Chapter one (segment one), twenty four years earlier, April, Noriko
Entrance ceremonies were
supposed to be framed by a reasonably cute pink colour, but this year
spring had been surprisingly stingy with its gifts. Blooming sakura
was over a week away.
Now, if Wakayama Noriko
had been as starry eyed as the air heads around her she might have
missed the absent stunning scenery more. But then, if that if
had been she wouldn't have been Wakayama Noriko.
Entrance ceremonies were
supposed to be an occasion where you got your class assignation,
listened to some canned clichés dressed up as speeches and got a
good look at your home room and your class. In this aspect her first
day of senior high was a resounding success.
Entrance ceremonies, alas,
were also occasions where she had to drag around her good for nothing
younger twin brother. Wakayama Ryu. Wakayama Stupid Idiot Ryu. And
add a 'kun' to that. Of course it was a love hate relationship, but
the never ending stream of girls trying to hang out with him
certainly pulled the scales closer to the hate-region.
Well, senior high meant a new
and unknown school and maybe just maybe…
You can't be serious!
Some of the less
scatterbrained girls from their middle school had apparently managed
to pass their entrance exams. Now they were in a heated argument with
a bunch of girls Noriko didn't recognize. And the reason for their
quarrel had climbed the rooftop of the walkway and was playing out
his antics as usual.
“You there! Get down
immediately!” And here come the teachers.
Noriko watched Ryu vault down
from the roof, one nimble hand gripping the supports while he
gracefully sailed through the air just to land like a cat. Then he
grinned at her like saying: “Did you see that sis?” That idiot
grin made it hard for her to stay angry at her twin brother for any
amount of time and it was the main reason he broke hearts left and
right without actually doing anything wrong. Ryu, grow up some
day!
He would be scolded by the
teachers later, and the girls would continue their quarrel about who
had seen him first, and then they'd start coming to her for advice
and then, then… And then Noriko would spend another three years as
'Ryu's little sister', a popular attachment to her younger brother.
Sometimes thought of as cute but never one anyone would dare to
approach for real due to her status as the 'little sister' of the
daredevil Ryu. And of course he had to have grown so tall so this
time around there would be absolutely no end to the admirers.
She sighed and was about to
run to her brother to help the teachers scold him when a shadow
passed her from behind.
What?
Trousers too short, white
socks in cheap loafers, shirt too tight and yet the sleeves were too
long. Even the blazer seemed to disagree with him. A pair of glasses
were firmly planted beneath hair that seemed to be glued to his head.
He hadn't managed to get his tie correct either. No matter if he had
wanted to get it right or deliberately wanted to have it the cool
style – it just hung badly around his neck crowning the overall
picture.
Geek squad just got a new
member.
Despite all this his hunched
back couldn't entirely hide how tall he was, way taller than Ryu. And
there was something strange with his hair as well, an oddly off-black
shine. Why would a geek dye his hair, and who in this universe would
dye it almost black? Hadn't she seen him somewhere before?
The shadow passed, stumbled
clumsily over his own feet, regained balance and shuffled towards the
gates. He won't have an easy time making friends. But there's
something familiar…
“...Noriko!”
Eh?
“Noriko, teachers want a
word with me. Could you help me out?”
“Help you out? Idiot,
stupid! You deserve getting your face chewed off. Idiot! Stupid!”
The
sakura continued it's absence of blooming, Ryu got his arse handed to
him by the teachers and Wakayama Noriko turned on her feet and left
the schoolyard.
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