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twst novel. ( episode i: the crimson tyrant ) pg. 206-242.
Grim seemed cheerful as he carried a tray piled high with food. After managing to sit through a morning lecture on the history of magic that he'd had absolutely no clue about, it was finally time for lunch.
Trein, the history class's professor, had beckoned him alone after class with a ‘come here’.
He was an elegant middle-aged man with gray hair that was starting to become streaked with white and possessed a beloved flat-faced cat named Lucius, whom he held and occasionally stroked during class as if seeking a favorable response.
And, though he seemed quite stern when speaking of history, he spoke to Yuuya in an unexpectedly soothing tone.
"The headmaster has notified me of your circumstances. You'll find it challenging to follow my courses with no prior knowledge, so read this first."
He then presented the boy with a book that summarized this world's fundamental history.
Every instructor saw Yuuya, who couldn't utilize magic, as an ordinary student, just like Crewel and Vargas did only yesterday. They were decent people, in his opinion.
Not that his grades had ever been exceedingly stunning, or even bad. Even if the book he'd been given was as thick as a cube, he might be able to catch up if he worked hard enough—a little light amid the gloom of his future school life, as it were.
Even so, it didn't make him feel any better. This lunch break was a far more pressing matter than whatever the future may hold.
Yuuya recalled yesterday how uncomfortable it was to be scrutinized from a distance. Those painfully piercing stares. The obvious whispering. He would've exited the cafeteria right away if Deuce hadn't shown up.
Would he have to experience that uneasy sensation again today? His stomach ached from hunger and hunger alone, right in front of an exquisite sautéed chicken.
"The grub for today looks tasty!"
Grim plopped down in the midst of a long table, unconcerned of his surroundings. Those around him began to flee as fast as a sparrow struck by a stone.
Yuuya snuck over and timidly took a seat next to him.
"You've got it nice, Grim, not worrying about your surroundings like that."
"Surroundings?"
Grim clasped his fork deftly between his paw pads, a cocky, daring smirk on his face.
"Who cares. It's not like worryin' 'bout all that's gonna fill me up. The only thing I’m worryin’ about right now is this chicken sittin’ in front a’ me. It’s time ta chow down!”
Then, with a gleeful expression on his face, he shoved the meal into his enormous mouth, splattering sauce everywhere.
As he groaned in response and wiped the table with a napkin, Yuuya's gaze met a group of individuals seated in front of them. However, he soon turned his head down; away from their contorted grins of amusement. He could hear them snickering, as if ridiculing him.
──Did you hear about Trein summoning that normie right off the bat?
──Seriously? I knew a guy without magic wouldn't cut it as a student.
──What a mess. I'd be embarrassed to be a student here if other people associated us with that absence of talent.
All their malice was directed at him, cold and piercing like small needles poking him one after the other, unceasing as the rain. He was so hurt and afraid that all he could do was stare below and ahead.
He'd spent his entire life avoiding fights and living without being disliked by anyone, so how could he be prepared for when the entire student body was mocking him?
Should he be upset with them? Should he simply disregard this nonsense? He could think all he wanted, but he was still unable to move. His ears were suddenly scalding hot, and his limbs had begun to go numb.
Just as he felt that he couldn’t handle it any longer, someone sat in front of Yuuya, blocking both his line of sight and their voices.
He raised his head, expecting to see Deuce, only to be startled by vivid terracotta-colored hair. It was Ace sitting there.
“What?”
Ace then spoke freely, without waiting for a response or for Yuuya's eyes to reveal how the otherworlder was feeling.
“Check out that pathetic face. Did you think I was here to protect you from these guys or something? Look, I only sat here ‘cause all the other seats were taken. Literally. Just a coincidence,” he said while picking up his spoon. “Besides, I’m not the kind of loser who just complains behind your back! If I’m gonna make fun of you I’ll do it to your face like before.”
The talk ceased and grew silent as Ace glanced around, and the only noises were him sipping his soup and Grim gnawing on his meat.
“Phew. That was dee-lish!”
Grim cleared his throat and rubbed his stomach after stuffing himself, wistfully looking over at Ace's plate.
“That pasta’s lookin’ pretty good too…”
“Like I’ll fork it over. Hurry up and eat, Yuu, before Grim ends up scarfing it all down.”
“There you are.”
It was Deuce, weaving through the crowd and heading right for them.
“As impressive as ever. And here it took me a while to decide between the chicken or the carbonara,” he said while taking a seat naturally alongside Ace.
“What the hell. Here I was thinking I wouldn’t have to see your face before dinner.”
“Same here. Like, could you maybe move? You sitting by us with that collar around your neck makes people think we’re bad news, too.”
“Shut it! Anyway, what about that time you broke the chandelier, huh? You’re already pegged.”
“Ngh… No, it’s not too late. From here on, I’m just living the perfect honor student life while I’m here.”
Just like always, Ace and Deuce got into one of their noisy arguments. Just a minute ago, the clamor from people’s voices spreading rumors was almost too much to bear, but now, Yuuya didn’t mind it a bit.
“Ace, Deuce-kun… Thank you.”
“For what? You weirdo.”
“Why’m I the one who gets a -kun honorific? Just call me Deuce.”
