something or other as the students were getting their stuff out. Curious, Yuko lifted her head.

            “Eh…?”

            Her eyes met the teacher’s.

            It was just a moment, so no one else really took note of it, but for that brief instant, Mr. Taniguchi was looking straight at Yuko.

            “Yes, so in this chapter, we’re building off the fundamentals of last time. See, this equation right here…”

            As if their eyes hadn’t met at all, Taniguchi turned and began explaining as he usually would. The other students nearby didn’t even notice.

            “What was that all about…?” Yuko whispered to herself under her breath.

            Although it somewhat unnerved her, as the lesson continued and the day went on, Yuko wouldn’t think much of it, and by the end of the day, she’d already put it out of her mind.

---

            Classes were over. The school’s bell had chimed just recently, and the halls of the school were packed with students going to and fro. Compared to yesterday, Yuko took things at a casual pace today. After all, it was a day off from her job at the café.

            “I’m off, Yuko!” waved Chisa, as she pranced out of the school, headed toward the theater for another day of her club.

            “Break a leg, Chisa!” Yuko responded, waving with a smile.

            Since Yuko had the day off of work today, and also had no club to attend, that meant her whole evening was free to spend as she pleased. Though after the chaos the night before, and how hectic things were this morning, Yuko had the urge to just go relax in her room for the rest of the day. But, not wanting to let the free time go to too much of a waste, Yuko decided to make one stop before going to the dorms.

            “Do!” a shout resounded from the dojo.

            Quietly joining in with a small group of spectators, Yuko observed an armored student land a body strike on their opponent with a wooden sword. This was, of course, the kendo club.

            “Good work, everyone! Now that we’re all warmed up, let’s get some real practice matches going. Take a quick breather.” the coach instructed.

            Yuko had stopped by and watched the kendo club a handful of times before. She somewhat admired the dedication it took to devote oneself to a sport like this. Just then, the rest of the onlookers around Yuko began to murmur among themselves as one of the kendo club members approached the crowd.

            “Hey there!” said the student, removing his helmet, revealing the familiar face of Tanabe Murakami, smiling at Yuko.

            “H-hello, Murakami! I knew you had club today, so I decided to come watch for a bit.” Yuko replied, blushing just a bit. The whispers of a few of the girls nearby made her embarrassment even worse.

            “Of course, I’m always glad to have you here. It does help having someone nearby I can try to show off for, haha!” Tanabe smiled.

            “I-I just think it’s an interesting sport! It must take a lot of practice to handle the sword so well, perfecting such specific movements!”

            “It was pretty tough at first, but I’m mostly used to it now. It’s like my body has synchronized, and now I know how to move on instinct!” Tanabe responded, showing off his posture as an example.

            Following that, a handful of other onlooking students moved forward, asking Tanabe some other questions, somewhat overwhelming him.

            “Hey Murakami, we’re getting started! Let’s go!” called the coach, now having things prepared for the next practice session.

            “Yes sir!” replied Tanabe. “Yuko, everyone, thanks for dropping by! I gotta get back to practice!”

            A few students cheered as he walked back, returning his helmet to his head. Yuko also waved from the crowd. From there, Yuko stood by and watched a handful of practice matches. While some may view kendo matches as relatively rigid and boring compared to more elaborate methods of swordplay, Yuko found a unique beauty in its refined flow of motion, almost like a dance.

            Eventually, Yuko decided she should head back to the dorms, and quietly left the dojo. The dojo was a bit of a walk away from the school, but not as far as something like the shopping area or library. It didn’t take long at all for Yuko to get back to the dorms after walking for a few minutes.

            Yuko sighed as she made her way back inside. In the lobby of the dorm she saw a few students lazing about, as well as some cooking club members heading in and out of the dorm cafeteria, preparing dinner meals. All a very common sight for this time of day. However, despite the familiarity the rest of the day brought, Yuko’s mind would drift back to her bizarre morning, and her lack of memory of the night before.

            It’s extremely uncomfortable just… not knowing what happened. I thought I might remember more as the day went on, but I still have no clue… And why did I feel so strange this morning?

