harmonize_rpg | (no subject)

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Who: Students, teachers, officials, various members of the press.
Where: Chitoku campus, meeting hall, then classrooms.
When: Tuesday, April 5, the first day of spring term.
What: Introduction and classes.

Like so many other things on the campus, Chitoku's main meeting hall was impressively huge, clearly able to hold more than the nearly thousand students, faculty, and press assembled within.

Perhaps even stranger than this was the fact that it was two stories underground.

Of course, there was an explanation ready: it doubled as an emergency evacuation site in case of an earthquake--or worse. While it satisfied the inevitable questions from the press, it likely didn't make the situation feel any less strange to the students who had--by and large--neatly filed in and taken their seats. Homeroom assignments had already been given, so with the students, teachers, press, and attending officials in their respective places, it was just a matter of waiting for the man of the hour--or at least the next fifteen minutes.

Principal Yosehira Norihiko was a distinguished gentleman, tall and trim and already going grey at the temples in his late forties. He took the podium once the initial murmuring had faded, and regarded the assembled crowd with a sort of general benevolence, in sharp contrast to the stern-looking Ministry of Education officials with whom he shared the stage.

"I would like to welcome you all to Chitoku Academy for the Gifted," he began. "This day is the culmination of years of tireless effort by the best our nation has to offer. I am honored and humbled to be a part of this project--it will surely be an essential cornerstone of the new Japan we are all striving to build."

He turned his eyes on the sea of uniformed students, seated in careful rows on benches behind the VIPs. "It is my hope that you, our pupils, will learn from their example, and teach those who will come after you in turn, to create a chain of loyalty and harmony between the greatest minds of each generation.

"In the wise words of Emperor Meiji: 'bear yourselves in modesty and moderation; extend your benevolence to all; pursue learning and cultivate arts, and thereby develop intellectual faculties and perfect moral powers'." The quote from the Imperial Rescript on Education had certainly not been used in such a high-profile setting since its abolition after the war, and hearing it resound through the hall now set many astir.

"That was his wish to his subjects, and that is ours to you now: to live up to the name of your school by cultivating both learning and virtue, and to become credits to your nation." And with a long bow, he ended his remarks and left the stage, allowing those better trained than he to deal with the press to take their questions.

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What Miyume thought or how felt about the lecture weren't clearly evident. Judging from her blank response, it seemed entirely possible that it hadn't affected her at all.

She listened politely to the older boy's compliments on the speech, giving a slight nod of acknowledgment to each statement.

As the girl nodded along, Mirai nearly threw in a contrary statement. A sharp shock would throw the lamb amongst the wolves quite nicely. He hoped to loosen ties a little and overindulge himself in the game. He hoped to steal himself an audience. He stared down at the younger student as the crowd pushed them along -

There, in the girl's secrecy, he saw the likely failure of his approach. Suppose he wriggled in a different way into her affections, would that give him the same satisfaction? He tipped his head back and his eyes stared down at her as a hand came to run through the hair dangling in front of him.

"And what do you think of his desire for you? Will you be a link in society's chain of loyalty and harmony?"

"We're already linked for better or worse," Miyume said without meeting his gaze. "There's nothing else to think about."

She bowed her head, giving a little mysterious smile. Whether it was for the older boy's benefit or for her own remained unknown.

"If you shake the chain it rattles, kouhai," Mirai said, countering a few seconds after. "I am sure some people will allow evil to rule them and take advantage of the situation. Really, everyone always has things they're thinking about."

"All the better to ensure it's forged strong." A soft, girlish giggle and a sweet smile.

"Are there things you're always thinking about, senpai?"

Miyume tilted her head to look at him curiously.

Mirai smiled warmly at this. They started climbing up the stairs with the crowd chattering behind them, walking ahead to the doors with the subway-light streaming through while the way forward and the path below became a sea of people.

"Well, I said everyone. Of course there are things I'm always thinking. I am just fortunate that my thoughts don't have a tongue."

He would rather encourage others to find theirs instead.

"Fortunate?"