Yuuya could still sense the insults and glances from everyone around him. In fact, he felt it was exacerbated by the fact that everyone who had sparked the ruckus the day before had gathered in one place.
But the stinging pain had vanished, and as he thanked Ace and Deuce once more, Yuuya was shocked at himself for being able to laugh so openly.
“Mind if I sit here?”
“Oh, sure. Go ahead.”
As the four of them ate, someone called to Ace and pulled out the chair next to him. Someone with a lot of courage, maybe. He wore black-rimmed glasses and had short, ivy-green hair, with a club-shaped symbol on his left cheek.
“That mark…”
Every Heartslabyul student had to follow a rule that dictated a card suit be painted on their face. Ace had explained during their recess following the entrance ceremony that their card suits would be assigned by the dorm leader himself.
That had to mean this guy was from their dorm, right? Before Yuya could even ask, a familiar face emerged from behind the spectacled-wearing individual.
“We didn’t even have to look for you, you guys stood out so hard.”
“Y-You’re—”
“Long time no morning, Ace-chan, aaand everyone else. Glad you’re doing fine.”
Ace turned away with a huff and poked at his pasta jadedly as Cater flapped and waved his hands in reply.
“Define ‘fine’… I mean, you literally used us and then kicked us out.”
Cater only chuckled apprehensively before taking his seat.
"Aww, come on. Turn that frown upside down. It's not like Cay-kun here wanted to bully his super cute underclassmen, okay? But the scary vice dorm leader over here insisted, even though I didn’t wanna be mean… weh.”
“Hey, you’re giving me a bad rep.”
Clearly understanding the nature of Cater’s discount crocodile tears, the bespectacled boy gave an embarrassed smile.
"Vice dorm leader?"
The others nodded in response, paying no mind to Yuuya’s apparent shock.
“Yeah. I’m Trey Clover, a Heartslabyul third-year just like Cater and the acting vice. Sorry Ace got you into all that trouble yesterday.”
Trey smiled as he introduced himself to Yuuya in a calming tone. Had he sought him out just to deliver that apology?
As soon as he was overcome with gratitude though, Trey proceeded with a mischievous laugh of his own: “I, well, had to see the guy holed up in the trash-he… the brand new dorm, Ramshackle.”
“Careful, Yuu.” Ace waved the tip of his spoon. “The vice’s literally just the dorm leader’s minion.”
"Hey, that's disrespectful to Clover-senpai," Deuce exclaimed as he shoved Ace, clearly still holding a grudge over what occurred this morning.
"Yeah, whatever. Trey-senpai didn't even come after me when I was tossed out of Heartslabyul!"
Grim raised his gaze to Trey, who simply kept smiling as his eyebrows lowered modestly. “Hey, hey. What’s this ‘vice dorm leader’ thing?”
“Well… you know our dorm leader, right? Riddle Rosehearts.”
Grim and Ace both screwed up their noses in revulsion.
“The vice dorm leader is sort of like… their assistant. Not that he really needs my help.”
Trey must’ve been one of the more put-together students if he were holding a specific title. He could see why Deuce was nervous just moments before.
Heartslabyul’s dorm leader, and vice dorm leader. Yuuya then had a realization and cautiously opened his mouth.
“What other dorms are there besides Heartslabyul, since we’re on the subject?”
Ace, as predicted, was taken aback.
“You seriously don’t know?”
“S-Sorry.”
“It’s all good. If anything it’s darling, like you’re a clueless little white rabbit. Oookay, big brother here's gonna tell you everything you need to know,” Cater said with a wink. “I’m sure you’ve seen the statues of the Great Seven lining Main Street. Our school has seven dormitories that follow in their footsteps. The dorm we belong to, Heartslabyul…” And as he chanted, he traced his finger along the table, writing words with magic as he spoke.
Based on the Queen of Hearts’ spirit of severity:
Heartslabyul Dorm.
Based on the King of Beasts’ spirit of persistence:
Savanaclaw Dorm.
Based on the Sea Witch’s spirit of compassion:
Octavinelle Dorm.
Based on the Sorcerer of the Desert’s spirit of deliberation:
Scarabia Dorm.
Based on the Fairest Queen’s spirit of tenacity:
Pomefiore Dorm.
Based on the Lord of the Underworld’s spirit of diligence:
Ignihyde Dorm.
Based on the Thorn Fairy’s spirit of nobility:
Diasomnia Dorm.
"Seven in total. You saw the Dark Mirror during the ceremony, right? It decides which dorm you're suited for based on the quality of your soul."
Cater softly blew on the sparkling letters, scattering them like sand grains in the wind.
"Uhm, wait, I—"
"Those names are too frickin' long!" Grim waggled his ears as though he were speaking on Yuuya's behalf. "No way are we gonna be able to memorize 'em in one go!"
Trey only smiled at their troubled looks.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it with time. It's easy to tell which dorm a student resides in. The different armband colors and gems in these pens should say enough. Our armbands are styled after the Queen of Hearts' dress in red and black, and our magic gem is crimson."
"Well, even if you can't tell by the color, you'll eventually be able to tell just by interacting with people that each of the dorms has their own unique style."