            Yuko sighed as she walked through the lobby, before taking note of the student manning the reception desk. Having an idea, she approached.

            “Excuse me.” Yuko said, reaching the desk. “Do you happen to be the same person who was here last night?”

            The job of the person at the reception desk was to operate the computer, which would automatically scan the student ID’s of every student entering and exiting the dorm through the sensors set up on each side. It wasn’t a particularly exciting job, since it mainly consisted of people-watching and making sure the computer system was running properly.

            “Yeah, I was. Is something the matter?” the confused student asked.

            “Oh, um… Well, I was just wondering, did you see me arrive here last night? It was probably after the new curfew.”

            “Um… oh! Yeah, I think I saw you. You were the last to come in, right?” the student answered, moving to check the computer. “Yeah, the system here shows you returning just after 9:30.”

            So what the president said was true after all…

            Yuko crossed her arms and thought for a moment.

            “This may be a strange question, but did anything seem… off, about me last night?” Yuko asked.

            “Uhh… Sorry. I noticed you walk in, but I think I was eating and watching this TV here at the time, so I didn’t really pay that much attention…” the student replied apologetically, patting the small television beside the computer monitor.

            “Oh, well, don’t worry about it, then!” Yuko smiled, before bowing and walking away.

            Well, I tried, but it seems that wasn’t of much help either… Though, apparently I did indeed return here on my own… But why can’t I remember that?

            Yuko’s mind only filled with more questions as she rode the elevator up to her dorm room.

---

            After considering a variety of factors, Yuko had decided it’d be best to take a bath sooner than later. While she normally preferred to bathe after eating dinner, tonight she decided to head to the baths first. It was already half past eight, so considering the new curfew, most students were probably back and eating dinner right about now. The dorm’s public baths were usually most crowded between 10 and 11, so Yuko figured it’d be nice to go now while there weren’t many others inside.

            After passing through the main lobby, Yuko entered the bath area’s entryway and bowed to the student at the desk before entering the women’s side. Now in the changing room, Yuko quickly undressed and left her clothes in the locker. Wrapping herself in her favorite pink towel, she entered the baths. As expected, relatively few others were around.

            Having a quiet bath like this is nice once in a while…

            Yuko smiled while sitting down at the showerhead, making use of the soap, shampoo, and conditioner, before turning on the water. Since Yuko typically bathed at the usual hours, the baths were often relatively crowded. The spacious bath hall would be filled with friends chitchatting as the day came to a close, and tended to get relatively noisy. Yuko could recall countless memories, both here in this bath, as well as the middle school dorm’s baths, when she and Chisa would get caught up chatting about all kinds of things, and end up staying in the water too long. Yuko chuckled, thinking back to those memories while washing her hair.

            After getting all cleaned up, Yuko got into an empty corner of the large tub, and soaked in the water.

            “Ahh… Nothing beats a warm bath.” Yuko smiled, with a relaxed expression.

            Yuko realized she definitely needed a moment like this to just relax and relieve the tension of the past 24 hours. Regardless of whatever happened, she took solace in the fact that at this moment, she was feeling calm and as good as ever.

            “Oh, Ms. President!” a nearby girl’s voice echoed in the bath.

            Opening her eyes, Yuko looked in the direction of the voice and saw a girl who had just left one of the showerheads waving at another girl she was passing by. That girl, walking towards the bathtub at this moment was student council president Kanna Kawagoe.

            “Oh my.” Kanna muttered on instinct upon reaching the bathtub. Naturally, her eyes had met Yuko’s. “What a coincidence it is you meet you in such a place.” she continued, getting into the tub, facing across from Yuko.

            “Y-yeah… Thank you again for this morning.” Yuko stammered out. The president still made her pretty nervous for some reason. Kanna’s piercing glare only made her shrink back more.

            “I had only performed as would be expected of one in my position.” Kanna replied, dismissing Yuko’s gratitude.

            “Oh, okay…” Yuko looked down at the water.

