(Collège Françoise Dupont)
Jazik sat on the cool stone steps outside Collège Françoise Dupont, a quiet anchor in the cheerful morning bustle. The crisp Parisian air carried the murmur of conversations, the faint scent of blossoming flowers, and the distant rumble of city traffic. His dark eyes, usually so alert, were calm, watching the familiar path from the bakery, a subtle tension settling in his shoulders. Juleka, with her dark hair and purple-tipped strands, spoke softly with Rose, whose bright blonde hair bounced as she gestured animatedly. Their voices wove a pleasant, unburdening hum, a background melody he had grown accustomed to.
"I think the new floral patterns are so romantic, Juleka," Rose said, her voice a tinkling, musical giggle. "They'd look absolutely dreamy on a dress for our next band performance!"
"Hmm, maybe," Juleka mumbled, her gaze fixed on the ground. "But… maybe too bright for my guitar."
Jazik simply listened, a small, nearly imperceptible smile touching his lips. He found a quiet comfort in their easy back-and-forth, the simple rhythm of their friendship. Marinette, however, was late. He noticed her absence, a small void in the usual morning routine.
"Dude, where's Adrien?" Nino arrived then, slumping onto the step beside Jazik with a sigh that was almost a groan. He glanced at his watch, then toward the school gate, a worried frown creasing his brow. "He's never this late, not even for his father's crazy photoshoots."
"Perhaps a meeting," Jazik offered, his voice low, almost a murmur.
"Yeah, probably," Nino replied, running a hand through his curly hair. "His dad's always got him doing something. It's a shame, really. He just wants to hang out with us."
Jazik gave a small, noncommittal nod, accepting Nino's presence without shifting his posture. Adrien's life, with its strict schedule and demanding father, seemed distant from his own, yet he recognized the familiar weight of obligation.
Rose and Juleka approached Nino then, their steps light against the stone.
"Hi, Nino," Rose said, her voice bright and sweet.
"Hey, guys," Nino replied, offering a quick wave.
"Have you seen Adrien?" Juleka asked, her voice a soft murmur.
"Nah, I haven't," Nino answered, adjusting his cap. "He's usually here by now. Probably stuck with another photoshoot or something."
"It's a shame, though," Rose added, a small frown touching her lips. "He never gets to just relax like a normal person."
"Yeah, my dude's always on the go," Nino agreed, shaking his head. "It's tough. But hey, at least we've got our heroes looking out for us, right?"
Jazik felt his attention sharpen, a subtle shift in his posture as the conversation drifted toward the heroes. He kept his eyes fixed on the distant archway of the school, feigning disinterest.
"Ladybug's spots are so charming," Rose declared, her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward, a dreamy look on her face. "And Cat Noir's tail, it's just so elegant, isn't it? They're both so wonderful and brave."
"Totally, Rose," Nino said, nodding enthusiastically. "Ladybug's always got a plan, and Cat Noir, he's got that chill confidence. They seem like the kind of cool, chill people you'd want on your side."
Juleka remained quiet, her gaze distant, tracing patterns on the ground with the toe of her shoe. She rarely spoke unless something truly moved her, a fact Jazik had observed. The warmth of the morning sun felt gentle on his skin, a stark contrast to the usual chill of his memories.
"What about you, Juleka?" Rose asked, nudging her friend gently. "Who's your favorite?"
Juleka looked up then, her copper eyes meeting Jazik's for a fleeting moment before she looked away. Her voice was low, almost a whisper, but carried a surprising weight. "Kamen Rider."
Jazik felt a jolt, a sudden tightening in his chest that surprised him. He kept his expression carefully neutral, betraying nothing of the internal tremor.
"Really?" Nino asked, sounding surprised. "Why him?"
"His armor," Juleka explained, her voice gaining a quiet certainty. "It's… different. Darker. Heavy, like an exoskeleton. It looks strong, like living chitin."
Jazik's breath caught slightly in his throat. He had expected them to prefer the vibrant, established heroes, not the anomaly he was. He had expected them to find his form unsettling, perhaps even monstrous. He certainly did not expect such an observation from the usually reserved Juleka. Her words were a stark contrast to the bright, colorful forms of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Juleka's quiet admiration for his "unsettling aura" felt like an unexpected appreciation for the very biology he usually kept hidden. It was a strange, unfamiliar warmth in his chest.
"Hey, Juleka, do you think that second mouth on Kamen Rider's stomach is, like, real?" Nino asked, his brow crinkling with genuine curiosity. "Or is it just some crazy prop? A cool gimmick, you know?"
Rose giggled, a bright, musical sound. "Oh, it's probably just a prop, Nino. Like a really creative design choice for the belt. It looks so artistic."
Juleka shook her head slowly, her dark hair swaying. "No," she murmured, her visible eye focused intently on the pavement. "It looks… organic. Like a real part of him. If it's real, then… is Kamen Rider even fully human?"
The question hung in the air, a small, unsettling tremor passing through Jazik. His stomach tightened imperceptibly. He felt a sudden, familiar coldness begin to creep up his spine. The topic hit dangerously close to home, stirring the deep-seated anxieties he constantly fought to suppress. He shifted on the steps, his gaze dropping to the ground as if the cracks in the pavement held some profound secret.
"What do you think, Jazik?" Rose asked, her voice soft and sweet. "Is Kamen Rider human?"
Jazik felt their eyes on him, a collective weight that made him want to retreat, to vanish. He kept his voice even, carefully nonchalant.
"I think," Jazik said, his voice quiet, "his humanity might be irrelevant."
He paused, a beat of silence stretching between them. The sounds of the city seemed to fade into a dull hum, and he could feel his heart thudding a little harder against his ribs.
"Does it really matter if Kamen Rider isn't human," Jazik continued, still not looking at them, "as long as he saves people?"
Nino shrugged, a casual movement. "Yeah, I guess not, dude."
Rose nodded, her bright eyes thoughtful. "He always shows up when people need help. He even saved us from Dark Cupid, remember, Juleka?"
"He did," Juleka mumbled, a rare smile touching her lips as she looked at Jazik. "He's... reliable."
Jazik felt a subtle loosening in his chest, a quiet relief that washed over him. He had always feared that his true nature, the alien biology of his Gavv organ, would repel others, that the hidden truth of his existence as a Granute would make him an outcast. His deepest anxiety, born from years as Specimen G-7, was that his fundamental difference made him unlovable, a danger to any who came close. Yet, their easy acceptance, even if unknowing, felt like a soft balm on an old wound.
***
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