"Exactly, and you know enough about Heartslabyul by now, right?"
“Nope,” Ace spat out. “What’s with those messed-up rules, the decrees of the Queen or whatever? Painting the roses, unbirthday parties… I don’t get it.”
“Why are you so… rude to our senpai all the time?!”
“Then, what. Are YOU satisfied with all this weird crap, Deuce?”
“Well, uh…I—”
As Deuce glanced awkwardly at Trey and the others with a troubled expression, hesitant to say anything, Cater just sat back and watched in amusement.
“Think it’s weird?”
“No, I, it’s just…”
“Ahahah, that face! You’re so honest, Deuce-chan, enough to make me giggle.”
“Hey, now. Don’t pick on our newcomers too much,” Trey chastised Cater before clearing his throat, “Heartslabyul is based on the spirit of the Queen of Hearts, and that’s why our students live by her decrees. It's a dorm tradition.”
“By the way, there’re 810 decrees in total ♪.”
“810?!”
Ace and Deuce exchanged glances.
“And we’ve gotta follow ALL of them?”
“Can I even remember that many…?”
“Nyahahah. ‘Grats on bein’ whipped by your dorm.”
Grim pointed at them and laughed.
Any lingering sentiments for the other dorms appeared to have been resolved now that the small creature had been properly welcomed into the institution. Just yesterday he’d even tried to impress the ghosts that lived with them by bragging about how great their dorm was. It was nice seeing them settling into a normal daily life, especially since he seemed to get along with them fairly well.
“There ain’t a single rule in Ramshackle, and we get ta use the building however we want. When I get back today, I’m gonna clean the second floor ‘till my room shines like glass!”
Ace gave him an envious look.
“Aww, man. Heartslabyul is the worst…”
“The decrees are just old traditions, sooo… consider them kinda like, Heartslabyul’s mottos in a way?”
Cater looked at them fondly, somewhat nostalgic.
“How hard we uphold them all depends on how the dorm leader feels about it, though, and the previous one was pretty lax.”
“Riddle is probably the strictest leader the dorm’s ever had. He’s extremely by the book.”
"Right? Managing to get all our dorm to march in perfect step under such a strict system is what makes Riddle-kun so crazy awesome."
"That doesn't mean he’s gotta collar me when all I had was a slice! Ugh, whatever. I don’t get it,” Ace said as he downed a glass of water. "That prejudice of his is just crazy, man.”
“Oh, really. Just how crazy would you say I am, exactly?”
“Like he skipped strict and went straight to complete tyrant.”
"Ace!" Despite Yuuya's best efforts to stop him, he couldn't make it in time, and as Deuce followed his gaze he froze.
“D-Dorm Leader…”
“Huh?!”
The aforementioned dorm leader of Heartslabyul, Riddle, stood behind Ace with arms crossed, who then rose up as if he'd been splashed in boiling water.
As he scrutinized them with critical acumen, fiery wine-red hair slicked back behind an ear and grey eyes flashing beneath fan-like lashes, his otherwise small stature refused to betray the ephemeral beauty of his face–as if yesterday's expressions of wrath had all been a deception. All that might, as usual, didn't suit such a delicately constructed physique.
“Oh, Riddle-kun!” Cater smiled big. “You’re looking super duper cute today! ♪”
“Cater. Run your mouth and your head will roll.”
“Whoa, whoa. Gimme a break here~.”
Then Riddle snorted, turning his gaze on Yuuya and Grim.
“You two.”
“Oh, hello. I’m—”
Riddle made a small wave of his hand, as if to indicate there was no need for introductions.
“Yuu and Grim, I believe. I heard you were granted admittance into our institution. What is that Headmaster thinking, letting you rule-breaking hooligans back on campus? It’s unthinkable.”
Yuuya was quick to cover Grim’s mouth as he stuck out his tongue.
“Cut it out,” He whispered so only Grim could hear, “Do you want to end up like that again?”
From the corner of their eye, Ace gave them a strained smile, the massive collar weighing him down.
“Uhm, Dorm Leader Riddle?”
“Yes?”
Ace curled his lips as he brushed his hands together.
“I’ve got this favor I wanna ask. Could you like, remove this thing?”
“Certainly.”
“For real?!”
“Or at least, I had plans to do so, until—”
Riddle prodded at the collar around Ace’s neck.
“Given your previous remarks, I can tell you hardly feel an ounce of remorse. I’ll have you stay like this a little while longer.”
“Wh—But I’ve got class!”
“You should be fine. A first-year’s beginning semester is more lecture-oriented than anything. You shouldn't be overly hampered by your inability to employ magic. If you understand the concept of shame, you might be in some trouble, but I suppose you reap what you sow.”
Ace sagged his shoulders in dismay, the weight of his collar becoming even heavier with his anguish.
Despite how exhausting Ace's restraints appeared to be on a physical and mental level, Riddle merely shook his head to indicate that their talk was finished.
“More importantly, if you've finished eating then cease the chatter and be quick on your way to class. You know what’ll happen if you violate Article 271 of the Queen of Hearts' decrees, 'One shall not spend more than 15 minutes at the table after eating.' I trust...?"