            An awkward silence had formed as the two soaked in the warm water, face-to-face. Yuko figured it was only natural, considering they’d only spoken for the first time that morning, and under very unusual circumstances.

            However, as time ticked on, the one to break the silence was, surprisingly, Kanna.

            “Shall we continue the discussion from this morning?” she asked bluntly, taking Yuko by surprise.

            “Huh? O-oh, well… I don’t really think I have anything new to say, though…” Yuko glanced back at Kanna apologetically.

            “Do you mean to imply you still remember nothing?” Kanna asked sternly. Yuko shrunk back into the bathwater.

            “Y-yeah… Even after sorting through my thoughts all day, I still only remember what I told you…” she meekly answered.

            After a small pause, Kanna shook her head.

            “I must be honest, Maeda. I just do not believe that.” she flatly replied.

            “H-huh?” Yuko was taken aback. “Wh-what do you mean, Ms. President?”

            “What I mean is… I believe you are lying to me.” Kanna glared at Yuko.

            “What…?” Yuko was surprised. She had believed that everyone up until now had been taking her seriously, and understood that she’d had some kind of abnormal experience that left her rattled and confused. She still had no idea why she couldn’t remember the night before, but she never expected anyone to ever claim that her lack of memory was a lie.

            “It is simply my own logical conclusion.” continued Kanna “Despite breaking curfew, you did eventually return to the dorm on your own. You claimed to have fallen asleep at the park, and lack the memory of what took place after. However, such an awfully convenient case of selective amnesia seems exceedingly unlikely.”

            “B-but… Even if you say that, I really can’t…” Yuko mumbled.

            “I considered the possibility of sleepwalking as well, but to manage uninterrupted travel from Rigel Park all the way to your own dorm room without waking is also an exceedingly unlikely occurrence.”

            “N-no, but…”

            “Regardless, the school uniform you owned had still been torn. Knowing you had to get a new one anyway, it is not farfetched to assume you simply came to school as-is, and claimed to have lost the memory of what happened to your uniform. A perfect excuse to not have to explain what actually occurred.”

            “Ngh…” Yuko was frustrated. Frustrated and upset. This time in the bath was supposed to be her first true moment of peace and solace. Like a calm detour after a long day of trying her best to act normal following such an unusual series of events. Her lack of memory of the night before did honestly scare her, and it had been looming over her in the back of her mind all day.

            To then have that peace shattered, and to have someone like Kanna accuse her of making it all up… Yuko couldn’t hold it in anymore, and her built up frustrations caused her to snap.

            “Shut up!! You don’t know what you’re talking about!!” Yuko screamed. As her shout echoed in the bath, the numerous other girls bathing in the room all turned their heads to see what the commotion was.

            “Resorting to hysterics after having your lie exposed? How typical of a truant like you.” Kanna retorted, feeling a bit of anger herself at having been screamed at.

            “What?!” Yuko exclaimed, standing up in the water. “You can’t just label me like that! I’ll have you know I’ve gone to class every single day I was healthy! I won’t let you treat me like some delinquent!”

            “Laughable!” shouted Kanna, also rising to her feet. “If you wish to be treated with respect, then I expect you to be truthful and corporative! A liar who hides important information is no better than such a delinquent!”

            “I didn’t expect the student council to be full of such snobs! Sorry I ever thought I could rely on you!” Yuko was shaking. She hated this situation, and lashing out emotionally like this was so unlike her, she struggled to maintain what little composure she still had left. Opting to take her leave now, Yuko moved to exit the bathtub, but then…

            “Eek!” Yuko squeaked as Kanna pinned her to the wall. Kanna’s right hand lay flat against the wall beside Yuko’s head, and she glared up into Yuko’s eyes, their faces mere inches apart.

            “I will uncover the truth. I shall not let those things run rampant around my school any longer.” Kanna whispered in a low, threatening tone, before turning her back to Yuko and leaving the bath on her own. The other girls in the bath were stunned and whispering amongst themselves.

            Still confused, frustrated, and shaking, Yuko simply crumpled back down into the bathwater. Unable to bear the eyes of the surrounding girls, Yuko decided to take her leave as well.