For a moment, she looked doubtful, but it quickly disappeared. She appeared to be considering his words very carefully, more than that she had when he had been sharing platitudes about the speech. Or during the speech itself.

She ascended the stairs very cautiously, holding on as firmly to the handrail as she could. Her grip was stronger now than it had been for months but even so, she had yet to regain her health completely. Mostly recovered wasn't the same thing as being fully recovered and she didn't need to complicate it any more by a tumble down the stairs.

"Maybe that would be a fortunate trait, indeed," she murmured to herself. "Do you have any thoughts that do speak?"

"I do, loudly. They're difficult to listen to. But like every good senpai I have a great capacity for showing discipline."

He watched his junior cautiously ascend the stairs, but he could not quite tell what her problem was. It might have been any old thing, and even being afraid of such a height. But at last he was able to command the conversation and his image. And it was raised to the level he liked it, where he began introductions.

"Imaizumi Mirai. 3rd year. It is a pleasure."

"Hazama Miyume. First year. Nice to meet you, senpai."

Her trek up the stairs was a little slower than either she or the students behind them if their impatient mutterings indicated anything. Miyume suppressed a sigh and quickened her pace a bit more. As a result, her grip on the handrail loosened a bit but thankfully, there didn't look to be as many steps as she'd feared. Hopefully, she'd get to the top without stumbling or falling backwards into the crowd.

It was clear Mirai had noticed the whispering. He stared around and his deep eyes gazed at the students so inquisitively that there was a silence that he was able to smile at. Though it seemed to vanish as soon as he turned his head back to the front.

"Well, I've signed myself to a few clubs. Would you share yours, Miyume-chan?"

"I signed up for the swim club and the writing club. Which ones did you sign up for, senpai?"

The whispers had stopped but only for a moment. In response, Miyume attempted to rush up the past few steps. It was hard to tell whether her hand slipped off the handrail or if she'd simply let go. Regardless, she stumbled suddenly on the steps, her cane skidding across the step she was on and directly into the path of anyone with the misfortune who happened to be climbing behind her at that moment.

"Archery and flower arrangement. They are - "

There was a strange and otherworldly timelessness. A jolt ran through Mirai's body. And in that moment he was certainly at least surprised as Miyume herself. His palm and fingers coiled around the handrail - which was difficult somewhat, as he was trying to support Miyume with his left hand. He began to push her back upright with greater force.

There were a couple of students stopping the flow, their voices tinged with concern. But he gave them a couple of pleasantries. He gave them a friendly apology too, and a warm smile with some assurance that made them happy enough to walk around the two and continue upstairs.

"Are you okay?" His hand was still resting on her lower back; he wasn't entirely sure she would not fall the moment he let go.

It took him some movement, but Mirai allowed himself to stand free of the handrail. After he moved to support Miyume with his right hand instead, he deftly put his foot under the cane. Then he kicked it up, caught it in his left, and handed it over

Miyume nodded weakly as she took the cane from him. Her face had gone even paler than usual and for a moment, something akin to panic filled her eyes. At any rate, she seemed somewhat disproportionately shaken for the event that had transpired.

She did smile at Mirai, a gentle one tinged with equal parts embarrassment and gratitude.

"I guess my hand just slipped," she fibbed, as much to convince herself as well as him. "Thank you, senpai. I would have fallen if you hadn't been here."

The second part of her statement rang completely true, at least.

Mirai stared at her. Whatever was wrong, she certainly was at least lying and intending to keep the truth from him. A cane, as far as he knew, meant something was wrong. He found himself smiling. Secrets were such an intriguing thing to think about that he felt sure he would be solving hers later.

Unfortunately, the whole business made him a little more obsessed. He watched her, admiring the secrecy with which she seemed to shroud herself.

"My help's nothing special, Miyume-chan. I should offer it, though. So I would be happy to walk you to the nurse's office, if you like."

Miyume-chan?

The familiarity with which he spoke her name caught her a little off guard. She looked at him quizzically a moment, giving into a tiny frown.

