Part 5: Enemies on Day One
The morning lesson began with Daigo pacing at the front of the room, chalk in hand, drawing wobbly lines on the board.
"Now, if you ever end up in the middle of a lightning release technique, what's the first thing you don't do?" he asked.
Amaya whispered, "Touch it?"
"Correct, Amaya!" Daigo said proudly, slapping the board. "Touching lightning is a bad idea. Ten points for common sense!"
The class laughed. Even Haruto chuckled under his breath.
As the lesson went on, the classroom slowly felt less like a cage and more like a home again. Haruto leaned back in his chair, half-listening, half-thinking how strange it was to be back after two whole years.
From the row ahead, Yuna Sekiguchi turned slightly, her curious eyes landing on Haruto's red-and-blue hair. "Um… Haruto, right? Your hair — it's really pretty! But… was it always like that?"
Before Haruto could answer, Souta Nishikawa, who was never good at keeping quiet, blurted out, "Yeah, it's kinda weird! I thought your hair used to be all blue, didn't it?"
The class turned their heads subtly, all ears now.
Haruto blinked, caught mid-thought. His hand instinctively went to his hair. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. "I… uh…"
Before the silence grew awkward, Arashi Homura, sitting at the back with his usual calm expression, spoke up. "His hair changed after he got sick," he said flatly.
A few students blinked, surprised.
Arashi continued, his tone steady but respectful. "It was a rare kind of illness — something that affected his chakra flow. It changed his hair and eye color. No one knows exactly why… but it's nothing dangerous."
There was a murmur through the class. Souta and Yuna exchanged awkward looks, immediately regretting their curiosity.
Haruto gave a small, grateful glance toward Arashi.
Yuna smiled nervously. "Oh… sorry, Haruto! I didn't mean to—"
"It's fine," Haruto said softly, looking back at his desk. "It's just hair."
Daigo clapped his hands loudly, cutting the silence. "All right, everyone, less gossip, more lightning theory! Unless you'd all like to explain your own hairstyles next!"
The class burst into laughter again. Even Haruto smiled faintly, the tension melting away.
As the bell finally rang, Daigo stretched his arms dramatically. "Break time! Try not to destroy the classroom — especially you three," he said, pointing playfully at Amaya, Souta, and Haruto.
Amaya gasped in mock offense. "Sensei! We're angels!"
Souta laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, angels who make noise!"
Haruto sighed quietly, resting his chin on his palm. "I don't even do anything, and I still get blamed," he muttered.
Daigo smirked. "That's what all the quiet troublemakers say."
The class erupted in laughter again, and Haruto couldn't help but crack a faint smile.
Ayame turned in her seat, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Haruto. "See? Not so bad, huh?"
Haruto looked back, a faint smile forming. "Guess not."
Amaya leaned over the desk between them. "You're definitely coming tomorrow too, right?"
Haruto stretched a little, glancing out the window where the sunlight danced over the courtyard. "We'll see."
But in his heart — he already knew he would.
The morning lesson began with Daigo pacing at the front of the room, chalk in hand, drawing wobbly lines on the board.
"Now, if you ever end up in the middle of a lightning release technique, what's the first thing you don't do?" he asked.
Amaya whispered, "Touch it?"
"Correct, Amaya!" Daigo said proudly, slapping the board. "Touching lightning is a bad idea. Ten points for common sense!"
The class laughed. Even Haruto chuckled under his breath.
As the lesson went on, the classroom slowly felt less like a cage and more like a home again. Haruto leaned back in his chair, half-listening, half-thinking how strange it was to be back after two whole years.
From the row ahead, Yuna Sekiguchi turned slightly, her curious eyes landing on Haruto's red-and-blue hair. "Um… Haruto, right? Your hair — it's really pretty! But… was it always like that?"
Before Haruto could answer, Souta Nishikawa, who was never good at keeping quiet, blurted out, "Yeah, it's kinda weird! I thought your hair used to be all blue, didn't it?"
The class turned their heads subtly, all ears now.
Haruto blinked, caught mid-thought. His hand instinctively went to his hair. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. "I… uh…"
Before the silence grew awkward, Arashi Homura, sitting at the back with his usual calm expression, spoke up. "His hair changed after he got sick," he said flatly.
A few students blinked, surprised.
Arashi continued, his tone steady but respectful. "It was a rare kind of illness — something that affected his chakra flow. It changed his hair and eye color. No one knows exactly why… but it's nothing dangerous."
There was a murmur through the class. Souta and Yuna exchanged awkward looks, immediately regretting their curiosity.
Haruto gave a small, grateful glance toward Arashi.
Yuna smiled nervously. "Oh… sorry, Haruto! I didn't mean to—"
"It's fine," Haruto said softly, looking back at his desk. "It's just hair."
Daigo clapped his hands loudly, cutting the silence. "All right, everyone, less gossip, more lightning theory! Unless you'd all like to explain your own hairstyles next!"
The class burst into laughter again. Even Haruto smiled faintly, the tension melting away.
As the bell finally rang, Daigo stretched his arms dramatically. "Break time! Try not to destroy the classroom — especially you three," he said, pointing playfully at Amaya, Souta, and Haruto.
Amaya gasped in mock offense. "Sensei! We're angels!"
Souta laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, angels who make noise!"
Haruto sighed quietly, resting his chin on his palm. "I don't even do anything, and I still get blamed," he muttered.
Daigo smirked. "That's what all the quiet troublemakers say."
The class erupted in laughter again, and Haruto couldn't help but crack a faint smile.
Ayame turned in her seat, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Haruto. "See? Not so bad, huh?"
Haruto looked back, a faint smile forming. "Guess not."
Amaya leaned over the desk between them. "You're definitely coming tomorrow too, right?"
Haruto stretched a little, glancing out the window where the sunlight danced over the courtyard. "We'll see."
But in his heart — he already knew he would.