            Leaving the baths, Yuko couldn’t get Kanna’s words out of her head, and upon arriving back to her dorm room, she could only collapse onto her bed. Unable to bear the tense frustration built up inside, tears began to spill forth, and Yuko cried into her pillow.

---

            Rigel park. As the moon high in the sky reflected off the surface of the pond, a small stone was tossed in, cracking the image captured in the water. The large clock nearby had both hands pointing upward. It was just about midnight.

            “I suppose there are no disturbances tonight.” spoke the girl who tossed the stone. It was, in fact, student council president Kanna Kawagoe.

            “Perhaps so.” her partner replied. They stood in the shadows, leaning against a nearby tree while Kanna gazed into the water.

            “It seems that with the new curfew in place, perhaps the culprit realizes we are on their trail.” Kanna reasoned.

            “Speaking of which, you mentioned you encountered that girl again, right? Anything new to share?”

            “Yuko Maeda… I know she must be involved. However, I cannot get a read on her at all.” Kanna sighed, tossing another rock into the water. “Looking at her records yielded no results either. She transferred into the middle school from Central, like most other students. Of course, I have no access to those materials, as they are outside of this district.”

            “Earlier, you said she could be the culprit… because she killed that magic beast.”

            During lunch, Kanna and her partner had both visited the security building and checked the footage of Rigel Park’s security camera. Although the footage was fuzzy since the camera was a ways away, they could tell that Yuko Maeda seemingly killed a magic beast.

            “Correct.” Kanna answered. “Magic beasts cannot be tamed easily. There have been tales of even seasoned beast tamers suffering near-death experiences from rampages caused by a magic beast they attempted to control. For it is a totally different process from manipulating ordinary animals.”

            “So you believe what we saw on that camera feed was the pet turning against the master, and getting punished.”

            “That is… correct.” Kanna crossed her arms, deep in thought.

            “You seem uncertain.” her partner prodded.

            “When I encountered Yuko Maeda in the bath, I did not plan to engage, but I chose to provoke her just a bit. I wanted to see her reaction upon her lie being exposed.”

            “How’d that go?”

            “She was stunned. Angry as well. I could not tell if it was due to a lie being exposed, however. If her presumed amnesia were true, she could very well have just felt a sense of betrayal at my words.”

            “Such selective amnesia is much too convenient, though. Even in the camera footage, we saw her walk away as if the whole ordeal was just a minor inconvenience. You confirmed she returned to the dorm on her own as well, right? It’s suspicious.”

            “Exactly.” Kanna nodded. “No ordinary human from this world could stand against even a basic magic beast like that one. There is no other explanation for what we saw. She must be the one responsible for summoning these magic beasts in the first place.”

            Kanna thought back to the injured students she’d interviewed these past couple of weeks. All were injured late at night, on their way home from jobs or late club activities. She eventually realized magic beasts were loose on the school grounds of the eastern district, and swiftly used her authority as student council president to enforce a curfew.

            “Last night, when we found the remains of that beast…” Kanna continued. “I thought this was our big chance. And that one of the magic beasts finally rebelled against their tamer.”

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            “So when we found the security camera footage, the dots connected and you were sure we’d found our culprit.”

            “Right.” Kanna nodded. “And yet… Doubt still lingers. I cannot explain why…”

            Kanna turned from the pond, and faced her partner, who still rested on the tree.

            “You have seen her as well, correct? What do you make of Yuko Maeda?” Kanna inquired.

            “Yes, I’ve known her for a little while now… I even saw her today. She’s never really struck me as someone capable of this kind of thing. But appearances can be deceiving.”

            “I share the same impression.” Kanna agreed. “When I met her this morning, I thought her merely a victim. The selective amnesia was strange, but not too farfetched if she experienced a traumatizing encounter with a magic beast. People of this world know nothing of such creatures, after all. But… the camera footage tells a different story.”

