Chapter 8: Chapter 7

The once quiet canteen was now bustling with the scurrying of faculty members and students alike. Though the room could still easily fit more classes, the cliques that had formed were rowdy enough to keep the atmosphere alive.

No few eyes were set on the group as they entered. They were surely the talk of the town as new faces already, but they’d not kept their heads down at all and seemed to stand out in every place they went.

At one of the faculty tables, Dr Natsumi gave a nudge to Ayumi with a sly grin, while at another Leona broke off what looked like a heated argument to watch the group’s actions with great interest.

“Woah~! Everyone’s really looking.”
“Then don’t stand still moron, grab your food and keep moving.”

As always, Mitra and Hema seemed unphased despite their words and headed to grab a bite to eat.

“Yuuji…”
“It’s fine Hibiki. Just stick with me if you’re uncomfortable… though I imagine most of them are staring at me just as much.”

He gave a slight chuckle, doing his best to put on a smile while hoping that this bright spotlight would fade sooner rather than later. Sidling up to the lunch counter, he grabbed a tray and a plate and scouted out his options.

The food available was shockingly diverse, and not only suited a variety of palates, but did so with style and exquisite taste.

“Isn’t this crab supposed to be expensive?”
“We recently got a shipment of Horsehair crabs when stopping near Japan. Your classmates recently helped deal with a situation at a large industrial lot there, so you can thank them for all the favours we’ve been calling in!”

The cheerful older man operating the counter gave a warm chuckle as he arranged their plates with a skilled hand, accommodating their every need.

“Oh, you about ready? C’mon, let’s take a seat!”

Following Hema’s lead, the four of them sat at one of the tables with some of their classmates - the giant Wang Bao, and the other young man in the class they hadn’t yet been introduced to.

“Baozi, Akil, these two are eating with us today.”

The man named Akil pushed his glasses up with a chuckle as they gave off a glint in the light, and rose to his feet.

“I’d gladly share a meal with a fellow intellectual. And you, girl, exude an elegance that portrays you as a book-loving comrade, am I wrong!?”

He swung his arm out wide with his confident declaration, causing them both to recoil slightly at the sudden gestures. After a moment of shock, Hibiki realised he had been talking to her.

“Ah. Y-yes, I love reading.”
“I knew it! Today truly is joyous. Two companions to join the fray in our shared love of knowledge and our quest to conquer the unknown!”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”

Raising one leg onto his chair he reached towards the skies, grasping for… something… in his spirited monologue.

He was slim and tall, and even with his eccentric actions, his uniform was impeccable, and not a single crease could be see. Even while eating, he wore a satchel bag around his waist, and with just a glimpse it was full to the brim of various reading materials of all shapes and sizes.

While the four of them were speechless, Wang Bao gave a gentle wave and gestured for them to sit down, ignoring the one-man play they were witnessing.

“Anyway… it’s nice to meet you both properly.”
“L-Likewise! Please look after us as fellow classmates.”

Wang Bao and Akil both nodded… and responded in their own signature ways.

“Verily! Akil Nwadike, seeker of knowledge, at your service.”
“...Wang Bao. A pleasure.”
“It’s Wang Bao, but everyone calls him Baozi. A man of few words but the kindest I know.”

Mitra laughed heartily and slapped Baozi’s back, but the man didn’t budge an inch, and instead gave a small smile and a thumbs up.

“Enough about us. What about you two? I’ve got so many questions I don’t even know where to start.”

Hema gave a defeated sigh as she cornered Yuuji and Hibiki, eyes swivelling between the two of them.

Mitra’s attention whipped over to the current conversation as his face darkened, and he leaned on his elbows with an intense glare.

“Yuuji. Answer me honestly.”
“...I will.”

Both took deep breaths as they locked eyes.

“Are you two dating?”
“Mitra you moron!”

There was a huge *thump* as Hema’s rocket-propelled boot met Mitra’s shin, and the shock caused him to plant his face on the table, falling to the floor in pain.

“No, damn it, why does everyone ask that…”

Yuuji and Hibiki’s faces grew tinges of red as they looked away sheepishly, which caused a curious Hema to raise her eyebrow.

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“Ow ow ow that huuuurts..! But… this means you truly are fit to be part of the ‘Lonely Men's Club’!”
“I don’t want that!”
“You heathen, I hope you are not implying myself to be a member of such a lowly group.”

Even Baozi made an X by crossing his arms.

“But it’s true right!? Four of us fine bachelors, but the choice of girls here is just… why can’t there be anyone remotely normal!?”
“The only pursuit I claim is the pursuit of knowledge. No living being could captivate me the way a beautiful story could.”

Hema’s voice turned cold as she looked down upon her brother with open scorn.

“Oi Mitra. Keep going and not even I can save you from the hole you’re digging. And besides, doesn’t Baozi have a girlfriend?”

Mitra, who had been crawling up off the floor like a zombie in a B movie, turned to stone.

“B-Bao… say it ain’t so…”

Baozi scratched the back of his head coyly.

“Indeed, a long-distance relationship with a childhood sweetheart if I’m not mistaken. Ah, truly a story worth writing!”
“BAOZI YOU TRAITOR!”

*Ping*

A beautifully aimed stick of chalk ricocheted off his head, dealing the finishing blow, as Mr Pierce sat red-faced with veins popping out of his forehead across the room.

“Mitra, sit down and shut it!”

Assaulted by his sister, betrayed by his friend and then dealt the finishing blow by his teacher, Mitra was out for the count and remained sprawled on the floor - which the group unanimously decided was for the best.

Now that her idiotic brother was out of the way, Hema could finally ask the question that had been burning inside her.

“So if you aren’t dating, what exactly is your relationship?”

Not only the others at the table, but some of the students at the table behind them also quietened down, attempting to eavesdrop on some juicy gossip about the two mysterious peers that had recently joined them.

“Well…”

Yuuji scratched his head awkwardly. He knew the question was bound to come but hadn’t found the words to describe their situation.

“He is my saviour.”

Hibiki’s lilac eyes seemed to shine like gemstones as she spoke with conviction.

“He is my benefactor, my guiding light, and a very important person to me.”

The shy, fragile girl they had known for the morning was nowhere to be seen, and in her place was an unflinching, strong-willed beauty. Her sincerity rang through the hearts of those who heard her words, and heads turned instinctively to face her resolve.

…Yuuji however, had breathed his last breath, and his spirit had already left the mortal coil.

“...Ah!”

Turning to see his shrivelled state, Hibiki realised her blunder, and her confident aura deflated like a balloon until she was red-faced and blurting out gibberish.

“Uwawawawa!!”

Hema, and for that matter almost the entire rest of the class who had somehow appeared around their lunch table, had sparkling eyes and weren’t going to let the moment die.

Yuuji stirred once again as he found himself in a dire situation, possibly even the worst-case scenario, but there was only one thing they could do.

“...Hibiki…”

She turned her head to face him, still beet red, but collected herself as best as possible and nodded faintly. Yet before he could say a word, she spoke up once more.

“I’m sure you’ve all been curious about me. It’s time I explained everything.”

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