Chapter LIV: Fishy, Part 2
The noon sun hangs high above the city, very bright and indifferent, as if nothing unusual has ever happened in this place. But right now, just outside Gate 2 of the university, seven students stand in a frozen pocket of tension.
Takeshi feels it first. That aura, emanating from the hooded man. It presses against his skin like cold air before a storm, heavy, wrong. The hooded guy in front of them doesn't move like a normal person. His shoulders are loose, relaxed, but something behind his eyes is sharp, like embodying the soul of a knife.
Nakao's hand trembles slightly as he holds his wallet out.
"J-Just take it..." he mutters.
The hooded guy snatches it, flips it open with quick fingers, and checks inside. Yet, nothing. His head tilts.
"...You're kidding me."
He tosses the wallet back at Nakao's chest. It hits and falls, and Nakao scrambles to catch it.
"Empty? You broke or something, punk?"
"S-Sorry..." Nakao whispers.
The hooded guy's gaze drops to Nakao's other hand which is an iPhone.
"How about that?" he says casually. "That looks expensive."
Nakao swallows. Slowly, he lifts the phone.
Behind him, Aoto clenches his jaw. Kuebiko's fingers twitch. Katsunan stares at the ground, fists tight. Miran and Okaki don't speak. Nakao looks like he might cry.
Takeshi wants to move. Every muscle in his body screams at him to act. But that aura.
It feels like standing near a coiled snake. If I attack recklessly... someone could get hurt.
Nakao extends the phone. And then—
"Hey."
A voice cuts through the moment, and all heads turn. A police officer walks up from the sidewalk, hand resting near his belt, eyes scanning the group.
"What's going on here?"
The hooded guy doesn't hesitate.
"Oh! Officer!" he says with a light laugh. "Nothing serious. We're just... having a little bid on phones. You know, comparing models."
The officer's brows crease. He looks at the seven students. School uniforms on all of them. Then at the hooded guy. Just a hoodie. No bag, no uniform. His eyes narrow. Hinting that something's odd.
His gaze drifts to Takeshi.
"...That face. I've seen him before."
Recognition flickers in his mind.
"Isn't that Officer Yukimura's son?"
But he says nothing. Takeshi slowly glances sideways, then toward the water refilling station sign. There's moisture beads along its metal surface. His eyes focus and his breathing steadies. The water answers him. Thin streams of moisture slide together, forming shapes. Then, forming into letters, quietly and silently.
S O S
Then beneath it,
HELP! THE GUY IS ROBBING US
The officer's eyes flick and he sees it. His expression hardens instantly.
Without warning, he steps forward and swings.
THWACK!
His palm strikes the hooded guy's nape. But the guy bends unnaturally, dodging, twisting like he expected it. He pulls a pistol and swings it toward the officer's head.
CRACK!
But it never connects.
A burst of frost explodes between them. Translucent wings of ice spread wide from Takeshi's back, blocking the blow. The pistol smacks against solid ice.
The officer stumbles back, eyes wide.
"W-What—"
The students move as Aoto slams his foot down.
"Silver Crab!"
Metallic silver armor crawls over his arms, forming massive crab-like claws.
Kuebiko throws his hands forward.
"Photosynthesis!"
Green light flares and the ground trembles as vines burst through cracks in the pavement.
The hooded guy curses and bolts.
Ice spreads across the sidewalk, and Takeshi's eyes glow pale blue. The ground freezes. The hooded guy's foot slips.
He crashes hard.
"Damn it!"
He scrambles up, but thorny bougainvillea vines whip forward, wrapping around his legs.
"Got you," Kuebiko growls.
He's yanked backward, and Aoto steps in.
BAM.
A silver claw slams into the hooded guy's jaw. He goes limp. Silence over the scene, yet only heavy breathing.
The officer stares.
"...I'm going to pretend I didn't just see half of that."
They gather around the unconscious guy. Okaki kneels, fingers shaking, and pulls the hood back. Everyone freezes instantly.
"...He's a kid."
A high school student, but a different uniform. Nakao grabs his phone back, hugging it like it's precious life itself. The officer sighs, lifting the boy.
"Thank you. But listen carefully kids, don't go outside campus like this again. Be vigilant."
They nod rapidly.
When they return back to the university, it's already 1:30 PM.
Hajime-sensei listens, face pale.
"You WHAT?"
Minutes later, he storms into Principal Kimura's office. Kimura's glasses flash under the light.
"This is serious, Sir." (Hajime)
"What happened?" (Principal Kimura)
Within the hour, University President Yoshida is informed. An emergency meeting follows, and security upgrades. New guards, new rules.
And finally, lunch passes.
"NO LUNCH PASS, NO EXIT."
The order spreads like wildfire.
"Attention ALL ACADEMIC DEANS in ALL DISTRICTS,
In lieu of the hold-up incident near the water-refilling station near the University, it is now required that all students must have a lunch pass. These lunch passes will serve as passports for every student who wants to go out of the university to have lunch somewhere else. The lunch passes, will be distributed to all your respective districts and departments, and it is mandatory for all students to have them. If a student loss his or her lunch pass, there will be a 150 Yen fine."
Students line up at Sadalmelik Building for their passes. The Special Power and Defense Class sighs but complies.
Days pass and calm returns. But something shifts beneath the surface.
One quiet afternoon, Saki sits with Kitsune and Rikiyo.
"My Hero Academia season arc rankings," Kitsune says seriously.
Rikiyo points at her phone. "This one made me cry."
Saki laughs softly, then senses someone behind her. It's Ryujin. He stands there awkwardly.
"H-Hi."
"Oh! Ryujin," she says. "What's up?"
He fidgets.
"I... have something for you."
Her eyes widen. "For me?"
He pulls something from his pocket. A silver key, with intricate and ancient carvings. It's almost sacred in design, like something from an archaeology discovery gallery.
It hangs on a black thick thread. Saki gasps softly.
"Wow, it's... beautiful."
Her cheeks warm.
"I just thought... it suits you."
She bows slightly.
"Thank you."
He bows too.
"You're welcome."
Kitsune and Rikiyo crowd in.
"That's SO pretty!"
"So unique!"
Saki smiles, heart fluttering. That night, she wears the key as she sleeps. She dreams and in her dream, darkness, and wind, surrounding the atmosphere. She's falling into a void.
Falling, then:
THUD.
She hits something soft, so she opens her eyes. It's not the ground, yet feels like a person. Ryujin lies beneath her, eyes closed, like he's sleeping.
She's in a white sundress, while Ryujin's in black slacks and a white polo. She tries to push herself up... but he rises too. Their faces close, too close, then their lips touch. Her eyes widen, and time stops.
Warm, calm, still, yet almost having heart eyes, then Ryujin's eyes snap open. A hand grabs Saki.
YANK.
The world shatters, and changes into another dream. Ryujin is nowhere to be found anymore, yet a different character steals the scene. A purple-haired girl stands there instead. She is rude, and sneering. She shoves a blue-haired boy with a mustache.
Saki watches, confused. Suddenly, she jolts awake. Her room glows faint purple, her purple aura emanating from her, making things in her room float. Her alarm clock floats, paint brushes spin mid-air, her maroon bag hovers, and her sketchpads tremble.
Energy flows from her body, her aura.
She gasps and shakes her head, everything drops. Dead silence. Her fingers clutch the silver key.
"What... are these dreams?"
Her heart beats fast. Something has begun... and she doesn't understand it yet.