            The two stood in silence for a moment. Their patrol that night yielded nothing, and they were both left to work with only the clues they already had. In the worst case scenario, the culprit they were after would lay low, and they’d never catch them. Even if such a scenario came with the benefit of no more magic beast attacks, Kanna knew she couldn’t afford to let such a dangerous individual stay at this school. In which case, if they have a lead pointing to the culprit, would it not be wise to pursue that lead to the end?

            “What are you going to do?” asked Kanna’s partner.

            “Well…” Kanna pondered. “I would prefer to resolve the issue quickly. The month is almost over, and I don’t want to leave information on an unresolved incident for the high priest.”

            Kanna sighed, and then turned back toward the shining pond. She strongly considered her responsibilities, and what her role here at this school was. After mulling things over, she finally made her decision.

            “I cannot hesitate now.” Kanna asserted, as the breeze blew through her hair. “I will confront Yuko Maeda, and force the truth from her, personally.”

            The late-night hunter had declared her resolve. Kanna Kawagoe had decided that Yuko Maeda was her enemy.

---

            “Yuko… What are you doing?” Chisa asked her friend, a bit bewildered.

            It was the next morning. Wednesday, April 26^th. That morning, Yuko had met up with her friend Chisa for breakfast, as they’d do somewhat regularly. The two left to walk to the school building, when suddenly Yuko had ducked and hidden herself behind Chisa. Left at a loss, Chisa could only ask what brought about such strange behavior.

            “Over there… It’s her.” Yuko pointed, timidly.

            “Hmm…?” Chisa looked over in confusion. “The student council president…? What about her?”

            In front of the school gate stood Kanna Kawagoe, the student council president, alongside some other members of the council. It was common to see at least a few council members out there in the morning to greet all the incoming students. Sometimes they’d even be handing out flyers for school events or local promotions. Today, however, there wasn’t anything like that, and they were just greeting the students as usual.

            “We kinda… Don’t get along.” Yuko murmured.

            “Huh?” Chisa was baffled. Needless to say, Yuko had yet to tell her anything about the awkward encounter in the bath the night prior. Rather, Yuko wished she could just forget the whole thing.

            “I’ll tell you about it later…” whispered Yuko, pushing Chisa forward.

            “Alright, alright…” Chisa began to move.

            The two approached the gate slowly and awkwardly. A handful of passing students tilted their head at Yuko clinging to Chisa’s back, but didn’t really pay it much mind. As the two reached the front gate of the school, Chisa attempted to casually walk sideways into the schoolyard, with Yuko hiding right behind her. Naturally, they stood out like a sore thumb. One of the council members looked over in confusion.

            “What are you doing over there?” called the council member. As if on cue, the other members, as well as some other students, all looked her way.

            “Uhh…” Chisa froze in place. “J-just, you know, doing some mid-walk stretching! Gotta get that blood flowing early in the morning! We’ve got another long day of school & clubs ahead!” she spouted, awkwardly moving her body in strange ways that vaguely resembled stretching.

            Everyone nearby merely stared at her in silence. Stifled laughter could be heard from a few passing students. Chisa’s face began to turn red.

            “You do not have to hide from me, Yuko Maeda.” Kanna stepped forward, clearly seeing through what was happening here.

            “I-I’ve gotta get to class!” Yuko shouted, bolting from behind Chisa, and running toward the school building.

            “H-hey, don’t leave me here alone, Yuko!” Chisa shouted. Left wondering what to do, she quickly bowed to the council members before running off after her friend.

            “What was that all about?” one of the council members asked Kanna.

            “Pay it no mind.” Kanna replied, sighing.

            Despite her resolve, Kanna still didn’t know what to make of Yuko as a person. Regardless, she’d already made her decision. As Kanna and the other council members reoriented themselves and returned to greeting the incoming students, a troubled expression had found itself upon Kanna’s face.

---

            “Wah!” Yuko squeaked, hiding behind Chisa again.

            “Hey!” Chisa yelped, before realizing that Kanna was on the other side of the room.

            It was lunchtime, and tons of students had gathered in the cafeteria to get a meal. Yuko had once again ducked behind Chisa upon seeing Kanna some distance away, talking to one of the cooking club members.