“Ugh. Another weird rule.”
Riddle barked at the complaining Ace loud enough for it to be heard all the way down the far end of the cafeteria.
“Your reply should be, ‘Yes, Dorm Leader’!”
Ace and Deuce stopped dead to shout in unison: “Yes, Dorm Leader!”
“... Excellent. Trey, as the vice-dorm leader, I'm relying on you to monitor our new students' behavior."
"Right. You can count on me."
"I'll be off, then," Riddle replied, turning his back to them, "To the campus store in order to purchase two sugar cubes in order to comply with Article 339: "One's after-meal tea must always be lemon tea with two sugar cubes."
As Riddle departed with a clatter of his loafers, sighs of relief could be heard across the whole cafeteria at once.
"I knew he was off his rocker. Who bothers following that stuff outside the dorm?"
"Ugh, I was freaking out there... I accidentally violated Article 186 recently, "One mustn't eat hamburger steak on a Tuesday,' and I've been anxious ever since."
"I feel you. I don't even feel comfortable eating when Riddle's around."
Every whispered confession sounded unpleasant. It would seem Riddle's critics extended beyond new students like Ace and the rest, and it wasn't just one or two people either.
"Nobody can stand that Riddle guy, huh."
Trey and Cater laughed dryly at Grim's brutal remark.
"But like, Riddle-kun's a pretty remarkable mage. You can’t even remove the tiniest little bit of his unique magic. At least not by yourself, anyway!”
"'Unique magic'? What's that?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Trey began to explain to Grim, "It's a person's own, unique magic. That doesn't mean they're the only ones in the world who can use it, but it's unlikely anyone else would have the same ability."
“Riddle-kun’s lets him seal another person’s magic for a limited period of time. Sound familiar?”
Grim shook his head fiercely, his face scrunched up in displeasure.
“It’s caaalled… “Off With Your Head!”
“Ugh. Even hearing the name sends a chill up your spine.”
Ace sat on the bare edge of his chair, hunched over as if he didn’t even want to listen.
“And what’s with that naming scheme, anyway? A little morbid, much?”
“Having your magic sealed as a mage is pretty much like getting your head lopped off, right? Sounds on-point to me. ♪”
"Uh huh. Sure. It's a perfect fit for that arrogant attitude of his."
Even as they witnessed Ace be disrespectful towards them, his upperclassmen, Trey and Cater, kept their cool, laughing off his complaints lightly. He expected them to be taken aback by their reckless newbie, yet only a second ago, remarks to cover for Riddle came from all directions. Maybe they were just used to people expressing their grievances by now.
"By the way he was acting, I'm just gonna get thrown out again if I don't bring a tart, right? According to the Queen of Hearts, uhh, y'know. Articles or whatever."
"That'd be Article 53, 'What was stolen must be returned,'" Trey corrected as his eyebrows lowered, "Riddle always looks forward to the first slice. It's one of the perks of being a dorm leader, after all. You'll... probably have to make a complete tart instead of just the bit you ate to get him to pardon you for taking that away from him."
"Yep. Look, it's a heartbreaking situation for us, too, but the rules are absolute."
"Yeah, right!"
"For real, though. This is real talk here."
Trey nodded in agreement as Cater gave Ace an unexpectedly serious look.
"Yeah. We just think you ought to take care of it somehow."
"'Somehow' being the problem."
Ace scratched his cheek sheepishly, despite his sour expression.
"I mean, it's not like I can pay him back right this second. I don't have the cash for a whole tart."
"Not to worry!"
Cater snapped his fingers, as if he'd been waiting for this moment.
“I’ve got this great idea. ♪”
"How did we end up here again?"
As soon as they exited the school building, Deuce let slip that he'd reached his limit, giving Yuuya a sidelong look.
"Err, I mean—that wasn't a complaint geared towards Diamond-senpai or Clover-senpai."
"It's fine, I understand."
Deuce clearly held their upperclassmen in high regard, evident from the way he treated them right away in the cafeteria.
Which is exactly why he couldn't comprehend Ace's easygoing, friendly behavior toward them at all.
"All Ace ever does is cause trouble. He's reckless, and always goofing off, and... doesn't he have any pride as a student of Night Raven College?"
"It's nice of you to lend him a hand despite everything."
Cater said the tart Ace had eaten had apparently been baked by Trey, whose parents ran a pastry shop and who possessed incredible cooking skills for a high school kid. The confections he made just so happened to be Riddle's favorite.
That's why they'd settled like this, on baking a tart by hand with Trey's input. And while it might be time-consuming, the cost of hand-making one would come directly from the dorm budget, allowing them to present an apology gift that cost nothing and took no effort. Riddle's sure to forgive you if you bring that to the party tomorrow.
Ace naturally agreed to do it after hearing that, starting with the beginning of the authentic mont blanc-making process: picking up chestnuts. Yuuya and the others with him had simply been dragged into the matter.
"You're not gonna do something so heartless as to walk out on me, are you? Me, the guy who you literally shared a life-threatening experience with?"
They couldn't say no after that.
Grim, who'd been offered a share of tart, had taken to picking up chestnuts with Ace after school, while Yuuya and Deuce had agreed to walk to the campus shop together to buy the rest of the ingredients.