"The nurse's office?" she repeated softly. "I'm not sure if that's necessary. My hand slipped and I lost my balance. That's all it was."

If she told herself that enough times, maybe it would eventually become true. That was usually the case with most things.

Miyume smiled sweetly at him.

"However, I wouldn't mind an escort to class instead."

They reached the top. Mirai stood there with a dawning smile on his face. He believed Miyume was one of those girls who seemed to be more settled the more mystery she surrounded herself with. He had seen the lies she tried to hide to make those shadows deeper. But it made no difference to him. It only made his interest stronger.

He had some idea of how untoward she thought he was being. The pressed lips and narrowed eyes told him everything. Then she smiled sweetly, and his own smile seemed gracious when she carried on talking.

"I can do that. It shouldn't be difficult to find. Which is your homeroom?"

"1-ro," Miyume replied and indeed, she looked relieved when they strayed away from the subject of the nurse's office. "Thank you for your guidance, senpai. I fear I have a terrible sense of direction in places this large..."

Not entirely the truth but close enough for horseshoes.

"Well, that's not a problem. I have an excellent sense of direction," said Mirai.

Truly he was a kind and pleasant young man. And seeing as he had a good eye for directing his arrows, he wasn't exactly telling lies - and he was being depended on, which seemed to have put him in a happy mood.

"Regardless, if you don't get lost now it may well happen in the future. Venturing into the city will be even worse. Better learn fast, I think."

"Oh, I doubt I'll be going into the city much. I sort of promised my mother I wouldn't go anywhere unaccompanied. She's not exactly pleased I'm here by myself but it was too good of an opportunity to waste."

People like her didn't often get chances like this. It had been either this or nothing at all.

"And I'd rather not get too distracted from my studies. Good grades require a lot of effort on my part."

"That is the price we all pay, Miyume-chan. Just give me half a year, and I'll have no chance to speak to you at all." It was good to think Finals were still far away. Truly he ought to enjoy his freedom, he thought.

"If it something you do for learning, venturing to the city couldn't hurt," he said after.

"There may be some places worth visiting," Miyume acquiesced, though there was a noncommittal tone to her reply. "Perhaps a trip to a museum or an onsen is in order."

The former was educational and the latter good for her health, after all.

"Oh, we're blocking the stairs," she said as if suddenly remembering where they were. She moved away from Mirai and began heading up the stairs once more, this time holding the handrail and being careful not to rush.

Mirai followed and drifted off with his thoughts. The relief it gave him to imagine himself in an onsen ran cold when he settled his gaze on his kouhai. Somebody bumped into him with their shoulder. He waved it off. He thought she was more interesting than anyone he had met so far.

"I love a hot bath, but if you feel you want to experience something new... perhaps you should be distracted just enough from your studies to leave me a message."

Miyume couldn't help but smile at that. It wasn't the first time she'd caught a boy's eye, nor was it the first time she'd been fed a line by one. Fortunately for Mirai, it didn't bother her this time any more than it had the others. She wasn't so ungrateful that she couldn't appreciate the male attention she received.

"I love hot baths, too. Perhaps I'll take you up on your offer sometime," she said, her outward demeanor completely innocent. "Distractions can be good for the soul on occasion."

Mirai was still following behind her as they began ascending another flight of stairs, simply because he was expecting her to fall down again. He could tell something was wrong. He wanted to know what it was so much that he considered kicking her cane out from under her. In pretense, of course. He was just finding no fun in being patient.

"They can," he said. "Or they can turn it bad. After all, there's enough temptation out there in the big bad world." A sigh. "You're a clever girl, Miyume-chan. Perhaps you should listen to your mother."

"Uh, huh..."

Part of Miyume wondered just how dumb he took her for, a part that was quickly being shoved down and stomped into submission. Too much thinking led to madness, after all. And it wasn't as if she was even all that interested. Mirai was handsome and seemed well-mannered and bright but those weren't traits she tended to look for in people.

"I do listen to my mother," she said after a moment. "She gave me all kinds of advice before I came here."

Like how to handle boys who seem a little too interested in me, she added mentally.

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