            “You’ve seriously gotta tell me what’s going on. Why does the prez spook you so much?” Chisa asked, after letting out an exasperated sigh.

            “… She’s scary.”

            “Scary? I mean, I guess she does tend to have that cold glare on her face. But she tries to smile and stuff during speeches and stuff. Remember the entrance ceremony?”

            Yuko’s brief explanation didn’t get through to Chisa. But honestly, she didn’t mind. Yuko had been wondering all day whether to talk with Chisa about what happened, but in the back of her mind, she worried Chisa might start thinking her amnesia was a lie as well. Though rationally she knew her friend wouldn’t be so dismissive.

            The two eventually got lunch and ate without ever being noticed by Kanna. Before long, the school day came to an end and the two friends parted ways. Yuko had a shift at the café today, so she went ahead and walked straight there after school. As she arrived, the boss was already inside setting things up.

            “Wow, you’re always here so quickly, boss…” Yuko muttered on instinct after entering the shop.

            “Oh, hey Maeda!” Boss replied cheerfully. “Yep, I get special permission to leave my last class early so I can get here and start setting up. Things work a bit differently once you’re a third-year like me, haha.”

            “Oh wow.” Yuko had a sense of it already, but she continued to be impressed by how much the upperclassmen help things run smoothly. It’s no surprise their class schedules allow enough leniency to accommodate the extra responsibilities.

            Suddenly, Yuko had a realization.

            “Hey, um, Boss… Since you’re a third-year, do you happen to know the student council president?” Yuko asked, with hesitation.

            “Hm? Kan-chan? Yeah, she’s actually in my class! Class 3-A.” Boss smiled.

            “K-Kan-chan…?” Yuko repeated, caught off guard by the strange nickname.

            “Yeah, everyone in our class calls her that! She’s basically the head of the school, you know? The fact that someone like that is in our class kinda makes her our pride and joy. Plus, she’s way cuter than you’d expect. She’s so short and works so hard, you can’t help but root for her, you know?”

            Yuko was taken aback at Boss’s unexpected gushing. She only asked on a whim, but she truly didn’t expect him to be so familiar with her, let alone be in the same class.

            “I-I see… Say, don’t you think the president can sometimes be a bit, um… scary? Or like, mean?”

            “Can’t say I’ve ever seen her that way…” Boss answered, tilting his head. “Oh! I get it! You totally got lectured by her, didn’t you?”

            “Huh?!” Yuko jumped.

            “You probably didn’t make it back by curfew the other night, did you? I told you to let me know and I’d take responsibility. Man, if you got chewed out by Kan-chan because of me, I’m really sorry. But don’t hold it against her, she takes her job as the president seriously.” the Boss bowed to Yuko apologetically.

            “Oh, no it wasn’t that!” Yuko exclaimed, realizing the misunderstanding. “I mean, I did miss curfew, and ended up lectured by her, b-but it doesn’t have to do with that! Or rather, um… oh, nevermind!”

            Yuko was flailing around, with all the information jumbled up in her mind. Boss simply smiled wryly, confused over what she was trying to say.

            “Well, regardless. If you need me to talk to Kan-chan, just let me know, okay?”

            “Yes, thank you! I mean, don’t worry about it, but I’ll keep the offer in mind!” Yuko replied frantically.

            “Anyway, go clock in and get ready, we gotta prepare for the opening rush!”

            “Yes, sir!” Yuko saluted and dashed off to the back rooms.

---

            “Busy day today, huh?” Tanabe Murakami smiled at Yuko, having returned to the counter after saying goodbye to some customers.

            “Yeah, I’m exhausted, haha.” Yuko smiled wryly.

            The time was nearing 7:30 in the evening. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and Boss had just flipped the sign out front to the ‘closed’ side.

            “Let’s get everything put away so we can close up!” shouted the Boss, clapping his hands. Yuko, Tanabe, and the other employees all got to work quickly.

            As Yuko started storing all the washed dishes in the cupboard alongside Tanabe, the two continued to chat.

            “Murakami, how’s kendo been going?” Yuko asked.