Putting aside his own personal aversion to rocking the boat for a moment, who would've expected Deuce to help with the shopping? He and Ace had been feuding since they met, but maybe he didn't actually hate him. Because why else would he be so kind?
Yuuya found himself extremely moved, as he was painfully aware of how valuable that trait was in this school.
“I’ve never had anyone call me nice before.”
Deuce, on the other hand, seemed astonished and swiftly shook his head.
“I appreciate you saying that, but it makes me feel awkward. I couldn't say no in front of our senpai is all.”
“But you were seeking us out in the cafeteria even today.”
Even if yesterday had been a coincidence, he'd still gone out of his way to sit right next to him and Grim today. But when Yuuya informed him he'd been pleasantly surprised by it, Deuce just laughed it off awkwardly.
"It was no big deal. It's what any honor student would do, I think."
Honor student. Deuce used that term frequently.
His fixation on being an exemplary, upright student had been consistent since the moment they met.
"Remember how you didn't look so good all the way through lunch yesterday? I thought maybe you couldn't eat our food or something, since you're from another world."
Then, despite misunderstanding the reason for Yuuya's pale complexion the other day, he brought a hand to his chest with a confident thump.
"Don't worry. It wasn't any trouble. Coming to the aid of a classmate in trouble's an honor student's job!"
"Uhm, yeah. Thanks."
Deuce pointed at something, saying, "Oh. Isn't that the place our senpai were talking about?"
Before them stood the campus store's landmark, a tree with a split trunk and surviving limbs that spindled forth sideways like spider legs. A brickwork building was just behind it, and as they approached, they spotted a little sign hanging that said, "Mr. S's Mystery Shop."
As befitted the name of the establishment, when Yuuya and the others opened the door, a suspicious atmosphere pervaded the whole inside as various items with unknown purposes crowded the area in various places: odd-looking masks, cloudy bottles whose contents were unidentifiable, an old piano that was clearly not for sale, and other miscellaneous items.
When one saw products appropriate for a campus store, such as notebooks and pencils, they would notice necklaces and rings right next to them, glittering under the yellowish-green lighting. An odd lineup of goods for a place within a school. There was no sign of life, and all was silent.
“Uhm, hello, is there anyone there?” Yuuya called to the back of the room while craning his neck inside.
A slithy dark shadow spread out beneath their feet.
“Hey! Looking for something?”
A young, fashionable man emerged from the rear of the store. He had the exact black-and-purple dreadlocks and patchwork silk hat they'd heard about. He had to be the owner of the shop Trey briefed them about: Sam.
Friendly-faced and smiling, Sam had a brooch on his chest much like the ones that adorned the shop’s interior. When Yuuya set his eyes on it, he felt his heart skip a beat.
“Actually, we’re here to get cake ingredients, which--”
“--are IN STOCK NOW!”
Before Deuce could say anything, Sam took out a paper bag and placed it on the counter. When he looked inside, he was puzzled to see superfine sugar, fresh milk, and eggs. All of the other items that Trey had asked them to obtain were neatly packaged.
“How? We hadn’t even said anything yet.”
“Simple. I’ve got friends on the other side who filled me in on exactly what you need.”
Sam snapped his fingers in front of the bewildered otherworlder, and the next thing Yuuya knew, a card was nestled between the fingers of a white glove. It looked like a business card, with the silhouette of a hat printed in purple on black paper.
"I can supply whatever you desire, my little imps."
He then slipped one into Yuuya's breast pocket and another into Deuce's palm while standing next to them.
“Now, any other requests? Some extra cream, a state-of-the-art whisk? How about this floating saucer for carrying your bags? I’m running a special on them right now!”
“N-No, thank you!”
Deuce placed the money on the counter and clutched their bag of goods as if to snatch it. Then, with his free hand, he clasped Yuuya's arm, where the other boy had expected half of the items to be transferred to him to carry.
“Thanks very much! C’mon, Yuu, let’s go.”
“Uhm, okay. Thank you very much.”
Sam only laughed ominously, “Nee hee hee,” not at all angered by the two as they immediately turned to leave.
“And thank YOU for the purchase, my little imps! Looking forward to your continued patronage of the Mystery Shop.”
With a quick wave, Yuuya and Deuce immediately made their way out of the shop.
“That was close… I thought he was gonna squeeze all we had out of us.”
“It was a pretty good sales pitch though,” Yuuya replied as they headed for the kitchen in the cafeteria where Trey was waiting. Ace and Grim should've returned from their chestnut hunt by now.
"You've got to stay on your toes around that Sam guy, otherwise you might go out for milk and come back cradling five whole cartons. I know I wouldn't be able to finish them all, but whenever they say buying in bulk will save you money, I can't resist."
It was a pretty self-aware statement. Even so, when Deuce noticed the other boy's pondering look, he blurted out: "Actually, when I was little, my mom and I used to...—look out!"
Yuuya was distracted by Deuce's story when he felt a thud against his shoulder, sending a ripple throughout his body. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground.
"Yuu! Are you okay?"