            “It’s been pretty tough lately, if I’m being honest.” Tanabe scratched his head. “Our first big match against the middle school team is coming up, and I feel like they expect a lot from me.”

            “Oh, I see.” Yuko nodded. “But it’s just the middle school team. A lot of the members, even you, used to play for their team, right? Surely you have an advantage.”

            “It is true that we’ve got more experience. But let me tell you, those middle school teams work hard. They know they’re the underdogs so they always go above and beyond. The matches can be a lot closer than you’d think.”

            “That’s pretty amazing! I didn’t pay much attention to any sports clubs in middle school, but I suppose it makes sense. The team’s only regular opponents would be the older kids from the high school.”

            “Yeah, it can be a bit tiresome.” Tanabe laughed. “But we do sometimes have matches against the west district teams. Those are only a handful of times throughout the year though.”

            “You’re right!” Yuko recalled. “I remember whenever those matches happened, people would make a big deal out of it because of how rare it was to see students from another district.”

            “Indeed. I believe the first exchange match for kendo is coming up in June. Gonna cheer for me?” Tanabe smiled jokingly.

            “Of course!” Yuko pumped her fist.

            The two soon finished their work and clocked out. After changing out of their café uniforms and getting their stuff together, they both happened to exit the café at the same time.

            “Oh, um… Want to walk back together?” Yuko asked, looking up at Tanabe.

            “Sure thing.” he smiled back.

            The walk to the dorms wasn’t far, but the two enjoyed the cool night breeze. It was 15 minutes til curfew, and the two could see several other students rushing back as well.

            “This new curfew feels so odd.” Tanabe said, watching the passing students. “I’m used to having dinner at the café around this time, and then working for another couple of hours before heading back, haha.”

            “Yeah, I know what you mean, haha.” Yuko laughed.

            “So, anything new with you?” Tanabe asked, not sure what else to talk about.

            “With me? Um…” Yuko said, thinking back. Unfortunately the most prevalent events she could think of were her recent amnesia and her friction with the president.

            “So you have your own troubles too, huh?” Tanabe spoke, having noticed Yuko’s troubled expression.

            “Yeah… pretty much.” Yuko smiled apologetically. “I’ll tell you about it some other time.”

            “That’s cool with me. It’s up to you.” said Tanabe, patting her shoulder. “Looks like we’re here.”

            The two had arrived in front of the high school student dormitory. The two said their goodbyes before parting ways and heading to their own rooms.

            Yuko exited the elevator and walked down the hallway towards the door to her room, but as she approached she noticed something odd.

            “Hm? What’s this?” she murmured, spotting a small envelope taped to her front door. There was nothing written on it. Yuko frowned, thinking nothing good could come from the letter.

            After taking the letter, she opened the door and entered her room. Now alone in her own private space, she let out a deep sigh before dropping her bag to the floor and flopping over onto her bed. Of course, she was curious about the letter, but more than anything she was tired.

            “I guess I should see what it says…” she mumbled to herself. Flipping over on the bed, she held the letter up above her and slowly ripped it open. Inside was a small piece of paper with a simple message.

            “THE TRUTH WILL COME TO LIGHT.

            RIGEL PARK, MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.”

            “… Of course.” Yuko sighed.

            Yuko didn’t know for sure who the letter was from. It didn’t list any kind of sender, after all. But she could hazard a guess that it was probably Kanna Kawagoe. Though Yuko couldn’t help but feel that reaching out in such an abstract way was strange, even for her.

            “Why does she want me to go out at midnight anyway? Aren’t we not allowed to go out after 8?” Yuko grumbled, thinking maybe this message wasn’t from Kanna after all. But if that’s the case, who could it possibly be from?

            Honestly, Yuko didn’t really want to go. But if going gives her a chance to get some answers, and puts an end to this stressful ordeal, she figured she might as well.

            The night passed quickly. After a quick bath, Yuko grabbed dinner at the cafeteria, before returning to her room. She passed her time watching one of the school’s older shows rerunning on TV and reading some books, waiting for the time to come.