Apart from the hand he'd swiftly used to break his fall, there was no pain, and as Deuce crouched down at his side, concerned, all Yuuya could do was stammer his concerns as he fumbled for the bag he'd dropped. Fearfully, he tore open its seal.
"The eggs..."
Precisely as he'd anticipated after hearing something crack, two of the six eggs had broken.
"O-Oh, no. I'm sorry, Deuce. Some of the eggs broke, and..."
"Eggs?"
Yuuya turned towards the low voice to discover three students staring back at him.
"Screw the eggs. What're you gonna do 'bout this shoulder?"
As soon as that was said, the boy pulled Yuuya's shirt and yanked him on his feet.
"U-U-Uhm, I—"
"You got a lotta nerve to care more about your bags after bumpin' into him."
"Ow, ow. I think that broke my arm, man."
As he massaged the area that had bumped into Yuuya on purpose, the "injured" boy snickered. He had a yellow-and-black armband on and was far more burly than both Deuce and Yuuya, the worn look of his uniform seeming to imply that he was their upperclassmen.
“You know you’re gonna have to pay for this, right?”
"B-But I, don't have any money."
"How're you gonna pay up then, huh?"
Yuuya started to apologize right away, but Deuce cut him off and snapped, "Wait. Let him go.", seizing the upperclassman's hand that clutched the shirt. “You were the ones who jumped out in front of us.”
“... What’d you just say?”
“We’ll apologize for bumping into you, but you were messing around and not paying attention to where you were going.”
“What’s with the attitude? You got a big mouth for a first-year.”
“D-Deuce! It’s fine, really.”
“They’re the ones who came down the side street.”
One of the upperclassmen stamped on Deuce's foot, as if to silence him. At the same time, a sound similar to something being crushed could be heard.
“Whoops. My foot slipped.”
The culprit immediately scuffed the ground with his leather shoes, where the paper bag from the campus store lay underfoot, all crumpled and covered in dirt. They didn't need to look inside the flattened paper bag to find out what happened to the rest of the eggs.
"I'm just so dizzy, like, from the shock of my rude underclassmen collidin’ with me."
“Man, poor guy. All thanks to two bad eggs!”
The lot of them all laughed. Even Yuuya, who had little experience with confrontations, could see they were the spitting image of delinquents. Rather than fight, they ought to run. Deuce's hands were quivering beside Yuuya, who was quietly apprehensive.
“Come on, Deuce. Let’s just go. We need to go buy more.”
“Apologize…”
“Huh?”
What was that? But when Yuuya looked him in the eyes and asked him to repeat himself, he backed off. A blue vein popped out on Deuce's forehead, and he looked so menacing that Yuuya couldn't believe his eyes.
“I said APOLOGIZE. What, are your ears clogged or somethin’, huh?!”
Deuce, who’d fully transformed, shoved at the student who’d trampled triumphantly on their eggs, leaning forward with a jerk until they were nose-to-nose.
Deuce’s vibe was different. It didn’t have the same overwhelming aura like Riddle’s, but there was a sense of danger around him, as if you didn’t know what he would do next.
But Yuuya wasn't the only surprised one. With their fury long forgotten, their upperclassmen were likewise staring blankly at Deuce as if he were a different person entirely.
“Do you even realize what you assholes did?”
“Y’mean, the eggs?”
“Yes, the eggs!”
As if to pay him back for what he just said, Deuce seized the other boy by his collar.
“Those eggs… instead of growin’ up to be chicks, they were ‘sposed to become a delicious tart. And yet you wrenched the life out of ‘em and just LAUGHED!”
“Wait a minute, chicks? You need to calm down, Deuce.”
Even when he waved his hands wildly, Deuce didn’t bother to glance Yuuya’s way. He seemed to be preoccupied with the “enemies” in front of him.
“You smashed six eggs. If you aren’t gonna apologize, then I’ll just hafta slug you six times instead.”
"The hell's he talkin' about?" They all laughed.
"Like we're gonna apologize when we don't even know what we're apologizin' for!"
Something dark shifted rapidly, and the boy in front of Deuce slumped to the ground with a dull thud.
"The first blow."
Deuce merely flicked his hand nonchalantly, looking down on the victim, who hunched over, clutching his stomach.
"This first-year... seriously hit me!"
The other two became enraged.
All Yuuya could do was stand there and watch as someone got beaten. The violence didn't even feel real with the way Deuce barely bat an eye at what was happening.
The delinquents, who were about an entire size larger, locked their ferocious gazes on them. Even the one who'd been struck stumbled to his feet and drew his magical pen.
They had them beat in both stature and number. How could Deuce be so nonchalant in the face of an opponent who might destroy him if they fought? He didn't look worried at all; in fact, from the way he was turning his head left and right, it looked as if he were about to begin a light workout.
"'Damn straight. I said I'd slug you six times, remember, or maybe you didn't hear me?"
"... Hah! You got some nerve."
“You’re a dumbass for trying to take on an upperclassman as a freshman. You know what’s about to happen to you, huh?!”
“You really think you’re just gonna get away with this,” Deuce laughed, his voice rising in anger. “I’m gettin’ payback for those chicks, so bring it on!”
“This chick-obsessed brat! Get ‘em!”