Once 11:30 hit, Yuko quietly slipped out of her dorm room. Instead of using the elevator, she took the stairs down until she was in the main lobby. Naturally, it was mostly deserted at this hour. Yuko made her way to the front door and slipped out. The sensors would register her passing through, but she figured since this was likely instigated by the president herself, she’d be let off the hook.

            The dark, quiet streets were somewhat eerie as Yuko made her way to Rigel Park. The breeze caused trees and bushes to rustle, and the distant sounds of animals going about their business created a somewhat unsettling atmosphere when combined with the limited lighting.

            As the clock started to near midnight, Yuko had reached the pond in Rigel Park. No one else was around, so she decided to just wait for now. It’d been only a couple of days, but being here again gave Yuko an unpleasant feeling. She glanced at a nearby bench, recalling falling asleep on it. She slowly walked over to it and placed her hand atop it.

            “This is where it all started…” Yuko mumbled. “Why can’t I remember waking up here…?”

            Yuko had tried countless times over the past two days to remember what she did after waking up on the bench, but it was all a blur. Yuko had always been a bit sickly, but she’d been feeling much better lately, so the current situation frustrated her. Her fingers clenched the bench, and her brow furrowed as she tried desperately to shake this uneasy feeling.

            It was at that moment when she heard it. A distinct rustling from the bushes nearby.

            Yuko’s body froze up instantly. A sense of dread washed over her and a strong feeling of déjà vu kicked in. It took only an instant for her to realize something was wrong. Something inside her body was heating up. Burning.

            Slowly regaining her composure, Yuko turned around and faced the shrubbery that she’d heard the noise from. Perhaps laying her eyes on it was the trigger, or maybe it was already coming back to her. Regardless, the instant Yuko locked eyes with the large, wolf-like beast with glistening steel fur, a part of Yuko’s memory that she’d blocked out came flooding back.

            The sense of fear and dread. The pain of having her arm bitten, and having her back slashed. The fear of death as the creature pinned her to the ground. Although her memory once again stopped short, the distinct memory of being attacked by this magic beast had returned to Yuko’s mind.

            “Damn you… Damn you…” Yuko’s body shook. The terror paralyzed her, but more than anything, her anger at all the trouble this creature had caused her started coming out.

            The creature slowly approached, one step at a time. Yuko’s instincts were screaming at her to run, but her body wouldn’t respond.

            Burning.

            Something inside her was burning.

            Tears began to spill from Yuko’s eyes as the beast poised itself, preparing to attack. Yuko knew there was nothing she could do. She steeled herself for the incoming pain, but…

            “Gwooagh!” the beast cried. Its voice distorted in pain.

            It happened in an instant. A huge chunk of ice came out of nowhere and pieced right through the stomach of the beast. The twinkling of the moonlight on the surface of the ice was quickly blotted out by the creature’s blood dripping onto the surface of the ice. And just a moment later, the beast collapsed.

            “Wh-what the… hell…?” Yuko could only stammer, confused. And then...

            “I see, so I was correct after all, Yuko Maeda.”

            A familiar voice boomed. It came from the direction of the pond. Yuko turned to face the speaker who had addressed her.

            “H-huh…? You… but…” Yuko was speechless.

            A girl was floating in midair above the surface of the water. She donned a bizarre outfit, somewhat resembling a kind of medieval armor, but with ice-like patterns, adorned with frills and other flowing fabric. In her hand she held a long spear, from which extended a blade made of ice. Upon seeing the floating girl’s face, Yuko recognized her instantly. This girl was Kanna Kawagoe.

            “The culprit behind the recent magic beast attacks on campus… is you!” Kanna declared, pointing at Yuko with the tip of her spear.

            After struggling with the oddities surrounding her brief amnesia from Monday night, Yuko had hoped to bring closure to it all by coming back to the park. She was ready to talk things out with whoever was behind the letter she’d received, and try to put the whole thing behind her and move on.

            Alas, with her mind now struggling to process the baffling situation she had now found herself in, Yuko realized her troubles were only just beginning.

 

[Chapter 2 END]

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