Someone unfamiliar raised their voice in anger, causing Yuuya to involuntarily shut his eyes.
"Enough."
The moment a low voice could be heard, the area instantly went silent. A towering man appeared as Yuuya slowly opened his eyes.
He had an incredible aura around him that caught everyone's attention, the toned muscles visible through his open-buttoned shirt, and the scar over his left eye only adding to his formidable presence.
They stopped their fists from swinging down on Deuce. The impetus they had gathered had vanished, and the trio of burly upperclassmen cowered together like tiny animals facing a predator as they said, "Leona-san."
Leona furrowed his brows at them, not at all concerned with the mistrustful Deuce.
"You morons. Don't go brow-beatin’ in the streets so early in the school year."
"But that brat's the one who threw the first punch."
"Huh. So, what, you got a problem with what I'm saying?"
"N-No way! We'd never dream 'a—"
Leona was casually dressed, not sporting his uniform jacket or even a tie, instead donning a yellow vest like the three who were about to engage Deuce in a fistfight and were now keeping their collective mouths shut in front of their dorm mate.
Who on earth was this Leona person to so effortlessly subdue this outraged group of thugs? As Yuuya stared at the little beast ears perched atop long hair and gave things some thought, he recognized this man as having led students at the entrance ceremony.
Suddenly their eyes met.
"Hey, you."
"M-Me?"
Immediately after he responded, Yuuya screamed; As Leona had leaned his long nose towards his neck.
A cold sweat broke out across his back. For some reason, the prospect of exposing his throat to this man was horrifying, and in the next instant, the fear of his throat being ripped to shreds invaded his thoughts.
"Yuu!" Deuce yelled, racing over, but Leona hastily removed himself from the situation before any punches could meet their mark.
“Hahah! You seriously don’t have even a hint of magic scent on you. So they weren’t kidding at the ceremony, huh.”
“Scent? Then he’s the guy everyone’s been talkin’ about?” They stared scrutinizingly at Yuuya as if they were seeing him for the first time.
“Yeah. The magic-less fledgling the Headmaster took pity on. Lay a hand on him and there’s no tellin’ what he’ll say.”
Leona gave Yuuya and then Deuce a quick glance before smiling pretentiously at them.
“If you’re gonna play with your food, do it more discreetly.”
“Hey, hold on.”
Deuce glared at Leona while pointing at the student who’d trampled on their eggs.
“I don’t know who the hell you’re supposed to be, but they still haven’t apologized to the chicks and I’m gonna make them pay.”
A skinny boy hurried up to Deuce's side, placing a hand on his shoulder just as he was preparing to deliver a punch. He had considerably bigger ears than Leona and enormous eyes that drooped even as they narrowed.
“Okay, okay. Let’s calm down now.”
He was around Deuce's height, tapping him on the shoulder as he spoke.
“Who’re you?”
”The name’s Ruggie Bucchi,” the boy who introduced himself as Ruggie stated, the condescension in his voice enough to make them shudder. “And this scary-looking guy here’s the dorm leader of Savanaclaw, Leona Kingscholar-san. Fighting your upperclassmen is bad enough, but you wanna fight a dorm head, too? You got no chance. It’s times like this where it’s better to just cut your losses.”
“Cut my losses? They’re the ones that started this crap and now they’re trying to run off!”
“Whoa, there. We’re dealing with one hotheaded kitten. You oughta be thanking me. I'm the one who called for Leona-san 'cause I figured you needed it.”
“Look at this condescending punk.” Leona stuck his tongue out at Ruggie. "All you did was shove the work on me."
"Shishishi. Our dorm leader's the best, bein' able to settle a mess in no time flat!"
The three who'd started it all looked down on Yuuya and Deuce and snickered to themselves. Their heads must've cooled after Leona's reprimand, for he had a certain magnetism, as befitting a dorm leader.
The long tail that protruded from Leona's slacks swayed as he turned his back on them. It was a lion's tail, with lush fur at the tip, unlike a cat or a dog's.
A shudder went down Yuuya and Deuce's spine as the dorm leader swept his narrow pupils over them languidly. Their gut instinct told them that challenging him head-on would be too risky.
"Being energetic's fine and dandy, but at least know who you're messing with."
"Hahahah! What he said!"
"That goes for you three, too."
With his dorm mates in tow, Leona sighed and promptly walked away.
When Yuuya looked back, Deuce was staring at the ground in silence.
“Uhm, Deuce?”
Yuuya called out to him, but received no response.
To be honest, he was a little scared to talk to him after witnessing his sudden transformation earlier. As Yuuya considered his options, he heard a small voice.
"... I really did it now."
"Huh?"
Deuce then nimbly raised his head with a dejected look on his face.
"I lost control... and got physical with our senpai! I'm sorry, Yuu!"
Deuce bowed his head to Yuuya with gusto, his usual serious demeanor restored, as if his demonic appearance before had all been a fabrication.
"It probably scared you, right?"
"Don't worry about it. I mean, you saved me."
“He smiled, but Deuce, who could tell Yuuya wasn’t used to dealing with confrontation, seemed to think he’d gone too far. Already at his limit, he opened his mouth.
"The truth is, I... you see, those were just my true colors."
Gradually and awkwardly, he started to speak.
"I ended up going crazy back at Mt. Dwarf, so you might've already guessed, but... I was kind of wild back in middle school. What they call a delinquent, even."
"D-Delinquent?"
Had he actually heard that word come out of his mouth? He must've, for Deuce only nodded his head, a solemn expression plastered on his face.
"I skipped school a lot and got into fights every day. I hung out with a bad crowd, and even blazed down tight curves on my magical wheel..."
Magical wheels must've been similar to motorcycles based on the way he described it.
"I even bleached my hair so blonde that I looked like a different person entirely," Deuce continued with a self-deprecating laugh. So, to put it mildly, he used to be a stereotypical bad boy who Yuuya wouldn't have had a relationship with but could easily visualize.
Then, with a pained expression on his face and his voice sinking low as if it were difficult to speak, he continued.
"I would even... show off my magic to guys that couldn't use it, to brag about how much better I was than them. I was a real asshole."
Yuuya, who couldn't wield magic, would've undoubtedly been one of his targets if they had run into each other back then, but from the tormented look on Deuce's face, he seemed to be deeply regretting all that.
Maybe it wasn’t just due to the fact that he was gutsy that what occurred in the cafeteria didn’t seem to bother him, Yuuya thought. He was probably already used to people whispering behind his back with a past like that.
"But you've changed so much. So you thought about what you did, right?"
When Yuuya said this, Deuce looked away awkwardly.
"Even that wasn't something I figured out on my own... and, well, it's kind of a pitiful story."
He took a deep breath and opened his mouth in resignation after a few minutes of reluctance.
“Guess there's no point in trying to keep up appearances now. One day, when I came home for the first time in a while, I noticed my mom making a teary-eyed phone call to my grandma. ‘Maybe he keeps acting up because he doesn’t have a father figure. I keep blaming myself, thinking that maybe a single parent can’t raise a child.’”’
Deuce's fists were trembling in their black gloves. You could practically hear him tighten his fists.
“But that can’t be true. Mom never did anything wrong. It was all my fault! That's when I finally understood how stupid I'd been. I tried to put her at ease and make up for my past behavior, but once the label of ‘delinquent’ was given to me, there was nothing I could do.”
"I reap what I sow." to put it another way. This, in Yuuya's opinion, was Deuce's expression of regret for the past.
"So when I received my acceptance letter to the prestigious Night Raven College, I saw it as my chance to start over. I don't want to make my mom cry again, when she was overjoyed to see the carriage picking me up as if it came for her. This time I won't mess up for sure. I decided to be the kind of honor student that would make her proud–put a smile on her face."
"Those conditions..."
No wonder he'd been acting so strangely. He couldn't say that outright, but Deuce himself seemed very self-aware.
"And yet when something I don't agree with happens, I just can't help it... augh. Goddammit!"
Punching an upperclassman from the same school was apparently this shocking, as Deuce continued to mutter while staring at his fist.
"Hell, I'd be in the thick of a slugfest right now if Savanaclaw's dorm leader hadn't come by. In the end, I haven't changed at all since those dark days."
Seeing Deuce lose hope like that brought back memories for Yuuya of the other boy spotting him on the first day of school in the cafeteria.
Calling out to him in the classroom, looking for him in the cafeteria on the second day of school. Not one of those gestures that'd made him happy had to have been done out of compassion, but rather out of Deuce's desire to be an honor student.
Even so, Yuuya didn't seem to mind. After all, hadn't Deuce rescued him so many times that he knew he could count on him? What's more, he regretted not saying what he should have when Ace apologized, and if he stayed fearful and mute again, the same thing would happen here now.
"But I appreciate you."
Yuuya took a deep breath.
"They wouldn't have let me off scot-free with just an apology if I'd been alone, and... who knows what would've happened then. But that doesn't mean an honor student has to put up with everything, I think. You did exactly what one would do: calling out when something is wrong."
Sharing his own thoughts still made him uneasy, his heart pounding in his chest as he found himself glancing at Deuce as he talked, trying to catch whether he'd said something funny.
Regardless, he seemed to have said what he needed to say.
"Getting into fights isn't okay, but, uhm... I think you're incredible, because I could never break one up like that."
"Incredible?" Deuce repeated, as if caught off guard.
"Yeah. I'm glad we have classes together."
"... Huh. That's the first time anyone's ever said that to me."
Deuce blinked his eyes for a bit before smiling shyly.
"Likewise. It's too bad I couldn't get back at our senpai for those chicks, but... their souls are gonna rest in peace now, right?"
There was literally no way, but apparently, there was. The pensive look on Deuce's face confirmed it.
"Uhm... sorry. Can I say just one more thing?"
"Y-Yeah," Deuce huffed, his expression serious. "Sure! If anything's bothering you or needs to be corrected so I can be an honor student, lay it on me."
"No, that's not it. It's just..." It was tough to say, but now that they were closer, Yuuya thought he could muster up the courage. "Those eggs were all unfertilized... they were never going to hatch."
Deuce, looking the most surprised he'd been all day, exclaimed, "WHAAAT?! YOU'RE KIDDING!"